Chapter 23
The hospital ship's engines roared low, like a giant steel beast lurking in the dark waters. The air was filled with a strange, cold, and pungent smell of disinfectant, engine oil, and a faint, almost bloody odor.
Gu Jing followed Qin Zhengfeng down a narrow, brightly lit metal corridor. The non-slip grating floor beneath their feet echoed softly with each step. On either side were tightly closed hatches, marked with incomprehensible code names and biohazard symbols.
This place doesn't look like an ark that saves lives, but more like a precisely operated, cold illegal factory.
"This is the pretreatment area." Qin Zhengfeng said in a flat tone, as if he was introducing an ordinary production line. He pushed open a heavy airtight door.
The vast space within the doorway was filled with dozens of transparent life-support pods. Human bodies of varying skin colors and ages were suspended in a pale green nutrient solution, their bodies pierced with a myriad of tubes and sensors, like sleeping specimens. Staff in full protective suits recorded data and adjusted parameters with impassive expressions.
Gu Jing's stomach lurched. He forced himself to remain calm, even revealing a hint of just the right amount of curiosity: "What are these..."
"'Raw materials,'" Qin Zhengfeng said casually. "Voluntary, or... not so voluntary. After a successful match, they will enter deep anesthesia until the operation begins."
He pointed to several large machines in operation on the other side. "Preliminary organ harvesting and vital processing are completed here. We ship at low temperatures, ship globally, and deliver to any private medical location designated by the client within 72 hours. Efficiency is life, and it also means money."
Every cold word hit Gu Jing like a hammer in the heart. He wondered if his father had also seen a glimpse of this hell, and if it kept him awake at night.
"This way." Qin Zhengfeng continued forward and passed through another security gate.
The security here was significantly tighter, each armed with a gun and with eyes as sharp as eagles. Behind the door was a control center, where a huge screen scrolled complex medical data, global logistics information, and... staggering figures.
"The core database and dispatch center." Qin Zhengfeng's tone was slightly boastful. "All customer information, matching records, surgical arrangements, and fund flows are all here. Absolutely confidential and secure."
He glanced at Gu Jing with a scrutinizing look, "From now on, part of this place will be left to you to familiarize yourself with."
Gu Jing's heart suddenly sank. Leave it to him? Was Qin Zhengfeng testing him, or was he really considering incorporating him into the core of this bloody empire?
He suppressed his surging emotions and tried to create an expression of flattery yet a touch of nervousness on his face. "I'm afraid... I'm not experienced enough and will fail to live up to your expectations."
"You can learn if you don't know." Qin Zhengfeng patted his shoulder firmly. "What I value is your ruthlessness and intelligence. Compared to that rebellious son who only wants to find fault with me and send me to prison, you... are much more sensible."
His words sounded like a compliment, but also like a warning.
Gu Jing lowered his eyelashes: "You gave me the opportunity."
The tour continued. The freezer, the surgical preparation room, the rest area for the senior medical team... Each one of them revealed the vastness, sophistication, and appalling indifference of this black industry chain.
Finally, they stopped in front of an extremely heavy alloy door. The sign on the door was a warning of the highest level.
"Don't go in here." Qin Zhengfeng said calmly, "We are performing a special 'order' operation and cannot be disturbed."
Special order? Gu Jing's heartbeat inexplicably quickened. He subconsciously looked towards the door, as if he could sense the evil happening inside through the cold metal.
At this moment, the indicator light on the alloy door turned from red to green, and the door slowly slid open.
Several doctors wearing dark green surgical gowns, masks, and goggles came out, pushing a stretcher. On the stretcher lay a person, covered in a white sterile sheet, revealing only one limp hand. On the wrist was a familiar metal bracelet with strange patterns engraved on it.
That is something Qin Yu never leaves behind!
Gu Jing's breathing suddenly stopped! Blood rushed to his head and then disappeared in an instant!
What did they do to Qin Yu?!
The hand was pale and bloodless and motionless.
