Start the liver experience with push-ups

The food court was bustling with noise and filled with fragrant aromas.

Xu Fei and Chen Lei, each holding a tray laden with food, finally managed to find an empty spot to sit down.

As they gazed at the steaming hot beef noodles and meat pies, preparing to dig in, their eyes inadvertently drifted towards the television on the wall, which was broadcasting the news.

At that moment, the television screen displayed images of the rehabilitation center building ravaged by artillery fire.

“In the early hours of January 31st, an unexpected riot occurred at a hospital located in the Xiguan District of Dongdu City, resulting in unfortunate casualties and property damage.”

“Due to the suddenness of the incident, the hospital's security forces were unable to respond effectively in a timely manner. To ensure the safety of other patients and medical personnel within the hospital, relevant departments urgently dispatched troops to the scene for support. After a period of arduous struggle, they successfully quelled the disturbance.”

The anchor's pace was unhurried, yet the underlying tension in his words was palpable, allowing every listener to sense the gravity of the situation that night.

The scene then shifted to the studio, where a male host in formal attire sat upright, solemnly reading from a news script:

“After days of thorough investigation, relevant departments have now determined that on that night, unlawful terrorists secretly infiltrated the rehabilitation center building under the cover of darkness, attempting to release a dangerous substance with potentially devastating consequences. This act triggered extreme panic among the building's occupants, causing the situation to spiral out of control.”

“Fortunately, the military responded swiftly, launching an immediate assault upon receiving orders. They engaged in fierce combat with the terrorists, relying on their heroic and fearless fighting spirit and exceptional military skills to successfully control the scene, preventing further escalation of the situation.”

“As for the patients who were originally receiving treatment at the rehabilitation center, they have all been properly resettled. All related tasks, including the treatment of the injured and the provision of compensation to the families of the deceased, are being carried out in an orderly manner…”

The host paused briefly before continuing:

“This incident undoubtedly serves as a stark warning to society as a whole. Government departments will subsequently strengthen security measures and enhance emergency response mechanisms. Our news media will also closely monitor the aftermath of this incident to ensure that the safety of the public remains protected and that they are no longer subjected to similar threats…”

Listening to the news report and the explanation of the reasons behind the incident, the diners around them reacted in various ways.

Some stopped eating, staring at the television screen with an expression of sudden realization, as if finally understanding the situation.

Others whispered among themselves, seemingly still harboring doubts.

After watching the news for a while, Xu Fei shook his head slightly and sighed softly:

“It seems our mission this time has finally come to a successful end.”

“It's still early days.”

Chen Lei, who was sitting next to him, had already started eating his noodles. He swallowed a large mouthful and mumbled through a full mouth:

“We'll have to wait until the last batch of patients is transferred from the rehabilitation center, which will probably be after the New Year. Forget about going home early for the holidays.”

“I don't really care whether I go home for the New Year or not.”

Xu Fei glanced at him and replied in a low voice: “I just hope we don't run into that immortal monster here again. That would be a great blessing.”

Then, he picked up a strand of noodles, put it in his mouth, and chewed slowly and deliberately.

However, his brow was slightly furrowed, as if he was still thinking about something.

Seeing this, Chen Lei said as he ate:

“Xiao Fei, relax. Gao Jin said that although that old ghost is still alive, he won't be able to cause any trouble in the short term.”

“Now that the higher-ups have issued a strict order, our entire team is searching for his whereabouts. No matter which corner he's hiding in, as long as he can't resist revealing himself, we'll definitely be able to catch him.”

Xu Fei nodded in agreement.

Given the gluttonous nature of ghouls, suppressing the urge to feed would probably be more painful than killing them.

Chen Lei grabbed a meat pie and continued:

“The only thing I'm worried about now is whether that superior will be implicated in the subsequent investigation.”

Hearing his companion still regard the masked man as a colleague, Xu Fei couldn't help but turn to look at him:

“Aren't you curious about who that superior actually is?”

“Who cares who he is? His life-saving grace is beyond repayment. Anyway, I don't believe he's a bad person.”

Chen Lei took a big bite of the meat pie, then picked up the bowl with both hands and began to drink the hot noodle soup.

With a "slurp," he sucked it into his mouth, the savory flavor of the soup and the substantial texture of the meat pie intertwining and colliding in his mouth.

He closed his eyes in satisfaction, letting out a sigh from his throat.

“I suddenly miss the food here a little. What am I going to do when I leave Ren'an Hospital in the future and can't eat it anymore?”

