Among all high-level items, lucky items were the ones players were more willing to part with, due to their great uncertainty.
In the game, there was never a free lunch. Forcibly adding an attribute beyond one’s own strength would likely result in some unknown risks in return.
Zhou Qi’an waved his hand. “Let’s trade for a speed item instead.”
A’ling shook her head. “In an instance, you can afford to not win a fight, but you must be able to run away.”
“…” A clash of cognitions.
Zhou Qi’an tried to reason with her. “There aren’t many people up there right now. Can you outrun me?”
When the players rushed back from the morgue, A’ling had witnessed Zhou Qi’an’s explosive speed in the ward, but she was very insistent. “As long as I can outrun others, it’s fine.”
Seeing that she was impervious to reason, Zhou Qi’an glanced at the players behind them. Zhao Sanxun would naturally not bring his teammates to trade with him. Mu Ge and Wangcai seemed to have other plans.
The only one left to trade with was A’ling.
He thought for a moment and asked, “Does your lucky item also provide an eighteen percent boost?”
“No, twenty-eight.” A’ling rarely showed a hint of pride.
“…”
After much thought, Zhou Qi’an ultimately chose to take this second lucky item. Anyway, he could save it for the next instance.
Third time’s the charm. Using it enough times would eventually make him truly lucky once!
With beautiful aspirations for the future, Zhou Qi’an went to the payment counter to complete the deposit procedure, then walked back to the ward, satisfied.
Since A’ling’s lucky item had a larger boost, she only gave five thousand points. But added together, it had already broken ten thousand, directly bringing his existing points back to nearly sixty thousand.
With everything arranged, the next step was to wait for the nurse to come and transfer the patient.
He walked away with a flourish, completely ignoring the gazes that felt like thorns on his back.
Not far away, Kerr, who was staring intently this way, frowned, then looked at Zhao Sanxun and said in a low voice, “Big brother, Poison Dragon…”
“Don’t worry about him.”
Killing Zhou Qi’an was one thing. Currently, the other party was ahead in the quest progress. Zhao Sanxun knew he absolutely could not drag down the main quest. Since he couldn’t go to the special inpatient department for the time being, he could only find another way.
·
In the ward, the female patient, bound by restraints, immediately shot a knife-like glare over when she heard someone enter.
It had been too rushed before. Now, with the help of daylight, Zhou Qi’an noticed that the other’s skin color was darker than yesterday, as if some special pigment had accumulated. The grainy bumps on her skin had also significantly increased.
The severity of the illness was increasing with time.
Zhou Qi’an withdrew his gaze, once again feeling a sense of urgency.
The sound of wheels rubbing against tiles echoed in the corridor. The elusive nurse appeared at the door.
The female patient, who was about to threaten Zhou Qi’an, was clearly stunned. Why would the nurse come at this time?
But she was more fixated on retaliating against the orderly for ‘disobeying’ her. The female patient subconsciously spoke first, demanding, “I want to change this orderly!”
The nurse was unmoved.
“I want to change…”
The rest of her words were cut short when she saw the gurney behind the nurse.
The incredibly strong nurse came over, undid the restraints in a few moves, practically lifted the patient up, and directly placed her on the gurney.
“What are you doing? What are you all doing!!”
Similar terrified screams also came from the other three wards.
Zhou Qi’an, who hadn’t spoken since entering, looked at the desperately struggling female patient and said in a gentle voice, “Dear, we’ve got an upgrade.”
“I deposited five hundred thousand into your medical card.”
The nurse then woodenly announced the good news to the patient: “Congratulations, from today onwards, you can enter the special inpatient department.”
“!” The female patient’s eyes almost turned into vertical slits in shock.
The nurse pushed the gurney out, and Zhou Qi’an swaggered behind.
“Let go of me…” The female patient, after realizing what was happening, struggled violently, nearly breaking the restraints several times. Finding her efforts futile, she panted heavily on the gurney in anger.
