Chapter 1777 - 1367: Please Have Some Tea

"We're reminding you," Li Chu said. "If you engage in any illegal activity in the country, or bring your overseas grudges back here, we will not sit by and watch. This is East University's turf, not a chessboard for you international players to wage your games."

"I haven't." Song Heping's tone hardened. "I came home to see my younger brother and sister, to pay respects at my parents' graves. Is that a crime?"

"Then how do you explain these?"

The old man pushed over several photocopied documents, the pages sliding across the table and stopping in front of Song Heping.

They were screenshots of bank statements, and diagrams of equity structures.

The text was a mixture of English and Spanish.

"Funds from Lao Mo's largest drug cartel were laundered through offshore companies, and a portion of them flowed into your accounts."

The old man pointed to one particular line.

"Last March, there was a payment of 50 million dollars transferred from a shell company in Panama to your account in the Viking Islands. The actual controller of that shell company is the number three figure in the Sinoloa Group. What's your relationship with them?"

Song Heping glanced over the documents, inwardly jolted.

The intelligence that National Security held was deeper than he'd imagined; they'd even obtained financial intel at this level.

It seemed the domestic system was stronger than he'd thought.

But his face stayed impassive. "I don't know anything about this. I have lots of accounts, the company structures are complex, there might be transactions I'm unaware of. If you have evidence, you can arrest me."

"Song Heping."

Li Chu's tone turned severe; the mask of the amiable old hand slipped, revealing the cold underneath.

"Leniency for confession. Whatever you're doing overseas, as long as it doesn't endanger national security, doesn't cross the line, we can refrain from intervening—that's Interpol's business. But if you intend to bring that whole setup back home, or use domestic resources to serve your overseas operations, then it's different. That's called endangering national security, and we can deal with you directly."

"I told you, I'm just home visiting family."

Song Heping repeated what he'd said before, like a tape recorder.

"At your brother Song He Xie's accounting firm, two people posed as police last year to inquire about you."

The young woman pulled up another document.

"We've already checked those two out. They're employees of a 'Strategic Risk Consulting Company' in the United States, a private intelligence agency hiding behind a consulting company signboard, with the Shadow of the Central Intelligence Agency behind it. Why are they interested in you?"

"Business competition," Song Heping said. "I snatched a few projects from them in Illiguo."

"Just business competition?"

The older interrogator pressed him, the eyes behind his Glasses narrowing.

"Song Heping, you're very clear about your situation. With someone like you coming back, there's no way we wouldn't pay attention. Now, you will give an honest account: first, your actual business overseas; second, which international organizations you're connected to; third, the real purpose of this visit; fourth, whether you have accomplices or contacts inside the country."

The room went quiet.

The faint hum of the air conditioner, even his own heartbeat, became sharply audible.

The lights were harsh, throwing a cold gleam off the metal tabletop.

Song Heping could feel the three pairs of eyes on him like searchlights, scanning every subtle change in his expression.

He knew the critical moment had arrived.

The other side was exerting psychological pressure, using the intelligence they had to force him to open up.

Once he admitted to anything at all, the follow-up questions would surge in like a tide.

He also knew they didn't have conclusive evidence.

Otherwise this wouldn't be a "conversation," it would have been a straight arrest.

They were probing, bluffing.

But he couldn't just tough it out to the bitter end.

Country A wasn't a crime syndicate; they had procedures, patience, and time.

They could lawfully detain him for 48 hours, and longer if they applied for an extension.

He could keep his mouth shut, but that would only aggravate them, and things would get messier afterward.

Besides, he had an indistinct sense that there was something else behind this "conversation."

If they just wanted to warn him, there was no need for it to be this formal, or to send people of this rank.

He needed a way to break the stalemate.

Song Heping closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

This gesture was common in interrogations.

Suspects sorting their thoughts, or hesitating over whether to speak.

He opened his eyes, looked at the three people opposite him, and finally let his gaze settle on Li Chu.

"I want to make a phone call," he said.

The young woman frowned. "You can, but you'll make it here, on speaker. We'll record it."

"No." Song Heping shook his head. "You're the ones who'll call. Dial a number and say that Song Heping is here, identity needs to be confirmed."

The three exchanged a look, an eye-to-eye conversation.

The old man was the first to object. "Nonsense. What do you take this place for, a vegetable market where you haggle over prices?"

The young woman gave a cold laugh as well. "Song Heping, this trick is way too old. Trying to pass a message? Trying to call for help? The Signal here is blocked, phones can't get out."

But Li Chu raised his hand to stop them.

He stared at Song Heping for a few seconds, his gaze like a scalpel trying to cut through the calm surface and see the true intent underneath.

"Whose number is it?"

He asked, his voice very soft, but each word weighty.

"You'll know once you call," Song Heping said. "Or, you can choose not to call, and keep questioning me. But I won't say a thing. You can hold me for 48 hours, 72 hours, longer if you like. But I guarantee you won't get any useful information. And remember this: even though you're the security services, I guarantee you'll have to bear the consequences if you do the wrong thing."

It was a threat, and it was a negotiation.

Li Chu's gaze changed.

He realized that Song Heping wasn't just bluffing.