Special Forces Medic-Chapter 827 - 780: Autism

The boy kept fiddling with the toy in his hand, completely ignoring the surrounding noise, as if it had nothing to do with him.

Xiao Lin had been observing this child all along. Shen Yixing hurriedly left after exchanging glances with two soldiers who passed in front of him.

The sun blazed on the lawn, occasionally lifting the boy's freshly washed strands of hair. His fair face didn't blush from the sunlight but remained pale and dull. The food in the military district cafeteria wasn't bad; it was well-balanced between meat and vegetables, with sufficient portions to eat to one's fill.

The toy in his hand fell to the ground. The boy glanced at it, stood up, walked over, picked it up, and looked for a place with water to wash it.

This was a small detail; darkness filled Xiao Lin's eye. Autistic child? It didn't seem like that at all.

Behind the boy, Xiao Lin deliberately released a bit of pressure. Step by step, he approached, but the boy didn't seem to notice his presence, continuing to rub the plastic toy in his hand, wringing it dry in the basin.

"Is it dirty?" Xiao Lin's voice rang out, but the boy continued to play with the water, ignoring the person behind him, completely deaf to the question.

Generally, an autistic child exhibits social impairments, communication difficulties, narrow interests, and stereotyped repetitive behaviors, lacking the ability for independent living and requiring adult assistance. Yet the child's thinking ability and judgment didn't show any symbolic manifestations within the autism diagnosis.

"I know you can hear me speaking. They all think you're an autistic child, but you're not. You can deceive those people, but you can't fool my eyes. I'm a doctor; you can't fake it in front of me." Xiao Lin spoke to the boy in a tone suited for adults.

The boy's actions paused for a moment. He slowly turned around, shut off the faucet, and blinked his big eyes at Xiao Lin, the clarity and simplicity in his pupils making people reluctant to harm him with words.

"Still not talking?" Xiao Lin extended his hand. "Then walk with me, Charles Fen." As soon as the words were spoken, the boy immediately took a step back, dropping the toy in his hand again. "You don't need to be afraid; I mean no harm to you."

The outstretched hand remained at the same angle, waiting for the boy to reach out and grasp it. "Do you mind walking back with me?"

The boy hesitated but still placed his hand into Xiao Lin's large hand, started walking with his pace, picking up the toy from the ground and clutching it in his other hand. "That's right, good boy!"

"Charles Fen! One of the assassins from the Italian Mafia's Assassin Hall, may I ask why you're here?" Xiao Lin's expression wasn't as pleasant as he addressed the boy upon returning to his room.

"Weren't you the one who brought me here?"

"Heh! I remember the internal turmoil within the Italian Mafia two years ago. You disappeared after that, didn't expect for you to end up here."

"How did you recognize me?" A completely adult expression spread across the boy's face, as he glared coldly under his pale complexion with clearly defined black-and-white eyes.

"I didn't completely recognize you, only that you exhibited rare autism symptoms that reminded me of such a person. That effective trick eluded many people's eyes." At this moment, Charles felt deep regret, recalling the mistake he just made. "An autistic child wouldn't understand to clean a dirty item; you overlooked not this point but the people around you," Xiao Lin added, hoping this boy, no, this man, would understand his failure.

"Since that's so, you can send me back to the current Godfather; this way, you can earn a lot of gold."

"I'm not interested in gold. If you answer a few questions honestly and do one thing for me, I'll let you go." An unexpected gain made Xiao Lin smile at the corners of his mouth. Whether Charles Fen was his real name was unclear, but his position in the Mafia was like a floating bottle, rising and falling. Due to external differences, his identity status was awkward. His stunted growth from developmental years made even the former Godfather, who once cherished him, lose interest in nurturing him. Dwarfism plunged this man into a stalemate, embroiled in vendettas, and accused during his escape from Italy.

"You're not planning to hand me over?" The boy's suspicious face twitched, his expression nervous and trembling.

"The premise is, you do one thing for me and answer a few questions, and I'll act as if I've never met you."

"Why should I trust you? Chinese people tend to go back on their word."

"Because I'm part of the Xiao Family." Within the country, those who know the Xiao Family are perhaps those in high positions; those established below barely know what the Xiao Family is. Yet abroad, the Xiao Family's influence surpasses the Mafia, encompassing countless fields with wealth equivalent to a nation. Such descriptions still aren't quite precise. The Xiao Family represents a symbol of power, and even if he doesn't participate in gangs, his words demand respect.

"You belong to the Xiao Family?" Charles Fen propped his hands on the bed; afraid he might accidentally slip to the ground.

"What have you done to offend the Xiao Family? Or did you do shady dealings in your position, or was the former Godfather killed by your hands?" Xiao Lin rattled off a bunch of questions. This scene had become numbingly habitual long ago.

"Oh, no!" Charles murmured, lowering his head. Just now he thought about escaping by force, but now that hope had completely shattered. "You can ask whatever you want."

"Very well, thank you for cooperating." Though unwilling, his speech still clearly conveyed underlying respect.

"Why were you in kindergarten? Who is the woman with you? Who are you currently working for?"

"That's a beautiful woman, like an Angel. She appeared before me when I stepped into China."

"Fourth Uncle!"

Charles occasionally lifted his head, looking at Xiao Lin with an unclear gaze. "She asked me to wait in the north district but didn't actually ask me to do anything, and handed me a woman, a Chinese woman."

"Do you know Zhang Qiang?" Charles shook his head; he'd never heard of this person. "Where is that woman now?"

"I don't know. From the time I was brought here by you people, she's disappeared." Speaking of this, Charles showed a sad expression.

"Who is the assassin trying to kill you?"

"Not someone from the Mafia." Charles paused. "They came to capture you." Adding another sentence, Xiao Lin smiled meaningfully. If he lied at this point, Xiao Lin would show no mercy and kill him.

"Do this one thing for me, and I'll let you return to your original place under your original identity; I believe you have the ability to protect yourself. If that woman appears, you must hold her back."

"Who is she?"

"I can't guarantee you won't harm or kill her. To me, she's someone I must capture." Xiao Lin's face remained unemotional, with no hint of compromise. His decision left only two options: comply or refuse, resulting naturally in staying alive or dying. In front of the Mafia, corpses and living people make no difference.

"Understood! How shall I contact you?" 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Someone will notify me." Xiao Lin contently walked out of his bedroom. "Pack up; I'll send you out now."

Choosing an inconspicuous car amid inexplicable stares from the crowd, Xiao Lin left with the boy just like when they arrived—without explanation, without reason. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for it with recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)