AFPoFH ARC1 ☆ 16~20

四院病友交流论坛 

A Forum for Patients of Fourth Hospital

☆ 16 Dr George, is he fierce in bed?

In front of Yu Xiao, there was only one patient remaining, and she had prepared herself by slipping her hand into her pocket.

"Smiley, you..." Zhou Xiao Zhen shook off her shock, her eyes burning with intensity. Just as Yu Xiao expected an outburst, Zhou Xiao Zhen slyly raised her eyebrows and winked, "How's Dr. George? Is he fierce in bed?"

"..."

A loud "smack!" echoed as the nurse clumsily knocked over the paper cup again.

Finally, it was Yu Xiao's turn. She politely smiled at the nurse, who hesitated for a moment, then nervously opened her blood-red lips, revealing uneven teeth. She managed to produce a simultaneously terrifying and comical smile.

From her pocket, Yu Xiao took out a dirty ear and gestured towards the nurse and the two figures behind her.

Understanding the unspoken message, the nurse widened her mouth even further, quickly grabbed the ear, and promptly moved away from the window after passing something to Yu Xiao from below.

Curious about her unexpected gift, Yu Xiao opened her hand to find a dirty lollipop.

Her emotions were momentarily tangled. Behind her, Zhao Lan exclaimed, "So, you collected those body parts last night... These are for dealing with medicine, huh."

"Smart move, Smiley, always planning ahead." Zhou Xiao Zhen approached, reaching into her pocket, "Give me some too."

Yu Xiao swatted her hand away, turned, and fixed her gaze on Qiao Qiao standing in the corner.

She chuckled, sauntered to the dining table, and settled into a chair, diving into the bread and fruit spread across it. It was a survival dance, like the advice from before - The only ones not eating here is the food.

Noticing the mischievous grin on Yu Xiao's face, Zhao Lan sensed trouble. Without hesitation, she pulled Zhou Xiao Zhen to join Yu Xiao, and the three of them silently indulged in their meal.

With a banana hanging from her mouth, Yu Xiao playfully gestured, calling for Qiao Qiao. "Qiao Qiao, come here, sis has a treat for you."

In the corner, Qiao Qiao hesitated briefly but ultimately shuffled over, her already ghostly face growing even paler.

"Amazing, Qiao," Yu Xiao applauded with a thumbs up. "You're incredible!"

Sister Smile's praise had an ulterior motive, and Zhou Xiao Zhen quickly chimed in, "Why are you praising her? What's so special about her?"

"Have you ever wondered about the patient who disappeared last night?" Yu Xiao peeled an orange, the skin curling in her hand as she spoke. "His skull was cracked open, and they scooped out his brain. Precious, do you understand the reason behind our bed arrangement?"

Zhou Xiao Zhen thought for a moment, then realisation hit her. "It can't be... the order to harvest brains?"

"Bingo!" Yu Xiao grinned at Qiao Qiao. "In theory, in just thirteen days, every patient will have their brain scooped out. But look at Qiao Qiao here, forty years in, and her little head is still intact."

"Oh!" Zhou Xiao Zhen's eyes widened. "She's not a patient!"

Qiao Qiao shot her a fierce look, teeth bared. "I'm a patient, damn it!"

"If you're really a patient, how come your brain's still intact?" Zhou Xiao Zhen seized Qiao Qiao, ready to examine her head. The contact felt disgustingly sticky, prompting an immediate recoil. "Ugh... wash your hair, it's gross."

On the verge of tears, Qiao Qiao's pouty mouth and darting eyes sought an escape route.

"Let's discuss it." Yu Xiao leaned in, whispering, "Tell us how to keep our brains off the chopping block, and I'll give you a hand. What do you say?"

Qiao Qiao shot her a look that screamed, "Do I look stupid?" Without hesitation, she dismissed, "You're a scammer."

"Cut the crap. I'm not a scammer; I'm a decent person." Yu Xiao decided to try a gentler approach. "How about this? If you don't spill on how to avoid brain butchering, I'll had you over to George. What do you think?"

"..." Qiao Qiao gaped, taken aback by the audacity before her.

"You know how much George cares for me." Yu Xiao lightly tapped Qiao Qiao's forehead. "He's pretty intense, and he has a thing for fresh brains. You, being so young, probably have a tender and tasty brain, right?"

"Ugh..." Over forty years at St. Elizabeth's, and yet lately, she'd shed quite a few tears. Despicable people! Bullying kids, that's just too wicked!

"Spill the beans, will you?!" Zhou Xiao Zhen menacingly shook the mahjong box. "If you don't tell me, I'll tie you up and hand you over to George. I'll take his darn axe and cut not just your brain. We won't waste your heart, liver, spleen, and kidneys either."

