Through the towering glass windows of Honghu Industrial Tower, the entire financial district of Harbor Island lay in silence, blanketed in shadow. The massive high-rises, now dark and seemingly fragile, appeared vulnerable. Above, a dense cloud cover and the mountains' ominous silhouettes gave the city the appearance of a giant beast lying in wait, ready to devour everything.
Hunter He gripped his phone, breathing heavily as he struggled to quell his fury. Vincent Ren's excuse for not being in Harbor Island was transparent. When Yvonne's body was discovered, Vincent had been among the prime suspects and was interrogated earlier that day. Confirmed to have been at the hospital the whole time, his alibi had held. Yet, claiming he'd left the city was an outright lie. Hunter He played along, feigning ignorance about the investigation, but Vincent's final decision had given him away. Instead of coming as requested—a reasonable reaction, given his business ties and history with Yvonne—he had refused, fearing a fatal trap.
The phone conversation, orchestrated by Luo Shu, was a gamble. It was either bait to draw Vincent out, leaving Lindong Psychiatric Hospital exposed for investigation, or confirmation of his guilt. As anticipated, Vincent declined, leaving Hunter He seething with barely contained rage.
Hunter He sighed, injecting weariness into his voice. "Alright then… But do come back soon. Yvonne's death will prompt the police to investigate those around her. Staying away will only heighten suspicion. They're clueless—useless, the lot of them."
"Yes," Vincent responded, curtly ending the call.
Once off the line, Hunter immediately dialed another number, this time connecting to Luo Shu, who picked up cheerfully.
"Hello, who's this?" Luo Shu's playful tone grated on Hunter's nerves.
Hunter He suppressed his irritation. "It's me, Hunter He. Vincent refused. He claimed he'd left the city."
Luo Shu's reply was calm. "Good. Now, get your men together and bring heavy firepower. If you've got a handle on the police, involve them too. Let's give it everything we've got."
Hunter He's brows furrowed. "Do we really need so many people for a mere psychiatric hospital?"
Luo Shu replied firmly, "Trust me. Full effort, like a lion pouncing on its prey."
After ending the call, Luo Shu murmured to himself in the cargo truck. "Lindong Psychiatric Hospital may hold creatures far more formidable than we anticipate." His mind lingered on the haunting mention of "creatures" in Yvonne's clone's last words, likely referring to whatever or whoever had electrocuted her.
A curious assistant, Vivian, asked, "Why did we provoke Vincent Ren if we weren't sure he'd take the bait? Isn't this a bit… risky?"
Luo Shu grinned. "Think of it as baiting a snake out of its den."
Vivian pondered, still trying to understand his unusual methods.
Elsewhere, Angela Yu and Frank Zhang sped down a dark coastal road in a black Bentley, racing toward Lindong Psychiatric Hospital, a secluded facility nestled against Nine Well Mountain's lush, misty foothills. Harbor Island's compact geography struck Angela as they crossed half the city in just thirty minutes. "This island really is tiny…"
The driver stopped at the mountain's base, turning to face them. "Luo Shu instructed me not to drive up further. The hospital has an unusual number of surveillance cameras along this road. My car would raise suspicion."
Angela sighed. "Walking will get us spotted too."
But Frank smirked, pulling a small, metallic device from his inventory. "I've got this."
Angela cringed, seeing the device—a mechanical spider crafted from interwoven metal wires. "What… is that?"
Frank grinned. "One of my D-grade mechanical devices. It can link with security cameras and freeze their feeds for just the right moment. If we walk, it'll buy us enough time to slip by undetected."
Back at the tower, Hunter He stood alone, gazing out at the city lights. Sighing, he dialed Vincent Ren, who eventually picked up, sounding groggy and annoyed.
"Hello? Hunter He, what could you want this late?"
Keeping his voice steady, Hunter He murmured, "It's Yvonne. She's gone. Killed."
A moment of silence passed before Vincent responded, clearly in shock.
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