I changed the world.

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"Hello, let me introduce myself. I am Xiao Yun'an, a senior investigator from the Jin'an Branch of the Special Crime Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Justice. This is my partner, Chen Shen." The refined-looking middle-aged man approached the bedside with a smile, behaving quite politely. He pulled up two chairs and sat down with another middle-aged man who had a long face and looked unapproachable.

"Mr. Xiao... Mr. Chen, hello." Wei Yuan's heart skipped a beat when he learned the identities of the other party. He naturally knew what the Special Crime Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Justice did, and he also knew that this department had a very powerful background and was far more difficult to deal with than the local police system. However, he still managed to force a smile.

"I'm sorry, I need to ask you some questions from your hospital bed. However, these are quite important to some things we are investigating, so I hope you will answer truthfully."

"No...excuse me, please...please allow me to understand...is this a normal...interrogation, or an interrogation?" Wei Yuan spoke with some difficulty, his head bowed.

"It's just a routine inquiry." Xiao Yun'an glanced at the horrific, crisscrossing scars on Wei Yuan's back, his eyes narrowing. Wei Yuan was perfectly fine when he came in, but he ended up like this after the treatment... This case is truly perplexing and shrouded in an indescribable eeriness.

"As...a citizen of the Empire, I...I believe I have the right...when being questioned by law enforcement...to request...to have a lawyer present?"

“I’m sorry, under normal circumstances you do have that authority, but this matter involves national security, and it’s not convenient for a third party to be present,” Xiao Yun’an said slowly.

“Mr. Xiao…that…that is the law…the power that the law grants to citizens…”

“Mr. Wei, I think you should understand what we do. I have full legal authorization,” Xiao Yun’an said calmly, still smiling.

Upon hearing this, Wei Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly. He didn't want to answer the question from the person in front of him, as his mind was in a state of confusion and he hadn't had time to carefully sort out the events that had just occurred. However, given the current situation, he couldn't find a reason not to answer, so he softened his tone and said:

"I am Yi... I am Hai: Shangyin Linhang Shan... I am another... Chairman of the Board, I think... I need to inform... inform the bank about my current situation, in order to avoid... some work-related problems..." After thinking for a moment, he added, "I don't know... I don't know if Mr. Xiao... knows... Li Xiangxian, the Deputy Director of the Department of Justice, he... he is an old friend of our Haishang Bank's... Chairman Wei..." Wei Yuan managed to finish a sentence, turned his head to breathe, the intense pain in his back was more serious than his apparent injuries, to the point that he could not finish a sentence continuously.

He was actually quite uneasy because he didn't know the current situation of his biggest backer, Chairman Wei Feng. If Wei Feng also returned safely, that would be the best outcome for him; otherwise, things would be troublesome...

At this moment, however, he had no choice but to bring up the other party first. After all, without the Wei family as his backing, Wei Yuan was just a nobody, and he had no room to negotiate when facing intelligence agencies.

Volume Two: The Truth Hidden Behind History: Chapter 807 Dead?!

“Mr. Wei may not be familiar with the structure of our Special Crime Investigation Bureau’s Fourth Division. Although our Special Crime Investigation Bureau is under the Ministry of Justice, it is not directly led by the Ministry of Justice, but is directly under the Cabinet. Our Fourth Division operates independently and only reports to the Palace and the current Prime Minister,” Xiao Yun’an said calmly. Before coming here, they had already figured out Wei Yuan’s general situation, which was no secret to an organization like the Special Crime Investigation Bureau.

If it were just ordinary information, Xiao Yun'an might have chosen to give Deputy Director Li Xiangxian some face. After all, behind the Maritime Bank stood a cabinet minister, and the Wei family was one of the biggest local bullies in Jin'an. Even the people in their Investigation Bureau's Fourth Division didn't want to offend them.

However, this incident is too bizarre, and as the only possible witness, Wei Yuan may hold the key to unlocking the mystery. Under these circumstances, his superior has already given orders that no matter what, a breakthrough must be made.

In that case, even if Deputy Director Li personally intervened, he might still have to refuse.

"Is this... an arrest warrant? I... I want to see... see your arrest warrant." Wei Yuan frowned. He had never dealt with people from these intelligence agencies before, but their current unyielding attitude still made him uneasy.

However, he knew his own situation best. He could guess what the other party wanted to ask. He was probably brought back from Wanfu Farm by them, and now, Yu Huai and Xu Hanzhang were clearly not coming back. Wei Yuan didn't believe that these people from the Special Crime Investigation Bureau could bring people back from hell...

If that's the case, then if they are interested in this matter, they will most likely try to find a way in through themselves.

Unlike those who were simply ignorant, Wei Yuan, having information about the Wei family, probably knew that the empire had a special department to deal with these supernatural phenomena. However, this department was only in its early stages and its strength was not very great.