Qiao Qiao finally revealed her secret. St. Elizabeth Hospital, as it turned out, had more than one floor. When each floor reached maximum capacity, a new one seamlessly extended to accommodate the influx of patients. Access to each floor was a privilege granted only to the Dean and doctors, with one intriguing exception. To keep the brain-cut patients active, a nightly ritual unfolded. After lights out, they were guided through distinct passages on various floors.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiao Zhen couldn't hold back. "Why do they need to keep them active?"

Qiao Qiao clearly didn't expect this question. After a moment's hesitation, she replied, "Maybe to maintain the strength of their muscles."

"..."

Yu Xiao finally understood. The patients who had undergone brain surgery the previous night were simply out for some exercise. They made their way through a hidden passage to another floor, which explained their sudden disappearance.

Qiao Qiao cried, tears streaming down like blood. "Every time it's my turn, I skip the medication, then hide in the patient lineup at night and cross the passage between two floors."

Zhao Lan asked, "So by hiding between two floors, they can't find you?"

"I dunno," Qiao Qiao fished out a hanky adorned with little chicks on it, using it to dab the blood off her face. "They never found me anyway."

Zhao Lan raised an eyebrow. "What about tomorrow? You're not planning to play hide-and-seek every day, are you?"

"The next day, they'll just take someone else off the sickbed," Qiao Qiao finished cleaning up. "I just have to wait for the next wave of patients to come in, then I can slip to the next ward."

She looked at Yu Xiao and the others, asking, "Did I clean up all the mess?"

Zhou Xiao Zhen scrutinised her and commented, "There's still blood on your eyeballs."

"Oh," Qiao Qiao lowered her head and casually plucked out her eyeballs. Holding them in her hands, she delicately wiped them with the handkerchief.

Seeing this strange act, Zhou Xiao Zhen furrowed her brow, and Yu Xiao thought she might not be able to handle such sights. Just as she was about to suggest that Qiao Qiao leave, Zhou Xiao Zhen asked, "Why do you stay here all the time? Isn't it better to leave St. Elizabeth?"

Qiao Qiao, in the middle of wiping her eyes, paused for a moment. She lifted her head, her two dark voids fixed on the trio, and asked in confusion, "Why leave? Why not stay?"

Zhou Xiao Zhen hesitated, grappling with the idea. "Don't you long for freedom?"

Caught in a daze, Qiao Qiao struggled to fathom the elusive concept of "freedom." A smirk played on her lips as she mused, "This place isn't so bad. The food is decent, and there's a bed to sleep on."

Silence hung in the air, leaving Zhou Xiao Zhen dumbfounded. Zhao Lan reached out to comfort her, saying, "Don't think too deeply; we all have our own goals."

In a sudden realisation, Yu Xiao asked, "You're always shuttling between floors with those brainless patients. Have you ever seen the Dean's office?"

Qiao Qiao nodded, casually putting her cleaned eyeballs back in. "First floor."

Their eyes met, excitement shining between them.

"Thanks, Qiao Qiao." Gratitude filled Yu Xiao's voice as she retrieved a hand from her pocket. "Here, this one's for you. Take your time with it."

Qiao Qiao's eyes sparkled, a drop of drool escaping her lips. She awkwardly accepted the gift, licking on the thumb before breaking into a blissful grin.

As Qiao Qiao happily skipped away, Zhao Lan commented, "If everything goes well, we can escape tonight. Smiley, you lucked out. You have no idea how hair-raising it was last night."

Zhou Xiao Zhen patted Yu Xiao's shoulder, recalling, "That chubby ghost actually lifted me up, shook me, and threw me like a sack of potatoes. Smiley, why didn't you tell us you were hiding with your supposed boyfriend? We were worried sick."

Speechless, Yu Xiao retorted, "George isn't my boyfriend. I have standards, you know—handsome, witty, and a bank balance with at least eight figures."

Zhou Xiao Zhen initially remained hushed, then asked, "What's going on with George? Is he some bloody beggar?"

"Almost forgot to mention, I've set a new condition lately," Yu Xiao chuckled. "The guy I date must be among the living."

"That's quite a difficult requirement given the circumstances. Finding a living man here is like searching for a needle in a haystack," Zhou Xiao Zhen advised sincerely. "Honestly, sometimes the gap between a dead man and a live one ain't that wide. Maybe you should ease up on your criteria a tad?"

Yu Xiao grinned, "Nope. Would you fancy a ghost as your boyfriend?"

"If he's good-looking, I might give it a thought," Zhou Xiao Zhen blushed, flashing a smile. "Speaking of which, Misty, do you have any prerequisites for your future beau?"

Caught off guard, Zhao Lan pondered briefly and replied solemnly, "Just, you know, alive, I suppose."

"Oh, speaking of strange preferences," Qiao Qiao suddenly appeared from around the bend, gnawing on a severed hand. Grinning at Yu Xiao, she declared, "Give me another hand, and I'll reveal a juicy secret."

Yu Xiao eyed her and pulled out an unidentified piece of flesh from her pocket. "Spill it."

Qiao Qiao's eyes sparkled as she snatched the morsel from Yu Xiao's hand. In a voice audible only to them, she revealed, "Someone stumbled upon the Dean earlier, but they all ended up as someone—or something's—snack."

