A Forum for Patients of Fourth Hospital
ARC 3
Word count: 21k
☆ 41 Return to St Elizabeth
Translator: InkyDragon (https://puukkiss.wixsite.com/inkydragon)
Yu Xiao’s finger hovered over her contacts list, but then she decided against it. She had a better idea. If she could go back to Saint Elizabeth, why not ask George directly?
“I’m going to ask him face-to-face.” Yu Xiao declared, her curiosity overriding everything else. “He claimed he had something that would let me return to Saint Elizabeth whenever I wanted. I’m dying to know what it is. Maybe it could even work in the treatment instance.”
“Is there such a thing as that?” Zhou Xiao Zhen’s eyes widened with envy. “George has all the good stuff. Smiley, you’re his boss, right? Can’t you take all his stuff?”
Yu Xiao stroked her chin thoughtfully. “Well…”
Zhao Lan interrupted them with a sudden announcement. “I’ve posted it.”
Just like that? Yu Xiao hurriedly opened the Sixth Hospital forum. As expected, under the announcement post, there was a fresh thread with a single line.
【My nickname is ‘Nickname Hassle’, this is my first post.】
“That’s too plain.” Zhou Xiao Zhen complained. “Misty, you’re one of the top three on the leaderboard. Your first post should be more impressive. That’s not cool at all.”
Zhao Lan grinned, “Being the first to post is impressive enough. The content doesn’t matter.”
“Misty has a point.” Yu Xiao realised she had been overthinking. “Being among the first ones to post on the forum, isn’t that cool enough? Check this out, I posted something.”
【’Deaf Descendant”s Talisman Shop】
【To help everyone breeze through the healing instances, the ‘Deaf Descendant”s Talisman Shop is officially open. Special offer at a loss: each talisman only costs 3 points. Limit two purchases per nickname per day. First come, first served!】
“Blimey,” Zhou Xiao Zhen gasped, her eyes bulging. “Smiley, you’re amazing. The rest of us can barely post, and you’re already running a business. That’s a huge leap, for sure.”
“The shop charges 10 points for each one, but Smiley sells them for 3 points a piece. It’s a steal. I just hope people can afford it,” Zhao Lan said, sounding worried. “Some of them haven’t even entered treatment instances yet.”
Yu Xiao had originally intended to go lower, selling them for 1 point each. But then she realised the problem. If she priced them too low, they would sell out too fast. She still had a box of yellow talisman paper that she bought on Taobao, but with so many patients, it wouldn’t last long. She would have to buy more from the mall later.
Yellow talisman paper in the mall was expensive. If she sold them for 1 point each, she would barely break even, or even lose money. So, she settled on 3 points each. Not too high, and she would stay in the green.
After posting on the forum, she opened a small talisman shop in the mall, offering two kinds: 【The Thunder Striking Ghost Repelling Talisman】 and 【Healing Crisis Talisman】.
Zhou Xiao Zhen squealed, grabbing Yu Xiao’s sleeve and giving it a gentle tug. “Smiley! You’ve got replies! Six Hospital’s patient replied to you!”
Yu Xiao tapped on the conversation and saw a new reply.
【What talismans are you selling? How do I buy them?】
Zhou Xiao Zhen, too excited to wait for Yu Xiao, answered for her.
【We’ve got 【The Thunder Striking Ghost Repelling Talisman】 and 【Healing Crisis Talisman】 in the mall. They’re only 3 points each, a bargain, right? Have you been through two harrowing dungeon runs too? Who are you? I’m ‘Braised Egg Girl 438’. Wasn’t your dungeon adventure exhilarating…】
Zhou Xiao Zhen rambled on with her responses, but the other person didn’t bother to read them, as Yu Xiao noticed that they had already placed an order in the background.
On the phone screen, a tiny skeleton head bobbed while clutching an envelope in its mouth.
【You have a new order, please check it promptly~】
Yu Xiao opened it and saw that the nickname ‘Give me your heart’ had bought two 【The Thunder Striking Ghost Repelling Talisman】. She remembered this nickname; after the first night in the Sixth Hospital, ‘Give me your heart’ was second on the points leaderboard. But then Precious and Misty overtook them, and now they were fourth on the leaderboard.
Yu Xiao admired this chap. They didn’t have a cheat like account in the Fourth Hospital Forum or scribble talismans, yet they breezed through two instances at breakneck speed. They were a real pro, no doubt.
Yu Xiao took out two 【The Thunder Striking Ghost Repelling Talisman】 and, on second thought, threw in a 【Healing Crisis Talisman】, tucking a note inside that said, “Stay strong!”
Knock, knock, knock!
A familiar thundering voice resounded from the entrance, “Delivery!”
She was accustomed to getting packages, not sending them. Today’s unexpected role reversal felt strange to Yu Xiao. She opened the door slightly, handing out the three talismans.
No hands reached out to grab them, and the voice outside became annoyed, “What’s your problem? Handing them to me like this, are you trying to kill me?!”
“…” She forgot that the delivery guy was a ghost; he couldn’t touch talismans directly.
“I don’t have packaging,” Yu Xiao snapped, “Don’t delivery guys like you have plastic bags?”
“Ten points for a packaging bag.”
“Are you kidding me?” Yu Xiao shouted, “You’re practically robbing me!”
“Three points will get you a monthly membership, and you can use packaging bags as much as you want during the subscription period.”
“That’s ridiculous!” Yu Xiao protested, “Do you realise that the basic points for a treatment run are only 3? You want 3 points from me every month? That’s absurd. Do you have any idea who I am? I’ll have you know, I’m the dean of Saint Elizabeth!”
After the outburst, silence reigned outside. Then, the voice spoke again, “Are you finished? Are you sending the package or not? If not, I’m out of here.”
“Send!” Yu Xiao snapped.
“Are you getting the monthly membership too?”
“…Yes.”
After sending away the delivery guy, Yu Xiao spun around, hands clutching her chest, “It hurts here.”
“Calm down,” Zhao Lan attempted to soothe her, “It’s only three points, not a big deal for you.”
“No,” Yu Xiao grabbed the fabric of her clothes over her chest firmly, “My points are my life. Taking my points is like taking my life! He stole my three HP!”
“…”
Zhou Xiao Zhen blinked. Did Smiley really care about this stuff? She stuttered, “That person on the forum asked how will they get the talismans?”
Yu Xiao said, “Tell him to brace himself for a delivery.”
Yu Xiao sat on the bed, laying out a piece of paper, and started calculating the costs. She hadn’t anticipated that sending a delivery would cost points, adding to the expenses. With the talismans’ selling price staying the same, her profits would shrink.
As she was crunching the numbers, a phone call came in.
An annoyed Yu Xiao answered, “What?”
On the other end, Luo Jin paused for a moment, puzzled by why the person on the other side had turned so cranky in just half a day. He said, “We’ve discussed it. One prop for thirty talismans.”
Yu Xiao countered, “Ten talismans!”
Lu Xun couldn’t resist butting in, “Ten is too little!”
“There are different kinds of props, some helpful, some worthless. You can’t trade thirty talismans for any prop. It’s not a fair deal,” Yu Xiao declared, sticking to her offer, “Only ten talismans.”
Lu Xun protested, “But ten talismans are too few.” He bargained, “Twenty-five talismans!”
Yu Xiao insisted, “Ten talismans!”
Lu Xun haggled, “Twenty talismans!”
Yu Xiao persisted, “Ten talismans!”
“Ah, bloody hell… Old Luo, I’m itching to slap her!”
Luo Jin, in a cool and composed voice, said, “You can’t reach her.”
“Alright then.” Luo Jin said, “We’ll swap twenty talismans, ten Thunder Strikes Evil talismans, and ten Healing Peril talismans for an item that can harm both ghosts and humans. Deal?”
“Deal!”
“Fine.” Luo Jin said, “I’ll send the item over by express delivery soon.”
“Hold on.” Yu Xiao stopped him.
Luo Jin’s finger froze as he hung up, “What is it?”
Yu Xiao asked, “You must have a special delivery subscription, right?”
“…Yeah.” He hung up the phone quickly.
“Living large,” Zhou Xiao Zhen remarked. “That’s how you boost the economy. Those who work in production never make as much as those in business. I bet we’ll be earning points faster than any of the six hospitals. Smiley, you don’t have to work so hard anymore.” She leaped off the bed. “From today on, I’ll help you with packaging and shipping.”
Zhao Lan: “Then can I help you… take orders? Manage the accounts?”
“Very good, we need this kind of enthusiasm…” Yu Xiao was about to say more when a knock on the door cut her off.
Knock, knock, knock!
“Delivery!”
“That was quick.” Yu Xiao was impressed. “Is the delivery guy from the Fourth Hospital always this speedy?”
“Smiley, stay put.” Zhou Xiao Zhen walked towards the door. “I’ll take care of the receiving.”
She came back with a large, flat box. “Smiley, the packaging is quite fancy.”
As soon as Yu Xiao caught sight of the parcel, wrapped in elegant paper and tied with a ribbon, she wondered, “How much did this cost?”
She was about to ask when Zhou Xiao Zhen exclaimed, “Hey, look! It’s from St. Elizabeth’s.”
Yu Xiao remembered that George had promised to send her a special item that would let her go back there whenever she wanted. So he had used a courier service to deliver it.
The three of them crowded around the parcel, their curiosity piqued. They ripped off the wrapping paper with gusto, exposing the box underneath.
Zhao Lan gave a nod of approval and commented, “The packaging is quite impressive. George has a refined sense of style for a ghost.”
Yu Xiao felt a surge of excitement as she lifted the lid of the box, revealing the white lab coat inside.
That’s right, the contents of such a fancy package was nothing but a white lab/doctor coat, and not even a new one?
“Um, what’s this…” Zhou Xiao Zhen grabbed the shoulder of the coat, pulling it out of the box. It was so long that it reached her feet. “This is way too big for anyone.”
Yu Xiao ran her fingers over the fabric, finding it plain and ordinary. Then she spotted the logo of St. Elizabeth’s Psychiatric Hospital on the chest of the coat, and a small tag pinned to it with the words “Dean Yu.”
“This is the dean’s coat,” Yu Xiao realised. “No wonder George was willing to give me something; it turns out, this belonged to me in the first place.”
Zhou Xiao Zhen inched closer and gave the collar a sniff, “Is this the worn coat of the former dean? It doesn’t have any scent to it.”
Zhao Lan urged her, “Come on, Smiley, try it on. Maybe it will take you back to St. Elizabeth’s if you wear it?”
The two of them helped Yu Xiao slip into the white coat. It looked like it really had been the property of the previous director. It was so oversized that the hem dragged on the floor, and the sleeves hung loosely over her hands.
“What’s the trick to using it?” Zhao Lan wondered.
Yu Xiao pondered for a second, then shut her eyes and repeated in her mind, “I want to go back to St. Elizabeth’s, I want to go back to St. Elizabeth’s…”
Suddenly, she felt a weird sensation, as if she was levitating.
Yu Xiao opened her eyes, and saw an old, dilapidated wall in front of her. She glanced to the side, and recognized the corridor.
She heard footsteps behind her, and spun around.
Qiao Qiao, with a finger in her mouth, tripped and fell on the floor. She gaped at the sight of the devil in the white coat.
☆ 42 The Truth about the Hospital
With a bright and breezy “Hey~”,” Yu Xiao announced her return to Qiao Qiao, who sat on the floor like a discarded doll. “Missed me?” she asked, as if they were old friends reunited after a long absence.
Qiao Qiao could only gape at her, speechless and stunned. She felt a surge of confusion and fear, mixed with a faint trace of admiration.
How did Yu Xiao return? Her not-so-experienced mind told her that patients who left St. Elizabeth’s would never come back. How did she come back so confidently, wearing a white coat as if she owned the place? Was she really the new dean of St. Elizabeth’s?
Yu Xiao looked at her with a disdainful “Hmm~” and tugged at her arm. “Don’t be so dirty. Get up from the floor. Come on, let’s take a walk.” She spun around, her eyes sparkling with nostalgia. “This place hasn’t changed a bit, has it? It brings back so many memories.”
She walked along the corridor, inspecting the walls that had been patched up since the last riot. “Are the others still the same? Oh, Qiao Qiao, don’t lag behind. Stay with me.” She said, as if they were best friends.
Qiao Qiao reluctantly followed her, pulling her fingers out of her mouth and stuffing them in her pocket. She felt like a puppet on a string, dragged along by Yu Xiao’s whims.
Yu Xiao reached the nurse’s station, where the staff were chatting about their dinner plans. She barged in, flinging the door open with a loud bang. “Surprise! I’m back!” she shouted, grinning from ear to ear.
The nurses froze, recognising who it was. The one they hoped they would never see again.
They turned their heads, some even cracking their necks with a 180-degree angle turn to avoid her gaze, hoping she would go away.
But Yu Xiao wouldn’t let them. She walked up to them, demanding their attention. “Why aren’t you looking at me?” she asked, her smile turning into a snarl.
The nurses had no choice but to turn their heads again, their necks twisting in unnatural angles like salty pretzels. They forced themselves to smile, their teeth stained with blood.
If you ignored their twisted necks and horror-filled eyes, the scene looked quite heart-warming.
With a bright smile, Yu Xiao greeted. “Everyone’s still here, I see. That’s good. That’s very good.” She scanned the faces of the nurses, looking for any signs of change. “Where’s George, by the way?”
The nurses tried to reply, but their necks were too twisted to draw breath. They could only gasp and wheeze, pointing with trembling fingers towards George’s office.
Yu Xiao nodded, oblivious to their distress. “Oh, he’s still in the office, huh? Well, I’ll go find him then.” She sauntered away from the nurse’s station.
The nurses collapsed on the floor, sobbing. They hugged each other, grateful for their narrow escape.
Yu Xiao was about to knock on George’s office door when she suddenly remembered something. She stopped and frowned, tapping her chin. Before, she would always go to his office to see him, but now things were different. She was the boss now. She had the power. She should be in her own office, waiting for George to come to her. Yes, that was more fitting.
She smiled again, humming a satisfied tune. She turned around, ready to head back to the first floor. As she did, she caught a glimpse of Qiao Qiao hiding behind a wall, peeking at her with fearful eyes.
“Qiao Qiao,” Yu Xiao called out to her, making her jump.