Now that he has returned from the underworld, the scenes that happened there... Hiss... When Wei Yuan subconsciously recalled the scenes of his trip to the underworld, he suddenly realized that the scenes that should have been deeply impactful and vivid in his mind were now like a faded photograph, and he could no longer remember them clearly.

By the way, how did I get there?

What did you see along the way?

What is it like in the underworld? How is that case tried?

Everything seems to have happened a very long time ago, so long that only a faint conceptual imprint remains in my memory, and upon careful reflection, I can no longer recall the details...

Even, intentionally or unintentionally, Wei Yuan had forgotten the existence of "Fairy An," such an extremely important intruder, in his memory.

“This is not an arrest, but a normal investigation. However, because this incident involves national security, we can escalate the matter if you are unwilling to cooperate... We have that authority.”

Wei Yuan lay face down on the pillow, feigning pain and panting, while simultaneously trying to think of a way to stall for time.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, pondering to himself. In truth, he wouldn't mind recounting what had happened before, but as Wei Feng's confidant, he had to completely distance himself from the Wei family.

He knew in his heart that he knew too many secrets. If his second master was alright, he would never abandon him. Once he learned of his current predicament, the Wei family would definitely use all their connections to get him out. What he needed to do was to maneuver as much as possible. If he could reach a result, that would be best; if not, he would try to delay as much as possible until the Wei family found their connections to get him out…

At this moment, his mind was still in a state of extreme confusion. His previous trip to the underworld had greatly impacted his worldview, and he began to truly realize the existence of judgment after death. He wanted to be a good person, but before that, he had to get out of the trouble in front of him...

However, he really couldn't be sure whether the second master was alright or not. What if something really happened to the second master...

He considered a terrible consequence, then immediately put it out of his mind...

It shouldn't be... right?

At this moment, he desperately wanted to find out what was going on outside, especially about his second master.

Seeing that Wei Yuan remained silent and unresponsive, Xiao Yun'an frowned, a flash of coldness crossing his eyes. Just then, his phone rang.

"Hello?" Xiao Yun'an picked up his phone, glanced at it, then stood up, walked to the side, and answered the call.

"oh oh?"

"Dead? Are you sure?" Xiao Yun'an seemed to have heard some incredible information, and his brows furrowed noticeably.

"Oh...oh...oh, I understand..."

"Okay...okay...I understand..."

“Okay… alright.” Xiao Yun’an hung up the call and looked at Wei Yuan again. A faint, meaningful smile suddenly appeared on his face: “Mr. Wei, I just heard some news that you might want to know.”

"Oh?" Wei Yuan turned his head, frowning, his expression a mixture of doubt and wariness.

"Just now, Mr. Wei Feng, the chairman of Haishang Bank, was confirmed to have passed away in his suite at the Haishang Bank headquarters building."

"How...how could this be?" Although Wei Yuan already had a guess in his heart, he still showed extreme surprise when he actually received the news.

"Please trust us, we will not deceive you on this kind of information." Xiao Yun'an continued, "To be honest, I was also quite surprised. After all, Mr. Wei Feng's death at this time was really unexpected."

Xiao Yun'an was telling the truth. Wei Feng's death did catch many people, including himself, off guard. After all, he was definitely not a minor figure. His sudden and inexplicable death was bound to raise eyebrows.

"How...how was it discovered?" Wei Yuan asked hesitantly.

"It is said that when Mr. Wei Feng's assistant tried to wake him up in the morning, there was no response for a long time. After realizing something was wrong, the security personnel broke down the door and found that Mr. Wei Feng was already lying on the bed without breathing or heartbeat, and his pupils were dilated. When the doctor arrived, he was confirmed to be dead."

Wei Yuan immediately guessed that it was very likely that the Second Master's assistant had obtained some information about Yu Huai, Xu Hanzhang, and even himself, and was therefore in a hurry to inform him. After all, given the Wei family's influence in Jin'an, obtaining peripheral information through the police system was not a difficult task.

Volume Two: The Truth Hidden Behind History Books: Chapter 808 We are an intelligence agency, not a law enforcement agency.

After all, even the Special Crime Investigation Bureau of the Department of Justice does not complete all the work independently. The previous incident involved a series of road closures, police and traffic system cooperation. If the Wei family paid attention during this process, they would definitely be able to obtain some information. Even some peripheral information would be enough for them to judge some basic information.

What Wei Yuan didn't know was that his judgment was basically correct.

Just yesterday morning, Wanfu Farm and the surrounding area were blocked off by the Special Crime Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Justice and the police. Vehicles had to take detours. This blockade has not been lifted. After that, a series of traffic accidents and news came to Wei Feng's assistant from various channels. Although there are still many things that are not clear, the information that has been gathered is enough to make people uneasy. Therefore, Wei Feng's assistant had to interrupt Wei Feng's rest and wake him up in advance.

Then, after calling for a long time without any response, the assistant realized something was wrong and hurriedly called for people to break down the door, where they discovered Wei Feng's death.

