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That night, in a place free from the city's light pollution, the stars shone with unparalleled clarity and beauty. The absence of the silver disc in the sky allowed the tiny fishhooks to guide the twinkling constellations. Beside the road flowed a small creek, about half a meter wide, cascading down from the mountains, its gentle sound bringing a sense of peace and tranquility.
Many people who lived and worked in the city turned to nature-inspired white noise to compensate for their inability to experience the natural world firsthand. They sought a moment of serenity amidst the chaos, hoping to find comfort for both body and mind.
"I finally understand why people listen to white noise," Xiao Mei said, stirring the kettle suspended over the fire. The tea leaves swirled and danced in the water, releasing their fragrance that mingled with the scent of trees and grass, gradually wafting away. In front of the tent sat Shui Su, poring over all the storage devices they had salvaged, lifting his head only when he heard her speak. He acknowledged that listening to the sounds of wind and water indeed lifted his spirits.
Encouraged by his affirmation, she stirred more vigorously and smiled at him. "You need this sound more than I do. You've been staring at that thing for a day and night; your eyes must be hurting."
His once-bright eyes now appeared clouded and weary, bloodshot veins crisscrossing the whites of his eyes, making him look quite haggard. Shui Su rarely found himself in such a state that would draw criticism from their leader; this time, his disheveled appearance was truly unavoidable.
The contents of the storage devices were shocking. The first one they opened had been something Xiao Mei had watched countless times while eating meals without feeling disturbed. However, after viewing its contents, she was so frightened that she broke into a cold sweat in broad daylight and hid behind Shui Su, refusing to continue watching.
"There are three more left; let’s finish them before we take a break." They needed what was inside these devices as it served as strong evidence to eliminate the laboratory.
The response was as expected; Xiao Mei didn’t try to persuade him further but handed him a cup of brewed tea instead. She mentioned wanting to grill fish once they finished watching. Shui Su held the warm tea, feeling much more comfortable as the steam eased his dry eyes significantly. He glanced at the fish netted in the creek, where a large fish was thrashing its tail in an attempt to escape.
"You might have to clean the fish; I can barely keep my eyes open right now." They were in similar situations; it had been two days since they last slept, and they had no idea how they had spent their time—there simply hadn’t been a moment to spare for rest.
Xiao Mei sighed softly upon hearing this. "Well, it’s not like we can ignore our responsibilities just because our leader said whoever finds clues must organize them. And with only three days given as a deadline, we can’t just leave everything to our subordinates."
This information was classified; the more people who knew about it, the more trouble it could cause. Their leader had decisively instructed them to find an isolated place to thoroughly review everything before returning home to submit their report.
Thus, after leaving the pool, their first task was to set up camp in this secluded haven deep within the forest and diligently study the contents of the storage devices.
It was strange; everyone in that laboratory seemed mentally unwell. They left no data on successful experiments but treated failures as if they were treasures. Not only did they store them in specifically named storage devices, but they also meticulously recorded details about their physical conditions and even noted what happened to each individual in the end.
Most had died, their bodies disposed of harmlessly without leaving a trace. This group of lunatics even "thoughtfully" labeled their disposal methods along with images taken during processing—enough to make anyone feel uneasy. Xiao Mei found it completely unacceptable while Shui Su's strong mentality only faltered after viewing dozens of files consecutively.
"Given our current situation, how are we supposed to return to New Life Hospital? That last commotion surely forced them to relocate; finding them again will likely be difficult." He sat by the fire, expertly brushing oil onto the fish as its skin began bubbling under the heat.
After applying the Eye Drops, the person's gaze regained clarity. Sitting up straight, they opened the new Storage Device and began to take notes while responding in a calm tone, "With so many eyes watching them now, escaping is no easy task. They can only make the conditions for going underground stricter and more concealed. Moreover, with this evidence in hand, even a forced entry would receive support."
"There will definitely be many enforcers placed in plain sight. Tell me, can those people still be considered human?" The aroma of fish began to waft through the air, and the unadulterated scent without any seasoning made both of them feel a twinge of hunger.
"Their inner selves are suppressed; some have even lost their sense of self. In a general sense, they cannot be called complete humans. The souls willing to traverse between various bodies and be manipulated by those in the laboratory have also been brainwashed, forgetting their original identities and only remembering to kill upon receiving orders. The Ghost Messenger locates targets based on the timeline from the Book of Life and Death; they are stuck in the middle of this timeline and cannot even reach below."
