Qin Ci looked at Zhu Haowen with a hint of scrutiny. He was currently in the center of the office, with the other ten members seated almost around him.
Qin Ci cleared his throat and raised his voice slightly: "Regarding the beasts, I'd like to share a few points I've gathered: First, beasts are living beings, and their relationship with human hosts is semi-parasitic. They don't depend on the host for nutrition to survive. Many beasts and hosts have a mutually exclusive relationship; the beast doesn't even affect the host's weight. In Xincheng in the last century, there was a girl weighing less than 45 kilograms who, after death, had a 31-kilogram beast extracted from her body."
Everyone listened quietly, especially those who already knew they possessed beast markings; their expressions were particularly complex.
Only Xiao Qinxian's eyes shone brightly, as if she foresaw a similar "surprise" within Zhi Chun and Chi Lei's bodies.
Qin Ci timely poured cold water on Xiao Qinxian's enthusiasm: "That was an extremely rare exception, which is why it's recorded in history."
Su Benxin really wanted to ask what the girl who had the giant beast extracted from her body had experienced in her previous life, but it wasn't appropriate to interrupt at this moment, so she patiently waited for Qin Ci to finish speaking.
Sure enough, the next piece of information Qin Ci revealed was particularly explosive: "Currently, the approximate location of the beast inside Zhi Chun's body has been determined using detection equipment."
"There's such a detection equipment? Doesn't that mean it can see the beast inside everyone's body?" Yu Ji couldn't help but ask.
"The detector can only detect the beast inside the body, and it can only detect the approximate location, not the size," Qin Ci said sternly. "Zhi Chun's beast was located on his left wrist. I can't determine whether this is a coincidence or..."
Lion exclaimed, "He cut his wrist on his left wrist, didn't he?!"
"Yes, exactly there," Qin Ci nodded. "We can't determine whether he committed suicide or simply wanted to kill the beast hidden in his wrist."
Zhao Yanbao's previously dazed eyes brightened slightly: "I've always been skeptical of Chi Lei's suicide. Even disregarding the motive, there are many suspicious points. Mu Yiran and I just discussed it. Suicide is very difficult to carry out. No one can actively stop their heartbeat without external assistance—she died as if in a deep sleep, and the forensic doctor didn't find any external injuries or signs of suffocation."
Mu Yiran: "If I'm not mistaken, Chi Lei's beast should be in the location of her heart."
"You mean, they didn't commit suicide, but were killed by the beast inside their bodies?!" Yu Ji's expression was extremely frightened.
Zhu Haowen's voice was low and clear: "That's more in line with the style of the painting."
Yu Ji looked at Zhu Haowen as if he were a monster, and the more he thought about the possibility of the beast attacking its host, the more frightened he became.
At this moment, there was a sudden, urgent knocking on the door, and a nurse rushed in with a worried expression: "Dr. Qin! Zhi Chun's body has changed..."
"What happened?" Qin Ci asked hurriedly.
"It seems like... something is oozing out of the wound on his left wrist..."
Everyone was in a panic, and Qin Ci had already stood up and walked towards the door: "Prepare for 'beast body removal surgery' immediately!"
...
If it weren't for these bizarre experiences, the operating room they were waiting in would have been perfectly normal—a bright corridor, a closed operating room door, and a conspicuous 'Quiet' sign on the wall.
About an hour later, a nurse came out of the operating room, and several members rushed over with the expectant expressions of 'family members of the mother in labor': "How is it? What's the situation now?! Is she out? Is she out?!" It was
as if the "joy of life" was unfolding in the operating room, even though what was being pushed in was a "dead person" who had been stiff for nearly seven hours.
The nurse frowned. "The main body has been removed, and we're now separating the connecting tubes."
It sounded like they were dealing with the umbilical cord.
Xiao Qinxian asked with a beaming smile, "How much? How much?!"
"Sorry, we haven't weighed it yet."
Xiao Qinxian's smile hadn't faded. "Then let's wait a little longer, no rush."
The nurse looked at Xiao Qinxian's name tag. "Are you a staff member in the forensic mortuary?"
"Yes, yes, I'm a forensic pathologist." Xiao Qinxian felt her profession was quite respectable in Xincheng.
"Then please begin preparing for the mortuary. The burial period for the deceased must not exceed three days, especially for remains that have undergone animal removal, as they are particularly prone to decomposition." The nurse said earnestly.
"Oh." Xiao Qinxian's face paled slightly, and she hoped even more that they could remove more than 13 kilograms of animal remains from these two people, so she wouldn't have to do the horrific "mortuary" work anymore.
Making clothes for the dead—the thought was both terrifying and ominous.
Half an hour later, Dr. Qin emerged from the operating room, holding a small glass bottle containing what appeared to be a blood-stained mass that seemed to be moving.
Everyone was somewhat frightened, yet their eyes were involuntarily drawn to the red object, their gazes lingering on it.
Only Ke Xun went closer to examine it closely and saw a red, slug-like mass of flesh slowly wriggling inside the bottle. As Ke Xun observed it more closely, the "slug" seemed to sense his gaze, turning back and extending several soft, tentacled-like appendages towards him.
Ke Xun quickly moved away, feeling deeply uncomfortable.
