Kanou's Lab (1)

The next day, as the dimly lit sky loomed overhead, Lin Yi set out on a journey to the sixth ward accompanied by the Yasuhisa sisters, Kurona and Nashiro.

The sisters' father was a well-known and philanthropic businessman, highly respected for his charitable acts. The sudden disappearance of their parents had caused quite a stir, attracting numerous newspaper reporters who covered the story. The CCG had also sent their personnel to investigate the case.

Little did anyone expect that the sisters' parents had been secretly conducting human experiments in a vast underground laboratory, unbeknownst even to the sisters themselves. However, their research had been consistently unsuccessful, leading them to seek cooperation from Dr. Akihiro Kanou.

Unfortunately, they were unaware that Dr. Kanou saw them merely as expendable pawns.

To avoid drawing attention, Dr. Kanou refrained from seizing any of the visible wealth or power belonging to the sisters' parents. This made it impossible for the police or CCG to find any leads.

It was as if the parents had vanished into thin air.

"Father..."

"Sob, sob, sob..."

The sisters' opulent home stood in the bustling area of the sixth ward, nestled within an exclusive wealthy district. As Kurona and Nashiro surveyed the empty rooms, grief enveloped them. Overwhelmed by sorrow, they embraced each other, tears streaming down their faces.

"Stay strong; now is not the time for sadness," Lin Yi consoled them, struggling to find the right words. It was highly likely that the sisters' parents had already been killed.

"I'm sorry for my behavior, Senior. Not knowing the fate of my parents deeply upsets me," Kurona, the stronger of the two, spoke as she wiped away her tears.

Nashiro clung tightly to Lin Yi's waist, trembling and refusing to look up.

Understanding the fragility of the moment, Lin Yi sighed. However, he couldn't afford any distractions at this point.

After careful consideration, he realized that due to Dr. Kanou's personality, they might not need to search for him. He would likely come seeking them out instead, as he wouldn't allow any potential threats to expose his existence.

"Senior, can we catch the culprit?" Nashiro weakly inquired.

"Don't worry; we don't need to search for him. He will come to us," Lin Yi assured them with certainty, gently patting Nashiro's back to help her calm down.

"What do you mean, Senior?" Kurona asked, puzzled by Lin Yi's statement.

"Kurona, your parents are well-known and influential figures. They always had bodyguards accompanying them whenever they went out. If they disappeared without a trace for no apparent reason, it must be because they were abducted. However, their family assets remain intact, suggesting that there is another motive behind their disappearance."

Lin Yi fabricated a plausible explanation, hoping to quell any suspicions the sisters might have.

With Lin Yi's reassurance, the sisters' emotions gradually stabilized.

"Ring~!"

Suddenly, the landline telephone in the room rang. Kurona was startled, but she quickly answered the call and put it on speaker mode.

A distorted voice, obviously disguised, came from the other end of the line.

"The father you wish to see... Come to Aokigahara District in the outskirts, northern suburbs, at ten o'clock tonight."

Taken aback, Kurona was about to ask more questions when the call abruptly disconnected.

"Senior..."

Both sisters looked at Lin Yi, feeling somewhat lost. They had never encountered a situation like this before, entirely on their own.

"This is a good thing; it's finally a clue," Lin Yi said, patting their heads. He hadn't expected Dr. Kanou's methods to be so straightforward, and he didn't know if Dr. Kanou was aware that they had been trailing him.

After nightfall, Lin Yi took the two sisters and headed towards the mentioned address from the phone call.

The sixth ward had once been under the control of the Shachi Group but was later disbanded. Some of its members were captured by the CCG and imprisoned in the ghoul detention center, leaving the area without a leader.

Consequently, while there were still many ghouls in the vicinity, they posed no threat. In fact, due to the CCG's suppression, heavy casualties had befallen the ghouls.

The 51 suburbs became a refuge for numerous ghouls who had nowhere else to go, making it the safest place in the entire sixth ward.

It was a mountainous area, resulting in a lack of human presence, making it even more desolate than a cemetery.

Under the cover of darkness, with wild grass swaying and dense trees surrounding them, there was no sign of human activity.

"Senior, are we in the wrong place?" Nashiro asked, feeling frightened by the eerie atmosphere. She clung to Lin Yi's arm, unwilling to let go.

Initially, Lin Yi had advised the sisters to wait at home, but they insisted on joining him due to their concern for their parents.

"We're in the right place," Lin Yi sighed. Surveying the surroundings, it was clear that the sisters' parents possessed certain skills to establish a laboratory in such a location.

"Boom!"

Just as he sighed, a massive rock in front of them suddenly shook and split open, revealing a deep tunnel extending into the ground.

The tunnel was brightly lit, leading underground, but its depth was indiscernible. It extended at least several tens of meters downward.

Lin Yi could feel the tight grip of the two sisters on his arm.

"Let's go," Lin Yi ordered, leading the way into the tunnel. As they entered, the gate behind them closed, but the path ahead remained unobstructed.

After walking for one or two minutes, they arrived at an enormous and spacious laboratory. The interior space was semi-circular, with white capsule-shaped compartments lining all the walls.

"We're old friends, and this is how you play hide and seek?" Lin Yi shouted.

His voice echoed throughout the laboratory.

After a while, a door on his side creaked open, and a man wearing a white lab coat emerged from the darkness.

"How did you know it was me?" It was none other than Dr. Kanou.

"I could smell your repulsive rat-like scent as soon as I entered. Besides, who else would choose such a dreadful location if not you?" Lin Yi looked around, disgusted, and shook his head.

~~~

Thank you for the New Patrons! You guys are awesome!

- Molière

- Shana

- Micheal Wang

If you guys also want to support me and read more chapters! head to my Patrèon Page: Patrèon.com/Bleam.