A huge panic and an inexplicable sharp pain instantly gripped Gu Jing! He almost couldn't control himself and rushed forward!
Qin Zhengfeng seemed to notice something was wrong with him, turned his head and glanced at him sharply.
Gu Jing bit his tongue hard, the pain forcing him to suppress all his turmoil. He tried his best to keep his facial muscles calm, even forcing a stiff, curious expression: "What is this...?"
"Just a disobedient experimental subject." Qin Zhengfeng said indifferently, as if he was talking about an insignificant piece of waste. "There are always some 'raw materials' that will produce rejection reactions, or... have other thoughts that shouldn't be there."
He waved his hand and asked the doctor to push the stretcher away. That direction... seemed to be leading to the waste disposal channel?
Gu Jing dug his nails into his palms, pinching them until they were bloody and bruised, barely holding himself up and not collapsing. He forced himself to turn his head away from the stretcher, his throat dry and aching.
Qin Zhengfeng looked at his pale face and suddenly smiled, with a cruel and playful smile in his smile: "What? Are you scared? You can't stand it?"
Gu Jing took a deep breath, raised his eyes, met his gaze, and tried to make his voice sound steady and even a little flattering: "It's just a little unexpected... I'll get used to it in the future."
Qin Zhengfeng nodded with satisfaction: "Very good. Remember, being soft-hearted is the most useless thing here. Either be the hunter or... become the prey."
He gave Gu Jing a last meaningful look and turned around: "Let's go, I'll take you to see the financial settlement system, that's the most exciting part."
During the following visit, Gu Jing followed mechanically like a puppet that had lost its soul, listening to Qin Zhengfeng talk about the astronomical profits and money laundering channels in a flat tone, but his mind was blank.
Qin Yu's pale hand and the metal bracelet kept flashing before his eyes.
Experimental subject... rejection reaction... waste disposal...
The cold fear wrapped around his heart like a vine, tightening more and more, almost suffocating him.
Was he... too late?
That madman...is it true...
After an unknown amount of time, the tour finally ended. Qin Zhengfeng seemed to have received an important satellite call and left first, instructing one of his men to take Gu Jing back to the rest cabin.
The so-called rest cabin was more like a luxurious prison cage. It had all the necessary facilities, but no external communication equipment. Two armed guards stood at the door.
The door closed behind him.
Gu Jing rushed to the sink, turned on the faucet, and washed his face with ice-cold water, trying to suppress the nauseous dizziness and the chill that penetrated his bones.
He raised his head, looked at himself in the mirror with a pale face and panicked eyes, and punched the cold glass hard!
The glass groaned in pain, cracks spreading from his fist.
No! You have to stay calm!
Qin Yu might not be dead! Qin Zhengfeng said that just to test him and scare him! That stretcher... maybe it was sent somewhere else?
He must find an opportunity to confirm!
But how to find it? The place is heavily guarded, he is unfamiliar with the place, and his every move is under surveillance.
Just as his mind was in turmoil, his eyes stumbled across an inconspicuous metal panel beneath the sink, seemingly used for maintenance. In one corner of the panel, there was a faint, almost invisible scratch—an extremely simple symbol, as if casually drawn.
Gu Jing's heart skipped a beat!
This symbol... he had seen it before!
On the cover of Qin Yu's old notebook that contained the candid photos, there was this same meaningless graffiti!
Is it a coincidence? Or...
A crazy idea popped into his mind.
Qin Yu was able to accurately find the sanatorium in the suburbs and knew that he had gone to the study in the old house... He must have placed more than one tracker on or around him without his knowledge!
The headset had been found, but perhaps there was something else? Something more subtle?
A paranoid control freak like Qin Yu could definitely do it!
And this symbol... is it a sign? Is it a hint?
Gu Jing's heartbeat suddenly accelerated. He looked sharply at the baffle, then glanced warily towards the hatch.
The guard didn't move.
