Chapter 33: Cronus Charity Hospital

On the morning of the second day, a new hospital opened in East Midtown. Local residents buzzed with speculation about the origins of this facility. Simultaneously, they noticed that the formerly nameless high-rise building had erected a sign, marking its new identity.

"Knoss Charity Hospital..."

"You still believe in that sort of thing these days? Even the stray dogs on the street don't buy it."

The chatter of passersby revealed a deep distrust toward this new hospital. They had no faith in "free medical care." In this city, the moment you stepped into a large hospital, your wallet would be bled dry, and you’d return home to a four-digit bill.

Most ordinary people preferred visiting a familiar private doctor or sourcing medicine through personal connections. In most cases, they simply relied on painkillers to grit their teeth and endure.

After all, painkillers were the cheapest option.

—

Lynn, however, was in no rush to build popularity for his hospital. On the first day of operations, the staff was sparse; after all, the doctors and nurses at a facility open to the public could not be vampires.

The staff arranged by Maria and Kara had not yet arrived; most were scheduled to start tomorrow. Today, it was merely the formal announcement that Knoss Hospital was complete.

"H-hello, we aren't open yet. The hospital has just started, and the doctors and nurses haven't come in to work..."

The young nurse at the reception desk seemed frightened. Lynn’s aura was unsettling when he wasn't speaking, causing most people to subconsciously keep their distance. Faced with his somber, grim features, the young receptionist was already swallowing hard.

"What is your name? A new hire?"

"Um... I..." The nurse glanced at Lynn, feeling a wave of fear. She quickly averted her gaze, fumbling with her ballpoint pen and her employee badge in a fluster. "Sir, the hospital isn't open yet. Um, I think you should come back tomorrow!"

Just as the receptionist prepared to turn Lynn away again, Kara appeared behind him as if out of thin air.

"Doctor, Goldman is already waiting for you in the gene therapy room. The adjustments for Nancy are ready."

While the young nurse stood there in confusion, a supervisor snuck over and pulled her aside.

"Shh, that’s one of the hospital’s directors. Go take a break, and don’t say another word..."

"Ah? Supervisor, I’m not going to be fired, am I? I need this job to pay off my student loans..."

"You shouldn't be. Ms. Kara didn't notice you, but don't go back to the front desk today. I'll have someone else cover for you."

"By the way, Supervisor, do you know why Director Kara dresses like she’s mourning a dead husband? It’s creepy, and I have a vague feeling her skin doesn't look quite right..."

"How would I know? I heard she's a friend invited by Dr. Goldman, the deputy dean. Anyway, stop asking questions. Go get some rest, then check the equipment..."

While checking the machines, the receptionist suddenly realized she had no memory of what the man’s face looked like. Even when she tried to recall it, she felt as though she had been in a daze at the time.

"Did I stay up too late last night? My eyes hurt."

—

"Who was responsible for recruiting these ordinary people?"

"Maria’s subordinates have a dedicated human resources team. Originally, they were tasked with introducing showgirls, socialites, and special clients for her."

"It seems she did a decent job, then."

"She is a top-tier graduate from an Ivy League school, Doctor."

With that, Lynn led Kara to the top floor of the hospital. This was close to Lynn's private quarters and the residence for the vampires who served as the security force for Knoss Charity Hospital.

In fact, the black-clad security personnel seen occasionally around the hospital were those very vampires.

Lynn had arranged for some of the vampires to undergo treatment by Connors. Initially, Connors hadn't believed in the existence of vampires, but after seeing their highly mutated, humanoid cells—which defied existing biological theories—he was naturally convinced.

Like most scholars, however, he didn't view this as magic, but rather as a form of extreme mutation triggered by unique environmental conditions.

That wasn't entirely wrong.

Now, some of the vampires were free from the torment of sunlight and bloodlust. Although they couldn't walk in the daylight like Lynn—their skin and pupils would still be burned by the sun—they could manage limited activity during the day.

After all, Connors couldn't deal with the dark energy; given time, those vampires would eventually revert to their pure state.

As the two stepped out of the elevator, passed through the lounge, the disinfection room, and the sterile chamber, and reached the "Gene Therapy Room" at the end of the surgical corridor, Connors had clearly been waiting for some time.

—

"Hello, Doctor."

"Good morning, Dr. Goldman," Lynn replied.

"You can just call me Connors; I'm more used to that." Connors looked away; he couldn't see Lynn clearly, and his eyes burned painfully whenever he tried to focus on him.

"Ah, my apologies. I’ve had some minor gains recently and haven't quite mastered my abilities yet. Now we can communicate face-to-face properly."

As Lynn spoke, the electronic equipment in the room began to stir under his psionic influence. The pulse of high-power appliances being activated echoed throughout the therapy room.

The partition shield of the therapy tank in the center of the room lowered, revealing the cyan-blue solution inside, along with Nancy, who was floating with her eyes gently closed.

This tank utilized a portion of bioreactor technology. After extensive modifications and "castration" of its features by Lynn, he had produced this specialized device for treating congenital or acquired genetic diseases. It lacked the high-level modulation capabilities of the original, but it was gentler and more stable—essentially a civilian version of a bioreactor.

Nancy lay quietly in the therapy device, and Connors wore a look of immense tenderness.

"Can... can we begin, Doctor?"

"Of course. You activate the third phase, and I will assist you in completing the first treatment."

With Lynn’s nod, Connors began to operate the console with trembling hands. The holographic interface was incredibly complex, requiring not only mechanical input but also the manual adjustment of numerous parameters on the AR panel. It required significant stamina and willpower to complete.

