Dane Clinic

"Achoo!"

Irin suddenly sneezed, inexplicably feeling a chilly sensation on the back of her neck.

The young girl subconsciously wrapped her clothes tighter around herself, then glanced around.

She and Liao Ji had now arrived within the "Gray Zone" of the Black Cave Settlement. This district was wedged between the wealthy area and the gang territories, serving both as a buffer zone and a natural underground market.

The wealthy provided money, the gangs provided services, and one shady underground deal after another was conducted here in silence. Over time, this actually spurred the development of this interstitial zone, turning it into a massive hub for the gray industrial chain.

Unlicensed black clinics, black markets for contraband, arms dealers, human traffickers, brothels, and dance halls—basically, anything that could indulge human desires and satisfy various needs could be found on this "Gray Street."

The "Dane Clinic" that Liao Ji and the girl were heading to was exactly one of these: an unregistered, "three-no" black clinic that had never been filed with The Church.

Irin looked left and right, but didn't notice anything unusual. The time was now nine-thirty in the evening. For other parts of the Black Cave, this was the dead of night, silent and deserted, but for "Gray Street," the timing was just right. People on the street hurried along, making this one of the few places in the settlement that remained brightly lit late at night.

"Catch a cold? Do you want to go buy a scarf?"

The concerned voice of the young man beside her came through, and Irin shook her head.

"No, I'm not that delicate. Let's hurry up. I don't know why, but I suddenly have this creepy feeling in my heart."

"Uh, does this feeling happen to you often?"

"Of course not!"

Giving the young man a sharp look, Irin really did pick up her pace. She had always trusted her intuition; it was a habit for every Scavenger.

A few minutes later, after winding through several alleys of various sizes, a plaque flashing the words "Dane Clinic" finally appeared in Liao Ji's field of vision.

Although the clinic wasn't very large, it seemed to have quite a few patients inside. Even at this hour, there were still many people coming in and out.

However, based on Liao Ji's observations, most of these people had superficial injuries; the more serious cases were likely just fractures requiring bandages and plaster casts.

For injuries that weren't fatal but couldn't be ignored, coming to a cheap black clinic was indeed the most cost-effective choice.

Arriving at the ward area, there was only a drowsy nurse at the front desk. Irin, who had entered, didn't bother her and walked straight inside. The girl had been here many times, so she knew the way well.

[108]

At the third room from the end of the ward corridor, Irin clutched the doorknob with excitement, too impatient to even knock, and pushed it open directly.

"Mom! I..."

"Mom? Mom?"

The girl's happy voice came to an abrupt halt, and she stood frozen in front of the ward door. When Liao Ji followed behind and looked into the room, he understood the reason.

The hospital bed was completely empty, and the bedding and white sheets had clearly been tidied up by a nurse, prepared for the next patient.

"H-how could this be!?" Recovering from her shock, Irin backed out in disbelief and checked the ward number.

[108]

That was right.

This should be the ward her mother was staying in.

But... where was her mother?

Where had her mom gone!?

Seeing Irin lose her composure, nearly ready to open every single ward door, Liao Ji reached out and held the girl back.

"Don't panic. Maybe the doctor changed your mother's treatment plan on short notice. Let's go to the front desk and ask first."

"Right, right, the front desk!"

Irin rushed toward the front desk in a flurry, startling the drowsy nurse on duty. The girl, of course, couldn't care less about that and asked anxiously:

"Doctor, Nolan—may I ask what Nolan's ward number is?"

Under normal circumstances, inquiring about patient information required following procedure, but this was where the "disguise" effect, enforced by Liao Ji, showed its value.

When the nurse saw the girl dressed as if she were quite wealthy, she figured she wasn't someone to be trifled with, so she didn't say much and pulled out a tablet to swipe through it.

But soon after:

"Nolan? Sorry, Miss, there is no patient by the name of Nolan in the clinic right now."

"Y-you, what did you say!?" Irin doubted her own ears.

Until the nurse on the other side repeated it.

"Miss, I can't find the person you're talking about in my current ward registry. Did you... go to the wrong place?"

"Impossible! How could that be! Dane Clinic, 108! My mom, she was right here! You... you!"

The commotion from Irin's side immediately drew the sidelong glances of many patients in the clinic. Even the nurse at the front desk frowned at the agitated girl, starting to wonder if she was there to cause trouble.

It was then that a hand reached out from behind and pressed onto Irin's shoulder.

"Apologies, nurse. My sister is feeling a bit emotional. The situation is this: my mother was originally staying in our room 108, but we just went to check and the room is empty. Since you say there's no such person here, then..."

"Could you please help us check the transfer records for ward 108? It doesn't need to be long, just the last two days would suffice. Thank you for your trouble."

Dressed in a high-end suit with an upright posture, Liao Ji impressed the nurse at the front desk with both his image and his manner of speaking. She hesitated for a moment; technically, outsiders had no right to know about ward transfer records.

However, The nurse snuck a few more glances at the handsome young man across from her, and Liao Ji cooperated by offering an apologetic smile that said, "Sorry for the trouble." This immediately made her heart flutter; after all, those who came to this black clinic were usually either burly, fierce-looking gangsters or gaunt, impoverished wretches in tattered clothes. This was the first time she had seen someone as fair-skinned and refined as Liao Ji.

Furthermore, since he had identified himself as the patient's immediate family member, and given how anxious his younger sister appeared, the nurse finally nodded at the young man, granting him a small favor as she lowered her head to operate the tablet in her hands.

A moment later.

"Sir, I've found it! Your mother, Ms. Nolan, was discharged at eleven o'clock this morning by... uh, by her daughter, Ms. Irin."

When the receptionist said this, she gave Liao Ji a strange look, wondering to herself if the young man had yet another sister.

On the other side.

Irin's eyes went wide in utter disbelief; this was clearly nonsense. Unfortunately, just as she was about to speak out in anger, the power of the Contract surged, rendering her unable to make a sound or move a muscle.

With his mother—his only remaining kin and the person he relied on—at stake, Liao Ji understood Irin's current agitation, but impulsiveness wouldn't solve the problem, so he used the Contract to keep her quiet and still for the moment.

"Is that so?"

"Then, Doctor, could you please check one more thing for me? Who is listed as the registrant for this discharge record?"

"Let me see... Huh? It's actually Director Fredre?"

Even the receptionist was a bit surprised; it was truly rare for the director to handle the registration personally.

"Understood. Could I ask one last thing, Miss Nurse? Is Director Fredre currently in the clinic? And which room is he in?"

The nurse hesitated again. If it were any other physician, it would be fine, but the director was a different matter. This wasn't something she could answer so casually.

Fortunately.

Seeming to sense her predicament, the young man across from her smiled and offered a comforting, relaxed tone:

"Oh, don't worry. Actually, Dr. Fredre and I are friends, and we have a pretty good relationship. Otherwise, he wouldn't have handled the registration paperwork for us personally, would he?"

Th-that's true.

If they were friends, then it shouldn't be a problem, right?

The nurse became even more respectful toward Liao Ji and hurriedly replied:

"Sir, go up from here. Once you reach the third floor, turn left and go to the fourth room at the very end of the hall; that is Director Fredre's office. Our director usually doesn't leave until around ten o'clock. If you hurry, you should still be able to catch him."

Glancing at the wall clock, which showed it was a quarter to ten, Liao Ji nodded.

"Thank you very much."