Zhan Mohan ignored Ji Qun's pleas for mercy, dragging him to his specially designated torture chamber. While not perpetually reeking of blood, the room exuded a somber atmosphere, with various instruments of torture hanging from the walls, enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.
For someone as timid as Ji Qun, entering this place would likely induce sheer terror.
"Bring him in."
Pushed and shoved by the bodyguards, Ji Qun stumbled into the room. The sight of its furnishings indeed sent him into a fit of trembling.
"Mr. Zhan, what's the need for this? We can talk things out amicably."
Zhan Mohan paid him no mind, merely tilting his chin. Fang Xun understood, gesturing for the two men holding Ji Qun to tie him to the rack. As his limbs were secured, Ji Qun began to feel an ominous ache even before Zhan Mohan uttered a word.
He pleaded incessantly, "Mr. Zhan, whatever you wish to know, I will tell you everything, without reservation. I'm an old man, I can't endure such torment."
Zhan Mohan, holding a whip, raised an eyebrow at his words. "Is that so? Since you'll tell me everything, let me ask you this: what sort of businesses were your father and your son involved in abroad? Are you willing to tell me?"
This first question left him speechless. Those illicit businesses were, of course, not to be revealed. Moreover, he was implicated himself. Revealing them would spell ruin for the entire Ji family. Yet, if he remained silent, Zhan Mohan would surely not let him go. In this place, he could easily be stripped bare.
"It seems Mr. Ji isn't willing to tell me everything, is he? In that case, perhaps we should have a more in-depth conversation?"
Zhan Mohan tossed the whip to Fang Xun. "Find a way to make Mr. Ji speak."
"Yes, Mr. Zhan." Fang Xun approached Ji Qun, ostentatiously cracking the whip in his hand. "Mr. Ji, I'm afraid I must offend you."
As soon as he spoke, the crack of the whip echoed through the room, accompanied by Ji Qun's pig-like screams.
Ever since the Ji family rose to prominence, he had lived a life of privilege, enjoying the fruits of his wealth. He had never imagined a day would come when he would be beaten like this. Fang Xun's lash landed with solid force, drawing a bloody trail across his shirt.
Seeing him sweat profusely, with tears and snot streaming down his face from the pain, Zhan Yichen decided to add a little more fuel to the fire.
"Fang Xun, you're still so heavy-handed. Look how weak he is. If you beat him to death in a few moves, who will we question? Interrogate him slowly, no need to rush. We have plenty of time."
His words were interpreted by Ji Qun as Fang Xun's uncontrolled violence, capable of killing a man quickly. If he refused to speak, his fate would be either to be beaten to death on this rack or to endure this continuous assault.
He wished for neither.
Fang Xun played along with Zhan Yichen. "Don't worry, I'm being careful this time. I guarantee he won't die anytime soon. Ji Tong harmed the wife, and this debt must be repaid."
With that, he raised his arm and brought the whip down again with full force. It crisscrossed with the previous lash, striking Ji Qun's body. Blood splattered, mixing with sweat on Ji Qun's face and trickling down his jawline.
The impact of the second whip caused Ji Qun to convulse uncontrollably, his pleas for mercy becoming a jumbled mess.
"Stop! I'll talk, I'll talk!"
As he begged, tears streamed down his face. Zhan Mohan knew he couldn't withstand such a beating. Moreover, he had been terrified before arriving, and after experiencing the pain, he would be convinced that refusing to speak would surely lead to his death here.
Such a cowardly individual, to avoid further suffering, would betray anyone, let alone Ji Tong, who likely had a strained relationship with him.
Zhan Mohan signaled Fang Xun to step aside. "Since Mr. Ji has come to his senses, let's release him, tidy him up, and continue our conversation."
As Ji Qun was lowered from the rack and seated on a chair, he still trembled uncontrollably. Zhan Mohan didn't rush him, allowing him ample time to recover until his shaking subsided.
"My father and my son were indeed involved in drug and arms trafficking. They reside abroad but have always been engaged in illicit businesses. It's how our Ji family managed to turn things around."
Having confessed this much, he figured the specifics of the business could still be investigated even if he didn't reveal them. He might as well confess proactively and endure less suffering today. However, he was still cautious, admitting to the business but only claiming to have harbored them, not participated himself.
Seeing him willing to betray his father and son for his own sake, Zhan Mohan finally understood Min Mo's deep-seated hatred. It was likely that, as a father, he had never spoken a word in defense of his young son.
But Min Mo, having been old enough to remember, would surely not forget his father's countenance back then. Forcing him to repent at his mother's grave was the least he could demand.
Although he didn't admit his own crimes, many things are interconnected. Once one link in the chain is discovered, it can become the breakthrough that dismantles the entire operation. His crimes, even if he denied them today, would inevitably be uncovered in time.
Ji Qun, as the biggest vulnerability in this chain, should never have been allowed to remain in the country.
Having obtained what he desired, Zhan Mohan ceased the torture and left the chamber with his entourage.
Ji Qun, as if granted a great reprieve, leaned back in the chair, gasping for air, as if that alone meant he was safe.
Moments later, the door opened again. A young man entered, whom Ji Qun didn't recognize but found familiar. Still reeling from the beating, he instinctively curled up, not daring to look the newcomer directly in the face.
Min Mo took a deep breath and sat down in the spot Zhan Yichen had occupied. "Do you still recognize me?"
Hearing that the person wasn't immediately shouting or hitting him, Ji Qun finally dared to look up. "You seem familiar, but I really can't recall where we might have met."
Min Mo let out a cold laugh and reminded him, "Twenty years ago, at the Ji family residence, we met."
At this point, he still hadn't realized this was the son he had heartlessly discarded. Perhaps he had long since forgotten about the mother and son. Looking at Min Mo's face, he still couldn't recognize him.
"Did we really meet? It was twenty years ago, I can't remember now. If you say we met, then we met."
Seeing his utter lack of recognition, Min Mo's expression grew increasingly icy. "It seems you truly are one of those 'great people who forget easily.' I remember every single day how my mother and I were ruthlessly driven out by your family."