Chapter 8 "The farther away from them the better" "We will get her to... as soon as possible."
Of the three, only Wen Zhiling was wearing her work uniform. She was immediately pushed behind the cashier by Lv Lv and Xiao Meng to serve customers. The two of them tacitly hid by the dessert table, secretly observing.
Zong Linhan was wearing a baseball cap and black-rimmed glasses, and he wasn't wearing a mask, which made him easily recognizable.
Wen Zhiling felt a chill run down her spine. Fortunately, there weren't many customers at this time. She wasn't sure if he knew she was there, so she walked behind the cashier and remained silent.
Zong Linhan said calmly, "Let's have a hand-drip coffee and try this bean."
He didn't even glance at her, which relieved Wen Zhiling. She decided to be a silent barista, but her hands were shaking so badly that she almost put the wrong filter paper in the wrong place.
Zong Linhan sat down at the bar, resting his elbows on the table, and quietly watched Wen Zhiling. His gaze was calm, yet like a silent knife, with a sinister, cold light.
Wen Zhiling became nervous again, but she comforted herself, since nothing had happened in all these days and she no longer sensed Zong Linhan's scent as sensitively as before, so maybe she had been cured!
The prepared coffee was handed to the table, but Zong Linhan reached out to take it. Their fingertips touched, and she keenly felt that he was holding something under his fingers. The rounded edge brushed against her palm, and a jolt of electricity shot from her fingertips to the back of her head, as if she had been electrocuted in an instant.
Zong Linhan smiled and said, "Thank you, but your rabbit ears are crooked."
It was as if he didn't recognize her.
Wen Zhiling straightened the rabbit ears and said, "Thank you."
The two stopped talking. Xiaomeng and Lvlv had their own things to do, so they left after watching the commotion for a while. During this time, when customers came into the store, they would scan the QR code on the table to place their orders. For a while, no one noticed that a very famous actor was sitting there.
The aroma of coffee filled the bar area. Wen Zhiling focused on brewing coffee according to the order, but the feeling of being watched closely lingered, making her palms sweat.
"And another chocolate mousse."
"When did he start eating desserts?" Wen Zhiling glanced at him and brought out the desserts.
"You were in the shop when I came last time, weren't you?"
"..." Wen Zhiling didn't say anything.
He said in a very indifferent tone: "Thank you for going to such lengths to avoid me."
As the dessert was brought to her, Zong Linhan pressed her hand down, causing Wen Zhiling's heart to tighten.
She looked up and met his gaze. His eyes held a smile, as if they were talking casually, or perhaps he was testing her for something.
Zong Linhan smiled and let go of his hand. "Sorry."
The familiar citrus scent suddenly returned, and Wen Zhiling's breath caught in her throat as a suppressed longing surged forth.
Her gaze was fixed on his neck, the pale blue veins beneath his fair skin exuding a delicate citrus scent. A mad thought overwhelmed her reason; she could almost picture his teeth piercing her skin, the delicious taste of his blood.
Wen Zhiling's fingertips trembled. She bit her tongue to stop her fantasies and went to the bathroom with all her might to calm herself down.
Zong Linhan slowly sipped his coffee, taking in her reaction, and then went straight to the laboratory after leaving the coffee shop.
-
Wen Zhiling took the day off the next day and followed the navigation to a private hospital.
Located in a newly developed area, it's a bit out of the way. It occupies a large area, consisting of three buildings, the tallest being twenty stories high, with three underground parking levels. Everything about it exudes an air of formality and wealth.
Wen Zhiling had assumed it would be some secluded alley or back alley, which would fit the shady setting of the monster world, but she never expected it to be such a blatant organization.
There weren't many people in the hospital. The lobby was bright and clean, and a row of pretty young nurses stood at the reception desk. As soon as she entered, they greeted her warmly, giving the poor Wen Zhiling a taste of VIP treatment.
The pretty young nurse said regretfully, "This must be a prank, it's not here."
Then he saw her out the door.
Wen Zhiling, who had returned to the main gate, thought, "..." Had she really been tricked?
As she was sunbathing, a cute little nurse ran over and said, "Hello, over here!"
After wandering around the winding hospital for a while, a smiling, silent nurse led Wen Zhiling to a consultation room on the top floor. A doctor in a white coat sat behind a computer, glanced at her, and pushed a form towards her. "Fill out this form."
Wen Zhiling had a lot of questions in her mind, such as who they were, where this place was, what kind of organization this was, what kind of person she had mutated into, whether there was any hope for her, and whether they were the ones who sent her the inhibitors and instructions three years ago.
She had barely opened her mouth when the doctor, without even looking up, started typing rapidly, tapped the table twice, and said, "Fill out the form."
The emotions of seeing her loved ones vanished instantly, and Wen Zhiling picked up her pen and diligently filled out the form. It contained only basic questions such as name, address, blood type, contact information, and kinship—enough to get no attention even if thrown at the entrance of the police station.
"I'm very busy. I have another troublesome patient coming later, so I don't have much time. I'll just give you a brief explanation today." The doctor took the form and turned his ordinary face to Wen Zhiling. "The inhibitor from three years ago was sent to you by us. We have a set of instruments to detect similar cases, and we've been monitoring you for a long time. We don't contact you unless necessary, because you know that the Bureau of Surveillance is too good at taking down entire groups."
