There were a lot of preparations to be made before the experiment, and one of the key steps was calming the physical and mental state of the subjects. The physical state could be recovered through an improved diet and rest, but the mental state was not so easily managed.
"These people were all found in several villages, and they don't know each other," Rhine noted.
This lack of familiarity contributed to their unstable mental states. Even when confined together, they couldn't trust one another. The worst off were an elderly woman and a middle-aged man.
Rhine wanted to bring everyone together and find someone with a kind face to chat with them, to lower their defenses.
But finding a kind person in the Hydra base was a challenge. While there were some soldiers who might appear friendly, expecting someone fresh off the battlefield to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere seemed unrealistic. Perhaps only a few armies in the East could manage that.
This left her in a difficult position. Sending soldiers to comfort them might even have the opposite effect. After some thought, she remembered a kind person in the research institute, though she doubted they'd be willing to help her with this task.
"So that's the situation, dear Dr. Erskine. Can you help me?"
In Dr. Erskine's laboratory, Rhine looked at him expectantly, hoping for a positive response. Erskine avoided her gaze, coughing twice to distract himself from the hopeful look in her eyes—something he rarely saw on Rhine's face.
According to Rhine, she had refused Schmidt's request, but the reason a request from Schmidt is called a request and not an order is because it cannot be refused. That's why Rhine had turned to him for help now. At least it showed she hadn't turned into a mad scientist.
Since there was no other choice, Erskine had to cooperate with Schmidt. If he didn't, those people might be in even greater danger. Erskine suddenly felt hypocritical. Just a few days ago, he had lectured Rhine, and now he found himself helping Schmidt conduct human experiments.
Sighing inwardly, Erskine was about to agree when an idea struck him, and a smile spread across his face—a smile that made Rhine, who had been hopeful, suddenly feel uneasy.
"I can help, but I have a better idea."
"What idea? I think your best option is to comfort them. No one else has the same affinity you do."
"No, no, no. I think you should do it yourself. You could change your clothes, dress up a bit—it will definitely make everyone see you differently."
"Huh? But I never... wait, don't go!"
Before she could finish her sentence, Dr. Erskine had already left, leaving Rhine feeling dizzy. In her previous life, and even in this one, she had never dressed up. Though she was a girl, she had been abandoned to an orphanage as a child and wore tattered clothes.
Even though she had a pretty face thanks to her irresponsible parents, her body hadn't fully developed due to malnutrition, leaving her short in stature.
So could she really persuade others?
After thinking it over, she decided it might be possible. Most creatures are naturally friendly toward the young of their own species, especially if they're cute.
In this case, what she said might not fully gain their trust, but it could at least reduce their suspicion. That would make it easier to explain the stakes to them, and the difficulty of the task would be greatly reduced.
At that moment, the people in the isolation room were anxiously scanning their surroundings. They had been called to gather there half an hour ago, but nothing had changed since.
Just as they were pondering this, a gap suddenly appeared in the seamless wall next to them, and a blond girl in ordinary clothes walked in.
She looked very calm, completely different from the rest of the anxious people, which made everyone more curious about her.
The gap closed, and Rhine glanced at the white wall next to her. She knew that the wall was actually one-way glass, and many researchers and soldiers were watching the situation inside.
Just as Rhine was considering how to start speaking, an old man seemed to notice her hesitation and asked, "Little girl, were you also arrested?"
"Uh, no."
Rhine hesitated for a moment before finally bowing slightly and telling the truth, "Actually, I'm the... assistant of the researchers here. I'm really sorry for bringing you here."
"What?"
"You are!"
Upon hearing Rhine's words, the crowd immediately became agitated, and their gazes toward her grew increasingly hostile.
"I guarantee that the upcoming experiments won't cause you any harm, and you will all be well compensated."
The girl's sincere words gradually cooled their anger. They certainly had no means of escape, and disagreeing now seemed pointless.
They couldn't imagine what might happen if they refused in this situation, so they had no choice but to comply. For a moment, the atmosphere in the room became tense.
Just as Rhine was about to continue speaking, a deep voice came from behind the crowd.
"You promise? What guarantee can you offer?"
Rhine raised her head slightly and looked over the crowd. It was the middle-aged man with the unstable mental state.
"If you want to know the principle, I can explain it to you. I can't offer any other guarantees, but I promise that what I say is true."
Looking at the man sincerely, Rhine hoped he would listen to her. If he did, the success rate of the next experiment would be much higher.
"You're all liars. You're all murderers."
The man shook his head and muttered something that left her speechless. Indeed, there weren't many good people in Hydra, and most of those following Schmidt were fanatics—except for her, who was forced into it.
But the man didn't say anything more. He just walked to the side in silence. Just as Rhine thought he had accepted the situation, the man suddenly turned and charged at her.
Rhine's gaze shifted, and then she felt a sharp pain in her back. The impact knocked the air out of her lungs. Before she could process what was happening, a pair of large hands wrapped around her neck.
The force made Rhine feel like her neck was about to break, but that wasn't the worst part. The overwhelming sense of suffocation made her feel as if her life was slipping away.
Though Rhine kicked him hard, the difference in size and strength between them was too great. Her resistance had no effect other than leaving a few small scratches on the man's body.
"Die, die! It was you executioners who raped my wife and killed my son. I want you to pay for it!"
Rhine wanted to call for the Red Police unit, but that required concentration, and her vision was gradually blurring as she looked at the crazed man in front of her.