Zhou Feng's expression suddenly changed, his eyes flickering continuously.

He stepped forward, blocking in front of Liu Yuru with a deeply furrowed brow.

"Chief Examiner Li, there must be some misunderstanding here."

"How could our Zhou Family collude with a vicious organization like the Dawnbreaker Guild?"

Liu Yuru also snapped back to her senses and chimed in repeatedly.

"That's right! We are wronged!"

"You arrested the wrong person! Let my son go!"

"Wronged?"

Li Gang sneered, his laughter filled with disdain.

He walked over to an instrument and pressed a button.

On the wall beside the one-way glass, a screen lit up and began playing a video.

In the footage was the jungle of Triple Island.

Lu Qi was alone, his face bearing resentment and madness.

He took out a ferocious ghost-face mask from his Spatial Ring and, without the slightest hesitation, put it directly on his face.

The camera gave him a close-up shot.

The moment he put on the mask, what flashed in his eyes was excitement and anticipation.

"We have investigated all the video materials of Lu Qi on Triple Island."

Li Gang's voice was like a cold wind from the netherworld.

"The ghost-face mask that lured out the S-Class wanted criminal Zuo Daolin was put on by Lu Qi voluntarily."

"Do you still dare to say he is wronged now?"

The video playback ended, and the screen went dark.

Inside the office, there was a deathly silence.

Liu Yuru stared blankly at the black screen, her entire body freezing as if falling into an ice cellar.

Zhou Feng's fists quietly clenched at his sides, his expression terrifyingly gloomy.

"If it weren't for a candidate stepping forward during this National Examination to turn the tide and reduce losses to a minimum."

"Right now, I wouldn't be speaking to you in such a nice tone."

"Your entire Zhou Family should have been locked up in a dark military prison long ago!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the two people whose faces were as pale as death.

"Now, I am giving you a chance."

"Go inside and ask him where on earth that mask came from."

"This is the only chance for your Zhou Family to strive for lenient treatment."

After saying that, he gave a signal to the officer beside him.

The door leading to the interrogation room was slowly opened.

Liu Yuru, as if grasping at the last straw of life, rushed in first.

Zhou Feng took a deep breath and also stepped forward to follow.

Inside the interrogation room.

Lu Qi heard the sound of the door opening and raised his head.

When he saw Liu Yuru and Zhou Feng, tears instantly surged into his originally hollow eyes.

He looked as if he had seen his savior.

"Mom! Mom!"

He cried out, his voice filled with grievance.

"Everyone here is a bad person! They hit me!"

"Mom, I want to go home… I'm scared…"

Liu Yuru's heart was instantly torn to pieces by these cries.

She pounced in front of Lu Qi, disregarding the blood stains on his body, and tightly hugged him into her arms.

"Qi'er! My Qi'er!"

She was sobbing uncontrollably, his heart aching so much she could hardly breathe.

"Don't be afraid, Mom is here, Mom is right here…"

After comforting him for a good while, she finally calmed her emotions slightly, cupped Lu Qi's face, and asked eagerly,

"Qi'er, tell Mom, what on earth happened?"

"You… where did you get that mask?"

Lu Qi blinked, tears still swirling in his eye sockets.

He did not answer Liu Yuru's question, but only kept shrinking into her arms.

"Mom… I want to go home…"

"Mom, I'm hungry… I'm so hungry…"

His voice was soft, sticky, and childish, like a child of only five or six years old.

Zhou Feng had been standing to the side, observing coldly.

At this moment, his tightly furrowed brows deepened even further.

"Yuru."

He spoke in a deep voice.

"Qi'er seems… a bit abnormal."

"He wouldn't talk like this usually."

Liu Yuru was startled upon hearing this, and only then sensed a trace of bizarreness from her immense grief.

She let go of Lu Qi and scrutinized his face carefully.

His eyes were clear, confused, and carried a kind of childlike innocence.

Completely lacking his usual shrewdness and arrogance.

"Qi'er?"

Liu Yuru's voice was trembling.

"What's wrong with you? Look at Mom!"

"Don't scare Mom…"

Lu Qi looked at her anxious face, suddenly grinned, and chuckled with a "hehe".

That smile was pure and innocent, yet it made Liu Yuru feel a bone-chilling chill.

He leaned close to Liu Yuru's ear and whispered in a spoiled tone,

"Mom, I want to pee."

Just as the words fell,

a warm liquid flowed down his trouser legs,

dripping onto the cold floor and splashing onto Liu Yuru's expensive high heels.

A pungent smell of urine quickly filled the interrogation room.

Li Gang stood in the observation room, watching the absurd and pathetic scene across the glass with deeply furrowed brows, not saying a word.

The door behind him was gently pushed open.

A subordinate walked quickly to his side and handed over a document.

"Chief Examiner Li."

"The diagnostic report is out."

Li Gang did not turn back, his gaze still locked on the collapsed mother and son inside the interrogation room.

"Speak."

The subordinate's voice was pressed very low, and his speaking speed was extremely fast.

"Lu Qi's body has no major issues, they are all superficial injuries."

"However, his soul suffered irreversible damage during the period he was possessed by Zuo Daolin."

"According to the preliminary diagnosis of psychiatric experts, his current mental level does not exceed five years old."

Li Gang's eye corner twitched slightly.

The subordinate paused for a moment and continued to add,

"There is one more thing."

"The old butler of the Lu Clan suddenly died on the way we escorted him back."

"It was as if his soul was suddenly extracted by someone."

"It's Zuo Daolin's method."

Li Gang's voice was as cold as ice.

"That butler was probably controlled by Zuo Daolin long ago."

"Through him, that mask was handed into Lu Qi's hands."

"In this way, everything can be explained."

