Chapter 17 Chapter 17 A False Alarm
I stood up to check, and found nothing unusual, but there was a slight hissing from time to time, and the high-frequency flapping of wings, as if the wind was blowing in my face. I looked up, and saw that it was just the air-conditioning windshield that was raised, and the floor tiles were as smooth as new.
Where does this sound come from?
Outside the window, two plump little birds, their brown feathers folded, stood on the treetops, one on each side, one in front of the other, their heads swaying as they looked around warily. They were not startled, their toes clinging to the tree trunk.
The noise disappeared and her heart relaxed. Perhaps it was the sound of objects colliding and rubbing against each other, as if something was not placed properly. She calmed herself and returned to bed.
There was a long raised strip in the middle of the quilt, and the quilt cover fit her body perfectly without any gap. Only her head above the chin was exposed. The lights were not turned off today. A dim warm light was on in the corner, adding a little warmth to the room. Her heart gradually calmed down and she closed her eyes.
The next morning, Shan Hao finished his routine training, had breakfast, and even finished some official business, but she still hadn't woken up. She looked at the clock and saw it was getting late. She had slept too long. She paused the music, left the study, and walked to the bedroom door.
"Boom, boom, boom."
"Wake up," the voice was initially quiet, and there was no response from inside. The force of the knocks on the door gradually increased. "Xu Shanshan," he raised his voice, but still no response. He called out two or three times, and a bad premonition rose from his heart. The next call was fast and heavy, "Are you okay?"
She unscrewed the door handle and locked it from the inside. There were two alloy locks on the top and bottom, and it couldn't be pushed open.
His heart was beating violently in his chest, and his next action was like smashing down a door, leaving a gap between it and the door frame, with the lock core clamped in the wall. Under his powerful impact, the door frame cracked. The temperature inside was cool, but still quiet. Apart from the noise he made, sunlight poured into the room, forming a beam of light, with dust floating in it.
She lay flat on the bed, her hands folded across her chest, as quiet as if she were asleep. The man's metacarpal bones were red, but now he felt no pain. He was no longer as respectable as before, and his shirt sleeves were wrinkled and creased from the intense exercise, leaving marks.
"Xu Shanshan," the sound of air coming out of her throat. She ran to the bed in a few seconds, squatted down, and touched her exposed skin with her fingers. The meridians pulsated under her fingertips, and she felt the frequency of its vibration. Her body temperature, heartbeat, and breathing were normal. "Wake up."
She held her cheek and shook it slightly, her lips opened to reveal her pearly teeth, but her eyes were still tightly closed. There was a tear mark on her fair cheek, which gathered and flowed down when she turned her head to the side, soaking the pillowcase, and meaningless interjections came out of her mouth.
What's wrong with her?
The more panicked he was, the more he needed to stay calm. He suppressed his negative emotions and tried to wake her up, get her out of the nightmare, and regain consciousness. He was worried that she had been contaminated. Although this was his place and the entire courtyard was covered, he could not sense any move of outsiders.
But what if she had contracted it somewhere else and he had no idea? His eyes were slightly red. He didn't know he was such an emotional person. All kinds of negative possibilities appeared in his mind. He took a deep breath and tried to get rid of them.
Guides are more immune to contamination, and since she was a high-ranking official, any abnormalities shouldn't have been this severe from the start. Her pre-employment physical examination showed she was in good health, with all indicators normal and no previous medical history.
He immediately contacted the hospital and reported to the higher-ups, knowing where the problem might be. He took out a blanket, opened the quilt, and wrapped the blanket around his body several times, forming a cocoon. He placed his hands on the lower back and knees, and quickly and steadily carried the patient down horizontally.
The ambulance arrived quickly and she was put on a stretcher. He got in and, after communicating with the doctor, he called two people who had contact with her yesterday and asked them to come to the hospital immediately.
The pungent smell of disinfectant filled the air, the afternoon was incredibly quiet, and several people stood outside the door, surrounded by transparent glass on both sides, explaining the pathology, observing, and selecting treatment plans. Manuel and Ares, who had interacted with her yesterday, were also naturally summoned.
The two men arrived quickly. The door of the ward was closed and she was still undergoing a full-body examination inside. Manuel arrived first, and Ares walked out of another door after the elevator closed and followed closely behind.
Manuel was wearing a gray-green vest, his whole body was soaked with sweat, and he was gasping for breath with his mouth open. When he received the news, he was repairing the car, removing the chassis and installing a side pedal.
