The Labyrinth of the Monsters

1 am, Shanqing District Third Hospital.

Gao Yang rushed into the emergency hall and immediately saw his sister sitting on a blue public chair. She was still wearing pajamas, a pair of slippers, with disheveled hair and tear-stained face.

When Gao Xinxin saw Gao Yang, she rushed forward and hugged her brother, crying again.

Gao Yang touched his sister's head, "Where is Dad now?"

"On the second floor, I'll take you there." Gao Xinxin grabbed her brother's hand and walked.

On the way, Gao Yang already learned about the situation through a phone call.

Gao Yang's father had a late-night business dinner with a client and drank alcohol. So he called a designated driver, but the driver drove while fatigued and collided with a small truck at an intersection.

The designated driver died on the spot, and Gao Yang's father, who was in the back seat wearing a seatbelt, escaped the accident but suffered serious injuries. After being rescued, he was immediately sent to the hospital for treatment. When the nurse was tidying up his clothes, she found his wallet and identification, and called Gao Yang's mother.

His mother almost fainted on the spot, didn't even have time to change her clothes, and took her daughter out. Gao Yang's grandmother was in poor health and already asleep, so the mother and daughter didn't dare to wake her up, let alone tell her.

Gao Yang and his sister rushed out of the elevator and saw their mother in the corridor. She was also wearing pajamas and slippers, with disheveled hair, a haggard face, and swollen red eyes. She stood up immediately when she saw her son and daughter, and hugged the two children.

"Mom, I'm scared..." Gao Xinxin said with a crying voice.

The mother didn't say anything, but her hands were visibly trembling.

Gao Yang hugged his mother and sister, "It's okay, everything will be fine, Dad will definitely be fine."

...

The surgery lasted a long time, continuing into the early morning.

The doctor came out of the operating room, covered in blood, wearing a medical mask, and sounding tired, "He's temporarily out of danger, but the situation is not optimistic. We've done everything we can, the rest depends on him. Also, you need to be mentally prepared. Even if he survives this time, he may have to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair."

"Thank you, doctor! Thank you, as long as he's alive..." The mother was grateful and in tears.

"It's my duty." The doctor politely said a few words and left.

Afterwards, Gao Yang's family continued to wait outside. They waited until 5 am when the doctor told them that the father was confirmed to be out of danger. Only then did the mother feel relieved.

Seeing the exhausted faces of his mother and sister, Gao Yang asked them to go home and rest, but they both refused.

Gao Yang patiently persuaded, "None of us have slept all night. Someone needs to take turns watching over Dad here. If you go home now, you can only come back to relieve me in the afternoon. Besides, both of you are still in your pajamas. What will people think? Go back quickly."

After hearing these words, the mother finally agreed. She looked up at her son and said with relief, "Yangyang has grown up."

Gao Yang was stunned, "Really?"

"Yes, especially during this period. Although you often come home late, I feel like... you've become more sensible."

Gao Yang was overwhelmed with emotions. After his awakening, he became more cautious rather than just more sensible.

Soon, the mother took her daughter and left, and Gao Yang continued to wait outside the intensive care unit. He was tired but couldn't fall asleep. His mind was filled with random thoughts, and he unintentionally recalled his childhood.

When Gao Yang was a child, he lived in a suburban county town. His grandfather was still alive at that time, and the whole family of six lived in a two-story cement house they built themselves. The house had a front yard, and outside the yard, there was a ginkgo tree that turned golden in autumn.

The family ran a small shop called "Gaoxing Supermarket," selling snacks and daily necessities. They were not starving, but they couldn't get rich either.

His father was very smart and always had a business mind. There were piles of success-oriented books in the house. He always boasted that once he saved enough money, he would start a factory with his friends, make money, and move to the city to live a good life. They would buy a house in a good school district, a car, and let the whole family live a better life.

The year Gao Yang graduated from elementary school, his father actually made some small fortune and moved the family away from the city.

His father started a food processing factory with his friends, mainly processing various soy products. In order to promote their products, he visited clients every day and stored thousands of numbers in his phone, all belonging to the owners of small and large supermarkets. The better the business, the more socializing he had to do. He spent half of each month accompanying clients and getting drunk every time.

"Clack, clack, clack."

Footsteps approached, and Gao Yang immediately became alert.

He looked up and saw the attending doctor responsible for saving his father. By now, the doctor had taken off his white coat, removed his mask, and changed into casual clothes.

"Do you want some coffee?" The doctor held two cups of coffee and sat down next to Gao Yang, offering one cup to him. The aroma filled the air.

"Thank you." Gao Yang accepted it without hesitation, took a sip, and felt his body warm up.

Gao Yang glanced at the doctor beside him. Although he had the aura of a middle-aged man, he looked quite young, no more than thirty based on his appearance.

The doctor was tall, thin, with deep facial features and distinct edges. His slightly curly hair was adorned with stylish black-framed glasses. He wore a dark gray British-style wool sweater, khaki trousers, brown Oxford shoes, and a vintage quartz watch on his wrist. On his slender ring finger, he wore a simple silver ring.

In short, without the white coat, he looked more like a melancholic young artist.He held the coffee cup in his hands and took a sip. He tilted his head and looked towards the window at the end of the corridor. The first ray of morning light poured in, casting a soft and holy glow, as if it came from heaven.

"At this time of the day, it's my favorite," the doctor said in a low and gentle voice.

Gao Yang was taken aback, realizing that the doctor was talking to him. After a moment of silence, he managed to say, "Because... the morning sunlight fills people with hope?"

"No, it's because I can finally get off work," the doctor smiled.

Gao Yang smiled too.