☆ 17 Dean's Office

Once Qiao Qiao concluded her words, she strolled away, holding onto the meat, leaving the trio lost in contemplation.

"By the way, when George told me we can only leave if the principal stamps our discharge papers. His expression seemed a bit off," Yu Xiao remarked.

"How off?" Zhou Xiao Zhen asked. "Is your boyfriend plotting something against you or what?"

"Buzz off." Zhao Lan pushed her aside. "Don't pay attention to her, Smiley. What was George's expression like?"

Yu Xiao chewed her lip, carefully replaying the encounter with George in her mind. "He seemed... kind of maliciously gleeful."

"Maliciously gleeful?" Zhao Lan mused, recalling Qiao Qiao's words. "Could this be a setup? Maybe the Dean is the biggest threat in this asylum?"

"What should we do then?" Zhou Xiao Zhen was completely confused. "If the Dean doesn't stamp our discharge papers, we're stuck."

As Yu Xiao continued to think about George's cryptic remarks about the Dean's elusive nature—The Dean is not the type of person you can casually meet with...

"What do you think?" Yu Xiao asked. "In a regular hospital, when would the Dean definitely show up?"

"It has to be something serious," Zhao Lan, familiar with how the hospital worked since she lived in it the longest, said. "The bigger the problem, the faster the Dean gets involved."

Yu Xiao pressed for more information. "So what would be considered a significant issue?"

Zhou Xiao Zhen raised her hand, her eyes filled with determination. "We're protest against the medical system!"

Yu Xiao chuckled. "What could be more impactful than a medical protest?"

"Only if the hospital collapses," Zhou Xiao Zhen replied, her gaze contemplative. "An earthquake, a bombing, or doctors going on a collective strike..."

Suddenly, Yu Xiao's eyes widened, as if struck by a sudden realisation. Her expression instantly brightened.

"Precious," Yu Xiao affectionately patted Zhou Xiao Zhen's bald head. "Why do I love you so much?"

Zhou Xiao Zhen remained silent for a moment, gently pushing away Yu Xiao's hand. "Smiley, please. It's not good for the hair follicles on my head. I plan to grow my hair long in the future."

Zhao Lan asked, "Do you have any ideas?"

"Yeah, I've got an idea, but let's discuss how to pull it off," Yu Xiao placed her hands on their shoulders. The three of them huddled together, quietly strategizing.

Zhou Xiao Zhen occasionally let out mischievous laughter.

After the lights dimmed that night, Yu Xiao and her companions laid still in their beds. Nighttime fatigue weighed on Yu Xiao, but she endured.

Around ten minutes later, slow and rhythmic footsteps echoed in the corridor outside. Soon, the door of the ward creaked open. Even with her eyes closed, Yu Xiao sensed the intrusion of light.

She discreetly opened her eyes a sliver and witnessed three nurses entering. They gathered around the adjacent bed, two nurses looking ordinary, while the third had a peculiar appearance – the upper body black as if burned, the lower body in white, and a hairstyle resembling an explosion, as if struck by lightning.

The trio manoeuvred the patient from the second bed, with two nurses holding onto the patient's feet. They dragged the patient away in that manner.

The door of the ward clanged shut, enveloping them in sudden darkness. Yu Xiao stirred and opened her eyes.

"Misty," Zhou Xiao Zhen, who was sitting beside her, sat up, "Are we moving now?"

"Hold on," Zhao Lan attuned her senses to the ambient sounds, anticipating the approaching footsteps.

In the dark ward, the trio huddled in silence until the familiar sound of "thud thud thud" reached their ears.

"Move!" Yu Xiao sprang from the bed, cautiously opening the door just a sliver.

They gathered at the threshold, their gazes fixed on the corridor outside, anxiety etched on their faces. The approaching footsteps grew louder, revealing elongated shadows cast by the overhead lights.

As the shadows receded, a procession appeared, dressed in identical striped hospital gowns—rows upon rows of vacant eyes, shuffling mechanically.

Having only heard the sounds the previous night, witnessing the ghost procession firsthand was unsettling.

The corridor was filled with patients dressed uniformly, forming a continuous line that extended beyond the entrance of the ward even after five minutes of observation.

Zhao Lan, keeping track of the time, declared, "It's time. The middle and rear sections of the queue are getting closer to the ward. We need to move."

Yu Xiao led the way, slipping into a gap and seamlessly blending in with the rhythm of the queue, matching their pace.

These patients, lacking brains, moved like automatons, devoid of thoughts and desires. Even the presence of the living didn't jolt any reaction. The trio effortlessly merged into the undulating line.

As they advanced, the operating room became visible in the distance, a tangible destination in the never-ending flow.

Yu Xiao anxiously fixed her gaze ahead, where the line showed no signs of slowing down or veering off course. Without hesitation, they charged straight towards the wall adjacent to the operating room. Yu Xiao's heart pounded, almost reaching her throat, and then, she witnessed a spectacle.

