When Ray entered the room, he saw a mixed-race woman, part Black and part White, wearing a fitted floral dress, seated casually at the far end of the visitation table, leafing through a newspaper.
A floral dress?
Mixed-race?
Ray noticed these striking features at once, and a name flashed through his mind—
Could it be her? Raina, the "little flower"?
Before he could reach a conclusion, the system message arrived:
Ding-dong—
You have encountered C-rank 'villain' Raina. Exploration Points +10.
You may convert Exploration Points into Universal Points for redeeming various system functions.
As expected—it was her.
Ray trusted the system's confirmation completely.
In fact, even without the system's alert, he had already guessed the woman in the floral dress must be none other than Raina, the one who would later share a complicated fate with Coulson's agent team.
Her penchant for floral dresses had earned her the nickname "Little Flower."
Ray had recognised her largely due to the unique combination of "floral dress" and "mixed heritage"—a memorable pairing.
So even if the characters in this world didn't look exactly like the actors he had seen in his previous life, the clue was obvious.
But why was she here?
Ray was well aware of Raina's background and affiliations.
And that made her presence all the more baffling.
No memories from the body's former owner surfaced in his mind, which meant they had never met before. This was their first encounter.
So the question arose—
Why would a HYDRA associate like Raina come all the way to a psychiatric hospital to meet a supposedly mad psychologist?
He thought quickly, but no obvious answer came to mind.
"Interesting…"
Now intrigued, he couldn't help but feel a flicker of anticipation.
"Dr Raymond , hello. I'm Raina. Pleased to meet you."
Seeing him approach in his hospital gown, Raina immediately recognised him and stood to greet him.
No doubt she had seen his picture beforehand.
"Please, have a seat—"
Ray nodded slightly, sat down opposite her, and gestured for her to sit as well.
Then he asked calmly, "Unless my illness has made me forget, we've never met before, Miss Raina?"
"You remember correctly, Dr Raymond . We've never met," Raina replied with a sultry smile.
Ray had prepared himself for her charm, so he was unfazed. But the hospital staff member standing nearby was clearly taken aback, momentarily dazed.
Even Ray had to admit—this "little flower" was truly something.
The Raina he had seen on TV in his previous life didn't hold a candle to the real thing sitting before him now.
"So, why have you come to see me?"
Since she admitted they'd never met, Ray didn't bother with pleasantries and got straight to the point.
"I've come to propose a deal, Dr Raymond ."
"A deal? What kind of deal?"
Instead of answering immediately, Raina glanced at the staff member, propped her chin on the back of her hand, and said sweetly:
"Handsome, would you mind stepping out for a few minutes? I have something personal to discuss with Dr Raymond .
Don't worry—I won't violate any hospital policies."
"Um… alright."
The staff member hesitated, intending to refuse, but when he saw the pleading look in Raina's eyes, he couldn't bring himself to say no.
He regretted it the moment the words left his mouth—this was clearly against regulations. But since he'd said it aloud, he couldn't back down without losing face.
Before leaving, he added, "Don't take too long, alright? I don't want trouble—"
"No problem. Five minutes at most. I won't make things difficult for you," Raina replied, blowing him a kiss.
The staff member blushed and quickly left.
"Miss Raina, you're clearly very skilled with men," Ray said, eyeing her carefully.
"In this world, it's harder for women to succeed. If we don't make use of our advantages, wouldn't that be a waste?" Raina replied with a candid smile.
"Fair enough."
Ray nodded, then shifted gears: "Let's get to the point. You said you wanted to make a deal—what exactly is the offer?"
"I heard you've been trying to prove you've recovered in order to be released, is that right?"
Ray's eyes narrowed. "Heard? That's not the kind of thing one simply hears about… Did you investigate me, Miss Raina?"
"'Investigate' sounds so harsh. I'd say I've simply been… concerned about you."
She was caught, but showed no embarrassment—her smile never wavered.
"Alright, let's say it's concern. Then let me ask—what's made you so concerned about a 'madman' locked away in a hospital?"
Ray pressed further.
"Because I need something from you, Dr Raymond . That's the core of this deal," Raina said smoothly.
"If you agree, you'll not only be released from here legally, but you'll also receive a substantial payment—enough to ensure a carefree life for you and your family, with no more financial worries."
"That's quite an offer," Ray said, visibly surprised.
"Think I'm bluffing? There's no need to worry. If you agree to the deal, I'll get you out first. Then I'll wire the funds to your account. Once the money's there, you can give me what I want."
She sounded perfectly sincere.
"Such generosity… May I ask what it is you want from me?"
"I want information.
I want everything you know about the Tahiti Project."
Raina deliberately lowered her voice for that final sentence, making sure only the two of them could hear.
The Tahiti Project?
As soon as those words left her mouth, a rush of memories belonging to the original host surged through Ray's mind—
It was, by far, the most intense memory recall he had experienced since arriving in this world.