679: Chapter 679 Confess...?

He paused, his voice turning a few degrees colder.

“I will say it one more time: Imperial law strictly forbids the forging of evidence. If it occurs, the entire case is immediately voided and restarted. I, Li Yang, am not so foolish as to leave you an opportunity to overturn the situation.”

These words were like a final heavy hammer, ruthlessly shattering the last sliver of hope in Liam's heart.

Every person's Brain-computer interface imprint in the Empire is unique, impossible to forge, and irreplaceable; it is the most ironclad proof of identity in the Galactic Empire.

He could no longer find any reason to deceive himself.

“...Boom!”

Liam's entire body went limp, as if his bones had been removed. No longer able to support himself, his legs buckled, and he collapsed heavily onto the floor.

His eyes were vacant, his face ashen; he had completely resigned himself to his fate.

All resistance, all pretense, and all bottom lines collapsed entirely at this moment.

He knew he was finished, the Speaker was finished, and the entire corruption ring of the Xiapu Star Cluster—himself included—was finished.

Li Yang looked at Liam, who was slumped on the floor with a deathly pale face. His tone softened, carrying a final hint of admonishment as he spoke low and clearly.

“Liam, things have come to this; the entire truth is already on the table. Continuing to resist will do you no good. As long as you honestly confess everything—the inside story you know, the personnel involved, and the chain of interests—as the Head of the Inspection Team, I can apply for leniency for you according to regulations and strive for a chance to reduce your sentence. This is your only way out now.”

After speaking, Li Yang slowly crouched down and gently patted Liam's stiff shoulder. The gesture held no mockery, only the coldness of official business.

But at this moment, Liam had long since lost all spirit. He was like ash that had burned away its last bit of light, staring blankly ahead with hollow eyes, his lips trembling slightly but unable to make a sound.

He remained slumped, motionless, as if his Soul had been completely extracted, leaving only a numb shell. Neither Li Yang's persuasion nor the promise of a reduced sentence could stir even a ripple in his dead heart.

Seeing Liam's state of total collapse—where he wouldn't be able to recover his senses in the short term—Li Yang also understood that the interrogation could not be rushed.

When a person is in a state of total despair, pushing too hard can be counterproductive. It was better to give him some time to accept reality and calm down before proceeding with the next step of the deposition.

Li Yang said no more. He slowly stood up and gave a slight signal to Sa Deli and the two Inspection Team members beside him. The several men immediately understood and quietly retreated.

Walking to the door of the Interrogation room, Li Yang stopped, looked back once more at Liam slumped on the floor, and added in a calm voice.

“Once you've thought it through, press the call button to notify us at any time. The facts are already ironclad; do not make any more pointless struggles.”

With those words, Li Yang led his people out and gently closed the door, their footsteps gradually fading into the distance.

Deathly silence returned to the enclosed Interrogation room.

Only Liam remained alone, like a Soul-less statue, slumped numbly on the cold, hard floor, completely swallowed by endless despair and regret.

...

Meanwhile, on the highest floor of the Xiapu Star Cluster Administrative Center.

Inside the Speaker's office, the atmosphere was as oppressive as the night before a storm.

Speaker Rowan paced back and forth anxiously in the spacious, nearly empty office with his hands behind his back. His polished leather shoes struck the cold alloy floor, making rapid and heavy sounds.

His brow was furrowed, and his expression was so dark it seemed it could drip water. His originally steady and majestic aura had long since vanished, replaced by an ill-concealed panic and unease. For nearly an entire day, he hadn't been able to calm down for even a second.

“It's been almost a whole day... Liam and Lu Dongni were taken to the Inspection Team's headquarters nearly a day ago. Why is there still no news? Why haven't they been released...”

Rowan muttered to himself while pacing, his tone filled with anxiety.

He knew better than anyone that the longer they were detained by the Inspection Team, the higher the danger and the greater the variables.

Who were Liam and Lu Dongni?

They were members of the core circle, the ones who knew, participated in, and executed the entire corruption ring's activities. They knew every shady deal in the Galaxy Cluster, every chain of interest among the high-level officials, and all the inside stories of hush money and protection.

Liam, in particular, knew many secrets that even Lu Dongni was unaware of.

Once these two cracked and confessed under the Inspection Team's interrogation, then he, the Speaker, and all the core high-level members would be doomed eternally.

Just as he was feeling restless and nearing a breakdown, the office door was burst open. A trusted subordinate, pale-faced and gasping for breath, rushed in. Ignoring basic etiquette, he reported urgently in a trembling voice.

“Speaker! This is bad! Something huge has happened!”

“What are you panicking for! Speak slowly!”

Rowan stopped abruptly, his heart jumping into his throat.

“Secretary Li, Director Lu... they still haven't come out of the Inspection Team's headquarters! Not a single word of news! We used several channels and put in a lot of effort just to finally hear a bit of rumor... I heard, I heard the two of them have already...”

The subordinate hesitated here, not daring to continue.

“Already what?! Speak!”

Rowan instantly lost emotional control. He strode forward, grabbing the subordinate's shoulders tightly with both hands, his knuckles turning white from the force. His eyes were ferocious and urgent, and he practically roared the words.

“I heard... the two of them have already confessed everything!”

“Con... Confessed?”

Those words were like two claps of thunder exploding in Rowan's mind.

His entire body stiffened. His hands gripping the subordinate dropped powerlessly, and he staggered back several steps. His vision went black, and a wave of intense dizziness hit him, nearly causing him to collapse on the spot.

His face instantly turned as pale as paper, his lips quivered, and even breathing became incredibly difficult.

“Speaker! Speaker, are you alright?”

The subordinate hurried forward to support him, trying to comfort him.

“Don't worry yet, don't panic! This news hasn't been one hundred percent confirmed. We don't have anyone planted inside the Inspection Team. This rumor is just circulating; maybe... maybe it's fake news intentionally released by the Inspection Team just to disturb our peace of mind!”

The subordinate's words of comfort were earnest, but at this moment, Rowan could no longer hear anything.

His eyes were vacant as he stood there in a daze, as if his Soul had been snatched away. He merely repeated the same sentence mechanically and incessantly, his voice filled with despair and deathly silence.

“It's over... it's over... everything is over...”

He knew that once Liam and Lu Dongni turned, all pretense, all power, and everything else would vanish in an instant.

Waiting for him would be the Empire's harshest judgment and an abyss with no hope of ever seeing the light again.

...