As Raymond entered the room, he saw a mixed-race woman in a floral dress sitting at the other end of the visitors' table, casually flipping through a newspaper.
A floral dress?
A mixed-race woman?
The moment he saw her, he immediately noticed these striking features, and a name quickly flashed through his mind.
Could it be her? The Girl in the Flower Dress?!
Before he could confirm his guess, the system notification appeared:
[Ding!]
[You have encountered a C-Rank 'villain'—Raina. Exploration points +10.]
[You can convert Exploration points into Universal System Points to unlock different functions.]
…So it really is her!
Raymond fully trusted the system's recognition.
In fact, even without the notification, he had already guessed that the woman in the floral dress was none other than Raina—the same person who would later have a complicated relationship with Coulson's team.
Because of her love for floral dresses, she had earned the nickname "The Girl in the Flower Dress."
Raymond was able to recognize her mainly because the combination of "floral dress + mixed race" was too distinct to ignore.
Even though the characters in this world didn't look exactly like the actors he had seen in his past life, it didn't stop him from making the connection right away.
"But why is she here to see me?"
Now that he had confirmed her identity, he was even more confused.
He knew exactly who Raina was.
But that was precisely why he couldn't understand why she would come looking for him.
His mind didn't remember any memories of her from the body's previous owner, meaning the original Raymond had never met her before. This was their first meeting.
So that raised a question.
Why would "The Girl in the Flower Dress," a known Hydra member, suddenly visit a so-called insane psychology expert in a mental hospital?
Raymond thought about it for a moment but couldn't come up with an answer.
"Interesting…"
His curiosity was piqued, and he was eager to see where this was going.
"Dr. Raymond, hello. My name is Raina. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Seeing Raymond walk in wearing a hospital gown, Raina immediately recognized him and stood up to greet him.
Clearly, she had seen his photo before.
"Please, have a seat."
Raymond nodded slightly and took a seat across from her, gesturing for her to do the same.
Then he calmly asked, "Unless my illness has affected my memory, we've never met before, have we, Miss Raina?"
"You remember correctly, Dr. Raymond. We've never met before."
Raina smiled charmingly.
Raymond, already on guard, wasn't affected. But the nearby staff member was momentarily stunned, completely mesmerized.
Even Raymond had to admit—this "Girl in the Flower Dress" was truly beautiful.
The Raina he had seen on TV in his past life wasn't even a fraction as enchanting as the real person sitting in front of him.
"Then why are you looking for me?"
Since Raina admitted that they had never met, Raymond decided to get right to the point.
Raina smiled. "I came here to make a deal with you, Dr. Raymond."
"A deal? What kind of deal?"
Instead of answering, Raina suddenly turned to the staff member standing nearby. She rested her chin on the back of her hand and smiled playfully.
"Handsome, would you mind stepping out for a moment? I have something private to discuss with Dr. Raymond. Don't worry, I won't break any hospital rules."
"This... alright."
The staff member hesitated at first, wanting to refuse. But when he saw the pleading look in Raina's eyes, he couldn't bring himself to say no. (TL/N: Simp!)
As soon as he agreed, he started regretting it. This was clearly against hospital rules.
But since he had already spoken, taking it back now would make him look bad. So, before he left, he added, "Don't take too long, or I'll get in trouble.
"No problem, five minutes tops. I won't make things difficult for you," Raina said, blowing him a playful kiss.
The staff member blushed and hurried out of the room.
"You seem very skilled at dealing with men, Miss Raina." Raymond looked at her closely.
"As a woman, surviving in this world is harder than it is for men. If I don't use my advantages, wouldn't it be a waste?" Raina said with a confident smile.
"Fair enough," Raymond nodded. Then he changed the subject. "Let's cut to the chase. You mentioned a deal—what exactly do you want from me?"
Raina smiled. "I heard that you've been trying to prove you're sane and want to leave the hospital."
Raymond narrowed his eyes. "Heard? That's not the kind of thing people casually hear about… Did you investigate me in advance?"
"Investigate sounds so harsh. I'd say I was just showing concern," Raina said, still smiling as if she wasn't caught.
"Fine, let's call it concern. But why is Miss Raina suddenly so 'concerned' about a supposed lunatic locked in a psychiatric hospital?" Raymond pressed further.
"Because I need your help, Dr. Raymond. That's part of the deal I mentioned," Raina said with a charming smile. "If you agree, not only will you be able to leave this hospital legally, but you'll also receive a generous payment—enough to ensure a comfortable life for you and your family, without ever worrying about money again."
"That good of a deal?" Raymond raised an eyebrow.
"You think I'm lying? You don't have to worry. If you agree, I'll get you out first and transfer the money to your account. Once you receive it, you can give me what I need." Raina's tone was sincere.
"Quite the offer." Raymond clicked his tongue in amusement. "Can you tell me exactly what it is you want from me?"
"I want information... Everything you know about 'Project TAHITI.'"
As soon as Raina spoke the name, a flood of memories from the original owner of this body suddenly surged through Raymond's mind—
The most intense memory surge he had experienced since arriving in this world!