Chapter 224 – Fortuna’s Eye
Nick Wells could earn an enormous amount from just one patient. By the end of a single day, his fees could easily buy a luxury car.
“Right this way, ma’am. We’ll begin with a basic full-body checkup,” the nurse’s voice interrupted her wandering thoughts.
Tu Ran followed the nurse into a completely enclosed room filled with various instruments.
“Please remove your mask, ma’am,” the nurse reminded her.
Tu Ran hesitated.
“You can safely remove it,” Zero’s voice quickly came through her earpiece. “I’ve created a new identity for you. You are now Li Lin, an ordinary citizen of the Federation. From your facial features, no one will recognize you as the Pioneer Tu Ran.”
Reassured, Tu Ran took off her mask.
A green beam scanned her face from top to bottom as soon as it was exposed.
“Ms. Li Lin, please lie down on the bed, close your eyes, and remain still. We’re about to begin a scan of your body.”
Following instructions, Tu Ran lay on a one-meter-wide gurney, which automatically slid into a fully enclosed machine.
With her eyes closed, she heard a series of beeps, varying in pitch and length. It lasted for about ten minutes, and Tu Ran was on the verge of falling asleep when the gurney began to move again, signaling that the scan was complete.
“The checkup is done. The data is being uploaded. Please wait a moment.”
Tu Ran sat up from the bed as the nurse, who had been waiting nearby with a smile, said, “Ms. Li Lin, your body scan results have been analyzed. You can now proceed to Director Nick’s office.”
Tu Ran’s eyes lit up—she was finally going to meet him.
“Please follow me.”
The door to the examination room opened automatically, and Tu Ran followed the nurse toward Nick Wells’ office.
All along the way, Tu Ran observed her surroundings, silently memorizing the route.
The AI responsible for monitoring inside Xixinange Hospital was called Andre. Other than relaying a few messages to Tu Ran, Zero couldn’t offer much assistance.
Once she dealt with Nick Wells, she would need to leave quickly, relying on her memory to navigate.
They entered the elevator, but the nurse didn’t press any buttons or announce which floor they were going to. The elevator ascended automatically and stopped on the fifth floor.
It was clear that the elevator was entirely controlled by Andre. To be safe, she decided she would use the stairs when she left.
Luckily, it was only the fifth floor—not too high up.
Exiting the elevator, Tu Ran followed the nurse, turning left and then left again, walking down a long, dimly lit corridor. At the end of the hallway, there was a dark red wooden door.
The nurse opened the door for her and motioned for her to enter, remaining outside to wait.
Tu Ran stepped inside and found herself in an unusually long foyer, with many paintings hanging on the walls.
Not having much of an artistic eye, she simply noted that they looked nice and only gave them a brief glance. Her attention was drawn to the large hall up ahead.
This didn’t look like the kind of doctor’s office she had expected—no simple desk with the doctor seated behind it.
Instead, it resembled a luxurious presidential suite in a hotel.
Directly in front of her was a large gray-and-white sofa set, arranged in a rectangle around a deep brown, irregularly shaped wooden coffee table.
She didn’t see the person she had come to meet.
Before she could step onto the pure white carpet of the sitting room, two crossed hands blocked her path.
Tu Ran followed the arms up and saw two men in black suits, both taller than her by a head. They were broad-shouldered and wearing throat mics and earpieces—clearly security guards.
“Take off any weapons you’re carrying before you go in,” one of them said, his sharp eyes like an eagle’s as he looked down at her. His voice was deep and imposing.
Tu Ran said nothing more and handed over the pistol and dagger from the back of her waist to the tray held by the other guard.
She spread her arms. “Can I come in now?”
“There’s also the earpiece.”
Tu Ran reluctantly removed the hidden earpiece from her ear and tossed it into the tray.
“Is that all?”
The two guards said nothing, stepping aside to clear the path.
Nick Wells wasn’t in the living room.
Tu Ran scanned the room and, through the semi-transparent glass partition, faintly saw a figure sitting at a desk in the study, looking down at something.
It must be Nick Wells.
The glass was semi-transparent, allowing the outside to see in, which prevented any accidents for Nick Wells inside, while keeping the outside guards unaware and preserving privacy.
Tu Ran walked around the central sofa, heading towards the study while considering how to handle Nick Wells.
Firstly, she needed to keep her movements minimal to avoid detection by the guards outside.
By the time she reached the study door, she had formulated a plan.
The door had a sensor and opened automatically.
Tu Ran immediately saw Nick Wells, who was dressed in comfortable loungewear.
She internally cursed a thousand times.
Had she entered the wrong place?
Wasn’t this supposed to be the office of a director?
Why was Nick Wells so casual?
After spending 250,000 Federal credits, couldn’t he at least show some respect?
“Sit,” Nick Wells said casually, glancing up briefly and pointing to the seat opposite him.
Tu Ran let out a long sigh, calmed herself, and sat down across from him.
“From your health report, everything seems fine; there are no major issues. The nurse mentioned that you believe you’re having mental problems. Can you elaborate on why you think that is?”
Nick Wells put down the electronic screen he had been holding and clasped his hands, gazing at Tu Ran.
Tu Ran met his gaze.
Or more accurately, she looked at the top of his head.
Through video or surveillance, she couldn’t determine if someone had special abilities; she needed face-to-face interaction for her [Ability Identification] to work.
As expected, Nick Wells had an astonishing amount of abilities.
[Eye of Fortuna]
[Description: See through the life and death of others; in the eyes of the possessor, the bodies of those who are about to die become transparent.
Level: Advanced]
Tu Ran internally exclaimed, ‘Wow! What an amazing ability!’
[Seven Seconds]
[Description: You possess the ability to foresee the future and to forget it. Opportunities are often fleeting; seven seconds are all you get. Within these seven seconds, you can see certain events that will occur in the future, but you will forget them after the seven seconds. Cherish every second and make sure to record it in time.
Level: Primary
Note: Name is for reference only; the duration of foresight is variable, ranging from two to seven seconds at most.]
Upon seeing the description of this ability, Tu Ran couldn’t help but suspect it might belong to Xi Chunzhi.
She remembered Xi Chunzhi had scrawled the words “alien infection” in a notebook given to her.
At that time, the Federation hadn’t yet encountered infection-type alien species. They only appeared after she completed her mission in Regaiken State, which was a future event.
Xi Chunzhi’s sudden note, with no prior indication, seemed abrupt and aligned with the description of the ability.
