Chapter 172 - 169: An Abnormal Wind
The Second Affiliated Hospital of the Military District. Its newly constructed Inpatient Building No. 3 had been set aside for the exclusive use of the Special Security Team.
This time, Cui Ying and Mo Shaoge were not separated, but instead shared a spacious hospital room.
Looking after them were Du Juan’Er and Mo Qingxue.
The night grew deeper, but no one in the room felt the least bit sleepy.
It hadn’t been long since the incident had occurred. Before, at the research institute, confidentiality regulations had prevented them from informing their families.
Now, only half a day after being transferred to the military hospital, neither of the two patients was mentally prepared to tell their parents.
However, all the participants from that outdoor activity were temporarily staying as guests of the Special Security Team, so they were more than happy to come look after their friend and brother.
Cui Ying lay listlessly on her bed. Little Sister and Mo Qingxue did their best to keep smiling as they peeled fruit and did other small tasks for the two patients.
Mo Shaoge, however, was true to his nature. Even in his half-dead state, when he saw Cui Ying turn to look at him, he managed a smile and a flirtatious wink.
Even though they knew the two were seriously injured, the sight of Mo Shaoge acting like his usual optimistic, clownish self made all three girls in the room burst out laughing—even Cui Ying, who had been depressed and sullen ever since she got back.
"Brother, you must not think you’re injured badly enough," Mo Qingxue said. "I bet if Dad were here, he wouldn’t be able to resist giving you a smack, sick or not."
"The way he pursued... pursued Mom back in the day... D-don’t think I haven’t... heard Grandma’s stories..."
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
After the brief knock, the door opened and a group of people walked straight in. Leading them was Tao Xingzhi, a man Cui Ying and Little Sister remembered well. Behind him were Huang Jiutian and several other men in plain clothes whom they didn’t recognize.
"Sorry to interrupt your chat. Xiaocui, Xiaodu, we meet again. And hello to the two of you, the Xiaomos."
Tao Xingzhi had returned to the country in a hurry. Due to the unique circumstances, he had only made a brief phone report to his superiors about the situation in France before coming directly here.
The other men in plain clothes, aside from Huang Jiutian, did not enter the room, closing the door behind them.
Tao Xingzhi sat on a stool between the two hospital beds. He glanced at the television in the room, noting that it was off. He couldn’t tell if it had never been on or if it had simply been turned off for the night.
"Did you watch the evening news earlier?"
"We did!"
It was Cui Ying who answered, and she was bursting with questions.
"Sir, what exactly is your plan?"
’In terms of medical capabilities,’ Cui Ying thought, ’the Special Security Team surely isn’t lacking. So why deliberately move us to this hospital and even broadcast the story on national news? What’s the plan? This can’t be good for confidentiality, can it?’
"Oh? You’re a journalist, and a fairly successful independent media owner at that. What do you think we’re doing?"
The Mo siblings and Little Sister couldn’t get a word in, so they just listened quietly from the side.
"You’re a high-ranking official, sir. How could I possibly fathom your plans... But I can’t shake the feeling that this is a deliberate show for someone’s benefit..."
Tao Xingzhi smiled, and so did Huang Jiutian.
Seeing his superior reach for a pocket, Huang Jiutian offered a reminder.
"Chief, this is a hospital."
"Oh, right. My apologies."
The hand that was about to pull out a cigarette retreated.
"Xiaocui, Xiaomo... as of right now, we have no way to treat your condition."
Instead of telling Cui Ying whether she was right, Tao Xingzhi changed the subject to their medical condition.
Although they had an inkling from the expressions of the medical staff and the deterioration of the injuries, hearing Tao Xingzhi state it so definitively still made the hearts of the other four people in the room sink.
"But just because we don’t have a solution doesn’t mean you can’t be saved!"
"Your guess was correct. That news bulletin was meant for someone else to see—for the ones who can truly save you!"
"So for tonight, and for some time to come, for your own well-being... do not lose your composure over any strange events that might occur!"
Though his cryptic words only raised more questions for the four of them, Tao Xingzhi couldn’t say anything more. Having given his warning, he exited the hospital room.
"Chief, go get some sleep in the side room. We’ll keep watch here."
Tao Xingzhi waved a hand at his subordinate and sat down on a chair in the corridor, twirling a lighter between his fingers.
SNAP. An orange flame shot out, burned quietly for two seconds, and was then snuffed out by the closing lid.
"The Forestry Bureau has sent over the initial data."
Unexpectedly, Tao Xingzhi wasn’t thinking about the mysterious figure on the minds of the elite Special Security Team members beside him, but about something else entirely.
