The air was silent; not even a footstep echoed. Yet Lily knew she wasn't hallucinating. Her sharp hearing, honed by years of kickboxing, wouldn't fail her, even in her pregnant state. Dismissing the thought, she approached the door and asked again, "Who is it?"
Silence answered. After peering through the door's peephole, she opened it to reveal an empty corridor. She even stepped outside to check the corners, but found nothing. Returning to her room, she glanced subconsciously at the surveillance camera overhead. The entire place was under constant watch; escape from the "boss's" gaze was impossible.
Despite her suspicion, she re-entered her room. As she closed the door, she noticed a piece of paper on the floor—at first, just discarded scrap. Startled, but hesitant to touch it immediately, she looked outside before closing the door. In doing so, she inadvertently stepped on the paper, pulling it inside. She then squatted to retrieve it.
Having lived there for several days, she knew the surveillance cameras' blind spots. Sitting down, she unfolded the note: a simple piece of paper with a few scribbled words, "Don't touch R10."
Confused, Lily crumpled the note and flushed it. Who had left it? "Who's trying to stop me? Who doesn't want me to touch R10? Mike's out; he'd say it to my face. Rhea, too. She wouldn't hide like this. But I don't know anyone else!"
A sudden memory surfaced—the person who'd warned her before the giant wilfordi root captivated her. The phrases "I wouldn't do that if I were you" and "Don't touch R10" shared a similar tone. The person felt familiar, yet she hadn't seen them since. But could someone avoid the cameras and so skillfully place the note?
Her wariness grew. "Who is this person? Why are they doing this? Friend or foe? They saved me the other day, so maybe not an enemy."
The person's identity eluded her. Watching the swirling toilet water, she pondered, "What is R10, and why is it so mysterious?" Her research had yielded nothing, but Rhea's reaction and the "boss's" demeanor suggested R10 held significant importance. "It's all so puzzling!"