"I've already treated it; the next step is to hand it over to the police station," Qin Ci said, still wearing a medical mask, giving him an air of cold indifference, like a piece of medical equipment. "After weighing, this creature weighs 26 grams."
The crowd fell silent, their eyes filled with a sense of disappointment and frustration.
Xiao Qinxian gasped, slumping back against the nearby rest seat.
"Is what happened with the beast just now a common phenomenon?" Mu Yiran asked Qin Ci.
"No, it's probably because the beast inside sensed the air at the wound, so it came out through the 'ventilation vent'," Qin Ci said. "The beast left its shell in the deceased's blood vessels, and it took a lot of effort to get it out."
"Shell?" Wei Dong interjected from the side, "Beasts have shells?"
"This beast does. Beasts come in all shapes and sizes, no two are alike, and it's said that there are cases where the weight isn't considered because of their good appearance," Qin Ci glanced down at the soft, worm-like beast in the bottle, "Its shell has already been taken for testing; this kind of shelled beast is very rare."
Xiao Qinxian stood up from her seat again: "Can the weight of the shell be counted? Is the shell big? Is it heavy? Shouldn't rare ones like this be counted more?"
Mu Yiran raised her eyes thoughtfully upon hearing this.
"The shell isn't big, about the size of a snail shell," Qin Ci replied.
"..." Xiao Qinxian turned to Zhao Yanbao, "Can you bear to see Chi Lei's body filled with this disgusting, slug-like thing? This filthy thing should be removed quickly, otherwise she won't rest in peace."
Zhao Yanbao didn't want to talk to Xiao Qinxian.
"I've already stated my position, you two can discuss it slowly." Zhu Haowen turned and walked towards the bathroom.
"I agree to remove the beast, I've also stated my position." Wei Dong followed Zhu Haowen into the bathroom.
Xiao Qinxian perked up again: "Me, Lion, Yu Ji, and that Dongzi, we already have four votes in favor! It's four to one now! What about you guys?"
"Let's not talk here, let's go back to the office." Qin Ci took off his mask and walked towards his office.
Xiao Qinxian followed the group: "Are you guys too embarrassed to say you want to retrieve the beast? But waiting for the beast to overflow is just like waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree stump! If you're all too embarrassed, then just abstain!"
After entering the office, Xiao Qinxian began to look at those who hadn't expressed their opinions: "Boss Su, Dr. Qin, the two detectives, and this out-of-towner, what do you all think?"
"I want to ask Mr. Yu a few questions before expressing my opinion." It was Mu Yiran who spoke.
Yu Ji listened attentively: "Please go ahead."
"What did Zhi Chun do last night, or what did he say to you? Even if you only remember a few words, it would be helpful."
Yu Ji scratched his head: "I really don't remember what happened after I got back to the dorm. I think I got drunk and acted crazy. My roommates seemed to sing with me."
Qin Ci: "I looked up some information in the office first, and you all went to sleep after I got back to the dorm."
Su Benxin: "I think I heard singing. It sounded like a children's song. I heard my niece sing it before. It seemed to have lyrics about snails running."
Yu Ji himself couldn't remember: "I really can't remember what happened after I got back to the dorm. I just remember that when we were walking back from the restaurant, Zhi Chun stopped in front of a real estate agency and asked the staff about the city's housing prices."
"Why? Does he want to settle down in this godforsaken place?!" Xiao Qinxian felt a little terrified after saying that—Zhi Chun really did "settle down" here.
Yu Ji nodded: "He complained to me about the housing prices in his previous world. He said he waited for prices to drop until his girlfriend broke up with him, but he still couldn't afford a single house."
Everyone sighed, feeling as if they only learned about someone's life after they died.
"If that beast had its shell, would it look like a snail?" Mu Yiran asked Qin Ci.
Qin Ci nodded: "Judging from the shell's appearance, it probably is. It's a pity we didn't see the beast and shell combined."
Mu Yiran turned his gaze to Zhao Yanbao: "Perhaps the beast is a manifestation of a knot in her heart. If you want to understand Chi Lei's feelings, you have to take out her beast."
Zhao Yanbao seemed thoughtful.
In the bathroom, Wei Dong looked at Zhu Haowen in the mirror. "It's a pity I can't see the red dot on your forehead. Aren't you afraid?"
Zhu Haowen smiled. "If I die, you'll have Qin Ci dissect me immediately. I want to know what kind of beast is causing trouble inside me."
"I just felt you were different from usual."
"How so?"
"When I first met you, it was in the Chunsun Apartment building. When we were escaping, you were the first to rush out without a second thought. That's human nature, it's instinct," Wei Dong turned to look at Zhu Haowen beside him. "Why aren't you acting so instinctively today?"
"You mean about my withdrawal?"
"Yes, you're sympathizing with Zhao Yanbao, or with Chi Lei."
"Impossible."
"Anyway, you've softened your heart. Don't tell me the three of you spent the night together and developed feelings for each other."
"They're lovers," Zhu Haowen replied, seemingly unrelated. "Because that third-tier city is very resistant to this, they have to keep it a secret from everyone."
"Oh, I see." Wei Dong seemed to understand.