Chapter Fourteen Examination
Zhong Si spent a few relatively peaceful days in the medical room. Under Xi Ya's clumsy but persistent care and the doctor's professional treatment, his injuries healed quickly, and his face gradually regained some color, although it was still a fragile, pale white, like the first snow.
He can now walk slowly between the medical room and the adjacent small rest room without assistance.
However, the physical healing did not alleviate his inner unease. He knew that the moment that would decide his fate was approaching—the organization's leader, "Saltwater Crocodile" Xu Yue, wanted to see him.
This news was delivered by Gongyang Yandaosi with a completely expressionless face.
Xi Ya happened to be present at the time, and Zhong Si clearly saw that upon hearing those words, a rare hint of tension flashed across Xi Ya's usually impatient or subtly concerned red eyes. He even subconsciously took half a step forward, subtly shielding Zhong Si half a body length behind him, although the movement was so subtle as to be almost imperceptible.
“Sister Xuyue is just meeting with him to get a sense of the situation.” Gongyang’s voice was as steady as ever, but it carried an unquestionable tone. “That’s the rule, West Asia.”
Xiya tensed her jaw, remained silent for a few seconds, and then nodded stiffly: "I know. I will take him there."
At this moment, Zhong Si's fear of Xu Yue deepened even further. Even a powerful nation like West Asia showed tension because of this summons; just how terrifying must that "Saltwater Crocodile" be?
The meeting was scheduled for the afternoon. Xi Ya personally found Zhong Si a clean set of the smallest size of casual clothes for members, but it still looked a bit loose on him, making his thin figure appear even more prominent.
On the way to Xu Yue's office, Xi Ya walked beside him, deliberately slowing her pace. The corridor was quiet, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing.
Xiya seemed to want to say something comforting, but after opening her mouth several times, she finally managed to squeeze out a dry, "Don't be afraid. Just answer the truth."
This only made Zhong Si more nervous. He followed closely behind Xiya, his violet eyes lowered, carefully observing the vast, complex, and cold labyrinth.
Every closed door, every potentially suspicious member around the corner, filled him with a suffocating sense of oppression.
Finally, they arrived at the heavy door that was said to lead to Xu Yue's office.
Two guards stood at the door. They bowed respectfully to Xiya, but their gazes still scrutinized Zhong Si as they passed through. Xiya took a deep breath, as if he were about to step into a courtroom rather than an office. He raised his hand and knocked on the door.
"Come in." A clear, calm female voice, yet imbued with an invisible pressure, came from inside the door.
Xiya pushed open the door, gesturing for Zhong Si to follow him inside.
Xu Yue's office was simpler than Zhong Si had imagined, but it was also more oppressive.
Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows was London's gray sky, with rain silently sliding down the glass.
The room was dimly lit, with only a desk lamp on the desk casting a steady glow, outlining the figure sitting behind the desk in a half-lit, half-shadowed manner.
Xu Yue was wearing a dark gray turtleneck sweater today, and her short, silver-white hair was perfectly styled. She was reviewing documents when she heard them come in, and only then did she slowly raise her head.
Those grey eyes were like a frozen lake in winter—calm, deep, and unfathomable.
Her gaze first fell on Xiya, and she nodded slightly. Then, like the most accurate searchlight, she focused on Zhong Si.
At that moment, Zhong Si felt as if his breath had stopped. He had never been looked at with such penetrating gaze before.
That gaze wasn't like the ram's, carrying a cold assessment, nor like the other members', filled with curiosity or rejection. Instead, it was a kind of... a scrutiny that seemed to strip away all external pretense and reach the depths of the soul.
He instinctively wanted to back away and hide behind Xiya, but his legs felt like lead and he couldn't move.
"Sister Xuyue." Xiya's voice carried an unusual respect, even a hint of tension that was barely perceptible. "This is Zhong Si."
Xu Yue did not respond immediately. She put down her pen, leaned back slightly, and placed her hands on the table, adopting a more relaxed yet more controlled posture as she continued to observe Zhong Si.
Her gaze slowly moved from his face to his still slightly injured left leg, and then back to his violet eyes, which were wide open due to extreme tension.
“Zhong Si.” Xu Yue repeated the name, her voice steady and emotionless. “Xiya brought you back from the ruins. Tell me, what do you remember about yourself?”
Zhong Si opened his mouth, his throat dry, his voice barely audible: "...No...I don't remember...only the name..."
"No recollection at all? Where are you from? Why were you injured?" Xu Yue pressed, her tone still calm, but each question struck Zhong Si's heart like a hammer blow.
Zhong Si shook his head with difficulty, fear almost making him cry, but he desperately held it back.
He felt that Sia's hand, which was placed at her side, had clenched into a fist, as if she was trying her best to restrain the urge to interrupt.
