Volume One, Chapter 15: The Underground Hospital

Li Yang slumped in his office chair, cold sweat seeping from his forehead and soaking the collar of his shirt. On his computer screen, the anonymous email remained fixed on that glaring line of text:

"Did you really think you could get away with this?"

His heart hammered with a suffocating intensity. This sensation had never been so overwhelming—the terror of being hunted, the oppressive weight of knowing someone was pulling the strings in the shadows, like a cold hand tightening around his throat.

"This isn't just a standard fraud case..."

It was a bottomless trap, entangled with things far more complex and terrifying than he could have imagined.

But Wang Meng was still urging him on.

His phone screen lit up:
Wang Meng: What are you waiting for? Get him to transfer the money.

Li Yang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and forced himself to take a deep breath. He knew that if he refused to keep scamming, the water dungeon—or something even worse—awaited him. But if he continued, he vaguely sensed that more dangerous forces behind Cao Zhiguo were watching this money.

"I cannot die here."

He decided to buy himself some time.

The next morning.

Wang Meng’s office was thick with cigarette smoke.

"Li Yang, what happened last night?" Wang Meng stared at him, his voice as cold as ice. "The target believed it, the 3 million was ready to transfer, so why did you dare to stop?"

"Brother Wang." Li Yang braced himself. "I suspect someone is watching this money. I received an anonymous email containing satellite photos of our compound and pictures of me."

Wang Meng stared at him for a silent second, then suddenly slapped Li Yang across the face.

Crisp and loud.

"Who do you think you are?" Wang Meng’s gaze was sinister, his finger pointing at the tip of Li Yang's nose. "You think you’re in a position to investigate me? You’re just a dog. You bite whoever I tell you to bite, understand?"

Li Yang kept his head down, suppressing his rage, knowing that resistance meant death.

"Fine." Wang Meng nodded slowly, putting on a fake smile. "Since you’re worried about safety, today I’ll show you what true safety is."

"Follow me."

Level three underground.

This was an area never touched by ordinary team members, a restricted zone not marked on any map.

Li Yang followed Wang Meng into the dim corridor. The temperature dropped sharply, and the air was thick with the pungent, sickening scent of disinfectant mixed with blood.

"Where is this?" Li Yang asked, frowning.

"The compound's underground hospital," Wang Meng said, the corner of his mouth curling upward. "Used specifically for disposing of those who have no value."

As the iron doors opened one by one, Li Yang’s stomach tightened further with every step.

The first room—

A gaunt man was strapped to an operating table, a rag stuffed in his mouth. His chest and abdomen were covered in electrical burns, the skin blackened and cracked from infection, yet he was being kept forcibly awake.

"This guy owed us 200,000 in commissions. Couldn't scam the money and wanted to run? Look, this is the price."

Li Yang swallowed hard, forcing himself to remain calm, but his eyes were locked on the sutures across the man’s abdomen.

In the corner of the operating room, there was an insulated cooler filled with human organs.

Kidneys, intact, perfectly preserved.

"What are you... doing?" Li Yang’s voice trembled.

Wang Meng slowly exhaled a ring of smoke, his tone nonchalant. "You thought we were just doing simple telecommunications fraud? If they can't pay money, then we make them pay with something else."

The second room—

A middle-aged doctor in a white coat and surgical mask was hunched over, stitching up a corpse. The body’s abdomen was wide open, the organs removed, and blood dripped rhythmically into a metal tray below.

"This one? He earned 5,000 just by living one extra day. Organs are a good business."

The third room—

A young nurse, thin as a matchstick, her face deathly pale with dark circles under her eyes, was using a scalpel to dissect a headless corpse with terrifyingly practiced skill.

"She used to be a medical student who was kidnapped," Wang Meng said lightly. "After being 'educated,' she’s very obedient now."

Li Yang’s stomach churned to its limit, cold sweat beading on his brow. "You... you are devils!"

"Devils?"

Wang Meng sneered, suddenly grabbing Li Yang by the collar and slamming him hard against the cold operating table.

"You think you’re in heaven? This is Northern Myanmar, this is a scam compound, this is a slaughterhouse! You either make money or you die. If you don't do it, you can go down there and keep them company."

Li Yang struggled, but Wang Meng pressed his head down hard, his voice dropping to a low whisper: "Listen, there are no clean people in this world. I saved you, so you must help me secure that money. Otherwise, you’ll be the next one soaking in the water dungeon."

"Now—"

"Get back there and keep making calls. Take down Cao Zhiguo."

Back in the office area, Li Yang gripped his phone tightly, his knuckles turning white. All the "pigs" were still hunched over, making calls. The air was heavy with the smell of sweat and smoke, and the wire mesh outside the window shivered in the wind like a nerve ready to snap.

Wang Meng’s gaze was like a blade, piercing his back.

He knew he had no way out.

The scenes from the underground hospital flashed through his mind repeatedly—the "patients" kept awake while anesthetized, the organs soaking in formaldehyde, and that blood-stained drainage ditch...

Li Yang closed his eyes, forced himself to calm down, took a deep breath, and finally pressed the dial button.

