Zhou Qi’an, with his “you can’t stand me but you can’t do anything about me” attitude, managed to anger a breathless monster to the point where its chest started heaving again.
After glaring fiercely at this detestable face, the nurse turned and walked out.
A faint floral scent still lingered in the room. Zhou Qi’an tried his best to breathe less and followed her out within two seconds, but the nurse was already gone.
He let out a sigh of relief. At least one source of danger was gone for now.
Only now did Zhou Qi’an look around, belatedly taking in the layout of the special inpatient department.
The floor was very spacious, with a ceiling height of at least four meters. Unfortunately, it lacked the brightness that should have come with such a height. The entire corridor was dark and gloomy, a long hallway stretching to the end, with the doors on both sides spaced far apart.
Above each door hung a photo about the size of a portrait of the deceased.
When the light shone on them, they were so clear that you could see the pores, as if these people were watching him.
It was likely these photos that had created the illusion of flat human figures earlier.
Zhou Qi’an glanced at the nearest door. Below the photo was a line of introduction:
[Order: Carnivora; Patient is large, extremely aggressive, with long sleep durations.]
This layout, much like the plaques at a zoo, was very uncomfortable to look at.
Unfortunately, there were no important names.
He was currently in front of the fifth ward from the start. Since the patient had just been transferred, the photo hadn’t been prepared yet. There was only a blank wooden photo frame on the door.
Like a wordless tombstone.
The female patient was lying motionless in the round tank. Zhou Qi’an closed the door and walked out.
The other four doors in front were tightly shut.
Zhou Qi’an wasn’t sure how long he had been in the illusion, but from the looks of it, Shen Zhiyi and the others should have come up as well, possibly repeating his earlier experience.
Rushing in rashly might not be a good thing. The nurses on this floor were not like the ones below; they could attack players at any time.
“Let’s wait and see for now.”
He didn’t know if it was an illusion, but the photos on both sides of the corridor seemed more vivid. Zhou Qi’an, completely unafraid, instead began to walk down the long corridor as if reviewing them.
Goose-stepping to boost his courage.
The patients in the photos had black and white smiles, their eyes seemingly following his movements.
Zhou Qi’an never tolerated eerie things that deliberately tried to create an atmosphere. “Garbage.”
“Who are you, Mona Lisa? You think you’re worthy of smiling at me.”
He cursed them from beginning to end, not letting a single one off.
“…”
After walking back and forth once, not counting the newly transferred patient, there were a total of twenty-two patients. Among them, there were no photos of the university student or Ying Yu.
“Looks like they were really sent to the intensive care unit.”
Only the emergency exits on the tenth and twelfth floors were locked. The twelfth floor was the special inpatient department, so the ICU was most likely on the tenth floor.
Zhou Qi’an’s gaze lingered on two of the photos. When he mentioned the Mona Lisa just now, the expressions of the people in these two photos had a very subtle reaction.
The patients in this world couldn’t possibly know about the Mona Lisa. Could they be from a previous batch of players?
After all, orderlies could be infected at any time, and the possibility of becoming a patient was high.
A noise suddenly came from one of the wards.
Zhou Qi’an quickly retreated to his own ward.
He saw a nurse walk out of the room in front. The lights in the corridor began to flicker. After the lights dimmed once more, the nurse’s figure disappeared.
Then came the sound of a young man’s complaint: “What kind of rotten flower is this? I’ll pull you out later.”
Apparently, Zhang Zhuzi had broken free from the illusion and was trying to destroy the flowers.
Zhou Qi’an leaned back against the wall, retracting his gaze. The chill from the wall climbed up his spine, dispelling some of the discomfort the floral fragrance had brought to his brain.
He continued to quietly analyze the current situation:
“…If Ying Yu is still alive, he must have gathered a lot of information.”
Successfully finding him would not be far from completely understanding the instance’s mechanics.
He couldn’t completely ignore the main quest either.
This was the real reason Zhou Qi’an was willing to trade with the players for millions of hell money. Once they came up, a new main quest would surely be triggered, naturally requiring other players to advance the progress.
At the end of the morgue quest, Mu Ge had tried to team up with him to snatch the keycard from Zhao Sanxun, which showed her mind was average.
In comparison, A’ling was more suitable for high-difficulty tasks.
As for Wangcai, Zhou Qi’an didn’t know him well. According to his previous speculation, the young man and A’ling were already hidden teammates. The two of them working together would surely be invincible.
“Go for it,” Zhou Qi’an couldn’t help but clench his fist, cheering them on in advance.
“Achoo.” The young man in the next room sneezed.
