Conan: The Man Behind the Romance

Chapter 414: Elena's Three Refuges... No, Four Refuges
Sartre believed that human existence precedes essence.

which is:
There is no innate universal human nature in human beings. Man is the sum of his actions, and he exists to the extent that he realizes himself.

This is what Hotaru wanted to tell Miyano Elena.

People are hard to convince, and Yingsheng didn't plan to do it all at once. When Elena hesitated, he took her into the sterile room.

A small pure white wall surrounds the center, and the wide operating table has been adjusted to a vertical position. It is unknown what dangerous experiments it was originally used for. There are handcuffs and leg irons on the four corners, and the inner wall of the silver metal is covered with black leather.

"You have seen my repair method with your own eyes. Any abnormal growth of flesh and blood must be removed in time. It is not an exaggeration to call it cutting into pieces." Yingsheng said.

"Well...should we be able to use anesthesia?" Elena said weakly.

Before, Yingsheng rushed into the underground research institute, and while he dealt with the guards cleanly and neatly, he would casually stab himself from time to time, which really left a very deep impression on her.

And when Yingsheng arrived in front of her after a bloody journey, his originally scarred body and face had become perfect again. He smiled slightly, like the most stunning flower watered by blood.

The shock she felt at that moment was indescribable.

Later, Yingsheng stated that he came just for her. She finally learned what happened in the outside world tonight and got in touch with her two biological daughters.

When Yingsheng was about to leave the American island first, Elena hesitated for a long time, and finally bowed deeply and made a request.

Help her treat her burns.

The weather has been quite hot recently, and the island in the hazy early morning was no exception. Elena covered herself tightly at the beginning, and Yingsheng learned from Noah's Ark that she had encountered a fire. Of course, he had guessed it long ago, but he just wouldn't say it out loud.

After Elena asked, Yingsheng naturally agreed.

"Of course you can use anesthesia," Yingsheng said, "but I don't recommend general anesthesia. It will be inconvenient for you to adjust your body posture, and it may cause some parts to heal unnaturally."

Elena took a deep breath, nodded, and bowed deeply to Yingsheng again.

"Please Mr. Shuiyue."

The anesthetic and surgical supplies had already been prepared. Elena taught Yingsheng the technique of local anesthesia, prepared a dozen needles, took off all her clothes, and stood in front of the operating table.

The overhead shadowless lamp cast a bright white light, illuminating her brown body against the blue background of the bed.

To be honest, Yingsheng subconsciously thought of Groot, the tree man in "Guardians of the Galaxy".

Of course, this rude thought was just a random thought that kept coming and going. Yingsheng pushed the surgical tool cart to the operating bed, and his eyes never changed from beginning to end.

Calm and gentle.

Most of the time he was in this world, he looked at most people and things with this kind of eyes.

"Do you know the 'self-image'?"

Yingsheng took Elena's left hand, put it into the handcuffs above the operating table, and gently buckled it.

"I... am not sure. Is it a Buddhist concept?"

Although Elena did not disobey Yingsheng's action and let him hold her hand, her voice was still a little uneasy in the obscure and dangerous atmosphere.

"Yes, it is very similar to the 'self'. All human feelings, cognition, behavior, and understanding are centered on this 'conscious self'."

"The difference is that Buddhism is more inclined to believe that the 'self-image' is false and a kind of attachment."

As Yingsheng spoke, he fixed Elena's limbs on the four corners of the bed.

Elena felt more and more uneasy and couldn't help but speak:
"Mr. Suigetsu said before that if I avoid the past, I am cutting off a part of my 'self'. So, from the perspective of existentialist philosophy, the 'self' itself does not exist, and it is similar to the concept of 'self-image'."

Yingsheng nodded, "It can indeed be understood this way, so do you want to practice Buddhism?"

"...I'm sorry." Elena said in a low voice, "I understand that you mean well, Mr. Shuiyue, but I..."

