Chapter 90: Judgement - I'm not one to judge, so I don't know how to evaluate him.

Of course, He Guan had been far from idle lately.

He had been wandering aimlessly.

Today to the east, tomorrow to the west, the day after to the south, and then to the north... The north was off-limits, it was a hospital.

The security guard at the entrance informed He Guan that, for safety reasons, only patients and their families were allowed inside. Their wristbands clearly identified them. When He Guan tried to enter, his wristband indicated "No Access," and he was gently turned away.

While He Guan understood, he found it a bit strange.

After all, the island's inhabitants seemed extraordinarily friendly. Sometimes when he took a stroll, homes were left unlocked.

He couldn't think of anyone who'd pose a threat to the hospital, especially given the island's fixed population. Anyone causing trouble would quickly gain notoriety, as Li Lan had mentioned.

Another peculiar observation was... once He Guan entered, he couldn't leave.

He remembered the boy who had pleaded for help on the ferry. Having found Lou Dongzang, He Guan wanted to leave immediately to find the boy but was stopped at the exit.

Entry was permitted, but exit wasn't.

Besides the western gate he had entered from, he hadn't found any other exits.

Just as He Guan was brooding over this, Chi Yu appeared.

Chi Yu always had an uncanny knack for sudden appearances. This time, she was on the roof, tapping on the skylight above He Guan's head.

Looking up, He Guan hastily let her in.

"How did you get in? Are all SWAT team members this skilled?"

"SWAT doesn't do this; I'm in the armed police," Chi Yu clarified, "I can't disclose my methods. It's confidential."

He Guan asked, "What do you need from me?"

"Your wristband. Although it doesn't grant access to the hospital, it works freely inside. I need it."

He Guan took it off to hand it to her, but she declined, shaking her head: "That won't work. The wristband constantly monitors one's health metrics. Our baseline heart rates differ, not to mention other metrics. Only you can wear it."

"You mean, I should go with you?"

Chi Yu nodded.

Lou Dongzang, seemingly out of nowhere, was already standing by the door with his arms crossed, listening to their conversation. He asked, "Why didn't you avoid me? Aren't you afraid I'd tell my father?"

"I conducted a thorough investigation before coming here," Chi Yu said. "Don't worry, He Guan will be fine."

"When will you be back?" Lou Dongcang asked again.

Chi Yu pondered for a moment, "I just need some data. How long it takes depends on the speed of the data transfer."

Lou Dongcang: "Can't we just remove the hard drive?"

Chi Yu chuckled, "We've considered that, but the risk of doing so is too high. Besides, Mr. Lou has set up several offsite backup networks. The vital data isn't stored in the hard drive but in cloud storage. Hacking into that network takes time."

Lou Dongcang's gaze remained fixated on He Guan, "Is it absolutely necessary for you to go?"

"Don't worry," He Guan reassured him, patting him gently. "I'm just an assistant. Nothing happened to me the last time I went out with Chi Yu."

Lou Dongcang caressed him, "I can't stop you, can I?"

"Yes," He Guan nodded, touching his face. "I really want to find out what happened. Will you let me go and wait for me at home? I'll be back soon."

Lou Dongcang grasped his wrist, placing his face into He Guan's palm, murmuring, "Alright."

In the end, he let him go.

Chi Yu entered through the window and left the same way.

Seeing He Guan's confusion, she explained, "I need to avoid the camera by the door, which is on a nearby tree. Just head straight to the hospital when you leave, and I'll follow."

She's undocumented here and shouldn't be present. Naturally, she avoids public facilities.

He Guan didn't encounter many people on the way, except for patrolling guards.

Since He Guan had just arrived a few days ago and would roam around at night, the guards on duty were familiar with him. Some even chatted with him briefly.

"Mr. He, what are you up to? Out for another stroll?"

"Indeed. The evenings here are cool, perfect for a walk."

A guard noticed his wristband and joked, "Be careful not to get lost. Your wristband is charged, right?"

"Of course. I've been here for days and still haven't memorized the routes. Just because I have a wristband doesn't mean I should become lazy. Some things you have to remember for convenience."

"You're right about that. Take care."

After bidding a few guards farewell, He Guan slipped into another alley.

The residential area to the west was actually divided into sections. He Guan was now heading towards the section where the majority of residents were those with hearing impairments. Streetlights were on, and under one of them, two individuals were fervently making hand gestures, seemingly having an argument.

Their fluency in sign language was exceptional, moving their hands at a remarkable speed. The mediocre sign language skills He Guan possessed seemed inadequate in comparison; he couldn't understand what they were arguing about.

During their dispute, their wristbands suddenly lit up, flashing twice.

These were notifications on the wristbands for the hearing-impaired. Unlike He Guan's e-ink wristband that audibly announced the time, theirs seemed to use OLED screens which were especially bright at night, serving to get their attention.

He Guan glanced at his wristwatch, noticing it was 10 o'clock in the evening. The wristbands were likely signaling them to head home and prepare for bed.

The duo, still in mid-argument, made a few more gestures. From what He Guan could discern, they were likely saying, "We'll continue this tomorrow; it's getting late, I'm heading home to sleep."

He continued onward, navigating through sections with fewer guards, gradually approaching the hospital to the north.

Only the hospital was off-limits here. Where Chi Yu was headed was fairly obvious.

When he arrived at the hospital, lights were on at the entrance.

He Guan stopped under a tree near the entrance, murmuring to himself, "How am I supposed to get in?"

"Follow me," Chi Yu whispered, having appeared behind him unexpectedly, "But not into the hospital just yet. I need to lead you out from here first."

