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Chapter 33: “Aren’t you going to the gym?” Qin Ge asked.
When the alarm went off at 267th Hospital, Lei Chi was waiting in the hospital’s office for some documents.
The case of Bi Fan and Bi Xingyi had not fallen under his team, as their team was the primary investigative force for the Cai Mingyue infanticide incident.
After a period of investigation, they finally collected the addresses of all the medical staff involved in that incident back then, waiting for the hospital to provide their detailed work information from that time.
The alarm came suddenly. At that moment, Lei Chi was standing by the window, overlooking the courtyard of 267th Hospital. The courtyard had a pond, a small bridge, and willow and poplar trees that looked the same every day. Poplar fluff would soon start to drift in the air, and he couldn’t help but rub his nose. Just then, he suddenly saw a flash of electricity at a certain point on the hospital’s perimeter wall. The light illuminated something trying to climb over the wall.
Instantly, a shrill alarm echoed through the entire outpatient office building.
Lei Chi instinctively tensed his body and turned to look at the office. People who had been working overtime in the office were now gathering their important documents and moving them to a safe.
“Do you need help?” Lei Chi asked.
“No, it’s not necessary,” said a young doctor who was stamping documents. He didn’t stop his work. “Our hospital often deals with incidents like these. The entire building has security measures and standby security personnel. The people in the office should stay where they are.”
Lei Chi nodded. He could see that the people here were all well-trained.
He knew from the notification received from the local police station that an undercover team from the Criminal Investigation Division was currently at 267th Hospital. They were working alongside the hospital’s security personnel, waiting for the possible arrival of Bi Xingyi.
The thing that had climbed over the wall landed. Lei Chi’s eyes narrowed. His night vision was strong, and with the dim but strong lights in the courtyard, he could now clearly see what it was.
Long, thick tentacles spread out, and Bi Xingyi emerged from them. He was tall and thin, and his demeanor and posture were different from what Lei Chi had seen in the chaotic hotel. At this moment, the intruding Bi Xingyi appeared weary and anxious. He seemed exhausted, dragging his feet as he headed toward the nearest inpatient building.
“He can’t escape.” A young doctor also came to take a look and whispered, “The small square outside the inpatient building is crowded with people.”
If Bi Xingyi still had basic vigilance, he should have already noticed the spiritual bodies silently lurking around him.
However, he continued to move forward step by step, occasionally glancing at the inpatient building, but his direction remained unchanged.
The moment he stepped into the small square, it was as if he had stepped onto a soft web.
Bi Xingyi’s heart froze, and he immediately tried to break free. But it was too late. The web stuck to his feet, and numerous tiny spiders suddenly leaped up as he moved. A massive, semi-transparent spiderweb formed a canopy, swiftly descending upon Bi Xingyi.
There was a guide here who could control spiders. Bi Xingyi was not good at dealing with large numbers of things. He rolled on the ground and escaped the small square’s range, but the spiderweb had already securely trapped a part of his spiritual body. Several arms were tightly entangled and unable to break free.
Bi Xingyi decisively cut off the tentacles wrapped around him.
This had no effect on his octopus form. The octopus, like a creature attached to him, began to wildly move its remaining tentacles after a few were severed, and astonishingly, it quickly grew new ones.
Bi Xingyi initially started running, trying to avoid the small square and make his way to the inpatient building. However, after running only a couple of steps, he was suddenly hit by a strange gust of wind carrying an unusual scent.
A Morpho butterfly, as large as a human face, was suspended in mid-air. The patterns on its phosphorescent wings resembled a crumpled expanse of deep blue sea, swaying with a bright metallic luster in the nighttime light. As it flapped its wings, countless phosphorescent particles fell from its wings toward Bi Xingyi.
Bi Xingyi instantly felt an unbearable burning sensation in his nasal passages. It seemed like even his respiratory tract had been burned, and the choking sensation grew increasingly intense.
Just like when he climbed over the wall, his tentacles wrapped around him again to protect him. The massive flesh mass rolled on the ground, and the corrosive phosphorescent particles dissolved the watery protective membrane on the octopus’s body. The pain caused the octopus’s tentacles to convulse, but they still steadfastly shielded their owner.
“Wow!” The young doctor beside Lei Chi suddenly screamed, “His spiritual body!”
Caught between the phosphorescent particles and the spiderweb, the octopus, carrying Bi Xingyi, had no choice but to gradually move away from the inpatient building and approach the outpatient office building.
In front of the outpatient building was a spacious square, exactly where the undercover team had prepared to capture him.
