Chapter 269: 269
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Gu Nianzhi was immediately wide awake . She jumped out of bed, humming cheerfully to herself, and gave Huo Shaoheng a quick "I'll see you later" before hanging up . She rushed to her wardrobe and rummaged through it, before settling on a women's suit made of light gray merino wool . She had chosen a trouser suit instead of a skirt suit as it was already evening and chilly outside . At the door, she put on a cashmere coat before going out .
She did not know where Huo Shaoheng was, but that did not prove to be a problem: as soon as she walked out of his residence, she saw that Huo Shaoheng had already sent one of his subordinates to wait by the door and escort her to him .
Zhao Liangze was also waiting for her . As soon as he saw her, he immediately played the video recording of the interrogation . He shook his head and said, "Look at this! She evaded all the important questions . And she kept blocking me with one legal provision after another . Goddammit! I wish I'd studied law in college instead!"
Gu Nianzhi gave a snort . She fast-forwarded through the video . "Interesting, very interesting . I'll make her sorry for messing with you, Brother Ze, just you wait and see!"
"She's inside, knock yourself out," said Zhao Liangze, pointing towards the window . "Man, she was so snooty I felt like punching her in the face!"
"You mean she desperately needs a b*tch slap . " Gu Nianzhi smiled as she shut Zhao Liangze's laptop . "Can I take your laptop with me?"
"Sure, go ahead . " Zhao Liangze looked at Huo Shaoheng . "Any other instructions, sir?"
Huo Shaoheng stood before the window, his hands clasped behind his back . He kept his gaze upon Wen Shouyi as he said to Gu Nianzhi: "Nianzhi, once you're done with Little Ze's questions, you're free to ask whatever you want . Ask her about her relationship with He Zhichu, for example . "
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"Huh?" Gu Nianzhi frowned as she hugged the laptop to her chest . "Why do I have to ask about them? I'm not interested in any of that, like, at all…"
Huo Shaoheng's lips curved into a faint smile . His eyes were as dark and as magnetic as a black hole; Gu Nianzhi felt herself being drawn towards them . "…Be a good girl and listen to me . "
His words were like a magic spell . Gu Nianzhi immediately nodded . "Okay, I'll do it…"
Fine, I'll go with whatever you say, Huo Shao, you handsome stud ╮(╯▽╰)╭ .
…
Wen Shouyi had just lowered her head to take a sip of water when the door to the interrogation room opened before her .
She smiled and looked up . She was by no means a tall woman, but her expression seemed to convey a certain lofty haughtiness .
However, she had not expected to see Gu Nianzhi enter the room, cheerful and smiling . The smile on Wen Shouyi's face immediately froze in place; her sense of superiority had disappeared, replaced by profound distrust and dread .
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The change of expression lasted only a few seconds, however . Wen Shouyi quickly recovered herself, and said to Gu Nianzhi in a gentle, affable manner, "Nianzhi, why are you here?"
Gu Nianzhi placed Zhao Liangze's laptop on the long table, and seated herself in the chair Zhao Liangze had vacated . Her tone and attitude were entirely professional when she said, "Please state your name, nationality, and a brief account of what you've been doing in the last 30 years . "
Wen Shouyi's eyes widened in surprise . "What's this? Are you pretending not to know who I am?"
"Quiet . You're sitting in the interrogation room of the Huaxia Empire's Special Operations Forces HQ . This place is equivalent to the Supreme Court in the United States, I advise you to show proper respect . " Gu Nianzhi did not even lift her head from the laptop . "Your name, nationality, and a brief account of what you've been doing in the last 30 years, please . "
Gu Nianzhi was acting like a lawyer questioning the defendant in court .
Wen Shouyi was momentarily tongue-tied . She stewed inwardly over Gu Nianzhi's attitude, before finally clenching her jaw and saying, in an unhappy monotone, "My name is Wen Shouyi and I have a US passport . I'm afraid I can't tell you what I've been doing in the last 30 years . "
"Why?" Gu Nianzhi raised her head from behind the laptop . She asked, with a face entirely devoid of expression, "Are you hiding something? Shady things you can never tell anyone?"