Qiao Qiao pressed herself against the wall, hoping to disappear. She heard that eerie voice say, “Go find George, tell him to come to my office and see me.” She felt a cold shiver run down her spine.
Yu Xiao winked at her, then turned away, swaying her hips as she walked. She hummed louder, drowning out Qiao Qiao’s whimper. She was happy. She was very happy.
Descending to the first floor, Yu Xiao glimpsed her colossal portrait hanging on the wall. She frowned, thinking to herself, “This won’t do. Not everyone who comes here deserves to see my true face, right? No, I have to conceal the portrait.”
She approached the door of the director’s office, turning the handle softly, and the door opened with a creak.
The interior remained unchanged, a perfect replica of the past. The previous time Yu Xiao had been here, she had fled in a hurry. This time, she lingered in the office, admiring the details before sinking into the leather chair that once belonged to the director. She lifted the pen from the desk and spun it between her fingers, idly waiting for George’s arrival.
Soon, footsteps resounded from outside.
Thud, thud, thud!
She knew who was knocking without looking; Yu Xiao stifled her grin and said, “The door’s open, come in.”
Dr George, clad in a white coat and gold-rimmed glasses with a pallid complexion, stepped in. His expression, as ever, devoid of any emotion. He met Yu Xiao’s gaze behind the desk, feeling a twitch in his eye, but he kept silent.
“You haven’t changed a bit, still the same as before,” Yu Xiao propped her chin on her hand. “You were so eager for me to return. Now that I’m here, are you happy?”
For George, it wasn’t simply about being happy or not. He yearned to completely obliterate the person standing before him, extracting their brain and devouring it.
A shiver of disgust ran through George. ‘Oh, no, can’t eat this,” he thought, pushing the idea away. ‘Eating brains like these would mess me up.’ He had a delicate palate, and he preferred his meals fresh and juicy, not mushy and mad.
He looked up at the clock on the wall. He had to prepare for the next day. “Tomorrow morning, the first batch of patients after the hospital renovation will arrive,” he said solemnly to the girl sitting across from him. “Everything remains the same as before. When they try to enter the director’s office, you must be here.”
“Alright, got it,” Yu Xiao nodded, her voice dripping with boredom. “So what should I do? Hide in the office like the previous one, and whoever knocks, go out and take care of them?”
George’s eye twitched again, as it always did when he talked to her. He said, “The conditions for opening the director’s office, the conditions for stamping on the discharge report, are all decided by the director himself. You don’t need to ask me.”
“Really?” Yu Xiao asked excitedly, her eyes instantly lighting up. She leaned forward, clasping her hands together. “Can I do anything I want?”
George glanced at her, feeling a surge of irritation. He added, “Of course, you can’t prevent patients from reporting you afterwards.”
“Hmph,” Yu Xiao snorted, glaring at him. She crossed her arms and pouted. “Didn’t expect you to be so petty, holding grudges, huh?”
“…”
George didn’t reply. He felt that communicating with her was a form of torture. He endured for a while, couldn’t hold it in, and turned around to leave.
“Wait up,” Yu Xiao called after him, smiling mischievously.
George turned around, his face expressionless.
She arched an eyebrow at him, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Why you gotta be so damn rude? Call me dean or something else respectful.”
…
She watched him go, a smirk curling her lips.
Her phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. She answered it, still chuckling. “Hello? Who’s this?”
On the other end, Luo Jin heard the laughter in her voice and felt a pang of curiosity. What could be so amusing?
“Did you receive the delivery?” Luo Jin asked.
“Huh?” She sounded confused, as if she had forgotten about it. “Oh, I’m not in the ward right now, haven’t seen the delivery.”
Luo Jin frowned. If not in the ward, then where could she be? If she was in a treatment instance, he wouldn’t be able to call her.
“You…” Luo Jin hesitated, his mouth forming a word that he quickly swallowed. He wanted to ask her where she had been, but he remembered that they were not friends, merely acquaintances. He had no right to pry into her personal matters. He changed the subject abruptly. “We can talk about the prop issue later, since you haven’t received the delivery yet. But I have something to ask you now.”
Yu Xiao felt a jolt of surprise when Luo Jin spoke to her today. He was usually quiet and reserved, but now he seemed eager to chat. “What’s up?” she asked, curious.
“What are your thoughts on hospitals?”
Yu Xiao paused for a moment, sensing a hidden meaning behind his question. He was not talking about any ordinary hospital; he was referring to the one they were currently in. She wondered what he was aiming at, but she decided to humour him. She pondered for a moment and replied, “It’s a place of mystery, fear, and possibility.”
“Which possibility?”
“The possibility of survival,” Yu Xiao said, her voice calm. “That’s how I see it.”
A brief silence followed, and then he said, “Me too.”
“Huh?”
“I feel the same way,” Luo Jin elaborated, his voice softening. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but everyone who enters this hospital is a terminally ill patient.”
Yu Xiao hadn’t looked into that, but she had some inklings. “I have a vague idea.”
Luo Jin went on, “And did you know that everyone entering this hospital is under thirty-five years old?”
“Hmm?” Yu Xiao hummed, genuinely clueless. “Really?”
“All the patients I’ve met so far.”
Luo Jin was a veteran at the Fourth Hospital, and he surely knew more than Yu Xiao. She felt a surge of curiosity and anticipation, as she sensed he was about to reveal something important. She instinctively leaned forward, her posture alert.
“I’ve been here for several years now,” Luo Jin’s voice was grave. “I started as a clueless newbie, but I soon climbed to the top three on the stability scoreboard. Over the years, I’ve not only completed one treatment instance after another, but I’ve also tried to discover the truth about this place. Questions like why it exists, what it wants, and whether anyone can escape.”
She listened avidly, her eyes wide. “And did you find the answers?”
“Not exactly. It was all speculation, until I met someone from the First Hospital in one of the instances.”
“The First Hospital?” They were the pioneers, the first ones to enter this place.
“He told me that someone had left this place,” Luo Jin revealed. “Not by dying, but by truly, completely getting out.”
Yu Xiao gasped, incredulous. “How did they manage that?”
“I’m not certain,” Luo Jin admitted. “He said that this place is, in fact, a chance for young people who are doomed to die. If you collect enough time here, you can leave and live a normal life in the real world, just like a healthy person.”
“How… much time is enough time?”
Yu Xiao gripped her phone tightly, feeling the slickness of her own sweat on the metal case.
“Dunno.” Luo Jin hesitated for a moment and said, “But we reckon it’s around seventy years.”
“Why?”
“Seventy is already old, and death should be a normal thing for someone at that age.” Luo Jin explained, his tone tinged with confusion. “Of course, it’s just our speculation. After all, I don’t know anyone who’s left the hospital…”
Yu Xiao hung up the phone, feeling a heavy weight on her chest. Since arriving at the Sixth Hospital, she had not had much time to reflect. She had not wondered about the reason for this hospital’s existence or even entertained the idea of leaving.
All she desired was to earn more points, just to prolong her life a little.
Luo Jin’s words made her consider things she had never thought about before. Could they really escape this place? And after escaping, would they still have sufficient time to live like healthy people, ageing with dignity?
She lifted her hand, pulled up her sleeve, and saw that the timer on her wrist had halted, freezing at just over twenty days left.
Seventy years…
A lifetime of days, a multitude of points, a countless toll of deaths…
Yu Xiao felt her mind reel, but she grasped the enormity of this number. So immense that the hospital still stood, and new souls still wandered in, never to escape.
No matter, a sly grin twisted Yu Xiao’s lips.
She did not dread the challenge of amassing points; she dreaded the scarcity of chances. Survival was her only goal, regardless of the time it took, regardless of the ordeals she faced, she would not cower!
Yu Xiao returned to her ward, where Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen were enjoying their meal.
Zhou Xiao Zhen spotted her and waved cheerfully, “You’re back? Just in time, we’re having lunch.”
Yu Xiao did not bother to remove her white doctor’s coat, she simply pushed up her sleeves and joined them at the table.
Zhao Lan said, “Luo Jin’s package came. We didn’t send the talisman to them since you were away.”
“Alright,” Yu Xiao nodded, “I spoke to Luo Jin at St. Elizabeth earlier. He… shared some things with me.”
“Whmat’s goimng omn?” Zhou Xiao Zhen inquired, her words garbled by a mouthful of food.
“Let’s talk after we finish eating,” Yu Xiao decided to postpone the discussion until they had finished eating, lest it spoil their appetite and digestion.
She switched the topic, “Do any of you ever wonder what will happen after we leave?”
“Leave?” Zhou Xiao Zhen echoed, her eyes glazed over, “Leave where?”
“Leave this cursed place, the Sixth Hospital, and go back to the real world.”
☆ 43 Coin of Great Observation
With a chicken leg clamped in her chopsticks, Zhou Xiao Zhen listened to Yu Xiao’s words and felt her fingers slacken, and the succulent meat tumbled from her grasp. Zhao Lan, ever alert, snatched it with a bowl before it hit the floor.
“Smiley sis, you’re longing for home, aren’t you?” Zhou Xiao Zhen murmured, her face clouding over. “I feel the same. I miss Mum and Dad so much. Mum’s braised chicken legs are the best, nothing like this hospital slop. You miss your mum too, right?”
Yu Xiao paused, spearing a shred of potato with her chopstick and dropping it into her bowl. She answered with a bitter smile. “My mum left us and remarried when I was in junior high. I was stuck with my dad until he also remarried.”
Zhou Xiao Zhen bowed her head, biting her lip. She looked like a child who had said something wrong.
Zhao Lan, who had been devouring the chicken leg, wiped her mouth and asked, “Smiley, did Luo Jin tell you anything about leaving the hospital?”
“Yes,” Yu Xiao said, “But I thought I’d wait until you finished eating. I didn’t want to spoil your appetite with it.”
“Smiley sis, you’re too considerate,” Zhou Xiao Zhen said, eyeing the chicken leg in Zhao Lan’s bowl with envy. “The night I found out I had cancer, I still wolfed down a huge bowl of rice. Your news, however serious, can’t be worse than that.”
Yu Xiao realised she had underestimated them. These two friends were stronger than they looked.
She summarised the main points of Luo Jin’s words, then added, “I did a rough calculation. I’m twenty this year, and if I live until seventy, that’s still fifty years. That’s more than eighteen thousand days, which means I need over eighteen hundred points to make it.”
“Blimey.” Zhou Xiao Zhen whipped out her phone and tapped on the calculator. “If I can score seven points on average each time in the treatment instance, that means I have to run it at least three hundred times?”
“Bugger!” Zhou Xiao Zhen involuntarily threw her head back. “Is the mission that bloody hard? It’s not that I’m afraid of suffering, but I’m worried I’ll lose my appetite after running the instance dungeons to death. And that’s being hopeful. You know, most people don’t get titles after running instances. They only get the basic three points. So, the number of instance runs has to double…”
She shook her head, exclaiming, “This is too much. No wonder leaving the hospital is a myth.”
Zhao Lan shrugged, showing a relaxed attitude. “Actually, I don’t mind running three hundred instance dungeons. To survive and live healthily until seventy, I think the rewards are worth it. Besides, we don’t really have to complete three hundred instance runs.”
Zhou Xiao Zhen gaped at her, “What do you mean?”
“We’re in business now, aren’t we? Smiley’s talisman shop is up and running, and we’ve already made our first sale,” Zhao Lan grinned, “Precious, you said it yourself, making money through business is better than production.”
“Yeah, right.” Zhou Xiao Zhen swivelled her head, gazing at Yu Xiao with a pitiful look, “Smiley, can we leave soon? We’re depending on you~”
Yu Xiao felt a surge of pressure and began to calculate in her mind how many talismans she needed to sell to earn enough points. Sadly, her maths skills were poor, and after some calculations, the result was basically a lot.
“Drawing talismans, I’m fine with that,” Yu Xiao said. “I’m just concerned not many will buy, given the patients from the Sixth Hospital are still dirt poor.”
“Don’t fret about sales,” Zhao Lan’s eyes sparkled with assurance, exuding a vibe of social prowess. “We can sell talismans not only online but also in instances. You see, most of the people you meet in treatment instances are veterans from other hospitals, and they’ve got more points to spare than the Sixth Hospital patients, at any rate.”
“Smart,” Yu Xiao suddenly lamented, “Why did I choose the nickname ‘Deaf Descendant’? I should’ve gone with ‘Talisman Wholesale,’ right?”
Zhou Xiao Zhen proposed, “How about asking Luo Jin how to get a name change card?”
Yu Xiao wavered, “…”
Once life had a purpose, a person became full of drive.
Yu Xiao swiftly polished off the food in her bowl, wiped her mouth, and said, “Let’s inspect Luo Jin’s delivery and, while we’re at it, apply for tomorrow’s treatment.”
Zhou Xiao Zhen wiped her mouth as well, “Sure!”
“…” Observing the two spirited individuals as if infused with chicken blood, Zhao Lan quietly set down her bowl. Youthfulness sure brings vigour.
Luo Jin’s delivery was small, barely half the size of a palm, wrapped in a filthy and unsightly packaging. Yu Xiao ripped it open, disclosing a paper folded into a pentagram with words written on it.
“Wow” Zhou Xiao Zhen commented. “Luo Jin is quite dexterous with his hands; I can’t even fold a pentagram.”
“Neither can I,” Yu Xiao confessed.
Zhao Lan frowned, eyeing the pentagram with suspicion. “The pentagram is already so small, how tiny could the stuff inside be?” she wondered. “He said it’s an offensive prop? How can such a small prop attack?”
Yu Xiao shrugged, curious to see what Luo Jin had sent. “I don’t care, let’s just open it and see,” she said, carefully unfolding the pentagram, revealing what was inside—a coin that looked ancient and worn.
Yu Xiao picked it up, squinting at the faded characters on it. She could barely make out the words ‘Coin of Great Observation (大观通宝 Dàguān tōng bǎo).’
“Coin of Great Observation…” Zhou Xiao Zhen murmured, tilting her head. “When is this coin from? I only know about Tang Dynasty currency.”
Yu Xiao racked her brain, trying to remember her history lessons. She wrinkled her nose, thinking for a moment, and said, “I think it’s a coin from the Song Dynasty.”
Zhou Xiao Zhen held the small coin, puzzled by Luo Jin’s choice. “Isn’t it supposed to be a prop?” she asked. “Why did Luo Jin give you an antique?”
