In theory, there were only two days left... Yang Xiao didn’t know whether May 14th counted, if it did, at most, there were only three days.
After three days, the female ghost would begin a massacre, and everyone in the hospital would die. As for his team... Yang Xiao calculated that if one person died each day, there would be at most one person left by then, which was no different from being wiped out.
Upon learning that May 14th was their death date, Captain Zhou instead felt relieved. During this period, they were constantly on edge because they didn’t know the deadline for the task, nor what they were supposed to do, and how to go about it.
Captain Zhou told Yang Xiao that the six of them were night shift dical staff in this hospital and that they had to stay in the hospital’s dormitory during the day and rest, without leaving. Every night, two people were on duty, but they had to choose between the first, second, and third floors, with each person on a different floor.
No need to do rounds while on duty, there weren’t many rules, just don’t leave the floor, and at dawn, soone would co to replace them.
The sa person couldn’t do two consecutive night shifts. Besides the two on night duty, the other four could stay in the dormitory or move around the hospital’s designated areas at night, but they were not allowed to enter the hospital building.
"Who set these rules?" Yang Xiao inquired.
"Our leader, surnad Huang, is the Deputy Director of this hospital. The Dean is often absent, so he makes the decisions here." After a burst of static, Captain Zhou’s voice gradually beca clear.
"We also found out the identity of the female ghost. She was a young girl nad Jiang Nanqing, the woman in the wealthy child-seeking photo. She transferred to the hospital over a year ago, but within a few months, she died, reportedly from a sudden illness."
"After you told about Doctor Yin Kun yesterday, I asked the day shift nurse about it. She confird that he was indeed the attending physician of Jiang Nanqing’s ward, but not long after Jiang Nanqing’s death, he resigned, and his whereabouts are unknown. This is all the information we’ve got so far."
"We need to keep investigating this lead. We’ll also assist you guys." Yang Xiao continued, "Who is on night duty tonight, on which floor? Give us the nas and descriptions."
"Tonight, it’s and Xu Yiqiu, she’s a girl, very young but very experienced, quite skilled. She’s about 1.7 ters tall, slim, has a tear mole at the corner of her right eye, southern accent. She claid to be from Yiling Academy, but I doubt it."
Captain Zhou continued, "I’m at the nurses’ station on the third floor, she’s at the service desk on the second floor. Based on past experience, we go to the rest room and lock the door tight whenever there is any commotion, without making any noise, and nothing will happen as long as we’re not curious."
"Among the other four, there are two n and two won: Lv Jun, Mu Xiuzhu, Tao Anyun, and Wu Qiao. Mu Xiuzhu claid to be from the Apostles Union, but who knows if that’s true."
"By the way, rember that you should wake up in a room on the third floor tonight. I don’t know the exact location, but every ti I hear footsteps, the bell sound follows soon after. Be very careful."
"We can’t hear each other, we can only communicate using the pager in your hand, and... and it seems I can’t see you."
Yang Xiao morized every piece of information disclosed by Captain Zhou, crucial for their next actions. "One more thing, there’s a wall made of cent near the stairs on the first floor, did you know about this?"
"A cent wall?" Captain Zhou sounded puzzled, "Where exactly?"
"East side, at the end of the first-floor corridor, there’s a staircase leading upstairs. On the wall... there’s a chart for ward rounds." Yang Xiao recalled quickly.
"I know the place you’re talking about, but there’s no wall, only a staircase leading to the basent level,"
"What’s in the basent level?" Yang Xiao faintly felt he had grasped sothing fundantal. Captain Zhou and the others didn’t know, which ant the wall was newly built after the supernatural events on May 14th to seal off that area. That was where the key to the whole matter was hidden.
"Basent level..." Captain Zhou pondered, "I’ve never been there. There’s an iron gate with bars at the bottom, and I don’t have the key."
"You didn’t check such an important place?" Yang Xiao found it unbelievable. Based on his knowledge of Captain Zhou, he was a cautious guy, not one to make such a basic mistake.
"No, it’s not that I didn’t go, I did, but the lock is unique, and it couldn’t be opened. Besides, the footsteps and bell sounds are always on the third floor, so..." Captain Zhou had his own difficulties.
"Wait a mont." Captain Zhou suddenly said.
In the middle of the static, Yang Xiao heard sounds of rummaging from Captain Zhou’s end. Then, Captain Zhou’s voice ca again, "Found it. The basent level is a storeroom for obsolete dical equipnt. The employee manual states that in special periods, it can temporarily store patient remains."
"Who has the key?" Combining what Yang Xiao had found and the clues provided by Captain Zhou, Yang Xiao guessed that there must be sothing fishy about the basent level.
"It has to be with Deputy Director Huang. I’ve seen him once; he had a large bunch of keys attached to his belt," Captain Zhou recalled.
"Find a way to get the keys." Yang Xiao urged.
"Got it. I’ll arrange for soone to steal them." Captain Zhou was very decisive.
As soon as he finished speaking, the static in the pager grew louder, and the communication beca intermittent. At this mont, Qu Hong, who had been paying attention to the movent inside the rest room, also issued a warning, as a small red light began to flash.
