CH 22.2

Jiang Yiyi waits patiently for a few seconds.

“You know me?” Observer Ei’s tone shifts right into neutral. His normal voice has a lot more bass to it.

Jiang Yiyi thinks that it will be difficult not to take the giant nickname floating above his head into account.

Flipping his book, he denies it, “I don’t.”

“Doctor, do you mean to tell me, that you simply hazarded a guess?”

The volume of rustling chains coming from Observer Ei is getting a little loud.

“Is that answer important right now?”

Observer Ei is quiet for a few seconds while the rattling continues, and then stop.

He has freed himself from his shackles. He glances to the side, while Bee speaks through the hidden earpiece, “I strongly recommend caution. He’s clearly more dangerous than we were anticipating.”

Observer Ei stares at the wall for a while, like he’s picturing the Doctor on the other side——Relaxed, flipping through his book, unmoved.

He is familiar with such a form. In fact, most Observers are——They see such people often enough. On the bottom floor.

Extraordinaries are often geniuses in a particular field… and completely insane. The combination of this makes them perilous with the unimaginable abilities they possess.

Even when at a complete disadvantage, the slightest slip in attention may be all that they need to turn the tables the other way around.

Observer Ei sits down by the wall, asking monotonously, “Doctor, who do you work for?”

“You found nothing?”

“The file is perfect.” Observer Ei cannot see Jiang Yiyi’s face right now, but he is getting live updates of Jiang Yiyi from Observer Bee——While the first two floors do not have surveillance cameras in the cell themselves, the third floor features cameras in all cells to stay ahead of what every prisoner is doing.

Jiang Yiyi continues reading without batting an eye, “if you found nothing, then perhaps, I am him?”

Observer Bee’s voice comes in once more – suspected total or partial amnesia.

Observer Ei continues asking, “what is the Doctor’s purpose for visiting Stargaol?”

Jiang Yiyi pauses his reading. He does not really like being asked incessant questions——Nor being watched, for that matter.

He smiles a little, and looks up to face the surveillance camera.

Observer Bee locks eyes with Jiang Yiyi’s eyes.

Dark. Vast. Unending.

“Warning. Biological abnormalities detected. Automatic defences engaged.”

There is a warning in Observer Bee’s ears. The surveillance footage is cut off. All communication devices he has are also forcibly shut down. In the blink of an eye, he is sitting in a pitch dark control room. There are no communications——Nor eyes watching him.

Observer Bee closes his eyes, and takes deep, calm breaths in the dark, to return his heartbeat and blood flow to normal.

Observer Ei no longer hears anything. He tilts his head a little. There is no response.

The camera light dims in his gaze.

Jiang Yiyi then resumes his reading, “what does Stargaol have that would command my attention?”

Observer Ei raises his brow, “it appears the Doctor also knows you have lost your memories?”

“That is quite dangerous for certain.” Observer Ei tilts his head once more. He receives no response. Without the slightest change in tone, he continues, “on the lower floors, having a weakness invites death, you see.”

“In fact, I do not think I have lost my memories.” Jiang Yiyi states candidly, “I am but a simple surgeon. That’s all.”

“I doubt a simple surgeon would be much like the Doctor, sending someone to the afterlife that quickly and decisively.”

“Observer Ei, even in Stargaol, an accusation of a crime should be backed up by evidence.” Jiang Yiyi speaks without haste, “I have never done anything as heinous as sending someone to the afterlife.”

Observer Ei raises his brow once more, but does not show amusement at his unnecessarily feigning innocence.

“It is a rather hollow claim, for everyone already knows who killed Lone Wolf.”

“It sounds like you hold animosity towards me.” Jiang Yiyi’s fingers twitch, the blade spins in his hand.

“You misunderstand me.” Observer Ei softens his tone, “I see Lone Wolf’s cause of death as inconsequential, for no one will attempt to charge Doctor with any crime…”

“As a Coordinator who executes the law, what you are saying…”

Observer Ei hears a clang. Metallic objects striking, perhaps. A strange melody of ‘ding’s follow. It spreads outwards through the corridor as well.

“Is quite irresponsible of you.”

Jiang Yiyi casually launches his blade. It hits the fence on the window, and ricochets back towards Jiang Yiyi, falling to the ground.

He crouches to pick it up, and continues throwing.

“It is my hope that you will be looking for the killer, in order to clear my name…”

‘Ding,’ ‘ding,’ ‘ding’ it goes.

Observer Ei turns his head almost subconsciously, his eyes fixed at the source of the noise.

“Rather than jumping to conclusions, and believing I have committed a crime.”

Observer Ei is walking towards the entrance.

“Ei, stop!” Observer B is speaking once more, “leave the vicinity immediately.”

The ‘ding’s finally stop.

Jiang Yiyi looks up at the surveillance camera doing its work once more with blade in hand.

In the control room, though, Observer Bee has not turned the surveillance footage of Jiang Yiyi’s cell back on. Instead, he is looking at Ei’s surveillance footage. His tone betrays desperation, “I repeat, leave him immediately!”

Observer Ei, after several seconds of pause, finally snaps out of the odd trance he was in. He looks at the cell door, mere steps away——He has the key to the cell in his hand.

There are residual emotions in his mind——Not fear, or calm. It is unfamiliar to him, enough that he struggles to come up with words. If pressed, perhaps, he would go with…

He tilts his head in Jiang Yiyi’s direction. He wants to approach. He is attracted.

“Ei, leave! Do not delay! Do not stop!” Bee raises his voice once more at Ei, who is standing still in the footage.

Ei finally stops looking and walks out. When he passes by Jiang Yiyi’s cell, the man can be seen in the corner of his vision.

Jiang Yiyi is giving him a business smile.

Observer Ei quickly shifts his attention elsewhere, and walks straight ahead, disappearing from Jiang Yiyi’s sight in no time.

Jiang Yiyi stops looking at him, and glances back up at the surveillance camera. It has been shut down once more.

“He’s…” Observer Ei is hurrying along. After leaving Jiang Yiyi’s presence, he finally notices his clothes practically drowning in his sweat on the back. It is heavy.

“Quite possibly, something beyond that.”

Observer Bee has already shut down the footage, “mere suggestive cues can never achieve such effect. He is certainly an Extraordinary with abilities related to mental states or psychology. The Chief Physician on the second floor is right. Do not establish contact. The closer we stay, the more dangerous it is.”

“Professor will surely take a liking to him.”

Observer Ei takes a deep breath, “the Extraordinaries should all be confined in Stargaol. Where did this young and powerful Extraordinary come from?”

“Who knows…” Observer Bee pauses, “slipped through previous efforts, perhaps?”

“Impossible.” Observer Ei retorts without a second thought, “the Warden led the hunt himself. No one could have slipped through.”

“What do we do with him, then?”

“Report him and await instructions.” Observer Ei glances at the teleportation device in front of him, “we should just send him straight to Professor. No matter which one emerges the victor, we’ll have neutered a threat of humanity.”

“I’m going to teleport now. Let’s talk when I’m at the control room once more.”

Observer Ei steps through the teleportation device. Then he freezes. Lots of familiar uniforms. Armed and primed observers are watching him.

He raises his arms in the air, allowing them to take him into custody.

Observer Ei tilts his head a little, and looks at the observer leading them, “the orders?”

The observer clicks a few times on his wrist. There is a screen with words on it.

‘Risk of Danger: Contact with undetermined Extraordinary (Mental State). Response: Isolation, Psychological Evaluation, Perverse Incentive Investigation.’

The approving supervisor has signed in artistic, cursive strokes. The name reads, Cang Wendong.