Yu Xiao gestured at the note that came with the coin, covered in tiny handwriting. “Look at what he wrote, and you’ll know why,” she said, picking up the note and reading it aloud.
“Coin of Great Observation, capable of fortune-telling. Face up for good luck; all ghosts and monsters within a radius of ten metres will suffer the torment of raging fire if they intend to harm you. Face down for bad luck; everyone within a radius of ten metres will harbour animosity towards you. Cooldown time, one hour.”
“…”
She stared at the note, speechless. Wasn’t the side effect of this thing a bit too extreme?
Zhou Xiao Zhen gazed at the coin with admiration, impressed by its description. “Cracking stuff, this,” she said. “It’s much better than my mahjong set, and the cooldown time is very short.”
Yu Xiao felt a twitch in her lip, unconvinced by the coin’s appeal. “But there’s a fifty-fifty chance it’s cursed, you know?”
Zhou Xiao Zhen shrugged, dismissing her concern. “What are you scared of?” she asked. “Don’t you remember your high luck score?”
Zhao Lan nodded, agreeing with Zhou Xiao Zhen. “Yeah, for others, this copper coin has its ups and downs, but for you, the ups outweigh the downs.”
Yu Xiao looked at her, feeling a pang of guilt. “But,” she said, “I was planning to give this item to you.”
Zhao Lan fell silent. She stared at the coin for a moment and said, “I don’t want to use it for now. Give it to me when my luck score gets better.”
Yu Xiao decided to keep the coin for herself, seeing how useful it could be. “Fair enough, then, it’s a pretty handy thing.” she said, slipping the Coin of Great Observation into her pocket. “Let’s apply for the next session.”
She was about to leave when Zhao Lan reminded her, “Aren’t you sending the talismans to Luo Jin?”
Yu Xiao almost forgot. She quickly mailed twenty talismans to Luo Jin and then gave him a call, “The courier’s on its way, make sure to check it, yeah?”
Luo Jin: “Okay.”
Yu Xiao: “Remember, if you ever need talismans again, be sure to look for me, alright?”
“Sure.” Luo Jin ended the call.
Ah, heartless man!
She rubbed her hands together, trying to cheer herself up. They had grown stronger now, so the treatment instance difficulty should be easier, right?
“Have a good rest tonight,” Yu Xiao declared eagerly. “Let’s face the future challenges with courage!”
She waited for a response, but none came. She looked at her friends, puzzled. “What’s wrong? Don’t you have courage?”
“We do have courage,” Zhou Xiao Zhen said. “It’s just a bit awkward, can’t shout it out.”
…
Yu Xiao had a lot of things to carry now. The copper coin and the talismans could fit in her pocket, but the sunglasses and the wig were more troublesome. She thought of finding a bag to hold them.
Zhao Lan disagreed, shaking her head. “We don’t know who we might run into. A backpack is too obvious; people will immediately suspect there’s something valuable inside.”
Yu Xiao frowned, holding the wig in her hand. “What should we do then?” she asked. “The sunglasses can squeeze into the pocket, but the wig is too big, can’t fit it in.”
Zhao Lan thought for a moment and said, “You can wear the wig on your head.”
*
*
ARC3 ☆Lolita Amusement Park
The next morning, the trio grabbed a bite to eat and entered the treatment instance promptly at eight.
As soon as they arrived, Yu Xiao was bombarded with noise and screams in the dark.
She opened her eyes to a world shrouded in shadows, as if a gloom had settled over everything, all because of the sunglasses she wore.
Besides Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen, there were others nearby—eight in total, she counted.
At that moment, five of the eight were staring at Yu Xiao, mesmerised by her striking appearance. The others were dressed in plain T-shirts and jeans, and some of them were bald. Yu Xiao, on the other hand, had thick, curly hair and a pair of sunglasses, giving her a cool look.
Yu Xiao recognized the place they were in: an amusement park.
In front of them was a carousel, and in the distance, she could see the towering tracks of a roller coaster, with people scattered all over. Adults and children alike laughed and ran around, enjoying the amusements. The sun in the sky was bright, and for a moment, Yu Xiao felt a wave of nostalgia, as if she had returned to the real world, walking through an amusement park.
“Oh my, the sunlight today is so dazzling~”
A coquettish voice came from nearby, and all eight heads turned to see a woman approaching from the direction of the pirate ship.
She wore an elaborate black Lolita-style dress, adorned with black lace gloves on her hands. Holding a beautiful umbrella and walking in high-heeled shoes, she gracefully swayed towards the group.
Yu Xiao gazed at her, transfixed, until she met those emerald eyes under the umbrella.
“Hello there,” the woman said, her bright red lips curving into a smile. “I’m your attending doctor, call me Lolita. Welcome to Lolita’s Amusement park.”
She admired Yu Xiao’s long curls, her eyes shining. “Your hair is stunning,” she said. “I adore it.”
“Thanks,” Yu Xiao said, returning the compliment. “Your outfit is fabulous too, I really like it.”
Lolita laughed, delighted, twirling her pretty umbrella. “You have a good eye,” she said. “Would you like to share my umbrella?”
Yu Xiao smiled, charmed by her offer. “Yes, please. Thank you very much.”
With that, she happily stepped under the umbrella.
The other patients watched the scene with a twitch in their eyes. The gal looked all delicate and dainty, but who would have thought she had the nerve to get close to even the attending doctor.
Some people wondered, maybe there’s something off with her brain?
“Come on, everyone, follow me~” Lolita and Yu Xiao sauntered ahead, under the umbrella, moving forward cheerfully.
“Lolita Amusement Park is the only theme park in the area, fully equipped with facilities, and it attracts a large number of visitors every day. To keep the patients in high spirits, the hospital organises group outings for them to come and play. However, today of all days, a fortune teller predicted that the amusement park will be engulfed in a massive fire in two days. Everyone inside, including the visitors, will be burned to death.”
Lolita spoke with a pained expression, looking pitiful. “So, we must leave this place within two days by catching the ambulance back to the hospital, okay?”
☆ 44 Miss, do you Want to Buy some Talismans?
With a feigned expression of concern, Yu Xiao spoke in a casual and gentle tone, “So, how do we get out of this amusement park?”
Lolita blinked her beautiful big eyes innocently, “It’s simple.” She smiled sweetly, “Just find the park’s entrance.”
Yu Xiao queried, “But where is the entrance?”
Lolita rolled her eyes playfully at her, “Oh, come on. I can’t just tell you, can I? That would spoil the fun.”
“Really?” Yu Xiao’s expression turned sad, “You complimented my hair, and I thought you liked me.” She pouted.
The people behind them shivered, feeling a coldness on their cheeks. What kind of creepy conversation was this? Why did it sound so wrong?
Lolita extended her right hand, gently running it from Yu Xiao’s cheek to her chin, “You’re quite amusing.” She whispered, “And your skin is really nice and tender.” She licked her lips, a hungry gleam in her eyes, “Seeing how good you are, I’ll give you a hint. Only those who have experienced all the attractions will know the right way.”
She giggled, as if she had let slip a secret. “Oops, I said too much.” She looked at Yu Xiao’s face eagerly, her eyes hungry. “As a payment, after you die, your hair and skin will be mine, okay?”
She sounded like she was asking for Yu Xiao’s consent, but her greedy expression showed she had already decided to take them.
With a soft sigh, Yu Xiao spoke in a low voice, “It’s not impossible, if you really want it. But there’s a custom in my hometown: after someone dies, they have to be soaked in the toilet for three days before being fished out for burial. If you don’t mind, you can wait for me to die and then come fish me out. And, oh, bury me while you’re at it.”
Lolita’s hand slid off Yu Xiao’s chin as she fell silent. A surge of anger flashed in her eyes. She hmphed, stamped her foot, and stormed away.
A collective sigh of relief escaped from the others after Lolita left. A man with a black mole on his face came closer, admiring. “Gal, you’ve got some nerve, talking to the attending doctor like that.”
Yu Xiao nudged her sunglasses, exposing a delicate and indifferent half of her face.
The man faltered, feeling a pang of awkwardness. He offered his name. “I’m Liu Fei (刘飞: a type of battle-axe / to kill to fly) from the Fifth Hospital.”
He gestured to a short guy and a dark-skinned man beside him, introducing them. “They’re my roommates. He’s Wu Chao (吴超: Wu to exceed / to overtake / to surpass), and he’s Zhang Yi (张毅: to open up / to spread firm and resolute / staunch).”
Yu Xiao’s mouth twitched slightly, her expression inscrutable to the others, but they sensed a hint of ruthlessness in her.
Zhao Lan emerged, announcing, “We’re from the Fourth Hospital. I’m Zhao Lan, and she’s Yu Xiao.”
Zhou Xiao Zhen leaped out, wrapping one arm around Yu Xiao’s shoulder and the other around Zhao Lan’s, declaring, “I’m Zhou Xiao Zhen.”
“You gals are from the Fourth Hospital?” Two short-haired girls on the edge of the crowd stepped forward, exclaiming, “Great, we’re from the Fourth Hospital too.”
With a crew cut that accentuated her lively features, the first girl introduced herself: “I’m Xie Meng Meng (谢萌萌: to thank / to apologise to sprout/cute/moe).”
The other girl, whose short hair barely reached her ears, seemed timid and reserved. She gave a slight nod and murmured, “I’m Qian Xin (钱欣: Coin Happy).”
Liu Fei surveyed the other groups, noticing that they were the only men among the ladies. A smug feeling crept into his chest, as if he had already assumed the role of the squad leader. However, his pride was short-lived, as he soon learned that everyone else in the ward belonged to the Fourth Hospital, and they were all his seniors. His ego deflated as quickly as it had inflated.
Xie Meng Meng was a friendly and amiable girl, as her name suggested. She radiated a charming aura that made her easy to like.
She spoke with a mature and confident voice, belying her cute appearance. “Now that we’re all acquainted, we’re teammates from now on,” she said. “You all heard what the attending doctor said earlier. Only those who’ve played all the games know the right path. The attending doctor may hide clues, but won’t provide false ones. So, I believe the correct route is hidden within the various game projects in the amusement park.”
Wu Chao, a short guy with a sour expression, crossed his arms and glared at Xie Meng Meng. “So, what’s your plan?” he asked.
Xie Meng Meng met his gaze calmly, without any trace of annoyance. She replied in a cordial tone, “I plan to try out one game first. We have eight people, so we can split into pairs and try different games. Of course, it’s not mandatory; I respect everyone’s opinions. But let me make something clear. Those who refuse to cooperate won’t get any information from us unless they bring useful information to exchange.”
She finished her speech with a smile and scanned everyone’s faces. “Any additional suggestions?”
A hand shot up in the air. “I!”
Xie Meng Meng turned her head and saw Yu Xiao waving her hand eagerly. “I want to know who’s teaming up with me?”
Xie Meng Meng flashed a grin and said, “Your ward has three people, and Liu Fei’s ward also has three people. How about you team up with one of the three from their group?”
Yu Xiao scowled and shook her head. “No way,” she said, sounding petulant. “I don’t want to team up with smelly guys.”
Liu Fei and his crew bristled at her words; their noses twitched with indignation. “We don’t want to team up with you either!”
Xie Meng Meng’s smile faded slightly and she looked at Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen. “How about one of you two team up with them?”
Zhou Xiao Zhen clutched Zhao Lan’s hand and shook her head vehemently. “No!” she exclaimed. “We two can’t be separated!”
“…”
After some more bickering and bargaining, they finally formed teams: Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen as one team, Wu Chao and Zhang Yi as another, Liu Fei and Qian Xin as the third, and Yu Xiao and Xie Meng Meng as the last.
…
Under the roller coaster, Yu Xiao and Xie Meng Meng stood side by side, gazing up at the towering structure.
The sun blazed mercilessly in the sky, indifferent to the impending horror. Yu Xiao, shielded by her sunglasses, looked up at the roller coaster without flinching. Xie Meng Meng, however, had to squint her eyes to endure the glare. Yu Xiao fixed her gaze on the rollercoaster at the starting point and asked, “Do you like watching movies?”
Xie Meng Meng blinked, startled by the question. “Are you asking me?”
“Who else?” Yu Xiao said, glancing around. “There’s no one else here.”
“I suppose so,” Xie Meng Meng said, shrugging. “I used to enjoy them, but it’s been ages since I last watched a movie.”
She meant to imply that she had been at the Fourth Hospital for a long time. But Yu Xiao didn’t catch the hint and went on, “Well, then you should know, in movies, roller coasters are a high-risk activity. Nine out of ten times, someone ends up dead.”
Xie Meng Meng: “…”
All of a sudden, a chorus of screams pierced the air as the rollercoaster sprang into motion.
The rollercoaster crept up to the highest point, then plunged down, accelerating rapidly. The riders above shrieked in terror as the coaster swayed back and forth. Then, it flipped completely upside down, and when the people on top were dangling with their heads down, it stopped abruptly.
As Yu Xiao surveyed her surroundings, the air was thick with an oblivious enthusiasm, as people laughed and chatted, ignorant of the tragedy that was about to unfold.
Xie Meng Meng furrowed her brow in concern. Under the watchful eyes of the two girls, the roller coaster resumed its mechanical dance.
However, as it kicked back into motion, necks suddenly snapped and heads were launched into the air in a grotesque ballet, blood raining down in a macabre display.
Reacting swiftly, Yu Xiao retreated, dragging the other girl with her, narrowly avoiding a downpour of blood that rained just in front of them.
Coming out of her daze, Xie Meng Meng moved closer to Yu Xiao.
“Splat, splat, splat…”
As they hit the ground like ripe watermelons, the impact resonated with a dull thud, revealing a horrifying combination of brain tissue and blood.
Multiple severed heads now lay scattered across the ground in pools of blood.
…
Soon after, the roller coaster returned, its seats occupied by a dozen headless torsos.
Observing this horrifying scene, Xie Meng Meng’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She turned to Yu Xiao and asked, “You’ve watched countless films; have any of them ever addressed what one should do in a situation like this?”
Yu Xiao stared at the roller coaster for a moment before responding, “Stay out of it.”
Xie Meng Meng stared at Yu Xiao, her eyes wide with shock. “What?”
Yu Xiao gave her a sly grin and leaned closer to her, whispering, “You heard me. If you don’t play, nothing bad will happen. That’s the rule in the movies, right?”
