The Soviet Union once built many sanatoriums along the coast of the Black Sea, especially on the Crimea Peninsula, which was a very famous and important health resort for the Soviet Union.
The secret sanatorium of the KGB, or more precisely, a secret mental hospital, was not quite suitable to be established on the Crimea Peninsula. Thus, it made perfect sense to set up a less conspicuous secret sanatorium near Odessa, an important port city rather than a tourist city.
And there is indeed a sanatorium on the southern coast of the Odessa city area shown on satellite maps. It hasn’t been renamed something trendy like a vacation center; it retained the very era-specific name of sanatorium.
That’s why Brian would sometimes get tense and sometimes happy because of this sanatorium.
To be exact, there were two sanatoriums. The one on the north side was a regular sanatorium, which is what is shown on satellite maps. Two kilometers south of that, there was a not-so-ordinary sanatorium that seemed ordinary at the time but was actually not.
And Annastasia was in that not-so-ordinary sanatorium.
But the problem was that after the collapse of the Soviet Union more than twenty years ago, the sanatoriums should have been long closed down, so Brian really shouldn’t have gotten excited so soon.
But Brian was dying of excitement and nervousness because he got a relatively clear clue, and there wasn’t much others could do about it.
However, just finding any evidence that the sanatorium had existed, even a tiny clue, would give Brian and Yang Yi a way to keep digging. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, many things lost control and the power of the KGB was greatly reduced. Many people had to fend for themselves. Although it’s very hard to find someone who lived here more than twenty years ago, it’s still a million times better than having no clue at all.
Even if they could only find one person who had worked in the secret sanatorium, no matter what they did, even a clue from an ordinary staff member would do. As long as there was a tiny clue, the rest was just a matter of time and money. But without that little bit of a clue, there would be no hope at all.
The car had already stopped. Brian got out of the car and stood in front of the entrance of a sanatorium that was still in operation, looking around.
Yang Yi also got out of the car, then whispered, "If this is the ordinary sanatorium, then the secret sanatorium should be two kilometers south along the coastline. Let’s get in the car and go there now."
Brian took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "I want to walk there."
The clouds were thick; it looked like it might rain. Yang Yi looked up at the sky, intending to mention the possibility of rain, but he ultimately said, "Okay, let’s walk."
Everyone got out of the car. Brian looked back, then waved his hand and said, "Don’t all follow me, um, at least not too close. I’m quite nervous right now, it’s better to keep a certain distance."
Xiao Ran called out loudly from behind, "You walk in front, we’ll follow."
Brian started walking along the coastline and suddenly said to Yang Yi, "Do you think that the secret sanatorium could still be operating now?"
Yang Yi shrugged, about to say that it was impossible, but seeing Brian’s nervous expression, he changed his reply.
Brian turned his head and continued walking forward, then murmured, "How could that be."
As he walked, Brian said, "This kind of secret sanatorium couldn’t possibly still be around, especially since those who lived or were forced to live there had very sensitive identities. But it’s not a problem. As long as Anna lived there, there must be some traces left. Even though many years have passed, it isn’t difficult to find people who have been in contact with this sanatorium. All I need to confirm is that this place was once a secret sanatorium, and then I can continue the investigation."
Brian even had an idea of how to continue the investigation.
Yang Yi listened to Brian’s ramblings about how to continue the investigation and followed him step by step across the beach.
Brian suddenly stopped in his tracks, and then he said in a deep voice, "Two kilometers, we’re here!"
Before them was a yacht club, and out on the sea, there was a small dock with about twenty small yachts moored to it.
As for the buildings onshore, they were too small, too small to serve as a sanatorium.
The sky was a golden black, and Brian’s complexion also slowly darkened, but he still mustered up some energy and said loudly, "It’s okay, it’s okay, let’s just ask and we’ll know. More than twenty years is enough time to change a lot. Perhaps the secret sanatorium was built away from the beach."
Outside the yacht club’s door, there were sun umbrellas, sun loungers, and benches. Two middle-aged men were sitting on a bench, enjoying the evening sea breeze and chatting. After glancing at the people on the beach, they simply continued their conversation.
Brian took a breath, then he left the beach and walked toward the concrete ground in front of the yacht club building, approaching the two men.
"Hello, was there a sanatorium here in the past?"
Seemingly ordinary, it would still be a sanatorium and not bear any other name, so Brian’s question wasn’t wrong.
A man in his forties glanced at Brian and then said in Russian, "A sanatorium? The sanatorium is north of here, not here."
"No, I mean if there used to be a sanatorium here, right here. It might have been demolished."
"No, there was never a sanatorium here. The one you’re talking about can only be the one up north."
Brian turned to the other middle-aged man and said, "Maybe he doesn’t know. How about you?"
"There was never a sanatorium here."
The other man’s answer was just as unsatisfying, and Brian’s face began to change. Then, appearing somewhat annoyed, he said, "Fine, what about nearby? Any sanatoriums other than the one up north?"
Brian knew that Black Devil’s words couldn’t be trusted, but he firmly believed that there had been a sanatorium here.
Brian walked to the side and then shook his head, saying, "It must have been here; it must have!"
"I was born on this beach, grew up here. There’s never been a sanatorium, not now, not ever. Even this dock and this house were only built six years ago. Before that, this place was just an empty space with no sanatorium, not here, not nearby."
Brian glared fiercely at the middle-aged man who was speaking, and the man immediately shut his mouth.
Taking a deep breath and swallowing hard, Brian said menacingly, "Maybe it’s that sanatorium up north. I need to go back and ask!"
As he walked back, Brian quickened his pace significantly.
There couldn’t possibly be any secret sanatorium here.
Yang Yi and Paul exchanged glances and then both let out a silent sigh.
It was clear now, not a single word from Black Devil could be trusted,