He Guan followed Chi Yu towards an underground parking lot.

"Aren't there cameras here?"

"There's a shift change from 10:00 to 10:15. Plus, we have someone on our side in the surveillance room. Don't worry," assured Chi Yu as they confidently headed down the elevator to the floor where dune buggies were parked.

He Guan recognized it, "This is the dune buggy we came in."

"Yes, the hotel is just above this parking lot, separated by a wall."

"A wall? Are you sure?" He Guan pondered.

"You'll see in a moment."

They moved from the garage to the other side where the hotel was situated. Chi Yu led He Guan up a stairway to his room. Along the way, they didn't encounter anyone, nor did they see any rooms with lights on.

"Where is everyone?" He Guan stepped into the dark room, puzzled, "There aren't even any staff around?"

"All have been recalled by Lou Yingjie," Chi Yu explained as he spread several blueprints across a table and switched on a desk lamp, "In recent days, he divided the people on this island into two groups, and admitted them to the hospital on the island."

"One group includes those who were with us in the banquet hall; these people are organ donors. The other group consists of wealthy individuals who've paid for organ transplants."

"Their surgeries take place in that hospital."

"No wonder," He Guan remarked, "the underground elevator has over a dozen floors. The hospital is entirely underground, invisible from above."

"Right," Chi Yu continued, "Today, I need you to help me get to the 18th floor of the hospital's basement."

"The 18th floor? That's so deep," He Guan murmured, "Does my wristband even have that kind of access?"

"Of course," Chi Yu looked at him, "Didn't you know? He regards you as his successor. Your wristband has the highest access privileges, second only to his."

He Guan fell silent for a moment, "He foresaw it."

Lou Yingjie anticipated that someone would eventually come here with the police. It didn't matter who that someone was; they'd be given a wristband. This wristband would have restrictions, compelling its bearer to enter the hospital with the police.

"Exactly," Chi Yu nodded, "He's dying and no longer concerns himself with these minor tactics. That's why I need to get in; I require his records."

"What records?" He Guan inquired.

"His blueprints, designs, and concepts for the disabled. We need them. Your presence implies he hasn't destroyed them." Chi Yu paused, "This is also why we've been observing him for so long without taking action. Because of the previous incident with Lou Dong, he remained in the mainland and didn't return here."

Suddenly, Chi Yu asked, "What kind of person do you think he is?"

He Guan remained silent.

Just as Chi Yu thought she wouldn't receive a response, He Guan said, "I am not a judge; I don't know how to evaluate him."

"Hmm," Chi Yu wasn't surprised by his answer and started packing up the blueprints, "The people's court will be his judge."

She motioned to leave, and He Guan followed her.

He Guan's pace was brisk, and although he should have felt warm from the speed, he only felt a bone-deep chill.

Lou Yingjie knew of He Guan's compassionate nature, understanding that he wouldn't abandon this place after his passing. He knew He Guan was a good person.

Lou Yingjie had an uncanny ability to gauge people, and with unwavering confidence, he entrusted his unfinished tasks to He Guan.

Regardless, the legacy he left to He Guan was filled with hope and promise.

What he himself had accomplished was, however, mired in chaos and disarray.

He was so divided, as if he had two personalities.

Suddenly, Chi Yu asked, "Do you think we'll encounter him waiting for us by the servers?"

"I don't know."

Just as Lou Yingjie understood He Guan, He Guan understood him in return.

It all connected.

Lou Yingjie's private hospital at the base of Qingguo Mountain was integrated with the public system, allowing him to match and select patients.

In the face of those desperately clinging to life, money could be readily cast aside.

As long as it promised more time, more life.

This was an unparalleled lucrative scheme and an inevitable psychological warfare.

As for finding the right candidates... that responsibility fell to Lou Jun Duo, tasked with vetting and bringing them here. As such, he was held in high esteem, enjoying a clear path straight to Lou Yingjie. Being Lou Yingjie's favorite of the younger generation, he ascended to the coveted throne of the Lou family's future patriarch.

Had He Guan arrived a few days earlier, he would have seen the director with the surname Jing, who had previously clashed with Jin Jie, here as well.

Clearly, he was also among the potential organ donors.

The structure of the Star Domain was very systematic, and within that system, Director Jing was an obvious target.

He Guan previously couldn't fathom why, but now it all made sense.

Jing's end was imminent, so there was no need to hold grudges against him. He could be treated with the best hospitality, offered work, and granted a title — all while serving as a scapegoat for disgruntled company employees behind his back.

It was a doomed luxury.

In the latter part of this story, Lou Dong couldn't hold a candle to Lou Jun Duo, nor to Lou Yingjie.

He didn't need to outshine them in this regard.

He still possessed humanity.

*

After copying all the information she could find, Chi Yu made a swift exit. As a result, He Guan didn't get the chance to tell her she was mistaken; Lou Yingjie didn't come here when both of them were present.

She needed to verify the acquired information, so she didn't linger.

Meanwhile, He Guan stood in the midst of an extended corridor on the fourth basement floor, waiting.

This time, Lou Yingjie didn't walk over. Instead, he approached in a wheelchair, seemingly afraid he might miss He Guan.

The wheelchair was of a simple design, with its primary function to transport its user.

As He Guan watched him approach, he called out, "Father."

Seeing He Guan standing poised in the middle of the road, devoid of panic or confusion, Lou Yingjie couldn't resist asking, "He Guan, do you know how I've been observing you?"

"I do," He Guan revealed his first smile of the night, displaying his striking canine teeth.

"Cousin works for you."