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墨書 Inktalez
Compared to the last time he visited, the scene at New Life Hospital at night was even more unsettling than that of a haunted house. The once sturdy steel-reinforced doors lay askew on the ground, surrounded by an overwhelming amount of litter that made it difficult to step without tripping. Peering through the hospital entrance, one could see that even the buildings had aged significantly in just a few days; most of the glass windows were shattered, and chunks of plaster had fallen to the ground, creating a desolate atmosphere.
Song Bunan chewed his lip as he surveyed the area, muttering with a frown that these people didn’t need to take things so far. It seemed to him they were intent on prying up the floor tiles, which he found puzzling.
The others paid no mind to his grumbling, instead reiterating the details of their mission. Shui Su, appointed as the team leader, organized the group into formation. Xin Yi took the lead, while Shui Su brought up the rear. Xiao Mei volunteered to stand third in line, and based on their abilities, Song Bunan was placed ahead of Shui Su. Xin Yi initially had reservations about this arrangement but swallowed his concerns when he saw Song Bunan wink playfully at him, reassuring him.
He trusted Song Bunan's capabilities and believed that Shui Su’s decisions were not made on a whim.
The other members of their team were all top picks from Shui Su's trusted associates within the Jiang Family. Xin Yi had witnessed their training sessions; any one of them could easily take on a group of opponents alone. According to Shui Su, after encountering attacks from experimental subjects who had lost their senses in the lab, they had undergone specialized training and could now neutralize eighty percent of threats while ensuring their own safety.
The team consisted of ten members, each assigned a code name based on their position in formation: Xin Yi was Liang Yi, Xiao Mei was Ling San, Song Bunan was Ling Jiu, and Shui Su was Yi Ling. They split into three teams entering New Life Hospital from different directions: Xin Yi and Xiao Mei would go through the front entrance, while Song Bunan and Shui Su would enter through a side door. Another team would enter from the back and had arranged for external support to monitor their movements at all times.
Before they separated, Xin Yi instinctively glanced at Song Bunan. The mask covering most of his face obscured his expression, but his usually cheerful eyes were now serious and stern. Upon noticing Xin Yi's gaze, he broke into a smile and playfully winked with one eye, lifting Xin Yi's spirits slightly.
In that moment, compared to his usual lively and somewhat quirky self, Song Bunan felt like a puzzle piece that added depth to Xin Yi’s perception of him.
“Operation begins. Everyone stay safe and report back at all times.”
The hospital building was filled with an overwhelming smell of disinfectant—hundreds of times stronger than during their last visit—which made everyone uncomfortable. Xiao Mei followed closely behind Xin Yi; since entering the building she had been sneezing incessantly, her voice becoming hoarse and muffled. Voices from other teams crackled through their communication devices, also punctuated by sneezes; only Shui Su and Song Bunan's voices remained absent for now.
It was almost certain that the building was empty. They reached their designated floor as quickly as possible and even checked the fourth floor’s east side where iron bars had previously locked them out; however, aside from some hospital beds, only a few medical supplies lay scattered on the floor.
“They left in quite a hurry,” Xiao Mei communicated with other teams through her device. “From the traces left behind, it seems like the lab staff only evacuated the patients without organizing any documents or records—they just left everything behind. Liang Yi, Ling Er, Ling San have finished clearing the fourth floor; other teams report your findings.”
Standing in the stairwell, Xin Yi heard Song Bunan’s voice come through first on the communicator; it sounded slightly distorted. “Ling Ba, Ling Jiu, Yi Ling have cleared floors One and Two. We found two abandoned patient corpses in the attending physician's office—no visible external injuries; cause of death is currently unclear and poses no threat. We couldn’t find any identification for the bodies; I’ve sent Ling Ba to fetch external support for cleanup. We will now begin searching for the basement entrance.”
“Ling Si, Ling Wu, Ling Liu, and Ling Qi have completed the cleaning on the third floor. No issues were found, and we are now heading to the first floor to regroup.”
“Fourth floor received. We are on our way to the first floor.”
“First floor received. Let’s meet in the stairwell.”
Xin Yi was somewhat surprised; he hadn’t realized that such a clear task system existed among these families. The familiarity and professionalism of the participants were even higher and more in sync than some newly formed teams in Mighty Falcon.
