THE REN UPGRADE: MONSTERS WITHIN

16: Genius Of A New Kind

Ren thought his first week at work would take a smooth bow out now that the rumors were beginning to die down a little bit.

But the executives were not letting him off easy.

The memory of the damage he'd caused was not fading out anytime soon.

An emergency board meeting was called to discuss his inauguration. But the only thing they ended up lamenting about was how horrible he was for the image of the hospital. They mentioned the videos that circulated the internet for a while.

They even displayed them on the projector.

A powering Ren Carter had been turned into action GIFs. Short reels of him taking flight were topping the charts—

Viral tiktok edits were made about his power moves, sensational music playing in the background.

He was a real internet sensation within one month of leaving the penitentiary—

But for the wrong things.

“This cannot work, Mr. Carter,” Cole Wang, chairman of the board, stated in a clear tone. “We don't exactly know what you are, or how you convinced Mr. Reeves to give up his position. But if things are being done right, Colin Reeves should be the one—”

“So, it's a family business?” Ren cut in from where he was perched against the wall. His hands were casually jammed in his pockets. He looked carefree and laidback this morning.

Cole Wang tapped his foot restlessly beneath the table. “It's just how things are done here.”

Ren simply lifted a brow. “Oh, I see. Well, I'm in charge now. So that's definitely going to change.”

Cole exploded in rage. “Are you even listening to me?” he demanded through gritted teeth. “Or you just want me to come out and say it? You've got a destructive streak! We can't accept you as the new—”

“Funny.” Ren's voice rang cold and sharp—

“I didn't think I needed your permission.” He paused, sweeping his gaze across the room. “Besides, it's already happened.”

Cole heaved a sigh and shook his head. After a moment, someone else spoke into their mic.

“Don’t you think it's a little unfair to us the management board? Even if we were left out of the decision making, should we not at least know that you're capable of handling such responsibility?”

Ren folded his arms over his chest and fixed his gaze on the man. “What do you want from me?”

“Prove yourself to us. Show us how capable you are.”

Ren smirked and cocked his head. “Have I not proved myself enough?”

“We're afraid not, Mr. Carter. We need to see that you've got what it takes to direct this hospital.”

After a moment of silence, Ren straightened and swept imaginary dust off the sleeves of his grey suit.

The board members watched in confusion as he turned and began to walk towards the doors.

They whispered amongst themselves—

“Is he leaving?”

“He’s such a rude prick.”

Ren paused at the doorway and tossed a smile behind his shoulder. “What are you waiting for? You would want to witness this.”

Moments later, he was seen walking down the hallway to the VIP ward at the end of Wing B.

There, a man lay. Forgotten—

Condemned as terminally ill with no clear diagnosis.

The board members who followed were shocked about how Ren knew of that patient. Not everyone in OakHills hospital knew. It was kept rather confidential.

But Ren just walked over to the man's ward like he'd been doing it every other day.

When he pushed through the mahogany doors, the room was darkly lit. Curtains drawn.

His eyes immediately adjusted to the darkness and fell on the frail man lying on the bed and hooked to all kinds of machines. His breath coming out in strangled wheezes.

Watching him, something moved in Ren's chest. He slowly made his way into the wide room, his footsteps light and almost…reverential.

“Lin Wei has been here for two years now,” Ren said in a strange voice.

Gasps of surprise rang behind him. No one could understand how he even knew the man's name.

Did he ask questions?

Meanwhile, deep in Ren's eyes, particles of blue dust were beginning to form.

A slow transformation was taking place.

“No one's been able to diagnose him,” he continued.

But he did—

Because that sharp, poignant smell did not waste a second hitting his nostrils. The stench of something rotten.

The moment he stepped into this room, somehow…he knew what was wrong with the man who had been dying a slow and painful death for two years now.

Cole was the first to speak. His tone dripped with curiosity. “Our best doctors have tried. Experts from outside have been invited. They all failed. And, let me guess, you think you can diagnose him?”

Ren turned his head and observed Cole with bored interest. “I have, in fact.”

They watched as he walked over to the curtain. When they realized—

“NO! Don't!”

YANK!—

Ren pulled the blinds apart. Bright light flooded into the room. The frail man on the bed began to scream, fingertips scraping every inch of his skin in a manic fit.

Ren turned and offered the horrified crowd a wry smile. “Lin Wei does not have a skin infection as most of your top doctors have misdiagnosed.” He paused for dramatic effect, sweeping his gaze across the room.

“It's an arterial infection. A simple surgery would fix it and the man would go home.”

Murmurs arose in the crowd. “How can he tell without even running a test?”

“He must be joking, right?”

Certain that he had proved himself enough, Ren swiped the blinds close and walked out of the room.

“The next time I'm summoned to a meeting it better be about my inauguration,” he tossed behind him as he walked past the chairman of the board.

*****

That night, a close-circle welcome company dinner was held at HQ private diner.

Ren did not fail to show up—

His intention was to gloat in their faces. The heads of departments did not look too happy to be there.

“Alright, shall we clink glasses to having a good time as we work together?” Ren asked with a lazy grin as he held his shot glass lifted in the air.

The table was silent. No one moved.

Until—

Ren slammed his fist on the table. “Come on! Let's make this fun!”

Then, he added in a low whisper, “don't worry, I'll be good to everyone who listens to me.”

“Alright! On the count of three!” he yelled in an enthusiastic tone. Again, he did not seem like himself.

“One!—

—Two!

Three—”

Somehow, everyone was compelled to bring their glasses together at that moment. Maybe it was the fear of the unknown…the suffocating mystery surrounding the new hospital director.

“It's official.” Ren grinned as they clinked glasses. “Cheers to a new era!”