"How old are you this year?" the doctor asked again.

"Eighteen."

"Eighteen, so you'll be taking the college entrance examination soon."

"Yes."

"Which university are you planning to go to?"

"I haven't decided yet," Gao Yang said.

"With your father's condition..." the doctor sighed slightly, "I think it's better for you to consider staying in the city. Leave City University is a good choice, it's also a prestigious university."

Gao Yang felt something was off. This doctor was being too enthusiastic. He put down the coffee cup and shifted his buttocks to the side.

The doctor keenly noticed Gao Yang's change and smiled faintly. "Are you afraid of me?" he asked.

Gao Yang's heart tightened. He didn't say anything and discreetly looked for the elevator, emergency exit, and window in the corridor. But he pretended to be confused and said, "Afraid of you? Why would I be afraid of you?"

"Because I am a beast," the doctor said.

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Gao Yang almost jumped up, but he was grabbed by Mr. Baili's wrist. The action was not rough, but firm and powerful. Gao Yang tried to break free, but couldn't. The other party was controlling the strength accurately, always keeping Gao Yang in check.

Mr. Baili's smile returned to his face. "Don't be afraid. If I wanted to kill you, you would already be dead."

Gao Yang thought about it and felt it made sense. He gradually calmed down. Pretending to be calm, he asked directly, "Are you an awakened being or a beast?"

"What do you think?" the doctor asked with a smile.

"I don't know," Gao Yang said truthfully. The more he understood beasts, the harder it seemed to distinguish them from humans.

"I have the talent of red eyes, serial number 131. I can distinguish between humans and beasts based on temperature. In general, the body temperature of beasts is slightly higher than that of humans, and there are subtle but regular differences in distribution," the doctor looked at Gao Yang, and his brown eyes suddenly flashed a faint red light. "So, at a glance, I can tell that you are a human."

Gao Yang immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it was a false alarm.

"I'm Baili Yi," the doctor extended his hand.

"Nice to meet you... Mr. Baili. I'm Gao Yang," Gao Yang shook his hand, visibly relaxed.

"You've only awakened recently, right?" Baili Yi asked.

"How did you know?"

"Compared to awakened beings, you seem to be more afraid of beasts."

Gao Yang was taken aback. "Shouldn't I be?"

Baili Yi smiled meaningfully. "What is there to fear about beasts? As long as you follow the rules and continue to play the innocent lamb, there won't be any danger. Instead of saying they are pretending to be humans, it's more accurate to say that they have two personalities and bodies, one human and one beast. As long as you don't activate the 'beast' personality and body inside them, in a sense, they are the same kind as us, with whom we live day and night."

Gao Yang pondered over this statement. It was somewhat similar to Officer Huang's understanding.

Baili Yi slightly adjusted his sitting posture, leaning forward. The morning light melted behind him, and a faint golden glow flowed on the frame of his glasses. "Compared to beasts, humans are much more terrifying."@@novelbin@@

Gao Yang contemplated this statement and didn't know how to respond.

He decided to change the topic. "You're a surgeon, dealing with beasts most of the time. Don't they expose themselves?"

Baili Yi shook his head. "Beasts, when not in beast transformation, are no different from our bodies. They are just slightly stronger in terms of metabolism, self-healing ability, and immunity. The only thing that is slightly inferior is the realism of their reproductive system. However, I have also seen cases where they were extremely convincing. If it weren't for my red eyes, I would have been fooled."

Gao Yang immediately thought of Officer Huang's "pregnant" wife. Perhaps she was a beast who was extremely convincing.

Baili Yi continued to casually drink his coffee, as if discussing a very ordinary topic. "Beasts also have a lifespan, similar to humans. They are fragile in their youth, strong in their adulthood, and decline in their old age. Since beasts constantly play the role of humans for twenty-four hours, their abilities as beasts are constantly declining. The older the beast, the more severe the degeneration. Many elderly beasts, even if they transform into their beast form, may not be as strong as an adult human."

Gao Yang remembered "Auntie He" who attacked him at the love hotel. Officer Huang also mentioned that Auntie He had degenerated quite severely, otherwise her combat power would have been several times stronger.

"Then what about my family, are they humans or... beasts?" Gao Yang really wanted to know the answer, but also feared knowing the answer. As he asked this question, his throat tightened and his heartbeat quickened.

"I can't tell you, it violates the rules," Baili Yi apologized with a smile. "In fact, by talking to you today, I have already broken the rules. Please keep it a secret."

Ironically, Gao Yang actually breathed a sigh of relief. He thought of something else. "Are you also part of the organization?""Organization?" Baili Yi savored the word, "If I must say, I indeed belong to a certain organization."

"Mr. Baili, I've just had my Awakening not long ago, and I have many questions to ask you." Gao Yang couldn't miss this opportunity and asked all his questions at once.

"I heard that Beasts don't have a real reproductive system, so where do Beasts come from? And where do we humans come from? Why do they put us humans among them and go to such great lengths to play this game of house with us? Why is it that only when we discover the truth do we gain Comprehension of our Talents?"

"Why is it that once we humans have our Awakening, the Beasts around us switch states and want to kill us? Also, how many types of Beasts are there? Are they all bad? Can humans and Beasts have children? Is it only the case with me, or is it the same all over the world..."

Baili Yi smiled playfully, "Poor boy, you must be really frustrated."

Gao Yang was on the verge of tears. Ever since his Awakening, these questions had been swirling in his mind, driving him to the brink of madness with prolonged contemplation.

"I'm sorry, I don't know the answers to many of your questions, and the ones I do know, I can't tell you." Baili Yi paused for a moment, "Here, let me leave you with a piece of advice."