Chap 21
Ally flashed a sly grin.
"Fine, but there's a condition."
"Say it. I'm not promising anything."
"I want Oat."
"What?"
"Yeah, I want him. I don't care about the other one anymore. I'll tell you what you want to know, but once it's over... Oat has to be mine."
Joong frowned. What had Oat done to him, to make him want him that badly?
"Don't look at me like that. I just think he's pretty decent. I want him to work for me, that's all. I'll pay him."
"I can't promise that. Oat's been working with me for a long time—that's his decision to make."
"Of course. I just need you to put in a word for me."
"I'll think about it. Now tell me what I need to know."
He stepped closer to Joong, eyes darting around cautiously before slipping a small piece of paper into Joong's hand.
"Everything's in there. Good luck."
With that, he walked off toward the end of the street without looking back. Joong didn't rush. Something felt off—he waited until he was back at the base before daring to open it.
It had been a long week since the day Dunk stepped into that vehicle. Since then, his body had been sustained by nothing but nutrient fluids. He was now being kept in a state-of-the-art laboratory. And by "state-of-the-art," it meant the most secure, the most advanced... and the most ruthless.
When they brought him back, they immediately injected him with a type of sedative so sudden, he had no time to react. Once he slipped into unconsciousness, they carried him into the lab. Every piece of his clothing was stripped away, leaving him in nothing but a patient gown, tied at the back. He was then placed onto a chair with restraints, locking down his wrists, ankles, neck, and waist.
It was the start of a new week, monday. Above him, there was a one-way mirror, and behind it, a group of people were observing the extraction of pure serum.
In the past week alone, he had already "donated" three vials for testing. Today would be the fourth. After the blood was drawn, they would feed a nutrient solution directly into his stomach and give him 500ml of purified water in place of food.
"How is it?"
"Sir, his blood does indeed contain a high concentration of rare platinum."
"Good... hahaha, very good. Keep going. I want to have a beautiful necklace crafted for myself—an early birthday present."
"Yes, sir. We'll do our best to hurry."
The world had changed. Buying people as entertainment or for experimentation was now outdated. The current trend was extracting serum, heating it until fully dissolved, and collecting the platinum left behind. That platinum would then be refined into jewelry. Sure, platinum still existed on the open market but the kind refined from serum was something few could ever obtain.
He lay on the chair, his back completely numb, the sensation long gone. His limbs were tightly bound, restricting movement to slow the blood flow. They believed that when the blood was "still," the body wouldn't feel "tired," preserving the blood in its optimal state for melting and extraction.
His face was no longer round, his limbs no longer full. In other words, he now looked like nothing more than a breathing corpse.
The masked doctor quietly stepped down into the hall to begin administering the nutrient fluid into his stomach...
"Hang in there. In your next life, I hope you won't be born rare again."
Dunk looked at the doctor and gave him a faint smile. His throat was so dry, he couldn't make a sound.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm just doing this for the money. My parents... they're in their hands. People like us only survive because of people like you. If you die... please don't hate us."
As those words ended, the fluid began to flow into his throat. It was bland, with a bitter aftertaste that lingered every now and then. But it had been a week already—he was used to it.
The doctor didn't leave. He stood there, waiting until the full portion was delivered.
"Do you have any last wishes? On the final day, when they take the last of your serum, tell me. If it's within my power... I'll make it happen."
Still... that same gaze.
"This is all I can do... No one's coming to save us, so... let's save each other, okay?"
"IS IT DONE YET?!"
The doctor had just reached out, wanting to offer a comforting touch, when someone stormed down and shouted, making him pull his hand back immediately.
"I asked you—is it done yet?"
"A-almost... just a bit more. Don't rush it. If the serum isn't fully absorbed, it won't be effective."
"I wasn't rushing. I asked if it was done, that's all. What's with this doctor?"
"I... I understand."
The doctor left as soon as the bag of fluid emptied. And now, the room was silent once again—leaving only Dunk, bathed in a pale blue light, with nothing but the sound of his own heartbeat echoing in the emptiness.
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#sapo🇻🇳 (21:04 / 310525)
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