Eldritch Horror Theatre

Excellency Servis?

Although the voice was abrupt, being hounded for an update while locked in a dark room felt oddly fitting for a Columnist.

So in that moment, Fu Qian didn't even flinch. Instead, a specific name naturally surfaced in his mind.

True, judging a person by their voice might be unreliable, but this tone was simply too classic.

It lacked booming resonance, remaining low-pitched yet astonishingly steady.

Combined with everything he had heard about the Attending Physician, it flawlessly matched the image of someone coming and going like a ghost, quietly observing from the shadows.

Not to mention, Fu Qian hadn't sensed a single trace of movement before the man spoke—and still couldn't detect any now.

Rather than obliging the request to write, Fu Qian turned toward the source of the voice.

It came from a corner of the office, right beside the massive medical cabinet.

Knock, knock-knock...

Fortunately, the other party didn't keep him in suspense.

Under Fu Qian's gaze, the distinct sound of fingers rapping on wood rang out.

Sure enough, this was exactly why one couldn't afford to fall into habitual thinking.

Just because the hidden compartment in the safe had been so obvious didn't mean there weren't other secret spaces hidden in plain sight.

The meaning behind the knocks was clear—a polite reminder that the wall behind it was actually hollow.

Someone was courteously knocking on the barrier between them, exactly like a guest paying a formal visit.

"Come in."

Amid his quiet musings, Fu Qian didn't push the visitor away; he actually answered the knock.

...

Silence followed. Strangely, no further movement came from behind the wall.

Instead, a patch of shadow simply deepened, as if a section of the wall had caved inward.

The design was undeniably brilliant. It was no wonder both Excellencies, Servis and Mosson, could rely on it to maneuver through the Sanitarium, coming and going like a ghost.

Witnessing the seamless shift, Fu Qian marveled internally, deeply impressed by the designer's ingenuity.

The hidden door had opened silently, making even less noise than a regular door swinging on its hinges.

The only downside was the profound darkness within, making it impossible to catch a glimpse of the figure inside—until a sharp click echoed through the room.

That solved the problem.

With that faint sound, Fu Qian flicked the wall switch.

The somewhat dim, yellowish light instantly illuminated the Black Box... and, naturally, the hidden compartment beyond it.

It revealed a long, gaunt face, a massive hooked nose, and a pair of perfectly round spectacle lenses.

Faced with the sudden glare, the figure didn't rush to move.

As he peered out, the reflection on his lenses completely obscured his eyes, hiding his true gaze.

So this is Excellency Servis?

He had to admit, the man fit the stereotype perfectly. He exuded a cold professionalism, yet carried an undeniable undercurrent of bizarre, fanatical stubbornness.

At the very least, it was hard to imagine Recorder Old Man Mosson ever possessing such intense vitality.

As for why he assumed both Mosson and Servis relied on these secret passages to navigate the Sanitarium, coming and going like a ghost?

The reasoning was simple. One was the facility's original owner, and the other was its current overseer. It was only natural that they possessed intimate knowledge of its specialized layout.

Furthermore, entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity. If this assumption held true, even the Recorder Old Man's previous behavior had a scientific explanation, eliminating the need to factor in additional Transcendent Tier elements for now.

"That is my seat."

Unfortunately, his understanding nature went completely unappreciated. After staring at him from the hidden compartment for a moment, the figure's very first words were a reprimand for his lack of manners.

"It is quite comfortable."

Fu Qian didn't mind the criticism. He merely glanced down at his armrests and openly agreed that the chair was indeed a great place to sit.

It was true—while flipping through the Abyss Notes earlier, he had naturally claimed a seat behind the desk.

Paired with his earlier "come in," the feeling of a turtledove occupying the magpie's nest was certainly a bit strong.

...

"You really are different. Were you waiting for me earlier?"

Fu Qian was completely unabashed, his sheer audacity making the other man realize that discussing concepts like shame and propriety with him would be entirely pointless.

Servis, having immediately confirmed his own identity with that opening remark, wasn't angered either. Instead, he seemed far more intrigued by the intruder.

"Yeah. Since you were taking your time, I grabbed a book to read while I waited."

Fu Qian showed zero humility. He raised the notebook in his hand, supplying a perfectly reasonable excuse for his actions.

He wasn't making an empty show of strength; he genuinely wasn't in a rush to test the capabilities of the Abyss Notes.

Ever since his initial door-opening test, he had operated under the assumption that Servis was watching everything, and that the Black Box was completely ineffective against him.

Entering the office under those conditions, cracking the safe, and even opening and reading the notebook inside... he had practically exhausted every possible way to offend the man.

Yet, navigating these boundaries required subtle tact. In Fu Qian's view, continuing to write in the notebook would no longer count as offending Servis.

On the contrary, it was likely exactly what the Attending Physician wanted to see—meaning it was best to make him pay to unlock it.

One always had to learn to put themselves in another's shoes.

Faced with an intruder completely devoid of martial honor—someone actively tearing his carefully laid plans to pieces—what would the Attending Physician want to do first?

It was simple: at least figure out exactly what was going through the intruder's head.

The intruder's reaction to the notebook—and whatever they might write inside it—would serve as highly meaningful reference points.

Furthermore, this was a matter of urgency.

After all, the situation was spiraling, but it hadn't entirely collapsed. Theoretically, there was still room to salvage it.

Unless Servis truly didn't mind letting the Director get his way, quickly figuring out what the intruder wanted to buy a window of operational time was just standard procedure to maximize his own interests.

Of course, maximizing interests was only one option. The man could easily choose to throw rationality out the window and flip the table just as he had—Fu Qian understood that possibility perfectly.

But in this day and age, harmony fosters wealth. As the junior party, knowing when to stop and presenting a cooperative attitude was just basic courtesy, wasn't it?

...

"Oh? So what did you discover in it?"

Once again, his sheer goodwill paid off.

Confronted with Fu Qian's shameless explanation, the Attending Physician hesitated for a moment before actually stepping out from behind the wall, step by step.

He didn't even seem bothered by his stolen seat. Walking straight up, he sat down directly opposite the desk, adopting the posture of a guest ready to discuss Fu Qian's reading impressions.

"I found an acquaintance, though she might not recognize me."

Thrilled by such an excellent start, Fu Qian patted the notebook and told the absolute truth.

"Lasik?"

Servis didn't play dumb either. He glanced at the notebook in Fu Qian's hand, and a moment later, he let out a heavy sigh.

"Truth be told, I am deeply sorry for what happened to her."

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