Xu Yue took in Zhong Si's reactions, including his barely concealed fear and Xi Ya's barely concealed anxiety.
Instead of pressing for details about the past, she changed the subject and posed a seemingly simple but actually tricky question: "What did you see and hear on your way from the medical room to here?"
This question surprised everyone. Xiya was taken aback.
Zhong Si was also stunned. He raised his head, a trace of confusion flashing in his purple eyes, but then, a strange instinct seemed to be triggered.
In a state of extreme tension, his observations of the outside world become exceptionally clear and detailed.
He licked his dry lips and began to describe, haltingly and almost subconsciously: "Walk...walked about 137 steps...passed four doors, two to the left and two to the right...on the carpet at the third corner, there was a slightly darker patch, like a water stain...in a room we passed, there was the sound of a telegraph machine, the rhythm was...three short and one long, repeated twice...and...a person wearing a blue coat walked past us, he had a small scar on his left eyebrow, and he smelled...a faint smell of gunpowder, he must have just returned from a mission..."
His voice was soft, and his description was disorganized, but the details he mentioned were surprisingly precise. Some of these details were even unknown to Xiya.
A fleeting look of surprise flashed across Xu Yue's grey eyes, quickly replaced by a deeper inquiry. She noticed that while Zhong Si's purple eyes were still filled with fear as he described these things, a near-instinctive glint of intelligence, a keen ability to capture and analyze information, flickered deep within his pupils.
This is not the kind of observational ability that an ordinary homeless child would possess. It is a talent, an almost greedy ability to absorb and remember the environment and details, but it has not yet been polished, like a rough gem buried deep in the dust.
At the same time, Xu Yue also clearly captured the reaction of Xi Ya, who was standing to the side.
As Zhong Si stammered through his description, Xi Ya's gaze remained almost entirely fixed on him, her eyes filled with undisguised worry, protectiveness, and even... a deep sorrow as if she were looking at someone else through Zhong Si.
The level of emotional investment this person displayed far exceeded the normal range for an organization member towards a stranger they had rescued by chance. This confirmed Gongyang's earlier concerns and also made Xuyue understand the real reason why Xiya insisted on bringing Zhong Si back—this boy had touched the deepest, unhealed wound in his heart, about his younger brother Yanni who died young.
Xu Yue remained silent for a moment. The office was so quiet that the sound of raindrops outside the window and Zhong Si's tense breathing could be heard.
She quickly weighed the options in her mind. The risks were obvious: Zhong Si's origins were unknown, his amnesia might be a facade, and his presence had created an unstable emotional attachment in Xi Ya.
But the potential benefits could be enormous: if this young man truly possesses the observational and analytical talents she suspected, with proper nurturing, he might become an unexpected and powerful tool for the organization.
More importantly, taming and utilizing this talent is itself a way to control and mitigate potential risks.
“Very good.” Xu Yue finally spoke again, breaking the silence.
Her gaze shifted from Zhong Si to Xi Ya. "Now that his injuries have mostly healed, he doesn't need to stay in the medical room any longer. Arrange a private room for him. He can move around a bit, but his activities need to be restricted."
Xiya visibly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly replied, "Yes, boss!!"
“As for you, Zhong Si,” Xu Yue looked at the boy again, her tone still calm, yet carrying an unquestionable authority, “Since Xiya has given you a second life, and you have nowhere to go now, this place can be your temporary refuge. But remember, every act of shelter here requires a corresponding value in exchange. You need to prove that you are not a burden.”
Zhong Si seemed to understand, but hearing the words "a place to stay" from Xu Yue's mouth had already relieved him of a great weight. He nodded timidly.
"Go down." Xu Yue waved her hand, picked up her pen again, and looked back at the documents, as if everything that had just happened was just a trivial interlude.
Xi Ya felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She gently tugged at Zhong Si's arm and led him out of the office quickly and quietly.
The moment the door closed, Xu Yue raised her head again, looking at the tightly closed door, her gray eyes filled with thoughts.
She saw the vulnerable emotional vulnerabilities of Xiya, and also the untapped potential value of Zhong Si. Risk and opportunity are two sides of the same coin.
What should be the next move to turn this unexpected variable to one's advantage?
She needed a more professional assessment. A thought gradually became clear in her mind. Perhaps it was time to let "Raven" take a look at this special "little butterfly." Mu Ye's cold, analytical eyes should be able to give her a more accurate judgment.
Crisis or opportunity? Xu Yue tapped her fingertips lightly on the table.
In this dark world, she had long been accustomed to bringing all unexpected events under her control. Whether this butterfly, which had accidentally flown into the nest, would be broken by the wind and rain, or transformed into an asset, would be decided by her.
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