I frantically spun it. After a moment, some smoke actually rose from my head, which was unexpected. However, the smoke didn't affect me; instead, it made the surrounding space clearer. It was then that I realized it was a de-fogger.
I found a narrow passage next to the pipe and thought this was the only way out now. I turned sideways, like a crab, and moved into the gap, my hands constantly pressing against the walls, shuffling sideways. Although it was narrow and there was a lot of stagnant water, along with asphalt and other debris, my clothes and palms got dirty. But compared to the anxiety in my heart, none of that mattered.
What truly plunges people into despair is always psychological influence.
After I slowly squeezed through the gap, I found myself in another ward. I thought the door should open now. Sure enough, as I twisted the handle, I heard a click, and the door swung open.
Thankfully, there were no ridiculous periodic table or other combination locks. I had thought perhaps addicts would be like scientists, fond of such tedious locks. Fortunately, things hadn't escalated to that point. After opening the door, I went out and discovered this place wasn't a hospital but a mental institution. Why could I tell it was a mental institution at a glance? Because when I investigated cases before, I frequently dealt with the Guangming City Central Mental Hospital, and I had investigated in the local mental hospital in Fuming City. I could analyze the surroundings, which was also a basic reconnaissance skill for a criminal investigator.
I approached the counter and found traces of someone having been there. There were quite a few notches from blade cuts, along with some dripping bloodstains. Some pieces of steel were exposed beneath the countertop. Coupled with sulfur residue and the faint smell of gunpowder, I realized an explosion had occurred here.
I circled the counter and suddenly noticed a male corpse at my feet. It was a male doctor. I crouched down and turned his face over. I found he was dead. Although I didn't have rubber gloves, I couldn't afford to hesitate. Something had clearly happened here. The entire mental hospital was silent. There was a lot of trash and dust on the floor; I didn't even know how many footprints I had left earlier.
Aural examination mirror was placed nearby. I carefully inserted the instrument into the man's ear and checked. I discovered the deceased's eardrum was severely damaged, and there was a clear blast wound on his right shoulder. He must have been holding some explosive device at the time, and it detonated uncontrollably on his right shoulder. The airborne explosion caused an upward force on his head and a downward force on his shoulder… In simple terms, he was killed by an explosive, hence the perforations in both eardrums. This phenomenon was rather frightening.
I propped my chin on my hand and analyzed. I found a mobile phone in the male doctor's uniform. I was overjoyed and intended to call for help, but after fiddling with it, I realized the battery was dead.
Damn it. I fumbled around for a place to charge it, but there was no charger, and secondly, it was pitch black here, so there was likely no electricity supply. But I took the phone with me. Maybe I could find a power bank and a charging cable later?
Thinking with hope, I continued to explore. If I couldn't find a charging spot, I'd escape. Even if it was a remote place, as long as I had the strength, I could run and find a vehicle to drive back to the Provincial Department. As long as I wasn't abroad, I definitely wouldn't die.
Passing the counter, I walked directly towards the main entrance. Regardless of the type of hospital, the layout should be similar. However, when I reached the main entrance, I found it was sealed with numerous iron plates and blocked by stacks of cabinets and tables. I originally thought about trying to move them, but seeing the thick, layered iron plates, I realized it would be useless. Besides, with all those things piled up, my strength alone wouldn't be enough to move much. Even if Xiao Yuande and He Jinghui were here, it would probably be tough.
There was no other way; I had to give up on this exit. I hadn't expected things to be so simple. Earlier, I heard the nurse chatting with Director Cang, and Director Cang saying he would bring me to a mental hospital to play with me slowly. I knew they wouldn't let me go that easily.
Director Cang, Cang Xuesong?! Connecting this surname, I suddenly remembered the name of the leader on the upper half of the organization's list. Unless it was a coincidence, this was worth considering. To summarize, I had already encountered the Gold Lord, the Death Lord, and Rita Lord. I remembered the list stated that Cang Xuesong was the Demon God Lord.
However, that was only the upper half of the list, meaning these lords were at most mid-level leaders in the organization. I'm saying at most; if not, things would probably be more troublesome later. If I had a chance to find the lower half of the organization's list, that would be great.
With this indicator, it should be feasible to root out the cancerous cells within the Polaris International Crime Organization.
But that was a matter for the distant future. For now, I just needed to escape this deserted mental hospital.
I left the area near the main entrance and walked down a corridor. I didn't dare to shout, fearing that some mercenaries or men in black might suddenly appear from these dark corners. If hundreds of them surrounded me, I would be in serious trouble with nothing on me. If the numbers were truly that large, even chili oil wouldn't help.
After all, that's not a rocket launcher.
As I walked, I found myself in another ward area. There were many densely packed wards, arranged in two rows on either side. A small square opening in the middle tempted me to peek into a few rooms. I found that the interiors of these wards were all empty, but I could see some white bones on the floor.
It seemed that patients had died here, and not just one. Had the caregivers been harmed, leaving the patients to starve to death? Thinking this, a strange scream startled me almost out of my wits. It was from ward 109, not far away. Someone seemed to be shouting!
"Let me out! I'm hungry, help! Come quickly! I don't want to die!" At that moment, I almost thought it was a ghost. However, how could I believe such things? I ran towards the sound and saw that there was indeed a survivor in the ward. I slammed on the door a few times, but it was useless. The person inside saw me and said, "Save me! Save me, please!"
"No, brother, do you have any way to open the door? I don't have a lock pick!"
"Uh, try slamming it a few more times. I don't know either!"