Many people in the Special Security Bureau had their own specific roles. Tao Xingzhi and the assessment team handled overall coordination, while field agents like Huang Jiutian had more operational freedom.
"What’s the situation?"
Jiutian asked instinctively.
"It’s hard to say if it’s good news or bad. The vegetation growth in most of our mountain forests far exceeds conventional metrics..."
Tao Xingzhi glanced at the men beside him and smirked.
"Our nation’s forest coverage and green-space area are steadily on the rise!"
If the Special Security Team hadn’t specifically inquired about this sort of greening data, the Forestry Department would have likely just chalked it up as an indicator of their own excellent performance. But now, things were different.
Tao Xingzhi leaned his head back, cradling it in his hands, lost in thought.
Then, one by one, the rest of the Special Security Team members took seats on the two rows of chairs lining the wall, sitting neatly like schoolchildren.
A heavy feeling settled in their hearts.
...
The lighter flame flickered to life and died, again and again. But suddenly, the next time it sparked, the flame began to dance wildly to one side.
’Wind?’
’The inpatient ward is a sealed environment, and the air conditioning handles ventilation. Where would wind be coming from?’
WHOOSH... WHOOSH...
A much stronger gust of wind blew down the corridor, and everyone but Tao Xingzhi shot up from their seats.
One of the agents immediately spoke into the communicator on his collar.
"All security posts, report in!"
"Post 1, surveillance room, all clear!"
"Post 2, inpatient ward entrance, all clear!"
"Post 3, first-floor lobby, all clear!"
"Post 4, elevator bank, all clear!"
...
"Post 9, rooftop, all clear!"
...
’All clear, my ass!’
In the corridor outside the room, the wind had become absurdly strong in just a few moments. All eight members of the Special Security Team struggled to stay on their feet. The wind’s direction was so bizarre that it was hard to even speak; they could only listen on the shared comms channel as each post reported "all clear."
’There was no point wondering how a wind like this could form inside a sealed corridor with no open windows.’
"Chief! This wind is strange! Our clothes!"
Only Huang Jiutian, being an Evolver, had the strength to speak.
Everyone looked at their own clothes, then at each other’s. ’What about them?’
"They aren’t moving enough!"
In a gale this strong, their clothes should have been whipping about as if someone were yanking on them, yet they were barely fluttering.
A sudden thought struck Tao Xingzhi, and he struggled to pull out his lighter.
SNAP. ’It actually lit in a wind this strong?’
The flame flickered, but it was no more agitated than if it were in a gentle breeze.
"Soul’s Sigh. It’s a Technique of my own creation. Even Master Sage has praised it."
A clear, elegant female voice, accompanied by the clicking of high heels, echoed from the far end of the empty corridor.
With every click of the heels, three blurry silhouettes seemed to lurch forward a great distance. They appeared to be moving slowly in the distance, yet by the time she finished speaking, they were already standing before the agents.
It was like some sort of optical illusion.
One figure stood in the lead, with two behind. One of the figures in the back was no taller than an adult’s waist.
The shadow of a long, hooded cloak served as a mask, obscuring the upper half of her face. Though the lower half of her face seemed to blur and shift, her fiery red lips left a striking impression.
"Trying to contact us so suddenly, and in such a manner... even with Master Sage’s order, I couldn’t be certain there weren’t any Demons mixed in among you."
"But it appears there aren’t. Mmm, how delightful... heh heh..."
The woman’s voice was filled with an assertive, teasing quality. It was similar to Su Su’s usual tone, but possessed a completely different level of depth and complexity.
SNAP. She snapped her fingers.
The gale vanished in an instant. The sudden loss of resistance sent a wave of vertigo through the Special Security Team members, who had been bracing against it. One of them nearly fell over.
"Don’t go tattling to Master Sage, now. I... hold... a... ve~ry... long... grudge~~"
Pressure. A terrifying pressure that made it impossible to breathe, impossible to move.
The Magic Power billowed from Su Su’s body like smoke and mist. It was like a deep, hazy dye staining the very space around her, threatening at any moment to coalesce into a heavy wave of shadow and lunge forward to devour them whole.
For the first time, the members of the Special Security Team were witnessing Magic Power in a form visible to the naked eye.
Sweat beaded on Huang Jiutian’s forehead.
’Such terrifying fluctuations of Magic Power... Just which monstrous Female Demon from the Association is this?!’
"My Lady! Please control your emotions! Do not forget Master Sage’s instructions!"
A steady voice suddenly rang out. A distinct sensation of being enveloped followed, saving the agents who were on the verge of suffocating.