The line smoothly cut through the wall, even though they had inspected it the night before and found no flaws.

Yu Xiao couldn't afford to hesitate. Swept up by the group, she collided with the mottled yellow wall.

The light ahead disappeared, swallowed by an expanse of boundless darkness. Amidst the footsteps, Yu Xiao heard only silence, not even the rhythmic beat of her own heart, yet her body mechanically propelled forward.

Before she could fully adjust to the darkness, brightness flooded back.

Familiar corridors and overhead lights stretched out before her, everything mirroring the scene from moments ago. Yu Xiao turned, and the rest of the queue materialised from a wall behind her.

Surveying her surroundings, she discerned a difference in the floor. She could sense it.

The brief spell of darkness was the place Qiao Qiao alluded to—a space untouched by medical staff, a secret passage between floors.

Zhou Xiao Zhen struggled to catch her breath as she sprinted frantically, feeling exhausted and weighed down by a box of mahjong. Zhao Lan shot her a glance, extending a helping hand. "Give me the mahjong; you hang in there!"

"Okay," Zhou Xiao Zhen replied, conserving every ounce of energy as she handed the mahjong to Zhao Lan.

Layer by layer, they raced through corridors that were nearly identical, save for the strokes of art on the walls. Finally, they breached a barrier, revealing a new breathtaking view - a grand hall adorned with colossal crystal chandeliers and a commanding portrait of the dean that spanned the entire wall. They left behind the outpatient department, infusion hall, pharmacy, and the dean's office they just passed.

Their excitement surged, rejuvenating their strides as they returned to their assigned floor. Yu Xiao and Zhou Xiao Zhen, on the verge of exhaustion, found solace leaning against the wall.

Zhao Lan, casually leaning against the wall, comforted them with gentle pats on their backs. "These stamina cards are a lifesaver," she declared. "I saw more of them at the mall - quite expensive, fifty points a pop. Once we're rich, each of you will have one."

Too tired to speak, Zhou Xiao Zhen nodded fervently, silently agreeing.

"Misty," Yu Xiao gasped, catching her breath. "We made it through once. Do you think our plan will succeed?"

With confidence, Zhao Lan asserted, "I believe it can. Yes, there's a risk, but I'm convinced it's a gamble worth taking."

"Alright then, sticking to the original plan." With that, Yu Xiao stood up, leaning against the wall, carefully navigating the path with deliberate slowness. "I need to rest; otherwise, I'll collapse tomorrow."

Retreating to the ward, the trio settled in, with Yu Xiao finding solace on the bed. Despite its modest comfort, worn out from their ordeal, the bed felt like a sanctuary of contentment.

Zhou Xiao Zhen gasped for breath, considering the trio's plan and eagerly anticipating the excitement that awaited them the following night. Sighing, she reflected, "I never expected this, you know? I thought I would live a simple, ordinary life. But here I am, living on the edge."

Listening to her thoughts, Zhao Lan pondered, 'Youth is something else, full of vitality. Unlike me, all I desire is money without the grind, spending my days lounging at home, scrolling through my phone every single day.'

"If it interests you, then that's good," Zhao Lan replied. "Much better than living in constant fear every damn day."

"Misty, are you scared?" Zhou Xiao Zhen inquired.

Initially, Zhao Lan believed she was, but upon reflection, she realised her fear wasn't as strong as she thought.

"I see this as an opportunity; we are all fortunate individuals." Zhou Xiao Zhen's eyes sparkled in the darkness. "In the real world, we are all cancer patients. Misty, you lie in bed every day, attached to intravenous drips. I have endured chemotherapy and radiation, and Smiley can't even have surgery. But here, as long as we earn points, we can buy time, and with time, we can keep on living."

"I want to live," Zhou Xiao Zhen suddenly choked up. "Even if it's tough, even if I have to live in constant fear every single day, I still want to keep on living."

Moved, Zhao Lan realised Zhou Xiao Zhen's words echoed her deepest feelings. She quietly wiped away a tear. "And Smiley? Smiley, are you scared?"

"Sister Smiley? Scared? No way," Zhou Xiao Zhen turned to Yu Xiao. "Right, Smiley?"

Yu Xiao whispered zzzzZ into the quiet night.

"..."

"Ah, never mind. Time for some shut-eye," Zhou Xiao Zhen shifted her position. 

After all, someone daring enough to flirt with ghosts wouldn't be interested in contemplating life in the middle of the night. That's just too boring for her.

☆ 18 Yu Xiao the Chainsaw Monster

"Knock, knock, knock!"

"Knock, knock, knock!"

...

After knocking persistently for five minutes, the door finally swung open. George, sitting behind the desk in his usual spot, looked like a perpetually desk-bound existence. Yu Xiao couldn't help but worry about his lower back.

"Good morning~" Yu Xiao greeted him cheerfully. "Meeting again, Dr. George~!"