He rubbed his nose. Could I be allergic to flowers?
Before each nurse disappeared, they had left a reminder that one could go out for fresh air at night. Ten minutes later, the ward doors opened one after another. Han Li was the last to escape the floral fragrance, stumbling into the corridor, clutching her chest and panting heavily.
Everyone tacitly gathered in the corridor.
A’ling and Zhang Zhuzi were in good condition. As for Shen Zhiyi, he was a picture of vitality.
The young man first went to the emergency exit to test it, confirming that it could not be opened from either inside or out.
“It’s a pity the keycard is with a player who can’t come up,” the young man pouted, having thought the keycard was with Zhao Sanxun.
If they encountered danger, escaping via the elevator could easily lead to an early grave.
Everyone present was smart. Zhou Qi’an had already considered it and brought the topic back: “The game played a beautiful trick, hiding something in plain sight.”
As soon as he said this, everyone’s expression soured at the thought of the special inpatient department’s true location.
Shen Zhiyi cooperated with a cold sneer.
“Fortunately, the next task is clear: find Zhang Xiuxiu.” Han Li, having recovered, looked at the doors covered with photos on both sides of the corridor. “Unfortunately, there are no clues right now. To find someone, we have to push open doors. A one in twenty-two chance.”
Zhang Xiuxiu sounded like a female name, but a name didn’t mean everything.
Zhou Qi’an’s expression was solemn. “Not just one in twenty-two.”
He paused. “Don’t forget there’s also an intensive care unit.”
“You suspect the game will play the same trick again?” A’ling frowned. “That’s not very likely, is it?”
Shen Zhiyi was a man of few words. “Not necessarily.”
Zhou Qi’an: “The main quest content is to find a patient in the special inpatient department. Think about it, why would the game specifically emphasize the special inpatient department?”
“Don’t forget, patients from anywhere can be sent for emergency treatment.” As he spoke, there was a hint of gritted teeth in Zhou Qi’an’s tone. “Haven’t we been screwed over by the game enough?”
The floral fragrance in the air was refreshing, but the players’ minds were running a bit sluggishly.
However, everyone was very familiar with the game’s style. Being questioned by him like this, they were really a bit unsure.
For example, just now, they had all been wiped out by the illusion.
Zhou Qi’an spoke as if he believed it himself: “In my experience, the more the game emphasizes something, the bigger the trap.”
A’ling, the young man, and Han Li reviewed the past and said thoughtfully, “Makes sense.”
The game: “…”
A’ling wasn’t completely led astray. “The possibility of Zhang Xiuxiu being in the ICU exists, but it’s probably not high.”
Zhou Qi’an nodded. “So we need to split into two groups. One group goes to the ICU, one group stays here. The group that stays will try pushing open a door first.” He volunteered, “My skill is speed, which is convenient for dealing with NPCs. I’ll go to the ICU.”
A’ling quickly exchanged a look with the young man. Staying on this floor was better than going to the ICU. After all, it was still a question whether players could even appear there as orderlies.
She immediately chimed in, “Then I’ll stay and push the door.”
The young man still had that nonchalant look. “Same here.”
Han Li was a bit hesitant.
Zhou Qi’an proactively looked at Shen Zhiyi. “Just you and I will go. We don’t need too many people.”
The face that belonged to Mu Tianbai was already cold. After a moment, he gave a perfunctory “mm,” tinged with a hint of reluctance.
The two coordinated perfectly, and the others didn’t notice anything unusual.
Zhou Qi’an frowned and looked up. “There seems to be some movement in the ward.”
The moment everyone’s attention shifted to the ward, he gave Han Li, who was nearby, a look and mouthed: Holy artifact.
Han Li, his former partner, understood in a second.
He suspected that among the people who came this time, there was a player who had bought information from the Red Cloak.
This possibility did exist.
The longer it dragged on, the more likely someone else would get there first. The Red Cloak had also used an item immediately after buying the information to enter the same instance as Zhou Qi’an using his player ID.
Han Li nodded slightly. She would keep an eye out.
After everything was arranged, Zhou Qi’an looked towards the elevator. Whoever it is, I hope they aren’t blinded by greed. Otherwise, the next time I make arrangements, it will be for their funeral.
“I’ll send you off, a thousand miles away…”
A low, cool voice drifted down the corridor, giving people goosebumps.
The young man was stunned. How is there someone even crazier than me? Starting to sing for no reason.
The singing disappeared into the elevator car.
Zhou Qi’an and Shen Zhiyi entered the elevator. The moment he pressed the close button, he bent his arms and made a heart shape above his head. “Love you all.”
