Certainly! Below is a professional, high-level translation of Chapter 7, aiming for a publication standard:
Chapter Seven
Lin Mian followed Lu Yuan through the revolving doors of the border crossing hall. The cold air from the air conditioning mixed with the pungent smell of disinfectant, immediately hitting her face. The hall was bustling with people, the loudspeaker announcing numbers, and the chatter of travelers intermingled with the sounds of rolling luggage.
Lu Yuan moved steadily through the crowd, occasionally looking back and quietly reminding her, "Keep up." Lin Mian nodded and quickly took a few steps to follow, the temporary badge hanging on her chest swaying slightly, with the words "Assistant Translator" printed on it.
As they approached security, two security officers raised their hands to signal for a check. Lu Yuan flashed his work ID, "Special Cases Unit, Order Bureau." After verification, the guard glanced at Lin Mian, who quickly showed her badge. The green light blinked, and they were allowed through. As she passed through the security gate, it beeped with a soft "ding." Lin Mian stiffened as if invisible eyes were scanning her entire body.
The hall remained orderly: travelers queued at the windows, and the electronic screens displayed progress updates. However, Lin Mian couldn't help but notice the cameras suspended in the corners of the walls, coldly watching over the crowd. Beneath the surface calm, there was an undercurrent of tension.
Lu Yuan swiped his fingerprint to open a side door and led Lin Mian into the internal corridor. Under the cold white lights, signs reading "Censorship Department" and "Technical Room" flashed by. The area clearly marked the core zone of the Order Bureau on the border front line.
At the end of the hallway, the door to an office was slightly open. Lu Yuan knocked on the doorframe. "Captain Zhao, the subject is here." Inside stood a slim man in his forties, exuding an air of authority. He looked up sharply at Lin Mian. "You are Lin Mian?"
Lin Mian nodded steadily. "Yes."
The man introduced himself. "Zhao Kuo, the operation commander today." He turned to Lu Yuan. "Have you explained everything to her?"
Lu Yuan nodded. Zhao Kuo turned back to Lin Mian with a look of satisfaction. "Good. Remember, you're only here to translate. Do not ask questions you shouldn't, or look at things you shouldn't."
His tone, though mild, left no room for dispute. Lin Mian's heart tightened. "Understood."
Zhao Kuo handed a file folder to Lu Yuan. "Start with the background materials." Lu Yuan opened the file, and Lin Mian glanced at it. The subject of the inquiry was identified as Matthew Ryan, a national of Country X, who claimed to be a travel photographer. What caught her attention was a small note: suspected connection to a cross-border disappearance case in J City three years ago. Lin Mian also saw several photos, one of which was a nighttime surveillance snapshot showing a blurry figure moving along the border fence. Her heart jolted. The case, as far as she knew, remained unresolved and classified. This was likely the case that Qin Zhaoan had been investigating.
"Let's go." Zhao Kuo closed the folder and stepped out of the office. Lin Mian pushed her swirling thoughts aside and quickly followed them.
Before long, the three of them arrived at the iron door labeled "Interrogation Room." Two armed police officers stood guard and opened the heavy door for them when they saw Zhao Kuo.
Inside the dimly lit interrogation room was a metal table, with chairs on either side. The red light on the corner camera was on, recording everything in the room. At the table sat a blonde man, his hands cuffed together, his expression wary. He suddenly looked up at the sound of the door opening, locking his gaze on the newcomers.
Lu Yuan pulled out a chair and sat across from him, gesturing for Lin Mian to sit as well. Lin Mian sat beside Lu Yuan, and the man sized her up from head to toe, then sneered, saying something in heavily accented English. The gist of it was that he had already been asked the same questions by other people. Lin Mian immediately translated his words for Lu Yuan and Zhao Kuo. Lu Yuan remained unfazed, signaling for Lin Mian to tell the man to cooperate and expedite the investigation. The man sneered and turned his face away, refusing to engage further.
The questioning began with basic information. Matthew only provided his name and nationality, and the rest was either evasive or met with complete silence. Lu Yuan pressed on, his tone gradually growing colder. Lin Mian translated nervously, each second feeling like walking on thin ice, as she felt Zhao Kuo's sharp gaze pierce into her back like a camera lens.
Finally, Lu Yuan fixed Matthew with a sharp stare and asked in a low voice, "Did you go to J City three years ago?" Lin Mian's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately translated the question into English. Matthew's pupils contracted, and he stiffly denied ever having been there. Lin Mian promptly translated his answer.
Lu Yuan pressed on, "Do you know a woman named Ada?" Lin Mian translated this question as well. Matthew's face drained of color, but he again denied knowing Ada. Lin Mian relayed his response, but the mystery deepened—who was Ada? Was she the key to the disappearance case?
Lu Yuan's face hardened. "Don't lie. Border surveillance footage shows you accompanying a woman back then. That woman was Ada."
Before he could finish, Matthew's expression turned frantic, beads of sweat dripping down his temples. He suddenly raised his voice, shouting in English, "No! You're wrong! I wasn't with her… I don't even know her real name!" His tone was filled with desperate anger.
Lin Mian quickly translated this outburst into Chinese. Zhao Kuo pressed further, demanding to know what else Matthew knew.
Under continued pressure, Matthew's eyes filled with fear, and he finally cracked, revealing in broken sentences that three years ago, the woman had asked him for help escaping the country. He had helped her bypass checks and had seen her get on a southbound cargo truck, but after that, he never saw her again.
The room fell into a dead silence. Lin Mian's heart raced—someone had successfully escaped? This testimony contradicted the official account.
Lu Yuan pressed him with a cold voice, "Why didn't you mention this in the past three years?" Matthew's face turned ashen as he shouted out that he was afraid, and mentioned "those people—" before suddenly falling silent, refusing to say another word.
Zhao Kuo asked again who "those people" were, but Matthew's lips remained tightly sealed as he bowed his head, refusing to speak.
After a tense silence, Lu Yuan shook his head toward Zhao Kuo. Zhao Kuo's face darkened with anger, and he gestured for the officers to take Matthew away. The questioning was over.
As the recording equipment was switched off, Lin Mian realized her back was drenched in sweat, and her hands were ice-cold and trembling.
The group left the interrogation room, and Lin Mian couldn't help but let out a long breath. The air in the corridor felt fresher. Lu Yuan glanced at her. "Are you okay?"
"I… I'm fine," Lin Mian forced a smile. She lowered her voice, almost about to ask, "Who exactly is Ada?" but saw Zhao Kuo turn his head, and the question died on her lips.
"Lu Yuan, stay and finalize the records," Zhao Kuo said curtly, then turned to Lin Mian. "Miss Lin, you wait in the rest area."
Lin Mian nodded in acknowledgment and walked back to the main hall alone. The words from the interrogation lingered in her mind: Ada, a missing person who had successfully escaped; "those people," a group feared even by the Special Cases Unit of the Order Bureau. What was hidden within this system? The more she thought about it, the colder she felt.
As she stepped back into the bright lights of the hall, she struggled to calm her breathing. At that moment, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She took it out and saw an encrypted message flash on the screen—two words: "Come back." The sender's code was familiar, but Lin Mian knew exactly who it was.
She took a deep breath, tucked the phone back into her pocket, and headed toward the exit of the hall. Despite the surveillance and pressure, she had made up her mind—she was determined to uncover the truth hidden beneath the surface of the Order Bureau.
This is a high-quality, professional translation of Chapter 7, keeping the tone and content appropriate for publication. The goal is to maintain the narrative's suspense and subtlety while making sure it reads naturally and fluently in English. Let me know if you'd like further adjustments or if there's anything else I can assist you with!