This villain is too popular.

Chapter 177 Our Star Envoy Association doesn't need to consider anyone's opinion when we do things.
[Gear Building, Star Envoy Association - Steam Branch]

[Fifth Division Base, Prison Area]

Bang!

As the heavy iron door of the cell was pushed open, a piercing metallic clang woke Yu Chen, who had been resting with his head down in the corner.

He raised his head, his eyes, covered by a black cloth, and looked towards the gate.

"Who?"

The sudden light made him instinctively cover his eyes.

After getting used to it, Yu Chen removed her hand and saw clearly the short, elderly man in a black uniform standing in front of her.

But the appearance of this person stunned him.

"Will, President?"

Indeed, the person standing in front of Yu Chen at this moment was none other than Liam, the president of the Steam Branch.

"Come with me."

After saying that, Liam turned and walked towards the cell door with a cold face.

Yu Chen hesitated for a moment, then quickly stood up and followed the other person.

Before long, the two arrived at an interrogation room next door, which had no windows and walls made of special metal.

As soon as Yu Chen sat down, he heard a faint buzzing sound, like the hum of a mosquito.

That was the unique sound of the 'Star Energy Interference Device'. It was said that even Level 3 psychic star energy spells had difficulty penetrating the 'information barrier' created by this interference device.

The confidentiality is exceptionally good.

Is it really necessary to use such a special interrogation room and have the chairman personally interrogate me just to question myself?

Yu Chen muttered to himself.

It should be noted that he suddenly turned against them during the battle.

But he neither killed his colleagues nor did he do anything to harm the Steam Branch.

Logically speaking, she shouldn't have been treated like this by Liam.

Before Yu Chen could figure out what was going on, Liam, who was sitting opposite him, spoke up directly.

"Yu Chen, I heard you've investigated ink painting?"

Yu Chen nodded: "Yes, we've been investigating for a while now."

"Have you found anything?"

After hesitating for a moment, Yu Chen revealed the results of his investigation.

"We only found out that he might have a connection with a mysterious organization, but there is no conclusive evidence."

"is it?"

Liam lowered his head in thought, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the alloy table in front of him, producing a dull echo.

Sensing the oppressive atmosphere in the interrogation room, Yu Chen subconsciously asked, "President, what happened?"

"Ink painting is dead."

Liam's words were astonishing, leaving Yu Chen's mind blank for a moment.

So much so that all his words ultimately boiled down to just one sentence.
"what?"

Seeing Yu Chen's shocked expression, Liam reiterated.

“I said, Shui Mo died during the time you were imprisoned.”

After confirming that she hadn't misheard, Yu Chen's mind went completely blank.

Shuimo, the one who always wore a gentle smile, the 'mole' he had suspected for a long time but could never find any real evidence against, died so simply?

"Who did it?"

"do not know."

"."

Liam stared intently at him, as if trying to discern his true thoughts through his perpetually half-closed eyes.

Yu Chen was very open and honest about this.

Perhaps they didn't see any flaws in Yu Chen, or perhaps it was for other reasons.

Branch president Liam eventually believed him.

"Do you know if Shuimo has any enemies, or who has a motive to kill him?"

After thinking for a moment, and combining it with his investigation into ink painting, Yu Chen said uncertainly, "There are some, but they also lack key evidence."

"explain."

Yu Chen frowned and thought for a long time before finally giving Liam an ambiguous answer.

"If I had to think of someone or some force that could kill Shuimo, the only one I can think of is the Gear Church."

"reason."

"Because I suspect that the reason the church's lost relics have not been found yet is because they have been taken by the organization behind the ink painting."

Liam frowned and asked, "You mean, you suspect that the Church specifically sought out Shui Mo in order to find the relic and try to force him to reveal its whereabouts, right?"

Yu Chen nodded, indicating that this was indeed his meaning. However, Liam's next words made Yu Chen doubt his own thoughts.

"The possibility is not high."

"why?"

"Because at the same time last night, the Church's Golden Knight, Fisher, was also killed, and the same astral energy spell marks appeared on his body as on the ink-wash corpse."

"This suggests that the person who killed Shuimo and Fischer was very likely the same person."

"If the church was the one who killed Shuimo, then Fisher could not have died, because golden knights like him are pitiful worms who have been brainwashed by the church since childhood and are 'tools' who only obey the central command."

"The church has no reason or motive to kill him."

"Besides the church, who else do you think could kill Ink and Fisher?"

"."

Upon hearing that Fisher was also dead, Yu Chen suddenly opened his eyes, which had been squinting.

It has only been one day since he was detained.

But in just one day, two branch captain-level Star Envoys died without warning.

Although Na Yuchen was unaware of the true situation outside.

But from Liam's gloomy expression, he could still sense that an unprecedented and enormous storm was approaching the Steam City.

For a moment, Yu Chen felt her mind was in complete chaos, and she couldn't make sense of it for a long time.

After all, he had always felt that the significance of the ink painting was that it was a spy planted by that mysterious organization within the association.

But the current demise of ink painting completely overturns this point.

Because he couldn't understand the point of that organization sacrificing ink.

Just to give the association a hard time?

"Well, have you figured out who might have killed Shuimo?"

When asked by the branch president Liam, Yu Chen finally gave a rough guess.

"If we have to say which person or organization killed Shuimo and the Golden Knight Fischer, then I think the most likely candidate is Saint Euphemia of the Church."

"why?"

"Because I discovered a long time ago that Euphemia's identity was suspicious, and at the same time, I also found that there seemed to be some kind of connection between her and Shuimo."

What are the chances of success?

Yu Chen's answer was somewhat hesitant, clearly lacking confidence.

"Only 20% to 30%."

"That's enough."

Liam stood up, his hunched and short body releasing a chilling pressure that made Yu Chen tremble.

Even if this pressure wasn't directed at him.

“I will bring Euphemia before you so that you may interrogate her yourself.”

“If she has no problems, then once everything comes to light, I will personally go to the Gear Church to apologize.”

“But if I find out that she does have a clear connection to these things, then even if she is a saint of the Gear Church, I will make her pay the price she deserves.”

Liam’s tone was very calm, but Yu Chen could clearly sense the anger hidden beneath that calm.

Considering the special nature of the church and the Steam branch, Yu Chen asked, "President, are you sure this is not a problem?"

"You should know that if this matter is not handled properly, we and the Gear Church, as well as the Mechanical God Church behind them, may really be locked in a life-or-death struggle."

“The Church will absolutely not allow us to overstep our bounds and judge their branch saints.”

Liam suddenly laughed at this.

But the cruelty hidden in that smile made Yu Chen shudder involuntarily.

Our branch president is really angry this time.

"A fight to the death? Let alone a mere Gear Church, even if the priests of the Cult of Machines came to me in person, they wouldn't dare say such a thing to me."

"Our Star Envoy Association doesn't need to, and won't, look at anyone's face when we do things, because they're not worthy."

After saying that, Liam turned and walked straight out of the interrogation room.

But just before he was about to leave, he suddenly stopped.

"Yu Chen, from now on, you are the captain of the Fifth Division, and you will lead all the original members of the Fifth Division."

"You have only one task: to keep an eye on this place for me. I'll be right back."

While Yu Chen was still in a daze, the interrogation room door had already closed.

At the same time, he heard a clear cracking sound coming from his wrist.

He looked down and saw that the obsidian handcuffs that had been on his hands had been completely shattered at some point.

Almost the instant it bowed its head, it turned into a large amount of black powder and fell to the ground.

During this process, he didn't even know when Liam made his move.

This shows that if Liam wanted to, he could have killed himself without anyone noticing.

(End of this chapter)