"Do not."

Yingsheng interrupted: "No matter what I think, it's just 'other'. The most important thing is your own persistence."

Elena was silent for a long time, "I'm sorry."

"I've already told you that you don't have to apologize to me. If you really want to use self-blame to comfort and numb yourself when you are escaping, then go apologize to the self who is sad alone every night."

Yingsheng's voice was small and distant, as if it was separated by a thick layer.

Elena looked up and around, only to find that Yingsheng had already left the sterile room and was looking in the mirror in the airlock.

She subconsciously moved her limbs, but they were all locked and she couldn't move at all.

A little white mouse vomiting blood.

A roaring rhesus monkey.

The islanders howled and tore at their own throats.

The man in the white coat whose face could not be seen clearly watched coldly and wrote down the experimental data behind the glass.

A familiar fear suddenly grew wildly in her heart like a weed. Elena trembled all over and couldn't help shouting, "Mr. Shuiyue, are you not going to treat me?"

"Of course, wait a moment, the pressure and airflow need time to stabilize again." Yingsheng said.

Elena let out a sigh.

But after this experience, she couldn't help but care about the restraints that she had not resisted before. As the coolness of the sterile room gradually seeped into her naked body, she felt inexplicably that she was just a frozen fish on the chopping board, to be slaughtered at will.

She couldn't help but speak again: "Is this necessary? Mr. Shuiyue, aren't you going to give me anesthesia?"

"That's not the case. You'll know later." Yingsheng smiled, "Do you remember why you asked me for help? You weren't as hesitant as you are now."

"This……"

Elena hesitated and said, "Because after seeing Mr. Shuiyue's performance, I think you have surpassed humans both physically and mentally. In your eyes, there is no difference between everything. That's why I dare to make a request and expose my ugly body in front of you."

"What happens next?" Yingsheng asked again.

"It turned out to be true later. Mr. Shuiyue didn't dislike me. I'm very grateful." Elena said.

"So how did the change happen quietly?" Yingsheng said, "You just cooperated with me because you knew that you could never resist me, right?"

"No, it's because I believe Mr. Shuiyue won't hurt me." Elena said seriously.

"Okay, sorry."

Yingsheng picked up the floor-length mirror and walked towards the door of the sterile room.

"Don't you think that you are once again influenced by the unreliable illusion created by your 'self'? We have only known each other for less than two hours, and our individual characteristics have not changed significantly, but your attitude towards me has changed several times. Isn't it strange?"

Elena was a little confused. "From stranger to familiar, isn't that the case with all relationships in this world?"

"Why?" Yingsheng asked.

Elena couldn't answer, and immediately realized what Yingsheng meant, which was:
Since she took the friendly relationship established in these two hours for granted, what about the various dangerous and ugly relationships in the past decade or so?
Friendly and evil.

Warmth and coldness.

Are they superior or inferior in terms of emotion, memory and consciousness?

While Elena was thinking, Yingsheng had already carried the floor-length mirror to the operating table, stood in front of Elena and adjusted the angle to ensure that she could see her entire body.

When Yingsheng went to get the anesthesia, Elena finally saw her body and appearance clearly in the mirror in front of her. Her scalp exploded instantly, her eyes were full of fear, and a series of goose bumps appeared on her still intact skin.

"What does it mean?"

She asked Yingsheng hurriedly, her voice a little out of tune.

"Relax, I just want you to feel a little involved, and you can also see the effect. What if my aesthetic taste is not good? After all, it's your body." Yingsheng flicked the injection needle, turned around and asked calmly, "Where should I operate first?"

For the first time, Elena felt the fear of the experimental subject and her body trembled. "Sorry, it can wait..."

"No, just the chest first, the height is just right."

Yingsheng walked forward, held Elena's arm, and gave her an injection in the left axillary nerve according to her previous instructions.

"Um……"

Elena moaned subconsciously. Even though she knew that it was her own request that caused this, she couldn't help feeling humiliated when she looked at herself in the mirror.

