"Doctor Kal'tsit..." Amiya gently tugged on the sleeve of the other woman when she sensed the intense anger radiating from her—something she had never seen before.
Kal'tsit, realizing she had let her emotions get the better of her, sighed before speaking to Wang Fei in her usual composed tone.
"Mr. Chen... I didn't mean that we won't let you join Rhodes Island. But we can't simply allow someone to join our operations without proper screening. We always need to conduct a physical examination and assess the readiness of our operators. We are not like some people who disregard life and death so easily."
For some reason, in that last sentence, Doctor Kal'tsit's tone turned colder than usual as she stared directly at Wang Fei, sending a chill down his spine.
"Uh... So what do I need to do then?"
"First, come with us to Rhodes Island. We need to check your physical condition to see whether you're qualified to become an operator. Of course, we'll also use that opportunity to examine your Oripathy and treat you as well."
When he heard the word "treat," Wang Fei's expression brightened slightly, though a trace of anxiety still lingered.
"T-Treatment... It doesn't involve injections, right?"
Kal'tsit's lips twitched slightly at his words, while Amiya looked surprised and let out a soft laugh. Even the guards behind her couldn't help but smile a little.
That made his older sister, Chen, who was standing behind, walk up and give him a knock on the head.
"You little brat! You're this old and still afraid of needles?!"
"W-Well, so what! Even you still scream when you see a cockroach—Ow, ow! I'm sorry! I won't say anything anymore!" Wang Fei, now getting his ear pinched by his red-faced sister, quickly surrendered.
And so, Wang Fei traveled to Rhodes Island with the group. His sister insisted on going too, saying she wanted to see for herself what kind of organization Rhodes Island really was, to help her decide whether or not to let him participate in the Chernobog mission.
To be honest, Wang Fei felt more uneasy about how his sister didn't argue against his desire to join Rhodes Island. On the contrary, she seemed oddly calm and said nothing about it—only telling him not to push himself too hard.
Upon reaching the lower floors, Amiya explained to everyone the details of Wang Fei's decision to join Rhodes Island, surprising many of those present. Several of them looked worried but quickly masked their concern when Kal'tsit glanced their way.
A blonde woman—Margaret—was visibly shocked when she heard the news. She glanced over at Kal'tsit, as if seeking some kind of explanation, but when the latter shook her head, Margaret's expression turned sour. Still, she said nothing, choosing to save her questions for a private moment.
When Wang Fei reached the lower floor, he was surprised to find that the red-haired angel who came with him had disappeared. He hurried over to ask a staff member at the counter and was told that Exusiai had been carried off by a dark-haired Lupus girl. Apparently, the two had been arguing about a car or something, and the dark-haired girl ended up knocking her out and carrying her away.
From the sound of it, Wang Fei could more or less guess what had happened—that Lupus girl must have been Texas, who had come to scold Exusiai for wrecking a company car.
"I'll apologize to her on Exusiai's behalf next time..."
After that, Wang Fei and Chen rode in the same vehicle en route to Rhodes Island, parked just outside Lungmen. Along the way, the two chatted briefly about what they had heard earlier. His sister still didn't fully trust Rhodes Island—especially that woman named Kal'tsit, who seemed rather suspicious.
On the other hand, Wang Fei found himself strangely drawn to Rhodes Island. Perhaps it was because, as someone now infected, he had experienced firsthand the cruelty of class division back in Yan. So to him, people fighting for the rights of the Infected were incredibly brave. Even if Amiya's dreams seemed a little too idealistic, judging by her attitude and Kal'tsit's principles, he believed this organization might actually be able to change the world.
After a long silence in the car, Chen suddenly asked him directly.
"Fei Fei... What will you do, now that we know the leader of Reunion really is Talulah?"
Wang Fei looked at his sister with surprise.
"Why do you ask that? Of course I'll try to bring her back to Lungmen."
Chen turned to him, her expression serious.
"Even though she's the leader of a terrorist group that's been slaughtering people left and right?"
Wang Fei was a bit startled, but then let out a soft laugh.
"Sis... you don't seriously believe that stuff, do you? You've always told me Talulah was kind and gentle. There's no way she'd ever become someone cruel and inhumane like that. There must be some misunderstanding."
Chen was silent for a moment before she sighed and murmured, as if talking to herself.
"Fifteen years... is a long time—long enough to change a person completely. Maybe she's not the same anymore."
"But you and Hui Jie haven't changed, right?" Wang Fei interjected, looking ahead with a bright smile.
"I still love Lungmen and my big sister just the same. And you still love Talulah and are always searching for her, right? I believe that even Talulah feels the same. Even though I've never met her, I'm sure she'd want to see Hui Jie again. There has to be a reason why she hasn't returned, or can't. But doesn't it seem a little strange that someone who disappeared suddenly reappears as a terrorist, openly declaring her name like that? If she's not some irrational lunatic, then maybe she's someone cunning, using the situation to provoke certain people."
"And we've already seen who's been most affected by it, haven't we?"