He took a deep breath, crouched down, and fumbled with the cold metal panel with trembling fingers. The edge seemed a little loose. He pried hard a few times, and the panel slid open silently, a crack.
Inside is a complex network of pipes and interfaces.
And among the pile of cables, quietly lay something smaller than a fingernail, with a faint metallic sheen...
Micro communicator!
Next to it was a folded note that looked like it had been torn off the label of some instrument.
Gu Jing's fingers trembled violently due to excitement and nervousness. He quickly took out the micro communicator and notepad and restored the baffle to its original state.
He slipped into the small shower room and turned on the shower, letting the sound of running water cover up any possible sounds.
Then, he opened the note with trembling hands.
There was only one line of familiar and sloppy handwriting on it, it was Qin Yu's handwriting!
[Medical ship structure diagram and surveillance blind spots. Trusted Personnel: Nurse No. 739. Activate the 'buzzer' if necessary.]
On the back of the note, a simple area diagram and a few marked points are outlined with very fine lines.
Gu Jing clutched the note tightly, great ecstasy and deeper fear sweeping over him at the same time!
Qin Yu had a backup plan! He had anticipated everything that might happen! He even had people stationed on this demonic ship!
That madman! How many games did he set?
And what is that "beep"?
Gu Jing quickly inserted the micro-communicator into his ear. After a very slight buzz of electricity, a very low, yet unusually clear and calm voice rang out. It was not Qin Yu.
[Frequency adjustment completed. Mr. Gu, can you hear me?]
Gu Jing lowered his voice and responded almost in a whisper: "Yes. Who are you?"
Number 739. Someone assigned by Brother Yu. To cut a long story short, he's in poor condition, but still alive. He's been injected with a high dose of sedatives and muscle relaxants, temporarily unable to move. He's in solitary confinement on the bottom floor, with his vital signs monitored. Qin Zhengfeng hasn't yet killed him, seemingly having other intentions.
Gu Jing's heart was like a roller coaster, suddenly falling and then rising again: "What can I do?"
The guards in the solitary confinement cell change shifts every two hours, with a 90-second handover window. The southeast ventilation duct leads to the ground floor. Turn left at the third fork, and you'll reach the inspection hatch above the solitary confinement cell. This is your only chance. Memorize the diagram and destroy it.
"What is 'beep'?" Gu Jing asked anxiously.
[Emergency evacuation signal. Once activated, it will cause chaos throughout the ship, but it also means complete exposure and no return. Use with caution.]
The voice paused and added, its tone solemn.
Qin Zhengfeng may be testing you. He may be monitoring any action you take. Be cautious.
Communication stopped abruptly.
Gu Jing leaned against the cold tile wall, the water rushing over his body, but it couldn't wash away the bone-chilling cold and tremendous pressure.
There is only one chance.
90 seconds.
Under Qin Zhengfeng's nose, he had to sneak into the confinement room on the bottom floor, find a person who was almost unable to move, and successfully escape before alerting all the guards on the ship...
This is simply an impossible task!
but……
Gu Jing closed his eyes, and the image of Qin Yu covered in blood but still protecting him tightly flashed through his mind, as well as his broken words "Don't be afraid... I'm here..." before he fainted.
That madman would risk his life for him.
Why can't he?
When he opened his eyes again, all the panic and fear in Gu Jing's eyes had faded away, leaving only a kind of cold madness and determination after being forced into a desperate situation.
He turned off the water, dried himself, and changed his clothes.
Engraving that structural diagram firmly in my mind, I then tore it up into pieces and flushed it down the drain.
He walked to the cabin door, took a deep breath, put on the slightly flattering and cautious expression of a "godson" again on his face, and opened the door.
The guard at the door looked at him warily.
"I'm a little stuffy and want to go out for some fresh air. Can I just take a walk in the nearby corridor?" Gu Jing tried to speak as naturally as possible, with just the right amount of restraint and tentativeness.
The guards looked at each other, seemed to ask for instructions through the headset, then nodded, and followed one on the left and one on the right.
