After knocking down Ashiwos and Leeton, Li Lin squatted down to check on them.
Both of them had dull, unwashed dark red patches on their hazmat suits, resembling bloodstains.
Caitlyn also lifted her mask, crouching down to observe. A hint of anger flashed in her eyes. "No doubt, these are bloodstains."
"...I think they're even more insane than some of the cannibalistic bandits my father told me about," Kai'Sa remarked with disgust, removing her helmet.
"Besides Void monsters, these people are my second least favorite," she added, her face showing disdain.
Li Lin and Caitlyn remained silent, tacitly agreeing with Kai'Sa's assessment.
These individuals who derived pleasure from torture and conducting alchemical experiments on living beings were immoral, inhumane, antisocial, and could even be considered scum deserving of the worst punishment.
Then, Li Lin, Caitlyn, and Kai'Sa stood up and surveyed their surroundings together.
At first glance, the basement of Osweld's asylum seemed normal.
The vast underground space was dimly lit with alchemical technology, and unidentified mossy plants covered the roots where the metal walls met the ground, with various piles of clutter arranged in an orderly manner.
Several heavy metal blast doors, similar to those on the second-floor patient area, were embedded in the metal walls, but lacked the round one-way glass.
However, the more normal it appeared, the more abnormal it seemed in a place like Zaun.
The lobby on the first floor of the asylum was relatively clean, serving as the "face" of the entire hospital.
The corridors on the second and third floors, as well as the outdoor recreational areas, were not clean, but had nothing to do with the situation at hand.
However, why was there such a stark difference between the basement and the ground level?
Even if they hadn't learned from Ashiwos and Leeton that this was the underground operating room of the asylum where they conducted human experiments and tortured patients, Li Lin and Caitlyn could still see that something was amiss.
This kind of behavior was akin to "a thief crying 'stop thief'," attempting to indicate that there was nothing fishy going on here, yet failing to hide anything at all.
"It seems that our Mr. Raymond Keane and Dr. Osweld aren't very good at hiding what they're doing," Caitlyn remarked, leaving the two unconscious men lying on the ground and walking straight to the location of the iron door at the end.
Li Lin and Kai'Sa followed closely behind her.
The closer they got to the blast-resistant iron door, the tighter Caitlyn furrowed her brow. "I smell a faint scent of disinfectant and formaldehyde."
Then, she glanced at several doors and pointed to the right. "These blast doors are poorly made. They need to be cleaned before they can be opened. The scuff marks on the floor near this door are relatively new. They should have come out from here."
Kai'Sa, who had put back on her Void helmet, used her Void senses and spoke up, "Caitlyn is right, I can sense a strong life force inside."
Li Lin nodded and went to grasp the wheel lock on the door, exerting a little force to turn it.
Caitlyn closed her mask again and raised her gun, assuming a defensive position, while Kai'Sa expanded her cheek pouches and leg armor as a precaution.
With a grating metal friction, the blast door slowly opened.
Kai'Sa transformed into shadows and rushed in, with Li Lin and Caitlyn following closely behind.
To their surprise, this dimly lit room was no different from the outside. It was still cluttered with various items, most of which were covered in dust.
Kai'Sa was momentarily puzzled, thinking her perception was off.
She used her Void senses again to search for signs of life, then turned her head to look at the wall on the right. "The person is behind this wall."
"Hmph! Another deceptive disguise. There must be a secret room here. Let's find where the button to open it is," Caitlyn snorted.
With Li Lin's Infinite Armor's intelligent chip analysis, coupled with his "Data Mind," he quickly found the problem.
He walked to the other side of the room, next to a shelf with significantly less dust than the rest. He gently turned the clock hand on an immovable clock dial.
As the clock hand completed a full rotation, there was a muffled sound of gears and mechanical parts operating in the room.
With a beam of alchemical light dispelling the darkness, the three of them simultaneously looked towards the direction the door opened.
It was a small enclosed secret room, with a somewhat choking smell.
In the middle of the room, against the wall, lay a burly man wearing a white-striped patient gown.
He was about one meter ninety to two meters tall, with his wrists and ankles all bound by thick, rusty iron shackles welded to the bed. His eyes were covered by a black blindfold, preventing him from seeing the outside world.
Caitlyn aimed her gun at the man lying on the bed, who looked to be around thirty years old, feeling puzzled.
If she guessed correctly, he was the henchman sent by Baron Raymond Keane that Ashiwos and Leeton had talked about earlier.
But being tied up like this before undergoing modification and human experiments was one thing...
There was also the possibility that his strength was too great and had to be restrained in this manner.
Caitlyn glanced at the muscles bulging on the man's arms, her expression becoming more serious, not daring to relax her vigilance.
"Doctor... are you here for rounds again?" The man licked his dry lips, his voice hoarse and weak.
Caitlyn glanced at Li Lin from the corner of her eye, continuing to aim at the man on the bed without saying a word.
