Zhao Huaisha was the first to step through the gates of the Qingshan Sanatorium.
A wave of chilly air hit her, but she stood her ground, and nothing unusual happened.
Seeing that she was unharmed, the anxious team members behind her followed one after another.
They did not stop, heading straight for the main entrance of the sanatorium's primary building.
“To the fourth floor,” Lyu Huan's voice called out from above at just the right moment.
Zhao Huaisha did not doubt him. She continued to lead the charge, being the first to enter the building.
The others followed closely behind.
The first floor of the sanatorium was exceptionally quiet, as if all the supernatural entities had been thoroughly cleared out.
The corridors and rooms were empty, showing only dust and signs of decay. It was a far cry from the legendary danger, instead exuding a sense of deathly safety. This allowed everyone's frayed nerves to relax slightly.
The second and third floors were the same. Aside from the gloomy, oppressive atmosphere that made it hard to breathe, they encountered no danger.
They reached the stairwell leading to the fourth floor without any obstacles.
However, the moment they stepped onto the fourth-floor corridor, the scene before them caused everyone to freeze in their tracks.
The expected scene of Captain Lyu fighting a powerful enemy alone did not materialize. Instead, they were met with a three-way standoff.
The battered Director lay in the middle of the corridor, looking as though he had suffered a heavy blow. He was the weakest party present, but his eyes were restlessly downcast, as if he were plotting something.
Lyu Huan stood near the stairwell, calm and composed, radiating a powerful presence.
At the other end of the corridor stood an extremely bizarre pair—a man and a woman.
Only the left half of the man's face was normal flesh; the right half was a stark white skull. The woman was the exact opposite—only the right half of her face was intact, while the left half was a terrifying skull.
A rough line of scar tissue ran down the center of their faces, dividing them in a gruesome manner.
At that moment, the man and woman were fully focused on their confrontation with Lyu Huan.
Seeing that Lyu Huan clearly had the upper hand and his presence was suppressing the opposition, Zhao Huaisha and the others, who had just rushed up to the fourth floor, couldn't help but sigh in relief, joy flickering in their eyes.
But before they could fully relax, the skeletal man and woman spoke simultaneously. The man's low voice mixed with the woman's shrill tone to create a raspy, piercing harmony that was physically uncomfortable to hear.
“Who... are you, exactly? The Bureau's Captain Lyu shouldn't possess this kind of strength or these abilities...”
These words were like a bucket of ice water poured over Zhao Huaisha and her team. Their hearts trembled, alarm bells rang in their minds, and a sense of foreboding surged within them.
The questioned “Lyu Huan” only gave a nonchalant smile. “How much could you possibly know about me? How do you know I don't have this kind of strength or these abilities?”
The skeletal pair sneered, their mixed voices becoming even more distorted. “We checked in advance and had already mapped out the abilities of the Bureau's Rank 4 captains. Knowing the Bureau sent Lyu Huan this time, we specifically made deployments tailored to counter his abilities...”
Theoretically, they should have been able to suppress Lyu Huan easily. But the reality was the exact opposite. This “Lyu Huan” had used completely unknown methods, catching them off guard.
“Lyu Huan” seemed to lose interest in the topic and asked directly, “Is the lost item actually here? I've turned the entire sanatorium upside down. Why haven't I found anything useful?”
The skeletal pair snapped, “Even if the item is here, what does it have to do with you?”
“Lyu Huan's” smile deepened. “It has nothing to do with me, but it has everything to do with headquarters. A ‘research achievement’ that is said to be capable of changing the era should naturally belong to the Bureau.”
“Nonsense!” the skeletal pair rebuked. “This is an achievement we've worked years to obtain. The Bureau didn't lift a finger, and now they want to swoop in and take the credit!”
“So what?” Lyu Huan shrugged, his posture elegant and relaxed.
“Blame yourselves for failing to keep it a secret. You leaked the news before the project was even finished. Now, it's not just the Bureau—every large organization and elite family is interested in this thing. You can't keep it. You'd be better off being sensible and handing it over to the Bureau. You might even get some favorable treatment in return.”
While they were arguing, the Director lying on the floor quietly glanced toward the three firmly locked ward doors.
The current situation was extremely unfavorable for him. If he could release the three guys in those wards, he might be able to muddy the waters or even... turn the tables?
...
Thirty kilometers away from the Qingshan Sanatorium, on a deserted highway, a sealed armored vehicle sat alone by the roadside.
Inside, three technical staff members sat before complex equipment, their fingers flying across keyboards as various data and information scrolled across the screens.
A serious-looking middle-aged man stood behind them with his hands behind his back, staring intently at the monitors.
Suddenly, one of the technicians spoke with a tense voice. “Things aren't looking good. 008 and 009 are in trouble. The real-time feed has cut out.”
The middle-aged man's raspy voice followed. “What happened?”
He found it hard to believe. This operation had been meticulously planned, with full preparations made against the target's abilities. How could an accident occur?
“It's possible... that we had a serious deviation in our assessment of Lyu Huan's strength,” another technician said.
“What?” The middle-aged man frowned.
Lyu Huan was a relatively active Rank 4 transcendent at the Bureau headquarters. Information on his abilities was not top secret. They had made specific deployments based on his traits. How could there be an assessment error?
“That's just the reality of it,” the technician said helplessly. “The last fragments of information sent back show that Lyu Huan used completely unknown abilities with a power level far exceeding the records in his file. He caught 008 and 009 completely off guard.”
“Any more specifics?” the middle-aged man pressed.
The technician shook his head. “The video transmission equipment on 008 and 009 failed shortly after they encountered Lyu Huan. We've lost all contact with them. The last bit of info was... Lyu Huan is not right. He's very much not right!”
The middle-aged man's expression turned grim. “Based on current data, what are the estimated odds of success?”
The three technicians fell silent for a moment before one finally whispered, “The odds are zero. It's the limit for 008 and 009 just to protect themselves.”
“That won't do. This mission cannot fail!” The veins on the middle-aged man's temples throbbed.
He gritted his teeth and said, “Send 011 and 013 to support them. We must bring that item back.”
“I'm afraid that's not possible,” a technician immediately objected.
“We've detected an abnormal distortion in the environment surrounding the sanatorium. 011 and 013 aren't strong enough, and they need to stay here to protect us!”
Hearing this, the middle-aged man did not insist. His own safety was more important. In any case, he had already given the order for support; it was someone else who had objected. The blame had already been shifted.
“What is the Association's leadership thinking? Sending only this much manpower to recover such an important item? Now look, it's all ruined.”
The middle-aged man grew angrier as he complained. Finally, he had no choice but to take a deep breath, pull out an encrypted communicator, and report the disastrous situation to his superior.
To his surprise, the superior's reaction was very calm. There wasn't much anxiety or anger. They simply replied coolly, “Do your best and act according to the situation. If necessary, you are permitted to retreat.”
The middle-aged man was puzzled, but he ultimately held back from asking more questions. It was just a job, after all. Why poke around so much?
Rate on N.U.
