"Nurse Yun… is… is Xiaodan okay?"

Yun He's absent self was driven back to Earth as soon as he heard Liu Xiaodan's name. His eyes then rose to his natural eye level and saw everyone in the support group looking in his direction. It was as if they were all anxious to find out.

It wasn't time for another session, but they were all looking somber, letting Yun He organize one for them at their request. It's just that… even Yun He himself was worried about Xiaodan, and it was not because he was not around for a while.

The nurse then took a deep breath, but he didn't answer. Liu Xiaodan was officially under Project Red Justice now, and all participants were normally isolated from the rest. Yun He couldn't tell them that he's staying in the Treatment Hall now… because it wasn't his turn yet. Moreover, he was more neural than most.

"Nurse Yun, I… I heard the Mother say that… the Treatment Hall is home to a giant maw, and that thing is out hunting for Xiaodan… and that… that he's… he's already been eaten… like the rest." Min Ye cowered at the words that came out of his mouth.

It was supposed to be Min Ye's turn for the treatment, and yet Dr. Fan hadn't collected him as if she lost interest in him. Now that someone like Liu Xiaodan was attracting their eyes, they probably got him treated first.

Yun He only laughed as if he had heard a joke, which was unusual for him to do. Min Ye's eyes darted at Yun He's face as if the other man felt ridiculed. Yun He had never laughed at them before; why did he laugh just now?

"That's… not what I meant." Yun He waved his hand, aware of the hidden meaning in their gazes. "I only reacted at the thought of that… giant maw eating Xiaodan. Perhaps it already had its shot ruined by a few guards, but that didn't mean Xiaodan is in any trouble.

"I'm going to be very honest. Xiaodan is in the Treatment Hall, and he's currently asleep. He's not dead or whatsoever; he's very much alive." Yun He regarded everyone. "As long as they don't—"

Fierce knocking came to the door, and an elite guard opened it before Yun He could come to it. Four's eyes turned to Yun He who was headed to the door, and he said, "Nurse Yun, you should check your pager even during your sessions. We need you at Control."

Yun He shook his head. "I promised that no one could interrupt me when I listen—"

"4-28's already awake and is running around the Treatment Hall. They're on alert level C, and all paddocks are open. We need you there. Now."

"Xiaodan is what?"

Yun He called out his name so the patients would know why Yun He was leaving. He could only glance behind him and read the expressions on everyone else's faces. When they heard Liu Xiaodan's name, they were all expectant of some good news. However, there was nothing else Yun He could say.

Four nodded. "He ran out to the Lodging Hall earlier, but he ran back into the Treatment Hall."

He then regarded the rest of the support group with a snigger. "Heh, you guys are all scared for Xiaodan's ass? Why is that?"

"Don't talk to them like that please." Yun He passed by next to him, slipping through the gap between him and the door frame. The other nurses standing by across the hall were called by Yun He. "Please help me get them back to their rooms."

"Hahaha, why are they worried about that freak? Shucks, no one in the elite squad even wants to cross paths with him again." Four laughed out as he followed Yun He out, but his words were heard by the support group.

Only Chen Anna hummed as she felt like it was normal for the elite squad to grow terrified of a person who could dissolve a ghost as scary and powerful as the swaddled baby. It's just that she couldn't give an explanation as to why he was so reckless when it came to challenging higher beings.

"Xiaodan is alive?" Min Ye took a deep breath and became relieved. However, it made him feel nervous after. So if he didn't die, then Dr. Fan would pick out another person for the treatment. Moreover, Yun He had already more or less confirmed the existence of the giant maw. "Does that mean…?"

'Could Wuji still be alive?'

…

A collection of loud footsteps echoed down the hallway as a group was rolling a screaming and struggling patient. His mouth was foaming, but he just kept on moving and twitching. He was already in a straitjacket, and any dose of tranquilizer wouldn't calm him; neither would sedatives work.

That was why they hurriedly brought him to the Treatment Hall from the Sick Hall. The doctors and nurses assigned to the former hall would know exactly how to deal with those who had been in contact with the dirty things and the experiments.

Among the people was Ten. He was holding onto his service rifle while looking around the place. They were told that a patient was running loose in the Treatment Hall, and so they might end up running into him. Ten was prepared to shoot down anything hostile in sight as long as it would bring harm.

Creak. Through the sound of the Control agent's guidance came a subtle cl.i.c.k.i.n.g and creaking sound like a door was just closed nearby. Ten stopped and aimed upfront. Something must be attracted by their footsteps. As Ten stayed in position, the nurses held their breaths.

A small hand started peeking from the corner. Ten aimed at the small hand. "I'm armed and ready to shoot. Identify yourself!"