The full form of the octopus was finally revealed under the bright lights of the square.
It was clearly a mutated octopus. It had two heads, one larger and one smaller, and each head was covered with various-sized tentacles.
Lei Chi furrowed his brow. While he had handled numerous cases involving spiritual bodies causing trouble, this was the first time he had seen a spiritual body mutate due to mental abnormalities. It was chilling.
The octopus released Bi Xingyi, and as Bi Xingyi gasped for breath, he knelt on the square and turned to look back at the inpatient building.
At that moment, a thick fog began to seep out from the bushes, rapidly filling the entire square. Just as Bi Xingyi was about to get up, he stumbled. The fog gradually condensed, revealing a majestic tiger standing in front of Bi Xingyi, growling softly.
Bi Xingyi hesitated for a moment, then suddenly rolled on the ground. At the same instant, his octopus leaped and pounced on the tiger.
The tiger, clearly inexperienced in facing such a foe, momentarily didn’t know which one to attack.
Lei Chi took the documents handed to him by the doctor, pushed open the window, and jumped onto the platform outside.
“Capture the person! Don’t mind the spiritual body!” A loud voice came from the small square in front of the inpatient building.
The tiger turned back in response, but the octopus’s tentacles had already wrapped around its two front legs, pulling it down to the ground. It clawed and scratched, but the octopus was undaunted, and more and more tentacles entwined the tiger’s body.
Bi Xingyi had already run out of the square’s range and was heading toward the outpatient office building. There was a path here that would lead him quickly to the inpatient building.
Just as he approached the outpatient office building, there was a sudden and loud crashing sound from above.
Bi Xingyi hadn’t had time to react when a fierce gust of wind swept down from above, slamming him to the ground. His nose was bloodied, and both of his hands were tightly grabbed by something, pulling him a few steps. It was only when he regained his senses amidst fear that he saw that the massive claws holding his hands belonged to a fairly large beast.
It was a hybrid of human and beast, with five fingers, but the back of its hand was covered in thick, coarse black hair, and its fingertips were long and exceptionally strong.
But as one looked higher up, the owner of the hand was just a young man with a face no different from an ordinary person. It seemed that only his hand had undergone a transformation.
“Lei Chi?” A middle-aged man walked over from the small square in front of the inpatient building, retracting his spiders with a few strands of spider silk still clinging to his fingertips. “What are you doing here?”
“Former team leader,” Lei Chi greeted the newcomer and casually dragged Bi Xingyi off the ground. “I found it interesting, so I decided to catch someone.”
The octopus that had been battling the tiger had disappeared due to the heavy damage Bi Xingyi had sustained. Two young girls were now approaching, one behind the other, both looking at Lei Chi with resentment in their eyes.
“…Training the rookies?” Lei Chi finally understood why the tiger seemed so inexperienced.
“One guide, one sentinel. I marked the battlefield for the two of them, but who would have thought they’d be this inept?”
The two girls exchanged glances behind their team leader, each giving a cold huff and turning away.
Lei Chi: “…”
His hand returned to its human form as he handcuffed Bi Xingyi.
“Let’s set that aside for now. Since we’ve caught him, let’s take him to the Crisis Management Office,” the former team leader said as he took out specially designed handcuffs and restraints, fastening them to Bi Xingyi’s hands and neck. These restraints contained tools to suppress the spiritual powers of sentinels and guides, making it impossible for Bi Xingyi to release his spiritual body temporarily.
But suddenly, Bi Xingyi erupted with tremendous strength and struggled desperately in Lei Chi’s grasp.
“FanFan!!!” Bi Xingyi screamed at the top of his lungs, directed toward the inpatient building, “Big brother is here!!! Don’t be afraid!!! Big brother will save you!!!”
Bi Fan, who had been sleeping uneasily, was abruptly awakened by a nightmare. She lay in her hospital bed, her heart racing, with a loud buzzing in her head.
It seemed that someone was shouting not too far away, and they were saying the thing she feared most.
She tried to sit up and realized that she wasn’t bound. Many of the chaotic thoughts in her mind seemed to have been cleared away by someone.
The room had a reassuring atmosphere. Bi Fan looked down and saw a fist-sized guinea pig in her arms, gazing up at her with tiny black eyes.
A sleek black panther was prowling in the room. Two nurses leaned against the window, seemingly watching something outside the building.
Sensing her movement, the two nurses turned their heads.
“Feeling better?” One of the nurses smiled. “A therapist came to see you, and he said you would feel much more comfortable now.”