After the elevator doors closed, Zhou Qi’an dropped his neurotic act.
Stretching his stiff limbs, he let out a light scoff. “Everyone has a hundred schemes in their hearts. Dealing with them is so tiring.”
Shen Zhiyi interpreted in a second, “You want to poke their hearts into a honeycomb?”
Zhou Qi’an’s eyelids twitched.
Please don’t make random reading comprehensions.
Even Zhao Sanxun prioritized the mission. Before the final reckoning, they were more useful alive than dead for now.
The elevator went straight down to the tenth floor. Just two floors, but it took a little longer than expected. When the doors opened again, they were facing a dark wall.
The floral fragrance was overflowing, even stronger than upstairs. Zhou Qi’an practically clung to the wall, peeking his head around the corner.
The tenth floor, like the ninth, had a ridiculously high ceiling, but the layout was completely different.
Looking from here gave the illusion of being on the first floor. In front was a fairly wide hall. Zhou Qi’an briefly glanced and saw the triage desk and the sign for the nutrition department.
Tightly wrapped medical staff were bustling about. One of them seemed to sense something and lifted their eyelids.
Zhou Qi’an quickly pulled his head back.
“Trouble.” This place was practically an NPC den.
After just two breaths, he looked at Shen Zhiyi. “How much blood did you make Poison Dragon lose?”
Shen Zhiyi did not answer, his gaze fixed on one spot.
On a pitch-black floor tile, there were a few scattered, inconspicuous specks of blood.
The evidence proved that Poison Dragon had likely been beaten into a bloody mess.
This had played a huge role. Following these bloodstains, they should be able to find where the player sent to the ICU had gone.
The direction of the bloodstains was opposite to the triage desk. Shen Zhiyi said in a low voice, “Let’s go.”
He let Zhou Qi’an go first, moving behind him while keeping an eye on the nurses at the triage desk.
The low light and overall gray color scheme helped conceal their figures. Zhou Qi’an used his speed advantage, practically teleporting forward.
From time to time, they could see fresh bloodstains on the ground, proving they were in the right place.
The humidity ahead was very high. The ceiling was covered in dense water droplets. At the end of the narrow passage was a dead-looking airtight door, exuding a metallic chill.
Zhou Qi’an found the switch and stepped on it directly. The pressure-sensitive door opened.
A sweet, metallic smell mixed with a strange odor immediately wafted out.
The two entered one after another, and the door automatically closed behind them.
Inside, only one light was on, again that reddish light, shining directly on a human torso lying on an operating table.
Moving a little closer, Zhou Qi’an’s face darkened.
He tested it with his hand.
“Dead.”
—Poison Dragon was dead, his limbs tightly bound to the operating table with restraints.
The table was also covered with a layer of something like soil, which was actually all fleshy bumps. He was instantly reminded of the female patient’s skin, full of grainy texture, which was very similar to the raw material of this soil.
Could it be that the soil here was all virus-filled human tissue?
Zhou Qi’an didn’t care about Poison Dragon’s life or death, but he had just been sent up not long ago and was already dead. What were the chances of survival for Ying Yu and the university student, who had been missing for days?
“There are words on it,” Shen Zhiyi pointed at the corpse tag.
[Currently in artificial cultivation
Raw material: ??-D grade
Observation period: five days
If qualified after testing, can be sent to the [Greenhouse] for a new round of breeding; if unqualified, will be destroyed or sent to the morgue depending on the degree of cultivation]
After reading, Zhou Qi’an said, “The hospital is cultivating some special life form…”
Before he could finish, his expression suddenly changed.
Hiss—
The door actually opened again.
The airtight door had excellent soundproofing. Before the door opened, neither of them knew someone was approaching outside.
Shen Zhiyi, closest to the power source, quickly turned off the light, and the entire space was plunged into darkness.
The person who had just entered was blinded for a second, then shouted sternly, “Who?”
It was a man’s voice. A player definitely wouldn’t dare to shout like that. Moreover, this voice had a twisted viciousness to it. It was 100% an NPC.
Zhou Qi’an took a deep breath. “This is too unlucky.”
They had only been in for less than a minute.
The person strode this way, their footsteps heavy. He seemed to have grabbed something like an iron rod from the doorway, and the sound of it scraping on the ground made one’s hair stand on end.
“Who?” he shouted again.
The operating room was small, with no place to hide.
Zhou Qi’an quickly thought of a method: remove the corpse tag.