“That's easy. You can just come to the hospital often in the future.”

“Damn it, why does that sound so wrong? Are you cursing me!”

Hearing his companion's teasing words, Chen Lei realized what he meant and immediately retorted with a smile and a curse.

Xu Fei swallowed a mouthful of noodles, looked at Chen Lei's left leg, which was still wrapped in gauze, and also started to laugh.

This guy's build is even stronger than an ox. After suffering such a serious penetrating injury, he's now just walking with a limp, slightly inconvenienced. He's practically a monster.

The two chatted idly, enjoying a moment of comfort and satisfaction brought by a bowl of beef noodles and a few meat pies.

Just then, a "familiar face" happened to quietly pass behind them, overhearing their whispered conversation.

Fang Cheng kept his gaze straight ahead, the corners of his mouth unconsciously curving upwards slightly.

After finishing dinner with his uncle, they walked out of the food court together and strolled around downstairs before going back upstairs to the ward.

Fang Cheng didn't try to persuade them to stay. He escorted his aunt and uncle downstairs and then returned.

Entering the ward, he saw three nurses busy sweeping the floor and cleaning.

After asking his mother, he learned that his uncle had hired them yesterday.

As for why he needed to hire two more.

According to his uncle, one would take care of the old man's daily life, one would be responsible for hygiene and care, and the other would rotate at any time.

Fang Cheng shook his head speechlessly, sat by the bedside, and chatted with his grandfather.

Since his uncle had already made arrangements, there was no need for him to do anything extra.

Around six o'clock in the evening, after eating dinner with his mother and uncle in the hospital cafeteria, he saw that there was nothing else to do here, so he left first.

The cold wind was like a knife, howling through the dimly lit hospital grounds.

During the day, there was still a gentle warmth, but at night, the temperature dropped sharply.

Fang Cheng zipped up his jacket, raised his collar, and walked quickly towards the gate, preparing to take a taxi home.

After walking for a while, his eyes inadvertently turned to the gray building in the distance, which was still guarded by soldiers.

Under the night, the exterior walls of the rehabilitation center were covered with black scorch marks, as if they had been wantonly smeared with ink.

The windows of some floors had been shattered by explosions, leaving only empty, rickety window frames.

It seemed to be silently describing to outsiders the thrilling battle that had taken place that night.

An hour later, at the old factory street in Jiangbei.

It was just after seven o'clock when I got home.

The streets here were noticeably more lively than those in Xiguan.

The laughter and clamor from the late-night snack stalls, and the rhythmic sounds of woks being stirred, drifted up from downstairs from time to time.

Fang Cheng quickly went to the bathroom for a quick wash before heading straight to the bedroom.

Click.

After closing the door tightly, he turned to face the window, illuminated by neon lights.

With a "whoosh," he drew the curtains.

As the last sliver of light was blocked out, the noise, hustle, and bustle were shut outside.

The room was shrouded in a hazy, serene hue, as if the whole world was reduced to this small space.

In the darkness, Fang Cheng's eyes shone brightly.

He then sat cross-legged on the bed, ready to begin his meditative practice.

Gently closing his eyes, his breathing gradually deepened.

His thoughts spread out like ripples on a calm lake, expanding in circles towards the depths of his heart.

Soon, he was immersed in the tranquility of this solitary meditation, exploring the serene corners of his mind.

After a long while.

Fang Cheng suddenly opened his eyes, looking at the scene in the room.

The originally dark bedroom had become incomparably bright, as if daylight had arrived.

The outlines of the desk, bed, wardrobe, and all the objects were clearly defined, covered with a layer of shimmering, warm light.

It seemed that this meditation session had lasted more than a dozen hours, and in the blink of an eye, it was already the next day's morning.

Fang Cheng's eyes flickered slightly, and he pondered briefly.

Then, he gently raised his hand, snapped his thumb and middle finger together with a "snap."

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In an instant, the scene in the room seemed to have been enchanted.

The sunlight receded rapidly as if the tide was ebbing, and the outlines of the furniture disappeared back into the darkness.

The night outside the window surged in, and the room was once again shrouded in a hazy, cold tone.

The ticking of the alarm clock on the desk sounded, as if time was rewinding.

The daylight just now was just a brief and beautiful dream.

However.

"Snap!"

Fang Cheng then snapped his fingers again.

The surrounding scene changed again, and the entire bedroom was instantly re-immersed in a warm and bright daytime atmosphere.

