America: The Cremator

Was Elena also in the other bed beside him?

Su Long frowned, realizing that his hospital bed had been placed between two women.

Hannah's voice came through the curtain, carrying a hint of nonchalant ease: "It's alright, Captain, there's a curtain in between, isn't there?"

"Besides, Su is very good to me. Even if he really sees it, I'll just consider it a reward for him. It's no big deal."

Upon hearing this, Su Long let out a deliberate cough.

The silhouette behind the curtain froze instantly, followed by a flurry of rustling clothes.

A moment later, Hannah swiftly pulled open the curtain.

The oversized hospital gown was casually draped over the metal railing beside the bed. She had changed into a pair of faded jeans and a gray hooded sweatshirt with the Seattle University logo, which made Su Long realize that the girl who had been collecting corpses and fighting monsters with him was still a student.

Hannah's face flushed slightly. "Su, when...when did you wake up?"

Su Long's gaze swept across her face: "Just now, I think I vaguely heard someone say they were going to give me a reward."

Hannah's eyes flickered, and she reached up to brush a stray hair from her forehead: "Really? You must have misheard."

Hey girl, don't just talk the talk without walking the walk!

Su Long silently complained to himself.

Hannah, seemingly trying to hide her embarrassment, turned around and began to neatly tidy up her personal belongings on the bedside table.

"What, are you leaving?" Su Long asked.

"Yeah," Hannah nodded, stuffing her phone and wallet into her hoodie pocket. "I slept and feel much better now. The bleeding from my hand wound has mostly stopped. I have a job this afternoon, so I have to go."

"You've really worked hard." Su Long looked at her hands, which were now wrapped in clean gauze again, and let out a heartfelt exclamation of admiration.

After packing her things, Hannah didn't leave immediately. Instead, she walked to Su Long's bedside and her gaze fell on the apple on the bedside table, which had been peeled and cut into small pieces. It was a fruit provided by the hospital for VIP wards.

She picked up a piece of apple, put it in her mouth, chewed for a moment, and then suddenly leaned down and approached Su Long.

A scent that blends the fragrance of a young girl with the sweet aroma of apples wafts towards you.

A soft and warm touch gently landed on Su Long's lips.

"This is the real reward."

After Hannah finished speaking, she straightened up and strode out of the ward, leaving Su Long standing there dumbfounded.

He subconsciously licked his lips, and could still taste a hint of sweetness and fruitiness.

The next moment, the curtain on the other side was also suddenly pulled open with a "whoosh".

Elena also changed into casual clothes.

A well-tailored black leather vest hugged her slender upper body, paired with a knee-length gray wool skirt and low-heeled black ankle boots.

This outfit toned down her fierce aura as a combatant, but added a touch of competence and aloofness to her image as an urban elite woman.

"I have kept my promise. In the operation report submitted to headquarters, I did not mention your name. All credit for destroying the Shoggoth core goes to the bunker buster and my squad."

"In addition, I have submitted an application to the administrative department of the Bureau of Corpses through internal channels, and your salary and insurance level will be significantly improved."

"Very good, Captain Elena," Surong leaned against the headboard, adjusting himself into a comfortable position. "Contact me anytime you need 'purification'."

Elena took a folded piece of paper and a brass key from her pocket and handed them to Suron.

No need to contact us.

"You don't need to go back to your run-down apartment these next few days. Come to my place tonight."

Surong took the piece of paper, unfolded it, and found an apartment address and a phone number near Capitol Hill.

"Can I refuse?"

Elena's gaze fell on him: "You'd better not forget your promise, Mr. Suron, that's the foundation of our cooperation."

"Okay," Surong said, putting away the note and the key. "I'll go."

"Call me when you're almost there," Elena added. "If no one answers, call a few more times; sometimes I can't hear the ringtone."

"It's alright," Su Long said with a meaningful expression, "I'll let you know in another way."

As he spoke, he slowly raised his left hand, and the eerie black rune on the back of his hand glowed slightly, from which the petite clay sculpture of Elena slowly emerged.

He stretched out his right hand, placed his index finger on the smooth clay belly, and gently stroked it from bottom to top.

Elena's body trembled violently, letting out a suppressed groan. She lost her balance and grabbed onto the metal railing of Su Long's bed.

Elena gritted her teeth, tilted her head, and stared intently at Su Long with her gray-green eyes: "You'd better not notify me this way, or I can't guarantee I won't punch you in the nose."

"Don't forget our third rule, Captain Elena," Suron said, pulling the clay sculpture back to the back of his hand. "You just said that keeping promises is the foundation of cooperation."

Elena snorted, straightened up, and straightened her slightly disheveled skirt: "Fine, I'll be waiting for you tonight."

After saying that, she picked up her things, turned around, and walked out of the ward.

The door had just closed when it was immediately pushed open again.

Professor Stella, dressed in a white lab coat, walked in. She looked at the empty ward with a playful smile on her face.

"I really admire you, Mr. Suron. You managed to chase away two charming ladies as soon as you woke up."

Su Long sighed and leaned against the headboard: "Sigh, what can I do? I'm not exactly charming."

"Don't say that," Stella said, sitting down on the bedside, her grey-blue eyes gleaming with an almost fanatical light. "At least to me, you have a fatal charm."

"Professor, please stop giving me the feeling that you want to dissect me."

Stella leaned forward slightly, and the scent of expensive perfume and chemical reagents enveloped Suron once again.

"While you were fast asleep, I drew your blood for a test," she said in a low voice, with an excitement akin to sharing a secret. "And then, guess what happened?"

"The needle marks on your arm... they healed completely in just a few seconds, without leaving a single trace."

"I tried it many times, and every time it was the same result. It's amazing."

"Wait," Surong interrupted her, "Professor, how many times did you stab me?"

Stella didn't answer the question, but instead gazed at him with eyes full of inquisitive curiosity: "Interested in going on a date with me tonight? In my lab, we can have some deeper discussions about the mysteries of life."

Su Long knew that this mystery of life was probably the literal meaning of life itself.

He picked up his phone from the bedside table, and the screen displayed an unread text message from his supervisor, Watkinson.

"You little rascal! You've really got your hands on that woman from the Weird Support Bureau! I just received special orders to upgrade your treatment! Once you've recovered from your injuries, get over here immediately; your quota of 500 rounds of special ammunition has arrived!"

Su Long turned off his phone screen, looked at Stella, and gave her an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, Professor Stella, I'm afraid we'll have to do it another time."

Stella shook her head with regret: "Oh dear, how heartless!"