Although he was responsible for leading, he had been repeatedly outpaced by Number Two, who took the initiative to open doors and conduct inspections. The silent woman had her ponytail tied high, and her eyes, visible beneath her mask, carried a surprising fierceness. Her movements were swift and powerful, like an agile leopard.
Xiao Mei clearly knew her well. When Xin Yi attempted to fulfill his role as the lead by opening a door before her, she pulled him back, signaling for him to let her handle it. The boy sensed Xin Yi's confusion and quickly typed a message on his phone for him to see.
“She’s better than you. Don’t worry.”
Facing Xin Yi’s embarrassment and displeasure, Xiao Mei remained completely at ease. She followed up with, “Her hatred for the laboratory is stronger than all of ours combined. She has been preparing for this day for a long time.”
“Attention third and fourth floors, we’ve discovered an underground facility entrance on the first floor. The meeting point has been changed to in front of the cafeteria.” As they puzzled over why their group wasn’t present in the stairwell after regrouping with those from the third floor, Shui Su’s voice came through the communicator. They could detect a hint of helplessness in her tone, mixed with some complaints from Song Bunan.
“These people are completely insane! Who puts an entrance down a sewage well? Isn’t that disgusting?” Xin Yi quickly grasped the situation, while Xiao Mei nearby burst into laughter, mumbling something under her breath.
“The door leading down from the stairwell is fake; it only opens to a wall. Using the scanner outside, we confirmed that the entrance should be in this location.” As everyone arrived, Shui Su and Song Bunan had already opened the cover of the sewage well, revealing a pitch-black interior where no details could be discerned.
This was very strange. Xin Yi felt a wave of doubt regarding Shui Su’s statement. They had conducted thorough investigations before arriving here, even reviewing architectural blueprints related to New Life Hospital, which did not indicate any passageways in this area. Furthermore, they had previously moved toward the basement level in the hospital without encountering any mention of false doors.
He cast a puzzled glance at Shui Su, only to find Song Bunan looking back at him, his eyes clearly saying "don't ask," as if he were whispering the warning directly into his ear. There was a secret within the team? Xin Yi understood and nodded slightly, signaling that he got the message. He quickly secured his safety rope and declared that he would be the first to go down, suggesting that the others follow after assessing the situation.
This time, no one objected, except for Song Bunan, who stood beside him and indicated that they should descend together.
The passage was longer than expected, with no signs of anything like a ladder around. The walls were smooth, occasionally indented, resembling a corridor meant for hanging or transporting items. Xin Yi glanced down from time to time, only to be met with an expanse of darkness waiting for them, like a gaping maw.
A crackling noise came through the earpiece, and soon the voices of those waiting above faded away, replaced by Song Bunan's voice. He spoke in a hushed tone, almost whispering as he communicated with him.
"A lab member has infiltrated our team; we found the body of the impersonated person on the first floor." Shui Su and Xiao Mei were also on this channel, and Xin Yi could faintly hear their breathing while Song Bunan spoke.
"When did this happen?" Xin Yi asked.
"Not long after we separated. After we three finished our patrol on the first floor and headed to the second floor, we discovered fresh bloodstains on the ground. Following them led us to a person wearing a Patient Gown whose face had been destroyed. Shui Su examined them and confirmed that this person was part of our team, but we can't determine their exact number yet. Numbers four through seven are all suspects; we chose this route because of them."
"Because of them?"
"The passage to the basement was not closed by accident. The familiar route has been cut off; the only way forward is through the path they arranged. Any incident in an unfamiliar environment is unpredictable. As for that individual, they will definitely strike along this route. number eight won't be returning for now; aside from the four of us, there should still be support from their side among the remaining five people. Even discovering this path was a hint from them," Song Bunan explained.
Xin Yi steadied himself in a depression in the ground as Song Bunan slowly approached his side and paused, a hint of confusion in his eyes. He said, "Since this path cannot be confirmed as safe or not, why did you recklessly come down with me?"
Upon hearing this, Song Bunan's eyes sparkled with amusement as he smiled broadly. He reached out and simultaneously turned off both their communicators, speaking softly, "Of course, it's so they can't see through what we really intend to do."
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