CHAPTER 522: CHAPTER 457: DECEIVING WITH RULES

My parents... were they killed by the Aquarius Director?

Upon hearing Leon’s words, the female journalist’s body involuntarily trembled, and her once steadfast soul was disturbed by the possibility, becoming unstable.

Indeed, that was the right question to ask.

Glancing at the female journalist’s slightly shaken soul, Leon couldn’t help but blink, then took out a charcoal pencil and began scribbling on her file.

Time passed slowly. After throwing out a fatal question, Leon didn’t continue speaking. The entire room was eerily silent, except for the rustling sound of the charcoal pencil on paper and the faint breathing of the female journalist.

Inhale... Exhale...

Rustle... Rustle...

Inhale... Exhale...

Rustle... Rustle...

Unconsciously, the rhythm of Leon’s pencil and the female journalist’s breathing began to strangely align. Initially, the pencil’s sound chased her breath, then gradually, the two started to synchronize.

In the end, it even seemed as if the pencil’s sound was subtly guiding the female journalist’s breathing. Disturbed by Leon’s question, she unconsciously began to adjust her breathing rhythm to the scratches of the pencil.

"Hey!"

Even knowing Leon was surely "wearing her down," the combination of the coarse scratch of the pencil and his question made her uncomfortable and unsettled, prompting the female journalist to finally speak first:

"What exactly did you mean by what you just said?"

Finally took the bait.

After hearing the female journalist’s words, Leon, who had been scribbling on blank file papers and had internally narrated most of "The Yueyang Tower," breathed a sigh of relief. He closed the journalist’s file and responded evasively:

"I’ve read your entire file, and the Aquarius Director seems to trust you a lot. So, when ’creating’ those anomalies, he rarely hides it from you, right?"

"..."

"Miss Nicole, whether or not you answer this question, I already know the answer."

Pressing the pencil as she breathed, Leon calmly reminded:

"Moreover, regarding the Aquarius Director’s private creation of anomalies, the bureau has long reached a conclusion and has even prosecuted him. Admitting this doesn’t count as betraying him."

Indeed...

Hearing Leon’s words, the female journalist bit her lower lip and then gave a barely noticeable nod.

Great, the first question has been answered. Now more questions will follow.

Having successfully pried open a small part of the female journalist’s defenses, Leon couldn’t help but smirk before continuing:

"Since you’ve witnessed so many of those ’experiments,’ do you feel that the process by which you obtained anomalies is somewhat similar to those ’experiments’ by Aquarius?"

"..."

Upon hearing Leon’s question, the female journalist clenched her fists slightly without speaking, but the tremor in her soul began to inexplicably intensify.

This level of fluctuation... It seems she’s had similar suspicions in her heart.

Observing the continuous sway of the female journalist’s soul, Leon blinked thoughtfully but didn’t delve deeper into the topic. Instead, he pulled out another file and asked:

"Miss Nicole, do you know how many people have been targeted by the Aquarius Director over the years as ’experiment’ subjects for anomaly creation, thus losing their original lives?"

"..."

"There are corresponding records. About a hundred confirmed cases relate to him, with many more suspected but unresolved ones numbering several times that."

"Moreover, these are the cases where his experiments succeeded or were nearly successful. Those whose lives were ruined by him but did not result in anomalies are untallied, and the victims countless."

"..."

Hmm?

At this point, seeing the sudden surge of guilt in the silent female journalist’s soul, Leon paused and then pivoted his words, swallowing the poised "you might be one of them" and instead, sternly questioned:

"Knowing all this, do you still want to keep his secrets?"

"..."

Leon squinted slightly at the increasingly shaken female journalist’s soul, realizing that this ’diehard subordinate’ of the Aquarius Director actually had a surprisingly clear conscience.

Clear conscience, great!

Since she is still somewhat good at heart, it seems more effective to lash her conscience rather than to sow discord between her and the Aquarius Director.

Adjusting his "attack" scheme, Leon decisively switched to the Master Performer badge, preparing to extract more information to finally capture the slippery Aquarius Director, living a life like a ghost.

Leaving his chair, he rebuked angrily:

"I really want to punch you!"

Under the female journalist’s confused gaze, the previously ’deathly afraid’ Leon boldly took a stand, clenching his fist and questioned bitterly:

"You think the Aquarius Director did you a favor, so you have to repay him and that after repaying, you can die without regret, even think you’re noble before dying, right?

Bullshit! You’re just a fool!"

"..."

With a sharp intake of air, his face turning red, the ’angry’ Leon, appearing as if he could no longer take it, loudly declared:

"To be frank, I’m one of the victims of the Aquarius Director’s experiments!

If not for him, I could have lived a stable and happy life without losing my family, without joining the dangerous Clean-up Bureau, without enduring so much pain, and without bearing everything now!"

Apologizing to Anna in his heart, Leon, while recalling the ’grim future’ shown by the King of Nightmares and trying to cultivate his emotions, trembled and furiously cursed:

"All this is thanks to him, my life has been destroyed by you all!"

...

Could it be... I was wrong to keep his secret?

Seeing Leon before her, his teeth clenched, face twisted, his hands clenched so tightly they turned white, body trembling and eyes filled with a mix of hatred and profound sadness and heart-wrenching pain, the female journalist’s heart suddenly shook.

Under the terrifying power of the Gold-level Master Performer, the immense pain of 120,000 was harshly etched into her heart by Leon’s expression and body language.

At this moment, the female journalist completely couldn’t remember that the person before her was actually a powerful Duke, a seemingly successful man in life. Intimidated by the immense pain Leon portrayed, she instinctively wanted to avert her gaze from his eyes overflowing with deep-seated agony, yet...

"Don’t turn your head!"

Roughly gripping her chin and forcing her face back, the ’pain-stricken’ Leon locked eyes with her, gritting his teeth and questioning:

"You’re not afraid of dying, right? Then if you’re not afraid of death, why don’t you dare look into my eyes?"

"I..."

Confronted with Leon’s bloodshot eyes, the female journalist, tormented by waves of guilt rolling over her heart, trembled and resisted:

"I’m sorry, really sorry... But the Director saved me, raised me, and avenged me. I truly can’t..."

"Your revenge is done, but what about mine?"

Hearing her words, the ’deeply aggrieved’ Leon smiled bitterly in anger, eyes filled with hate as he questioned:

"Tell me! Who should I seek to avenge my wrongs? Whom should I turn to?"

"I... I’m sorry! Really sorry!"

Seeing Leon in unbearable pain, as if living in Hell, the female journalist’s defenses finally crumbled. With reddened eyes and face full of guilt, she quietly said:

"Ask whatever you want to know. Except for his whereabouts, I... I can tell you everything else!"