He lived alone in a place, and calling others needed time. He couldn't wait for the train, so he summoned his spiritual body, a huge gray wolf, and rode on it. He lowered his body and lay down, his hair surging in the air, running in a streamlined manner on the asphalt road with distinct black particles. The sun peeked out from the clouds, the ground became hot, and the heat gathered. He opened his mouth, revealing his long tongue, and took a deep breath of fresh air.
He put it away only when he arrived at the hospital door. He didn't even have time to put on the mask. In front of the elevator, passers-by saw his mottled and horrible face, and their eyes were full of fear. He uncomfortably took out the mask from his pocket and put it on his head.
The people in the elevator gradually left, and he was the only one left. He hoped it would go faster, and his heart was anxious as he went up the floors one by one. After registering, he entered the treatment room exclusively for guides. Through the transparent glass in the door panel, he saw a man standing there, with his collar buttons undone and his tie loosely tied, looking very depressed.
Pushing the door open and walking in, the man came towards me, his brows furrowed, and he couldn't wait to ask, "Where did you go yesterday? Did you come into contact with anything else?"
"Library, cafe, shopping mall, restaurant," he explained to the other party in detail their whereabouts. The other party asked again and again, and he recalled every detail. The two of them were separated only briefly a few times, when she went to the bathroom, and when they finally got home, she was fine when he left.
Ares: "At nine o'clock last night, she was still awake." The two looked at him, as if asking how he knew. Without interrupting, he continued: "She responded to my message normally."
Could the accident have happened inside the house? But every corridor, every window and door was closely monitored by him, and no clues could escape his eyes. Moreover, the smart housekeeper was constantly monitoring the indoor dynamics, and there was no abnormal sound.
"Perhaps you should check the house," Ares said, not hiding his dissatisfaction. In his eyes, whether as a sentinel or a commander, failing to protect a guide was unforgivable. "Something happened to her while she was there. You should be held accountable for it."
"If you can't even do this, you don't deserve to be with her."
Ares' tone was heavy, and he didn't care about contradicting his senior. There was a dark spot under his eyes, and it looked like he didn't sleep well last night. The black mist on his shoulders no longer maintained its lion form, but dispersed, wrapped around his shoulders, and gradually spread to his arms.
When questioned, Shan Hao raised his eyes and looked straight over. His eyes were not friendly, but with a cold light, "I will find the reason." Under the white shirt, red round beads gradually grew on the joints of his arms, holding up the fabric.
Seeing the two of them on edge, their mental fluctuations too great, even showing signs of collapse and alienation, Manuel separated them. His calm voice was like a pool of clear water, pouring over their heads, "She's just asleep. Let's wait for the test results first."
Ares snorted heavily, and to avoid conflict, he crossed his arms, walked to the other side and sat down, tilting his head to the side.
Shan Hao took a deep breath, his limbs gradually recovered, and he cast his gaze towards the door. If Manuel's breathing was not so loud, the smell of sweat was not so strong, and if he was not wearing a pair of worn slippers, he would believe that the other party was as calm as he appeared.
The three people involved were all worried sick, and each of them looked embarrassed. The nurse pushed a cart closer, she pushed open the door and walked in, and her eyes glanced into the room, but were immediately drawn in. They gathered outside the door waiting for the verdict.
The beautiful villa has been blocked off. A patrol car is parked on the road with a red light flashing on the roof. The patrolman puts on gloves, crosses the cordon, opens the gate and walks in.
Not long after, the patrol team came out of the elevator. There were about six of them. Their stiff uniforms were reflected on the tiles. They wore white helmets and pure white belts around their waists. They held dark blue folders in their hands and handed them over.
Shan Hao reached out to take it. Several people gathered around and quickly browsed through it, turning the pages with their fingers. Ares frowned. It was too fast and he was dizzy, but the other two seemed to have read it all at a glance.
He repeatedly scanned the stamp and conclusion on the back page and reconfirmed: "You mean, the inspection showed no contamination?"
The captain nodded and held out his hand. His sleeves completely covered his palms, and his white gloves clung to his fingers, leaving no flesh exposed. Shan Hao handed the report back, his confusion growing even more intense. It felt like something from another world. What could have gone wrong?
Nancy: "The pollution levels inside and outside the house are low and within safe limits." This meant there were no pollutants nearby, ruling out one possibility. She pulled up the video and projected it on the wall. "According to the surveillance footage, you didn't come into contact after she returned to her room. However, as the primary eyewitness, you need to go and give a statement."