Bi Fan nodded and clutched the guinea pig in her hands. The soft, warm body of the animal helped her to calm down.
There was indeed a faint sound coming from outside. It was a muffled voice, but it was calling her name.
Bi Fan felt a sudden chill, and her eyes widened with fear.
The black panther leaped onto the windowsill, standing there gracefully, its calm gaze fixed on Bi Fan. It seemed to be shielding her from any potential danger.
“Don’t be afraid. No one here will harm you,” one of the nurses reassured her. “You’re safe.”
Hearing those words, Bi Fan couldn’t hold back her emotions any longer, and she burst into tears.
During this time, Bai Xiaoyuan had been shuttling back and forth between his home and the hotel where he conducted “sea area” tests, with no recent visits to the Crisis Management Office.
On the day when Bi Fan returned to the Crisis Management Office, she was immediately dragged away by her group of friends, each of them chattering excitedly, “Do you know that Lei Chi from the Criminal Investigation Department is a werewolf?”
Bai Xiaoyuan: “Yes, I know.”
Friend: “He’s so handsome! He’s one of those very rare werewolves who can control the transformation of specific body parts.”
Bai Xiaoyuan: “Oh, is that so?”
The friend vividly described the events that had taken place at the 267th Hospital that night, and they emphasized that the story came from two newcomers who were present at the scene and that there was no exaggeration involved. In this story, Lei Chi leaped from the 38th floor of the outpatient office building at the 267th Hospital, stomped on an octopus with one foot, and attacked the rogue guide with his wolf claws before instantly capturing him. When he captured the rogue guide, his backpack had just landed after falling from the top floor.
Friend: “Doesn’t it sound just like a martial arts movie? So cool! He must be a martial hero, right?”
Bai Xiaoyuan: “Is there really no exaggeration in this story?”
Friend: “None at all! It’s absolutely true! Think about it, Xiaoyuan! The 38th floor! How did he jump like that?”
Bai Xiaoyuan: “The outpatient office building at the 267th Hospital only has 6 floors, and the offices are on the 4th floor.”
Friend: “…Oh, is that so?”
As Bai Xiaoyuan was going through documents in the Adjustment Department’s office, there was a knock on the door. She looked up and saw Lei Chi standing outside, holding out something to her.
She quickly took it, realizing it was a small box of Snow Kiss chocolate.
“Um…” Bai Xiaoyuan was about to refuse, but Lei Chi gestured for her to keep it.
“Split it with your department. My colleague said this is really delicious; he brought it back from Japan.” Lei Chi looked around casually, appearing quite natural. “Where’s your department head?”
“He’s at the hotel, conducting ‘sea area’ tests,” Bai Xiaoyuan replied.
“We, from the Criminal Investigation Department, need to talk to him about something related to your colleague Tang Cuo.”
Bai Xiaoyuan immediately thought of what she had heard earlier about “octopus” and the guide.
“Is Bi Xingyi captured?”
Lei Chi raised an eyebrow and then smiled. “Just don’t let this news leak.”
Seeing Lei Chi smile was a rare sight for the people at the Crisis Management Office, including Bai Xiaoyuan. At that moment, the only thought swirling in her mind was the words of her friend: He’s so handsome.
After receiving the notification, Qin Ge worked until 5:30 in the afternoon before returning to the Crisis Management Office.
The head of the Criminal Investigation Department personally visited him, making a polite request.
“Bi Xingyi’s mouth can’t be opened, which is quite troublesome,” he told Qin Ge. “Moreover, no guide can enter his ‘sea area.'”
Qin Ge’s eyelid had not twitched in a long time, but at that moment, it started to twitch vigorously. He silently calculated in his mind, wondering why he had encountered so many cases of “sea area” lockdown recently. It was Xie Zijing, Bi Fan, and now Bi Xingyi.
“I’ll give it a try.” Qin Ge, despite feeling somewhat tired, couldn’t refuse this task. He set down his backpack and left the office, only to see Tang Cuo and Xie Zijing rushing back from outside.
“Aren’t you going to the gym?” Qin Ge asked.
Tang Cuo’s face turned slightly red. “Not for now. Xie Zijing mentioned that you were coming back to work overtime, so I came to see if there’s anything I can help with.”
The two of them stayed in the office, while Qin Ge went with the head of the Criminal Investigation Department to meet with Gao Tianyue and discuss the workflow for collaboration.
Unexpectedly, Gao Tianyue didn’t agree with their proposal.
