18. The Remains (Please continue reading~)

Corridor on the ninth floor.

Xu Wen sat neatly on the bench, his gaze fixed on the sign across from him that read “Director’s Office.”

This new director had been in office for a shorter time than most of the hospital staff. He had appeared suddenly when the previous director, who had served for a year and a half, retired. Yet the deputy directors not only harbored no complaints about this new leader’s arrival but also showed him considerable respect.

The current director rarely appeared in public, so Xu Wen had never actually met him. All he knew was that the director was a male human, around thirty-five years old. If it weren’t for the fact that new treatment plans required his approval, Xu Wen might never have had the chance to meet him.

Ma En’s request was actually not problematic. Normally, if the director wanted to block Ma En’s discharge, he would have to confront both the company and this unknown power user. No rational person would do such a foolish thing.

Unfortunately, Ma En had not fully grasped the situation.

It was not his fault; after all, not everyone can foresee what they will eventually do.

The Victor Rehabilitation Center had a unique rule: staff and patients could not harm each other. Any attempt to violate this rule would be met with unknown consequences.

Thus, Ma En need not worry about any staff crossing the line, nor did Xu Wen fear that Ma En would use telekinesis to twist his head off. This mutual assurance was the foundation for their smooth dealings.

But sadly, the restrained power users of the past did not possess the identity Xu Wen held now.

He was an expert in psychology and psychiatry.

Modern treatments for mental illness often came with various side effects, and when Victor Rehabilitation Center was first established, most treatment methods had strong side effects. Yet the doctors of that time still applied them to patients.

Therefore, Xu Wen could present what he originally intended to do as a treatment plan, and most importantly, it could cure the patients—though not in the way they expected.

Click.

An elderly man with a head full of white hair stepped out of the office, glancing strangely at Xu Wen.

“Come in.”

“All right,” Xu Wen stood up. “Deputy Director Lin.”

They passed each other.

The door closed heavily.

The director leaned back in his black leather chair, absentmindedly staring at the wall behind Xu Wen, as if his gaze could penetrate the reinforced concrete.

Xu Wen stood before him for two minutes.

“Director?” he finally could not hold back.

“Ah?” The man suddenly looked at Xu Wen, seeming as if he had just snapped out of a daydream. “I didn’t notice you come in. Yes, what can I do for you?”

---

Xu Wen lowered his eyes to the documents spread on the desk.

“I’ve proposed a new treatment plan. I want to start treatment with several patients whose conditions are more suitable. Of course, all trials were completed before I joined. I’ve handed over all the data to you.”

The director simply looked at him.

Xu Wen hesitated.

“Have you reviewed the documents?”

They mentioned a compound extracted from a fungus and its multiple positive effects on patients with mental disorders—all the contents were true and reproducible.

He had only concealed some trivial facts.

“Oh, the documents,” the director nodded. “Yes, I’ve read them. No issues.”

Casually, he pulled a sheet from the cluttered desk and pushed it toward Xu Wen. A stamp covered the signature line.

Xu Wen took it somewhat dazed.

“Director, I’d also like to apply directly for treatment on three patients. Here is their information.” Xu Wen pulled out three prepared dossiers.

Ma En, Ning Changkong, and Cao Yan.

The director didn’t even look at them and said, “I understand.”

“You may need to…” Xu Wen reminded, “sign here.”

The director suddenly realized and said, “You’re right.”

He signed.

Xu Wen breathed a sigh of relief.

He hadn’t expected it to be so simple.

In truth, if there had been no other options, he might have let Ma En be discharged smoothly, because Ma En did look dangerous.

But the company’s agents had already found him. In such times, the appearance of a strong power user like Ma En was good news—it meant ample fighting strength.

But now Xu Wen was glad he hadn’t let Ma En go.

---

But now everything was different. No matter how strong Ma En was on the outside, inside the rehabilitation center he was no different from the other patients—all were his resources.

That employee from the company, hidden behind a patient, had not been actively sought by Xu Wen before because he lacked confidence in a direct confrontation. But now it was different.

Now it was his turn.

Xu Wen smiled confidently.

“Well then, I’ll be going, Director.”

The director did not respond.

Because he did not see Xu Wen.

Something blocked his line of sight.

He could see something standing before him, but it was hard to describe—it looked like the shadow of some huge beast, but that surely wasn’t the answer. What was it? Wait, it seemed to be...

Nothing at all.

He blinked.

The director lowered his head in puzzlement and looked at the desk before him.

Why was he here?

He reached out and flipped through the documents on the desk, then recalled.

He seemed to be trapped by something.

But what exactly?

Never mind.

Probably nothing important.

At a spot easily seen when he bowed his head—

An open notebook lay on the desk, freshly flipped open, bearing a row of messy black handwriting:

“Remember, you are trying to escape from here.”