Chapter 228: [Blessed with Longevity] Intentionally Drawing Fire
Who could possibly know why it blew up?
The sole informed party was quietly detonating her item card for a second time from amidst the crowd.
This time, the commotion proved far greater than moments ago, given the open-air setting.
Quite a few people were swept off their feet by the blast and sent tumbling to the ground.
In an instant, agonized wails arose everywhere in succession.
Some were injured upon tumbling down, while those standing in the front row were caught in the blast wave, though none suffered particularly severe injuries.
Yet this left them all the more terrified, backing away from the huge crater and daring not draw near again.
“What do we do now? Shouldn’t we call the police?”
“Where are the doctors?! Quick, someone get over here!”
The scene turned into absolute bedlam for a moment.
Doctors rushed over carrying emergency kits in short order.
Qin Fa arrived at long last as well.
After two consecutive explosions, if he failed to show up and check things out, he would be completely unable to maintain his position as director.
“Why would it explode for no reason at all?”
The security personnel wanted to know as well, yet lacked the courage to step near.
Who could say whether another explosion might trigger?
“We have no idea what happened. Look, shouldn’t we report this to the police?”
Dealing with bomb disposal invariably required professionals, after all.
Qin Fa’s brows knitted tightly. Once the police were called for an explosion, an investigation would prove strictly unavoidable.
That would turn into a massive hassle.
No matter how squeaky-clean the nursing home appeared on the surface, a thorough investigation would inevitably uncover telltale clues.
He held zero desire to draw public scrutiny before achieving complete success himself.
“Transport the injured for medical care first. I’ll go take a look.”
A security guard paused, stunned.
“That’s hardly a good idea, Doctor Qin! What if it explodes again?”
Qin Fa waved a hand, his feet already carrying him forward as he leaped straight down into the crater.
Standing among the crowd, Bai Cha looked on thoughtfully. For Qin Fa to harbor such bold nerve merely proved he held zero fear of sustaining physical injuries.
Splendid.
Bai Cha detonated her item card once more.
With another deafening boom, the ground shuddered violently.
Qin Fa clearly lacked the time to dodge, nor did his physical skills and reaction speed surpass those of a normal person—he was an ordinary human, after all.
The blast wave engulfed him in an instant.
By the time the smoke cleared and dissipated, the crater on the ground had expanded further, while Qin Fa lay sprawled flat on the dirt.
Amidst the collective gasps of the onlookers, Qin Fa sat up from the ground in a thoroughly bedraggled state.
His clothing was completely shredded by the blast, yet the exposed flesh beneath bore virtually zero injury, retaining mere hairline scratches.
No—looking closely, one would observe that the muscles beneath his skin seemed to be quivering, those tiny wounds regenerating at a rapid pace.
It was simply that his personal facial expression looked far from pleasant.
Standing up, he kicked the ground.
“Fetch me a shovel!”
He intended to see for himself what on earth had triggered the explosions.
Bai Cha had already slipped away quietly.
Returning to the ward building, she intended to go up to the ninth-floor treatment room for a look.
Yet the doors to the treatment rooms were locked tight.
Scanning her surroundings, Bai Cha located the main power distribution box first, using a Dodder Vine to tear the electrical wiring inside straight out.
The entire building suffered an instant power outage.
Only then did she head upstairs with rapid steps.
Slipping on a face mask, she pushed the treatment room door open; a player lay on the operating table inside.
Bai Cha remembered the other party was named Qin Yu.
He had already fallen into a deep coma, fully half of his entire body encased in Tai Sui.
The room was temporarily devoid of people, likely because everyone had rushed off due to the explosion outside.
Bai Cha walked over to Qin Yu’s side.
His vital signs were visibly frail; barring any surprises, another session or two would likely finish him off completely.
Drawing her butcher knife, Bai Cha carefully sliced away a portion of the Tai Sui, wrapping it securely in a piece of cloth.
The Tai Sui offered zero resistance, new fleshy sprouts regenerating rapidly at the sliced location, rendering it impossible to tell a piece had been carved away.
Bai Cha cast another glance at Qin Yu, refraining from recklessly attempting a rescue—that would only hasten his death.
Holding the Tai Sui, she stepped out the door.
While heading downstairs, she deliberately dropped the Tai Sui onto the stairwell steps.