Without giving Wen Zhiling a chance to ask questions, he gestured for her to roll up her sleeve. The syringe pierced her arm, the blood collection device automatically drew blood, and the test tube gradually filled. The doctor didn't even glance at her, turning to type. The clattering of the keyboard clearly showed that this doctor was in no mood for idle chatter. Wen Zhiling thought dejectedly, hoping to get a guidebook on the monster world before leaving.
The doctor put the test tube and information form into a brown paper bag. Wen Zhiling suspected that she was about to be sent away the next second, but the doctor spoke up, "It's been three years since you were marked. Are you feeling uncomfortable?"
Wen Zhiling: "It's alright, I feel much better when I don't see people. In fact, it's been a bit better lately?"
Doctor: "Most likely, the other person was given a universal inhibitor, the effect of which may not last long, so it's just a temporary measure."
The doctor sealed the brown paper bag, glanced at her, and said, "You're quite resilient."
Wen Zhiling didn't understand what he meant. The doctor said, "Suppressants alone are not enough. In addition, you've been ruined for the past three years. If you don't have surgery this year to fundamentally solve the problem, you will die."
Overwhelmed by the amount of information, Wen Zhiling was stunned for a moment before asking, "Surgery? Can I become a normal person again?"
The doctor said with a hint of sarcasm, "What are you thinking? We can't turn you back into a normal person. The surgery is just to help you change your label. For example, do you have a partner? Even if they know your situation, they won't report you."
Wen Zhiling forced a smile. "No."
The doctor said regretfully, "It's alright, we all experience this. However, there's always a solution, and we have a set of methods to deal with this situation."
The doctor bent down and rummaged under the table for a while. Under Wen Zhiling's expectant yet nervous gaze, he placed a QR code payment image on the table. With a click, the doctor's expression changed, becoming amiable and kind.
Wen Zhiling: "Is this a paid consultation?"
The doctor smiled broadly, "Oh no, we're very professional."
"Scan the QR code, there's a mini-program inside with the surgical package prices listed. We can match you with a similar partner who is 100% unlikely to betray you. We offer free assistance to our first pair of partners, it's like a trial, and you know the results and instructions are reliable. As the saying goes, once you establish a bridge of communication, things become much easier."
Building bridges of communication also leads to wealth. Wen Zhiling scanned the QR code and saw that the prices were indeed not cheap; the matching partner, surgery fee, and follow-up maintenance fee were all paid separately.
The doctor enthusiastically said, "I highly recommend this 29,999 package, which offers 24 interest-free installments."
Wen Zhiling glanced at the list. Although it was expensive, she did have some savings and could afford it.
But she didn't want to mark strangers. Wen Zhiling hesitated for a moment, "Is the Bureau of Surveillance's kinship control scope limited to immediate family members only?"
The doctor's expression changed, becoming sarcastic. "The Bureau of Surveillance? If you want to live, stay as far away from them as possible."
The doctor lit a cigarette. "Of course, everyone has their own fate. I've also encountered people who were out of their minds, constantly spouting phrases like 'unwavering love until death,' and 'deep affection is short-lived,' and in the end, their whole family was reported. They successfully completed their life journey of freedom in love, freedom of choice, and freedom in death."
Wen Zhiling: "..."
Amidst the swirling smoke, the doctor, ignoring the patient and the rules, crossed his legs and said, "You've heard about the disappearance case last month, right? The one the driver committed. He's my friend, a completely innocent man, honest and kind, who unexpectedly ended up like us. Unfortunately, because his identity was exposed, his whole family was taken into custody by 'that group of people'."
Wen Zhiling: "I remember he was suspected of kidnapping..."
“You’re still too young,” the doctor interrupted her roughly. “That’s all just rhetoric from the Bureau of Surveillance. If you believe a single word they say, you’re as good as dead.”
The doctor took an ashtray from the drawer, shook the cigarette in it, and said, "Hurry up and pick a package so I can arrange your surgery. This year is a year of three springs, and the situation outside is tense. I might not be here next time."
"Since we're so close, I'll give you a discount, 20% off, and you can pay in 36 installments. The surgery will be done tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" So soon?
"The day after tomorrow is fine too, it depends on your schedule," the doctor said.
Wen Zhiling sensed something was wrong, not just because of the sudden urging and the rock-bottom price.
The doctor smoked, striking a relaxed pose, but the muscles in his face were tense, and his eyes were fixed on her like a venomous snake eyeing its prey. This was completely different from the busy, greedy doctor he had been just moments before; it was as if his tense, unsmiling demeanor was his truest self.
Perhaps realizing his lapse in composure, the doctor calmly extinguished his cigarette, took a sip of water from his thermos, and turned his gaze to the computer screen. "We're also swamped with performance targets; I still have my mortgage to pay."
Wen Zhiling: "Let me think about it some more."
The doctor sensed Wen Zhiling's defensiveness and stopped pressing her. "It's normal to be distrustful when you first meet someone like yourself. But I must remind you, you might not be so lucky to contact me next time."
Not long after Wen Zhiling left, the doctor finished his shift. He took the elevator from the back door all the way to the underground parking garage. The elevator's reflective surface revealed his expression: sinister and silent. Once in his car, he dialed a number. The instant the call connected, he straightened his back, unilaterally giving the other person full respect.
"Yes, she has already come to see me. Just as you said, she is a rather guarded young girl."
"I'm sorry, I was a little too hasty..."
"Okay, I understand." The doctor stared at the blood test tube taken from the brown paper bag. "I will get her to you as soon as possible."
A note from the author:
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