107: Chapter 107 A Tacitly Understood Game

"Division Chief Chen!" Lin Ning's voice was weak.

But Chen Zhi still caught it keenly. "Don't talk for now."

Lin Ning ignored him and continued to himself, "His study, the pages of the Selected Works of Mao."

"Inside the drawer, the key."

"Also, encrypted, communicator."

"Safe house, Zhixiang Apartments, 3-12. Under the floorboards, USA identity."

Lin Ning didn't say everything, but by pointing out these two places, he believed Chen Zhi and the others wouldn't miss even a speck of dust.

After speaking, Lin Ning lay in the back seat with his eyes closed, gritting his teeth to endure that feeling of emptiness that burned his heart and lungs; waves of dizziness made him feel like vomiting.

But overall, it was much better than the previous two times; at least he hadn't lost consciousness.

He felt that with more practice or another upgrade, his Psychic Power would be able to handle the drain from the "Eye of Insight."

He wouldn't have to be so miserable and in pain every time.

The car had just stopped in the hospital parking lot when a group of people swarmed around.

Lin Ning had recovered a little by now, but he still pretended to be semi-conscious, allowing these people to handle him.

Various tests were done repeatedly; five large vials of blood alone were drawn. Finally, when they were about to insert a urinary catheter, Lin Ning couldn't take it anymore and stopped pretending: "What are you doing? Do I really need this thing?"

"And the MRI, how many times have you done it? Are you trying to scam me for examination fees?"

As he spoke, he reached out to pull off the magnetic patches on his head and chest.

He was quickly held down by two nurses. "Hey, don't move!"

While others might have young 'angels in white,' these two ladies were old enough for him to call 'Auntie.'

Moreover, this was a Military Hospital; while he wouldn't say they were massive, they definitely had solid muscle.

Lin Ning was pinned to the bed like a little chick. Combined with his pale face from excessive blood loss, he looked as pitiful and desolate as could be.

Seeing them about to strip off his pants, Lin Ning struggled like a fish. "I can pee by myself! You want a urine sample, right? I'll do it myself. I'll pee as much as you need!"

The auntie named He Hong gave a dissatisfied "tsk," but thinking of something, she let go.

"How troublesome!" She brought the tray over somewhat impatiently. "Hurry up, and watch the wires on your body. A catheter would have been so much easier; you're just being difficult!"

Lin Ning looked at the tray of test tubes, then at the two aunties standing guard by his bed. "Right here?"

They took it for granted. "So what?!"

Lin Ning was on the verge of a breakdown. No, was this a bandit's den? Were these really military nurses?

He refused to the death.

When Lin Ning came out of the bathroom, the auntie waiting at the door snatched the tray from him with a steady and swift hand.

The other auntie came over to support him and reconnected the wires to the row of machines at the head of the bed.

Lin Ning lay on the bed with vacant eyes. He wanted to go to X01. He was wrong. There was once a gentle love of healing the wounded that he didn't cherish, and only after losing it did he regret it deeply. If God gave him another chance to choose...

With a "creak," the door opened, and several more doctors and nurses entered.

An old man sat by the bed and began to feel his pulse.

Some checked the machine data, some performed physical exams, some felt his pulse, and some discussed in low voices.

They completely ignored the fact that Lin Ning was conscious.

Lin Ning closed his eyes. Whatever!

Back and forth several times, he was pushed to undergo several more tests: fNIRS, EMG, HD-sEMG, LSCI—things he had never even heard of.

He also heard them discussing that the metabolomics analysis results were out, and someone was urging them to quickly schedule whole-genome methylation sequencing.

Lin Ning gradually understood in his heart and gave a cold laugh.

Chen Zhi's behavior today and that strange emotion now had an explanation.

A test? They still wanted to probe his physical condition? Ha!

It would be a lie to say he had no feelings about it, but it wasn't anger or disappointment.

Was he sad? Perhaps!

After all, he had also begun his own testing. This was the reality of the adult world.

If he were in that position, wouldn't he do the same?

With the doubts in his heart resolved, Lin Ning actually relaxed and slept soundly, oblivious to everything.

When he woke up again, it was already nightfall.

As his consciousness slightly returned, Lin Ning first heard Chen Zhi's voice, coming softly from outside the door.

Lin Ning's mostly recovered Psychic Power probed out in that direction.

"...Check what? Can you give me a specific direction? All the equipment has been used. Except for the extremely low creatinine—though creatine kinase is normal—and prealbumin being almost zero, all other data is currently within the normal range."

"We just want to understand his overall physical condition; there's no specific direction. He does some special... well, he suddenly becomes very weak. Have you found the cause for this?"

"I told you, it's the creatinine. In plain terms, a massive amount of nutrients and calories were suddenly and drastically consumed in a very short time. Are you doing some kind of human experimentation in extreme environments? He doesn't look like a death row inmate..."

Chen Zhi interrupted Dean Xu, "Hey, hey, hey, no, we're not!!"

Lin Ning opened his eyes.

After a while, Chen Zhi pushed the door open and entered.

Lin Ning looked over, and their gazes met in the air.

Both of them smiled at the same time.

"You're here?"

"You're awake?"

The only thing to fear was the sudden silence in the air.

In the end, Lin Ning's level was still too low; he couldn't think of anything else to say.

Chen Zhi cleared his throat and mentioned Li Xianmin. "There's a situation I need to tell you about. Don't get anxious."

Lin Ning listened quietly. He had actually already seen through memory fragments that Li Xianmin had asked Shen Xincheng for information but only got the answer that someone had reported it. They even thought it was multiple people reporting separately, let alone the information that Lin Ning was the whistleblower.

At that time, Lin Ning was quite satisfied; after all, this proved that Chen Zhi was reliable.

But he didn't expect that Li Xianmin would lie just to continue extorting that so-called "artist," even using an ordinary external "consultant" like Lin Ning to fabricate false intelligence to gain someone's trust.

Thinking of this, Lin Ning's blood boiled with both new and old grudges. He glared at Chen Zhi. "You intelligence people are so damn dirty and mean!"

Chen Zhi also got angry. "Who are you talking to, you little brat!"

"Old rabbit, why do you care who I'm talking to?" Lin Ning wasn't afraid at all; he wouldn't admit defeat in a war of words. "Are you actually looking for an insult?!"

"I'll damn well beat you to death!"

Lin Ning pulled off the wires connected to his head and body and sat up, refusing to back down.

"Come on! Aim for my head! If you don't beat me to death, I'll damn well..."

The ward door was suddenly pushed open, and a group of people led by an old man rushed in. Seeing the magnetic patches and wires scattered on the bed and the two people confronting each other with red faces, he paused for a moment and then roared, "What are you doing?! Revolting? If you want to die, I'll fulfill your wish!!"

Fifteen minutes later, Lin Ning was lying obediently on the bed, reconnected to all the wires.

Chen Zhi stood obediently in the corner, seeing Dean Xu off with a forced smile.

The door closed.

Chen Zhi sighed tiredly and walked over to sit by Lin Ning's bed.

He saw Lin Ning looking away, pouting in anger.

He chuckled, sounding very blunt yet meaningful. "Brat, isn't this what you wanted? You even gave it a push. Why are you throwing a tantrum with me?"

Lin Ning squinted at him and sneered, "Then wait until you've recruited me, and take me to do more screenings around the leaders!"

Chen Zhi fell silent.