George's pale complexion gradually turned blue, as if Yu Xiao's presence was an unbearable torment.

"Miss," George's voice lacked emotion, "please come in."

Yu Xiao walked in, dragging a chair across the room with a sense of familiarity, as if she were coming home. She positioned herself opposite George, as if it were part of their routine.

"My dear Dr. George, I have a question for you. Mind answering it?" Yu Xiao asked with a playful smile.

George maintained his stoic expression. "Go ahead."

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"..." George's face contorted, veins pulsating in the hand clutching the pen, as if he were forcibly holding something back. "Are you sure you want to ask that?"

"Chuckle!" Yu Xiao covered her mouth, letting out a ladylike laugh. "I'm just teasing, Dr. George. You're so serious."

Snap! The pen in George's hand broke.

"Oh dear." Yu Xiao appeared genuinely surprised. "Such a shame. Don't you like this pen?"

George set the broken pen down, his gaze icy as he locked eyes with Yu Xiao. "Miss, if you don't have anything important, please leave."

A flicker of excitement lit up Yu Xiao's face as she approached, a grin playing on her lips. "I've got something going on, and I do have a question for you, Dr. George. We've located the Dean's office."

"Really?" George's temper subsided, replaced by a calm demeanour. He crossed his hands on his lap, instantly at ease.

"The Dean's office is on the first floor!" Yu Xiao beamed with excitement. "If everything goes as planned, we might be out of here tonight."

"Is that so?" George replied politely. "Congratulations to you three."

"I knew you'd be happy for me!" Yu Xiao hesitated, a lingering expression suggesting there was more on her mind.

"Is there something else you want to say?" George, his lips curved in a pleasant smile, encouraged, "Feel free to speak; I'm your attending physician, and you can tell me anything."

With a pause, Yu Xiao gathered her thoughts. "Well, then, I'll say it. After these days of being together, Dr. George, I truly feel you're a handsome gentleman. As I'm about to leave, I really don't want to part with you. If possible, could you come and see me off tonight?"

George fell silent, not because of any discomfort with Yu Xiao's request but because of his aversion to her tone.

"Can't you even grant this small request?" Disappointment etched across Yu Xiao's face. "I thought we were friends."

Motivated by Yu Xiao's statement, George decided he would personally check on her tonight to witness her death.

"Alright," George said, masking his true feelings with a promise. "I promise you."

*

*

"I think George is actually not that bad." Zhou Xiao Zhen hesitated, then added, "Bloody good, in fact. Even though he's into some disgusting stuff and enjoys messing with people, overall, he's alright. I mean, look at him – easy on the eyes and he's never actively harmed anyone." Zhou Xiao Zhen spoke highly of George, "Honestly, if I kick the bucket one day, I'd haunt his door every darn day.'

Zhao Lan, struggling to comprehend the teenage girl's thoughts, questioned, "Have you been browsing the Fourth Institute forum? George is the attending doctor, equivalent to an NPC guide. Of course, he won't harm anyone because the rules don't allow it."

Zhou Xiao Zhen's expression shifted to weariness. "Sigh, I know. I'm just blabbering, mainly to ease my emotions. After all, tonight... I'm pretty nervous."

Amidst their dinner, the three of them sat in solitude, the only ones in the hospital adhering to specific meal times and engaged in conversation. Other patients, having taken their medication, would retreat to their rooms early, never to reappear.

"I'm sick and tired of this place, we can only eat fruits and bread every day," Zhou Xiao Zhen complained, breaking a piece of bread out of boredom. "And there's that nosy Auntie with gaping jaws peeping at me."

Yu Xiao turned around, and the door behind her, where the nurse had been standing, trembled slightly. A hand failed to retreat in time, caught outside the door. The hand twitched, realising it couldn't get in, and the door opened a crack before swiftly pulling back inside.

"Ignore them; tonight, I'll help you vent," Yu Xiao assured.

"Let's go," Zhao Lan stood up and declared, "I need to catch some sleep, I didn't get enough rest last night, and I'm dead tired."

The three staggered back to the ward. Qiao Qiao, playing on the bed, quickly laid down, covering her head with a blanket. Yu Xiao didn't bother with her; she needed to rest as much as possible.

In the darkness, Yu Xiao woke up abruptly to the loud blaring of the alarm clock. Zhao Lan, hidden in the shadows, silenced the intrusive noise and whispered, "Get it together; tonight is only for victory, not defeat."

Holding the mahjong box like a cherished secret, Zhou Xiao Zhen, her nerves tingling, reassured, "Don't fret; I'll own the night, no doubt."

The hospital room fell into an eerie silence. A deliberate footsteps echoed down the corridor, prompting Yu Xiao to close her eyes, focusing her senses on the approaching presence.

The door creaked open, and measured footsteps drew closer, surrounding Yu Xiao's bedside.

