No one could have imagined that beneath an ordinary and dilapidated building, there was a closed and advanced medical facility.
It was a vast space with meticulous decoration, housing nearly ten rooms and numerous people in white coats bustling about.
In the largest operating room, a middle-aged doctor with a crew cut was fully engrossed in his work.
In front of him lay a young man in his twenties, pale in complexion and without any signs of breathing. Clearly, he had already passed away.
The man's chest to abdomen had been opened, and his organs were nowhere to be seen; it was empty. However, strangely, not much blood had flowed out, making it appear clean, like a fish with its belly washed.
The doctor with the crew cut gazed at the man with a solemn expression, completely focused. In his left hand, he held a surgical knife, while in his right hand, he held an incomprehensible small instrument, working around the man's eye.
After a few minutes, he gently lifted a thin membrane and carefully placed it in a small container. His movements were skillful and elegant, each step precise and orderly.
Looking at his accomplishment, he nodded with satisfaction, a childlike smile appearing on his face.
Just then, an assistant rushed in and said, "Doctor Liu, the buyer from Xinbei has already arrived with their family. When will you be available?"
Doctor Liu instantly frowned, turning his head to look at the assistant, his gaze icy and devoid of emotion:
"Didn't you see that I'm working? Let me remind you one last time, if you dare to disturb my creation again, I will put you on my operating table.
Get out and tell them to wait!"
The assistant was frightened and immediately bowed in apology, then quickly ran off, gently closing the door behind him.
Once the assistant left, Doctor Liu turned back to look at the corpse, completely focused.
Occasionally, he would gesture on the head of the corpse, or on the chest, each time adopting the manner of a scholar, meticulous and precise.
Half an hour later, he finished processing the body and nodded in satisfaction, removing his mask and gloves before slowly leaving the operating room.
In the file room, under the old locust tree, Su Mo and Song Juntian lay on separate rocking chairs, squinting their eyes and enjoying the warmth of the sun.
It was only Tuesday, and Su Mo still had to go to work, unable to leave Xikang. Moreover, both he and Gao Ming needed time to prepare, so these few days weren't considered busy.
The sunlight wasn't too harsh, and Su Mo lazily closed his eyes, and casually said, "Brother, you claim to be full of talent, so why did you choose to become an administrator here?
With your abilities, there's nothing you can't do. It's puzzling to me."
Song Juntian reclined on the rocking chair, not opening his eyes, his face filled with the enjoyment of the warm sunlight. He also lazily replied:
"I enjoy a peaceful life. It's so nice, reading books, perusing newspapers, contemplating life, and doing nothing. This is my ideal life.
Don't criticize me either, you kid being an administrator here is what truly baffles people."
Su Mo's lips curled up. "I love having fun. You see, I go out to hang out with friends almost every week. This job is perfect for me because I have a lot of free time."
Song Juntian opened his left eye slightly and said leisurely, "Indeed, you are quite playful. However, it's not easy to be your friend."
Su Mo didn't argue. In fact, after spending time together, Su Mo was certain that this colleague had a big secret.
He suspected that Song Juntian had probably figured out something, but it didn't matter. Su Mo believed that the secret his colleague had couldn't necessarily be smaller than his own.
Therefore, there was no need to conceal too much at this moment. As long as they didn't disclose it explicitly, everyone understood it in their hearts, and it was best to maintain calmness.
After a short silence, Su Mo asked, "Brother Song, I used to be a soldier, and I also learned military boxing. But the military boxing you taught me is different from what I learned in the army. Why is that?"
Song Juntian chuckled lightly, "Are you sure you want to know the answer?"
"Haha, I don't want to," Su Mo also laughed.
This conversation was interesting. The underlying meaning behind Song Juntian's words was that if you really wanted to know the answer, it could be done, but you had to accept the consequences. Naturally, Su Mo didn't want to face the consequences because, after all, he couldn't beat his colleague at the moment.
"Oh, by the way, what should we have for lunch? I'm tired of egg fried rice," Su Mo asked.
"How about tomato and egg fried rice?" Song Juntian suggested.
"Haha, okay, let's have that."
"Hahahaha..."
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three days had passed. During these three days, Xikang remained peaceful, as if nothing had happened.
However, a major incident occurred in Yunhu City during these three days. Four consecutive murder cases took place, and they were all extremely bizarre, leaving the local police at a loss.
The cases were quite simple. Four large-scale outdoor events with at least a few hundred participants each were held. And during these events, corpses appeared on the stage inexplicably.
The bodies were standing upright, with their hands holding their own heads, which was quite horrifying.
The most puzzling aspect of these cases was that just a second ago, there were still people performing on the stage, but in the next second, the bodies suddenly appeared without any explanation.
On each crime scene, there was a card with the number 7 written on it. This was not the first time, and it was the calling card of the Disciple Organization, the old nemesis of the police.
Su Mo also happened to come across this news online, but he only paid a little attention to it and didn't follow it closely. He had more important things to do now.
After finishing work on Friday, Su Mo left the archives and headed straight for the outskirts. He didn't take the train; instead, he found a black Volkswagen parked by the highway outside the suburbs. He had stolen it last night, as stealing a car was just as basic a skill as picking locks for him.
The license plate had been removed, and the car's dashcam and other equipment had been dismantled. He drove the car quickly towards Longhu City.
Around one o'clock at night, Su Mo arrived at the border of Longhu City, but instead of entering the city directly, he stopped at a secluded warehouse outside the city.
As soon as he stepped out of the car, Su Mo saw Gao Ming, whom he had been waiting for.
"Do we have enough firearms and ammunition?" Su Mo asked.
"No problem. I know this supply line well, and the purchase went smoothly. However, we only managed to acquire handguns. It will be difficult to obtain rifles domestically. We'll need to go to the border," Gao Ming replied.
Su Mo tilted his head and pondered for a moment. "Alright, we'll make do. By the way, when Wen Donglai arrives, are you sure there won't be more bodyguards?"
"Don't worry about that. Wen Donglai is very cautious. The funds and important documents are not kept at the nightclub. It's just a contact point with only three or four bodyguards present. The real tight security is in the basement of the building. I can't get in there, but I estimate that's where the base is," Gao Ming spoke with confidence.