Chapter 35: A Life Erased

The air inside the warehouse was thick with the scent of rust, oil, and something far more metallic—blood. The dim overhead bulb flickered every few seconds, casting long, eerie shadows across the cracked concrete floor. A low, wet cough broke the silence, the sound rattling in the cavernous space like the last desperate breath of a dying animal.

Hiding in the shadows, Yuxi pressed herself against the cold steel shelves, her heartbeat pounding so loudly in her ears she was afraid it would give her away. Her hands curled into tight fists against the rough texture of the wall behind her. She had prepared herself for the possibility of uncovering some information, but nothing—nothing—could have prepared her for what she was witnessing now.

Kneeling in the center of the warehouse, under the flickering light, was Professor Liu Jian.