Three nurses, their faces hidden in the dim light, observed the motionless figure on the bed. With practised efficiency, they uncovered the blanket, ready to transfer the patient. Suddenly, Yu Xiao's eyes snapped open, and she sat up.

The trio of nurses, momentarily caught off guard, quickly recovered, their professionalism  unyielding as they extended their grasp. 

Yu Xiao exclaimed, "Precious!"

A nearby blanket spontaneously moved, covering the nurse with the most daring hairstyle. Emerging from beneath this makeshift curtain, Zhou Xiao Zhen appeared, holding the mahjong box, declaring, "In this long night, let the mahjong games begin!"

The three nurses flinched, settling on the floor beside Zhou Xiao Zhen. She opened the mahjong box, and ivory-like tiles cascaded onto the linoleum. Skillfully, the three ghosts began shuffling, creating a lively "hualah hualah" sound that filled the ward.

(哗啦哗啦: hualah hualah - Onomatopoeia for the sound of shuffling mahjong tiles.)

Amidst this symphony of mahjong, Zhou Xiao Zhen, took a moment to direct the pair, "You two, get moving. I'll handle things here!"

Yu Xiao and Zhao Lan promptly stood up and pushed a hospital bed towards the operating room door. Zhao Lan continuously checked the time, eventually saying, "It's about time. Let's begin."

"Alright." Yu Xiao nodded and took a bundle of talismans out of her pocket. With her other hand, she pounded on the operating room door.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

"You fat pig!" Yu Xiao shouted, "Come out and meet your butcher!"

Beside her, Zhao Lan shuddered briefly. Smiley was more scarier than Precious.

The door swung open, and Dr. Fat Pig, while looking at the pair, visibly hesitated. Then, with a fierce expression, he let out an angry roar, furious that these two morsels dared to provoke him.

Unbeknownst to him, as he opened his mouth, Yu Xiao swiftly thrust something inside.

Dr. Fat Pig froze, contemplating the dry, unpleasant object in his mouth.

"Boom!!!"

A brilliant thunderbolt materialised at the entrance of the operating room, its intense flash causing even Yu Xiao and Zhao Lan to squint. The deafening roar echoed through the corridor, causing the entire hospital to tremble.

A Thunder Striking Talisman was forcefully crammed into his mouth, and Yu Xiao witnessed the aftermath as lightning crackled and dissipated. The chubby figure of Dr. Fat Pig emerged, charred and toothless, reeling from the explosive impact. Trying to regain composure, he eventually succumbed and toppled down with black smoke spiralling from his mouth.

Anticipating the fallout, Zhao Lan swiftly wheeled in a hospital bed, and Dr. Fat Pig landed perfectly on it.

Without hesitation, Yu Xiao entered the operating room. A short while later, she reappeared, her left hand clutching a bundle of straps and her right hand wielding a chainsaw.

Silently and efficiently, without exchanging words, they bound Dr. Fat Pig to the bed, the familiar thunderous footsteps echoing in the corridor. Yu Xiao shot a glance at Zhao Lan, cautioning, "Be careful!"

Zhao Lan chuckled in response, "Don't worry. Childhood friends always vouched for my reliability."

As striped-gowned patients flooded the corridor, Yu Xiao retreated into the operating room. Meanwhile, Zhao Lan, pushing the bed, merged with the crowd, disappearing behind the mottled walls.

Once the last patient vanished, Yu Xiao emerged from the operating room.

She switched on the chainsaw, its menacing hum reverberating down the corridor. Yu Xiao casually walked down the empty hallway, carrying a talisman in one hand and the chainsaw in the other, displaying an air of indifference.

The door to the ward was forcefully kicked open, creating a loud "Bang!"

Startled, the three ghosts, engrossed in a game of mahjong, jumped in surprise. As Yu Xiao confidently entered with the chainsaw, their spectral gaze fixed on her.

Zhou Xiao Zhen's face filled with joy. "Smiley!"

Approaching with a relaxed stride, Yu Xiao held the buzzing chainsaw above the heads of the three ghost nurses. She glanced at Zhou Xiao Zhen and commented, "Hurry up; I can't wait to see their terror."

Although the nurses' expressions briefly twisted, they remained motionless. The nurse with an eccentric puffy hairstyle picked a tile with bloodshot eyes and exclaimed, "Little Chicken!"

Zhou Xiao Zhen burst into excitement. "Haha! I won!"

☆ 19 Run!

Zhou Xiao Zhen stood up suddenly, pointing a finger at the nurse with messy hair. "I choose you to face the music!"

Nurse with Messy Hair: "?"

Nurse with Messy Hair: "!!!"

Meanwhile, the two nurses, who had previously been bound by the rules of the mahjong tool, were now free from their distractions. Their eyes filled with hunger, they turned their attention to Yu Xiao, slowly advancing with predatory intent.

With a chainsaw in one hand and a talisman in the other, Yu Xiao contemplated, "It's time to introduce you to the Five Thunderbolts."

Abruptly, the demeanour of the two nurses changed. Baring their fangs, they cowered in a corner, trembling in terror.

