Chapter 73

Xie Xubai ran at full speed down the empty corridor. The testing equipment on the wall rushed past his field of vision, and the glaring numbers pierced his eyes.

[Regional pollution level: 31%]

In just ten minutes, the pollution level rose by 13 points!

The font color changes from green to yellow, indicating that the pollution level has changed from safe to slightly polluted.

Once the level exceeds 80, it becomes a heavily polluted area. People without protection will become seriously ill within three minutes!

Watching the pollution level jump from 31 to 32, Xie Xubai wished he had grown two more legs!

But having gone through so many upheavals, he has been tempered and can now quickly calm down and analyze the situation, no matter how anxious he is.

Xie Xubai quickly flipped through his memories and recalled a sentence that Lü Xiangcai had specifically told him in the early days of the Xu Family Charity Organization.

To become the King of Devils, one must first meet three conditions.

[Rules] An inherent territory, a large number of subjects, and relatively absolute dominance.

"Compared to absolute dominance."

This single condition directly eliminates the possibility of "two ghost kings in one territory".

Could Director Li be a cunning king from another region?

Xie Xubai was certain that it wouldn't happen.

His identity was a double-edged sword. The title of "Chief Physician of the First Hospital" brought great convenience to Director Li, but it also trapped the old man in the territory of the "First Hospital" and prevented him from developing his own power.

Fu Zong hasn't returned yet. Even though Xie Xubai can't hear the commotion outside, he can vaguely guess that the other party has encountered trouble.

What circumstances would cause Fu Zong to be tripped up on his own turf?

Numerous speculations, like broken lines, are tightly connected. Xie Xubai's mind races, and his gaze grows increasingly sharp.

Finally, in an instant, a startling conclusion was reached.

Sizzle—

Xie Xubai suddenly stopped in his tracks.

The security checkpoint was just a stone's throw away, the gate was wide open, and the surrounding area was deserted, with not a single person in sight.

A strong sense of crisis flashed through my mind like a lightning bolt.

If his guess is correct, then there might be something behind this...

Xie Xubai observed intently and spotted a gun muzzle about the length of a finger joint near the door frame.

The black muzzle of the gun was slightly raised, poised to fire.

In the blink of an eye, Xie Xubai did not hesitate at all. He divided his mental energy into several thin hooks, which shot out like arrows and pierced straight through the wall.

"Ah!" "Damn it, where did this rope come from?" "My...uhhhh!"...

Shouts came from behind the door. The dozen or so guards who were lying in ambush were caught off guard and subdued by Xie Xubai in one move. The stun gun and tranquilizer gun were smashed to the floor with a series of cracking sounds.

Xie Xubai rushed in, saw the guards struggling on the ground, grabbed one of them and asked, "Who ordered you to attack me?"

The guard was intimidated by his imposing gaze and quickly replied, "Director Xie, please don't be angry. The dean just told us to knock you out when you arrived and get you out safely!"

Xie Xubai asked succinctly: "Which dean? What's his name?"

Upon hearing this, the guard was momentarily bewildered: "Which dean... Doesn't our hospital only have one dean, Li Anmin?"

"No, that's not right." He seemed to realize something was wrong, slapped his head hard, and mumbled uncertainly, "Our dean should be called something like Fu...?"

Xie Xubai's heart sank even further.

His guess was right; it was indeed Director Li who had briefly stolen Fu Zong's identity as the Demon King! Before Fu Zong could find a way to regain control, there might not be time for him to come to the rescue.

Xie Xubai glanced at the detector, which showed a pollution level as high as 45%. He sternly ordered everyone, "Evacuate everyone from the underground base!"

The guards ignored them, forcing a dry laugh, "Of course not, Director Xie. The dean ordered us to stay here, how can we..."

Xie Xubai's eyes were as cold as ice, and he said a single word with a resounding tone: "Go!"

The golden spiritual energy suddenly turned into a hazy mist, like a fierce storm pressing down on everyone!

The guards shuddered, their faces filled with terror. A chilling sensation, like being stared at by a wild beast, washed over them. They were horrified to find themselves utterly devoid of the courage to resist. Before they could react, they blurted out, "...Yes!"

...

Following the faint call, Director Li staggered along, his wrinkled hands bracing against the wall. He had to stop every few steps, his heavy, slow breathing pressing against his suffocating chest.

In the face of the Demon King, all security checks and controls are rendered useless.

He made his way through without any obstacles and finally arrived at a three-meter-high heavy metal door, looking up in a daze.

With his extensive experience, he could easily tell that the defense system here was top-of-the-line, completely military-grade.

He sensed the former dean's spiritual power behind the door; although it was very weak, he was absolutely certain he wouldn't mistake it.

—This must be where the former dean is being held.

Unbeknownst to them, the contamination level on the detector had already soared to 67%.

The font color turned a viscous, eerie crimson, as if it were flowing in an instant, like blood being dragged downwards.

The blaring alarm bells echoed throughout the corridor, sharp and piercing, reminiscent of the cawing of crows announcing death.

Director Li reached out to the control panel, his fingers trembling, and suddenly froze in front of the door open button.

They came without hesitation, but when the time came, they suddenly felt somewhat lost.

Will opening this door really lead to the outcome he desires?

Director Li is no longer the impulsive young man he once was; the frequent warnings from the detectors are enough to suggest that something is amiss.

But he had waited decades for this opportunity to get here. At his age, with one foot in the grave, where would he find another few decades, and where would he have the chance to back out halfway?

That was the former dean... the dean who gave them a way to survive when they were displaced!

What a splendid person their dean was! He was excellent in both character and academics, handsome, from a prestigious family, and had a bright future ahead of him.