Once all of this was wrapped up, she returned straight to her ward room, stowed the puppet away, and lay back down in bed.
The medical staff outside had long since fallen into absolute chaos, focusing their entire attention on the explosion over there, leaving zero chance for anyone to discover these anomalies.
However, upon learning of the power outage over here, Qin Fa’s face turned instantly thunderous.
“Hurry over and check if there’s any anomaly over there—don’t let the patients escape! Stop gathering around here!”
This was a blatant diversionary tactic.
Yet precisely because the explosion had detonated near the main gate of the elderly section, Qin Fa had been forced to come check it out regardless.
Because these elderly folks remained his primary source of funding and experimental subjects for the time being; it was unsuitable for them to die directly right now, making them targets requiring appeasement.
“There shouldn’t be any more explosions. Exercise caution, all of you, and conduct a careful sweep of the surroundings.”
Having delivered those instructions, Qin Fa strode back with heavy steps.
Nevertheless, he stopped by to change into a fresh set of clothes first, restoring his proper, dignified appearance.
Deprived of an elevator, climbing the stairs was the sole option left.
Personnel from the maintenance department were engaged in emergency repairs.
Disregarding all else, Qin Fa led a trail of several medical staff following behind him, ascending straight toward the ninth floor.
Reaching the stairwell landing between the eighth and ninth floors, everyone caught sight of a squirming, white, jelly-like mass lying on the floor.
Fine black threads were emanating from its body, spreading outward like tentacles.
Qin Fa halted his steps, fixating his gaze tightly on that piece of Tai Sui, a murderous glint flashing through his eyes.
Sure enough, someone was making trouble amidst the chaos.
This dropped piece of Tai Sui looked every bit like something accidentally lost during an escape attempt.
Pulling the power switch, stealing the Tai Sui—what utter, monstrous audacity!
Several medical staff beside him swallowed their saliva in unison.
They were incapable of observing those black threads.
Qin Fa knew that every individual who consumed the Tai Sui had long since been bound to its power.
Those black threads pierced through every single person’s body, enticing them into an even deeper craving to devour the Tai Sui.
Stepping forward directly, Qin Fa picked up that portion of Tai Sui.
The eyes of the people behind him remained fixated on his hand from start to finish.
Qin Fa closed his eyes briefly, speaking: “Let’s go upstairs to check things out first. Thank you for your hard work today—later on, we’ll wash this piece, break it down, and grant it to you as your reward.”
Delighted smiles erupted across the group’s faces instantly.
“Thank you very much, Doctor Qin!” Someone even swallowed a mouthful of saliva while speaking.
The group ascended to the ninth floor once more.
The patients currently undergoing treatment displayed zero anomalies, nor had anyone run off, appearing thoroughly unlikely to wake up anytime soon.
Qin Fa halted the treatment session this time, instructing the medical staff to wait for the patients to awaken before wheeling them back.
As for these newly harvested portions of Tai Sui, they would naturally be distributed among everyone.
No one raised an objection.
Qin Fa returned to the sixth and fifth floors to conduct rounds, questioning the duty nurses; once the maintenance department restored the power supply, he went to inspect the surveillance footage as well.
Yet he caught zero obvious anomalies.
If he truly had to scrutinize every single camera angle meticulously, it would require far greater energy and time.
Having busied himself through this entire loop, afternoon had already arrived.
Qin Fa was in a foul mood.
The nursing home had virtually never experienced a mishap like this before.
Capable of obtaining a bomb while evading surveillance cameras—could it be someone familiar with the nursing home?
It wasn’t as though he hadn’t harbored suspicions toward those few special patients—namely Bai Cha and her peers.
Yet viewed from a motivational standpoint, it appeared thoroughly strange.
If one of them had stolen the Tai Sui, it could only be Bai Cha.
Because she alone hadn’t undergone treatment.
The surveillance footage displayed her fast asleep all along; he had rewatched the segment where she got up after her IV to head to the restroom several times over, uncovering zero flaws.
Furthermore, why would she steal the Tai Sui? If she wished to consume it, she held zero personal awareness of its effects to begin with, while suffering long-term torment from the Tai Sui planted within her—her instinctive reaction shouldn’t be attempting to consume it.
Unless… she retained memories during her treatment sessions.
Qin Fa decided to probe Bai Cha first.
As for Bai Cha, she had been waiting for him all along.