After a moment, she gave up struggling and stared viciously at Zhou Qi’an. “You just wait! When it’s ten o’clock tonight… I will definitely fill out the opinion book properly.”
The identity of a nurse was continuous. Zhou Qi’an was aware of this, which was why he was even more eager to transfer the patient away.
If he continued to stay here, after helping to forcibly feed her medicine tonight, he was afraid he would also be doomed by this woman.
Zhou Qi’an leaned down. Just as the woman was about to bite off his ear, he whispered, “Sister, have you forgotten? I have the keycard. We can leave together.”
“…Even if we can’t leave, besides me, who can help you go on a killing spree.”
The female patient’s struggling body stiffened.
“I look forward to your satisfied review.”
Previously, the woman had reacted intensely when she saw the card, which meant that in her confused memory, she somewhat knew the card’s purpose.
Only with the universal keycard was there a chance to escape.
Having achieved his goal, Zhou Qi’an continued to follow the gurney.
The quiet woman formed a stark contrast with the other frantically cursing patients behind them, creating a beautiful sight along the way.
The players who remained in the ordinary inpatient department, struggling, couldn’t help but suspect if Zhou Qi’an had a hypnosis-type skill upon seeing this.
Otherwise, why was his patient’s mental core so stable?
Due to the gurney, the elevator could only take one nurse and one orderly at a time.
Zhou Qi’an’s group went in first. The nurse directly pressed the button for the eleventh floor.
As the doors slowly closed, Zhou Qi’an’s gaze briefly met Shen Zhiyi’s behind him. The latter nodded slightly, signaling him to wait for him to act together as much as possible.
The elevator doors closed completely, forming a sealed space.
Zhou Qi’an narrowed his eyes. The morgue was indeed a feint. The special inpatient department was in this very building.
He quickly constructed a mental map of the hospital and the positions of each building.
There were three buildings in total.
The outpatient building, the inpatient building, and the morgue. The outpatient and inpatient buildings were almost in a straight line, with only the morgue being further away.
The inpatient building had one department per floor, with other departments like pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and geriatrics on other floors.
The only place he hadn’t explored was the outpatient building.
The instance wouldn’t give a map for no reason.
There should be some clues in the outpatient building. Before entering the elevator, Zhao Sanxun was not there, only Kerr was staring. The former must have gone there.
“It would be best to capture Zhao Sanxun alive,” Zhou Qi’an thought to himself.
Then find a way to ask him what he discovered in the outpatient building.
It would take a while for the elevator to go up to the eleventh floor. The elevator car was terrifyingly quiet. The nurse stood near the door, facing forward. The more Zhou Qi’an looked at her back, the more uncoordinated it seemed.
Below the nurse’s collar, something dark red could be faintly seen.
Zhou Qi’an’s eyes rolled, and the next moment—
“Aiya.”
With a cry of alarm, the young man pretended to fall forward, performing a trip on the flat elevator floor. Anyway, if asked, he would just say he had flat feet.
His forward-stretching arm touched the nurse’s back and instinctively pulled down a little.
Empty?
There was a large hole in the nurse’s back, and the surrounding muscles were also quite stiff.
Zhou Qi’an did his best to control his expression and stood up nonchalantly.
The nurse’s body didn’t move when touched, but her neck made a creaking sound. Her head twisted a hundred and eighty degrees to face Zhou Qi’an, and a single word came out of her mouth:
“Itchy…”
Through the thick nurse’s uniform, she scratched the spot she had been touched twice, hard.
Blood soaked the fabric. The nurse’s sharp nails, still with threads of flesh on them, reached directly for Zhou Qi’an. “So itchy… are you itchy too…”
Zhou Qi’an did not answer.
He was recalling the scene he had just seen. Ignoring the bloody hole in the nurse’s back, he was more concerned about the long rectangular stamp on her neck. Words were carved on it: Qualified-B.
