"If you have anything to say, let's talk back at the Special Police Base." Landon Lu said bluntly, giving no ground.
Zane Zhou's face instantly darkened. "Minister Lu, don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit. Do you even know who Lieutenant Colonel Guan is?"
"I don't care who he is. All I know is, right now, he's a prisoner." Landon replied stiffly.
Zane Zhou's eyes grew colder. He lowered his voice: "Minister Lu, leave some room when you act, so we can meet again in the future. Let me take Lieutenant Colonel Guan away, and I'll owe you a favor!"
Landon's tone was indifferent: "Thank you, but your favor is too heavy—I can't afford it. Colonel Zhou, please withdraw your troops."
Zane Zhou's expression grew even darker, his gaze sharp as he stared at Landon. "Minister Lu, are you really going to refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit?"
Kevin Guan impatiently urged from the side: "Zhou, why waste so many words with him? Just haul them all back to the military camp—once we're there, it's all up to us."
"Uh...!" Zane Zhou hesitated.
Kevin Guan pressed again: "What are you hesitating for? If anything happens, I'll take responsibility. You won't get dragged down, Zhou."
"Fine!"
Zane Zhou gritted his teeth and waved his hand: "Arrest everyone!"
The soldiers who rushed down from the five military vehicles were all wearing personal battle mechs—thirty-six in total. With them moving to arrest, the Special Police had no ability to resist. Zhang Chongyang was already in a panic: "Minister, what should we do?"
Suddenly, all the mech-armored soldiers advancing on the Special Police stopped in their tracks.
Seeing this, Kevin Guan couldn't help but tense up—he'd seen Landon Lu hypnotize six people before.
But this time there were thirty-six. Could he really hypnotize thirty-six people at once?
"Why are you all just standing there? Execute my orders!" Zane Zhou urged.
"Zhou, they might have been hypnotized by Landon Lu," Kevin Guan said quietly.
"Lieutenant Colonel Guan, are you serious? How could he possibly hypnotize so many people without anyone noticing?" Zane Zhou stared at Kevin, hoping for an answer.
"He hypnotized my six subordinates before, and it was completely silent!"
Kevin Guan said, looking frustrated.
Zane Zhou, are you still planning to arrest us? Ian Song/Landon Lu glanced at Zane Zhou and Kevin Guan, his tone playful.
Suddenly, Zane Zhou slipped to Ian Song/Landon Lu's side and chopped at his neck with a knife hand.
Unfortunately, Ian Song/Landon Lu was already prepared. He stepped back two paces, and in the same motion, a laser pistol appeared in his hand, aimed right between Zane Zhou's eyebrows. "Colonel Zhou, looks like I’ll have to arrest you too!"
I underestimated you.
Zane Zhou said, frustrated. As a rank-two War General with top-tier fighting skills, he’d been confident in his sneak attack—only to have it fail completely.
"Take them all away!" Ian Song/Landon Lu waved his hand, and all five military vehicles were driven back to the Special Police Base along with their passengers.
Deputy Minister's office. Gordon Gao was watching an old movie out of boredom when suddenly a Special Police officer burst in, flustered.
The officer was Shawn Xu, Gordon Gao’s trusted subordinate and informant.
Before Gordon Gao could speak, Shawn Xu blurted out anxiously, "Minister, bad news! That Lu guy just brought back all the military people, including a colonel and a lieutenant colonel. This is going to be huge trouble!"
"What!"
Gordon Gao slammed his hand on the desk, his face full of shock. He muttered, "Who gave Ian Song/Landon Lu the guts to bring back a colonel and a lieutenant colonel?"
"Minister, what do we do now?" Shawn Xu asked.
"What else? Go tell that Lu kid to let them go!" Gordon Gao snapped, then strode angrily toward the interrogation room.
Interrogation room.
Ian Song/Landon Lu asked Ryan Zhang, "Any results?"
Ryan Zhang sighed. At this point, he was stuck on Ian Song/Landon Lu’s pirate ship—there was no chance to jump off.
"Their mouths are tight. They won’t say a thing, and if you push them, they’ll just hide behind ‘military secrets.’"
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded—it was Deputy Minister Gordon Gao, rushing in with a Special Police officer.
"Minister Lu, I hear you arrested a colonel and a lieutenant colonel?" Gordon Gao asked in a deep voice.
"That's right," Ian Song/Landon Lu nodded.
"Minister, I request that you release them immediately." Gordon Gao stared intently at Ian Song/Landon Lu.
"Give me a reason," Ian Song/Landon Lu said coolly.
"I don't want your impulsiveness to drag the entire Special Police Base down with you!" Gordon Gao nearly shouted.
"So you're saying the army could wipe out our whole Special Police Base just because I arrested their people?" Ian Song/Landon Lu retorted.
"You think that's impossible?" Gordon Gao replied with a mocking look.
Gordon Gao's eyes showed a hint of sarcasm. "You come from Homeworld, so you probably don't understand the situation here. The army is arrogant—they once claimed rebels were hiding in a Special Police Base, then launched ten heavy missiles and blew the base to pieces."
Afterward, the government protested, but the army produced 'evidence' of rebels in the base, so nothing came of it.
Hundreds of people died for nothing. That's why I want you to release them—I don't want your recklessness to bring disaster to our base!"
Ryan Zhang didn't know about such secrets, so hearing the army could bomb a Special Police Base filled him with fear—he wanted to flee immediately. "Minister, maybe we should just release them?"
Ian Song/Landon Lu shook his head. "If we release them, we'll be in even more trouble. Not only should we refuse, we need to make this a big deal—let everyone on the planet know."
"Are you crazy, or just in a hurry to die?" Gordon Gao said coldly.
"Old Gao, trust me, I have a favor to ask. I hope you'll agree!" Ian Song/Landon Lu said earnestly.
Gordon Gao didn't answer.
"I'm a Special Police officer too, so I won't do anything to harm us!"
"Fine, I hope you mean it!" Gordon Gao nodded, meeting his gaze.
Then Ian Song/Landon Lu pulled Gordon Gao aside and quietly gave him a series of instructions. Gordon quickly left to carry them out.
"Minister Lu, what should we do next?" Ryan Zhang asked.
"I'm going to personally interrogate Kevin Guan." Ian Song/Landon Lu replied.
With that, Ian Song/Landon Lu headed straight for the interrogation room where Kevin Guan was being held.
At that moment, Kevin Guan was sitting there, completely at ease, a mocking smile on his face.
"Well, Minister Lu, did you come to interrogate me yourself?" Kevin Guan said.
Seeing Ian Song/Landon Lu walk in, Kevin Guan's expression lit up with excitement and provocation. He taunted, "So, you're here to interrogate me personally?"
"That's right. I'm here to interrogate you myself, and I hope you'll honestly confess your crimes!" Ian Song/Landon Lu said with a smile.
Kevin Guan smirked playfully. "Sure, you want me to confess? I can do that, but only on one condition: you kneel and call me 'grandpa' three times. If you make me happy, maybe I'll confess!"