Most humans are very concerned about losing control of their bodies, and anesthesia plus surgery is the most intuitive loss of control that many people can experience.

For example, removing wisdom teeth.

Lying there motionless, listening to the sound of the electric drill drilling into the gums, feeling the strange cold and sour touch, some people will even jump up in fear.

The situation Elena is facing now is undoubtedly more than ten times more serious than that.

The most important thing is the mirror in front of you.

Is this really a surgery, rather than some perverted punishment?
Elena had read Yingsheng's information and knew that his mental state was different from that of ordinary people. When she felt the cold needle piercing her right armpit, she began to tremble all over.

"Relax, Elena, I haven't fallen to that level yet." Yingsheng picked up a #23 scalpel and said with a smile.

"I'm sorry, I...I..."

Looking at the sharp cold light flashing on the scalpel and catching a glimpse of Yingsheng's smile from the corner of her eye, Elena became even more frightened. Yingsheng's appearance now was simply a perverted state.

"It will take a few minutes to get anesthesia. Let me tell you what I think." Yingsheng asked, "Do you know what the three phases after the 'I phase' are?"

"No... not sure."

The fear value continued to rise, and Elena thought that there was something right in Yingsheng's information.

Religious lunatic.

Yingsheng raised the scalpel, smiled and gently stroked his cheek. The tender flesh immediately split to both sides under the sharp blade, and the wound was so deep that the bone was visible.

Under Elena's astonished and shocked gaze, a hideous scar appeared on Yingsheng's perfect face, stretching from the base of his right ear to the corner of his mouth.

"It doesn't matter what the four aspects are. What matters is that all aspects are false."

Yingsheng raised his left hand, pointed his index and middle fingers at both sides of the wound at the base of his right ear, and then, like a zipper, he slightly joined his fingers and pulled them towards the corners of his mouth.

The flesh and blood healed rapidly under his fingers, and when he left, the wound had disappeared without a trace, and his appearance was perfect again. If it weren't for the large amount of blood on his cheek, Elena would almost suspect that she was hallucinating.

"Now I can heal my wounds at any time. This doesn't sound very convincing." Yingsheng smiled, "But from another perspective, especially for you, can you confuse the concepts of 'injury' and 'healthy'?"

"I do not understand."

Elena actually already understood a lot, she just... didn't want to understand.

Yingsheng said: "If you accept the past, you will feel like you have betrayed something, right?"

Elena was silent.

"My husband's life, my daughter's separation, and years of pain. In a state of powerlessness, if you want to maintain the stability of your spiritual core, you must give yourself a reason to persevere, even if it is just self-deception."

"No! I..."

"Shh, words will disturb the mind. The human brain is very stupid. Just listen to it thinking for itself."

As soon as Elena opened her mouth, Yingsheng interrupted her.

"I don't mean to accuse you from a high position, but the theory of victim blaming is really unacceptable."

"But, Elena."

"You've already left Shawshank, and Zihuatanejo is just ahead. Are you sure you don't want to go over and take a look?"

Elena was silent again.

Guessing that the anesthesia should have taken effect, Yingsheng stepped forward and lightly cut across Elena's chest, shaving off a thin piece of rough skin covered with dark yellow, twisted lines.

Perhaps the effect of the drug had not yet fully taken effect, or perhaps there was some problem with Yingsheng's anesthesia technique. Elena felt a slight dull pain after all, and subconsciously groaned.

The next second she pursed her lips tightly, trying not to make a sound.

Naturally, the eyes are tightly closed.

Yingsheng stopped and asked, "Do you know what sunk costs are?"

Elena didn't answer.

"Sunk cost, a term in finance, refers to expenses incurred in the past but irrelevant to current decisions." Yingsheng asked and answered himself.

"The most intuitive example is gambling. If you lose twenty times, does that mean your chances of winning the next time will increase?"