The stamp was the color of scarlet blood, with intricate patterns. The four sides combined to form the shape of a blooming flower.
“Are you itchy?” the nurse was still asking, her blood-stained long nails almost poking the young man’s eyes.
Behind him was the cold wall of the elevator car, with no way to retreat.
But Zhou Qi’an still did not answer. He had timed his fake fall. He silently counted down in his mind: three, two, one…
Ding, eleventh floor.
The approaching nurse stopped in her tracks.
Zhou Qi’an took the opportunity to move to the back, pulling away as if to seriously help push the gurney.
The entire action was smooth and natural.
In the few seconds the door was open, the nurse kept staring at Zhou Qi’an. From the scratching just now, the spreading bloodstain made a foul, fishy smell linger around her.
Zhou Qi’an quickly reminded her, “There are other patients downstairs waiting to use the elevator.”
Fulfilling her duties was the nurse’s top priority. Finally, she turned her head back.
The elevator couldn’t stop on even-numbered floors. After coming out, the nurse kept walking forward. All the ward doors on the eleventh floor were tightly closed, making it impossible to see if there were patients inside.
On the way, Zhou Qi’an took out the keycard as a lure, pressed his index finger to his lips, and made a “shh” gesture at the female patient. Taking advantage of the nurse’s inattention, he checked her neck: Unqualified-C.
The same scarlet long stamp, just a different grade.
Zhou Qi’an’s eyes flickered. He nonchalantly bit his finger and naturally pushed aside the blue hair scattered on his shoulder, revealing the back of his neck.
As he walked, he traced the pattern of the design with his other hand.
He didn’t even need to look. Smooth lines appeared on his skin, each stroke flowing like water. Before long, a super high-quality imitation stamp appeared.
Zhou Qi’an’s thoughts were very simple.
Be prepared. Whatever others have, he must have too.
If others are B, he must be A.
Ahead, the nurse suddenly stopped.
Zhou Qi’an, who was busy making a counterfeit, quickly stopped.
He looked over cautiously, making sure it wasn’t because his forgery had been discovered.
There was no road ahead. At the corner was an elevator. A striking “Special Use Elevator” sign was posted above, with “Usage Instructions” marked in blood-red letters next to it: Password required for activation.
Zhou Qi’an craned his neck.
But the nurse’s other hand covered it tightly, her fingers below quickly entering the password.
Zhou Qi’an pouted. Guarding it so tightly, I wonder who you’re guarding against.
Re-entering a new elevator car, besides the current floor, there were only two other floors to choose from: 10 and 12.
Zhou Qi’an watched as the nurse pressed the button for 12 again.
After the door opened again, a strong, fragrant aroma filled the air. A slight sniff sent a numbing sensation through his body. Zhou Qi’an’s face couldn’t help but look a bit ugly. The wealthy woman’s perfume was a lesson learned. Everyone had to breathe. Inhaling too much of this kind of gas would most likely affect one’s thinking.
Following the nurse, he unconsciously felt groggy. Zhou Qi’an managed to walk a few steps forward.
Extremes meet. When a floral scent reaches a certain point, it approaches a stench. At this moment, he only felt like a small boat, floating in a sea of flowers.
“Stay awake.”
Zhou Qi’an squeezed his eyes shut tightly, trying to observe his surroundings.
The moment he reopened his eyelids, without any warning, he was met with countless pairs of eyes. Countless flat people stood on both sides of the dim corridor, motionless, all peering this way.
Zhou Qi’an shuddered violently. Yet the nurse beside him seemed completely unaware, her tone suddenly becoming light and ethereal. “Help me move the patient to the hospital bed.”
It seemed another door had been pushed open.
A fragrance even more rich than the corridor’s rushed in like a tidal wave. Zhou Qi’an held his breath immediately, yet still felt as if his windpipe was blocked by fragrant ash.