The small hand was retracted, and footsteps came from the other side. A bigger hand then showed up. "Please don't shoot. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Shit, it's 4-28." Ten visibly shuddered. The man who could walk through walls had shown up even if he was reported to be unseen for more than twenty-four hours. Liu Xiaodan was stuck in the Treatment Hall? Wait, no… he's the patient on the loose!

"Hi, please don't shoot." Liu Xiaodan walked into their view and realized that they were carrying a patient strapped in the bed. He then stopped next to the walls. "It's tiring to walk so tirelessly. I don't want to find the Lodging Hall again. Please let me out."

Ten stared at the security-level-five patient before remembering that he was escorting another patient. Taking a huge risk, he lowered his gun and jerked it to the side. "Stay in front. We're taking this patient to his room first before I deal with you."

Liu Xiaodan only nodded before inadvertently turning his back on them and walking on up ahead. By then, Guangru ran out from the side and clung to Liu Xiaodan's leg. The child eyed Ten, and the guard was caught by surprise. He had unfortunate reflexes, but he didn't manage to pull the trigger.

It was as if he was frozen involuntarily.

"Guangru, don't run out like that. You could have been shot!" Liu Xiaodan told Guangru to stay behind so he could hide from the crowd. The father didn't think that Guangru would still follow him out in the open.

"I won't get shot." Guangru didn't spare Liu Xiaodan a glance. His glinting red eyes were pinned at Ten, sending the man sweating even if he felt like he was on the summit of Everest.

"Still." Liu Xiaodan turned to their shocked faces before he scooped down to carry Guangru again. From Liu Xiaodan's shoulder, Guangru continued to watch the people behind them. The father only turned to the crowd. "Officer, which way do we go?"

"Why do you have a child with you?" One of the nurses spoke.

Children were not allowed in the facility simply because they might end up bringing guardians with them. Guardians were natural enemies of the ghosts they reared here so there might be accidents. Of course, the staff only thought the prohibition was out of caution as the deranged wouldn't care if it was a child.

Liu Xiaodan then looked at the beautiful child in his arms before smiling at the nurse. "Let's deal with that guy over there first. You can hold him afterward."

The nurse was even shocked. Did he just pick up a child from the facility's dark corners?

Bang! The patient broke out of his straitjacket, which was humanly impossible. Ten swung back and tried to aim at the patient instead, but the crazed man jumped from the bed to trample him. Other nurses tried to get him off, but the patient could shake them off with just one arm.

Liu Xiaodan only stared at the crazed patient. He couldn't jump in and help, knowing that Guangru was materialized. However, he knew that he shouldn't just stand there and watch. He went to the motion of letting Guangru down, but the child stretched out his hand.

"You're creating trouble in front of Baba? Who do you think you are?" Guangru's red eyes shone brightly, and the patient stopped his movements.

His face lifted to look at Guangru… with eyes quivering in a very frightened state. It didn't take another second before Guangru clenched his outstretched fist and made the man scream in pain.

Bang! The sound of an explosion echoed, but nothing actually exploded. However, the crazed patient then wriggled strangely and began puking black blood from his mouth. It was the same kind of blood Liu Xiaodan would find on ghosts.

The father had almost forgotten that, aside from reciprocating attacks and bleeding miasma, Guangru was also capable of exploding ghosts. Since the ghost wouldn't attack them, there was nothing to reciprocate. Moreover, reciprocating would cause the person to die with it.

Ten crawled from underneath the patient. He stared at the black blood he was also familiar with. This black blood was only present at places where ghosts cannibalize other ghosts in the facility. For it to bleed out of a living human…

"What is that?!" Ten couldn't help but aim at Guangru again. Liu Xiaodan then moved Guangru out of sight, keeping his eyes on the man in case he pulled the trigger.

"He's my child, and you don't get to point guns at him, asshole." Liu Xiaodan barked. "He saved just you. You're welcome."

"Child?" Ten s.u.c.k.e.d in cold air. This man clearly was not the father of any child. Moreover, if they had a super-powerful experiment that could kill remotely, the elite squad should be informed. It's just that… this facility wasn't made for children.

Then, he remembered something that Six had spoken about before. This Patient 4-28 had ghost friends who followed him to the facility. One of them was a child that showed up from time to time. They didn't believe him because they hadn't seen the child before.

Right now, he just saw this ghost child kill another ghost possessing a body. Even Abaddon couldn't kill a ghost possessing a body, and that was why they thought possessing bodies could make them immune to Abaddon's wrath. Now, it's just useless to this ghost.

"Officer, the patient needed to be examined closely," the nurse called out. They managed to keep the patient from puking out more, and he had already passed out. If he kept on puking, it might block his airway and even suffocate him.

"Keep walking!" Ten got up and waved his rifle, his knees jelly even if he tried to be courageous. Why didn't he believe them when all members of the squad told him not to engage 4-28?