Yu Xiao: "?"

Perplexed, Yu Xiao scanned the bizarre scene. What had spooked them?

In an instant, an invisible thunderbolt materialised above the nurse with messy hair, striking her skull.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A cloud of black smoke engulfed the hospital room. Yu Xiao covered her mouth and nose just in time to avoid the suffocating fumes.

"Cough, cough, cough... Smiley, cough, cough, cough... where are you?" Zhou Xiao Zhen fumbled in the darkness. "I can't see you, cough, cough, cough..."

Yu Xiao was about to respond when a surge of inky black smoke eagerly enveloped her, swirling into her open mouth. Swiftly, she decisively sealed her lips shut, vowing not to open them even if it meant facing death.

Minutes later, the ebony smoke dissipated, revealing the ward in its original state. Yu Xiao maintained her stance, while Zhou Xiao Zhen, unfortunately, veered off course. In the current moment, she clutched a patient's hand, her grip trembling uncontrollably.

Glancing across the bed, she discovered Yu Xiao on the opposite side. Looking down, she realised she was tightly holding the hand of the plump Auntie Liu Cui.

"Ugh..." Zhou Xiao Zhen's robust frame shuddered, forcefully releasing Auntie Liu's hand and lunging toward Yu Xiao.

Simultaneously, Yu Xiao observed the nurse with an explosively styled hairdo, frozen in front of her. Her hair seemed even more unruly now, and her countenance darker. Yu Xiao finally grasped the reason behind her peculiar appearance earlier. Unable to suppress her curiosity, she questioned Zhou Xiao Zhen, "Why do you constantly pick on her?"

Clutching onto Yu Xiao's sleeve, Zhou Xiao Zhen responded casually, "Can't stand her thick, long hair."

Yu Xiao: "..."

"And Smiley, now is not the time to discuss this," Zhou Xiao Zhen warned, pointing fearfully at the two nurses in the corner. "They're on their feet!"

At this point, the two nurses in the corner had risen, recognizing that Zhou Xiao Zhen's mahjong tool was momentarily incapacitated. Their postures straightened, and their expressions turned more greedy and menacing. They stared intently at Yu Xiao and Zhou Xiao Zhen, as though the two were already a delicious feast in their mouths.

To the left, the creature flung its jaw wide, letting out a boisterous "Woo ah!" from its gaping jaws a scarlet, sinuous tongue shot out like a nimble serpent, aiming for Zhou Xiao Zhen's face.

Simultaneously, on the right, two limbs stretched out towards Yu Xiao, their withered, pointed digits moving closer to her eyes.

Zhou Xiao Zhen yelped and took shelter behind Yu Xiao.

Undeterred, Yu Xiao calmly raised her left hand, with a yellowed talisman sticking to the long tongue.

Long-tongued nurse: "?"

"Boom!"

A loud explosion, even louder than before, echoed, leaving the long-armed nurse bewildered. Weren't they all beginners this time? How did they have high-level talismans?!

In the next instant, a shiver ran down her arm. As she glanced down, she was confronted with two severed limbs while two disembodied hands wriggled on the ground, as if attempting to reattach themselves.

"Precious," Yu Xiao called, "put those hands away."

"Hmm~" Zhou Xiao Zhen squatted disdainfully, using her sleeve to pick up one of the severed hands. "Her hands are disgusting, the blood is pitch-black, and the smell is truly nauseating."

Long-armed nurse: "..." If it disgusts you so much, why pick it up?

"Bzzz..."

The sound of a chainsaw buzzed in her ears. The long-armed nurse helplessly watched as Yu Xiao approached, wielding a chainsaw. Yu Xiao glared at her menacingly, saying, "If you want to keep breathing, lie down and open your mouth."

"..."

"Whoa, damn, Smiley, your style is like a wrecking ball," Zhou Xiaozhen remarked with an approving whistle.

*

*

Without wasting a moment, Zhao Lan steered the hospital bed downward, heading for the Dean's office. The chubby doctor, slowly regaining strength, was caught off guard.

Breaking away from the group, Zhao Lan exerted force, propelling the bed towards the office with determination. The recovering doctor, wide-eyed and weak, witnessed the bed hurtling towards the dean's office.

In a frantic struggle, the doctor flailed against the impending collision. Within seconds, shock gave way to fear, fear to madness, and finally, despair.

Zhao Lan promptly let go and a thunderous crash echoed as the hospital bed rammed into the office door. With precision, she pivoted and dashed into the storeroom.

As the majority of patients disappeared from the corridor, an eerie hush descended. The chubby doctor lay alone, immobilised by his fear.

Then came the dreaded sound that no one in that hospital wished to hear.

"Drip."

"Drip."

"Drip."

The rhythmic sound of drops echoed through the corridor as footsteps drew closer, creating a steady cadence that filled the air.

"Squeak..."

The door's rusty hinges protested with a groan as it swung open.