The female patient’s body was much lighter, and she didn’t struggle noticeably after coming here.
He wasn’t sure if it was because he had held his breath for too long, causing a lack of oxygen to the brain, but now Zhou Qi’an’s vision was a bit blurry.
He wasn’t sure when he had entered the ward. He mechanically followed the nurse’s instructions to move the patient.
Something’s wrong.
He bit his tongue hard. With his consciousness finally a bit clearer, he managed to see large batches of blooming flowers around him. Zhou Qi’an thought he saw human facial features on the delicate flowers.
Dizzy to the extreme, Zhou Qi’an’s condition grew worse. First, a hematoma appeared in his throat, his strength was draining away bit by bit, his chest felt tight, he was short of breath, and his whole body was about to suffocate from the floral fragrance.
The flowers were causing trouble.
“Damn it.”
The floral fragrance seemed to condense into a net in the air, and he was the captured prey. After several failed attempts to wake himself up, using his remaining rationality, Zhou Qi’an decided to take a gamble.
The flowers having human features meant that the flowers here were not simple. They might even have a certain degree of consciousness. If he could make them relax their guard, he would have a chance to escape this invisible net.
Turning his back to the flowers, Zhou Qi’an’s slender fingers hooked the edge of his sweatshirt collar, pulling it with difficulty. The fake stamp on his neck was instantly exposed.
Cyclamen: “?”
The A-grade stamp gave the strange flowers a small shock.
The flowers had consciousness, but not much. They couldn’t understand at all why a “qualified” stamp would appear on an orderly. The rhythm of their swaying branches slowed down.
Sensing that the fragrance’s control over him was weakening, Zhou Qi’an immediately bit his tongue hard again.
“Hiss—”
Blood welled up on his tongue.
Under the pain, Zhou Qi’an became completely clear-headed.
His vision hadn’t fully recovered, and things still looked as if through a thin veil. The next second, when he saw everything in the ward clearly, his scalp tingled.
He was actually lying in a container.
The nurse and the female patient were still outside.
The ward, from the walls to the floor tiles, was practically spotless. The color of the tiles was slightly dark, and every inch felt oppressive. A large, petal-shaped lamp hung from the ceiling, clearly expensive.
Under the lamp was a circular container with transparent walls, which served as a bed.
A petri dish.
These three words automatically appeared in Zhou Qi’an’s mind. He was lying in a petri dish!
At the entrance, the nurse was holding a large, round lid and striding towards the petri dish.
Zhou Qi’an held out his arm. “Wait—”
Clank!
The nurse slammed the lid down hard.
Zhou Qi’an was fast enough. He propped himself up on the edge of the petri dish and leaped out with stored energy. If he had been a second later, his arm might have been broken on the spot.
Failing to trap him, the nurse’s face darkened, but as if nothing had happened, she repeated the order, “Help me move the patient to the hospital bed.”
Zhou Qi’an’s legs were still weak.
The nurse spoke for the third time, urging, “Help me move the patient to the hospital bed.”
Sensing that something bad would happen if he didn’t act, Zhou Qi’an forced himself to pull himself together and cooperated with the nurse to move the woman into the petri dish.
A large number of cyclamens were cultivated in the ward, which was the source of all the smells.
The female patient, who had been moved to the center of the tank, rarely resisted, seeming to enjoy this熏陶. She curled herself into the fetal position, only her breathing was much more rapid than before.
Zhou Qi’an’s eyelids twitched. He should have been in the same state earlier.
The cyclamen petals were a bit wilted. Unlike the memory from his previous illusion, all these flowers were now facing the wall, their cast shadows looking like human faces.
For a moment, Zhou Qi’an thought he heard screams coming from within the flowers, perhaps the resentful spirits of those who had died in the floral fragrance in the past.
He was instantly certain of one of the death rules in the special inpatient department.
The cyclamen would pull people into an illusion at regular intervals. After fully releasing their fragrance, they would enter a ‘weakened period’. The specific interval still needed to be observed.
