Joshua noticed Cedrick’s unusually stern expression. “What’s on your mind, Cedrick?”

Cedrick was staring at the cover of the book, Abnormal Psychology, and thinking about what Benedict had said to him earlier in the ward.

“Benny told me a professor in the lab gave it to him, so I came to ask you since you were with him the most. Who else spends that much time with him?”

He wanted to know if it was a coincidence or a deliberate act to give a five-year-old child something so disturbing.

“I’ll look into it,” Joshua promised. “I wouldn’t be too worried, though, Cedrick. It must have been a coincidence.”

Cedrick nodded.

Five minutes later, Joshua found out from the professors on duty in the laboratory that it was given by a biochemist named Eugene Yortz.

Eugene was an elderly professor of about sixty, with a snow-white beard, a straight nose, and chiseled features.

He was not Chanaean. Instead, he was sent from Astoria as part of a collaborative project.

Joshua led Cedrick to Eugene’s office to pay the professor a visit.

“Eugene is a strange fellow,” he warned Cedrick in a whisper along the way. “Aside from having a funny character, he’s withdrawn, easily irritable, obsessed with research, and has zero regard for interpersonal communication skills. The things he does sometimes are bizarre.”

Behind his back, the other professors called him Professor Nuts.

After listening intently, Cedrick mulled it over for a while.

doctors are weirdos. Wasn’t Kieran initially an oddball? After he got married, he now shares a stable and loving relationship with Inez. Compared to the earlier version of himself who had devoted his life to research, he seemed to have become an entirely different person. However, Eugene is different. He is sixty years of age. Having had enough

he was thinking, the pair found themselves outside Eugene’s

they opened the door, Joshua repeated gingerly, “Try not to be too blunt when you speak to him, Cedrick. He’s a man who never flatters anyone. He does what he wants and speaks his mind when something displeases him. He doesn’t

that he

somebody like that give Benedict as strange

his eyes, Cedrick

Knock, knock, knock.

thrice

no sign of movement in the office, nor was there

don’t I keep an eye here and let you know when he

appeared stern. “Nobody saw him leave the lab during

he rapped the door

is knock.” A raspy, irritated voice sounded from the office. “What good would knocking do? Why

was sweating profusely on the other side

an earful before we

Cedrick and cleared his throat. “This is Prof. Mallory. I have something urgent

the doorknob twisted with a

them. “If you come knocking again without stating your intention, Joshua, I’ll assume you’re mute. It’s a waste for you

as an elder who was his father’s age. Being familiar with his temperament,

“You work in a premier laboratory in Chanaea, Professor Yortz. How could you be taking

opened the door like you wanted, and you’re telling me off,” he said huffily. “Feel free to make an anonymous report about me if you

“Like you, Professor Yortz, I am

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