From the experience in the morgue, removing the corpse tag might cause reanimation, making the corpse fight the newcomer. But this idea was quickly dismissed. If the commotion was too big, it would easily attract other medical staff, which would truly be a dead end.
The footsteps grew closer, like a death knell. Shen Zhiyi gently pressed Zhou Qi’an’s hand, signaling him to stay put.
But Zhou Qi’an grabbed his hand back. “Wait.”
In the darkness, those overly beautiful eyes sparkled with a strange light. “Let me.”
He had a plan. If it succeeded, it would not only solve the immediate crisis but also help them find the greenhouse.
After making some preparations at the fastest speed, just as the menacing footsteps were about to approach, Zhou Qi’an took a deep breath.
The next second, he actually stood up first, walked straight over, turned off the voice changer, recalled the voice from his memory, and said in an exaggerated tone, “It’s me!”
Saying that, he proactively turned on the light.
He boldly attracted the newcomer’s attention and, with the help of the light, simultaneously saw the other’s face.
Less than two meters away stood a man in a white coat. He had a sturdy build, a pair of narrow, dull eyes, and raspberry-like blood blisters on the corners of his mouth and neck, which looked like they were about to ooze pus at any moment.
The man’s name tag read: Clinical Nutrition Department Physician – Sha Xing.
Zhou Qi’an’s heart stirred.
Wasn’t this department the one indicated on the flesh mound monster’s inpatient bracelet?
At this time, the man moved closer. Face to face, a foul wind rushed over, and Zhou Qi’an’s heart leaped to his throat.
“So it’s you.” The man in the white coat’s deathly white teeth clamped together, and he spat out a few turbid words.
It worked!
Those four words made Zhou Qi’an breathe a sigh of relief.
A moment ago, Zhou Qi’an had quickly spent eight thousand points in the game store to buy a [Face-Changing Card]. Although the quality of this thing was not as good as the one Bai Chanyi had given him, with a duration of only 1-2 minutes, it was enough for an emergency.
At this moment, his disguised identity was precisely Mr. Si.
“Male elephant seal, the rabbit is not well-behaved.” These were the two pieces of information left by Ying Yu.
Among them, “male elephant seal” besides hinting at what was leaking from the instance, Zhou Qi’an felt it should have some deeper meaning. As for the latter… long before entering the instance, Zhou Qi’an and Shen Zhiyi had discussed “the rabbit is not well-behaved.” At that time, the most likely answer they came to was Mr. Si.
After entering the instance, this possibility continued to grow.
Although this instance was not a large map for free exploration, and the normal configuration required guidance from staff, they had not encountered any Zodiac people since entering. This could only mean that the staff were with the previous batch of players.
“So Mr. Si is really in this instance.”
Zhou Qi’an was secretly pleased. Since the man in the white coat knew Mr. Si, he could totally use his identity to do something.
Just as he raised his chin arrogantly, wanting to put on Mr. Si’s airs to get information, the man in the white coat snorted coldly:
“You’re not guarding the door properly. What are you doing here?”
“…”
Guarding the door? Zhou Qi’an’s mouth twitched. That good-for-nothing Mr. Si, why is he a gatekeeper wherever he goes.
The [Face-Changing Card] was about to expire.
There was no time to resent his lack of ambition. Right now, he had to find out which door Mr. Si was guarding as soon as possible.
Zhou Qi’an was becoming more and more proficient with the game’s routines. The confusion card’s duration was 1-2 minutes. If he asked too deeply, it would probably expire in a minute, and the NPC would be tight-lipped about important information.
First, counter a question with a question.
“What are you doing here?” Zhou Qi’an asked back.
The man in the white coat narrowed his eyes even more suspiciously. “Doing my rounds, of course.”
Zhou Qi’an naturally picked up the conversation. “That’s right. That’s why I came to find you.” He said righteously, “The place I’m guarding, there’s some abnormal movement inside. You’d better go take a look quickly.”
But the man in the white coat refused without thinking, looking at him as if he were overreacting. “It’s normal for there to be movement in the shed.”
Shed?
Zhou Qi’an’s breath hitched.
So Mr. Si was guarding the important greenhouse.
He immediately frowned and said, “This time the movement is very strange, different from usual.”
But upon hearing this, the man in the white coat became noticeably more irritable. “What does a gatekeeping, useless intermediary like you know.”
Saying that, he reprimanded him a few more times. “You just need to bring some orderlies to the hospital and guard your door. Mind your own business.”
Useless thing.
“…”
__
Author’s Note:
Zhou Qi’an: …Mr. Si, a rabbit who guards the door every day and has no ideals.
Mr. Si: Do not disturb.