A bitter smile tugged at the corner of Xie Meng Meng’s mouth. That was hardly reassuring. She looked around, hoping to find a less risky alternative. She spotted the pirate ship in the distance, swinging back and forth. “How about we try something else? Like the pirate ship over there?” she suggested, pointing at the ride.
They left the roller coaster, but not before Yu Xiao cast a final glance behind her. She saw a staff member sweeping up the remains of the previous riders, tossing brain matter and bones into a bin. The other visitors seemed oblivious to the carnage, walking around as if nothing had happened.
They reached the pirate ship, where a few people were still boarding. A woman in a uniform approached them, waving her hand. “Only two spots left. Wanna hop on?” she asked, smiling.
Xie Meng Meng shook her head, declining the offer. “No, thanks. We’ll just watch from here,” she said.
The woman shrugged and moved on. The pirate ship started to sway, slowly at first, then faster and higher. At the highest point of the swing, something snapped. The seat belts and safety bars came undone, releasing the passengers into the air. They screamed as they flew around, like ingredients in a blender, spinning and crashing.
Airborne, the lucky ones gripped the safety bar with desperate strength, while the rest plunged back to the ship’s deck. The unluckiest ones soared through the air like discarded dolls, smashing into the ground with sickening thuds and splashes of blood.
When the pandemonium subsided, only one person remained on the pirate ship. A burly man, his knuckles white from clutching the safety bar, had somehow managed to avoid being hurled out.
Xie Meng Meng felt a cold sweat on her forehead and a wave of nausea washed over her. She didn’t need to check the other attractions to know that they were all deadly traps, waiting to claim their next victims.
What could they do? How could they survive this nightmare?
Xie Meng Meng had encountered many perils before, even being chased by ghosts and monsters. But these amusement park rides were not supernatural, and she had no clue how to deal with them.
She glanced at the girl next to her, who seemed calm and composed, as if unaffected by the horror.
“What are you thinking?” Xie Meng Meng asked.
Yu Xiao answered truthfully, “I’m thinking about which attractions in the amusement park allow free movement.”
“Did you find any?” Xie Meng Meng pressed.
“I did.” Yu Xiao spun around, pointing at a nearby building with a ghost-shaped entrance. “Haunted House.”
“…”
She shuddered at the thought of the haunted house. The earthly attractions were terrifying enough, but what if the ghosts in there were real? Imagine being trapped in a place where only the dead could see you. Xie Meng Meng felt her scalp prickle. “Are you mad? Do you have any idea what it’s like in there?”
Yu Xiao shrugged, unfazed. “They’re only ghosts,” she said. “Don’t you have talismans and props to deal with them?”
“I do, but how many ghosts are there?” Xie Meng Meng panicked. “There could be hundreds of them, and I don’t have enough talismans!”
Yu Xiao had been waiting for this opportunity. She leaned in closer to Xie Meng Meng, whispering in a mysterious tone, “Do you want to buy some talismans?”
“…What?” Xie Meng Meng blinked.
“Miss, do you want to buy some talismans? They’re very cheap, only three points each,” Yu Xiao gazed at Xie Meng Meng with intense eyes. Even through her sunglasses, Xie Meng Meng felt the pressure.
“You…” Xie Meng Meng felt ridiculous, so ridiculous that she wondered if she was going mad. “You sell talismans?”
“Yes.” Yu Xiao nodded eagerly, like a chicken pecking at seeds. “Are you interested in buying?”
☆ 45 The Sound of Mahjong in a Haunted House
Xie Meng Meng felt a tightness in her throat, as if something unspeakable was lodged there, refusing to budge.
(被梗住: Literally means “being choked by a stalk”, a slang term for being speechless or unable to respond to a joke or a situation.)
She glared at Yu Xiao for a long moment, before forcing out a sentence from the back of her throat, “You want me to go to the haunted house, just so you can sell me some talismans?”
Yu Xiao flinched, caught off guard by her accusation. But she quickly recovered her composure and resumed her sales pitch.
“No, no, I was only answering your question, that’s all.” She ignored Xie Meng Meng’s incredulous stare and produced a pile of talismans, “They’re a steal, only three points a pop, are you sure you don’t fancy a pair? This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, don’t let it slip away.”
(机不可失时不再来: A proverb that means “don’t miss this opportunity, it won’t come again”, often used by salespeople and swindlers to persuade customers to buy their products.)
“…”
Xie Meng Meng’s eyes bulged as she gazed at the thick pile in Yu Xiao’s hand. It took her a while to digest, and then she realised, this girl must be a master of drawing talismans!
“You…” Xie Meng Meng was about to say you’re selling them too cheap, but then she thought better of it, since she was a potential customer.
“What kind of talismans do you have?” Xie Meng Meng murmured.
“【The Thunder Striking Ghost Repelling Talisman 】 and 【Healing Crisis Talisman 】, those are the only ones I have for now.” Yu Xiao’s voice dropped even lower, as if not wanting others to overhear.
“I’ll take two… no, make it ten.” Xie Meng Meng whipped out her phone, she had to stock up on these cheap and handy talismans, they would serve her well later. And as Yu Xiao had put it, this was an opportunity not to be wasted.
They leaned in close, like spies exchanging secrets. Once the deal was done, Yu Xiao wondered, I didn’t do anything shady, why did I act so furtive?
Holding the talismans, Xie Meng Meng glanced at the haunted house again, she had splurged on so many talismans, and Yu Xiao had a stash of them, they should be able to breeze through the haunted house. But the snag was, she had barely got hold of the fresh-off-the-press talismans, and she had to part with them already?
Yu Xiao, who had a knack for sensing people’s thoughts, caught her quandary, and asked, “Are you itching to go to the haunted house?”
“Mm.” After the bizarre transaction, Xie Meng Meng warmed up to Yu Xiao, and said, “Even if we waltz out of the haunted house with the talismans, what about the rest of the rides? Lolita said we had to try them all to find the way out.”
Yu Xiao eyed the haunted house ahead, mulled it over, and said, “If you’re up for giving me ten points, I can guide you around.”
She blinked in confusion, “?”
Yu Xiao: “I promise you won’t need to use any talismans, and you’ll get out in one piece.”
Xie Meng Meng: “!!!”
She gaped at Yu Xiao, bewildered, as Yu Xiao rang Zhao Lan, “Hey, Misty, where are you lot?”
“We were at the carousel, but it turned out to be a bloody mess, so we moved to the pirate ship.” Zhao Lan said, “We’re about to get on, do you want something?”
“Nah, you carry on, I’ll catch up with you.” After hanging up, Yu Xiao said to Xie Meng Meng, “Come on, let’s go find my gals first.”
They backtracked, and soon reached the pirate ship.
The pirate ship had just begun, and everything seemed peaceful and normal, but Xie Meng Meng sensed that a gruesome slaughter was imminent.
She narrowed her eyes for a bit, then her face shifted, pointing at the pirate ship, “Are those two up there your friends?”
“Yeah, they are.” Yu Xiao nodded, “I came here to look for them.”
The pirate ship loomed over Xie Meng Meng like a monstrous beast, ready to devour her. She glanced at Yu Xiao, who seemed as serene and unruffled as a lotus flower on a pond. How could she be so calm, when her two friends were on that death trap? Xie Meng Meng wondered, feeling a surge of panic.
Without warning, the pirate ship lurched and tilted, sending the tourists on it into a frenzy of screams. Sparks flew from the safety devices, and Xie Meng Meng saw people being flung out of their seats, falling into the abyss below.
She gasped, and her eyes searched for Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen, the two girls who were Yu Xiao’s friends. To her astonishment, she saw them sitting on the pirate ship, as relaxed and composed as if they were on a park bench. Zhao Lan held the safety bar with one hand, and Zhou Xiao Zhen with the other. Her face was expressionless, and her body exuded a sense of ease and grace. She did not flinch, even as the pirate ship swung wildly, and the tourists around her became airborne.
The nightmare lasted for a few seconds, and then the pirate ship came to a halt. There were only two survivors on it.
Zhao Lan gently helped Zhou Xiao Zhen, who looked a bit queasy, to get off the ride. They walked towards Yu Xiao, ignoring the angry glares of the staff.
“Smiley, are you done over there?” Zhao Lan asked.
“Not yet.” Yu Xiao replied. “I want to ask you for a favour.”
Zhou Xiao Zhen perked up, and smiled brightly. “Smiley still needs our help? Great, come on, let’s go!”
Xie Meng Meng felt numb, as if she had been injected with a paralysing drug. She was dragged along by Yu Xiao, who held her hand firmly. She remembered the key point. “Did you see the route out when you were up there?” she asked.
“We did.” Zhao Lan said. “We saw a number 8 under the seat.”
“Eight?” Xie Meng Meng repeated. “Didn’t we need a way out? Why is it a number?”
“I don’t know.” Zhao Lan shrugged. “Maybe it’s a kind of clue, where are we going next? Let’s go and see.”
Yu Xiao said: “The haunted house.”
“Wow.” Zhou Xiao Zhen exclaimed. “I was just saying with Misty, the haunted house must be the most dangerous ride of all? Of course, I’m not saying that Misty can’t make it, it’s just that it might cost some talismans.”
Yu Xiao gave Xie Meng Meng a reassuring look. “Don’t fret, I’ve already thought of a way to save the talismans.” She added, with a hint of mischief in her voice, “Ten points, eh, no backing out, eh.”
“…Alright.” Xie Meng Meng felt a surge of curiosity and apprehension. I want to see what you can do, she thought to herself. She nodded reluctantly. “Ten points it is, I won’t back out.”
Yu Xiao beamed joyfully, and she tucked her sunglasses into her pocket. She led the three of them to the car rental place, where she hired a four-seater car for getting around the amusement park. She beckoned everyone to get on, and drove the car with a gentle breeze to the haunted house entrance.
The haunted house was deserted, as if no one dared to enter. The gloomy gate loomed over them, with a ghastly ghost head on top. It seemed to taunt them, if you’re not afraid of death, come in.
Xie Meng Meng shivered, and felt a pang of regret. She was about to propose that they check out some other rides instead, when Yu Xiao parked the car, and started to stick a circle of talismans on the car.
So that’s how it is, Xie Meng Meng realised, so it still depends on the talismans. She counted them silently, and saw that there were at least a dozen of them. Even if they only sold for three points each, it would cost more than thirty points, and she only spent ten points to go through the haunted house. It turned out she made a profit.
Yu Xiao climbed back into the car, after sticking the talismans. She set the car’s route, and drove straight into the haunted house, without any hesitation.
As soon as they entered, the four of them sensed something was wrong. It was like winter inside, cold enough to make their skin prickle. Everywhere was dark, and they could only see a few metres around them. Beyond that, it was pitch black, and it seemed like there were unspeakably horrible things hiding in those darknesses.
Yu Xiao scanned the surroundings, after she came in. Xie Meng Meng whispered nervously, “I feel like there’s something getting closer.”
“Really?”
“Really!” Xie Meng Meng was on the verge of tears. “I used a Spirit Card (灵感卡) once. It boosted my spirituality and made me more attuned to ghosts than normal people.”
Her fear grew as she spoke. “So many… too many. We need to get out of here. These talismans are not enough…”
Just as she was about to jump out of the car and flee, Yu Xiao turned to Zhou Xiao Zhen and said, “Use your mahjong.”
Zhou Xiao Zhen blinked. “The four of us?”
“Yes.”
A look of comprehension crossed Zhou Xiao Zhen’s face, and she opened the mahjong box with a flourish. “Let’s play a round!”
Xie Meng Meng had always been curious about the box in Zhou Xiao Zhen’s hand. She knew it was a prop, but she didn’t know what kind of prop until the girl opened the box, revealing the tidy rows of mahjong tiles inside.
Mahjong?!
Xie Meng Meng was flabbergasted. Why would it be mahjong? And even if it was mahjong, why would you bring it out at this time?
But then she felt a strange compulsion. Without thinking, she reached for the mahjong tiles and began to shuffle them…
From the depths of the darkness, shadows crept out, too numerous and twisted to describe. They slithered towards the car, where Xie Meng Meng sat, frozen with fear. She shut her eyes, hoping to block out the nightmare.
But once the shadows reached the car, they were powerless. They couldn’t harm the people inside because they were shielded by the mahjong tiles they were playing with. The car couldn’t be stopped either, as it was covered in talismans.
Thus, a bizarre scene unfolded in the gloomy and terrifying haunted house. The indescribable ghostly figures encircled and trailed behind the car. It moved smoothly, accompanied by odd sounds.
“Four biscuits!” 
“Get rich!” 
“I gang!” (我杠: a term used in mahjong to indicate that the player has four identical tiles, which can be either concealed or exposed.)
“…”
They drew closer and closer to the exit, until they caught a glimpse of the light streaming in from outside. The moment Xie Meng Meng saw the sunlight shining through the gate, tears spilled from her eyes.
Her spirituality was stronger than that of normal people, allowing her to sense the horror of the haunted house more keenly. The oppressive feeling that surrounded her made it difficult to breathe. She could sense the presence of terrible ghosts lurking inside. Helpless, she even had to play mahjong while shivering.
Finally, the car emerged from the haunted house and reached the sunny outside.
The mahjong game was coming to an end, and Yu Xiao glanced at the mahjong tile in her hand, asking, “Who should we choose for the punishment?”
Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen exchanged silent glances, focusing on Xie Meng Meng, who was crying her eyes out. A sudden shiver ran down her spine as she noticed everyone staring at her.
“Why are you all gazing at me?” Xie Meng Meng rasped, sensing their hostile intentions.
After all, she had paid points for them, and Yu Xiao felt guilty about targeting Xie Meng Meng with lightning. She suggested, “Or you can just zap me instead.”
“Alternatively, we could postpone it,” Zhou Xiao Zhen proposed. “Since my mahjong tiles have levelled up, we can delay the penalty as long as we choose the target within twenty-four hours.”
“Let’s postpone it then,” Zhao Lan agreed. “You can zap me later if you want.”
“In that case, I can win now,” Zhou Xiao Zhen declared. “I just drew a tile that allows me to win.”
Yu Xiao responded, “Go ahead, go ahead.”
“I win with a pure suit!” Zhou Xiao Zhen laid out her tiles, “Heh heh, I’ve won.”