Xiao Mei scoffed at this, teasingly suggesting that this must be a significant issue, yet she had not seen any high-ranking officials come forward to address it. This remark left those behind her silent for a while; the silence stretched long enough for them to eat the fish before any response came. When Xiao Mei turned to look, Shui Su was staring intently at the computer screen, his expression serious and fierce.
What they were viewing was a record of their acquaintance being tortured in the laboratory, and it was the last file retrieved from this Storage Device, numbered 046.
The video appeared to have been filmed with a handheld camera, shaking violently with every movement, occasionally out of focus or misaligned with the subject. In the background, two voices could be heard speaking—one sounded older while the other belonged to a younger person.
The Elderly Man spoke slowly and steadily, articulating clearly as he introduced what had been done to the person lying bound on the hospital bed.
"He is completely unsuitable for internal replacement; he is cold and stubborn like a stone in a latrine. We brainwashed him and employed various methods to enhance his physique. Just look at how well his form and appearance match now; it's so beautiful." The old voice brimmed with pride as his frail hand waved excitedly in front of that body, like a child eager for praise after achieving something minor.
The young man holding the camera listened to the Elderly Man's self-promotion but merely leaned closer, directing the lens toward the face of the unconscious individual on the bed, asking why that face seemed so familiar.
"Hahahahaha—" The frail hand suddenly reached out to grab that face forcefully, twisting it toward the camera. A pale, lifeless face was displayed directly; as the camera struggled to focus again, it captured a long scar that almost spanned across one eye. "He is from the Jiang Family! That hypocritical member of the Jiang Family. What a pity that he is just an outsider who has never returned home."
The Elderly Man's voice turned sinister as he cursed both the experimented individual and their family with venomous words while slapping the unconscious person hard. It was unclear what methods they used; despite being slapped repeatedly until his face became swollen and red, there was no sign of awakening—only faint groans during each hit.
"Won't the Jiang Family find out? Even if he is just an outsider..."
"They won't!" The harsh voice interrupted the young man impatiently, almost shouting. "How could those fools discover this place? A bunch of self-righteous hypocritical beasts! They pretend to be friendly on the surface but are selfish and never consider others. How could a mere descendant of an outsider prompt their head to come looking? Just know this: other families in this small Rongcheng may openly hinder you, but the Jiang Family is rotten to its core—claiming neutrality while scheming against you at every turn. Even dogs on the road are more trustworthy than them!"
At this point, the video abruptly cut off, freezing on the face of the man on the hospital bed. His pitiful and wretched appearance made Xiao Mei feel blood rush to her head as if she could hear countless horses galloping in her ears.
That was Qian Gu. He was Shui Su's cousin.
The Jiang Family rarely returned to Rongcheng. They were responsible for selling some goods from here in the outer city, leading a straightforward and honest business.
In Shui Su's memory, that branch of relatives was very easy to get along with. Whenever they met, their good temper always had a positive effect on him, treating others with kindness and warmth. This cousin was even more so; every time he visited, he brought thoughtful gifts, items that could not be found in Rongcheng.
However, more than ten years ago, reports came from the outer city that this branch of the family had been almost entirely slaughtered overnight, with countless casualties and many missing, including that good-tempered cousin.
Upon hearing the news, the family head aged almost overnight. He immediately mobilized a large amount of manpower and resources to search for their whereabouts worldwide. They even kept the house in the outer city intact, hoping that when they found the missing people, there would be a familiar place for them to return to.
But for over a decade, they seemed to have evaporated from the world without a trace. Shui Su and Xiao Mei were sent to the outer city to look for clues but found nothing. They visited the house as well; it was spotless, with fresh flowers in every vase being replaced regularly to prevent it from appearing frozen in time.
This video presented a glimpse of the suffering he endured in the laboratory, evoking not only heartache but also boundless anger. The hurtful words lacked real power, but they could not tolerate seeing their own people bullied like this.
Xiao Mei kicked a stone away in frustration and stuffed grilled fish into a plastic bag. When Shui Su closed his computer and notebook, she said they should go back to the Jiang Family immediately to report this to the family head. They had to investigate the laboratory thoroughly; not even a single hair should be overlooked.
“Damn it,” Xiao Mei said, her face flushed with anger. “Brother Qian Gu has always been so nice to everyone; how could these scoundrels bully him like this! If Brother Ming Hua finds out, he’ll blow up New Life Hospital before dawn! No way! I can’t stand it! We’ll blow it up tomorrow! I have to light the fuse myself!”
In contrast to her explosive temper, Shui Su remained extremely calm as he packed his things and added to Xiao Mei’s words:
“Blowing up New Life Hospital won’t help; that’s not their main base.”
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