Since all these rules and superstitions are outdated, what's wrong with me indulging in some me

Those weren't the eyes of a living person—pupils dilated, whites of the eyes covered in spiderweb-like blood vessels, the gaze empty like two bottomless black holes. His eyeballs slowly moved, locking onto Lu Changsheng's location through the murky, dark red culture medium.

Then, his lips began to move.

There was no sound, but Lu Changsheng could see his lip movements.

"You're not a staff member here..."

"I'm Zhang Ping's current psychologist." Lu Changsheng's heart tightened. He leaned closer to the glass and replied, "Dr. Zhou, what happened? What are you doing here?"

Zhou Ming's lips twitched, forming a stiff, almost mocking arc.

"Are you the doctor who took over treating Zhang Ping from me?"

Lu Changsheng nodded.

A bitter smile appeared on Zhou Ming's lips as he dropped a bombshell.

"I personally took her to the inpatient department."

"What?!"

Lu Changsheng's pupils contracted; he hadn't expected that Zhang Ping had actually been to the inpatient department.

"A year ago, I started treating Zhang Ping. She was very ill and insisted that 'it' existed in this world."

Zhou Ming's eyes were lifeless. "I personally stunned her with electricity and sent her to the inpatient department. I thought the inpatient department could cure her, but I never expected—"

Zhou Ming's expression became extremely complicated.

"Six months after she was admitted to the inpatient department, Zhang Ping reappeared. She came to the psychological counseling room again seeking my help, but she did not remember what had happened before."

Zhou Ming's mouth became rapid. "Zhang Ping's emotions are more unstable this time than during her first treatment, and she is more aware of 'it'. She told me that there is a hole in my chest."

Zhou Ming's eyes trembled with excitement, and tiny bubbles rose in the culture medium.

"I have some doubts about the hospital's motives, so I started to stop taking the medication," Zhou Ming continued mouthing, his faint voice coming from the petri dish. Lu Changsheng had to lower his breathing to hear it faintly.

"It's a blue pill."

"I want to know the truth."

Zhou Ming's face showed extreme pain:

"But I didn't expect that after I stopped taking the medication, I started to experience severe chest pain, my mental state deteriorated day by day, and my temper became increasingly worse. When I was treating patients, I had to bang on the table to stay calm."

Lu Changsheng suddenly realized that he had thought of the fine scratches on the table.

Zhou Ming looked down at the throbbing tumor in his chest cavity, his eyes filled with fear and disgust.

"But this wasn't a long-term solution. Sure enough, a few days later, I went berserk, smashed up the clinic, injured a nurse, and woke up here."

Lu Changsheng stared at "it" on Zhou Ming's chest. The dark red tissue pulsated slowly, like a human heart beating again and again.

Strangely, it had no connection with Zhou Ming whatsoever; it was simply pulsating on its own.

Can a person without a heart live on 'it'?

When was "it" put into your body?

Zhou Ming's answer sent a chill down Lu Changsheng's spine:

"I don't know, he should have been there since the day I became a psychologist."

"The blue pill isn't for maintaining cognition, it's for suppressing 'it'."

Lu Changsheng instinctively covered his chest. The bulge there was throbbing slightly, as if responding to Zhou Ming's words.

"So... why did they lock you up here? What exactly is 'it'?"

Lu Changsheng asked the most crucial question, his tone tinged with urgency.

"They treated me like a human specimen," Zhou Ming's expression began to twist. "Although I don't know exactly what 'it' is, I'm certain that 'it' is a part of a human being. Because I've seen them extract 'it' from patients."

"Once 'it' is sewn into our body, we will never see 'it' again unless 'it' is soaked in a special medicine, and the person who can't see 'it' is undoubtedly the most perfect doctor."

Is it possible to simply sew 'it' into the body and then never see 'it' again?

Lu Changsheng frowned. Then why remove the heart? If it's really that serious, why didn't the hospital perform the surgery on Zhang Ping?

"That's all I know. I can't hold on much longer. You should leave quickly. Someone will come to patrol every now and then."

Zhou Ming's voice grew softer and softer, and Lu Changsheng dared not linger any longer. He took one last look at the now lifeless Zhou Ming in the petri dish, then turned and rushed out of the laboratory.

Just as I took two steps, a soft "hum" came from the metal door deep inside the laboratory leading to the B4 floor—the sound of an airtight valve opening.

Lu Changsheng felt a chill and immediately dodged behind the nearest petri dish, holding his breath.

The metal door slowly slid open a crack, and a pale white light shone through. Then, two figures in fully enclosed protective suits emerged. They pushed a specially designed metal cart loaded with several small, sealed containers.

"Number 067's life force is beginning to decline." A voice, altered and devoid of emotion, rang out.

Lu Changsheng was startled.

067?

Isn't that Zhou Ming's number?

Another voice responded, "Log: 067 is experiencing functional failure and is expected to die within 12 hours. 'It's' compatibility with the host is Grade C. Remove 'it'."

Zhou Ming? !

Lu Changsheng was taken aback as he watched the two men walk straight toward the petri dish where Zhou Ming was. One of them operated the control panel, and the robotic arm above the petri dish began to descend, precisely reaching for the still pulsating dark red tumor inside Zhou Ming's chest cavity.

"Prepare for extraction."

The first voice said.

Using the petri dish as cover, Lu Changsheng moved slowly towards the exit. He had to leave before the two men discovered him.

Just as he was about to reach the door, he accidentally kicked a fallen power line.

"Clatter".

The two figures in protective suits turned their heads at the same time.

"Who's there?"

Lu Changsheng no longer concealed himself and dashed towards the metal gate. Behind him came hurried footsteps and the sound of an alarm:

"Intruder detected!"

Lu Changsheng swiftly leaped across the gate, a dull thud and electronic sound echoing behind him:

"The intruder has escaped from Zone B3. Initiate a hospital-wide tracking procedure."

The gate ahead is descending rapidly.

Lu Changsheng rushed up the stairs, taking three steps at a time. When he reached the first floor, the glass door of the side entrance had already begun to flash red—a sign that it was under lockdown.

Three meters, two meters, one meter—

Lu Changsheng slid sideways and slid out at the last second before the hospital department door completely closed. His body was still caught in the door, but Lu Changsheng ignored the pain and rushed into the night, running wildly towards the rented house without looking back.

Back in his rented room, Lu Changsheng locked the door, drew all the curtains, slid down to the floor with his back against the door, panting heavily, but his eyes shone with an astonishing light.

He thought... he seemed to know what 'it' was...