After Accidentally Sending Empathy Dolls to My Four Top Donors - Chapter 21

“Excellent!” A voice burst through the earpiece, sounding like a proud teacher whose student had finally mastered a difficult lesson.

Wen Leling choked on his words, his face flushing as he lowered his head.

Min Chi clearly had not expected such an action or those words from him. He stood there, completely petrified. To step forward meant facing the weight of those words; to step back meant Wen Leling might press the controller in his hand, making life a living hell. The two of them were locked in a stalemate.

“Make him kneel and look up at you.”

“Do not let Xiao Wenye off easy either; make him.”

Xia Congmian was still outside directing, his voice raspy from talking. He had no idea that Wen Leling had already turned off the Bluetooth. After a brief mental guidance, Wen Leling let the two of them return and headed toward the First Dungeon alone.

On this mission, Xiao Wenye had arrested Ah Long. Only on the return trip did Wen Leling learn that Ah Long was also one of the mutant Sentinels. He had already gained a bit of notoriety in the area, which explained his incredibly powerful spirit animal.

Upon arriving at the Central White Tower, Ah Long was sent to the First Dungeon for immediate interrogation rather than the Third Dungeon due to his minor official status. However, he immediately began setting conditions for the interrogator: as long as he could see Wen Leling and speak a few words to him, he would answer everything. Otherwise, he would not say a single word.

At first, the interrogator thought if persuasion failed, they would use torture to force him to reveal the mastermind. But after several sets of torture, the man was nearly dead and still had not uttered a syllable. He had truly kept his word.

With no other choice, the interrogator had to contact Wen Leling and ask him to make the trip.

This dungeon contained dozens of large iron cages, densely studded with nails. The windows were fitted with iron bars and covered in barbed wire, leaving only a small opening about two meters high for entry and exit. The stone walls were quite damp. Guards paced back and forth, their rhythmic footsteps clearly audible on the other side of the corridor, serving as a constant reminder that everyone there was under surveillance and could not escape.

Further in, Wen Leling smelled the pungent odor of rotting flesh and heard groans coming from one of the rooms.

0210.

Wen Leling stopped in front of the door with the corresponding number plate and looked inside. This room was different from the iron cages; it was not visible from the outside except through a single glass pane. Two small light bulbs were lit inside. The men within looked fierce and murderous, making the honest looking Ah Long seem out of place.

Ah Long was hanging on a cross, barely clinging to life. Beside him were clubs, whips, and knives. Irons and tongs were roasting in a sparking furnace. Looking at this, Wen Leling felt as though he had accidentally entered the Hall of the King of Hell.

He pushed the door open, and the interrogator immediately stood up to greet him. “Guide Wen, hello.”

Wen Leling returned a faint smile. “Hello.”

“Please, this way. Ah Long is currently unconscious. I will have someone wake him up. The process might make you feel uncomfortable. You can wait outside for a moment, turn around, or wear a blindfold.”

“I will stay here,” Wen Leling said, declining the blindfold.

“Then take this handkerchief. It has a special fragrance prepared by the White Tower’s Peppermint Grass Guide. Covering your nose and mouth will help you avoid the smell of blood.”

Wen Leling took it and smiled. “Thank you.”

“You are welcome. It is a small matter, and I should be the one thanking you for making the trip.”

A small matter? Wen Leling thought. They had likely used every method available only to find them ineffective before seeking help. He saw through it but said nothing, not wanting to continue the polite back and forth.

A bucket of cold water was splashed. Ah Long’s eyes snapped open, but he first looked around in a daze. His body was stiff from the cold, his face a bruised purple, until his gaze finally landed on Wen Leling.

Wen Leling lifted his eyelids slightly and looked at him coldly. “What do you want with me?”

Ah Long glanced weakly at the guards and shook his head. Wen Leling understood and signaled for the interrogator to lead the others out.

“Three minutes. Can you finish by then?” Wen Leling stood a meter away. He truly could not muster a pleasant expression for Ah Long.

“Cough, cough. The, the doll in your living room, it has an empathy link with you, right?”

Ah Long was severely injured; his words were not only stuttered but also slurred, making Wen Leling wonder if he had misheard.

How could Ah Long know that the doll was an empathy doll? He had never told anyone this secret.

Wen Leling’s composed expression flickered with a surge of shock, but it vanished instantly, replaced by a calm and indifferent facade. Even though he was confused, he did not lose his footing. “What empathy doll? Can such a thing even exist in reality?”

“Lele, do not hide it from me. I not only know it is your empathy doll, I also know.” Ah Long’s smile nearly reached his ears as he spoke slowly. He stopped halfway, glancing at Wen Leling expectantly, as if certain he would get a reaction.

The reality was that Wen Leling kept a straight face, not even sparing him a glance as he checked the time on his watch. He was impatient to leave, thinking that cold treatment would make Ah Long give up. But he did not. Instead, Ah Long’s smile became even more annoying, despite the pain it caused his battered body.

“I also know where that doll is now.” He tilted his chin up with effort, acting as if he expected Wen Leling to beg him for information, even calculating the conditions for an exchange.