The subordinate nodded and said no more.

Li Gang's brain spun rapidly.

The logical chain made sense.

But what about the motive?

Why was it precisely Lu Qi?

Why precisely the Zhou Family?

The Zhou Family might be considered a major Clan in Donghai City.

But looking at the entire Great Xia Nation, they are completely unranked.

Yet why would the people of the Dawnbreaker Guild pay attention to the Zhou Family?

He looked toward the interrogation room once more.

Zhou Feng was still standing there with a gloomy expression, his emotions unreadable.

Yet, in Li Gang's mind, a fleeting loss of composure on this man's face when he mentioned the "Dawnbreaker Guild" shortly before was clearly replayed.

That was not surprise.

It was more like… a panic of having one's secret poked at.

This Zhou Family definitely has a problem.

"Chief Examiner Li, then Zhou Feng and Liu Yuru…"

Li Gang withdrew his gaze, his voice returning to calm.

"Let them go."

"Right now there is no evidence, we can't move against them."

He paused, a fierce look flashing in his eyes.

"However, keep a dead-set eye on them."

"Send people to investigate."

"Dig up all of the Zhou Family's background from these past decades for me."

"Who they have offended, who they have had shady cooperation with, and what they are messing around with recently."

"Do not let go of any slightest clue!"

"Yes!"

The subordinate stood at attention, saluted, and turned to leave quickly.

Li Gang took a final look at the woman across the glass crying bitterly while holding her demented son, and turned to walk out of the observation room.

Time swiftly arrived at the next day.

A night of fermentation made the entire network of the Great Xia Nation completely boil over.

As an annual nationwide grand event, the National Examination's attention even surpassed any entertainment show.

The live broadcast signal was suddenly cut off, and the officials were slow to give an explanation, which undoubtedly gave countless netizens huge room for imagination.

For a time, all kinds of guesses and rumors ran rampant.

"Heaven-shaking inside story! The National Examination examination hall is suspected of encountering high-level exotic beast attacks, with heavy casualties!"

"Don't talk nonsense upstairs, my uncle works in the military department, he said a terrorist organization invaded!"

"Stop arguing everyone, there is only one truth! It must be that Forbidden Spell Mage named Gandalf who is too perverted, causing a collective protest from all provincial teams, and the officials had to suspend the match!"

"Seconded! That Forbidden Spell was smashed down like it cost no money, who can withstand that? How can this still be played?"

Just when countless netizens were arguing fiercely and all kinds of conspiracy theories were flying all over the sky,

at nine o'clock in the morning,

the official website of the Great Xia Nation Ministry of Education released an official announcement.

【Statement Regarding the Relevant Situation of This Year's National Higher Education Institutions Unified Entrance Examination (National Examination)】

【Yesterday, due to a sudden accidental malfunction of the National Examination live broadcast System, the live broadcast signal was interrupted. We deeply apologize for the inconvenience and trouble caused to everyone.】

【After emergency repairs, the System has now returned to normal. This year's National Examination concluded smoothly yesterday, and no unexpected incidents occurred.】

【The final results of this year's National Examination are now announced:】

【Champion: Dongning Province Delegation.】

【Top Scholar of this National Examination: Dongning Province, Gandalf.】

As soon as the announcement came out, the entire internet was in an uproar.

After a brief silence came even more fierce discussions.

"I said so! How could there be so many conspiracy theories! It's just that the officials' lousy server crashed again!"

"Hahaha, as expected! The Demon King Gandalf, the champion was pre-determined long ago! No suspense at all!"

"I feel sorry for the geniuses of the other provincial teams. Running into such an immortal, it's truly bad luck."

"Dongning Province is going to take off this year! Such a fierce person came out!"

While countless viewers breathed a sigh of relief, they also successively began to complain about the unreliability of the authorities.

For something as important as the National Examination, the live broadcast System actually dropped the ball.

It was simply the height of absurdity.

Suburban courtyard.

Zhou Huai suddenly opened his eyes from the bed.

On his face was an uncontrollable excitement.

Just a moment ago, that cold System prompt tone boomed and exploded in his mind.

【Ding!】

【System Prompt: The task 'Name of the Top Scholar' has been completed!】

【Task Reward: Occupation Orb Draw Chance X1, has been issued!】

It's here!

Zhou Huai forcibly suppressed the wild joy in his heart and immediately closed his eyes.

His consciousness instantly sank into that familiar void space.

A huge and sci-fi dial machine quietly floated in the darkness.

In front of the machine body, the only draw button was flashing with alluring light.

Without the slightest hesitation,

Zhou Huai's willpower slammed down on the button!

Hum——!

The dial machine spun wildly, countless colorful occupation orbs transforming into streaks of light, dazzling one's eyes.

Zhou Huai held his breath.

The light grew brighter and brighter.

The rotation stopped abruptly!

Swish!

A fiery red orb of light! Shot out fiercely from the dial machine!

Zhou Huai's pupils suddenly shrank.

It was exactly the same as Gandalf's fiery red orb of light from before!

Zhou Huai's heartbeat skipped a beat.

Could it be…

Another SS-Class?!

The red orb of light slowly drifted down, suspending in front of Zhou Huai.

The flames burst open!

Transforming into a black scroll that was more eerie and more overbearing than the scrolls of the Divine Craftsman of Myriad Forms and Forbidden Spell Mage from before!

Upon the scroll, countless distorted magic patterns slowly flowed, exuding a terrifying aura that made one's heart palpitate.

【Congratulations to the host, you have drawn the occupation: Unique Hidden Occupation — SS-Class Night Stalker!】

(PS: This is an assassin-class occupation, please help me think of a name, reader lords!)

Bows in gratitude!