Xie Meng Meng had been clueless about their words the whole time, and then she realised she could move her limbs. She hopped off the car and stood in the sunlight, glancing back at the haunted house. Through the exit, she glimpsed the darkness within the ghost-ridden place. She still couldn’t wrap her head around it, she had escaped like this? Just by playing a round of mahjong?
She lowered her head, and saw the three weird girls squatting on the ground, peeling off the talismans on the car.
The girl who carried mahjong with her said, “Let’s hit the roller coaster, I’ve been dying to go on one for ages, I want to have some fun…”
☆ 46 Makeover makeover!
Roller coaster…
A dozen heads soared through the air… Xie Meng Meng’s mind was filled with a ghastly flashbacks. She glanced at Yu Xiao with a desperate plea, hoping she would put an end to this madness.
“Come on then.” Yu Xiao stuffed the talismans in her pocket, and leaned on the car. “This little car is quite nifty, I’ll take you there.”
Xie Meng Meng: “…”
She couldn’t recall how she had gotten into the car, and before she knew it, they were nearly at the roller coaster. Yu Xiao was engaged in conversation with the others, casually describing the horrifying sight they had witnessed on the ride where a bunch of headless corpses had neatly returned to the starting point.
“Wow.” Zhou Xiao Zhen gasped in awe, “That’s so thrilling.”
Hearing this remark, Xie Meng Meng rubbed her forehead, wondering if she had misheard. Was this situation thrilling? Wasn’t it horrifying?
The one who seemed a bit more sensible, Zhao Lan, said, “Smiley, do you have any clue what caused it?”
“It has to be ghosts.” Yu Xiao said, “When the roller coaster stopped halfway, I saw the people on top staring in one direction with terror, they must have spotted something.”
“It’s fine if it’s ghosts.” Zhou Xiao Zhen said, “I’m afraid it’s like something from Conan*, where there’s a fishing line wrapped around the track, and it slices off people’s heads.”
(*He is the protagonist of the popular detective manga and anime series Detective Conan (also known as Case Closed), where he solves various mysteries and crimes.)
It’s fine if it’s ghosts…
Xie Meng Meng drew deep breaths, feeling her heart strain under the weight of this conversation. She couldn’t bear to listen to their insane chatter any longer.
“Um…” She had to cut them off, “I didn’t see anything in the haunted house, did you see any clues?”
Zhou Xiao Zhen gave her a puzzled look, “You didn’t see it?” She pointed upwards, “Right above our heads, there was a massive number 4, how could you miss such a huge character?”
“…” Xie Meng Meng bit her lip, feeling wronged. She wanted to explain, it was pitch-black, she was terrified, and she had to muster some energy to play mahjong, who had the time to look up? But when she faced the three people in front of her, she couldn’t utter these words, because they all saw it.
“The clues are all numbers.” Zhao Lan mused, and turned to Yu Xiao, “Smiley, what do you think this means?”
Yu Xiao shrugged, “I’m not sure yet, but as long as we can get all the clues, the answer should be obvious.”
That was their only hope for now.
At that moment, Zhou Xiao Zhen suddenly pointed ahead and said, “Look!”
The three of them gazed as the roller coaster zoomed by, flinging another dozen severed heads into the air.
Zhou Xiao Zhen muttered, “Every bloody day, how many heads are going to drop off?”
“Ah.” Zhao Lan exhaled, she loathed seeing this kind of spectacle, but tragically she had grown accustomed to it, “We ought to figure out how to get through the roller coaster safely.”
The car pulled up next to the ice cream shop, Zhou Xiao Zhen treated everyone to an ice cream, and the four of them lounged under the umbrella licking their frozen treats.
Xie Meng Meng gazed up at the roller coaster with a gloomy expression, when Yu Xiao suddenly addressed her, “Missy.”
“Hmm?” Xie Meng Meng turned her head and met Yu Xiao’s face, which was feigning cuteness but betraying excitement, and she felt a sinking feeling, “Uh…”
“Missy, your friend hasn’t played any of the attractions yet, right?” Yu Xiao blinked, “Does she need to buy talismans?”
Xie Meng Meng: “…”
“Yeah, yeah.” Zhou Xiao Zhen also recalled their main objective of coming to the treatment instance, which was to earn as many points as possible, “If she also wants us to help her play through an attraction, we only charge 10 points.”
Xie Meng Meng: “…”
“10 points is just the price for one person.” Zhao Lan chimed in, “If her teammate, that bloke who talks a lot, also wants to go, we have to charge him 10 points too.”
Xie Meng Meng: “…”
Yu Xiao gazed at her with anticipation, “Why don’t you give her a ring?” She suggested, “Ask her to come and join us, yeah?”
A wave of nausea swept over Xie Meng Meng, and she felt dizzy and bewildered as she dialled Qian Xin’s number.
…
After the call ended, she clutched her phone and groaned to the sky, what the hell am I doing? Why do I follow their every whim?
*
*
Qian Xin and Liu Fei were gawking at the bungee jump, when her phone buzzed. They had witnessed several groups of people plummet to their deaths on the attraction, but the queue was still endless.
The bungee jump was not their first choice, they had wanted to try the giant pendulum, but that was even more horrifying. Qian Xin watched in a daze as the staff hauled away the bloody and mangled corpses from the bungee jump, while the other visitors seemed oblivious, and eagerly took their places.
“Hey!” Liu Fei nudged Qian Xin’s shoulder gently, “Your phone is buzzing.”
“Huh? Oh!” Qian Xin snapped out of her trance, and answered the phone hastily, “Hello, Meng Meng, I… go find you? Where are you? Roller coaster… OK.”
“What’s up?” Liu Fei asked.
“Meng Meng wants us to join her at the roller coaster.” Qian Xin’s brow furrowed as she relayed the message. “Something’s wrong with her, I can tell. I have to go and see for myself.”
Liu Fei shrugged and followed her. He had no interest in any of the attractions, they all made his stomach churn and his palms sweat. He preferred to watch from a safe distance, or better yet, not watch at all.
They had to cross the park to reach the roller coaster, passing by the bungee jump that loomed over them like a giant spider web. Liu Fei shuddered at the sight of people hurling themselves into the air, screaming and laughing to their deaths. How could anyone enjoy that?
By the time they arrived at the roller coaster, Yu Xiao and her friends had polished off their ice cream cones and were lounging on a bench. Qian Xin spotted Meng Meng among them and dashed towards her, calling out her name.
Liu Fei’s eyes fell on Yu Xiao, who was languidly leaning against Zhao Lan’s shoulder with a smug smile. She had removed her magic glasses, but Liu Fei still detested her.
Qian Xin plopped down next to Meng Meng, her face etched with concern. “What’s going on, Meng Meng? You sound terrible. You haven’t tried any of the attractions yet, have you? I haven’t either, they’re too bloody terrifying…”
She was cut off by Meng Meng’s grimace, as if she had swallowed something bitter. Her voice was laced with irony. “We’ve already done two attractions, actually.”
Qian Xin’s mouth dropped open. She stared at Meng Meng in disbelief. “…I didn’t have the guts to…what?!” She shook her head, thinking she had misheard. “You said what?”
Xie Meng Meng gave her a helpless look. “Our two teams, we’ve already done two attractions. The pirate ship and the haunted house.”
“…”
The silence stretched on, until Liu Fei broke it with a disbelieving question. “No way? You’re kidding me, right? You’ve already found the clues?”
“Mm-hmm.” Xie Meng Meng bobbed her head, “We have. The pirate ship and the haunted house both had clues for us.”
“This…” Liu Fei goggled at them, “How on earth did you manage that?”
“Well…” Xie Meng Meng pondered for a bit and said, “It’s no use explaining, you wouldn’t be able to do it anyway. They wanted me to bring you over.”
She didn’t bother to elaborate, just told him the plain truth.
Qian Xin followed her gaze and saw Yu Xiao and her friends, their faces radiant with smiles, their eyes warm and inviting.
“You?” Qian Xin said, “What are you after from us?”
Zhou Xiao Zhen leaned forward, her eyes gleaming with excitement. “How about the roller coaster? For a mere 10 points, we’ll take you up there and ensure you come down in one piece, unscathed and exhilarated.”
“What are you babbling about?” Liu Fei felt like he was facing three nutters, “How can you promise that?”
Zhou Xiao Zhen jabbed her finger at Xie Meng Meng, who was slumped on the chair, pale and trembling. “If you don’t trust us, ask her. “
Liu Fei and Qian Xin turned their heads in unison.
Xie Meng Meng lifted her eyelids with effort and gave a few heavy nods. “They can guarantee it,” she croaked. “I had to pay 10 points to escape from the haunted house. It was hell in there.”
Qian Xin gasped.
She and Xie Meng Meng had been friends since childhood. Xie Meng Meng would never lie to her, especially not about something like this. So how could it be possible? How could these three strangers, who looked so ordinary and harmless, have such power and influence over the game? How could they ensure not only their own survival, but also anyone else’s, in the most horrific and dangerous attractions? What the hell were they…
“Do you want to try?” Yu Xiao interrupted her thoughts, fixing her with a piercing gaze. She smiled, but it was not a friendly smile. It was a predatory smile, full of challenge and temptation. “Only 10 points, oh. A bargain, really. You won’t regret it.”
Qian Xin felt a lump in her throat. She needed some time to think.
Yu Xiao shifted her attention to Liu Fei, who was standing next to Qian Xin, his face a mask of indecision. “Do you want to try?” she repeated, her voice low and seductive. “Don’t you want to feel the thrill, the adrenaline, the freedom?”
Liu Fei glanced at the huge roller coaster track that loomed over them, a twisted metal snake that promised only death and terror. He swallowed hard. “How can you guarantee I’ll be fine?” he asked, his voice cracking slightly.
“I’ll go with you,” Yu Xiao said, as if that was enough to reassure him. “I won’t joke about my own safety. I value my life too much. Can you trust us now?”
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a dozen talismans, paper charms with intricate symbols and patterns. She waved them in front of Liu Fei’s face, making them flutter like butterflies. “Oh, by the way,” she added casually. “Want to buy some talismans? Cheap, yeah.”
…
Liu Fei clutched the ten talismans in his hand, feeling a wave of confusion wash over him. He had come here with a clear goal: to complete the mission and earn points. How had he been persuaded to part with 30 points in exchange for these paper charms?
He glared at the long-haired woman who had sold them to him. He had despised her from the moment he saw her, with her smug smile and her piercing eyes. Why had he fallen for her tricks?
Yu Xiao, meanwhile, was ecstatic as she checked her own points. She felt a surge of hope and excitement. She was almost there. She could leave this hellish place soon.
“Thank you, guys.” She said with genuine gratitude. “You’ve been very generous. Come again next time.”
Next time…
Xie Meng Meng rubbed her face, trying to erase the traces of fear and exhaustion. She looked at Yu Xiao with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. “Can you tell us now, how are we supposed to get past the roller coaster?”
Yu Xiao held up a finger and said, “The first method, you’ve seen it for yourselves, right? The roller coaster stops halfway through, and then starts again. That’s when the tourists’ heads drop like ripe fruits. I think there’s a ghost on the track, messing with the ride. So we can kill the ghost when the car stops, and then we can come back safely.”
“But that’s not a sure thing.” Liu Fei objected. “You don’t know if there’s really a ghost up there, or if you can kill it.”
“That’s true.” Yu Xiao admitted. “So I have a second method. After we get on the car, we’ll probably see the clue. It’s hidden somewhere on the ride. Then we don’t ride the car back, but jump off when it stops. That way we can avoid losing our heads.”
Liu Fei felt a surge of panic and anger as he heard her words. “Are you taking a piss?” He shouted. “The track is bloody high, we’d be dead if we jumped off!”
Yu Xiao rolled her eyes and waved her hand dismissively. “That’s why you need to plan ahead, duh. I spotted some parachutes on sale in the amusement park.” She said. “And I’ve got loads of emergency healing talismans here, so you won’t have to fret about getting injured.”
Xie Meng Meng dabbed the sweat from her forehead and said, “Can’t we do something less dangerous?”
Yu Xiao shrugged and sighed. “We could, but it’s a pain in the arse.”
Xie Meng Meng, Qian Xin, and Liu Fei leaned in eagerly. “Tell us!”
Yu Xiao: “Let’s destroy the roller coaster~”
“…”
The three of them gaped at her, speechless, as if they had seen a Martian.
Zhao Lan shook her head. “That’s too much hassle.”
Zhou Xiao Zhen, on the other hand, was thrilled. “Wow, I love that idea.” She clapped her hands. “Let’s go with the third method!”
Zhao Lan frowned with worry. “Wouldn’t the attending doctor kick up a fuss about that?”
Yu Xiao snorted and shook her head. “Doubt it.” She said, remembering the two attending doctors she knew. “Don’t they not give a shit about anything?”
The others: “…”
☆ 47 Lolita snapped!
They were speechless. They knew the attending doctors were often careless and indifferent bastards, but surely they would step in if something went horribly wrong, right? And if the attending doctor ever got involved, that meant things had gone beyond serious, right?
They all fell silent as Yu Xiao contemplated the different scenarios. She suggested, “How about we try one method at a time, starting with the third one. What do you think?”
“…Not us… Never mind.” Xie Meng Meng had given up thinking. She asked, “How do you plan to destroy the roller coaster?”
She looked up at the massive roller coaster track, a twisted metal snake looming above them. “What are you going to use to destroy it?”
“Yeah.” Zhou Xiao Zhen was also curious. “Smiley sis, what’s your plan?”
Yu Xiao did have a plan, but she didn’t have the right tools. St. Elizabeth had some tools, but did she really want to make the long trip there?
“The track is difficult to destroy, but the car isn’t, right?” Yu Xiao said. “Let’s go and check out the car first.”
By this point, several visitors had already boarded the roller coaster, and others were preparing to do the same. They didn’t know what these visitors were made of, but they were willingly rushing towards their deaths.
As Yu Xiao and the others climbed up the stairs, they noticed that the visitors around them looked like regular visitors. Some were snacking, some were laughing and joking, some were whispering, and some were talking on their phones. They seemed completely normal, except for the fact that they were behaving as if they didn’t notice the corpses and blood. Otherwise, they could pass as genuine visitors.
“…”
The staff member’s voice cut through the air, urging Yu Xiao and the others to hurry up. “Get on the ride if you’re brave enough.” She gestured to the box. “Put your belongings in here.”
