Dragon Clan: Avoid the College Entrance Examination to Slay the Dragon

Chapter 72 Ending
Gu Yi lay on a folding stretcher in the medical area, looking around. The hotel's front plaza had been transformed into a temporary command center, with searchlights illuminating the night sky as bright as day. Broken steel bars pierced from the side of the building, the entire top-floor guest room area had collapsed, and fire hoses were gushing out from broken pipes.

Footsteps suddenly came from behind him. Caesar leaned against the door frame of the medical tent, the moonlight gilding the ends of his golden hair with a silver edge. "Didn't the doctor say I should rest well?"

The boy propped himself up, revealing newly formed pink skin through the collar of his hospital gown: "How are you doing, senior brother?"

"It's nothing, just a bit exhausted." The blond youth strolled into the tent. "Fingal has already gone to the hospital with me."

The two stood side by side, gazing at the ruins. The night wind carried the smell of burning as it swept by. Gu Yi suddenly laughed and said, "It feels like every time we team up for a mission, we cause a huge commotion."

“I remember you said you were born with bad luck, and it seems I am too.” Caesar said, taking out a can of Coke.

"Perhaps it really is my problem."

"Just kidding." Caesar flicked the tab, the sound of carbonated bubbles bursting mixed with the noisy background. "The hotel guests have a high survival rate, thanks to Chu Zihang blocking the Deadpool horde on the third floor."

"Where are the bigwigs from the Sinaloa Group?"

"They suffered heavy casualties this time, and the identities of all the bodies are still being verified. Hopefully, we can find them." Caesar tilted his head back and took a swig of his drink.

"Didn't you capture any prisoners alive?"

"They've been arrested, about ten of them, and we're currently comparing their records."

"I hope it doesn't escalate to the point of being fruitless." Gu Yi shook his head.

"That's something the higher-ups should consider."

Gu Yi turned his head. "I made such a big commotion this time, and the dragon even soared into the sky, yet it wasn't witnessed by the public?"

"The executive branch activated the evacuation plan as soon as the guests gathered. Besides, the hotel is located on the edge of the development zone with a small permanent population. The technical team is also keeping a close eye on the news online."

The roar of heavy machinery came from outside the tent. Gu Yi looked at the flashing warning lights on the crane arm and asked, "Fingal said you fought with that woman?"

"Yes. She's very powerful, but luckily my Word of Power can restrain her. Now it's my turn to ask you, how does it feel to face a dragon head-on?"

The boy lay sprawled on the stretcher. “Terrifying. They have incredible vitality. I’ve severed its carotid artery, pierced its heart, and even torn out half of its dragon tendon. Yet it can still spew dragon flames.”

So how did you finally defeat it?

"By some kind of force."

"Bloodlust?"

"You know?" Gu Yi was surprised. When he and Chu Zihang planned to train the Blood Explosion, the three of them made an agreement—because this power was too strange and terrifying, it must not be easily revealed to outsiders.

"Fingal accidentally let slip that Chu Zihang said it was Lionheart Society technology?"

Gu Yi sighed: "I wanted to tell you this after I finished trying it out."

"So what do you mean?" Caesar's azure eyes shone brightly in the moonlight.
The boy stared at the other's bangs, ruffled by the night wind: "Let's talk about it when we get back to school. I'll explain everything to you. The power of Bloodlust... comes at a high price, like walking a tightrope over an abyss."

Caesar sighed. "Let's talk about it when we get back."

Just then, footsteps sounded behind them. A girl with long, wine-red hair stood at the tent entrance with her arms crossed, the warning lights of heavy machinery casting a flickering red glow behind her: "Stop chatting. Senior Brother Ye Sheng sent me to inform you that we're leaving."

As Caesar turned around, a natural smile appeared on his lips: "You've come."

Nono glanced at Caesar: "Yeah, you were supposed to be in the meeting too, who knew you'd suddenly disappear?"

The blond youth looked at the ruins again: "I've told Professor Schneider everything I needed to say."

Gu Yi threw off the blanket and stood up: "Let's go."

"Can you walk normally?" Caesar glanced at the faint burn marks visible beneath his bandages.

The boy jumped up and down twice. "It's easy, they just don't let me get out of bed whenever I want."

Nono tucked her long hair behind her ear: "I was told to push you over there."

"no need."

“Gu,” the girl suddenly took a half step closer to look him over, “you always surprise people.”

Caesar raised an eyebrow: "Looks like you two know each other quite well?"