With each snap, like turning a light switch on and off, the surrounding environment constantly switched between light and dark modes.

"It's better to keep the daylight mode, it's not easy to confuse reality and illusion in the memory palace."

Fang Cheng looked around, muttered to himself, and then got out of bed.

He walked to the bedroom door, reached out and grasped the somewhat cold doorknob, and gently twisted it.

The originally closed door quietly opened with the force, making a barely audible "click."

Whoosh—

The wind howled, as if lurking ferocious beasts were trying to pour into the room through the slightly opened door.

Creak—

The door continued to open slowly, revealing a dark and chaotic void outside the bedroom.

Endless mist churned like ink, so thick that it could not be dissolved.

It seemed that there were strange tentacles dancing wildly in it, trying to drag the house shining with bright light into the abyss.

Fang Cheng's face was calm, and he stood steadily at the door, unaffected.

His lips moved slightly, and he fluently recited an extremely tongue-twisting incantation.

"Om, a, mi, ma, wa, she, moo..."

As the incantation was recited word by word, it clearly echoed in the wind.

His gaze instantly pierced through the extremely dense black mist, locking onto another point of consciousness emitting light hidden in this dark world.

Then, a manor gate carved with intricate patterns appeared not far away.

Fang Cheng walked out of the bedroom, stepped forward, and raised his hand to knock on the door.

Dong, dong.

Just after two knocks, the door opened with a "creak."

It emitted a hazy halo, dimly illuminating the front of the door, as if welcoming travelers in the darkness to visit.

Fang Cheng took a step forward, skillfully plunging into this light gate.

As his eyes blurred, his figure appeared in the old place in the next instant.

A spacious room that seemed to have its lights turned off, wrapped in black curtains.

Just stepping into it, Fang Cheng vaguely felt that there had been a change since the last time he came, slightly different.

It seemed... the area of the room had become larger.

Moreover, stepping on it felt more real, no longer so lightly floating.

Just as he was wondering, a yin and cold voice sounded:

"Yo, what wind brought you here today? Coming to chat so early in the morning, don't you have a nightlife?"

Accompanied by the muttering, a figure emitting a dim green light emerged from the darkness.

It was still as blurry as before, with only the outline of the figure discernible, like a wandering ghost.

After floating in front of him, seeing Fang Cheng not saying a word, Smiling Devil couldn't help but ask:

"What can I do for you? You're not just here to act cool, are you?"

Fang Cheng fixed his eyes on him and suddenly asked:

"What is your relationship with Jiang Chen?"

Smiling Devil was stunned when he heard this, his eyes piercing straight at Fang Cheng, with a bit of sharpness, and his voice unconsciously raised a few notches:

"How do you know this name? Where did you hear it from?!"

His tone was urgent, and the previous indifference was instantly broken, replaced by undisguised shock.

Fang Cheng smiled slightly, and replied as if casually:

"I accidentally met him, exchanged martial arts, cherished each other, and can be called good friends who talk about everything. It was also from his mouth that I learned about your situation."

Hearing this, Smiling Devil's shoulders trembled obviously, his body suddenly leaned forward, his eyes seemed to see through Fang Cheng, judging the truth of this statement.

Fang Cheng behaved calmly, meeting the gaze of this mysterious man staring at him:

"What's wrong, is he very important to you?"

"Heh heh."

Smiling Devil stared for a long time, then suddenly chuckled: "So you want to trick me?"

Then the whole tense figure relaxed, and he shook his head indifferently: "If that old ghost knew my whereabouts, he would have come to me himself, how could he tell an outsider like you."

The previous statement did have a lot of logical loopholes, so he could only use a sudden trick to catch him off guard.

Unfortunately, the other party was very vigilant and was not fooled by this.

Seeing that the trick was seen through, Fang Cheng did not continue to act, and shrugged his shoulders very shamelessly:

"Okay, I have indeed fought with Jiang Chen, but not as friends, but as enemies."

Then his tone was solemn, and his eyes looked straight at the other party:

"I came to you only because I felt that there were similarities between you two. Since Jiang Chen can be said to be our common enemy, you should tell me his true origin."

Smiling Devil was silent for a moment when he heard this, as if seriously considering it.

Suddenly he let out a long breath, raised his head, and looked at Fang Cheng again:

"Do you believe that ghosts exist in this world?"

"I believe."

Fang Cheng answered without hesitation.

Smiling Devil couldn't help but be stunned again:

"Have you already seen them?"