"How can it be."

"This isn't some card-drawing game with a guaranteed minimum. Each gamble is an isolated incident. The previous losses are sunk costs and have no impact on the present."

"Even more, those huge sunk costs will affect the gambler's current mind, causing them to be unable to make rational choices, making things worse."

"Elena."

"Do you know what the best choice is?"

Elena remained silent.

Of course, she had already understood what Yingsheng said. The past is the past. Whether indulging in pain or escaping, it is an inability to let go of the past. No matter how it appears outwardly, it is all self-deception and not a wise choice.

The future has not yet arrived, and if you want to enjoy the sunshine and beaches of Zihuatanejo, rational people should accept one fact.

The tragic experiences of the past are already sunk costs and are meaningless for the present and the future!

Existentialism.

Ego.

False.

gambler.

What Yingsheng said was very scattered, but this is the core.

Elena is a genius scientist with a very good mind. She can clearly feel Yingsheng's kindness, as well as his tentative purpose of changing angles many times in order to make his language more effective.

but.

Everyone understands the general principles, but how many people can actually put them into practice?
Yingsheng said it easily, but how could the pain and loneliness she had endured over the years be summarized in simple words, and how could she let it go easily?

"I have an idea." Yingsheng said.

Elena suddenly looked up, surprise flashing in her eyes. For a moment, she thought Ying might be able to read minds.

"Your thoughts are obvious. You think I'm just talking without any worries." Yingsheng raised his hand to stop Elena from making excuses, and said, "I also know that simple preaching is disgusting, but I still said so much. Naturally, there is a reason."

"The main reason you think I'm belittling your experience is that people can't empathize with each other."

“But now, it can actually be done.”

Elena was stunned.

"What do you mean?"

"Literally." Yingsheng said, "Existentialism, ego, vanity, gambler, these four terms you just thought of are derived from both your thoughts and mine. They are the anchors I left in your heart, and they are also channels."

[Love -6, Use Skill: Transformation]

A wonderful feeling was born from the bottom of his heart, Yingsheng smiled slightly and closed his eyes.

"Finally, I understand something again."

Looking at Yingsheng's actions, Elena was confused, and suddenly her mind was shocked, and her consciousness seemed to be pulled back to eighteen years ago across time and space.

The fire at the research institute.

The surroundings instantly turned into a blazing hell. Flames roared in the darkness, thick smoke filled the air, the test tubes and equipment on the laboratory table exploded in the flames, and everything around became distorted.

Elena stood in the raging flames, watching everything with dull eyes, her heart beating violently in her chest, but her body seemed to be possessed, unable to move.

She suddenly saw her younger self.

The open white coat was already full of flames, and no one knew where her red-framed glasses had fallen to. She desperately searched for an exit in the sea of ​​fire, but the escape route had already been blocked from the outside.

The billowing smoke and chemical gases irritated her and made her cough continuously. Her body gradually became limp and she was no longer able to run around in vain.

At this moment, the figure of Miyano Atsushi rushed out from the blazing flames, holding several injections in his hand, and shouted loudly:
"There's still a chance, Elena!"

Silver Bullet, a cycle of transformation was condensed into a very short period of time, and an indescribable pain like sinking into a lake of sulfur fire suddenly erupted in the body.

The burning flames outside suddenly became insignificant, and the weak voice of her husband lying on her made her feel even more heartbroken.

"You must live well, Elena..."

"Do not!!!"

The two of her, eighteen years ago and eighteen years ago, shouted at the same time.

The next second, the former Elena fainted, but the present Elena suddenly felt alienated by the scene before her.

Inexplicably, she seemed to have become a person outside the screen, just sitting in the audience, watching the tragedy that others performed with their lives with a sense of indifference.

Following an inexplicable connection, she suddenly looked back.

At the deepest part of the flames, Yingsheng was holding his heart with one hand, his face was pale, and he was muttering to himself:

"So, this is what heartache feels like..."