Cold sweat dripped from Connors' forehead as he carefully controlled each parameter. As the specialized cilia inside the therapy device slowly extended, using their custom suction needles to adhere to Nancy, the treatment process began.

Connors handled the vast majority of the main controls, and thanks to the training Lynn had provided, the process went quite smoothly.

Still, it was clearly exhausting for Connors to operate the machine alone.

Though he made a few minor errors, Lynn corrected them each time. The entire process lasted about four hours.

When the gene therapy device finally closed its protective shield and began its internal automated cycle, Connors let out a long sigh of relief.

He stepped out of the therapy room, changed out of his scrubs into regular clothes, and headed to the lounge.

Connors slumped against the wall and squatted on the floor, drenched in cold sweat. This operation was no less difficult than performing a high-precision surgery.

"Congratulations, Dr. Connors. The treatment was perfect. The steady-state cycle will last for a few hours, and by tonight, you will be able to see Miss Nancy in your room."

"I..."

"Knoss Charity Hospital will soon welcome its first batch of patients. The gene therapy room on the top floor can continue to operate, but don't forget, you need to find suitable candidates to assist you. As you have seen..."

Lynn spread his hands helplessly.

"This process is not simple. Without my assistance, it would be impossible for you to complete the treatment alone. Nancy’s next session is in four months; I hope you can find subordinates to help you by then."

Connors looked up at Lynn, seemingly lost in thought, but in the end, he said nothing. He simply nodded.

"I will. However, this instrument is quite complex; only those with higher education can master this technology. If you don't mind, Doctor, I know some students with clean backgrounds from my university days. If you don't mind..."

Lynn smiled; the man seemed to have figured out what he was after, but Lynn didn't care.

"You can introduce them to Maria and have her handle the hiring process. I would be more than happy if you can find suitable candidates. I am praying from the bottom of my heart for this hospital to prosper."

With that, Lynn and Kara left the therapy room, leaving Connors alone.

It wasn't until the afternoon that the newly recruited nurses, under Connors' direction, lifted Nancy from the gene therapy room. Afterward, the staff arranged by Maria took her to the room on the top floor.

—

Meanwhile, in the lounge of New Vision TV station, Betty Ross was touching up her makeup with a look of exhaustion, letting out a series of sighs.

"What’s wrong? Top student, finally having trouble adjusting to life outside the lab?"

"Don't bother me, Eve..."

"Honestly, is that man really so important to you? You gave up your life in the ivory tower of academia just to run into this den of chaos to find him."

"In the lab, you can't get access to so much news, or all those strange reports, or discover those hidden clues."

"But you know, if the person you're looking for is hiding, you're never going to see him."

"That’s why I’m a host here. That way, he can see me every day. I believe he’ll come back to find me one day..."

"Ugh! You sound like one of those tragic princesses in a fairy tale. Who is so lucky to have won the heart of a genius like you? I’m jealous!"

Eve propped her chin on her hands, pouting with a bitter, sorrowful expression. But Betty knew this was just her friend's way of getting close; her true purpose was about to be revealed—it was always the same routine.

"Hey, are there any good men in your lab or university? Someone like your Prince Charming—the kind who could sweep me off my feet? I want to try that feeling of being lovesick too."

Betty rolled her eyes.

"You don't lack men. I saw you holding hands with a handsome guy when you got off work last night. You looked pretty close."

"That was just a professional social engagement for research. You really think those rich kids are worth getting serious about? They don't lack women. You don't understand; it’s the innocent, handsome boys who are actually interesting."

"Fine, I'll introduce you next time I have a break. Now I have things to do, so I’m going to stop wasting time with you."

She packed away her small mirror and exquisite bottles, grabbed her bag, and stood up.

"Do you have an interview? The producers didn't assign you to field work, did they?"

"It’s my own project. Haven't you read the papers lately?"

"I prefer watching videos and talk shows."

"Then you really should read the papers. Some things aren't going to be on those funny videos or talk shows."

With that, Betty tossed a stack of newspapers to her colleague and pushed open the lounge door, leaving the New Vision TV station.

Eve picked up the paper and flipped through it, seeing nothing of interest. But soon, in a small corner, she spotted a notice circled in red.

—Knoss Charity Hospital is now opening. We possess the world's top medical technology. Are you still troubled by an almost incurable genetic disease? That will no longer be a problem. The ultimate solution for your genetic disease is right here in East Midtown!

Come quickly to [Address]!

"What is this? Some new scam ad? Isn't it a bit too low-end... Betty wouldn't actually believe this stuff, would she?"

As she spoke, Eve tossed the paper into the trash can.

Meanwhile, Betty Ross had already arrived in front of the large sign for Knoss Charity Hospital.

A pure white background with black artistic lettering, all attached to a building of solid black.

"Hello, miss. Are you here for a check-up?"

"Hmm?" Betty looked at the man who, at first glance, didn't look like a "good guy."

"No, I’m just here to take a look. May I ask who you are?"

"Me?" Lynn pointed toward the fried chicken shop with the newly installed sign behind him. "Just a part-time fried chicken uncle... well, some brat calls me that."

"Lynn, what are you doing! Help me with this machine; I don't know how to start it."

Jessica’s voice came from behind Lynn.

"I’m coming." After responding, Lynn said to Betty, "Miss, if you need medical care, this hospital probably won't be open until tomorrow. They seem to still be calibrating the equipment today."

"Is that so? Thank you for the information."

"You're welcome."