Gao Lang, Li Fengrui, and Wang Jiming were escorted by two guards each to the dining hall.
Qin He followed Shen Yicong to a side dining room. Several dishes were already laid out, featuring local delicacies from Sakura Country.
A hired chef was meticulously preparing ingredients at a workstation.
Gao Lang frowned as he watched the chef expertly dissect a fish, swiftly transforming it into sashimi. The chef then tossed the fish, now just a thin frame of bones, back into a nearby water tank where it continued to swim.
Shen Yicong, as if oblivious, began to enjoy his sashimi.
Gao Lang felt a wave of nausea.
"This is a chef I specially invited from Sakura Country. He's Michelin three-star level," Shen Yicong said with a smile. "I feared you might not be accustomed to our usual fare, so I prepared this for you. Why aren't you eating?"
Gao Lang remained silent, his face ashen. Li Fengrui, however, picked up a piece of sashimi and slowly began to chew.
Qin He had eaten sashimi before, but never anything so "fresh." She suppressed her revulsion and also picked up a piece.
"Miss Qin—" Gao Lang began, his brow furrowed.
Qin He discreetly pinched his arm under the table. At this moment, it was crucial to conserve energy and eat to survive.
Qin He suspected Shen Yicong intended this meal as a display of power. After they finished eating, Shen Yicong departed.
The four of them were then escorted by their guards to a large room on the first floor.
The room was equipped with various medical instruments. If not for the fact that they were in Sakura Country, Qin He might have mistaken it for an office in Qingcheng First Hospital.
With the guards gone, Wang Jiming rushed to Qin He, his voice cracking with distress.
"Miss Qin! What on earth happened? Why are we locked up here?!"
Qin He lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry."
She recounted the events bit by bit, omitting any mention of the book.
"Shen Yicong's primary objective in bringing us here is to treat his brother's stomach cancer. You are all caught up in this because of me. I am truly sorry to all of you!"
With that, Qin He bent down and bowed deeply to the three of them.
Gao Lang's brow furrowed upon hearing this. "How can you blame yourself, Miss Qin? Mr. Shen is simply a wicked man with ill intentions. If he wanted to treat his brother, why didn't he go to a hospital? Why resort to such vile methods!"
Li Fengrui sighed softly. "I came out to receive an award. I told my wife I'd be back in a week. It seems I won't be going home anytime soon. However, Miss Qin, who exactly is this Mr. Shen? I find his methods quite extraordinary. He doesn't seem like an ordinary criminal."
Qin He sighed inwardly. Of course, he wasn't ordinary. Lev was an international terrorist organization, once feared by many international police forces. But revealing this now would likely terrify them further.
Qin He pursed her lips. "He is indeed extraordinary, but I don't know the specifics. For now, we must cooperate to treat his brother."
She glanced at the guards by the entrance and lowered her voice. "Don't worry, if I find an opportunity, I will help the three of you escape!"
Wang Jiming, who had been silent, suddenly looked up. His eyes behind his wire-rimmed glasses were filled with panic. "Escape? How can we possibly escape! Miss Qin? You know Mr. Shen, don't you? I saw his attitude towards you was completely different! We are indeed dragged down by you, but I beg you! Can you ask him! Ask him to let me go home!"
Wang Jiming's legs trembled, fear engulfing him. "I'm in no condition to research stomach cancer! I don't specialize in this field at all. Even if he wants me, I'm useless, right? Miss Qin!"
Qin He pursed her lips, her voice strained. "He probably won't let you go."
"Then what? Is he going to kill me?"
Wang Jiming looked at Qin He in terror. "Killing people is against the law. Since I'm no longer useful, can he just let me go? I promise I won't report him, okay?"
Qin He lowered her head, guilt filling her. Wang Jiming was too optimistic. Why wouldn't Shen Yicong dare to kill? He had likely killed so many people that adding Wang Jiming's life wouldn't matter.
"I'm sorry, but he probably doesn't care about the law."
Wang Jiming looked stunned, understanding dawning on him. He clutched his chest for a moment, then covered his face. The man, in his thirties, began to cry.
Qin He hurried to say, "I'm sorry, Wang Jiming! Don't worry, I will do everything in my power to protect you all! Even if it costs me my life!"
Gao Lang was about to say it wasn't necessary when Wang Jiming, on the side, broke down. "I just want to be safe. Miss Qin, even if you are willing to sacrifice your life, can you guarantee my safety?"
Qin He fell silent. The four of them stayed in the office for a while, the atmosphere so heavy it was suffocating.
It was Li Fengrui who calmed down first. "I must leave safely! My children are waiting for me at home, and my wife is waiting for me!" He was the most composed of the three. He stood up and looked at Qin He. "Where is the patient? Let's go and examine his condition."
Qin He pursed her lips. "All his medical records should be here." Since Shen Yicong had set up a doctor's office, Shen Yilin's information should also be prepared.
Qin He looked at the desk not far away. A thick stack of documents lay on it. She walked over, picked it up, and glanced at it. It was indeed Shen Yilin's treatment records, including some lab results from Qingcheng First Hospital.
Seeing this, Li Fengrui walked over and took the documents from Qin He. They each took half and began to examine them carefully.
Although Gao Lang was hot-blooded, he understood that now was not the time to be confrontational. Currently, the only way to leave might truly be to cure the patient.
The three of them quietly studied the files. Wang Jiming, who had been on the verge of collapse, also gradually regained his composure after half an hour. He wiped the tears from his face and came over to take the files from Gao Lang.
However, the more they read, the colder their hearts became. Li Fengrui's brows were heavy with pressure.
"Stage four stomach cancer, which is already an incurable disease! This patient's medical records indicate it's the terminal stage of the terminal stage. He won't live much longer!"
Gao Lang nodded in agreement. "Indeed..."
Wang Jiming, his hands trembling, looked up at Qin He again. "Right, Miss Qin, if we can't cure this patient, will that person let us go back?"
Qin He's hand trembled slightly, unsure how to answer the distraught man.
"I hope you will give it your all."
That was the answer.