“Qin Ge is too tired.” He waved his hand. “The issue you mentioned—I’ve already learned about it today and am already searching for a more suitable adjuster.”
Qin Ge was intrigued. “Who?”
Gao Tianyue: “Lu Qinglai.”
Both Qin Ge and the head of the Criminal Investigation Department almost simultaneously objected, “No.”
Gao Tianyue was taken aback. “Why not?”
The head of the Criminal Investigation Department spoke first: “Based on the current investigation, we suspect that Lu Qinglai may have been involved in the mental anomalies of Bi Fan and Bi Xingyi.”
He explained what he knew, which was similar to what Qin Ge had heard. However, there was one detail that neither Qin Ge nor the head of the Criminal Investigation Department knew.
Bi Fan graduated from the New Hope Elite Management Academy. Every graduate of New Hope Elite Management Academy undergoes a “sea area” test before leaving to ensure that they have no mental anomalies. This was different from the Talent Planning Academy, where Qin Ge graduated.
Bi Fan’s “sea area” test was conducted by Lu Qinglai.
“Lu Qinglai is a teacher at the academy, and he has been responsible for conducting the ‘sea area’ tests for all the sentinel guides graduating from the academy,” the head of the Criminal Investigation Department said in a hushed tone, deeply concerned. “If what Qin Ge suggests is true, that this person added various suggestions during the test, then the situation we face is very frightening.”
“…Suggestions; this is just your speculation, right?” Gao Tianyue asked after a moment of contemplation.
After hearing their answers, he seemed resolute.
“For now, this matter is to be kept strictly confidential among the three of us. Speculation is unreliable, and I need evidence. Currently, what you have mentioned, that Lu Qinglai did not detect any mental anomalies in Bi Fan and Bi Xingyi, only shows that he was negligent, and we cannot charge him for inciting people to commit a crime.”
Qin Ge knew that Gao Tianyue was always cautious. He nodded.
“…Thank you for your hard work, Qin Ge,” Gao Tianyue said in a low voice. “Zhang Xiao is not in the country now, and Qin Shuangshuang has already left the Crisis Management Office for another department. We can’t let her participate in the confidential investigation in the Crisis Management Office anymore. We can only rely on you.”
Qin Ge thought that after Zhang Xiao, there should be another adjuster, right? He should have passed the qualification test before Qin Shuangshuang. But in reality, even Qin Shuangshuang didn’t know who the second adjuster in the country was.
“Have you chosen a partner?” Gao Tianyue suddenly asked. “After entering the Adjustment Department, your workload will increase, so you need to take care of your own protection.”
Qin Ge wasn’t sure if Gao Tianyue was genuinely advising him or just making a suggestion. Nevertheless, he had already chosen a partner he liked.
“I’ve already made my choice,” he said. “It’s Xie Zijing.”
The moment he mentioned Xie Zijing’s name, Qin Ge noticed a hint of surprise in Gao Tianyue’s expression.
It was as if his decision had greatly surprised Gao Tianyue. For a moment, Qin Ge couldn’t understand why Gao Tianyue was so astonished. However, after the initial surprise, Gao Tianyue’s face transformed into a pleased smile.
“That’s very good,” he said with a smile, running his hand through his sparse hair. “Both of you are excellent; work well together.”
Bi Xingyi’s “sea area” test was scheduled for the weekend.
After learning that he had been chosen by Qin Ge as a diving partner, Xie Zijing was overjoyed. He couldn’t sit still for several days and insisted on staying at Qin Ge’s place every night. Amidst the teasing from Bai Xiaoyuan and Tang Cuo, Qin Ge felt that his own cheeks were gradually thickening, just like Xie Zijing’s.
Choosing Xie Zijing as a “diving partner” was a significant event for Qin Ge.
He had already shared a huge secret with Xie Zijing, which was why he was willing to continue sharing such major matters with him. When Qin Ge signed his name solemnly on the application to register Xie Zijing as his “diving partner,” he inexplicably felt like he was signing a partnership application.
His face warmed slightly, and when he handed the document to Bai Xiaoyuan, he felt as though she had already seen through everything.
The day before the “sea area” test, Xie Zijing’s partner application was approved. He could now openly accompany Qin Ge to any location where Qin Ge worked.
He had initially planned to tease Qin Ge a little, but when he saw how serious and earnest Qin Ge’s expression was, Xie Zijing swallowed his words and decided to wait for a better opportunity.
On the weekend, Qin Ge and Xie Zijing arrived at the Crisis Management Office’s Criminal Investigation Department, where the room was already filled with people waiting for the test to begin.
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