Chapter 15: Judgment

Kai S. Gao was ultimately captured by the crew for violating local regulations and stealing the lifeboat. He was to be forcibly deported. Logically, he should have been grateful to live in a civilized society where he wouldn’t be sacrificed to deities by indigenous people—but he wasn’t.

After numerous delays, nearly ten days later, the flight from Marai landed at Northspire Haven Airport. Two Marai police officers escorting him unfastened his seatbelt and covered the glaring silver handcuffs on his wrists with a T-shirt.

"Officers, according to deportation protocols, I should be free once we enter the country. Could you remove the handcuffs first?" Kai S. Gao said calmly in Mandarin.

"Sorry! Our orders are to hand you over to your country’s police!" replied one of the female officers in broken Mandarin.

Kai S. Gao thought for a moment, then smiled with resignation and made no further requests.

Only after all the other passengers had deplane with their luggage did the two officers leisurely lead Kai S. Gao toward the cabin door.

Curious stares followed them from the remaining passengers.

Even on the boarding bridge, the odd trio became the center of attention.

Ahead, the crowd suddenly slowed, as if encountering a blockage. Voices could be heard maintaining order.

"Apologies, passengers. Official business—please proceed this way. Thank you for your understanding."

Occasional grumbles from travelers drifted through the air.

After rounding a corner, Kai S. Gao finally saw what was happening: blocking the path were at least thirty people—men and women, spanning three ethnicities—all dressed in gray suits, their expressions deadly serious.

Most passengers had no idea how this group had assembled, but Kai S. Gao knew they were here for him.

Under the officers’ grip, Kai S. Gao stepped into the airport terminal. As expected, the thirty-strong crowd immediately closed in, making him the most conspicuous figure in the hall.

A Chinese woman at the front strode forward, calling out as she approached, "Kai S. Gao?"

"That’s me," Kai S. Gao replied casually, meeting her gaze.

The woman appeared to be in her early thirties. Aside from penciled eyebrows, she wore no makeup, her heavy dark circles stark against her sharp, intelligent features. Her chestnut hair fell just past her shoulders, streaked with silver strands.

Her navy-blue suit was slightly wrinkled but tailored to her frame. The matching trousers ended above her ankles, revealing muscular calves. Even in heels, her stride was steady.

A bulge at her waist suggested a holstered pistol.

"Is it polite to scrutinize someone so blatantly upon first meeting?" The woman extended her hand, a smirk playing on her lips. "Xia Lin, National Special Intelligence Division."

Kai S. Gao awkwardly raised both hands, displaying the handcuffs.

"Remove them. He’s not a danger—just more dangerous than anyone else," Xia Lin ordered.

After the foreign officers complied, Kai S. Gao finally shook her hand.

The two foreigners immediately protested in English: "You can’t just release him! He’s a deranged terrorist!"

"Is this how your country irresponsibly handles threats?"

Xia Lin retorted in flawless English: "Apologies. He is a citizen of our nation, and we are now on our soil. I have full jurisdiction here. I will take full responsibility."

She then ignored them and turned to Kai S. Gao. "I think we need to talk somewhere."

"Fine," Kai S. Gao replied calmly, as if he’d anticipated this. "So… I succeeded, didn’t I?"

Xia Lin frowned but said nothing.

Amid the crowd’s speculation, the group escorted Kai S. Gao away.

Whispers erupted among the onlookers:
"What crime did he commit to warrant this? Such a spectacle!"
"He must be a serial killer!"
"But he looks so refined—it doesn’t fit!"
"Ever heard of a wolf in sheep’s clothing? Guess how many he’s killed!"
"Five? Ten?"
"Maybe more!"

...

Kai S. Gao was ushered into a black van—unremarkable at first glance, but its reinforced exterior and array of unidentified equipment hinted at its purpose. Three men squeezed into the backseat, flanking Kai S. Gao with their bulk.

"No blindfold? Or other… secrecy measures?"

Xia Lin glanced back from the front seat. "Unnecessary. Don’t believe everything you see in dramas."
"By the way, we’re not police. Our full title is the National Special Circumstances Response Division."

"How candid of you," Kai S. Gao remarked with a faint smile.

The convoy started moving, guided by dispatches over the radio as it headed toward the city.

"Aren’t you curious where we’re going?"

"I assume it’s a dim interrogation room at the police station. You’ll chain me to a chair and take turns prying information out of me," Kai S. Gao replied tonelessly, his eyes empty. "But the truth is simple. A few sentences would suffice. No need for theatrics. Rest assured, I’ll hide nothing."

"You’re no ordinary criminal. Interrogation tactics won’t apply here," Xia Lin retorted, her sharp willow-leaf eyes piercing him. "And we need to know everything."

She turned away, silence filling the rest of the ride.

Unexpectedly, the convoy stopped at the entrance of the Northspire Haven Institute of Microbiology.

After escorting Kai S. Gao inside, Xia Lin’s tone hardened. "Over the past two days, we’ve secured the lab and reviewed all your records. I likely know you better than you know yourself now."
"Including your motives."

Kai S. Gao fell silent.

Inside, all labs were sealed off, with personnel in biohazard suits standing guard. Kai S. Gao was led to a conference hall large enough to seat a hundred. The room reeked of musty academia, but its occupants—over half foreign—were no ordinary crowd. Kai S. Gao recognized several titans of microbiology and genetics, now solemnly seated with notepads and headsets.

"Take him to the podium," Xia Lin ordered her team before sitting in the front row.

Kai S. Gao hesitated, feeling less like a prisoner and more like a keynote speaker—only missing a PowerPoint.

As he stepped up, his elbow bumped the microphone, sending screeching feedback through the hall. All eyes locked onto him.

"Forgive my confusion," he said dryly. "I expected a trial, not a lecture podium."

Xia Lin grabbed a microphone, her voice firm. "I’d prefer you not be a criminal. I’d prefer there still be a chance to fix this."

Screens flanking the podium lit up, displaying two images.

"The left shows Eden Archipelago before your visit. The right was taken four days after you left. I assume you know the difference."

Kai S. Gao turned. On the grainy aerial photos, the islands now glowed blood-red against the azure sea, eerily seductive like sirens luring sailors to doom. Above them hung a haze of crimson mist.