Interrogation

Having successfully deceived the simple-minded director, Yue Shi calmed his emotions and returned to Ward 404.

As soon as he pushed open the door to Ward 404, he found Qiao Xu standing right by the entrance. Upon seeing Yue Shi’s figure, a hint of astonishment crossed the man’s face.

“You’re alright?” Qiao Xu’s tone was filled with confusion.

“Should I not be?” Yue Shi asked, equally puzzled. “Is that man in the restroom calling himself the director very dangerous?”

“You...” Qiao Xu was even more shocked. “You talked to him and came back without a single scratch!”

“Our conversation was quite pleasant. But from the sound of it, is talking to the director some kind of taboo?”

The corners of Yue Shi’s mouth curled slightly, but his words sounded like a devil’s whisper: “The director said he’s currently dealing with some troublesome issues and will be out shortly.”

Upon hearing this, a flicker of panic instantly appeared in Qiao Xu’s eyes.

Yue Shi saw this and immediately seized the opening. “Can you tell me about the Su family’s human experimentation lab now? I promise I can protect you.”

Qiao Xu sneered. “If you really talked to the director in the restroom and came out unscathed, I admit you have some skill, but that’s still far from enough. I won’t tell you anything.”

“Is that so?” Yue Shi lowered his eyes, unperturbed. “In that case, forget it. It’s none of my business anyway. I’m just here because I was hired to make a trip.”

“The sanatorium seems to be getting more dangerous. I’ll take my leave.”

With that, Yue Shi turned and left without looking back.

Watching his back, Qiao Xu was utterly stunned. Yue Shi had been aggressively questioning him just a moment ago, only to leave so decisively after being rejected once. Was he serious?

“Is he playing some kind of trick?” Qiao Xu muttered gloomily to himself.

As soon as Yue Shi was away from Ward 404, he immediately activated 【Hidden Black Feathers】. This was the first time he had used this invisibility ability since entering Qingshan Sanatorium; he had been saving it as a trump card.

Layers of illusory feathers wrapped around him. The light and shadows in the space flickered for a moment, and Yue Shi merged into the darkness, as if he didn't exist at all.

Then he turned around, tiptoed back to the door of Ward 404, and quietly peeked inside.

Currently, Qiao Xu was standing there in a state of suspicious uncertainty, not moving an inch. Clearly, Yue Shi’s unexpected move had caught him off guard.

Qiao Xu didn't quite believe Yue Shi had actually left. He was on guard, expecting Yue Shi to pop out from some corner.

His caution was justified. Yue Shi hadn’t closed the door when he pretended to leave, making it easy for him to sneak back toward Qiao Xu.

His footsteps fell silently. Yue Shi eventually stood a moderate distance from Qiao Xu’s side. Fearing his heartbeat or breathing might give him away, he leaned forward slightly and cautiously reached out his hand.

His fingertips were exactly twenty centimeters away from Qiao Xu.

【Plague Doctor】 activated.

In the next second, Qiao Xu suddenly felt a sense of suffocation!

His chest felt extremely tight; his heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys all throbbed with pain. His limbs went weak, his head spun, his body temperature spiked, and wheals and rashes rapidly spread across his skin. It felt as if he were about to die.

Qiao Xu’s mind was in a whirl. Supplies in Qingshan Sanatorium were extremely scarce, and there were no medicines at all. If this dragged on any longer, he really might die!

“Oh dear, what’s happened to you?” Yue Shi stood at the door of Ward 404, pretending to have just returned.

Seeing Qiao Xu’s distress, he feigned concern. “It looks like you’ve had a sudden onset of some illness. Do you need my help?”

Qiao Xu’s vision was darkening. He gasped for air, his tone vicious: “It’s your doing!”

Yue Shi shook his head. “You really don’t recognize a good heart when you see one. It’s clearly your own body failing you. Don’t go accusing innocent people.”

Qiao Xu sneered. “My constitution has always been good. I’ve lived in this sanatorium for a long time without so much as a headache or fever. For this sickness to come so suddenly... it doesn’t seem natural.”

“Maybe it’s just exhaustion finally catching up to you. It builds up over time until it hits you all at once. What’s the saying? Sickness comes like a landslide,” Yue Shi said with a smile.

Qiao Xu: “Do you think I believe you?”

Yue Shi shrugged. “It doesn’t matter whether you believe me or not. Who else can help you right now?”

Qiao Xu fell silent. “What exactly do you want to know?”

Yue Shi: “Everything about the lab you worked at, and your purpose for hiding in this sanatorium.”

Qiao Xu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his eyes sharp. “Are you an escaped experimental subject?”

“Experimental subject? What experimental subject?” Yue Shi feigned ignorance. “I was hired to investigate you. Everything else has nothing to do with me. Please don’t beat around the bush.”

Qiao Xu stared into Yue Shi’s eyes but couldn’t tell if he was lying. He could only soften his tone. “Can you treat me first? I’m in too much pain. My memory might be affected; if I remember wrong or don’t explain clearly, it won’t be good for you either, right?”

“You have a point.” Yue Shi patted Qiao Xu’s shoulder, withdrawing half of the symptoms.

Qiao Xu immediately felt the distress ease, though he still felt quite unwell. However, he didn’t push his luck further, instead secretly wondering what kind of supernatural power this was.

Poisoning and detoxification?

Causing disease and healing?

“Alright, spill it,” Yue Shi urged.

Qiao Xu took a breath. “I did work in a laboratory before, but I was just a low-level researcher. I only have a partial understanding of many things there. Don’t blame me if I get something wrong.”

Yue Shi: “It’s fine. Sorting through the intelligence and determining its truth is for my employer to worry about. I just need to get the information.”

Qiao Xu nodded. “The lab I worked at was funded and established by a charity called the ‘Glory Association.’ But the ‘Glory Association’ itself is just a puppet. The true mastermind is the Su family. If the illegal human experiments are ever exposed, the ‘Glory Association’ will take the fall, while the Su family remains clean.”

“There were many research projects in the lab, including analyzing the source of transcendents and supernatural beings, the transplantation of supernatural abilities, the development of new drugs, and turning the bodies of transcendents or supernatural beings into supernatural items...”

“But those were all just byproducts. The research result the Su family wants most is actually... the stable inheritance of supernatural powers!”