If it were anyone else, upon hearing such news at this moment, they would most likely doubt its veracity. However, Wei Yuan immediately knew that the news was probably true, because he knew that the Second Master had been arrested and detained by the authorities, and now it seemed that his crime was likely serious and he wouldn't be coming back...

A sense of shared sorrow for the fallen could not be ignored, but this was followed by a deep feeling of relief.

However, in doing so, his greatest support would be gone. With the Second Master gone, the Wei family would surely be in chaos, and who would remember his existence as the Second Master's confidant?

Clearly, Xiao Yun'an noticed Wei Yuan's subtle change in mindset and sat down next to Wei Yuan again: "Mr. Wei, it's obvious that Hai Shang Bank won't be able to take care of you for the time being; they have more important things to do."

Wei Yuan remained silent, while Xiao Yun'an gradually suppressed his smile: "Mr. Wei, we are very curious as to why you appeared at Wanfu Farm, and we are also very interested in the things you tried to film. What exactly did you see there? And why did you fall into a coma? Can you tell us about it?"

Wei Yuan remained silent. At this moment, Chen Shen, another investigator who had been silent since entering the room, suddenly spoke up, his voice hoarse: "Mr. Wei, I think I need to emphasize to you that this matter is very important and involves national security. Therefore, we must obtain the information we want no matter what. You would be better off cooperating with us, as this will benefit both of us."

“Another point you need to understand is that we are an intelligence agency, not a law enforcement agency, so if necessary…” He was about to continue speaking in a sinister tone, but Xiao Yun’an interrupted him with a gesture.

"I think... Mr. Wei is a smart man, he will be willing to cooperate, Mr. Wei, don't you think?"

Wei Yuan's expression turned grim. He naturally understood what the other party meant: law enforcement agencies must act in accordance with laws and regulations, while intelligence agencies do not. If necessary, they can act without being bound by the law.

For example—torture.

Wei Yuan had served in the military and knew that the methods used by these intelligence agencies were not empty threats.

However, he knew that if he were to reveal everything he knew, the Wei family would never let him go, and he would likely not escape death in the end…

Since returning from the underworld, he has come to understand that death is not the most frightening thing; the most frightening thing is that he died before he could make amends for the sins he committed in the first half of his life...

Therefore, we must not die now...

“Mr. Wei, I think you may not have understood the meaning behind Mr. Chen’s words…” Just as Wei Yuan was pondering this, Xiao Yun’an spoke again, emphasizing each word: “We are an intelligence agency, not a law enforcement agency.”

"I...I don't understand..." Wei Yuan looked at Xiao Yun'an with some confusion, not understanding for a moment what he meant by repeatedly emphasizing this sentence.

“Law enforcement agencies, of course, must uphold the fairness of the law and punish criminals.” Xiao Yun’an leaned closer to Wei Yuan and whispered, “As for intelligence agencies… for us, we have no interest in the law or crime. What we are only interested in is the information we are interested in…”

Do you understand what I mean?

"Not...not interested?" At this point, Wei Yuan couldn't possibly misunderstand. The Mr. Xiao before him was clearly an experienced investigator, and he had directly addressed the very issue that Wei Yuan was most worried about.

The reason he was unwilling to reveal the whole story before was...

The biggest problem here is actually the issue of guilt. If he were to honestly explain the whole story to the two investigators, it would inevitably implicate him and Wei Feng behind him in their actions, which were undoubtedly shady.

Not only is it shady, but if word got out that such a scheme to steal customers' money were to spread, it would be a huge scandal for the Maritime Bank, followed by a chain reaction of bank runs and other consequences.

Now, Xiao Yun'an's implication makes it clear that the Special Crime Investigation Bureau doesn't want to know about the sordid affairs behind the Wei family. After all, they don't really want to clash head-on with an imperial minister. Their real goal is the supernatural events behind it, and all the information about the underworld...

As Wei Yuan pondered, he forced an awkward smile and turned to say, "Mr. Xiao... actually... it's about the Maritime Bank, um... mainly because the chairman mentioned... some... feng shui-related requests..."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yun'an raised an eyebrow: "Oh? A request related to feng shui?"

"Yes...yes...you know, the financial industry...always needs...a bit of luck...feng shui...and things like that..."

Xiao Yun'an nodded noncommittally, then said calmly, "Looking at feng shui... I can understand. So, how did Mr. Wei end up bringing a camera to Wanfu Farm?"

"Well... I mainly heard that this Master Yu... Master Yu... is a highly accomplished person from Southeast Asia, so... I was thinking of... finding out more about him..."

Wei Yuan's words are actually not convincing. After all, as a director of the Maritime Bank, if he were merely gathering information, he could have easily delegated the task to his subordinates, or even to private investigation agencies.

Volume Two: The Truth Hidden Behind History Books: Chapter 809 Dedication