The moment the call connected, he held his breath.

"Hello?"

A deep, wary voice came from the other end.

Li Yang immediately adjusted his tone, dropping his voice. "Mr. Cao, it’s me, Officer Li."

There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end. The person was clearly stunned for a moment, followed by an obviously impatient tone. "What exactly do you want? I’ve already transferred 3 million."

Li Yang’s throat tightened, his palms sweating, but he remained calm. "Mr. Cao, this is no longer just about the funds. I just received word that one of your ledgers has been sent to the Prosecutor’s Office. We need you to wire an additional 'security deposit,' or you know the consequences."

The line went silent—a deathly, absolute silence.

Li Yang’s heart raced. He held his breath, his fingers digging into the edge of the table until his knuckles went pale.

One minute. A full minute of nothing but faint breathing on the line.

This wasn't right.

It was too quiet.

Li Yang suddenly realized that Cao Zhiguo’s silence was too composed.

Then—

"Heh."

A cold laugh came through the receiver, dripping with sarcasm and... certainty.

Li Yang’s pupils contracted, his fingertips trembling slightly.

"I see," Cao Zhiguo’s voice sounded slowly, filled with an unsettling sense of conviction. "You are just a scam gang, aren't you?"

Li Yang’s heart hammered against his ribs, his breath hitching, cold sweat erupting on his temples.

Exposed?!

How is that possible?!

Where did he go wrong?!

His brain raced, replaying the conversation to find the flaw, but it was too late.

"Mr. Cao, please stay calm, I—"

*Beep.*

The line went dead.

The air in the office seemed to freeze. The mechanical drone of the other scammers continued, but Li Yang’s heart rhythm was shattered, cold sweat sliding slowly down his neck.

This was wrong. This was absolutely wrong.

Why did he suddenly come to that conclusion?

What do scam gangs fear most?

They fear the target becoming suspicious, but without any direct evidence, how could Cao Zhiguo be so sure?

Was it his mistake, or...

Li Yang’s throat tightened, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table.

No, wait. Cao Zhiguo’s reaction after hearing the words "Prosecutor’s Office" had been too calm.

He wasn't scared; he was... he already knew!

He had been waiting for this very call!

"What are you stalling for?"

A deep voice boomed from behind him, and Li Yang’s heart jumped.

Scorpion stood behind him, squinting at his screen with impatience and danger in his eyes.

"Why did he hang up?" Scorpion narrowed his eyes, his tone filled with hidden displeasure. "You’re dragging your feet. Are you getting soft?"

Li Yang quickly adjusted his emotions, masking his panic, his face pale. "He... he became suspicious."

"Suspicious?" Scorpion’s brow furrowed, his tone instantly turning icy. "What exactly did you say?"

"I followed the script..." Li Yang’s voice was stiff. "But he said... he knew we were a scam gang."

Scorpion’s eyes darkened. He reached out, grabbed Li Yang by the collar, and yanked him up from his chair.

"Damn it, did you leak something?" Scorpion’s voice was low and menacing. "Or are you intentionally screwing this up?"

Li Yang felt a sharp pain in his ribs as he was grabbed, making his breathing shallow. But he feared Wang Meng even more.

He knew if Wang Meng found out about this, his fate would be no better than A-Qiang’s.

"I didn't screw it up..." Li Yang endured the pain, speaking rapidly. "But Cao Zhiguo’s reaction was too fast! It was like... like he knew this call was coming!"

Scorpion’s hand paused, his expression shifting slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"I suspect..." Li Yang took a deep breath, his forehead slick with sweat. "This guy has been watching us for a long time."

Scorpion’s expression finally became grave. He released his collar, staring at him with a sinister gaze. "Are you sure?"

"If he were an ordinary person, even if he were suspicious, he would have asked more questions or tried to stall. But he didn't. He hung up immediately." Li Yang’s voice was low, his face pale. "This means he wasn't guessing. He knew we were a scam gang."

"Knew?" Scorpion’s brow furrowed deeper. "How is that possible?"

"Perhaps..." Li Yang’s throat felt dry. "Someone warned him."

Scorpion’s eyes turned glacial in an instant.

"You mean..."

"It’s possible... someone is fishing for us."

The air turned deathly still.

The two men locked eyes. Scorpion’s expression grew increasingly grim; his fingers slowly clenched into a fist, veins pulsing beneath his skin.

A moment later, he pulled out his phone and quickly dialed a number.

"Brother Wang, we have a situation." His voice was low. "The target might be compromised."

There was a second of silence on the other end, then Wang Meng’s low voice came through: "Elaborate."

Scorpion glanced coldly at Li Yang, lowering his voice: "He saw through us too quickly. Li Yang suspects... it might be a sting operation."

Wang Meng’s breathing hitched for a fraction of a second.

Then, only two short words:

"Shut down."

Scorpion immediately hung up, turned to look at Li Yang, his gaze cold to the bone.

"Consider yourself lucky this time," he said ominously. "But this isn't over."

Li Yang said nothing, his back already soaked through with cold sweat.

He knew that the nightmare had only just begun.