Chapter 753: Chapter 753: Instructions
"I thought the fate of the previous guy would teach you all a lesson, but it seems you’re still not listening. Tell me, with such a clear example in front of you, why can’t you learn?"
As Xu Ke dragged the man out of the cage by his hair, he spoke as if puzzled, muttering to himself.
The man, who had the courage to resist just moments ago, seemed to have given up entirely after a round of failure. Xu Ke dragged him to the wooden rack and tied him up there.
It was only after confirming everything was secure that Xu Ke removed the gag from the man’s mouth.
"From now on, keep your mouth shut. Answer what I ask and don’t say anything extra, got it?" Xu Ke said, gripping the man’s jaw.
"If you don’t do as I say, or try to play the hero, being stubborn and refuse to talk, I will punish you severely. Understand?"
As Xu Ke posed his two questions, the newly bound man started to panic.
"I’ll tell you whatever you want. Just spare me, or give me a swift end; don’t torture me," the man pleaded, his voice slightly trembling.
"Rest assured, I’m thorough with my work. I’ll treat you as you treat me. If you cooperate with me, I’ll fulfill your wishes as much as I can. We’re all in this underworld together, helping each other out," Xu Ke said in a relaxed tone.
With Xu Ke’s reassurance, the man displayed a relieved smile, too happy his tense nerves relaxed, causing his nose to run. Though he quickly snorted it back, Xu Ke’s sharp eyes caught it.
Xu Ke wrinkled his nose in distaste and stepped back, covering his nose with his fingers, expressing disgust, "You’re disgusting. Can’t you maintain some personal hygiene? It’s so filthy it makes me want to clean up the trash."
"I didn’t do it on purpose. I couldn’t control it. Sorry, don’t clean me up. I won’t do it again," the man said, his voice agitated.
"Alright, you better seize this opportunity. If I catch you being so disgusting again, I really will kill you. I’m not joking," Xu Ke threatened lightly.
The man tied to the rack looked at Xu Ke in horror. His recently relaxed body tensed up again, standing rigid like a steel board.
Xu Ke was pleased with the man’s seriousness, and the murderous intent in his eyes slightly faded.
"Alright, first question. Who sent you here? Answer honestly. If I find out you’re lying, I’ll make you experience a death by a thousand cuts, 3600 slices without one missing." Xu Ke made a slashing motion across his own throat with his thumb, the threat evident.
"Think carefully but don’t take too long. My patience is limited," Xu Ke said as he watched the man close his mouth, hesitating to speak, yet too afraid.
"It was Marian. She was the one who sent us. She gave us a large sum of money to come and kill Claude," the man said, biting his lip before speaking.
"Marian? Are you sure? Think carefully about the consequences before answering. I only give one chance. If you miss it, that’s it for your life." Xu Ke stared at the man’s eyes intensely, until the man became guilty and looked away.
"I’m telling the truth. The person contacting me said her name was Marian. Why would I have the guts to deceive you? I’m telling the truth, I don’t have the courage to lie."
The man, while speaking, didn’t dare meet Xu Ke’s eyes, his actions evasive, yet his tone firm.
"Though I haven’t interacted long with Marian, I have a pretty clear understanding of her capacity. She doesn’t have the ability to hire someone to kill. If she had money, she’d spend it on luxury goods, not on hiring people to kill Claude." Xu Ke continued to observe the reactions of everyone in the chamber.
The man tied to the rack was left speechless by Xu Ke’s questioning, his mind blank and his expression empty, seemingly honest but with dubious credibility in his words.
Xu Ke didn’t expect to encounter such a useless person on his first questioning; this did not put Xu Ke in a good mood.
"Such a waste of time," Xu Ke sighed, shaking his head.
From those who had been educated, the word ’waste’ carried effects and a terror greater than most horror movies or novels; at least those allowed them calm hearts when they played.
But now, with just Xu Ke’s casual words, bodies trembled involuntarily, afraid to meet his eyes, fearful of being singled out for punishment.
Xu Ke took a small step forward, closing the distance with the man, who felt an endless surge of fear and dread at Xu Ke’s movement.
"I swear by the name of God, what I said was all true, without an ounce of deceit. If there’s even one false word, may I die here in this chamber without complaint."
The man stiffened his neck, too afraid to show anger towards Xu Ke or share his feelings; all he could do was swear.
"I believe you’re truthful, but I also believe your information has no value. If you can’t answer even such a minor question, how can I trust you to answer the ones that follow? Or how can I believe the answers you give will be correct?" Xu Ke spoke, without looking up from the instruments in front of him.
The man’s voice trembled, "No, it’s not like that. I swear on my honor, what I said is the answer. And even if you don’t believe me on this question, ask another, and by the last one, you’ll see my worth."
"I am not without value. On account of my cooperation and in God’s name, I beg you not to treat me like this, not to torture me."
A man strong enough to assassinate others broke down in front of everyone, crying uncontrollably, his previous effort to stop his runny nose failing again only for Xu Ke to witness.