Yu Xiao swivelled her head to face the staff member. A young woman in a baseball cap, clutching a storage box. She could have passed for a normal staff member, if not for the pallor of her skin and the hungry gleam in her eyes as she scanned them.
“What are you waiting for? There’s plenty of space.” The woman sauntered over, her eyes bright with anticipation. “Come on, it’s a blast.”
Yu Xiao eyed the woman, her hand slipping into her pocket.
The woman tilted her head, intrigued by her movement. Yu Xiao pulled out her hand, revealing a stack of yellow paper. With a flick of her wrist, the paper fanned out.
The woman: “…”
“Misty.” Yu Xiao called out. “You drag the people off the car, and then give the roller coaster a thorough check.”
Xie Meng Meng and the others hadn’t reacted yet. They were still stunned by Yu Xiao’s bold move. Zhao Lan complied and walked over. She stretched out her hands, grabbing one person by the shoulder with each hand. She lifted them up easily, as if they weighed nothing.
“Ah!!!”
The visitors screamed in panic, as they felt themselves being lifted off their seats.
“What are you doing?”
“Let me go!”
Zhao Lan flung them forward, and the visitors soared out like two rag dolls. Then Zhao Lan fixed her gaze on the other people on the car, who were quivering with dread. She spoke calmly, “Do you want to get off by yourselves, or do you need my help?”
The visitors’ screams pierced the air as they fled from the ride. Zhou Xiao Zhen sighed in awe. “Misty is really…getting more and more badass. I’d be happy if my future boyfriend had half of her badassery.”
“What are you doing?!” The woman, who was too scared to come near because of the talisman, raged impotently. “This is illegal!”
Yu Xiao shot her a withering look, and the woman’s voice faltered. “…Threatening the staff is also illegal.”
The visitors were all chased away, and the others pounced on the roller coaster, examining it inside and out.
“Nothing to see here.”
Xie Meng Meng eyed the track nervously. “The clue should be on the track.”
“I know.” Yu Xiao said. “We’ll deal with the track later. Let’s push the roller coaster down first.”
“Okay.” Zhao Lan agreed, and with a grunt, she hoisted up half of the heavy roller coaster.
Xie Meng Meng and the others gaped. How many strength cards did she use? That was freakishly strong.
The staff were sobbing. “You can’t do this, this is too much, I hate you…”
Just as Zhao Lan had toppled the roller coaster over, a cold voice cut through the air.
“What are you doing?”
The sound of high heels clicking on the ground made them shudder. They looked over in fear, and saw Lolita folding her umbrella, her pretty face icy as she walked up the stairs.
Lolita reached them, and her emerald eyes regarded them emotionlessly. “What are you doing?”
“We’re planning to destroy the roller coaster.” Yu Xiao replied simply.
She dared to speak to the attending doctor in such a manner, the insolence of it. Xie Meng Meng and the others shivered, awed by her audacity.
Lolita regarded Yu Xiao with a mocking smile. “Are you itching to donate your hair and skin to me?”
Yu Xiao frowned, baffled by her words. “What are you talking about? Who said we can’t damage the entertainment facilities here?”
Lolita recoiled, her eyes blazing with anger. “I did, and that’s final!”
“By what authority?” Yu Xiao challenged. “Which hospital rule or regulation prohibits us from wrecking the amusement park’s facilities?”
The hospital had no such rule or regulation, so Lolita’s expression contorted with fury. She sauntered over and caressed Yu Xiao’s neck with her hand, her voice dripping with malice. “Are you hard of hearing? I said, I forbid it!”
Yu Xiao snorted.
Lolita gasped, then seethed. “Do you have a death wish? I’ll happily oblige…”
“Misty.” Yu Xiao stared at Lolita defiantly. “Call the medical dispute office, and tell them that Lolita Amusement Park had a serious case of the attending doctor threatening the patient with death.”
“Okay.” Zhao Lan whipped out her phone and said. “Sure.”
“Stop that call!” Lolita shrieked. “Do you want to be trapped here forever?”
Yu Xiao spoke in a soothing voice, “Stay calm, stay calm. The world is beautiful, yet you are so irritable.”
She gently touched Lolita’s cheek.
A shiver ran through her as she made contact with the attending doctor’s skin for the first time, feeling its cold and lifeless texture. The attending doctors looked deceptively similar to ordinary people, but they were far from human.
“You don’t look pretty like this. Look at yourself.”
To her surprise, Lolita’s anger faded at her words, and she even looked at Yu Xiao with a hint of doubt. “Am I really not pretty anymore?”
“You’re still pretty, as long as you behave and don’t lose your temper.”
Lolita nodded, but then her face twisted into a snarl. “If I eat you, I won’t lose my temper anymore.”
“Oh my, how scary!” Yu Xiao exclaimed, pretending to be terrified. She quickly pulled her hand away from Lolita’s and stumbled in the opposite direction from her to Zhao Lan. “Don’t eat me…”
She hurried over to Zhao Lan’s side and ‘accidentally’ bumped into the side of the roller coaster with her rear end with all her strength.
“Bang…”
The roller coaster lost its balance and crashed from the platform with a loud clang.
It smashed into the ground, and with a thunderous boom, it left a small crater in the earth.
“…”
The scene left everyone speechless. Not only the six patients, but also Lolita and the staff, were dumbstruck for a long time.
Silence stretched for three whole minutes as everyone’s eyes turned to the culprit.
Yu Xiao stood in a corner, nibbling on her fingertip, appearing bewildered. “I didn’t mean to do it…”
“Arghhhhh!!!!”
Lolita snapped!
Yu Xiao barely had time to murmur a few words in Zhou Xiao Zhen’s ear before Lolita seized her by the shoulders.
Lolita gripped Yu Xiao’s shoulders, transforming from her former elegant self into a creature consumed by madness. Her once verdant green eyes now blazed a furious blood-red, and her mouth, grotesquely torn from ear to ear, emitted a snarl.
With feral intensity, she held onto Yu Xiao’s shoulders, her grip unyielding.
“I’m going to eat you… I have to eat you…”
Yu Xiao made no attempt to resist, instead embracing Lolita and wrapping her arms around Lolita’s waist.
Xie Mengmeng and the others gasped, their eyes nearly bulging from shock.
Yu Xiao clung tightly to Lolita, resting her head on Lolita’s chest. “I’m sorry, it wasn’t intentional! Please forgive me. You’re so beautiful, don’t let me ruin that…”
Lolita had already lost her sanity. Her hands tightly grasped Yu Xiao’s shoulders, slowly but surely breaking her apart.
Without warning, a jagged streak of lightning tore through the air above them, aiming straight for Yu Xiao’s skull. She had buried her face in Lolita’s bosom, seeking comfort from the horror around them.
Lolita caught a glimpse of the deadly flash and struggled to push her away, leaning forward slightly.
But it was too late. The lightning found its mark…
“Boom!!”
Xie Meng Meng and her two companions, who had already witnessed more than they could bear, felt a new surge of shock. What kind of twisted fate was this? Why did the lightning strike the attending doctor?
Lolita was also frozen by the blast. She was certain that no one had used any of the strange gadgets or charms, so how did this lightning come to be?
Yu Xiao seized the opportunity and shoved Lolita aside, yelling, “Run for it!”
Zhou Xiao Zhen and Zhao Lan sprang into action, following Yu Xiao like a whirlwind.
Xie Meng Meng and her two companions snapped out of their stupor and ran after them.
By the time Lolita could move again, Yu Xiao and her friends had vanished from sight. Not only she, but the other three had also lost sight of them.
As he ran, Liu Fei gasped, “I’ve bloody seen it all today…”
Qian Xin’s mind was in turmoil, “Where did they disappear to? Where are we heading?”
“Doesn’t matter…” Xie Meng Meng muttered, unable to articulate her emotions, “Just run.”
*
*
Yu Xiao and her two friends had a plan, though. They had also grabbed some parachutes on their way.
Zhou Xiao Zhen slung a parachute pack over her shoulder and asked, “What if Lolita tracks us down?”
“Don’t panic.” Yu Xiao sounded cool as a cucumber, “If things get really bad, I’ll just reveal my identity.”
Zhao Lan frowned, “What identity?”
“I’m the director of St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, didn’t you know? I’m her co-worker, she wouldn’t dare to kill a colleague.” Yu Xiao explained as she ran.
“How can you be sure she wouldn’t?” Zhao Lan remembered Lolita’s face, “She doesn’t seem very stable.”
“How can I be sure? If the attending doctor had the power to kill me, then Lolita certainly wouldn’t be the one who hates me the most, would she?” Yu Xiao was very realistic, “If George had the chance to kill me, he would have taken it long ago, why would he wait so long?”
Zhao Lan couldn’t argue with that logic.
“Where are we running to then?” Zhou Xiao Zhen wondered, “I feel like the whole amusement park is under Lolita’s control.”
“Let’s fool her” Yu Xiao suggested, “Run a big loop and then go back to the roller coaster, we’ll climb onto the track.”
“Nice one.” Zhou Xiao Zhen complimented, “Lolita will probably be steaming mad by now, won’t she?”
☆ 48 We ought to love and uplift one another!
Smoke billowed from Lolita’s head, but it wasn’t a sign of anger; she had been struck by a stray bolt of lightning.
The smokey ghost stood motionless in her spot, her once magnificent golden curls now reduced to a charred and tangled mess. She felt no pain or shock; somehow, her body had managed to avoid any serious injury. She was simply questioning her very existence.
How had she, a highly respected and feared attending doctor with many years of experience, fallen to such a miserable state?
Lolita gritted her teeth and muttered, “That wretched woman.” She no longer cared about her fair hair or smooth skin; she would tear that wench apart until there was nothing left!
The furious woman spun around, her legs propelling her forward. With a speed that rivalled a car, she sprinted after Yu Xiao’s fleeing figure.
Yu Xiao had taken a longer route, but she and her allies had the advantage of stamina cards. They could run almost endlessly. Finally, after covering a great distance, she approached the roller coaster from a different angle. She surveyed the area and saw no sign of Lolita.
A wave of relief washed over her, and she quickened her pace, leading the others back to their original location.
They looked up at the towering and intricate roller coaster track, which loomed over them like a metallic beast.
Zhao Lan furrowed her brow. “Are you sure you want to go up there?”
“Yep,” Yu Xiao nodded. “Trust me, I’ve got this. I’ve used two stamina cards, and I’ve got a parachute on my back.”
Zhao Lan’s voice trembled as she gazed at the dizzying height and the flimsy parachute. “Are you sure this is safe?”
Yu Xiao flashed her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, I have a secret weapon that can save my life in case of an emergency.”
Zhao Lan nodded, biting her lip. “Well, then, be careful, okay?”
Zhou Xiao Zhen, who had been watching them with a mix of admiration and envy, spoke up. “Smiley Sis, you’re so brave! I wish I could go with you, but I believe in you. You can do this, Smiley Sis. I’m cheering for you!”
Yu Xiao gave her a grateful nod and turned to face the track.
As soon as she touched the track, she felt a strange sensation, a cold shiver running down her spine. Something was wrong, she sensed it. The track felt unnatural, almost alive and hostile, under her palm. She shook off the feeling, telling herself it was just her imagination. She had used two stamina cards before, boosting her physical abilities to the max. She was stronger, faster, and more agile than ever. She could handle this.
The brave girl moved along the track with steady grace, not too fast to lose control, not too slow to waste time. She faced several daunting loops and twists on the roller coaster, but she had already scouted them beforehand. She knew where the danger zones were, where the tourists had lost their heads. She avoided those areas and climbed over the rest.
Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen followed her progress with bated breath, sending her silent prayers and encouragement.
Suddenly, Zhao Lan smelled something burning. She frowned, wondering what it was. She turned her head, only to see the charred figure of Lolita standing next to her.
Zhou Xiao Zhen gasped, her eyes widening with terror as she saw Lolita appear beside them; the woman had arrived with frightening speed.
Lolita cocked her head, a mocking smile playing on her lips as she watched Yu Xiao’s determined stride on the track.
The villainess chuckled, her crimson lips twisting into a cruel smirk, and gracefully stepped onto the rail. Despite the high heels she wore, she maintained her balance on the metal as if it were a level surface. With deliberate steps, she advanced, matching the pace of her prey.
Yu Xiao felt an abrupt chill on the track, as if something had shifted. Glancing over her shoulder, her heart sank as she locked eyes with Lolita; the woman had caught up with her far too quickly.
Lolita strolled with a leisurely grace, akin to a cat toying with a mouse before killing it. She closed the gap methodically, driving her victim to the brink, relishing the fear and despair evident in her eyes. Yu Xiao refused to acknowledge her, unwilling to grant her the satisfaction. Her focus remained on moving forward, resolute in reaching the finish line before Lolita could seize her.
“Look!” Qian Xin exclaimed, pointing towards the distance with a shocked expression.
Liu Fei and Xie Meng Meng followed her gesture, and their breath hitched as they spied two tiny figures on the towering roller coaster track.
One figure was unmistakable, clad in a gloomy black dress; it was the sinister doctor, Lolita. Though the other figure appeared indistinct from afar, they instinctively knew it had to be Yu Xiao.
On the elevated track, the two moved in unison, their proximity diminishing with each passing second.
The hearts of the onlookers clenched. Had Yu Xiao fallen into a trap after all? Was this her final stand?
A wave of sadness washed over Xie Meng Meng, and she didn’t know why. Ever since she entered the Fourth Institute, she had seen nothing but despair and dread in the faces of those who faced the treatment instances. Yu Xiao was the first person she met who could smile and laugh in the midst of such horrors, who could live with such freedom and joy.
But was that about to end?
Yu Xiao came to a halt, standing on the elevated track.
This was the site of the roller coaster accidents. Every time the ride reached this point, it would stop, and then resume with a jolt, leaving behind the severed heads of the passengers.
She looked up, and saw a monstrous ghost looming over the track. The ghost was as tall as a building, with limbs twisted and tangled around the metal. Its hair was long and wild, hiding its face, except for a solitary black eye that glared menacingly at Yu Xiao.
Its hands were fiddling with a strand of hair, placing it across the track at the perfect height to slice through the necks of the people in the cars. The truth was, the ghost’s body would block the roller coaster’s path, forcing it to stop. Then the ghost would move aside, but the hair would remain, cutting off the heads of the unsuspecting tourists.
A “clattering” sound echoed from behind. It was the unmistakable noise of Lolita’s high heels striking the track.