She suspected he wasn't responsible. The surveillance video showed not only no altercation between the two, but on the contrary, a warm and intimate relationship, their words and expressions full of trust and naturalness. It made her feel bad, but if the director got into trouble, the cause had to be thoroughly investigated, even if he was senior and high-ranking.
"I am willing to cooperate with the investigation."
She looked up at the other two. "And you too." He was the most suspicious, but the others weren't completely innocent either. Every piece of information was crucial. The bizarre events occurring within the controlled area, coupled with the previous attacks on guides, forced everyone to be vigilant.
"Ga—"
The ward door opened. The doctor was not surprised to see so many people standing at the door, but he still had to find someone who could take charge, in short, the "main wife", otherwise it would take too long. The examination report was placed in a plastic bag. "Who is the patient's family member?"
"I am. How is she?" He was closest to the door, so the bag was handed to him. The doctor turned to face him, took off her mask, and explained the patient's condition. Ares gritted his teeth, enduring angrily, as he watched him pull a piece of paper from the plastic bag and burn a hole through the backing.
Whether it was physical measurement, palpation, auscultation, vaginal examination, or imaging scans, the technology here was arguably the most advanced, but no problems were found. Aside from her inability to wake up, her physiological indicators and even her brain activity were no different from those of a normal person.
The good news is that her life is not in danger for the time being, her swallowing reflex is still there, and she can be fed orally to supplement her nutrition. The bad news is that no problem can be found and there is no way to wake her up.
Their faces were ashen, clearly unable to accept the loss of a guide. After all, the doctor understood that the sentinels were powerful, invincible weapons, carving out a safe zone for ordinary people in the scorched earth, while the guides were the source of their continued life and fighting power.
A sentinel without a guide would wither like a tree without rain, becoming chaotic, fragile, and unable to maintain stability. They would either die in battle or eventually lose their sanity and degenerate. If the two were spiritually connected, it would be more like a chain around the neck, or a nail directly into the body, and the slightest pull would cause them to rip their hearts apart.
She is medicine and also the bright moon.
The woman in the ward lay calmly on the bed, motionless, wearing a respirator, as if truly asleep. "Maybe this isn't a disease," the doctor, an ordinary person, knew that their abilities varied and differentiated into different types. He speculated, "Maybe this is her special ability?"
It's like pushing away the clouds to see the sun, breaking everyone's fixed way of thinking.
Of course, this was very possible. After ruling out other false options, he had to convince himself that this was a sign of her spiritual awakening. The doctors and nurses left one after another, allowing them to enter the ward. Shan Hao's fingers touched the cool glass window, as if his fingertips were close to her face through the window.
At her signal, the three patrolmen walked to the corners of the ward and stood, their backs against the wall, facing outward. None of them carried guns, but no sentry would disobey the authority they held. Nancy glanced at the three with a polite smile. It was time to leave.
Ares's spirits gradually calmed down, knowing she was out of danger for the time being. The mist receded, and he re-condensed into a lion, landing on his shoulder, supporting himself with his hind legs, his two thick front paws pressed against the glass, spread out like a round pancake, and looked closely, making a whimpering sound. Unfortunately, no one would respond to him. The one who would smile and comfort him was now lying on the hospital bed.
Manuel's condition was more stable than the other two, not because he had better self-control, but because he had experienced temporary marking, and that combination had greatly improved his mental state, so when the doctor made a guess, he accepted it almost immediately.
Maybe her ability has something to do with dreams.
The three of them went to take the statement together, and the other two left after they finished. Nancy stood up and opened the door. He was detained there, leaning back in the chair, awaiting further investigation. The walls, tables, chairs and beds in the room were all covered with thick and soft leather. Perhaps he would stay here for a long time.
But not long after, the lock on the door turned, and the heavy door was pushed open. The door was wide open, and the woman was standing at the door with a smile, her left hand raised. This was a sign of good news. He stood up and walked closer. They were both sentinels, but he was bigger and looked down condescendingly with no emotion in his eyes.
"She's awake, you can go out."
Nancy made way, and the man nodded. They went out the right side, down the hill, past the checkpoint, and reached the curb. He boarded the bus and sat in the front row. The rearview mirror showed him, his clothes disheveled. His tense heart slowed, and he raised his hands, buttoned each button, and re-tied his tie.
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