A system prompt suddenly arrived:
[Congratulations on being successfully transferred to the special inpatient department]
[Main Quest One has been completed]
[You are now an orderly in the special inpatient department. You can take the staff-only elevator. The password is: 666444]
[Main Quest has been updated]
[Main Quest (Current): Find the patient Zhang Xiuxiu in the special inpatient department]
[Friendly Reminder: After finding this patient, the final main quest will be unlocked]
Surnamed Zhang?
Zhou Qi’an’s first reaction was whether it was related to Dr. Z.
“Whether it’s related or not is a matter for later.”
Zhang Xiuxiu or Li Xiuxiu, he had to find the university student and Ying Yu first.
Even if it were Dr. Z himself, he’d have to wait in line as third priority.
A white figure kept approaching until it was right in front of him.
The nurse pulled out a huge syringe from somewhere and suddenly lunged to stab him.
Zhou Qi’an’s face turned ugly. Facing the thick, shiny needle, he quickly dodged to the side. His limbs hadn’t returned to their normal state, making this dodge extremely risky. The needle practically grazed his clothes. A little closer and it would have touched his skin.
Getting stabbed wasn’t scary, but the needle was clearly coated with something else. It would most likely cause an infection.
Having narrowly escaped death and almost getting another hit, Zhou Qi’an stood up straight.
Before the nurse could strike again, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. “Can nurses assault orderlies?”
The air in the ward seemed to freeze.
“Aiya!”
The next second, the nurse took a fake fall just like Zhou Qi’an had in the elevator. Her face, unable to make many expressions, could only show the wrinkles piled up at the corners of her eyes.
Zhou Qi’an’s brow twitched.
Learning and applying on the spot.
Unfortunately, there was no copyright fee to be collected from an NPC. The nurse put away the syringe again and nonchalantly reminded him, “These flowers will bloom with particular intensity at night. If you find the fragrance too strong, you can go to the door for some fresh air.”
What thoughtful medical advice.
There were probably things in the corridor at night even more dangerous than the floral fragrance.
He vaguely remembered seeing many suspicious faces in the corridor before the door was pushed open.
Zhou Qi’an sneered and thanked her.
Without the syringe, the nurse’s obvious weapon was gone. As she was about to turn and leave after giving her instructions, she suddenly approached Zhou Qi’an again.
“…”
Damn it, is there no end to this?
A hint of impatience rose in Zhou Qi’an’s brows. He was already prepared to summon the white silk. But the nurse suddenly stopped, her eyes narrowed to a slit, staring intently at the small patch of skin on his neck: Qualified-A.
The stamp had a faint smell of blood, indicating that this stamp was still very ‘fresh’.
Besides the pattern being more exquisite than the one on her neck, there was no other discernible difference.
The nurse’s throat rolled, and she slowly squeezed out a word: “You…”
Getting caught for forgery came too quickly.
Zhou Qi’an gave a dry laugh and whispered, “How about… I make you an A too?”
As the saying goes, as long as you’re not embarrassed, the one who’s embarrassed is someone else.
As a craftsman, Zhou Qi’an was still relatively calm.
The instance didn’t have a rule against drawing on oneself. He was just doing a miniature version of body painting.
If he didn’t know the specific grading system of the instance, he wouldn’t even have bothered with a mere A. He would have at least given himself an SSS grade.
The nurse opposite him looked as if she wanted to flay him alive. The stamp was sacred, a totem that divided the grades, and now it had been so easily desecrated!
Remembering the ‘friendship’ of almost being stabbed, Zhou Qi’an actively suggested, “Your B is not easy to change. How about I add a number for you?”
Add a two.
2B.
See, it’s clearly an upgrade.
“…”
__
Author’s Note:
Zhou Qi’an: Professional custom-made stamps of all kinds, contact number: 188XXXX0888.
