48 Hours a Day

– “New Testament of the Bible – Revelation, John”

It wasn’t Zhang Heng’s first time encountering a biblical creature. Before this, he’d dealt with the mess left by the jealous Leviathan, one of the seven deadly sins, but he never actually saw the monster.

Compared to demons like the Seven Deadly Sins, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse were even more famous. These Four Horsemen were super big bosses who would only appear before the end of the world, each representing plague, war, famine, and death.

Their appearance marked the demise of humankind and the dawn of judgment day.

Zhang Heng was in horrible shape right now. He could see the other elevator arriving on this floor, but even simple movements proved a gargantuan task for him. Rather than saying that the lady in shades was still under his control, he was the one relying on her to keep him from falling over.

Even if he successfully made it upstairs, he was helpless against the horseman in his current state.

The lady in shades reached into Zhang Heng’s pocket, took out his phone, and tossed it into the nearest bin. He was so weak that he could not even stop her.

“Sorry, but it looks like I won’t be answering your questions.”

Zhang Heng could not deal with her right now. The moment the elevator door opened, he attempted to step forward, but his legs were so heavy they might as well have been made out of the lead. He exerted nearly every ounce of strength in his body and only managed to make one small step, his feet barely touching the ground as it landed.

Losing his balance, he stumbled to the floor. His vision was getting blurry, and his forehead was burning. It felt as if his brain was about to crack open.

The woman in shades played along and put on an expression of dismay. Seeing the dismal situation, other patients quickly called for doctors and nurses.

Zhang Heng could hear the sound of a stretcher rolling on the tiled floor, but he could barely see anything. His lips were moving, but he could scarcely utter a single word.

Fortunately, he was quickly carried onto a stretcher. A stethoscope was pressed against his chest, with the doctor asking him for his name and emergency contact. There seemed to be many onlookers, but no one noticed that the elderly lady with him disappeared.

The latter had slipped into the bathroom amid the commotion, and when she re-emerged, she had become another person. She watched as the doctors wheeled Zhang Heng into the emergency room before she left through a safe route and returned to the sixth floor.

Now, she was standing outside Wang Shuangshuang’s ward, and through the glass, she could see that the male doctor from the elevator wasn’t inside.

But the lady in shades was in no hurry. The doctor had arrived on this floor not too long ago, and it was improbable that he would leave so soon. But since she knew his identity now, finding him shouldn’t be too difficult anymore.

So, she hopped from one ward to another, searching for the man. Nonetheless, even as she approached the end of the corridor, she still had not found him.

Just as she was beginning to doubt her suspicions, she spotted the doctor walking out of the male restroom, shaking the water off his hands before stepping into the treatment room.

The lady in shades did not hesitate, immediately following behind him. When she pushed the door open, however, the room was empty.

While she was still swallowing down her shock, the door suddenly shut behind her.

The doctor appeared behind her like a ghost. He then released the doorknob. “Are you looking for me?”

“Yes, my lord.”

The lady in shades turned around with excitement glaming in her eyes. She had waited for this moment for far too long now.

“Aren’t you with Loki? Does he know that you’re here looking for me?” the doctor asked, removing the surgical gloves on his hand.

“No, coming here was my own idea. It had nothing to do with Lord Loki.”

“If you know me well enough, you should know that my three friends and I prefer taking from people rather than giving,” said the doctor in a very condescending tone. “Whatever it is that you want from me, my advice is for you to forget that stupid and unrealistic idea as soon as possible.”

The lady in shades went down on her knees. “Look! I’m not asking for your kindness. I came here to make a deal with you?”

“Who are you to make a deal with me?” the doctor sniffed. “I’m not one of those Northern European guys, and I don’t need to give a face to Loki.”

“I know what you want, and what I want, only you can give,” said the lady in shades

Han Lu and Fan Meinan had been waiting for an hour outside the hospital, and still, there was no sign of Zhang Heng. Concerned, Fan Meinan called his cellphone, but no one picked up.

“Could something have happened to him?” Han Lu asked, worried.

“Err... that’s very unlikely. With that guy’s skill and composure, he’s always the one who gets to beat people up-I’ve never seen anyone taking advantage of him. Even my sister is no match for him.”

The assurance managed to put Han Lu’s mine at ease, albeit just by a little.

“But then... he couldn’t possibly be so indisposed that he couldn’t pick up the phone.” Fan Meinan paused to think, and since she was unsure, she called again.

Ten seconds later, someone finally picked up.

Fan Meinan exhaled in relief, but alas, it was the voice of a stranger that greeted her. “Who are you?” the voice on the other line demanded.

“And who are you?” Fan Meinan asked in return.

“Even if I tell you my name, I’m afraid you wouldn’t know who I am. I found this phone in the bin. Are you a friend of this phone’s owner?”

“Where did you say you found the phone again?” Fan Meinan’s eyebrows furrowed.

“In the hospital’s trash can. If you made those calls earlier, I wouldn’t have found out that there was a phone in there,” said the person on the other end. “If you’re a friend of this phone’s owner, then you better come get it quick. I’m here with my wife for a pregnancy check-up. We’ll be leaving in about twenty minutes.”

“Give me five. I’ll be right there.” Fan Meinan hung up.

“What happened?” Han Lu asked.

Fan Meinan bit her lip. “I don’t know... Zhang Heng’s phone was found in the trash can, but I don’t know if this is a trap from my sister or not.”

“Huh?”

“Anyway, that guy is probably in trouble. I’m going back to find out. You stay right here.” “We better go together,” Han Lu said. “If anything happens, I could be of help. I believe I’ve proven myself in the office.”