The curve on the instrument gradually zeroed out.
Zeroing out, meant death.
This curve was the hope of Hong Zhong’s recovery... everyone saw this scene.
As the curve zeroed out, hope was shattered.
The mental examiner in the hospital room stared blankly at the scene in front of him, unable to fathom how this man, who had escaped the "Old World" through countless dangers, could fall here... just minutes before, this man’s vital signs were all stable.
The appraiser looked at the face that had turned pale from death.
He licked his chapped lips.
The room was so silent that one could hear a pin drop, and his extremely strained voice made this silence even more oppressive.
Lin Lin silently watched this scene, fully aware of what the death of Hong Zhong implied... He was the only survivor of the labyrinth mission and the "Returning Hero" watched by tens of millions of eyes in North Continent.
His death was extremely bad news for Gu Castle Fortress.
And the "Spiritual Assessment" that Lin Lin insisted on did not yield much useful information... the only useful information was that Hong Zhong indeed saw the "Oasis."
This further confirmed the title of "hero."
Yuan Yuan silently watched his old friend lie down in that hospital room, covered with a white sheet, and then closed his eyes forever.
His original anger... seemed to have drifted away with the wind.
The deputy captain slowly stood up, looked at Lin Lin, and said with a slight sneer, "Quasi-General, truly a stern guardian... Shortly afterward, the Lord of the Legion will personally call you."
This very soft voice was full of his profound grief.
Order in North Continent was strict.
He didn’t use honorifics.
And the final "call" clearly carried his tone of irony.
Lin Lin paid no mind to these remarks.
He stood with his hands behind his back, continuing to gaze at the corpse in the observation room, no one knew what he was thinking... just before Yuan Yuan left the room, Lin Lin spoke again.
"Keep his body at Gu Castle."
Yuan Yuan’s anger surged to his chest.
He clenched the door frame, causing a crackling noise as wood chips fell.
Yuan Yuan took a deep breath, controlling his emotions.
"There’s no why, is this your first day in North Continent?"
Lin Lin coldly looked at this outsider and responded emotionlessly, "In Gu Castle Fortress, all actions must have my approval... even moving the Legion Commander is futile, you could try pleading with Her Majesty the Empress, I only follow her instructions."
He found the reply utterly absurd.
He sadly looked at the young, stubborn Quasi-General and no longer hid the disdain in his eyes.
Yuan Yuan softly spoke, "Mr. Lin Lin, I can hardly believe you are such a person... nor can I believe that Gu Castle Fortress would treat a Returning Hero so stingily... I have nothing more to say, I wish you good fortune in warfare."
Lin Lin shifted his gaze away from him.
Yuan Yuan and the Transcendents from the Investigation Corps who had rushed to Gu Castle Fortress suppressed their anger and left the scene.
Zou Hai also sighed softly.
He gently left the observation room, alone, handling the trivial matters after Hong Zhong’s death for the Quasi-General.
Only two people remained in the entire observation room.
Both of their gazes consistently fell on Hong Zhong’s face...
"Why did you insist on performing the ’Spiritual Assessment’?"
The tranquility of the observation room was broken by Gu Shen.
He spoke quietly, "Hong Zhong’s record was perfect, a loyalist who had dedicated everything to North Continent, must such a person also undergo ’Spiritual Assessment’?"
Lin Lin glanced at this guest from East Continent.
He was not accustomed to explaining to others, and said softly, "Mr. Xiao Gu, this trip to North Continent has disappointed you. The ’Spiritual Assessment’ did not yield any effective clues, we will conduct further analysis on the cane wood chips, if there is a conclusion, you will be notified immediately."
"Is this an order to leave?" Gu Shen laughed.
"Suppose so," Lin Lin said, "Gu Castle never entertains guests, you are already an exception."
"The massage service last night was very good, it was my first time enjoying a massage by a Labrador Retriever."
"Besides... the breakfast this morning tasted quite good, though the rye bread was a bit hard."
"What are you trying to say?" the Quasi-General lost his patience.
"What I mean is... Gu Castle Fortress is not a bad place, I am not in a hurry to leave," Gu Shen stood up and smiled, "Of course, you are the boss here... if after three minutes you still insist on sending me away, I can only pack up and leave."
Gu Shen approached Lin Lin, not beating around the bush anymore.
He straightforwardly pointed out the Quasi-General’s thinking.
"You insist on conducting the Spiritual Assessment and are reluctant to return the body because you do not believe Hong Zhong is the ’hero’ as the public claims."
"He returned to Gu Castle Fortress, yet did not reveal the specific exploration details of the ’Old World’... a returnee, skipping the process, presented a shocking exploration result. Especially since this result influences and decides the next step of the labyrinth mission, if Route 38 is successful and reliable, the next investigation team can scale up and search for the ’Oasis clues’ given by Hong Zhong."