Yet, when disaster struck, they willingly gave up their chance to escape to several pregnant women, staying behind to fight alongside the abandoned elderly, weak, sick, and disabled.

He broke his finger bones to hold onto the child who had been thrown off the bus.

In order to obtain financial assistance and rescue from local powerful figures, he did not hesitate to venture into the lion's den, and feigned compliance with the treacherous and cunning officials, suffering near-death experiences several times.

Director Li vividly remembers how, when resources were scarce and they were almost at their wits' end, the other party still gritted their teeth and persisted, saying: "Whether they are weak or poor, I want them all to have a chance to survive."

His words were forceful and thought-provoking.

But when Director Li tries to recall the touching moments of that year, he can't help but think of Fu Zong's resolute determination to overcome all opposition during the hospital's internal meeting.

[I'll say it again, I don't care what you think, the special disease subsidy must be implemented! Not only will it be implemented, but the hospital will also open a special poverty relief channel, providing free admission slots for critically ill patients every month!]

I'll figure out the money and equipment issues. Those scoundrels who want to take advantage of the situation to line their own pockets and accept bribes, get out of my hospital as soon as possible!

Fu Zong's determination to drastically reform the hospital has undoubtedly threatened the interests of many and offended countless people, putting him in a precarious position.

During that period, Director Li was often whispered in the ears of his subordinates, who hoped that he would set an example and join forces with other directors and doctors to force Fu Zong to step down.

After all, he was the most senior doctor in the entire hospital and the most respected among the medical staff.

As long as he hasn't retired, he's like a mountain weighing down on everyone's heads. Even if others have ambitions to rise to his position, they have to obediently wait in line after him.

So at the next hospital meeting, surrounded by countless eyes filled with ulterior motives and hidden daggers, Director Li stood up first in front of everyone and called out to Fu Zong, "Dean."

Instead of calling him "Fu Zong" with full of hatred, he was addressed with a respectful and straightforward title, "Dean".

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

No one, including Fu Zong, expected Director Li to express his approval at this time. The old man's unequivocal support allowed Fu Zong to seize the opportunity to consolidate his power.

Seeing those greedy, incompetent people looking on incredulously as they were severely punished by Fu Zong, Director Li felt an immense sense of satisfaction.

But the thought that he had disregarded the hatred for the former dean's murder and supported the culprit of the past filled him with intense guilt, which felt like an invisible hand gripping his heart and almost breaking him.

In the years that followed, Fu Zong made several more swift and decisive reforms.

Except for him and a few department heads, the hospital's senior management underwent a complete reshuffle, and Fu Zong firmly secured his position as hospital director.

I don't know when it started, but whenever Director Li mentions the former dean's name again, the people around him will subconsciously show a confused look.

"The dean's name isn't Fu... Oh, you mean the former dean?"

“Yes, I also remember that the former director was a remarkable person. He founded this hospital, and… uh…”

He stammered and couldn't give a coherent explanation.

Director Li froze, turned his head, looked at the man's embarrassed appearance, his pupils widened, and his heart seemed to skip a beat.

He suddenly realized that Fu Zong had undergone a major reshuffle in recent years, replacing many of the old staff, and there were very few people left who could remember the deeds of the former dean.

A new emperor brings a new court.

The more famous and dazzling Fu Zong became as his successor, the more people would overlook the brilliance of his predecessors, and even forget him completely.

Director Li almost went mad.

He thought about his compromises with Fu Zong, and his guilt surged up like a raging storm once again.

He looked at his hands, as if he could see the blood and mud on them—it was his willingness to become Fu Zong's accomplice, burying the former dean alive in the ground.

At that time, Fu Zong was still embroiled in several controversies. Some people said that he treated seriously ill patients for free in order to use them as guinea pigs to test new drugs.

They were all poor people with no power or influence, and even if they died, they would have nowhere to seek justice.

Director Li has always scoffed at these baseless rumors.

At the time, however, these rumors acted as a catalyst, making him lose his temper.

He went to confront Fu Zong in a menacing manner, just as he was passing by a group of medical staff gossiping.

The people were talking about Fu Zong's rise to power, their words filled with admiration: "It's said that our hospital had nothing in its early days. If it weren't for the powerful and influential family behind the hospital director, this hospital probably wouldn't have been built, let alone become the city's premier hospital."

【Huh? Wasn't there supposed to be a former dean...?】

[Come on, what great achievements did the former director have? Providing a private clinic? It was supposedly barely bigger than a public toilet. Rescuing many people? At most a few dozen, and quite a few died along the way. And if he hadn't tried to save everyone he saw, taking them all back home, supplies and medicine wouldn't have been depleted so quickly, and they almost starved to the point of cannibalism!]

Oh my god! Are you serious?

[It's true, my dad told me himself, how could it be false? They all say the former hospital director was a bookworm, completely clueless about interpersonal relationships, and almost fell out with his benefactors several times. The so-called founder of the First Hospital was just someone who initiated the call before Director Fu; he couldn't get anything done. Look how many people still remember who the former director was!]

Hmm, I don't seem to remember him, but I saw him on the hospital's profile. His name was quite unique, what was it again?

I don't remember.

I haven't followed this account.

I'd seen it before, but I'd forgotten.

[Forget it, let's just look it up. Haha, found it, let me see—]

After overcoming numerous obstacles and passing through multiple security checks using the guard's ID card, Xie Xubai finally arrived in front of Director Li, sweat pouring down his temples and panting heavily from exhaustion.

Seeing the old man's hand about to press on the control panel, Xie Xubai was startled and quickly stopped him: "Director Li, wait, don't press it!"

Author's Note:

I updated at 6 PM, but I feel like I can still write a little more, so I'll keep typing. =.=