Chapter 7

The small white room was clean, like an apartment.

Ye Nan sat on a chair, his hands cuffed, looking utterly drained—though naturally, anyone arrested would be in poor spirits.

Sitting across from him was a white woman in a light blue police uniform; her golden curls spilled from beneath her cap, and her pale blue eyes stared unblinkingly at Ye Nan.

“Speak. What is your name?” The female officer’s lips parted slightly, her voice icy as she gripped a pen tightly, veins bulging on her pale hand.

“My name is Ye Nan.” Ye Nan lowered his head slightly and answered honestly.

“So cooperative?” The officer blinked in surprise; she had prepared for a long interrogation, never expecting him to be so compliant—but then she thought: “Could he be lying? Deliberately giving a false name? Fine. Playing mind games with me? I’ll break you.”

Textbooks showed many prisoners appeared honest but were actually lying, deliberately concealing crucial facts; all it took was repeated questioning to crack them open.

“What country are you from?”

“I’m American—I’ve got a green card!” Ye Nan shouted loudly; he didn’t want to be dumped in prison for life.

In America, the so-called freest nation, illegal immigrants were buried alive; those damned capitalists exploited them ruthlessly, and U.S. law turned a blind eye.

“Oh.” The officer uttered a single sound, then set her pen down. “I think we should talk—like friends.”

“Talk?” Ye Nan froze, unsure what the officer was scheming—but he resolved to play along carefully. As for that damn Dr. Ma Xiu, he could fend for himself.

“Yes, talk—like friends chatting over tea.” The officer smiled lightly.

“May I ask your name?” Ye Nan grinned.

“Hmm.” The officer blinked, then replied, “I’m Stern Reanna.”

“Can I call you Reanna?” Ye Nan’s smile deepened.

“Of course.” Reanna feigned indifference. “Ye Nan, do you know Godzilla?”

“Of course I do.” Ye Nan answered without hesitation.

Reanna’s heart leapt; she pressed on. “Did you hide Godzilla?”

“What are you talking about? I don’t understand. Godzilla’s huge—how could I possibly hide it?” Ye Nan feigned confusion, staring at Reanna.

Reanna stared coldly. She knew he was pretending—but she had no choice. “Godzilla is big, but a newborn Godzilla is only as big as a puppy. Easy to hide.”

“Oh, so that’s it. I thought Godzilla was too big to be hidden.” Ye Nan feigned understanding, looking at Reanna. “But Reanna, what does a baby Godzilla have to do with me? Why would I hide it?”

“Stop lying. We have evidence against you.” Reanna gritted her teeth; she had no patience left for this damned prisoner. She needed to extract the location of that monstrous beast from his mouth—now.

“What evidence?” Ye Nan’s heart lurched.

“Hmph. You finally admit it.” Reanna sneered. “Let me be clear: someone saw you leaving Madison Square Garden carrying a suitcase. We found that suitcase. The evidence is conclusive—you have no way out.”…

“Confess now, and we’ll reduce your sentence.”

Reanna smirked, watching Ye Nan’s panicked expression, savoring the thrill. She had just graduated, newly assigned to the NYPD—she needed a breakthrough to prove herself.

Normally, such details couldn’t be disclosed to suspects—but to break him, she didn’t care anymore.

Ye Nan’s mind was indeed as shaken as Reanna imagined: eyewitness testimony plus physical evidence could convict him. The thought of prison sent his heart into chaos.

In both past and present lives, he feared prisons. In every TV show and novel, prisons were where the most vicious criminals were locked away—full of savage demons, a true Devil’s Island. Newcomers were always beaten down.

Ye Nan didn’t want to sacrifice his future over a baby Godzilla. After all, whether studied in Dr. Ma Xiu’s lab or a U.S. federal facility, the creature would be studied either way.

Seeing Ye Nan still refuse, Reanna threatened: “If you don’t talk, we’ll send you to Shawshank Prison.”

Shawshank Prison was one of America’s most terrifying prisons—infamous for never letting anyone escape. Once inside, you were doomed to spend your life there.

Hearing this, Ye Nan’s resolve wavered. He thought of Andy Lin’s dream of opening Chinese restaurants across America, of Melina Shilu’s wish to use the most expensive cosmetics in the U.S.—and realized he couldn’t throw his future away before fulfilling their dreams.

“Actually…” Ye Nan opened his mouth, about to confess everything—but then he shut it. “Actually, I don’t know.”

He suddenly remembered U.S. federal law: the President and state governors could pardon convicts—but would they really?

The baby Godzilla’s whereabouts were vital to the U.S. federal government. They couldn’t allow such a creature to escape abroad, and they’d already used missiles to obliterate Madison Square Garden to cover up Godzilla’s egg. Once they got what they wanted, would they truly spare him? Or would secret execution be his final fate?

Ye Nan chuckled bitterly. He’d almost believed the cop’s lies—unbelievable.

Just as Ye Nan seemed ready to reveal the baby Godzilla’s location—her triumph within reach—she heard only, “I don’t know.” Reanna’s fury burned like acid.

“Looks like I’ll have to use illegal methods.” Reanna snarled.

“Sorry, I really don’t know. Even if you use illegal methods, I still don’t know. Oh, by the way—I’m a federal citizen, protected by federal law. You can’t touch me.” Ye Nan spoke with calm confidence.

“You damn yellow monkey.” Reanna seethed.

“Warn you—this is racial discrimination. I’ll sue you in federal court until you can’t survive in America.” Ye Nan shot back like a furious little lion.

In the federation, racial discrimination was everywhere—but anyone who openly declared it would be ruined. Once exposed, they’d have no place left in America. Like Reanna—if this got out, she’d be stripped of her badge immediately.

“You—” Reanna glared, nearly frenzied. She’d never been threatened before—but when she met Ye Nan’s piercing black eyes, she instantly apologized: “I’m sorry. I spoke out of frustration. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

She knew well: racial discrimination was America’s Achilles’ heel. If this leaked, her career—and life—would be destroyed.

“Hmph.” Ye Nan snorted and fell silent.

Bang! The door opened. A white man in a black suit and tie entered. “Officer Reanna, hand over the suspect to me. I’m an agent of the Lianbangdiaocha Bureau. Here’s my credentials.” He handed her a badge.

Reanna checked the credentials, confirmed their authenticity, but still protested: “This is an NYPD case. I’m about to extract the information from him—give me a little more time.”

“Officer Reanna, remember: you only obey orders.” The man’s voice was cold. “I am taking him away. That is your order.”

“Fine. Do as you like.” Reanna finally yielded.