Wang Haiyang opened his eyes again more than 30 hours later. He struggled to sit up, feeling dizzy, his body as if crushed by steel bars, his limbs so heavy that even lifting a finger seemed arduous. Looking around, he realized he was in a hospital room, able to see doctors and nurses outside through the glass.
A nurse, noticing Wang Haiyang's awakening, immediately notified others. Within half an hour, Uncle Hu arrived.
"How do you feel? Are you alright? You're incredibly lucky to have survived, being so close to the explosion's center," Uncle Hu said while trying to help Wang Haiyang sit up.
"Uncle Hu, what happened? How did the lab explode?" Wang Haiyang's voice was weak.
"There was an accident, but it's nothing. Everything's been taken care of. The lab will be rebuilt soon. You focus on recovering; there's still a lot of work ahead."
"What about Director Li?" Wang Haiyang looked around, noticing he was alone, and asked Uncle Hu.
"He didn't make it. We only found parts of his body at the scene. We never want to see such accidents happen, but what's done is done. We can only do our best to prevent it from happening again. Alright, you rest well. Your body will recover quickly; we've given you the best medicine." With that, Uncle Hu left the room without waiting for Wang Haiyang's response.
Wang Haiyang felt saddened hearing that only parts of Director Li's body were found. He also wondered about the "best medicine" Uncle Hu mentioned.
"Is he always like this? Leaving without waiting for a response?" Wang Haiyang asked the nurse beside him.
"Yeah, that's how big leaders are. You rest well. If you need anything, press the button by your bed." As the nurse spoke, she injected Wang Haiyang with another dose of liquid.
"What's this? Why does it hurt so much? Ah!" Wang Haiyang cried out in pain but quickly fell asleep again.
Wang Haiyang seemed to return to the explosion scene in his dream. He clearly saw the two burning humanoid creatures walking towards him. Severely injured, he couldn't move, helpless as the creatures approached.
The fire-scorched hand punched into his abdomen, as if trying to tear him apart. Strangely, there was no pain, only a nauseating, twisting sensation that made him feel like he was falling. He couldn't make a sound, powerless as the humanoid creature ravaged his body. After a few minutes, the creature's hand left his body and continued walking away, its previously fire-damaged skin rapidly regenerating.
With a gasp, Wang Haiyang woke from his dream. He immediately felt his stomach and chest, finding nothing unusual. Suddenly, he noticed a Taoist priest-like figure outside the room, occasionally conversing with the doctors.
The man wore a deep gray Taoist robe reaching his ankles, cinched at the waist with a dark brown sash. A small copper mirror, faintly glowing, was pinned to the sash. He also wore a Taoist cap on his head.
Wang Haiyang wondered why a Taoist priest would be here. Suddenly, he felt a churning pain in his abdomen. Instinctively, he covered his stomach with his hand, and the pain immediately disappeared. Then, drowsiness overwhelmed him, and Wang Haiyang fell back onto the bed, unable to move.
The Taoist priest, along with the doctor and several nurses, entered the room. Although Wang Haiyang couldn't move, he was still conscious and could hear their conversation.
"Have his body indicators returned to normal?" the priest asked the doctor.
"They've mostly recovered. We just checked, and all data is normal. The last vial of 'Immortal Water' has been injected."
"Keep observing him. This person is crucial to us. We must save him at all costs. Use the 'Immortal Water' without restriction if necessary," the priest said in an authoritative tone.
"Rest assured, sir. We will complete the task," the doctor replied respectfully.
By this point, Wang Haiyang had fallen into a deep sleep again.
When he woke up again, it was late at night. Only dim guide lights illuminated the corridor outside the room, and no one was around. Wang Haiyang, with a slight effort, surprisingly jumped out of bed.
He was startled by his own action, feeling an inexhaustible strength coursing through his body, as if filled with limitless power.
Immortal Water? Taoist priest? Wang Haiyang's mind was full of questions as he sat on the bed, trying to make sense of everything.
He thought: It seems the attack by the humanoid creatures in my dream actually happened. They must have treated me with something called 'Immortal Water', but how could such severe injuries recover so quickly? As he pondered, Wang Haiyang carefully examined his abdomen.
He couldn't find anything unusual, except that the body hair on his abdomen, which used to be quite thick, was now gone.
Wang Haiyang felt this was too fantastical to accept. He was determined to find the truth and decided to secretly leave the hospital to investigate the explosion site under the cover of night, hoping to find some clues.
He found the clothes he wore that day in the wardrobe. His T-shirt was covered in bloodstains but undamaged. Disregarding the state of his clothes, he changed out of the hospital gown and quietly slipped out of the room.
The corridor was dimly lit but still visible. At the end was a nurses' station where a few nurses seemed to be sleeping. He navigated several turns and doors before reaching a set of double doors. Through the glass, he could see the outside was deserted. He opened the door and stepped out into what appeared to be the hospital lobby. Several guards stood outside the main entrance. Wang Haiyang snuck to a nearby window, gently opened it, and with a slight push, leapt through. He landed with surprising agility, amazed at his newfound strength and ability.
The hospital was within the research park, but unfamiliar with the layout, Wang Haiyang followed the signposts for about a kilometer until the Nanotechnology and Applications Department came into view. He felt no fatigue from the run, not even out of breath.
The entire department was still cordoned off, but it seemed the area had been mostly cleared. Construction materials were piled nearby, indicating rebuilding was about to begin.
He slowly walked in, quickly finding his way to the explosion site. The area had been thoroughly cleaned, even the debris from the vat-like structure had been removed. He marveled at how fast they had cleaned up. Standing at the spot where he had been injured, he could still see bloodstains on the ground.
Suddenly, someone tapped his shoulder from behind. He jumped, his skin crawling with goosebumps. Turning around, he saw a woman who looked familiar, though he couldn't immediately place her.
Before Wang Haiyang could speak, she said, "Wang Haiyang, you're not dead? Shouldn't you be in the hospital?"
Wang Haiyang exclaimed in recognition, "Xu Jing? What are you doing here?"