Ning Shu jogged behind the school doctor, trying to keep up. When they reached the nurse's office, he pressed a hidden panel on the wall, revealing a secret passageway.
Ning Shu: Why was there a secret passage? Did it really make things faster than a car? It didn't make any sense.
After a moment of hesitation, she followed him in. The nurse's office returned to its eerie stillness, as if the secret door had never existed.
The school doctor moved swiftly, carrying Ling Xue as if she were weightless, while Ning Shu panted to keep pace behind him.
After what felt like ages, just when Ning Shu thought her legs might give out, they arrived at their destination.
The school doctor pushed open a door, and bright light flooded the passageway. Ning Shu shielded her eyes with her hand and peered inside.
She froze in disbelief. The room was a pristine laboratory filled with all sorts of equipment, glinting under harsh lights.
There wasn't a soul in sight, and the silence was so profound that every footstep echoed ominously.
Ning Shu's unease grew as she noticed various specimens preserved in jars, including a yellowed kidney that looked like it had been there for ages.
Feeling queasy, she averted her gaze and hurried after the school doctor.
He placed Ling Xue on an operating table and secured her limbs with iron cuffs.
"U… Uncle, what are you planning to do?" Ning Shu stammered, her teeth chattering.
The school doctor smiled at her, his white teeth gleaming under the fluorescent lights. He looked disturbingly cheerful. "Nothing much, I just gave her anesthesia. She's just asleep," he said. "Feel free to explore the lab. By the way, my main profession is studying genes. I prefer dissecting people."
Ning Shu's heart raced. "Wait, you want to dissect her?"
"I need her for research. I want to understand why she can cultivate. Could it be that she has activated some advanced gene?" He looked at Ling Xue on the table and reached out to stroke her face.
"There are too many genes in the human body that go unactivated. Some advanced genes get concealed due to environmental influences. This woman has immense power; it's likely linked to advanced genes."
"Uncle, don't you read novels? Only people with spiritual roots can cultivate," Ning Shu blurted out.
"Spiritual roots? In my opinion, everything can be explained by genes." The school doctor's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as he examined Ling Xue.
"Can't spiritual roots be transplanted? Maybe they're just fragments of advanced genes, and cultivating is about activating them to enhance one's innate abilities…" Ning Shu listened as the school doctor rambled on about concepts she couldn't grasp at all. No wonder everyone at the shooting range feared him; he truly lived up to the nickname "Psycho."
"Uncle, I want to go back now. How do I get out?" she asked. "Do I take the same path?"
Ning Shu regretted provoking him. He'd probably had his sights set on Ling Xue for a while, waiting for a chance to dissect her. It was terrifying.
"Uncle, you're not planning to dissect me too, right?" She eyed him warily.