After finalizing the reform plan for Shi Xiaoming, David continued following the prison guard.
"What use do I have for all these Lectitio Divinitatus and Imperial Truths?" David complained internally, looking at the pile of 40k "waste paper" he had received from his last twenty consecutive gacha pulls.
If it were just a few books, it wouldn't be too absurd. The issue was that the system categorized the Imperial Truth, the Codex Astartes, and the Lectitio Divinitatus differently, even though they were all essentially "toilet paper" to him now. This meant that if he had bad luck and pulled two of the same book, his only option was to trade them for psionic points.
Was I actually a 'Gacha God' before this? David wondered as he walked down the corridor of the Third Prison's underground observation wing.
No, that's not right!I only started pulling the Lectitio Divinitatus and the Imperial Truth after I reached Psionic Level 4.
The marble floor was mopped so clean that it reflected David's shadow under the incandescent lights. He looked at the two differently bound copies of the Codex Astartes tucked under his arm and fell into thought. So far, the system had never given him a useless reward. Although he had tested it repeatedly and found that reading the Codex provided no benefit to his own cultivation, he still leafed through it as he walked.
What if? What if this thing eventually "recognized its master" while he was walking?
"We're here."
The female guard led David into the interrogation room. Inside, Shen Yufei sat in a chair, flanked by two guards. Since the Trisolarans had not yet fully entered the public eye, her surveillance level was low, and she was not in shackles.
"You two can leave," David said. He placed the two copies of the Codex from his left arm on the table and stacked the Lectitio Divinitatus from his right hand on top.
The guards looked at each other until a permission signal came through their walkie-talkies. Only then did they leave.
"I didn't come here today to convince you to surrender." David stood up, looking at Shen Yufei's cold, silent face. To test his theory, he intentionally turned his body so she could see the three books he had left on the table.
"You're a traitor, Shen Yufei. I don't understand how you became like this, but I know that compared to your more vicious companions, at least your hands aren't stained with the blood of your compatriots yet."
Faced with David's accusation, Shen Yufei opened her mouth to speak, but ultimately, her eyes dimmed, and she remained silent.
"This means you still have a chance to reform. You've just temporarily taken the wrong path. There's still an opportunity to return to our family and earn the trust of your people. Otherwise, we would have executed you alongside the Jihadist Legion."
Seeing that Shen Yufei remained silent, David shook his head as if disappointed, appearing unable to fathom how his upperclassman from a wealthy background had fallen to this state.
"That's all I have to say, Senior Shen."
David picked up the books. Shen Yufei stared blankly at the table. Whether by design or accident, David only took two of the three books, leaving one behind.
"Many people are waiting for you to come back," David said, looking at her with a firm gaze. "If your thoughts change at all, you can have the guards contact me at any time. The door to self-redemption is always open to you here."
Shen Yufei's lips trembled slightly. Finally, as David pushed the door open and was about to leave, she spoke for the first time.
"Thank you." Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum. "In all this time, you're the only one who has been willing to visit me."
Shen Yufei came from a traditional, highly educated family; her father was a professor and her mother a civil servant. Upon hearing of their daughter's arrest, her parents had immediately announced they were severing ties with her. From David's perspective, their political intuition was impressive, but for Shen Yufei, it was cruel and heartless.
"Thank you," she repeated. David noticed her eyes were moist, sparkling in the light.
David nodded. Outside, the prison supervisor—a short, plump middle-aged woman—had been waiting for some time.
"Second Lieutenant David."
David's rank had been granted by the UN; theoretically, he belonged to the UN Military Observer Group in Lebanon. The supervisor greeted him warmly.
"You left a book behind," she asked cautiously. According to regulations, every meeting with Shen Yufei had to be fully recorded, and David's actions had not escaped the eyes of the staff behind the monitors.
"That's specifically for her." David pulled out Chang Weisi's log. "I have already explained this to the Security Department. Leaving this book is fully authorized."
Since Chang Weisi was away, David was essentially in charge of approving tasks for the Security Department. Furthermore, after the discovery of the Three-Body game and the Jihadist Legion, a wealthy woman like Shen Yufei—who had never even killed a chicken and only had some academic background—was now considered an insignificant figure by the Department. The reason her trial was being delayed was partly because she had no blood on her hands, and partly because the authorities hoped to use her as bait.
"That's good, then." Hearing David's words, the supervisor relaxed. She didn't know that with Chang Weisi away, this lowly Second Lieutenant was temporarily coordinating the Department's affairs.
David rarely interfered with Department business; almost every application that reached him was approved. Leaving a book full of "nonsense" for Shen Yufei wasn't going to cross anyone's line.
As he recalled Shen Yufei's reaction to the three books, David's expression turned thoughtful.
The Lectitio Divinitatus, huh? David thought as he entered the elevator accompanied by a guard. He hadn't expected that she would be most drawn to that particular book.
"Shen Yufei, time's up."
In contrast to their polite attitude toward David, the guards were blunt with Shen Yufei. After checking that the book David left contained no smuggled messages, they roughly escorted her and the book back to her cell.
Sitting on her damp bedding, Shen Yufei looked at the scripture David had left with a dazed expression. For some reason, seeing this book made her mind wander to famous scenes from certain movies. Unfortunately, when she opened the book, the first line on the title page wasn't the expected "The way to redemption lies within."
Shen Yufei smiled bitterly and shook her head. After clearing her mind, she looked at the title page again. On it was a line of bold black text, accompanied by a skull and a cross:
"Rejoice! For I bring tidings of the Gospel! God walks among us!"