Chapter 56 FIFTY - SIX

Chapter 56: Chapter FIFTY - SIX

"Everything you try to hide, I’ll uncover. And when I do, you better come clean."

"Get off me!"

Xin Linhua proceeds to stand. The moment his hold loosens, Rong Yizhan flips the script and pins him down instead.

"Shit!" He groans softly "One minute, you’re yelling at me, the next minute, you’re on top of me. Pick a struggle, damnit."

"Xin Linhua. Let me make myself clear. I only let you live because I’m tired of killing people. But you want to die so badly–"

"You didn’t kill them." Xin Linhua cuts his off coldly "The institute did. They sent them to you, to manipulate you."

Rong Yizhan goes quiet. He lets go of Xin Linhua, standing to his feet. He moves back.

"Stay out of my life."

"I can’t do that." Xin Linhua sits up with his legs folded "Our lives are entwined now. We are one and the same."

Rong Yizhan shudders slightly. He marches towards his room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Xin Linhua chases after him. He knocks gently on the locked bedroom door.

"Go to practice when you’re done. Blow off some steam with Senior Hirano. I have something to do, I’ll be back soon."

No response. He’s not expecting one either. He walks out of the dorm, closing the door behind him.

"First order of business, Research And Technology Division."

Xin Linhua makes the trips to the Division. All the way on the other side of the institute building.

"Guide Xin." A somewhat familiar voice greets.

Xin Linhua racks his brain for a while before stumbling on a memory.

The man standing before him is one of the lab scientists who had conducted tests on him a few months back.

"Hello." Xin Linhua nods.

"Does Guide Xin need something from us?" The man tilts his head.

"Oh, yes. I do."

"Whatever you need. The Director did ask us to accommodate you. So is it a ra?ar? A device or a–"

"I want to make an animation of something?"

"Uhn?" The man blinks "Animation? Like a cartoon?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, okay." The man quickly recovers "The artificial intelligence is equipped–"

"No, I’ll make it by hand. I’ll draw them myself."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. I just need the equipment and I’ll be out of your hair."

"Okay, one second." The man moves about.

Xin Linhua glances around the laboratory. Places like this used to scare him so much that it became traumatic. Even now, it’s still difficult to stand in here without shaking.

"All done!"

Xin Linhua accepts the small silver briefcase.

"Thank you. I’ll return them once I’m done."

"Sure, no problem."

"By the way, is the stadium free these days? No event going on?"

"No. The annual winter event hasn’t started yet."

"Alright. Thanks again."

Xin Linhua leaves. His destination should be the Sentinel Division, but walks back into the Research And Technology Division and finds his way towards the library instead.

"Guide Xin." The young librarian greets.

"Hello." Xin Linhua returns the gesture "I just need to borrow some books. I can take them back with me, right?"

"Yes, you can. One second."

The young librarian scrambles off the high seat he’s on, moving quickly to one of the shelves.

"What kind of books do you need?"

"Everything I can get on bonding on guiding." Xin Linhua clears his throat "And a few other books on Sentinel corruption."

"Oh, this is about your Sentinel." The youth smiles as he shuffles through shelves.

"Yeah." Xin Linhua nods "Do you know any books about detainment?"

"W-Why do you need that?" The man is alarmed.

"To lock someone up, of course."

"What!?"

"Pfft-" Xin Linhua grins "I’m just kidding. Don’t take my words seriously."

"Oh..." The man adjusts his glasses with relief "Your jokes are expensive, Guide Xin."

"Not with the right equipment and money, they’re not..."

"What’d you say?"

"I asked if you’ve found the books."

"Yes." The man returns with a cart "This should be enough."

Xin Linhua blinks. He stares at the mountain of books piled up inside the cart.

"Woah..."

"Oh, you can take the cart." The man assures "You can just bring it back when you’re done with the books."

"Alright."

"I’ll need your id badge though. To sign you in."

Xin Linhua takes out a black platinum I’d from his pocket. He hands over to him.

A few minutes later, he walks out of the library while pushing a cart forward. He tosses the silver briefcase in.

Rong Yizhan is not in the room, he’d have gone for practice by now. Thus, Xin Linhua grabs the first book from the pile and flips it open. He starts to read as he walks since he’s in no hurry to get back.

The book he grabs happens to be the one about guiding.

It’s necessary for him to read it. Rong Yizhan’s corruption has shot up.

Ever since they started guiding without Rong Yizhan trying to kill him, the man’s corruption has gone down a lot. Though, Xin Linhua wears himself out almost every time he has to guide him, it’s worth it to him.

But the method is very effective. Sometimes he has to hold Rong Yizhan’s hands for a long time before the red light on his ra?ar stops blinking rapidly.

The color never changes. The corruption is so high, Xin Linhua wonders how he’s still alive and well. How he’s still sane and not demonic by now.

After the stunt that Xin Linhua just pulled in the rift, his ra?ar has been blinking nonstop. No longer the light shade of red, it’s crimson now. And it’s alarming.

Xin Linhua does not want him to switch to medical guiding again. Not only is it painful as hell, it also has side effects.

Seeing his Sentinel in pain always tears him to shreds. He only witnessed one medical guiding session and he almost leveled the place to the ground. Even if he has to wear himself out, none of them are approaching a medical room for guiding.

"Okay..." Xin Linhua pushes the cart forward "Methods of guiding..."

Xin Linhua’s eyes slowly widen. His footsteps stop in the quiet hallway, the book falls from his hands with a dull sound.

"W-What the fuck is this!?" He jumps back from the book like he just got burned "Which fucked up human came up with this!? T-That is just..."