Nono walked straight to the blond youth, casually putting her arm around his shoulder like a good older brother. "Yes, didn't I tell you? I'm practically Gu's introducer in Kassel."

Gu Yi looked at Caesar, who looked surprised: "It's like this. At that time, I had just been found by the academy, and Commander Li arranged for her to give me a general introduction to the situation."

"I see." Caesar nodded, then glanced one last time at the rescue team bustling about on the ruins. "Let's go."

The three walked across the square, which was lit by searchlights. The night wind carried the smell of scorched earth as it swept past, and the canvas of the medical tents fluttered behind them.

The three walked through the square, where light and shadow mingled, the roar of heavy machinery echoing in the night. Gu Yi saw construction vehicles spraying chemicals in the distance, the white mist spreading like gauze in the moonlight.

"What were they talking about in the meeting?" the boy asked.

Nono hopped over a pile of rubble with her hands behind her back. "Most of it is nonsense. The only important thing is that we've decided to completely demolish the hotel."

“It definitely needs to be addressed; the building’s structure is no longer stable.” Caesar nodded.

“That’s only part of the reason,” the red-haired girl suddenly stopped. “The real issue is the dragon blood contamination. Although most of Gu Yi’s battle with that thing took place in Nibelungen, the fighting after the collapse of Nibelungen still resulted in a large amount of dragon blood being spilled around the hotel.”

Gu Yi subconsciously touched the bandage on his chest, where the burning sensation of the dragon flames still lingered: "Is dragon blood really that dangerous?"

“I’m reminded of what happened in the Congo River basin.” Caesar’s voice suddenly deepened. “A few years ago, the Executive Bureau intercepted and killed a dragon servant in the Congo rainforest. Its blood polluted some of the tributaries. Three months later, livestock with scales appeared in the downstream villages, and all the vegetation on the riverbanks turned dark red. It took a lot of effort to completely get rid of it.”

"The situation is much better this time. The technical department estimates that the contaminated area of ​​the hotel is not large, but all the building materials soaked in dragon's blood must be burned, and the surrounding area must be thoroughly disinfected," Nono said.

“Dragons are truly troublesome creatures. It’s hard to imagine how they fought against them in ancient times,” Gu Yi remarked. “Actually, most battles against dragons throughout history have taken place on pre-arranged battlefields. After all, most dragons are in a slumber, so it’s quite rare for a dragon to awaken without its knowledge,” Nuonuo explained.

Caesar nodded: "The Congo River incident was an exception among exceptions. The dragon servant suddenly awoke and instantly capsized the entire barge, leaving no time to set up an alchemical matrix."

A sudden gust of wind swept in from the depths of the ruins, carrying ashes that brushed against the hems of the three people's clothes. Gu Yi looked up at the churning clouds, the canvas of the medical tent fluttering behind him.

"It looks like it's going to rain," he said.

As soon as he finished speaking, raindrops pelted the back of Gu Yi's neck. He vaguely saw countless black ashes swirling and rising in the beam of the searchlight, like a silent funeral.

-

Schneider stared through the observation window, his iron-gray pupils reflected in the glass. The interrogation room echoed with the sharp scraping of metal chair legs against the floor, followed by a heart-wrenching scream: "Kill me! Just kill me!"

Walker picked up the syringe from the medical tray and then injected it into the prisoner's carotid artery. Fine beads of sweat immediately appeared on the prisoner's bulging neck. An enforcement officer nearby used steel clamps to hold the wildly swinging head still, and dark red blood dripped onto the ground along the lines of the restraints.

Schneider looked at Walker: "Another injection?"

Walker nodded in agreement. “Yes, but they’ve all undergone specialized training, so it may take a while for them to take effect.”

“It’s alright, he’s starting to talk more now. The worst thing about interrogation is when someone doesn’t talk,” Schneider sneered.

Schneider sat back down in his chair. The injection Walker had just received was what's known as a truth serum, but truth serums aren't actually as miraculous as people say. Their main mechanism is to interfere with a person's judgment and higher cognitive functions; they're actually somewhat like alcohol.

Lying is actually a relatively advanced brain activity, requiring not only the use of memory but also creativity. After being injected with a truth serum, your brain is anesthetized, reducing these higher-level cognitive abilities and decreasing your capacity to lie. You'll also tend to talk more and not remain silent. The more you talk, the more information you reveal, making it easier for a prepared interrogator to piece together the truth. Therefore, during interrogation, it's not the amount of talking or random chatter that's problematic, but rather the silence.

After a while, the screams gradually stopped.