"Asshole! What on earth have you done?!" Elena rushed over, her face filled with grief and anger, and slapped Yingsheng in the face. "Does playing with people's tragic past make you feel happy? You are the worst scum in the world!"

"You should be able to feel it." Yingsheng smiled, "Since you want to escape from the past, then I will help you. I will bear all the pain you have experienced in the past. You will only feel the beauty of life and no longer have to be afraid."

The world suddenly changed and turned into a clean white ward.

Elena, who was severely burned, was lying on the hospital bed, surrounded by many people in white coats whose faces could not be seen clearly, and they were discussing how to improve the silver bullet based on the successful sample.

“This is loneliness…”

Yingsheng looked far away and whispered softly.

Elena only felt her heart becoming more and more empty, as if something extremely precious had been stolen, and a part of her "self" had been forcibly taken away, and her eyes gradually became confused.

The world turns again.

In the cold laboratory, the first pain of genetic collapse came, and the young Elena struggled and groaned alone on the silver-white metal bed.

Yingsheng lowered his eyebrows slightly and felt it carefully.

"This is……"

"Enough!!!" An indescribable emptiness emerged in her heart. This empty feeling almost drove Elena crazy, making her unable to help but yell at Yingsheng.

But the next second, her voice became sad again, "Stop, I understand."

"Sorry, I can't stop anymore." Yingsheng said.

"What?! No! I..."

Suddenly, the stars moved and Yingsheng's figure disappeared.

Countless days and nights.

Countless sorrows and pains were slowly drawn away from Elena's heart like threads.

Elena could still clearly remember everything that happened in the past, but she had become a complete outsider, and the feelings she had at that time had completely disappeared.

She really understood it completely.

Those countless pains and struggles, though unbearable, were the mark of her existence.

What she has lost now is not only the pain, but also the reality of struggling in the darkness, which is a part of her "self" existence.

Finally, she slowly knelt down on the ground.

She wanted to cry and roar, but her heart was empty and she had no sense of reality.

She is incomplete now.

How to change it?
I don't know how much time had passed, but Elena looked up at the sky with lifeless eyes.

The rapidly rotating sun and moon came into view, transforming into an illusory circular ring of light and shadow, connecting the past and the present.

"The only one who can change himself is himself."

she said softly.

In an instant, the world shattered.

Her own body suddenly appeared in front of her. Her smooth and white skin was comparable to the finest bone china, and her body proportions were even more perfect than before she encountered the fire.

Only the face remained the same, covered with various lines and grooves.

"Thank you, Mizuki-kun," she murmured.

"It's just the last step." Yingsheng said.

……

As the blade and his fingers gently passed by.

The person in the mirror, the originally intricate and ugly scars on his face, slowly dissipated like smoke, and the new tender skin sparkled under the shadowless light.

That healthy complexion was even more dazzling than before, and her cheeks and lips showed a natural rosy complexion, making her look no more than 20 years old, right in the prime of her life.

“That’s too much.”

Elena sounded distressed.

"How could that be? This is the effect of the silver bullet."

Yingsheng looked at her face from every angle, constantly and carefully adjusting it to make her facial features more three-dimensional and delicate.

"Are you playing a face-pinching game?"

Elena stared at him, her dark green eyes as clear and lively as duckweed on a lake.

"You know, because of what happened before, I now look at your face as if it were my own, and I tend to be very demanding of myself."

Yingsheng said with a smile, tapping various places on her face with his fingertips for the final inspection.

"...So how did you do it before? Did you really obtain magic through the Fist of Blue Sapphire?"

Although Elena generally lived a secluded life, she naturally knew something about the previous martial arts conference, as it had caused such a big stir and Karasuma Renya had paid close attention to it.

"Almost. Not many people know about this. Please keep it a secret for me."

Yingsheng's fingertips finally stroked across her elastic red lips, just like closing a zipper. After feeling the tight elasticity full of vitality, he nodded with satisfaction.