"Doctor, I haven't had water for two days. Could you give me a sip of water?" The man paused, his tone filled with confusion and doubt. "I don't know why the Baron sent me to the hospital. I feel... pretty normal."
Whether he was normal or not wasn't up to him to decide.
With a thought, Li Lin's [Data Mind] immediately appeared on the system panel.
[Name: Dr. Mundo]
[Race: Zaunite]
[Occupation: Alchemical Baron's Enforcer (Mad Doctor)]
Dr. Mundo?! Li Lin almost exclaimed in surprise.
Only now did he remember what he had forgotten before.
Dr. Mundo was once an enforcer for an alchemical baron, later sent to the asylum, where he was subjected to various torments by the mad healthcare staff and enforcers, undergoing inhumane surgeries and body modifications, ultimately turning him into a monster who believed torture and killing could cure patients.
Before becoming a monster, Dr. Mundo had a straightforward and generous personality. Unlike other enforcers who lived by coercion, he was truly a good person and rarely got angry.
Never did Li Lin expect to encounter him before his transformation...
Li Lin walked slowly to the bedside, glancing at the name sewn on Dr. Mundo's patient gown. "Your name is Dr. Mundo? Are you Baron Raymond Keane's subordinate?"
"Eh? Aren't you a doctor?" Dr. Mundo was momentarily confused, then his face lit up. "You, you're from the Baron's people, right? I knew it, the Baron still cares about me!"
Li Lin shook his head helplessly.
This guy was the type who would help count the money even after being sold. Li Lin couldn't fathom how someone like him survived in the harsh streets of Zaun.
However, a sudden thought crossed his mind.
Dr. Mundo...
No, now he should be called Mundo. His almost childlike innocence would make him suitable as Li Lin's proxy in managing Zaun.
After a moment of contemplation, Li Lin asked, "Do you remember why the Baron sent you here?"
At Li Lin's question, Dr. Mundo paused for a few seconds. "The Baron thought I was sick and needed treatment..."
"But this isn't an ordinary hospital. This is the Osweld Asylum. Have you heard of it?"
"An asylum?" Dr. Mundo seemed to be still grasping his situation. "But... I don't think I have any mental illness?"
"It's not your fault. It's Baron Raymond Keane's and the asylum's fault."
Li Lin explained quickly, "The previous doctor who diagnosed you was insane. Actually, compared to you 'patients' sent in here, none of the staff at this asylum are normal. They'll diagnose you with all sorts of imaginary illnesses and then proceed with treatments... In reality, they use you all as living experiments, subjecting you to inhumane experiments and modifications."
"This...?" Dr. Mundo seemed incredulous. "This can't be! The Baron trusts me so much, how could he send me to such a place?"
"Is there a possibility... Baron Raymond Keane isn't as kind as you imagine?"
"Don't insult the Baron! He wouldn't do such a thing!"
Dr. Mundo's emotions escalated, struggling to sit up on the poor iron bed, which creaked as if about to collapse.
"This man is crazy, don't waste your time with him, Li Lin."
Caitlyn frowned, her finger already on the trigger.
If these shoddy shackles couldn't hold this behemoth, she was prepared to take him down with a shot first.
However, to their surprise, Dr. Mundo seemed particularly sensitive to the name Li Lin.
"W-wait! The woman just now... she said your name is Li Lin?!" He suddenly became excited. "You, you're the one from the Kiramman family, the 'Future Pioneer' Li Lin?!"
Li Lin felt a bit surprised by Dr. Mundo's reaction. "Yes, that's how the newspapers advertise me... Do you know me?"
"I'm your fan!"
Now Li Lin was a bit confused. "Ah?"
Even Caitlyn felt quite astonished.
She had thought Li Lin was only famous in the upper echelons of Piltover, never expecting him to be so renowned in the underbelly of Zaun.
After a moment of consideration, Caitlyn lowered her gun, no longer aiming at Dr. Mundo.
"Although you're from the Upper City, your contributions to the Undercity are widely recognized by its citizens! You're a kind person and my idol. I also want to become a great person like you!"
As he spoke, Dr. Mundo seemed to remember something suddenly and couldn't help but grin. "Oh, by the way, the newspapers say you always wear a Hextech armor when you go out, right? Are you wearing it now?"
"I named it Project Genesis · Infinite."
Li Lin took a few steps forward and removed the eye mask from Dr. Mundo's face.
After his eyes, accustomed to darkness, adjusted to the dim light, Dr. Mundo fixed his gaze on Li Lin beside him, his eyes brightening.
"What a handsome armor! Can I call you Steel Man?!"
Li Lin fell into silence at the words.
He knew that Dr. Mundo liked to give people nicknames.
But Steel Man... that name was just too ugly.
Caitlyn, on the other hand, couldn't help but suppress a chuckle.
Seeing Li Lin silent for a long time, Dr. Mundo looked disappointed. "Is it not okay?"
"Uh, it's not that it's not okay, it's just that Steel Man isn't good." Li Lin sighed. "You might as well just call me Iron Man..."
(The end of this chapter)