204: The list of names for Chapter 204 has been finalized.

The list arrived on a rainy afternoon.

Liu Zhiyuan did not call in advance; he drove straight to the laboratory.

He was wearing a black windbreaker, one shoulder soaked through, and in his hand, he held a kraft paper envelope with the military's red seal on the flap.

When Wang Zhe met him in the hallway, he was taken aback.

"Brother Liu? Why did you come without calling first?"

"It's hard to explain over the phone." Liu Zhiyuan held up the envelope. "The list is set, so I brought it over personally."

Wang Zhe's gaze fell on the envelope, and he nodded.

"Where is Li Wei?" Liu Zhiyuan asked.

"She's inside, running an experiment." Wang Zhe turned to walk toward the laboratory. "I'll go get her."

Li Wei was at the microscope observing a new batch of scaffold materials and was a bit impatient when Wang Zhe pulled her out.

But upon seeing the envelope in Liu Zhiyuan's hand, she immediately took off her gloves.

"It's set?" she asked.

"It's set." Liu Zhiyuan handed her the envelope. "Five people, all screened strictly according to your standards."

The three of them didn't go back to the office; they stood right there in the hallway and opened the envelope.

The hallway lights were motion-activated, and because no one was moving, they dimmed for a moment.

Wang Zhe stomped his foot, and the lights came back on, casting a stark white glow onto the thin sheets of paper.

The first page was the list.

Five people, five names, five ID numbers, five unit designations.

Li Wei's eyes scanned line by line, pausing on the final name.

"Lin Yue?" She looked up. "This person... is he the one who asked if he could run during the initial evaluation?"

Liu Zhiyuan nodded. "Scout. Injured while saving someone. Below-knee amputation, two years ago."

Wang Zhe leaned in to take a look. "What does the evaluation report say?"

"Physical condition is very good, nerves are well-preserved, and his psychological state is stable." Li Wei flipped to the second page, which contained the detailed files for each person.

"When he asked if he could run, I said theoretically yes, but it would require time for training. He just smiled after hearing that and said, 'That's good enough.'"

"What about the others?" he asked.

Li Wei continued reading down the list.

"Zhao Guoqiang, thirty-one, combat engineer, left arm amputation. The cause of injury is listed as... an accident during bomb disposal. The evaluation report says he doesn't talk much, but is very cooperative."

"Zhang Yong, twenty-eight, infantry, double leg amputation. He's been in a wheelchair for three years and came to the evaluation in his wheelchair. Dr. Zhou's psychological assessment for him is: positive, but with a tendency toward anxiety."

"Wang Lei, twenty-six, special forces, right arm amputation. There's a long scar on his face, from his forehead to his cheekbone. He spoke the least during the evaluation; he only answered when asked, not saying a single extra word."

"Sun Jianguo, thirty-four, driver, left leg amputation. He is the oldest and has been injured the longest—five years. There is a sentence in the evaluation report: 'This comrade maintains a cautious attitude toward new technology but is willing to try.'"

Li Wei finished reading the list, closed it, and looked up.

"When are they being admitted?"

Liu Zhiyuan checked his watch. "The day after tomorrow."

"So soon?"

"The Chief decided it. He said since it's set, don't drag it out. These people have waited too long for this day."

Wang Zhe leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets, watching the rain outside the window.

The rain wasn't heavy; it was fine and dense, tapping against the glass and streaming down.

The distant campus was shrouded in a layer of grayish mist, its outlines blurred.

"Then for the admission the day after tomorrow, who is going to pick them up?"

Liu Zhiyuan said, "The military will send vehicles to take them to the General Hospital. Your people just need to go there for the handover. I've already coordinated with the hospital: one floor, five patient rooms, under full closed-off management. There will be dedicated staff at the nurse's station, and all entry and exit must be registered."

"What about their families?" Li Wei asked.

Liu Zhiyuan hesitated for a moment. "In principle, families can visit before the surgery. After the surgery... it depends on their recovery. The Chief's intent is to keep this quiet for now; let's wait until the results of the first batch are in."

Li Wei nodded; she understood this arrangement.

"I'll go over early the day after tomorrow," she said. "Although pre-surgery evaluations have been done, we need to confirm everything again after admission. Each person's physical condition might have changed."

"I'll go with you," Wang Zhe said. "I need to be there for the equipment calibration."

Liu Zhiyuan looked at the two of them and suddenly said, "With you two there, I can rest easy."

Wang Zhe felt a bit embarrassed. He scratched his head and said, "Don't say that, this is our first time working with human subjects, too; we aren't entirely sure ourselves."

Liu Zhiyuan smiled and didn't say anything more.

He left the envelope in Li Wei's hands, said "Call me anytime if there are any issues," and then turned to walk downstairs.

When he reached the stairwell, he suddenly stopped, looked back for a moment, and then turned and went down the stairs.

His footsteps gradually faded away in the stairwell, eventually drowned out by the sound of the rain.

Li Wei stood in the hallway, clutching the list in her hand, silent for a long time.

Regarding the list, Li Wei still sent a message to Chen Youhua.

"The list is set, five people, admitting the day after tomorrow. I've put the detailed files on your desk."

She sent the message and waited for a while, but there was no reply.

Li Wei didn't mind; she put her phone away and continued packing the things she needed to take to the hospital tomorrow.

...

Behind the back gate of the provincial military general hospital, there was a small parking lot.

Lin Yue stood at the edge of the parking lot, watching several orderlies unload wheelchairs and crutches from the vehicle. The sunlight was strong, glaring white off the concrete ground, making him feel a bit dizzy.

He squinted his eyes, took two steps back, and leaned into the shade at the base of the wall.

"Comrade Lin Yue, your room is on the third floor." A nurse trotted over, holding a plastic folder, a light sheen of sweat on her forehead. "Shall I take you up?"

"I can walk on my own," Lin Yue said.

He braced himself on his crutches, his right pant leg swaying in the air. He walked two steps, then stopped and looked back at the parking lot.

The black business van that had brought them there had already driven away, leaving only a few dusty military off-road vehicles in the open space.

"What are you looking at?" Zhao Guoqiang followed up from behind, the sleeve of his left arm tied in a knot, fluttering in the wind.

"Nothing," Lin Yue said. "Let's go."

The third-floor hallway was very long, with fluorescent lights buzzing, casting a stark, pale light on the white walls.

Each door had a number on it—301, 302, 303... stretching all the way to the end of the hallway.

The nurse stopped in front of 308, swiped a door card, and the lock made a "click" sound.

"This is your room." The nurse pushed the door open. "The button at the head of the bed is the call bell; press it anytime if you need anything."

Lin Yue walked in, bracing himself on his crutches. The room wasn't large: a single bed, a nightstand, a chair, and a sink by the window.

The window was cracked open, offering a view of the playground outside, where a few people in hospital gowns were walking slowly.

"Dinner is at six; the cafeteria is on the first floor." The nurse finished speaking and left.