Lin Zhen’s face was full of anger as he opened his mouth and shouted.
Duxie’s lips parted slightly, and her right hand reached toward Aili.
Anvil leaped high, his body arching forward.
As the formless ripple spread, no one could move; only their eyeballs could tremble slightly.
The entire corridor fell silent.
“What… what is going on?” Everyone was dumbfounded, a trace of horror surfacing deep within their eyes.
But Lin Zhen and Aili—especially Lin Zhen—were all too familiar with this sensation of being frozen in place.
In an instant, they understood: it was him—Dr. Forefinger had arrived!
Tap, tap…
Unhurried footsteps echoed clearly from the end of the corridor, and a young, smiling voice sounded at the same time.
“What kind of wind blew all you little ones here? Don’t tell me you’re all so interested in my package?”
Click, click…
Everyone tried to struggle, but could only make clattering sounds like jammed gears.
“This won’t do!”
The young man in a white lab coat walked up to the group with a smile and lightly clapped his hands.
The Freezing Power that bound everyone instantly vanished.
Anvil crashed down from midair, and the others also withdrew their hands, all looking at Dr. Forefinger with fear.
[What kind of crazy ability is this? Feels so strong.]
[Could it be the Spatial System?]
[This doctor feels like a final boss. If I’m right, he’ll come back and kick me later.]
“Doctor, w-we were just here to catch her…” Duxie pointed at Aili beside her, trying to pin all the blame on her. “It was Xingkui who barged into a restricted area without permission.”
“Don’t talk nonsense!” Kaos couldn’t bear it, and immediately cursed back angrily. “You’ve been wanting revenge on Xingkui for days—do you really think the Doctor doesn’t know?”
Dr. Forefinger just smiled, not replying immediately, but first turned to look at Lin Zhen, who was silent at the side.
Duxie, who had been glaring and about to retort Kaos, was startled by this scene.
This is bad!
In the training camp, Dr. Forefinger was the most mysterious figure—even Instructor Behemoth respected him greatly.
But Lin Zhen seemed to have some unspeakable relationship with him, always seen in private conversations or entering restricted areas that other students couldn’t approach.
If, because of this connection, the Doctor believed Lin Zhen’s words, they would all be doomed!
However, Lin Zhen’s answer surprised them.
“They… they’re all telling the truth,” the young man said softly, not choosing to favor his own side.
The Doctor could not possibly be unaware of what had really happened, and besides, Lin Zhen knew he hated being lied to.
“Is that so?” Dr. Forefinger nodded thoughtfully and slowly walked over to Aili.
The students in the way hurriedly stepped aside, each one quicker than the last.
The young man in the white coat crouched down next to Aili.
Duxie, standing beside them, wanted to leave but dared not, stiffening on the spot.
“Why did you come here? Was it for the big package I signed for today?” he asked with a smile.
Aili’s small fists were clenched white, and she asked through gritted teeth, “Is my sister… is my sister inside?”
“You mean Xinglan? How are you so sure she’s in there?” The Doctor pointed to the alloy door behind her.
Swish!
The alloy door slid smoothly open to both sides, and the huge iron box that had been transported from the residential area that morning appeared before everyone.
Aili lost her support and staggered, then turned dumbly to stare at the iron box.
“Is my sister really there? Was my perception correct?”
“If you want to know whether she’s there, see for yourself with your own eyes.”
Dr. Forefinger stood up slowly and beckoned to everyone.
“You all as well, come in with me.”
“Doctor, c-can we… not go in?” Duxie sensed that nothing good would come from entering this place and instinctively wanted to leave.
The students who came with her all nodded.
Even if it really was nothing, if that person was in the box, they’d be finished!
“Why not? In the end, isn’t everyone here for the same person?” Dr. Forefinger smiled. “So let me show you. Sooner or later, you’ll see anyway.”
Show us? Is it really Xiaoxi in there…
Lin Zhen’s breathing grew rapid.
He stared intently at Dr. Forefinger, who gave a slight smile and turned to walk into the room.
Aili quickly got up and followed him in.
“Should we go in?” Ziji quietly asked.
“Do you think we have a choice?” Lin Zhen fixed his gaze on the box and walked into the room, one step at a time.
Once everyone had entered, the door closed silently behind them, and white lights lit up the room.
Dr. Forefinger stood beside the box, his right hand on a palmprint scanner, smiling as he said:
“I rushed over as soon as I got the message, but you all beat me to it. Honestly… Should I say, as expected of her? Even after all this time, there are still so many who care about her.”
Hearing Dr. Forefinger’s almost blatant words, Duxie was the first to lose composure, her lips starting to tremble.
“R-really her? Xinglan is really in the box? Didn’t she betray the training camp and—”
“My sister never betrayed us!”
Aili suddenly shrieked, cutting Duxie off.
“Is that so? Then that’s very interesting.”
Dr. Forefinger smiled and glanced at Lin Zhen with meaning.
Lin Zhen’s hair stood on end, almost suspecting that all his escape preparations these past days had been discovered.
But thinking carefully, Dr. Forefinger hadn’t been around recently, and he’d been extremely careful, leaving no evidence. Even the Doctor couldn’t possibly find out.
Hiss!
The Doctor pressed down hard with his right hand.
A mass of white smoke billowed out from the seams of the iron box as the front panel slowly opened to both sides.
Everyone stared unblinkingly at the smoke-shrouded interior of the box, waiting—whether with hope or fear—for that figure to appear.
But inside, it was pitch black; only vague outlines of huge machinery could be seen.
Not there?
Just as Duxie had this thought—
The lights inside the box suddenly lit up. Something like a cryogenic pod slowly rose up with the sound of machinery.
Within the swirling blue suspension fluid, a blue-haired girl was bound, her pale wrists and ankles chained, and even her neck fitted with a thick, black collar different from the other students—restrained like a prisoner.
She wore a thin trainee uniform, her face covered with a sharp-edged metallic mask.
Although her expression was obscured, her skin was so white it seemed almost frightening, giving a strong sense of fragility.
[Xiaoxi?]
[“Boxed girl,” “mechanical confinement”—why does Lao Xi have so many tags (annoyed)]
[So indecent it’s scary.]
[Your Xiaoxi, forever suffering setbacks.]
“X-Xiaoxi?” Lin Zhen raised his hand, recognizing the blue-haired girl bound inside the pod—
She was the gentle blue-haired girl he always longed for.
“Sister!”
Aili looked at the cryogenic pod, tears streaming down her face.
“You’ve finally…Finally come back!”