"It's done."

He admired his handiwork from a distance.

Perhaps because he had acquired the female personality of Kiyoko, and because he had previously borne Elena's past pain, he had a better understanding of every detail of the female form.

Under his meticulous carving, Elena, the unpolished jade that had been sealed in the dust for eighteen years, glowed with such dazzling brilliance. It was as if it was made of ice and snow and made of jade, yet it still retained its human beauty.

Of course, to ensure that others can still recognize her, her facial features and bone structure remain basically the same as before, with only minor adjustments made.

But she originally had a very good foundation, and now she can truly be called a beauty.

Yingsheng is willing to give her the highest praise:

Can compete with Qingzi.

As for Koizumi Akako... well... she's an outsider, but she's second to none anyway.

"Is this...really me?"

Elena looked at the person in the mirror and couldn't help but murmur in her sleep.

The face, neck, collarbone, shoulders, and the curves below were all fair and delicate, with perfect contours.

Moreover, she even had a six-pack, as if touched by her own gaze, the smooth and graceful lines gently undulating, making her feel very seductive.

"Of course it's you." Yingsheng smiled, "So you should understand it completely now."

"...Why do I feel like you're a bit of a spoilsport?" Elena sighed. "Of course I understand. 'Self' is constructed by existence. No matter what kind of experience, it is important. The pain of the past is not only torture, but also a part of my life."

"I can remain disgusted and hate it, but no matter what, I have to face its existence."

“Because it exists.”

“Escape cannot change objective reality. Only when I truly accept its existence can I bypass it and continue to live a good life.”

clap clap clap-

Yingsheng applauded her and said with a smile: "Congratulations, Elena, you are free now."

"So can you let me go?"

Elena had no choice but to raise her hands that were hanging on the handcuffs and shake them at him.

"Sorry, I almost forgot."

Yingsheng quickly stepped forward to untie her restraints, and handed her the sterile suit she had taken off earlier.

"Thank you, Suigetsu-kun, you saved me."

Elena took the clothes but put them on the surgical tool cart without wearing them. Instead, she stood in front of the mirror and kept looking at herself.

Yingsheng shook his head. "Only you can save yourself. I just said some clichés."

"Excessive modesty is arrogance."

Elena lifted her long light blonde hair to her chest and turned around to check her back, also feeling that it was too perfect.

"The most profound philosophy of life is contained in the old sayings. Although I don't understand as much as you do, I do know some ways to enlighten myself."

"And what's the use of that?"

“Everyone understands the truth, but everyone also thinks that the pain they are experiencing is unique in the world. Those big words that persuade people to let go are all the condescending words of bystanders.”

"What an understatement."

“I just don’t know if they would still be able to say those words if they were to experience it themselves.”

"When you kept trying to persuade me, I undoubtedly had the same thought."

"But who knew you could actually do it."

"I feel the same."

"When you finally return the pain you took from me and share it with me, your words will no longer be empty words, but will carry real power."

"And considering that I lost a part of my life, how could I not be convinced by you?"

Elena looked sideways at Yingsheng with a resentful look in her eyes.

"........."

Yingsheng smiled awkwardly and said, "I'm sorry, the method I used was indeed a bit excessive. It sounded like the 'Three Refuges'. I hope there will be no side effects."

"What are the Three Refuges?" asked Elena.

"It means taking refuge in the Three Jewels, but what I said is not the original meaning. It's a little story." Yingsheng said with a smile.

"It is said that there was an old monk who was always visited by thieves. One day, the thief came to steal again, and the old monk told him to put his hand in through the window and gave him whatever he wanted."

"The thief was so happy that he put his hand in."

"The old monk grabbed his hands, tied them to a pillar, and beat him while chanting."

"Take refuge in the Buddha."

“Take refuge in the Dharma.”

"Take refuge in the Sangha."