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"Watch what you say, young lady . " Gu Nianzhi's words had succeeded in stoking the coals of anger within Wen Shouyi . She placed her clenched fists, trembling with rage, on the table before her . "I'll sue you for defamation!"
"And I'll counter sue you for obstruction of justice!" There was a resounding smack as Gu Nianzhi brought a hand down upon the table . "What, do you think you should be getting preferential treatment here in the Huaxia Empire just because you have a US passport? Why can't you cooperate?! I asked a simple question, why are you being so difficult? I can send you to prison for life, you know, and I don't think the US government would even give a fig about you . "
Wen Shouyi had always kept her calm and composure before Gu Nianzhi, but now her temper threatened to get the better of her . With great effort, she pulled a lid over the anger boiling within her, and grated out, between clenched teeth: "…I'm only 24 . How am I supposed to tell you what I've been doing in the last 30 years?!"
"Oh? You're only 24? Sorry, it's just that you look like you're 34 . Honest mistake on my part . If you're offended, well, I apologize . You should go for beauty spas more often, and treat your skin better . Also, you should try losing weight—if you do all that, I'm sure you can at least pass for 28 . " Gu Nianzhi smiled slightly . She was only 18, and her sweet smile was full of enviable youthful radiance . She was deliberately trying to push Wen Shouyi to the edge by flaunting her youth at her .
Wen Shouyi wasn't tall, but she was curvy . She was in no way fat, not in the way Gu Nianzhi was suggesting—perhaps a little "chubby," but even that was a stretch .
Gu Nianzhi knew there were two things you should never call a woman, not unless you wanted to offend her, and she had deliberately combined the two for maximum effect by suggesting Wen Shouyi was both old and fat . She had to destroy Wen Shouyi's oddly inflated sense of self-importance to break down the barriers around her heart and get more information out of her .
Wen Shouyi was trembling all over with rage . She had to gather all her strength just to keep her anger in check . The gunshot wound in her chest, which was supposed to have healed over, began to ache .
She put a hand to her chest . She had to take a few minutes to get her ragged breathing under control . When she finally spoke again, her voice was hoarse: "I'm sorry, but my gunshot wound still hurts . Please let me catch my breath . "
She was subtly reminding Gu Nianzhi that she had saved her life .
Gu Nianzhi understood, and felt guilty . She waited for Wen Shouyi's expression to ease before saying calmly: "Tell me about your personal history, from the time you started going to school . "
Wen Shouyi gave Gu Nianzhi a long look that seemed full of hidden meanings . She gave Gu Nianzhi a brief account of her educational background, beginning with her grade school and ending with her post-grad Law School .
Gu Nianzhi discovered that Wen Shouyi had skipped many grades: she had graduated from college at 18, completed Law School at 21, and attained a tenured teaching position as a professor at Harvard Law School at the age of 24 . She was a genius, through and through .
Gu Nianzhi was surprised by Wen Shouyi's accomplishments . She had not bothered to look into her background before this because of her dislike for Wen Shouyi .
Gu Nianzhi realized she had underestimated her, and decided to give credit where credit was due .
Gu Nianzhi went over Zhao Liangze's questions, and Wen Shouyi's answers to them . Gu Nianzhi smiled and asked: "Miss Wen, what lawsuit did you help Dou Qingyan with in the United States?"
Wen Shouyi's mood suddenly improved . A large smile spread across her face as she said triumphantly, "I already told Mr . Zhao, but that is strictly between me and Qingyan . She's my client, and I'm her lawyer . The attorney-client privilege between us means I cannot tell anyone else about our private discussions . "
Gu Nianzhi patiently waited for Wen Shouyi to finish explaining how the attorney-client privilege worked in the US, an amused expression on her face . When Wen Shouyi was done, Gu Nianzhi nodded and said: "Oh, I know all that, which is why I wasn't asking whether the two of you are involved in shady dealings . I merely asked about the lawsuit you helped her with . Don't underestimate me; I may not be an expert in American law, but I know that you can look up every lawsuit brought to the US courts on their website . It's public information, available online . Surely you're not saying that disclosing information about the lawsuit counts as a violation of the attorney-client privilege? If that's what you mean, wow, lucky you, you should start suing all the US courts, I'm sure you'll be able to rake in a fortune . "