Chapter 340: Red Plate Pressing Down, Sharp Words Hiding Needles

"Several vicious incidents have occurred in Haicheng recently," Phoenix put away the document, her movements crisp and neat, without any dragging of feet, "involving VX-3 nerve gas, the nature of which is extremely vile. There is also frequent activity by unidentified armed personnel, codenamed 'Ouroboros.' My superiors have ordered me to handle this incident with full authority."

She took two steps forward, stopping in front of the manager, the distance between the two just maintaining a kind of invisible pressure, without immediately triggering a physical conflict.

"We have grasped some situations. We appreciate your 'righteous act' at the Central Hospital. Also... we have heard a little about the trouble the Liu family has encountered recently."

Her words were said lightly, but heard in the ears, they were like small hammers, hitting one's heart not lightly or heavily, making one unable to breathe.

"Mr. Lin is our honored guest, suffering from illness, and is currently receiving careful treatment from the Liu family, so it is inconvenient to disturb him." The manager bowed slightly, his posture very low, his tone respectful, but his feet seemed to have taken root, not giving an inch.

Phoenix seemed not to see this person, her gaze crossing him, still locked firmly on Lin Yu.

"We can provide the highest level of official security protection, Mr. Lin. Including completely solving the trouble 'Ouroboros' has brought you. The premise is that we need your full cooperation."

Her tone changed, a bit of chill seeping into her voice, and her eyes also turned cold.

"Of course, if you choose not to cooperate, or attempt to conceal key information, we also have the right to take compulsory measures against you in accordance with the special provisions of the 'National Security Law.' After all, you are currently the core person associated with several major vicious incidents, Mr. Lin; you should be clear about your own situation."

Lin Yu leaned against the cold wall, otherwise he felt he might slide down at any moment. The wound on his back felt like it had been sprinkled with salt and then branded with a hot iron, every heartbeat pulling at the excruciating pain, a layer of cold sweat instantly oozing from his forehead.

He slowly lifted his head, meeting Phoenix's probing, emotionless eyes.

"I'm just a doctor." His voice was hoarse from weakness, but every word was bitten out clearly, carrying a weary yet unquestionable persistence, "Just bad luck, being hunted down, and luckily surviving. As for the things you mentioned, I only know that the vice president of the Central Hospital, Zhou Minghui, was conducting illegal live human experiments in the hospital basement, his methods cruel. He even used VX-3, an internationally banned substance, in an attempt to silence me."

He deliberately paused for a moment, letting the information in this sentence have enough time to ferment in the air, and also letting the other party have time to digest it.

"Perhaps, you should go check on him, check how many dirty things are hidden in the unseen basement of the Central Hospital. Isn't checking him more convenient than checking a doctor like me who is about to die?"

Phoenix's eyebrows twitched imperceptibly, the amplitude so small it could almost be ignored.

Her gaze quickly swept over Lin Yu's paper-white face, and then fell on Xu Xiaochuan, who was also looking terrible, blood still seeping from his arms and legs. This kid was grimacing in pain, his eyes revealing a stubbornness of a greenhorn.

Finally, her gaze swept over Xuanyuan Qing, who was unconscious on the stretcher, without stopping.

Xu Xiaochuan felt an invisible, cold pressure shroud him.

That mark on his back suddenly burned! But this time it wasn't the life-threatening burning pain from before, but a more bizarre, cold, stinging sensation as if being spied on and scanned by something, making all the hair on his body stand up. He subconsciously tensed his body, cursing inwardly: This woman is not right! Even more chilling than those killers from Ouroboros!

He could feel that on this woman named Phoenix, there was an energy fluctuation completely different from those people from "Ouroboros," more introverted, more steady, but also more dangerous, carrying a kind of high-and-mighty, controlling-everything sense of order.

Phoenix withdrew her gaze, looking at Lin Yu again.

She was silent for a few seconds, as if quickly evaluating the truth of Lin Yu's words and the situation in front of her.

The secret room was terrifyingly quiet, only the faint humming of instruments in the corner and the suppressed breathing of several people. Pangzi didn't even dare to breathe loudly, shrinking at the door, wishing he could turn himself into a door mat.

"We will check on Zhou Minghui and the Central Hospital."

Phoenix finally spoke, her tone seeming to ease slightly, but the sharpness that kept people at a distance did not disappear.

"It seems that the things you are involved in are far more complex than we initially anticipated."

She took out a black metal block the size of a matchbox from her uniform pocket, unable to tell what it was, and placed it on the metal countertop next to her.

"This is an encrypted communicator, one-way information reception, highest authority. If you have any needs, or if you have figured something out, you can try to contact us through it. But don't expect to use it for chatting or calling for help; it has its own rules."

She finished speaking, turning to leave.

When she reached the door, she stopped again, turning her head slightly, her gaze falling on Lin Yu again, leaving one last sentence, her voice not high, but every word like a knife.

"The water in Haicheng is bottomless, and more than one 'river-crossing dragon' has drowned here. Some fish are not for you to touch, nor for the Liu family to touch."

"If you want to live, make the right choice. Our patience is limited."

She didn't say another word, nor did she look at anyone else, taking those two men who were silent as iron, leaving as silently as she had come.

The heavy iron door closed again, making a dull "clanging" sound.

In the secret room, several people looked at each other, the air seeming even heavier than before, pressing on one's chest.

The manager walked quickly to the black communicator, picked it up, weighed it in his palm, and looked at it carefully, his face expressionless, unable to tell what he was thinking.

Xu Xiaochuan clutched his back, that cold stinging sensation slowly receding, but the unease in his heart grew heavier.

Lin Yu looked at the tightly closed door, his fingers curling subconsciously, his nails digging into his palms.

This "Phoenix," she definitely knew far more than she showed. That look she gave Xuanyuan Qing just now was too calm, abnormally calm.

"Life sacrifice..." Those cold words he glimpsed from the chip flashed uncontrollably in his brain again.

The manager put the communicator into his pocket, walked to Lin Yu, the just-right respect returning to his face.

"Mr. Lin, this Phoenix... is not here with good intentions. Now, what do you think we should..."

The dull sound of the iron door closing still echoed lightly in the air, the lingering sound not dissipating.

Pangzi slumped at the door, his fat body shaking like a piece of fat just out of the water, muttering: "My god... just now... almost... almost wet myself..." He panted heavily, looking soul-lost, unable to climb up for a long time. ===== CHAPTER 341 =====