Annoying.

Wen Leling gave a disinterested “Oh.”

“You!”

The response was outside Ah Long’s expectations. He suddenly lunged forward with force, his face contorting into a rare, hideous expression as the veins on his temples bulged.

Wen Leling sighed, touching his forehead. “Thirty seconds left.”

“Do you not want to know who it is?” Ah Long sneered, giving up all pretense. “Or do you just enjoy the feeling of being touched all over? Stop acting!”

Slap! The words were cut short by a crisp sound.

“Time is up. I am leaving.” Wen Leling shook his stinging hand and left without looking back, leaving Ah Long with a burning cheek and a faint fragrance.

The scent was intoxicating. Ah Long drifted into a daze, his mind following the lingering aroma.

On his way back, Wen Leling walked alone down the corridor with his back to the guards. The chill behind him made him quicken his pace. Suddenly, he saw a figure that looked like Ah Long. At first, he thought he was hallucinating from the stress, but as he approached the exit, the figure appeared more frequently.

Finally, Wen Leling was certain it was Ah Long. Knowing he had been discovered, Ah Long stopped hiding and stood before him, blocking his path. Wen Leling tried to call for help, only to realize he could not speak. Looking at Ah Long’s body, he saw it was half transparent.

He froze as the transparent figure drifted closer, whispering repeatedly, “I am sorry, I am sorry. Lele, do not be angry. I will tell you now. The dolls linked to you are with your four top donors. There are four of them, not just one.”

What are you saying? How is that possible!?

One strange thing followed another. Wen Leling thought he must still be dreaming. He concentrated and chanted in his mind, “Wake up, wake up, wake up.”

Wen Leling woke up.

He learned from the doctor that he had been bitten by Ah Long’s spirit animal on the way back. Because of the Spider Sentinel’s anesthesia, he had not noticed it. He had collapsed as soon as he left the meeting room and was rushed to the ICU. The toxin had not yet been neutralized because the method of detoxification was.

The doctor did not say it out loud but handed him an envelope to see for himself.

As for Ah Long wanting to see him, it was true, but it was no longer necessary. Ah Long had died mysteriously half a day ago. The envelope was left by him. Inside, it named the mastermind behind the mutant transformations and contained the words he had spoken in the dream: The empathy dolls, there are four.

This second mention shook Wen Leling’s conviction, yet he was certain he only ever had one empathy doll. Could the empathy ability be contagious? That would be terrible. He felt a sense of panic rising.

Knowing that overthinking was useless, he flipped to the third page of the envelope. Written neatly on the paper was the method to neutralize the poison: Intimacy.

“…”

He would rather stay poisoned.

Hearing that Wen Leling had been poisoned, Fu Tingchuan was the first to rush to the hospital, but just as he reached the door, he was bumped aside by a figure darting out from the shadows. Song He took first place.

For a long time, Wen Leling only heard a chaotic scuffle outside, unable to tell who the two people fighting were. He pressed his ear against the wall to listen. Someone unaware might think he was just curious, but it was because he heard them mention his name: “Lele.”

It seemed the dispute started because of him. It was very noisy outside, and he could not hear clearly, but he was determined to find out why. He opened the White Tower forum, guessing there would be a new trending post.

There was. He picked one with many replies.

OP (Anonymous): Let’s talk about the background of this new little Guide. Latest news: Captain Fu just finished fighting Captain Song and is now fighting Captain Bai. Does this mean he is the official one? Are the other two just third parties? No, maybe they do not even rank as third parties—just clowns who cannot get a title.

1L [Anonymous]: You only care about the romance; I am the only one who cares why the little Guide is in the ICU. T-T

2L [Anonymous]: …1L makes a good point.

19L [Anonymous]: 1L is right, so does anyone know why he is in the ICU? (Praying.jpg)

20L [Anonymous]: He was on a mission with Xiao and Min yesterday. Those two useless guys probably failed to protect him.

21L [Anonymous]: Exactly. If they are so useless, they should let me take over.

23L [Anonymous]: Cannot even protect their own team’s Guide. How do they have the face to remain Sentinels in the White Tower? (Scorn.jpg)

24L [Anonymous]: I think you all are just talk. A heavy responsibility like this should be handled by an S-rank Sentinel like me. (Attached: Image of an S-rank Sentinel ID)

87L [Anonymous]: (Attached image) Nurse here with some inside info. The truth is the little Guide is poisoned again (Heartbreak.jpg). It is a very sneaky toxin from a mutant Sentinel. It is said that only “that” can cure it.

88L [Anonymous]: What is “that”? Please decode.

91L [Anonymous]: Is it what I think it is? To “do it”? I am willing!

94L [Anonymous]: ??? Me too.

120L [Anonymous]: ??? (Attached: Image of a hand holding the door handle to Wen Leling’s hospital room) To the people daydreaming above, keep your eyes open. Can you even get a seat at the table? Opportunity only comes to those who are prepared!

121L [Anonymous]: ??? Who is the person above? Fess up!

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