This ti, without waiting for the bell sound to appear, Yang Xiao grabbed the pager and hastily called out, the group ran non-stop until they exited the hospital building and stopped several ters away. Xi Huijun clutched her stomach, dry heaving uncontrollably, her physical fitness being nowhere near comparable to Yang Xiao and the others.
"When we get back... I’ll definitely train hard." Xi Huijun said with a face full of pain, tears and snot streaming down.
Witnessing this, Yang Xiao couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. The hope of Xi Huijun making it out alive was slim. Given her abilities, even if she survived this ti by luck, the next ti, she’d likely et the sa fate.
Nightmares left very little ti for people to grow; maybe she was a good girl who should have had a bright future if it weren’t for the nightmares.
In the hospital, Yang Xiao was in charge of the pager, contacting the other team. Everyone else had their tasks and didn’t hear what Captain Zhou said on the pager. Yang Xiao gathered everyone in the car and told them the truth.
Upon learning that the chosen ones had to participate in a chase with the ghost in a past ti, Xi Huijun’s face turned ashen, and Dou Jie’s fingers trembled in nervousness.
As for Boss Sun, Yang Xiao didn’t even let him near to listen. He stood outside the car, facing the night wind, keeping watch for them.
"Brother Chu, now... what should we do?" Having witnessed Yang Xiao’s skills, Dou Jie beca more obedient and changed how he addressed Yang Xiao.
But Yang Xiao didn’t care about such things, he just spat out a word, "Wait."
"Wait for what?" Xi Huijun asked.
But as soon as the question left her mouth, Xi Huijun regretted it because everyone turned to look at her.
Xi Huijun slowly lowered her head, not daring to et those gazes. Those were three distinct gazes: Qu Hong’s was obscure, Dou Jie’s was full of anger, and Yang Xiao’s was the calst.
If Xi Huijun had the courage to look up and et his gaze, she would have felt a sense of pity.
In Xi Huijun, Yang Xiao saw the shadows of too many forr teammates, and their fates were all not good.
"Good luck." Yang Xiao suddenly said.
Xi Huijun was taken aback, and at the sa ti, Qu Hong frowned slightly. When Xi Huijun turned to look at Yang Xiao, she found that he had already turned his face away, leaning against the passenger seat, with the backpack at his feet.
Ti passed by the minute, the atmosphere in the car was overwhelmingly oppressive. Dou Jie, unable to bear it first, opened the door and got out for so air.
Qu Hong, without a word, also took out a cigarette, opened the door, and stepped out. The two walked in different directions, with no interaction.
Qu Hong smoked silently. On this point, she agreed with Dou Jie, neither wanted to stay in the car. After all, the ghost bell had appeared in the car last ti.
There was no basis, just a reluctance to take the risk. As for Yang Xiao, Qu Hong didn’t remind him because it wasn’t necessary.
He was a very capable guy, responsible for himself.
After finishing two cigarettes, Qu Hong felt a chill in the night breeze. She threw away the cigarette butt, turned, and tightened her coat while walking back.
One step.
Two steps.
On the third step, Qu Hong felt sothing was wrong. Underfoot, she felt a stiff and hard touch.
Not big, but very hard, and round like a small stone.
Qu Hong’s heart raced, but she didn’t hesitate for more than two seconds before continuing walking, opening the car door, and sitting back as if nothing had happened.
From start to finish, she never looked down to check. Even after returning to the car, she didn’t glance outside once.
Qu Hong still held on to hope that perhaps it wasn’t the ghost bell. Even if it was, it might not target her, maybe... maybe the first to verify or witness, or the one who picked it up, would get haunted by the ghost.
All this fragile hope was shattered shortly after. Qu Hong suddenly realized there was a hard object in her coat pocket. She took a deep breath, touched it through the clothing, it was hard, with so edges, definitely the ghost bell.
This ti, it was hers.
Why it chose her didn’t matter anymore, what mattered was how to survive.
Knowing herself wouldn’t make it alone, she decided to enact the second plan. Slowly, Qu Hong took out the ghost bell from her pocket. The next mont, Dou Jie, who was dozing off beside her, was startled, almost jumping up.
"The bell!!" Dou Jie reacted like he had seen a ghost, retreating in fear, forgetting to open the door and run.
"Take it." Qu Hong’s tone was cold, commanding.
Dou Jie was stunned, then he realized, both terrified and furious, "Why give it to ? It’s yours, the ghost targeted you!!"
Qu Hong drew her dagger, slicing off half of Dou Jie’s left ear in one swift move. The next second, his scream echoed, Qu Hong dragged him out of the car, quickly subduing him with a few moves, then tied him up with ropes prepared in the car.
"No, you can’t do this! Brother Chu... Brother Chu, say sothing, this isn’t fair!!" Dou Jie kept begging.
Seeing Yang Xiao unresponsive, Dou Jie turned to Boss Sun for help, but Boss Sun was already struggling to save himself, unwilling to get involved, and retreated into the car.
After securely tying Dou Jie, Qu Hong found a rag to gag his mouth, and under his desperate gaze, she took the ghost bell from her pocket, placing it in his clothes against his chest.
"Mmph... mmph..." Lying on the ground, Dou Jie struggled violently, his furious and terrified eyes nearly tearing Qu Hong apart.
"This ti, it’s your turn." Qu Hong patted Dou Jie’s face, looking down at him.
User Comments
0 comments from readers