Chapter 1213: Interrogation Hall

Lin Yi shared the same thought as Gu Yanqi; he deliberately lagged behind, came to Ning Chen's side, and asked in a low voice: "Brother Ning, what's going on? Why do I feel like they're escorting us? Are they here to hold us accountable? I remember that man from that day seemed to be part of the group ahead of us."

Ning Chen said nothing, merely casting a faint glance at Lin Yi.

Lin Yi instantly understood: since Brother Ning gave no orders or instructions, the current situation must not be problematic.

Thinking this, Lin Yi also felt relieved.

The group walked toward various buildings; after about fifteen minutes, they began heading toward one particular building.

Entering the house, passing through layers of obstacles, the group arrived before a large gate.

This gate looked different from the others; its Jin Bihuihuang splendor alone suggested this must be an important place.

A soldier nearby stepped forward, took positions on both sides of the gate facing the crowd; the two soldiers closest to the gate reached out and opened it.

Immediately, various sounds erupted from inside; as the group moved inward, the noise abruptly ceased.

Ning Chen looked inside: many people were present, all wearing military uniforms; the center was left open, while both sides held long rows of tables and numerous chairs.

Directly opposite the gate stood a slightly elevated table and chair, where an old man was now seated.

This place looked very much like a courtroom.

For this scene, the Elder seemed not particularly surprised; instead, he looked toward the area closer to the courtroom, where many empty chairs had been left, clearly prepared for the group.

With a smile on his lips, the Elder led the group forward.

The Elder sat first in the foremost chair; the others stood beside him, motionless, as they were still unsure how to sit.

Noah glanced at the situation here, then went to sit in a chair on the opposite side facing them.

At this moment, Ning Chen saw that directly opposite them sat the entire 737 Squad he had encountered last time.

Ning Chen noticed that Noah and this squad truly seemed somewhat out of place.

Before Ning Chen could ponder deeply, he heard the Elder's command.

"Ning Chen, Xuri, you two sit beside me; everyone else, just sit wherever you like behind us."

Everyone understood the Elder mentioning Ning Chen, but why was Xuri included?

All eyes turned to Xuri, faces full of confusion; Xuri himself wore an equally puzzled expression.

Xiao Han, who knew the situation, sat directly behind Ning Chen once Ning Chen was seated; Gu Yanqi sat beside Xiao Han, on the other side behind Ning Chen.

"Ahem." The Elder suddenly coughed, drawing everyone's attention back.

The group hurriedly took seats behind, while Xuri, bewildered, sat on the Elder's left.

Seeing Ning Chen and Xuri sitting on equal footing with the Elder, the people present began whispering among themselves, speculating about the two identities.

Ning Chen remained utterly calm; as if hearing nothing around him, he crossed his legs, rested his elbows on both sides of the chair, and assumed an air of complete lordliness.

Since the Elder had brought them here today to make a scene, Ning Chen felt that if he didn't show off a bit, he would be wasting the Elder's goodwill.

The Elder looked at Ning Chen, eyes filled with admiration; indeed, he was someone he appreciated, instantly grasping his intentions.

Compared to Ning Chen's ease, Xuri was extremely uneasy.

Mainly, he never expected such a turn of events and simply didn't know what to do.

Xuri was now completely frozen; he struggled to maintain his facial expression; though he didn't know what was happening, he certainly couldn't make a fool of himself.

Huo Jinglin was a smart man; he immediately understood the situation.

Most likely, the Elder had brought them before the high-ranking personnel of F City to declare that they were the Elder's people.

However, he still didn't understand why Xuri could also sit in the front.

Though he didn't understand, Huo Jinglin would not let this matter be ruined.

He quickly placed one hand on Xuri's shoulder and leaned close to his ear as if speaking to him.

"Relax, don't be nervous, don't show fear."

Huo Jinglin increased the intensity of his grip; Xuri clearly felt the pain in his shoulder, but this also calmed his heart, which was pounding Facing Pengpeng.

He gave Huo Jinglin a grateful glance, then took a deep breath and waved his hand at Huo Jinglin in a pretentious manner.

Huo Jinglin, equally perceptive, immediately released his hand.

To others, it appeared as though Huo Jinglin were Xuri's subordinate.

Others didn't notice, but their actions and the chill they emitted were clearly seen by Noah, who faced them directly.

Noah raised an eyebrow; he was becoming increasingly curious about these people.

Ning Chen casually surveyed the surroundings, simultaneously releasing his ability to probe these individuals.

Among these people, most were high-level ability users, while some were mid-level ability users.

It seemed these people were not an expeditionary army, but rather strategists arranging troops within, that is, civil officials rather than military ones.

"Very well, since everyone is here, let us proceed to today's topic."

As the old man at the top spoke, the surrounding whispers suddenly vanished; the entire hall became extremely quiet; even the sound of a needle dropping could be heard.

"Now, let us begin by bringing the person up."

Immediately after the old man on the platform finished speaking, a soldier in uniform led a person out from a small room nearby.

Ning Chen looked over; wasn't this the same man from last time?

The man wore clean clothes; although his steps were somewhat unsteady, they were stable enough, indicating he had been recovering during this period.

Ning Chen raised an eyebrow and looked at the Elder; what was this all about? This man had not only not been executed but was now being brought out here?

Sensing Ning Chen's gaze, the Elder turned his head to look at him; he said nothing, yet his eyes were full of encouragement and support.

Seeing this, Ning Chen stopped looking at the Elder; he didn't know the situation, but the Elder had essentially told him: whatever he did, the Elder would support.

The man was brought to the central position, where someone nearby fetched a chair for him to sit on.

At this moment, Ning Chen saw that the man's hands were bound by a shackle.

It appeared this man had not been treated well either.

"According to reports, Squad 737, codename Earth Wolf, during an external mission, due to his own actions, caused the entire unit to become trapped, even deliberately destroyed rescue team mission supplies, and further insulted and physically assaulted the rescue team; is this correct?"

The steady voice of the old man at the peak rang out, carrying an aura of authority that commanded respect without the need for anger.