Yard time

"Should I take that as a threat, Doctor?"

Lu Fei's voice was low and menacing, but Dai Yong'an seemed entirely unaffected, still wearing that calm, unhurried smile.

"No, I'm not interested in your secrets, Major." Dai Yong'an's voice was gentle. "I only want to propose a mutually beneficial partnership."

Lu Fei frowned slightly, his voice low and cold. "Doctor, the rumors say you're quite mad, but if you expect to make me compromise this way, you're sorely mistaken."

His gaze was as sharp as a blade. "I've seen far more insane humanoid anomalies over the years than you could imagine. You don't scare me."

"Thank you for the compliment, but why not hear my request before refusing?" Dai Yong'an smiled dismissively. "We'd simply each be getting what we need."

"Oh?" Lu Fei raised an eyebrow, signaling for him to continue.

"I don't care what you want from that Class-D personnel member. Of course, if you cause trouble, I'll report it truthfully."

A flicker of fervor flashed in Dai Yong'an's eyes. "I'll give you opportunities to interact with D-87465 under the pretext of research. In exchange, I want you to provide an assessment of his psychological state after your interactions... my only requirement is objectivity."

"Dai Yong'an, what are you planning?!" There was an unmistakable warning in Lu Fei's voice.

"Sorry, that concerns my research, and you aren't authorized to know." Dai Yong'an answered calmly. "But as your partner, I can guarantee that everything will be conducted strictly according to the anomaly containment facility's rules. No lines will be crossed."

When Lu Fei merely stared at him in silence, he added, "You should know that I don't absolutely need you for this, but I'm certain you're the best candidate."

At that, Lu Fei sneered, his voice icy. "Since you've noticed my interest in that kid, aren't you at all worried about retaliation from the military?"

"As long as you aren't planning to kill me right now, I'll keep trying to discuss a partnership with you, Major."

Dai Yong'an remained entirely unruffled. "Besides, there's no difference between a Class-D personnel member being in my hands and being in another researcher's. On the contrary, our partnership might make his situation... a little more interesting."

Lu Fei knew very well that saving someone in the anomaly containment facility was harder than killing someone here. Even employees like them had to pay an enormous price to leave, let alone Class-D personnel.

Death was usually their ultimate destination.

He drew a deep breath, his brow furrowed, and only spoke after a long silence. "It's hard to imagine they actually let a madman rise to a position like this..."

"Haven't you heard all about my madness already?" Dai Yong'an smiled, unconcerned.

He turned and walked toward the interrogation room door. "Major, I think we should find somewhere to sit down over coffee and discuss the details of our partnership..."

A steady stream of footsteps passed through the metal doorway, accompanied by harsh scraping sounds.

Along with the other Class-D personnel, Zhou Ze passed through the heavy iron doors under the escort of fully armed guards.

The view suddenly opened up, revealing a broad space before them.

This was the Class-D personnel's "yard time" area, but it looked more like a meticulously designed cage.

Though spacious, it was surrounded by high walls. Cold light shone down from the ceiling, and ubiquitous surveillance cameras watched every corner like merciless eyes.

Some fixed exercise equipment stood in the center-steel frames, pull-up bars, sit-up benches, and the like-but there were no dumbbells or barbells that could be used as weapons.

Class-D personnel were scattered in twos and threes, occupied with their own activities. Some jogged, some did simple calisthenics, and others gathered to talk in low voices, occasionally glancing at the guards stationed along the walls for fear of drawing unnecessary trouble.

This was a rare opportunity for Class-D personnel to move about freely, granted only every other day. Conditions here were clearly harsher than in prison. Only at times like this could they stretch their bodies a little and exchange a few words with their fellow inmates.

Zhou Ze headed toward a corner of the area, with no intention of showing off on the exercise equipment.

He had previously considered maintaining his fitness through exercise to improve his chances of surviving the experiments.

But now that he was clearly attracting attention, Zhou Ze only wanted to keep as low a profile as possible. He could exercise just fine in his room anyway.

A skeletal Class-D personnel member had already claimed the corner. His face was pale, and he stared blankly at the ceiling, his thoughts a mystery.

Zhou Ze didn't mind. He sat down a short distance from the man, swinging his legs as he observed the varied expressions of the Class-D personnel around him.

On his first visit, he had found it rather novel. After all, it was something he had never experienced before, a privilege unique to prison.

But after several visits, Zhou Ze found the broad space indescribably oppressive.

Both the gun-toting guards whose hawklike gazes constantly swept the area and the Class-D personnel who resembled walking corpses made it feel suffocating.

What was the experience like...? Like being in prison, of course.

No, perhaps it was worse than prison.

At least in an ordinary prison, the inmates knew when they would regain their freedom.

Here, all they could do was pray and wait for a salvation that might never come.

Zhou Ze looked down at his hands, his thoughts drifting far away. He remembered his former life, that ordinary yet free world.

Now those memories seemed veiled in a thin mist, close enough to touch yet impossibly out of reach.

"Hey, man." Zhou Ze turned his head and studied the gaunt Class-D personnel member beside him, lowering his voice slightly.

"Huh?" The man first glanced around, then met Zhou Ze's gaze as though waking from a dream. "What's up...?"

His voice was hoarse, like a withered leaf trembling in the wind, fragile and hollow.

"How long have you been here?" Zhou Ze turned back and asked casually.

"Not long... a few days, I guess."

"Oh." Zhou Ze nodded slightly.

That was to be expected. He had spoken with other Class-D personnel before, and there simply weren't any "old hands" here.

"So what did you do?" Zhou Ze asked again.

"Drugs."

"What else?"

"Dealing..."

"Oh." Zhou Ze raised an eyebrow.

He had no interest in pressing further.

Zhou Ze had been through conversations like this several times already. Everyone's story was different, yet strikingly similar.

Crime, despair, regret-those words had become so cheap here.

Zhou Ze didn't know whether the man was telling the truth, but he didn't care.

As long as they remained in this place, they would all face the same fate.