"The thief couldn't bear the pain, so he followed the old monk and chanted. This is the Three Refuges."

"So you want to say that I'm stubborn." Elena just picked up the sterile suit and threw it at Yingsheng in annoyance. "I was indeed stubborn at first, but thanks to your kindness, old monk, you have converted me. I think you will soon become a Buddha."

"Haha, that's still a little short." Yingsheng took the clothes and threw them back. "My guest role as a psychiatrist is over, and the people from the Suzuki Group should be here soon. I'll go up and take a look."

"Wait a moment!"

As Yingsheng turned around, he heard the slight sound of bare feet stepping on the ground. Before he could look back, he was hugged from behind.

"Is there anything else?" Yingsheng asked softly.

Elena buried her head in Yingsheng's back and was silent for a while. "You have also experienced a lot of pain."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you have endured all my pain before, and you just treated it as normal. Moreover, you know so much, and you are definitely not just following the crowd. You must have experienced a lot." Elena said in a muffled voice, "You helped me, and I want to help you too."

"Then how about joining my medical company? I'll only give you a basic salary." Yingsheng said with a smile.

"...I'm serious. You're avoiding the question now. Could it be that your situation is even more serious than mine?" Elena said more and more confidently. "I know a little bit about your past. You are actually the type of person who becomes a good doctor after suffering from illness for a long time."

"My mental state is really as stable as it can be. Everything you know is just superficial."

"…You are denying the past with these words."

"...Okay, there are some things that I really can't explain right now." Yingsheng turned around and gently pushed her away, "Then just assume that my obsession is super strong, and I regard the matter of guiding Xuantian to come as my life goal. Please help me."

"Yes, I will." Elena nodded, then hesitated and asked, "What about other aspects?"

"Nothing else, just enjoy your life after you return to Tokyo." Yingsheng said with a smile, "From now on, your life will be a smooth road full of flowers and sunshine."

After saying this, he turned and left the sterile room.

Elena looked at his back, which overlapped with her own perfect reflection in the glass. With a complicated look in her eyes, she bent down to pick up the white sterile suit that had just fallen to the ground.

As she put it on from the bottom up, her light pink nails could not help but touch her body, from her slender and straight legs to her snow-white neck...

The slight silky touch made even she, a woman, feel a tingling sensation in her heart.

After all, it is new skin and still very delicate.

But before Yingsheng,...

Elena's ears turned slightly red. Thinking that there were no other living people in the underground laboratory, she simply gave up putting on the one-piece sterile suit and went straight to the supporting facilities to take a shower.

She was halfway through her shower when the voice of Yingsheng sounded outside again:

"The clothes and shoes are at the door. Call me when you are better. The people from the Suzuki family and the medical company have already arrived. I'll ask them to wait outside first."

"okay, I get it."

Elena tried to keep her tone calm, but she was still trembling slightly. There was nothing she could do, mainly because of this situation…

Some are too family-oriented.

But when she heard Yingsheng's steady footsteps, Elena knew that he was definitely not thinking about anything, and she felt inexplicably lost.

The next second, she turned her hot cheek up to face the water, secretly annoyed at her own unstable mood.

"Suiyue-kun..."

"In his eyes, there is probably really no difference between all things. In his words... there is 'no difference between all living things'."

“Is he really going to become a Buddha?”

Elena talked to herself, letting her thoughts wander.

After a while, she went out to get the clothes prepared by Yingsheng, and found that this man was really considerate.

Including underwear, all are made of the softest fabrics that will never hurt her new delicate skin.

Elena shook her head gently again. After changing her clothes, she called Yingsheng and told him that she was fine.

Soon, some people came from the direction of another entrance of the underground research institute, led by Yingsheng, who had changed back into a black suit, and another man in a brown suit and glasses, Yuanchubby.

There were still many bodies in the underground laboratory that had not been cleared. Suzuki Shiro wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and laughed heartily:

"Brother Shuiyue is truly a hero."