That person was Wei Yenwu. Even if he didn't show it on his face, those who had been around him for a long time could see it—his worry and fear.
"You're right... I really am useless sometimes," Chen said, finally cracking a smile again.
She turned to him, showing a look of genuine happiness.
"Until I see her with my own eyes, I won't give up on Talulah."
"Thank you, Fei Fei. I'm so lucky to have you with me..."
"Always," Wang Fei replied with a smile—then couldn't resist making a cheeky comment.
"Oh! Then that means... I can marry Talulah and make us real family, right?"
SCREECH! Chen slammed on the brakes, then turned to look at him with a smile... that looked nothing like her usual one.
"...If you want to be hung on the city gates every morning, be my guest."
"U-Uh, on second thought, lifelong bachelorhood doesn't sound so bad..."
The icy smile and lifeless stare made Wang Fei quickly shake his head in terror.
"Never making that kind of joke again..."
After arriving at Rhodes Island, Wang Fei was stunned by the sight of the massive machinery.
Being a fan of advanced technology—like combat robots and laser swords—he had studied them intensely in his youth to make up for his physical limitations. As a result, he knew a fair bit about mechanisms and tech. But seeing Rhodes Island in person left him speechless.
"This is totally next-gen tech!"
Once inside, Wang Fei was immediately taken to the examination room with Kal'tsit leading the way. His sister, meanwhile, asked to explore the facility, guided by Amiya, to see if there was anything suspicious.
She reminded him to call her immediately if anything happened. Even though this place was outside of Lungmen, there was still mobile signal for contact.
Of course, she said that because she didn't fully trust Doctor Kal'tsit and had initially wanted to accompany him. But since Kal'tsit said the medical center was off-limits to outsiders, Chen had no choice but to reluctantly comply.
As Wang Fei walked beside Kal'tsit, he used the opportunity to observe the hallways and rooms they passed, quickly noticing that almost no staff members were around.
"Uh... Doctor Kal'tsit?"
"Yes, Mr. Chen?" Kal'tsit replied, glancing at him.
"Is it normal for there to be so few staff at Rhodes Island? I haven't seen anyone at all."
"No... We have plenty of personnel here. But today is a special holiday, so many are resting in their rooms. Most of them are probably at the cafeteria or the central hall. Since we're heading to the medical center, it's not unusual not to see regular staff around here."
"I see... So Rhodes Island doesn't have many medical staff then?" Wang Fei nodded. Given the expertise needed to treat Oripathy, it made sense the medical department might be smaller than others.
"Not exactly. Our medical staff is quite sizable. But not long ago, we lost someone very important—someone instrumental in helping us develop today's anti-Oripathy medicine. After their death, some members of the medical team requested transfers to other departments. That's why things seem so quiet now, compared to when that person was still with us."
"I'm really sorry to hear that," Wang Fei said sincerely.
Kal'tsit looked at him and asked with some curiosity,
"And you, Mr. Chen? Do you currently have any knowledge of or interest in the medical unit?"
Wang Fei gave a dry laugh right away.
"I used to be interested, actually—back when I helped rescue a stray cat (Mao Mao) that wandered into my house. But as I grew older, I ended up studying law instead because I wanted to become a police officer. Now, to be honest, I find myself more interested in mechanics and engineering."
"Is that so? What a shame..." Kal'tsit murmured before falling silent.
'Why does she sound so disappointed?' Wang Fei could only complain in his thoughts.
After that, the two of them didn't say anything more until they arrived at the examination room Kal'tsit had mentioned earlier. Upon opening the door, Wang Fei saw someone already inside—a woman with soft white hair, dressed in a full-length black robe that contrasted starkly with her hair color. She was holding a staff in her arms and walked up to greet them as soon as she saw them.
"Welcome back, Doctor Kal'tsit. And you must be Mr. Wang Fei," the woman said with a warm smile and a gentle tone, giving off the feeling of being enveloped in soft light and hugged by a nostalgic, fluffy pillow.
"Likewise, beautiful big sis!" Wang Fei greeted her cheerfully. Naturally, being welcomed by a beautiful woman was something that would make any man happy.
His words took the woman slightly by surprise, but she then covered her mouth and gave a soft chuckle.
"You're quite the funny one, Mr. Wang Fei."
But before they could continue their exchange, Kal'tsit interrupted.
"Shining, did you do what I asked?" Kal'tsit asked, glancing around the room that appeared empty.
Shining nodded with a serious expression.
"Yes, Doctor Kal'tsit. I did exactly as you instructed. It's just you and me here."
"Good..." Kal'tsit nodded, then turned directly to Wang Fei.
"In that case, Mr. Chen—"
"Take your clothes off."
"...Huh?"
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Now : (ZAW)System Acting Zhongli in arknights World? (Now Chapter 51)
Now : (INSL) I Never thought simulating life could screw me up this badly!! (Now Chapter 43)
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Coming soon : Texas Character Relationship Content (4 Chapter)
Coming soon : Exusia Character Relationship Content (4 Chapter)
Coming soon : Lapland Character Relationship Content (4 Chapter)