Binjiang City First Hospital, Intensive Care Unit.
A news broadcast was playing on the LCD screen mounted on the wall.
"Morning news from Binjiang City. According to reports from the scene, at around 1:20 AM today, a section of the elevated highway leading from the airport expressway to the city center collapsed. As of 8:30 AM, the Road Safety Administration has sealed off the affected area. The exact cause is still under investigation."
The noise from the television was too loud—completely unsuitable for a hospital environment where patients needed rest. The sound ended up waking someone from their coma.
"This… is a hospital?"
The newly awakened person's first sight was a white ceiling. Then, as he slowly regained awareness, he noticed his own body, tightly wrapped in bandages like a mummy, unable to move.
After a brief daze, he struggled to turn his head and saw a girl sitting on a chair beside him.
"Who are you?"
The girl was casually eating an apple. Hearing his voice, she turned around, revealing a face so flawless it was almost inhuman—like a mythical being.
"Wow, Mr. Chu, you're finally awake!"
Her voice was clear and crisp. Beneath slightly curled lashes, her eyes were as deep and bright as autumn waters—like gemstones crafted by a master artisan, radiating life and passion. Her baby-fat cheeks lifted into a cheerful smile.
"I'm Xia Mi, the student assigned to assist you on this mission."
She was breathtaking—so much so that even Chu Zihang, who was used to seeing beautiful women, found himself momentarily stunned.
It wasn't until she waved her hand vigorously in front of his face that he snapped out of it. After a brief silence, he said,
"Chu Zihang. Mechanical Engineering."
"I know~"
Xia Mi grinned, extending her hand.
"Come on, who in the academy doesn't know about you? The legendary ace of the Execution Bureau, President of the Lionheart Society!"
The word "ace" made Chu Zihang fall into rare silence. His eyes lowered slightly as he muttered,
"Why am I in a hospital?"
His memories before losing consciousness were blurry. He vaguely remembered seeing a figure stepping in front of him, blocking a fatal blow from Odin. But everything after that was completely blank.
"Ah, Mr. Chu, you seriously have some insane luck!"
Xia Mi took another bite of her apple and shook her head dramatically.
"At the time, Norma received an emergency distress signal. But guess what? The closest person to the scene was me! So I jumped out of bed, grabbed my bike, and raced straight over!"
"When I arrived, I found the entire overpass had collapsed, so I could only search bit by bit."
"I kept searching, and finally found you near some ruins. You were in terrible shape—covered in blood. I was so scared, I immediately contacted Norma and arranged for your surgery. That's how we barely saved you!"
After finishing, Xia Mi puffed out her chest, looking quite proud, as if saying, "Go ahead, compliment me."
"Thank you." Chu Zihang sincerely expressed his gratitude to the person who saved his life. Then he asked, "By the way, what about the logistics person who was with me? Is he okay?"
"Logistics?" Xia Mi blinked, looking confused. "There was no logistics person. Did you make a mistake, Mr. Chu?"
"No?"
Chu Zihang froze for a moment, then quickly asked, "Are you sure? Really no one?"
"Wow, Mr., are you doubting me?" Xia Mi seemed upset. She placed her apple aside, propped herself up with both hands, and leaned toward him. With her bright, sharp eyes, she looked directly at the surprised Chu Zihang and said, "Really, it was just you!"
The girl leaned in close. Chu Zihang could smell the faint fragrance of her, feeling awkward and turning his head away. He cleared his throat and said, "Ahem, I got it. Please don't get so close."
"Hehe, don't be so nervous, Mr. Chu."
Xia Mi sat back down, took the half-eaten apple, and continued eating while watching the flustered Chu Zihang. Her eyes curved like the moon, filled with a smile. "Don't worry, I don't like guys like you."
"I didn't mean it like that." Chu Zihang sighed, feeling like he had met a male version of "Fingerl."
"Sigh~ You distracted me, and I almost forgot!"
Xia Mi suddenly stopped eating the apple, quickly pulled out a notebook, and handed it to Chu Zihang. "Schneider said, once you wake up, to contact him as soon as possible."
Chu Zihang stared at the notebook in his hands, then looked at Xia Mi, and finally glanced at his hands, which were wrapped in bandages. He felt a slight crack in his usually cold face. After a brief pause, he looked at the mischievous girl and said, "Uh... could you help me with something?"
Xia Mi crossed her legs, folded her arms, and grinned. "Mr. Chu, don't you think you should change how you address me before asking for help?"
"Sorry, Xia Mi."
Chu Zihang tugged at the corner of his mouth, struggling as he said, "Could you help me contact Professor Schneider?"
"OK~"
Xia Mi smiled contentedly, her crescent-shaped eyes as bright and captivating as the moon hanging in the sky.
After a flurry of quick actions, a voice came through the screen, sharp and jarring, like a sharp metal tool scraping across a smooth surface: "Chu Zihang, I heard you were injured. What exactly happened yesterday?"
"Yesterday..."
Chu Zihang paused and glanced at Xia Mi, who was sitting beside him.
"Alright, alright~ I get it, it's a secret, right?" Xia Mi mumbled, pouting. She walked to the door of the room, suddenly turning back to glare at him. Sticking out her tongue, she made a funny face and teased, "Stingy Chu Zihang, hehe~ If you don't want to tell, then I won't ask. I'm not curious anyway!"
Bang!
With that, she slammed the door shut.
Chu Zihang on the bed immediately felt a headache coming on. He sighed and got back to the topic: "Yesterday, after I got off the plane, I met someone claiming to be from the logistics department, named Cheng Er. On the way home, we got into Nibelungen and encountered Odin."
"Odin again?"
Schneider seemed to be aware of the story between Odin and Chu Zihang. After a brief silence, his voice grew serious: "What happened next? How did you escape?"
"I don't know. I was already unconscious by then." Chu Zihang sighed again and said, "Before I passed out, I vaguely saw someone blocking Odin's attack for me, but after that, everything was unclear. When I woke up, I was already in the hospital."
"I just checked using Norma's access, and about this Cheng Er from the logistics department—guess what I found?" Schneider asked.
"Doesn't exist?" Chu Zihang replied.
"No, there is indeed someone named 'Cheng Er' in the logistics department." Schneider paused, his tone serious. "But a year ago, he disappeared while investigating a case. In other words, the person who went to the airport to pick you up yesterday, and the one who encountered 'Odin,' was most likely part of a pre-arranged plan."
Chu Zihang's pupils shifted, a fiery molten gold gleam flickering in his eyes. "Odin's target is me!"
"That's right. Although it's still unclear what Odin's intentions are, you should stay cautious." Schneider said in a deep voice. "Also, from last night's events, it seems there's another group whose goal is to stop Odin. I'll have Norma continue the investigation."
"I understand."
Chu Zihang lowered his gaze, not showing any hint of emotion.
"There's one more thing I need you to take care of."
Schneider hesitated for a moment but eventually spoke up. "In the Yangtze River Three Gorges area, traces of the 'King of Bronze and Fire' have been found. Once you've recovered from your injuries, go to the Yangtze River region with Xia Mi. I'll have Chen Motong and Caesar assist you with the mission."
Upon hearing this, Chu Zihang was momentarily stunned and asked in confusion, "Xia Mi? She's a new student, right? Why would you have her join?"
On the other side of the communication, Schneider sat in the dimly lit control room, staring at the screen showing Chu Zihang's face. His expression was unsettled. "I don't know. This is… Hilbert and the School Board' decision."
********
Support me on my patreon and read upto 30 early chapters.
https://www.patreon.com/Unique_Writer