Yu Xiao gazed at the half-hidden face of the ghost, where a large number 9 was written.
The brave girl spun around and found herself face to face with Lolita, her black dress billowing in the wind.
The doctor in black raised her hand, and a dainty little umbrella instantly popped open, shielding her from the harsh sun overhead.
“Why do I not see fear in your eyes?” Lolita asked, tilting her head. “Have you contracted some illness that makes you fearless?”
“My mind is not normal, but I still feel fear.” Yu Xiao stared at the top of Lolita’s head, a sorrowful frown creasing her forehead. “You had such beautiful hair… what a waste.”
Lolita’s face twisted. She loathed her own hideous appearance, and she abhorred anyone looking at her deformity.
“I told you I would eat you, and I will.” Lolita glanced at the parachute on Yu Xiao’s back, a scornful smile on her lips. “Perhaps I should offer you one more chance to escape my sight?”
“No need.” Yu Xiao replied. “We can avoid this unpleasantness.”
As she spoke, she lifted her dress and, with her other hand, began rummaging inside.
Lolita saw beneath her clothes, wrapped around her body, a ring of white fabric. Yu Xiao fumbled for a while before finally loosening the white cloth. She shook it in her hand, and Lolita realised it was actually a white coat.
She slipped into the white coat, its loose fabric billowing in the wind. Facing Lolita, she questioned, “Why do we have to kill each other? We’re colleagues, partners. We ought to love and uplift one another!”
Lolita stood frozen, her mouth agape. She had imagined countless possible reactions from Yu Xiao, but this was not one of them.
The cat stared at the mice in disbelief, observing the comically oversized white coat and the badge on the chest bearing the word “Dean.”
She had heard rumours of a new dean at St. Elizabeth’s, but she hadn’t paid them much attention. To the attending doctors, the dean was just another insignificant NPC. However, now she realised that the dean of St. Elizabeth’s had invaded her territory.
“Hehe,” Yu Xiao nervously chuckled. “Dear Lolita, may I take my leave now?”
Lolita snapped out of her daze and suddenly lunged at her. Yu Xiao flinched and quickly activated the coat’s function.
Silently, her prey vanished from the spot.
Far away, the three anxious spectators—Xie Meng Meng and the others—were left dumbfounded. They had witnessed Lolita cornering Yu Xiao, reaching out for her, and then the courageous girl disappearing before their eyes.
What kind of terrifying ability was this?
They had believed that the attending doctor was already horrifying enough, but it turned out that that monster was even more dreadful than they had imagined.
“Is she dead?” Qian Xin whispered.
“Most likely,” Liu Fei said, his voice icy and resentful. “No one who angers the attending doctor meets a good end.”
Xie Meng Meng bit her lip. She felt a wave of sorrow wash over her. She had been in the Fourth Hospital for several years, and this was the first time she felt such utter hopelessness.
*
*
Yu Xiao opened her eyes and found herself in the familiar, old corridor of St. Elizabeth. The dim lights flickered, the air was frigid and stagnant, and the scent of disinfectant and blood filled her nostrils. She decided to make her way to the operating room.
As she walked past the nurse station, she observed the nurses distributing medication to the patients.
Some patients were at the end of the line, furrowing their brows and contemplating how to evade the meds. The six nurses standing by the corridor looked formidable; resisting them seemed futile.
Suddenly, they noticed the nurses becoming agitated. The ghosts widened their eyes, trembled uncontrollably, and appeared ready to flee. They dropped their trays, causing the pills and syringes to scatter across the floor.
Not only the nurses, but also the little girl named Qiao Qiao, who was at the front of the line, wore the same pallid expression.
They caught a glimpse of a woman in a pristine white coat, her hair cascading in dense waves, concealing her face as she strode past the nurses. In her wake, the nurses bowed their heads so low that they dared not look up.
Only after the woman had vanished did the nurses finally exhale a collective sigh of relief.
The patients exchanged bewildered glances, their curiosity piqued. Who was she? Was she the secret boss of this hospital? She seemed quite fearsome; even the nurses were terrified of her.
Yu Xiao reached the door of the operating room, lifted her hand, and knocked.
Knock, knock, knock!
The door of the operating room opened swiftly, and three beautiful nurses’ heads popped out.
Upon spotting Yu Xiao, the nurses swiftly retracted their heads, one of them even accidentally colliding with the door, producing a resounding “bang” sound.
After a brief pause, another head emerged from inside, a very bony head, to be exact, a skull. The same skull that had been so ecstatic to get a new job that it had fallen off.
“Tie Niu,” Yu Xiao addressed, “How do you like working here?”
The skeleton Tie Niu swung the door open wide and, with utmost reverence, addressed in his deep voice, “Bloody good!! I am truly grateful, Your Honor, the esteemed dean.”
“I would like to borrow some of your possessions for a while,” Yu Xiao strolled into the operating room, “Do you mind?”
Without hesitation, Tie Niu responded with exceptional courtesy, “Certainly not. The entire hospital is at your disposal. All that belongs to me is now yours. Feel free to help yourself as you see fit.”
Approaching the surgical table, Yu Xiao reached out and grasped the former surgeon’s treasured axe. She savoured its weight in her palm for a moment, before setting it down and ultimately selecting her preferred instrument of choice – a chainsaw.
☆ 49 Avengers of Revenge
Laughter echoed through the amusement park, yet Xie Meng Meng and her companions felt an icy chill creeping into the depths of their souls. The sun shone brightly, the air was warm and fragrant, and the scent of popcorn and cotton candy drifted on the breeze.
Wu Chao and Zhang Yi arrived to join them. The pair had already explored every corner of the amusement park but lacked the courage to try any of the rides.
Then they heard about the roller coaster accident. At first, they dismissed it with a shrug. After all, that roller coaster claimed a life every thirty minutes. What was so unusual about it? It wasn’t until they laid eyes on the mangled wreckage of the roller coaster on the ground that the gravity of the situation hit them.
They found Xie Meng Meng and the other two, listening intently as they recounted the details.
“That girl, Yu Xiao, is something else,” Wu Chao remarked, his untouched drink in hand. “If only she hadn’t crossed paths with the attending doctor.”
“I can’t fathom how she’s managed to survive this long. Hasn’t anyone warned her not to meddle with the attending doctor?” Zhang Yi’s face twisted with distaste. “Isn’t being alive a good thing? Why would she do something like that? With her abilities, if we all work together, it’s not impossible to escape this amusement park within two days.”
“Ah,” Qian Xin sighed, her voice heavy with concern. “What about her two friends? Are they still at the roller coaster?”
“Yeah,” Liu Fei nodded. “They’ve been there the entire time, refusing to join us. It seems like they’ve been deeply affected.”
“After all, they belonged to the same ward, they had stuck together through thick and thin, and now Yu Xiao was gone. It was only natural for the others to be heartbroken,” Qian Xin said sympathetically. Their old ward used to be home to three people, but now it was just her and Xie Meng Meng.
“Pfft,” Zhang Yi scoffed. “Who has survived this long without facing death? One of them is already dead. Don’t tell me they have lost the will to live?”
His words held a bitter truth, although they were harsh. In this hospital, everyone faced constant life-threatening situations and various dangers. Death was as common as the flu. If one couldn’t remain composed, survival was unlikely.
“Sometimes, I simply don’t understand,” Xie Meng Meng said, her fists clenched and fingers intertwined. Her voice conveyed despair and confusion. “What is the purpose of enduring such suffering and living in agony?”
“Meng Meng!” Qian Xin exclaimed, nervously grabbing her hand. “How can you say that? No matter what, we have to keep on living.”
“I was just rambling,” Xie Meng Meng said, forcing a bitter smile. “I will go talk to those two; they are tough. If they join us, it will be a big help.”
With that, she got up and left, buying two sodas and heading towards the roller coaster. She walked past bloodstains, trying not to look at them.
Xie Meng Meng climbed the stairs with her sodas, intending to comfort them. However, halfway up, she felt that something was wrong as she heard voices from above.
The lively girl named Zhou Xiao Zhen exclaimed, “Chips taste better with lime flavour.”
“I prefer the original flavour,” said the calm girl named Zhao Lan.
“I find the original flavour too damn salty.” Zhou Xiao Zhen took a sip of water, let out a satisfied “ah,” and continued, “I feel like I’ve gained weight. What am I going to do in the hospital? Oh God, am I going to become a whale or something?”
Xie Meng Meng’s heart sank upon hearing this. Holding two chilled sodas, she was overwhelmed with confusion, questioning why she was even there.
But leaving now was out of the question, wasn’t it?
Xie Meng Meng steeled herself, carrying the sodas as she approached. Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen turned in surprise, and the first thing Xie Meng Meng noticed was the crumbs from potato chips on the lively girl’s lip.
She came to a halt. How in the world was she supposed to talk to them?
She had rehearsed the opening line beforehand. When she encountered the two, she would express her empathy, then sit down and share her own past, sharing the emotional turmoil she had felt when losing a friend. Wasn’t it a psychological trick that the best way to comfort someone was to make yourself sound miserable, so the other person would be too busy consoling you to feel sadness?
But now, all her preparations seemed pointless. Looking at these two carefree individuals, she had no desire to comfort them at all. She felt more inclined to give them a good kick.
Xie Meng Meng’s expression was inscrutable as she looked at them.
“What’s going on?” Zhao Lan asked, brushing away the potato chip crumbs from Zhou Xiao Zhen’s mouth. “Have you done any of the attractions?”
Xie Meng Meng’s heart sank; they hadn’t completed a single one.
“Are we just going to stay here?” Xie Meng Meng changed the subject, feeling restless. “We only have two days, and half of one is already gone. We barely have a day and a half left.”
“Yeah,” Zhou Xiao Zhen said, sounding confused. “So what?”
Xie Meng Meng: “Don’t you want to do something?”
Zhou Xiao Zhen looked even more perplexed, but Zhao Lan caught on to Xie Meng Meng’s meaning. She said, “We’re just taking a break. If you’re in such a hurry, go ahead by yourself.”
Xie Meng Meng spluttered, “Why don’t you join us? Let’s all talk…”
She was cut off by Zhou Xiao Zhen, who suddenly jumped up. “Smiley’s back!”
Xie Meng Meng, “???” She turned around and witnessed one of the most unforgettable scenes of her life… among others.
It was late afternoon, close to sunset, and the sunlight cast long shadows on the ground. Against the backdrop of a colossal roller coaster, a figure emerged, silhouetted against the light.
Xie Meng Meng narrowed her eyes, shielding them with her palm; the sunlight was too bright for her to bear.
With measured steps, Yu Xiao emerged from the light and approached the trio. She wore a white coat that seemed almost too pristine, contrasting sharply with the ruggedness of her surroundings. A bulky bag was slung across her chest, its contents both mysterious and protruding. On her left shoulder, she carried a hefty axe, its blade glinting in the sunlight. Her right hand held a chainsaw, the metallic surface reflecting the intensity in her eyes. In this unconventional manner, she presented herself before the three.
“Wow!” Zhou Xiao Zhen exclaimed, “Smiley, you look so badass like this!”
Zhao Lan was astonished, “Smiley, why do you have so many things?”
Yu Xiao raised her hand, effortlessly tossing the axe to Zhao Lan and pulling out a hammer from the bag in front of her, throwing it to Zhou Xiao Zhen. Gripping the chainsaw tightly, she surveyed the area with a determined gaze and asked, “Where’s Lolita?”
Zhou Xiao Zhen: “I don’t know.”
“Then come with me!” Yu Xiao declared, looking eager to move forward.
Xie Meng Meng, who had been observing all of this, was speechless. “You… you’re alive? How did you disappear? Where did you get all these things? Why are you searching for Lolita?”
Yu Xiao ignored her, her attention fully absorbed by her mission. Instead, she flipped the switch on the chainsaw, which emitted a horrifying “buzzing” noise, drowning out any further questions.
“We’re going to destroy other facilities,” Yu Xiao stated. “I don’t think Lolita can resist showing up like this!”
With that, the trio spun around and faced the setting sun as they walked away, their swagger distancing them from the regular crowd.
Xie Meng Meng stood dumbfounded, clutching her head, as she began to question the purpose of life.
Armed with lethal weapons, the trio burst forth with an aura that could rival that of an entire team.
Holding a hammer, Zhou Xiao Zhen asked, “Smiley, are we really going to fight Lolita to the death?”
“That’s impossible,” murmured Yu Xiao, “She’s the attending doctor, and even if we pooled all our resources, we couldn’t kill her.”
“What?” Zhou Xiao Zhen grew nervous, “Then why are we looking for her?”
“It’s a show of strength,” explained Zhao Lan, “Firstly, it demonstrates that we have the ability to fight fiercely, and secondly, it shows our unwavering determination to fight till the end. This way, Lolita might think twice before confronting us.”
Zhou Xiao Zhen was still confused, “If she thinks twice, what do we gain from it?”
“You… are truly innocent in your ignorance,” chuckled Zhao Lan, “Even if we don’t gain anything from her, she will probably refrain from interfering with any of our future actions.”
“Ah, I get it,” Zhou Xiao Zhen smiled. “Smart!”
With a sharp gaze as a knife, Yu Xiao walked past the pirate ship. She caught the eye of a hefty woman at the pirate ship and put a chainsaw next to the woman’s face. The woman turned white with fear as Yu Xiao demanded, “Where’s Lolita?!”
“I-I don’t know,” the woman shivered.
“Hmph!” Yu Xiao shoved the woman aside and moved on to the next target.
The woman, who had barely escaped a terrifying ordeal, sat on the ground, feeling so aggrieved that she wanted to cry.
“Oh no! Oh no!” Xie Meng Meng wheezed as she ran back to the meeting spot.
Liu Fei and the others were shocked. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
“Yu Xiao is alive!” Xie Meng Meng shouted.
“What?!”
“No way!”
Qian Xin: “What are you saying? We all saw Lolita make Yu Xiao vanish.”
“I don’t know the details,” Xie Meng Meng breathed, “but the situation back then might not be what we thought. Lolita didn’t make Yu Xiao vanish; Yu Xiao disappeared on her own. And now, she’s back…”
“Really?!” Liu Fei exclaimed. “But her return should be a blessing. Why do you say it’s not?”
“Because she’s now on the prowl, chasing Lolita like mad,” Xie Meng Meng said in anguish. “Somehow, she managed to get her hands on logging tools. To cut a long story short, all three of them are after Lolita!”
