Chapter 71: The Girl in the Metal Box

The villa was spacious and eerily quiet, suggesting it wasn’t lived in regularly.

However everything from the marble floors and wall reliefs to the grand piano by the floor-to-ceiling windows was spotless. Compared to the dark cramped old building he was used to, Lu Xin felt almost out of place sitting in such a luxurious villa.

After they settled on the living room sofa, the man who looked like a butler served Lu Xin and the chubby Manager Liu tea along with a platter of fruit and snacks before quietly excusing himself. Taking advantage of the moment Lu Xin signed the contract the fat man had given him yesterday. He’d already reviewed it carefully and even had Han Bing double-check it for any issues. They each kept a copy.

“So I only get the hundred thousand reward if she’s completely cured?”

Lu Xin confirmed as he handed over the contract.

“That’s correct.”

Manager Liu chuckled. “It’s like treating a patient, right? The job isn’t done until they’ve fully recovered.”

Lu Xin nodded. “Sometimes even after they’re cured their mental state still needs time to recover.”

Manager Liu paused for a second then quickly smiled. “Don’t worry we’ll take that into consideration!”

Only then did Lu Xin feel reassured. “Where is the person you want me to see?”

Just as he asked the question he heard the sound of wheels rolling across the smooth floor from behind a door next to the living room. The door opened and three or four staff members in white coats pushed in a tall vertical metal case about two meters high. The case was sealed tight and frantic banging and pounding echoed from within.

Faintly he could also hear pained and furious roars like those of a wounded beast.

“She’s here!”

Following behind the case was an old man leaning on a cane. He wore a crisp suit and his hair was perfectly neat.

But his eyes looked tired and one leg seemed weak as he walked.

“I won’t be involved in the specific treatment process. I’ll leave you two to talk.”

The chubby manager stood up smiled at the old man then gestured to Lu Xin before grabbing his bag and heading out.

At the same time the staff members who had pushed the metal case in also left.

Soon the large empty living room held only Lu Xin the old man with the cane and the clanging metal case.

“Please sit!”

The old man settled onto the sofa gesturing for Lu Xin to sit as well. He sighed softly glanced at the metal case and said, “Inside is my daughter Xiao Xiao. She just turned twenty-one this year. Last year she graduated from Qinggang New-style University in the Main City studying old-era art research and preservation. Even her advisor often praised her talent in this field…”

“Just three months ago she even got engaged. She and her fiancé were very happy together…”

“Sigh… but who would have thought that just then she suddenly… she just went mad…”

“No doctor could find a specific reason so I can only suspect she was subjected to pollution…”

…

Lu Xin thought for a moment. “Then why did you seek me out? I’m not exactly… very professional in this area.”

“I’ve already sought out many people!”

The old gentleman sighed softly. “I used my connections to have some experts look at her privately. Although everyone suspects pollution they couldn’t detect any residual abnormal mental power. Besides we usually live in the Main City where checks and handling of mental pollution are quite strict. Logically she shouldn’t have come into contact with a pollution source…”

“Then…”

Lu Xin frowned slightly. “Could it be she really just went mad?”

“Impossible!”

The old man’s expression suddenly turned serious. “I firmly believe that’s not it. Our family has no history of hereditary illness. If she did go mad it could only be from severe trauma. But I investigated her experiences before the incident and found no major upheavals. No matter how you look at it she inexplicably just slowly became like this!”

Given the old man’s obvious apprehension Lu Xin didn’t press further.

“Mr. Lone Soldier please understand.”

Mr. Xu sighed again. “I’m already seventy years old this year. My previous family all died in the cataclysm thirty years ago. She is a daughter I was blessed with again when I was fifty. I see her as a gift from God. That’s why I will spare no expense to cure her. Otherwise… I don’t know what meaning life would still hold.”

“Only one daughter and he’s just offering a hundred thousand…”

Lu Xin grumbled inwardly. “That’s barely one-fiftieth the cost of this villa…”

But it was just a passing thought; the contract was already signed.

Judging by Mr. Xu’s expression he truly cared deeply for this girl.

This made Lu Xin curious. “If you care about her so much why haven’t you handed her over to the Special Pollution Research Institute seeing how severe her condition is?”

“Well…”

Mr. Xu hesitated slightly before answering, “Mr. Lone Soldier you might not know but back in the Main City many people are already aware of special pollution and they are… very concerned about it. If word got out that Xiao Xiao was polluted even if she were truly cured she might face ostracism from many people. In that case it might…”

“…It could severely damage her reputation!”

“For her that would be a fate worse than death.”

“And that’s why I’ve only sought help privately instead of handing her over to the institute. Although I didn’t go through official channels I still did my best to find many professionals for diagnosis. My hope now is that professionals like you can cure Xiao Xiao privately and… continue to keep this matter confidential after she is cured!”

…

Having clarified these points Lu Xin slowly nodded.

He finally turned his serious attention to the metal case. After a moment’s thought he said, “Let me take a look then!”

Mr. Xu let out a long breath and nodded. Supporting himself with his cane he slowly walked to the front of the metal case took a key from his pocket and unlocked the case. As he pulled open the side panel he instinctively took a few steps back.

“Creeak—”

The panel swung outward due to inertia.

Inside the case one could see special padding sewn all over seemingly to prevent the person inside from hurting themselves.

But when Lu Xin looked inside the case he couldn’t help but be slightly taken aback.

Locked inside was a young girl wearing only a nightgown. Her hair was messy and there were several bruises and cuts on her body some bandaged others left untreated. Although she looked disheveled and her eyes were bloodshot one could still tell she was very beautiful like a movie star on television.

Tight restraints were fastened around her neck wrists and ankles securing her inside the case.

She even had a plastic rod clenched between her teeth.

Yet even in this state she struggled violently letting out beast-like roars.

The loud banging sounds from earlier were caused by her slamming the only part she could move her head against the case.

…

…

Lu Xin frowned slightly. “What are the symptoms of her madness?”

Mr. Xu’s voice sounded pained. He rubbed his face hard before whispering, “Mating!”

Lu Xin was clearly stunned.

Mr. Xu already looked strangely exhausted. “Like an animal… frantic mating. With anyone or…”

He clearly couldn’t continue.