Walker took off his blood-stained rubber gloves and pushed open the door. "Sir, that's about it."

Upon hearing this, Schneider got up and went inside. The man, whose body was marked with purple welts from the restraints, was convulsing, and the wound on his forehead reopened due to violent shaking of his head.

Schneider sat down in the swivel chair. "Name."

"Diego Alcalá!" The man's unfocused pupils suddenly sharpened. "Yes, yes, yes! Diego Alcalá!"

“Diego Alcalá, CFO of the Sinaloa Group, just bought a seaside villa in Miami last year.” Schneider leaned forward. “You’re not a brainwashed assassin like Red Python. Are you worth dying for? If you tell the truth, Diego will be dead today. I’ll arrange for you to live in Spain under a different identity.”

"I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!" The man looked at Walker fearfully, "Just don't let that madman touch me again!"

“A smart choice.” Schneider leaned back, a slight upturn to his lips, which were shrouded in shadow. “Tell me, the Panama base has just been taken down. You should be keeping a low profile, so why are you in such a hurry to hold an auction?”

“Because…because…” Diego stammered, and a cold glint suddenly flashed in the metal scissors in Walker’s hand. He immediately blurted out in rapid succession, “It’s because of this attack that the unknown organization severely damaged us, causing all the gangs and organizations under us to rebel! We need cash! We need to prove our strength! Those antiques, those antiques with the dragon mark, can fetch astronomical prices!”

The lie detector suddenly vibrated violently, and Schneider sighed: "Diego, you still don't want me to help you."

Walker swiftly clamped down on the man's index finger, and the metal clamp suddenly locked onto his wildly twitching right hand.

"No, no, no! I was wrong! I was wrong! Ahhhhhh—!" The screams almost lifted the ceiling the moment the fingernails flew off with blood and flesh.

"What is the reason for this last chance?" Schneider said coldly.

Diego sobbed and said haltingly, "The auction was to hand over that dragon coffin and those dead servants to an organization."

Schneider frowned. "Wasn't that dragon coffin an auction item?"

“No!” Diego shook his head violently. “Nothing in the warehouse is like that. The original plan was to transfer it to them through the North American Hybrid Alliance, because the North American Hybrid Alliance’s channels could bypass the Secret Service!”

Schneider's gray pupils gleamed coldly under the overhead light: "What organization?"

Diego suddenly scanned the blood-stained wall nervously, his voice turning shrill: "I dare not say! They will skin me alive!"

Walker held up the blood-stained metal shears in front of the prisoner. "We can too."

Diego shook his head, sobbing, his breathing like a broken bellows: "Some of the higher-ups in the group were planted by them, and we were basically fostered by them. Their mission for us was to find the dragon clan ruins in Central and South America and then use our drug trafficking channels to send something to North America."

"A name." Schneider slammed his fist on the interrogation table. "I want a name."

"Snakes!" Diego suddenly screamed, curling up in fear. "All I know is that they call themselves 'snakes'!"

Schneider frowned: "Snake? What exactly do you mean?"

Diego swallowed bloody saliva: "I asked them out of curiosity about the meaning of the name, and they only said that they wanted to do what the serpent in the Bible did."

Walker turned to speak, but Schneider raised his hand to stop him. "What are the identities of the members of this organization? Just those within the group."

“They only communicate using code names. But” Diego suddenly shivered, his bloodshot eyes darting nervously around.

Schneider narrowed his eyes. "Continue."

“One of the people they planted in the upper echelons of our group has disappeared for over a month,” Diego quickly added. “I asked another person, and he just said he had a more important mission.”

Walker suddenly slammed the medical tray with metal scissors, the clanging sound startling Diego. Schneider's grey eyes locked onto the person he was interrogating. "What were the physical characteristics of the missing person? Was there anything that could identify them?"

“He has a snake tattoo on the inside of his right arm!” Diego spoke faster. “Right, right, he also has that superpower called Word Magic. Last year in the Mexico City warehouse, he used his superpower to take my lighter from a distance, like magic! Magneto! That’s right, Magneto!”

Schneider suddenly stood up and walked out.

Seeing this, Walker quickly followed, his eyes gleaming with excitement: "Sir, the Word of Power of that person from the Chicago incident."

"Continue the interrogation," Schneider interrupted his subordinate. "Get all the information out of us."

"Yes!" Walker answered, standing at attention.

As Schneider strode toward the iron gate, he heard the mechanical sound of metal clamps tightening and a sudden, piercing scream behind him.

(End of this chapter)