"He traveled thousands of miles overnight, planning strategies and charging into battle. He went out to sea alone and single-handedly wiped out a huge force that had been lurking in the dark for decades. He easily accomplished what intelligence agencies of various countries have wanted to do for many years but have not been able to do. This is admirable."

"No, I'm just a soldier who rushes around recklessly. If we want to eliminate the remaining poison of the organization, we still need everyone's efforts." Yingsheng looked up at Elena and introduced her to Suzuki Shiro, "This person is the most important significance of my trip."

A genius scientist, Yingsheng likes him very much.

It feels like we are one step closer to Xuantian’s arrival.

Shiro Suzuki turned his head to look, and even though he was an old hand in a high position, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Some of the scientists who followed behind knew Elena, but at this moment they all stared with their eyes wide open, and it took them a long time to recognize that she was an acquaintance.

After Yingsheng introduced her, someone blurted out:

"It's an angel that fell into hell!"

His tone was full of disbelief. As far as he knew, didn't this person die eighteen years ago?

Even if she's not dead, she's not young anymore. How could she look like a girl in her early twenties?
Elena was shy and not good at speaking by nature, but after what happened before, she had changed after all. At this time, she took the initiative to step forward and asked someone to come over to take over with her.

Seeing that they were on the right track, Yingsheng said to Elena, "I'll leave this to you. I'll be leaving first."

"Can you wait a moment?" Elena said, "Because the Boss destroyed a lot of data remotely before his death, and also ordered the guards to destroy it, the handover won't take too long."

"But I will go directly to Kyoto and not return to Tokyo."

“Oh…I see…”

Elena's tone was a little tangled, and she didn't say anything else.

Yingsheng looked at Suzuki Shiro and said, "As for taking over Karasuma Renya's assets, I'll leave it to you, Suzuki brother."

Shiro Suzuki nodded quickly. Karasuma Renya's assets were even greater than those of the Suzuki Group. Even if there were many jackals sharing the food, it would still be a big piece of fat meat that could fall into his mouth.

And with Ying Sheng Lingchen's inhuman performance, he can completely use the power of the tiger to bully others...

wrong.

He and Yingsheng now form a community of shared interests. It is only natural for him to use the power of his alliance to negotiate with all parties and strive for the greatest benefits for his ally.

Shiro Suzuki was in a good mood, and his ears and eyes were sharper. He caught a glimpse of Elena's lost look from the corner of his eye, and he quickly called out to Yingsheng who had turned around.

"Brother Shuiyue, I have another question."

"What?" Yingsheng paused and turned around.

"It's just... Miss Elena's security issue." Suzuki Shiro looked embarrassed. "Although I brought some bodyguards with me to deal with general situations, Miss Elena's identity is very important. If someone doesn't follow the rules, it will be a bit troublesome."

Yingsheng was stunned for a moment, "It seems so."

He glanced at the scientists and bodyguards who followed him and felt that he could not rule out the possibility that there was a traitor among them.

Yingsheng looked at Elena again, "I'm sorry, I didn't think it through. I'll take you back to Tokyo later."

Thirty minutes later.

Half past seven in the morning.

The roar of the engine intertwined with the rhythm of the sea water. The red yacht broke through the waves, stirring up white waves. The water droplets penetrated the rainbow and splashed on her skin.

The sea surface was as blue as a mirror, sparkling, reflecting her bright smile.

Elena sat in the co-pilot seat and opened her arms to the seabirds under the golden sunlight.

The long-lost vitality of life leaped in the wind, in the hem of her skirt, and in her flying hair. She no longer had to wrap herself tightly and wore a white sleeveless dress.

"free……"

She murmured softly.

After a while, Elena turned her head and looked at the driver's seat, "What is Shuiyue-kun doing in Kyoto?"

"School trip." Yingsheng said.

"So...can you take me with you?"

"Eh???"

(End of this chapter)