CIATB Chapter 201 Investigation!
Chapter 201 Investigation!
The emergency exit was empty, with only the emergency lights emitting a faint glow.
Zhang Yan pinned the doctor against the wall and grabbed his neck with one hand.
"Tell me, what did Xu tell you to do here?"
The doctor's face turned bright red, and he gripped Zhang Yan's wrists tightly with both hands, but he couldn't budge them.
"I...I don't know...what are you talking about..."
He managed to squeeze out a few words.
"Still pretending?"
Zhang Yan increased the pressure, "The red light in your eyes betrays you."
The doctor's pupils suddenly contracted, and the next second, a scarlet light completely filled his eyes.
"Hehehe..."
He let out a strange laugh, his voice becoming sharp and shrill.
"You little brat from the Mohist school, do you think you can stop your master from awakening by capturing just one of me?"
"I didn't mean to stop it," Zhang Yan said expressionlessly. "I just want to know where it is now."
Do you think I'd tell you?
The doctor's face was contorted into a bizarre shape, his mouth stretching to his ears.
"It's okay if you don't want to tell me."
Zhang Yan released his hand and took out a palm-sized metal disc from his pocket.
The surface of the disc was engraved with intricate patterns, and a blue crystal the size of a thumb was inlaid in the center.
Do you recognize this?
A flicker of fear crossed the doctor's eyes when he saw the disc.
"The Heart of Heaven's Craftsmanship... How did you come to have this?!"
"Xu is afraid of it, right?"
Zhang Yan placed the disc on the doctor's forehead.
"No--!"
The doctor let out a piercing scream.
Blue light surged from the disc, like countless fine needles piercing his brain.
The crimson energy was gradually drawn away, condensing into a cloud of mist in the air, which was then absorbed by the disc.
A few minutes later, the doctor collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.
His eyes returned to normal, but his expression was blank, as if he had lost a piece of his memory.
Zhang Yan put away the disc and turned to leave.
When he reached the top of the stairs, he stopped and looked back.
"Live well."
After he finished speaking, he disappeared into the darkness.
……
Late at night, Tianji Security Company.
Zhang Yan placed the disc that had absorbed the energy of the void on the experimental platform and started the analysis program.
On the screen, strings of data scrolled rapidly.
"Energy purity 78%, activity index 3.2, radiation radius..."
He stared at the data, his brow furrowed.
This energy was much weaker than the one previously detected on Su Wanqing, but it spread much faster.
Just like a virus, it is constantly evolving and adapting to its host.
"Brother Yan, is everything settled at the hospital?"
Qin Xiao walked in carrying two cups of coffee and handed one to Zhang Yan.
"Hmm." Zhang Yan took the coffee, took a sip, and said, "The doctor was purified, but he doesn't remember what he did."
Amnesia?
"The Ruins' self-protection mechanism." Zhang Yan put down his cup. "Once the host's energy is stripped away, the relevant memories will be erased to prevent information leakage."
Qin Xiao clicked his tongue. "This thing is pretty smart."
"Not clever, but cunning."
Zhang Yan pulled up the hospital's surveillance footage. "I checked that doctor's movements. In the past week, he has been in contact with at least thirty patients."
"Thirty?" Qin Xiao gasped. "Doesn't that mean all thirty of them could be contaminated?"
"Not necessarily." Zhang Yan shook his head. "The energy of the Ruins is limited; it won't be wasted on ordinary people."
"So, what kind of people does it choose?"
"A desperate person."
Zhang Yan pointed to a medical record on the screen, "These patients are either terminally ill or have experienced family crises and urgently need money."
"Their hearts are filled with negative emotions, which are the best nourishment for the ruins."
Qin Xiao fell silent.
He felt a pang of unease as he recalled the woman who had run out of the ward crying earlier.
"So what do we do? We can't just arrest all thirty of them, can we?"
"No need." Zhang Yan turned off the screen. "Xu's target isn't them."
"ah?"
"These people are just bait." Zhang Yan stood up and walked to the window. "What the Void really wants is more hosts and stronger power."
"It is waiting."
"What are you waiting for?"
"Wait until we lose our composure."
Zhang Yan looked at the night view outside the window, his voice very soft.
"If we conduct large-scale investigations, causing panic and social order to collapse, that's exactly what it wants to see."
Qin Xiao swallowed hard. "So we're just going to wait here like this?"
"Of course not."
Zhang Yan turned around, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"Since it wants to play, I'll play with it."
He walked back to the lab bench and picked up the disc.
"This thing can absorb the energy of the Ruins and also track its location."
"You mean...?"
"Yes." Zhang Yan nodded. "I'll use this to lure it out."
Qin Xiao was stunned for a few seconds, then excitedly slapped his thigh.
"Brilliant! Brother Yan, your move to cut off their supply lines is absolutely brilliant!"
"Don't get too excited," Zhang Yan poured cold water on the idea. "Xu isn't stupid; it won't take the bait easily."
"What should we do then?"
"Let's set up a scheme."
Zhang Yan took out his phone and dialed a number.
"Hey, Qingcheng, do me a favor."
……
The following morning, major media outlets in Jinghai City simultaneously received a bombshell news report.
"Qingcheng Group announced that it will invest 5 billion yuan to build a top-level medical center in Jinghai City, which will be dedicated to treating patients with difficult and complicated diseases, and all treatment costs will be waived."
The news caused an uproar throughout Jinghai.
Five billion!
Completely free!
This is like a windfall!
Countless patients and their families flocked to the official website of Qingcheng Group, wanting to register for the program.
On the third basement floor of Tianji Security Company, Zhang Yan looked at the soaring number of visits on the screen and a smile curled up at the corner of his mouth.
"The bait has been cast."
"Now, let's see if Xu will take the bait."
Qin Xiao stood beside him, somewhat worried.
"Brother Yan, with such a commotion, won't Xu become suspicious?"
"Yes," Zhang Yan said decisively, "but it won't give up this opportunity."
Why?
"Because of greed."
Zhang Yan pulled up some data: "The current power of the Ruins is still very weak; it needs more hosts to recover."
"And this medical center is a huge energy pool."
"It's impossible for it not to be tempted."
Qin Xiao nodded thoughtfully.
"So what do we need to do?"
"wait."
Zhang Yan leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
"Wait for it to come to you on its own."
……
Suburbs, mountain cave.
Su Wanqing opened her eyes.
Her pupils had turned completely crimson, devoid of any human emotion.
"Qingcheng Group..."
She muttered to herself, a strange smile spreading across her lips.
"interesting."
She stood up and walked out of the cave.
The sunlight made her squint, but she quickly adjusted.
"You little brat from the Mohist school, you think you can catch me like this?"
She glanced in the direction of Jinghai City, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes.
"Then I'll show you what true despair is."
After saying that, her figure turned into a red light and disappeared into the mountains and forests.
……