“What?!”
“Sweet mother of chaos!”
Yu Xiao and her crew arrived at the bungee jumping platform. The staff seemed completely oblivious and, astonishingly, even approached them, asking if they were interested in trying bungee jumping.
Zhou Xiao Zhen raised a hammer and said, “Bungee jumping my arse! Can’t you tell we’re here to make a mess? Where’s Lolita? Bring that woman out here!”
Staff member: “…”
Finally, the staff member realised the trouble they were in. These were certainly not ordinary tools. His face turned pale, and he quickly moved away.
“If she doesn’t appear, we’ll make her appear,” Yu Xiao said. “Come on, let’s smash this bungee jumping thing.”
“Brilliant!” exclaimed Zhou Xiao Zhen, her voice loud and clear.
Silent, Zhao Lan approached with the axe in her hands, ready to strike.
“You’ve crossed the line!” rang out an angry woman’s voice. Lolita glared fiercely at Yu Xiao. “I no longer want to eat you now. I want to slaughter you, then dry you into a mummy and display you as an ornament in my amusement park! Let all the new patients see the fate of those who defy me!”
“Hmm,” sneered Yu Xiao. “You’ve finally appeared.”
Lolita looked at Yu Xiao with a touch of amusement. “You think these things can harm me?”
“Well, there’s more.” Yu Xiao pulled out a thick pile of talismans from her pocket. “I’ve got many tricks up my sleeve. Care to try them?”
Lolita’s eye twitched, and she asked a curious question, “Is this how you disposed of the former dean of Saint Elizabeth?”
“Well… not only that,” Yu Xiao smiled. “But if you wish to experience it, I will gladly oblige.”
☆ 50 Boohoo boohoo boohoo..
Despite the weapon pointed at her, Lolita still looked fierce. “Do you realise that attacking medical staff is against the hospital rules?”
“Hmm,” Yu Xiao didn’t back down. “Am I not medical staff too?”
“…”
The hospital had many rules, but sometimes the attending doctors would bend them. As long as no one snitched, the Medical Dispute Office would be none the wiser. But now, it was tricky. If she and Yu Xiao clashed, both would break the hospital rules. Surely, going to the Medical Dispute Office would entail checking the surveillance to see who initiated it…
“Fine,” Lolita smiled wickedly. “I’m curious to see what you can do. Come on, then.”
A moment ago, she had seemed reluctant. How did she change her mind so fast? Yu Xiao smelled a trap. “You doubt I’ll dare?”
“Do you dare?” Lolita said, “Then come on.”
“I’ll do it!” Yu Xiao proclaimed.
Lolita mocked, “Come on then, come on!”
“You’re so irritating!” Yu Xiao aimed the chainsaw at Lolita. “Don’t you know that your attitude is inviting trouble?”
“I’m irritating, I’m inviting trouble. If you have the nerve, come and hit me.” Lolita put her hands on her hips, sticking her tongue out at Yu Xiao. “I’ll tell you this, I’ll annoy you until two days are up, and you burn to death here in a huge fire.”
“Do you think you can scare me?” Yu Xiao countered. “Can’t I hide in Saint Elizabeth’s?”
“You can hide, but what about your friends?” Lolita had a smug expression. “And once you hide in Saint Elizabeth’s, you can never come back to the Sixth Hospital. You’ll be trapped there, alone and forever as the Dean of Saint Elizabeth’s.”
Yu Xiao’s rage boiled within her. “Right here, right now, I’m going to kill you!”
With a cheerful tone, Lolita responded, “Come on, bring it! Come on!”
“Hold it right there!” Yu Xiao snapped, holding a talisman in one hand and a chainsaw in the other. “I’m going to put an end to you!”
Zhao Lan, clinging tightly to Yu Xiao, pleaded, “Smiley, don’t act rashly!”
“Oh~ Are you afraid?” Mockingly, Lolita, in her high heels, skipped around. “Oh~ Are you scared? Let me enlighten you. Not only will I turn you into a mummy, but I’ll also flay your two friends and make a rug out of their skins, placing it in front of the ghostly gate for all the newcomers to step on.”
“Misty, let me go!” Yu Xiao’s face flushed with anger. “I’m going to confront her once and for all!”
“If you act recklessly, you’ll be playing right into her hands,” Zhao Lan firmly held Yu Xiao back. “Can’t you see? If Lolita truly wanted to kill you, why wouldn’t she just come over and do it? Instead, she’s baiting you, trying to make you strike first.”
“…”
As Zhao Lan spoke, a hush fell over the entire area.
Yu Xiao’s heart skipped a beat. Her fury slowly subsided, and her gaze turned suspicious.
Lolita, still trying to salvage the situation, taunted, “You’re just all talk and no action. Have you accepted your fate of being turned into mummies by me?”
“Huh?” Now composed, Yu Xiao felt that something was amiss. Lolita’s attitude clearly indicated that she was intentionally provoking a fight.
Yu Xiao suspiciously eyed Lolita, “Are you… scared to strike first?”
“Bullshit!” Lolita couldn’t hide her face as she retorted, “What’s there that I wouldn’t dare to do?”
“Then come on, hit me.” Yu Xiao spread her arms, appearing unconcerned about getting hurt.
Lolita: “…”
“She really doesn’t have the guts to throw a punch.” Zhou Xiao Zhen observed Lolita and wondered, “Could this be a ploy?”
“Maybe it’s not that she’s scared to act, but she’s scared to act first. Could this be a rule among medical staff? The one who initiates will be penalised, or the penalty will be harsher?” Zhao Lan pondered.
Lolita: “…”
“Look at her face, turning green.” Zhou Xiao Zhen exclaimed, “Doesn’t that confirm Misty is right?”
“Ah~!” Yu Xiao suddenly realised everything and looked at Lolita mockingly, “So, this was your scheme, almost got me.”
Livid, Lolita’s face turned black, rendering her unable to say a word.
“She’s too timid to act, huh?” Yu Xiao sneered, “What should we do then?”
“If she doesn’t, we will.” Zhou Xiao Zhen smiled, “So where should we begin?”
Zhao Lan stifled a laugh, suddenly feeling pity for Lolita, a well-respected doctor driven to this point.
“Indeed,” said Yu Xiao with a serious expression on her face. “They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. One must not be too greedy in life.”
“Right!” agreed Zhou Xiao Zhen. “I completely agree!”
“Heh heh heh heh…”
Their laughter filled the air as they leisurely walked towards the bungee jump machine. They turned their heads simultaneously and flashed a mischievous smile at Lolita.
Lolita was furious. “You better not wreck my stuff!”
Yu Xiao replied with a monotone voice. “Then spill all the clues about how to leave the amusement park.”
“Never!” Lolita stomped her foot in anger. “How could a doctor assist a patient in cheating?”
“Then let’s carry on,” said Yu Xiao, bringing the chainsaw closer to the bungee jump machine.
“Ahh ahh ahh!!! Stop it!” Lolita lunged forward, her hands reaching for Yu Xiao. But she stopped just before making contact. “You aren’t allowed to damage my bungee jump machine!”
“Ah~!” taunted Yu Xiao, looking at the hands just inches away from her. “Too scared to hit me~ Too scared to hit me~ Well then, let’s continue!”
Under the desperate gaze of Lolita, they began slicing the seat of the bungee jump machine into pieces.
“Boohoo boohoo boohoo…”
A sobbing sound pierced the air. Who was crying? Yu Xiao scanned the scene, only to see Lolita standing on the sidelines, big crocodile tears streaming down her face.
Is the attending doctor crying?
Lolita stormed off, flinging her arm up to wipe away the tears staining her cheeks. “Waaah… you lot are bastards!” she wailed. “I hate you guys.”
Zhao Lan watched her retreating figure with a pang of guilt. “Did we go too far?”
“Where’s the line?” Zhou Xiao Zhen snapped back. “We didn’t even hit her.”
Silence fell over them for a moment.
Yu Xiao broke the quiet with a resolute declaration. “We’re just trying to survive,” she said. “Throughout history, humans have directly or indirectly annihilated countless animals and plants just to stay alive. Now, we’re doing what we have to do to survive.”
Zhou Xiao Zhen looked at her with a mixture of awe and confusion. “Smiley, sis,” she said. “Your words are profound and evocative, but can you simplify them?”
“Sure,” Yu Xiao said. “In simpler terms, when our own lives are at stake, why should we care if others cry or not? Let’s get to work.”
“That makes sense,” Zhou Xiao Zhen nodded. Then, out of the blue, she sighed. “Lolita crying just now… I thought it was pretty. I really like seeing her cry.”
Yu Xiao: “…”
Zhao Lan: “…”
Zhou Xiao Zhen: “Huh? Why are you guys looking at me like that?”
*
*
Meanwhile, Xie Meng Meng and her group cowered in a corner. They dared not try the attractions or approach Yu Xiao’s group. The five of them wore expressions of dread, huddling as if facing the dire choice between being burned alive or ending their own lives.
As they pondered their dilemma, they suddenly spotted a woman darting away in a frilly Lolita dress, her sobs trailing behind her.
The five of them watched the woman disappear into the distance. After a few seconds, Liu Fei asked, “Was that person a Lolita?”
Xie Meng Meng nodded, “Yeah.”
Qian Xin tried to remember what she had seen, “Was she crying?”
Xie Meng Meng nodded again, “Yeah.”
Instantly, everyone felt their nerves fray. Zhang Yi even gulped down several mouthfuls of saliva and then said, “Both of you are from the Fourth Hospital and have experienced many instances. Do some attending physicians there like to cry?”
“I don’t know,” Xie Meng Meng shook her head, “We’ve never seen it before.”
“Then…” Zhang Yi pointed in the direction Lolita had run off, “Why was she crying?”
Xie Meng Meng said, “Right now, I just want to do one thing. That is to find Yu Xiao and the others as soon as possible.”
When they located Yu Xiao, the three of them had already reduced the jumping machine to rubble. The ghosts that inhabited it were homeless, shivering, and curling up on the wreckage.
Yu Xiao, exhausted and leaning on a chainsaw, said, “Precious, pull it down for me.”
“Alright!” Zhou Xiao Zhen rolled up her sleeves, climbed up, and yanked the ghost’s foot.
The ghost whimpered and tried to recoil. These ghosts living in the facility were all disabled ghosts, unable to run, only able to stay in one spot.
Zhou Xiao Zhen gripped the ghost’s foot and dragged it down with all her might.
This was the scene that greeted Xie Meng Meng and the others when they arrived: two women standing on a heap of rubble, one of them hauling a sobbing ghost down from the wreckage.
The ghost was a horrifying sight, with grotesquely large hands, almost half the size of a human. However, its legs were tiny, resembling those of a newborn baby—soft and completely useless.
Gasping for breath, Zhou Xiao Zhen dragged the ghost down. “It’s so heavy, it nearly killed me.”
Upon spotting Xie Meng Meng and the rest, Yu Xiao greeted them nonchalantly. “Oh, you’re here.”
Everyone: “…”
Incredulous, Liu Fei gaped at the debris. “Did you guys do all of this?”
“Well, who else?” Zhou Xiao Zhen snapped irritably. “We’ve been breaking our backs here, while you lounge there, drinking and having a splendid time~”
Everyone: “…”
They felt wronged by her accusation. They didn’t want to be idling around drinking either; they just didn’t have a clue how to proceed.
“We… You guys…” Xie Meng Meng fumbled for words, trying to initiate her inquiry. “Won’t Lolita stop you from doing this?”
“Why would she?” Zhou Xiao Zhen shrugged and sat down on the ground. “She’s already been here and ran away crying.”
“Blimey, Lolita was actually reduced to tears by them.”
The five of them stood there, flabbergasted, staring like muppets with open mouths. Today’s events had not only smacked their views but also their entire bloody lives.
They lingered in silence until Xie Meng Meng finally spoke up, “Um… is there anything we can help with?”
Yu Xiao wiped the sweat off her face and said, “I was just about to grill this ghost. If you want to help, you’re welcome to join us.”
“…”
The five shuffled nervously. It was their first time encountering a ghost that they not only didn’t run away from but also approached willingly.
As they moved closer to the ghost, Liu Fei shivered and asked, “What should we interrogate it about?”
“Are you all this daft?” Zhou Xiao Zhen couldn’t stand it anymore. “Ask it for clues on how to get out of the amusement park!”
“Oh…” Liu Fei looked at the ghost with dread and softly said, “Can you… can you please tell us the clues?”
“Tsk.” Zhou Xiao Zhen turned away. She couldn’t stomach this display of timidity.
The ghost waited, its blood-red eyes fixed on the five. Then, it raised its hand, revealing a massive palm with the number 5 written in the centre.
(╬ಠ益ಠ) Like and comment or I’ll flip you like a table (ಠ益ಠ╬)
me -> (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ <-you
——TN
Yu Xiao (余笑) — Smiley
聋的传人 (lóng de chuán rén) Deaf Descendant
TALISMAN
【The Thunder Striking Ghost Repelling Talisman 运雷打祟符 (a talisman for warding off evil spirits and summoning thunder) 】
【Healing Crisis Talisman (疗危患符)】
- TOOLS
- Sunglasses
- permanent wig
- Coin of Great Observation
- TITLES
- The Grudge of the Pretty Nurse
- ‘Saint Elizabeth, Dean Yu.’
- ‘Chainsaw Maniac’
- ‘Jackpot of good luck’
- ‘Shit-Hole Destroyer’
- ‘Ghostly Soul Destroyer’
- ‘Village Chief’s Wife’
- ‘Strong as a Bull’
Zhao Lan (赵岚) — Misty
昵称好难 (nì chēng hǎo nán) Nickname Hassle
- TOOLS
- TITLES
- ‘Tyrant’s Willing Accomplice in Cruelty’
- ‘Strong as a bull’
- ‘Nine Cows and Two Tigers’
- ‘Village Chief’s Concubine’
Zhou Xiao Zhen (周小珍) — Precious
卤蛋少女438 (lǔ dàn shào nǚ 438) Braised Egg Girl 438
- TOOLS
- Mahjong
- TITLES
- ‘Tiger’s Devotee’
- ‘Village Chief’s Concubine’
‘Zhuge Liang burning the Spider Web Cave’
‘Whispering Monk’
Novels | Inky Dragon Translations 
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