Gu Jing sneered inwardly. He was indeed being watched.
He remained calm and walked along the corridor seemingly casually according to the structural diagram in his memory, but his direction was vaguely pointing to the southeast.
He needed to find a suitable opportunity to shake off or lure away the two tails and accurately find the entrance to the ventilation duct.
Time passes by every second.
The time for the next shift change is getting closer.
His heartbeat was steady, his mind racing, calculating every step.
When passing by a storage room where cleaning tools were piled up, Gu Jing paused slightly and glanced inside.
Got it.
He suddenly bent down, covered his stomach, and a look of pain appeared on his face.
"Hmm... I suddenly feel a little uncomfortable..." He said weakly, and even a fine layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead. "Maybe it's because of what I just saw... I feel a little nauseous..."
The guard frowned.
"Can...can you pour me a cup of hot water? There's a water dispenser just around the corner..." Gu Jing pleaded, looking extremely miserable.
One guard hesitated, then looked at the other. The other guard nodded, motioning him to go.
One of the guards turned and headed for the corner.
Chance!
Just when the remaining guard's attention was drawn to his companion!
A cold light flashed in Gu Jing's eyes. He suddenly opened the door of the storage room, grabbed a bottle of high-strength detergent from it with lightning speed, and splashed it hard on the guard's face!
"Ah——!" The guard was caught off guard and let out a shrill scream, covering his eyes with his hands and rolling on the ground in pain!
Gu Jing didn't even look at him, dragged him into the storage room and locked the door!
The whole process happened in a flash!
Another guard heard the noise and hurried back with a glass of water, but he only saw an empty corridor and a closed storage room door!
"What's going on?!" he shouted and tried to open the storage room door, but couldn't open it!
At this moment, Gu Jing had already dodged like a cat and slipped behind a ventilation duct entrance grille not far ahead, located in a blind spot of surveillance! His movements were so fast that only a shadow remained!
Cold, dark, dusty ventilation ducts.
Gu Jing relied on his memory and the blueprints to crawl through the narrow space with difficulty and speed. His heart was beating wildly in his chest, not because of fear, but because of an extremely nervous excitement.
Time is running out!
Southeast side...the third fork...turn left...
arrive!
He shoved open the grille of a lower inspection hatch!
Below was a small, dimly lit confinement cell. Qin Yu lay motionless on the cold metal bed, his face pale. He was hooked up to several monitoring devices, with faint lights flickering on the screens.
Gu Jing's heart seemed to be tightly gripped!
He jumped down without hesitation and landed silently.
Rushed to the bed.
"Qin Yu! Qin Yu!" He lowered his voice and called anxiously, his fingers trembling as he reached towards his nostrils to feel his breath.
Faint, but there it is.
Gu Jing breathed a sigh of relief and quickly checked the instruments and pipelines. He had to disconnect them and take Qin Yu away without triggering the alarm!
More than half of the 90 seconds have passed!
There are faint footsteps outside! It's almost time for the shift change!
Just then—
Qin Yu, who was originally unconscious on the bed, had his eyelashes tremble very slightly.
Then, slowly and with great difficulty, he opened his eyes a crack.
Those bottomless pupils, blurred and out of focus due to the effects of the drugs, still captured Gu Jing's figure accurately and stubbornly.
His lips moved, and an almost inaudible sound came out.
“…You…are here…”
Gu Jing suddenly stopped and looked at him.
Their eyes met.
One was covered in dust, with a crazy and determined look in his eyes.
One is on the verge of death, his eyes are dazed but stubborn.
In the hold of this sin-filled hospital ship floating on the dark high seas, in this cage of despair.
The hands of time seemed to freeze at this moment.
The next second, a shrill alarm sounded!
Without warning, a crazy explosion sounded throughout the entire hospital ship!
It's not from the confinement room! It's from higher up! From the command center!
[Beep] activated?!
Who is it?!
Gu Jing and Qin Yu's expressions changed suddenly at the same time!
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