Curiosity gripped Zhao Lan, who was hidden in the cluttered room, huddled on the floor, peering through the narrow crack of the door. The fat doctor on the bed writhed persistently, while the entrance to the Dean's sanctum revealed itself through the yawning door.

A ghostly figure emerged, a macabre reflection of the Dean from the imposing portrait. Paler and more withered, an embodiment of mortality. Just one glance sent involuntary shivers down Zhao Lan's spine.

Silently, the Dean advanced towards the struggling doctor. His movements were deliberate, unhurried, almost robotic. In stark contrast, the portly figure on the bed thrashed, his mouth contorted, producing a chilling "hehe" in the oppressive silence.

"Snap!"

The restraints released their grip, and the corpulent doctor, pulsating with newfound vigor, leaped from the sickbed with lightning agility. Yet, Zhao Lan noticed a sudden impediment, a stumble that slowed down his frenzied escape. The Dean, unwavering and methodical, closed in, seizing him with an eerie calmness.

Zhao Lan's stomach churned at the unfolding scene, a cruel display that surpassed anything she had seen in Chinese or foreign cinema. It was a nauseating display of brutality that tested her composure.

Echoes of agony reverberated through the air, an unending symphony that seemed to stretch into eternity. Against the wall, Zhao Lan cringed, hands pressed firmly over her ears in a futile attempt to drown out the cries of pain.

Their original plan played out as Zhao Lan had imagined. The hefty doctor unwittingly became a pawn in their scheme, luring the hospital Dean out from the safety of the ground floor. Meanwhile, Yu Xiao and Zhou Xiao Zhen carried out their roles, detaining the medical staff on the upper level, leaving the Dean vulnerable to their manipulations. Zhao Lan's mission: infiltrate the Dean's office and secure their freedom with stamped discharge papers.

A pallor clung to Zhao Lan's face as the Dean left. The plan unfolded smoothly, but the reality proved more horrifying than expected. Could Yu Xiao withstand the horrors that awaited?

*

*

On the upper floor, a low hum reverberated down the corridor. A slender figure, wielding a chainsaw with casual ease, dragged a second figure along the worn path.

Zhou Xiao Zhen followed, observing the gruesome procession. Admiration sparked in her mind, "Smiley has this eerie coolness. She could be in a Texas Chainsaw Massacre film, a real gem for the film director."

Yu Xiao, the mastermind of terror, dragged the long-handed nurse – or rather, the now handless one. A gruesome sight unfolded as the unfortunate nurse not only lost her hands but also suffered a brutal fate with her teeth. Forced to lie on the ground, mouth agape, Yu Xiao ruthlessly destroyed her teeth with the relentless chainsaw.

Was this the work of a human?

The cruelty was incomprehensible, a repulsive spectacle of torture and degradation, as the mutilated form was dragged through the dimly lit corridor.

Yu Xiao entered the nurse's station, finding it shrouded in an unusual silence, bereft of lurking shadows.

In recent times, the medical staff had clearly divided into two factions. During the day, seven nurses reigned, dispensing medications amidst chaos. Meanwhile, the night shift belonged to a single doctor and three nurses, primarily operating within the confines of the operating room.

Suddenly, a resounding "Bang!" shattered the stillness as the door burst open, forcefully intruding upon the established order.

The seven nurses, typically the troublemakers themselves, stood momentarily stunned. Who had the audacity to knock on their door? They were more accustomed to causing trouble, not experiencing it.

A peculiar "Buzz..." reverberated through the air, capturing their attention and drawing their gaze towards the doorway. A figure, chainsaw in hand, dragged along a hapless colleague, creating an eerie tableau against the backdrop of the nurse's station.

"..."

When the intruder locked eyes with the bewildered nurses, instead of surrendering, they definitely turned around, presenting the back of their head.

"Everyone's here!" Yu Xiao declared, turning to signal Zhou Xiaozhen. "Block the door; not a single person is allowed to escape!"

"..."

An unbearable tension permeated the air. The seven nurses, mouths agape, prepared to unleash their grievances upon Yu Xiao, a brewing storm of words waiting to be released.

Yu Xiao spun around, letting go of the nurse's hand and giving it a quick shake.

With a skilled movement,a spread of talismans unfolded like a deadly fan. She flashed her cute little fangs and said, "Let's see who's been naughty."

A hush settled.

Inside the ward, Zhou Xiao Zhen skillfully peeled an orange and offered the juicy pieces to Yu Xiao. The nurses around them hurried about—some massaging legs, one expertly brewing tea, two holding fans, and another pair tending to Zhou Xiao Zhen's legs.

Suddenly, a phone rang.

"I really wanted to live for another five hundred years~..."

Yu Xiao saw Zhao Lan's name on the caller ID and quickly answered, "What's up, Misty? Is everything okay?"

Outside the Dean's office on the ground floor, Zhao Lan, her lips pale and a sheen of cold sweat on her face, urged, "Run. Fast."

"Huh?" Yu Xiao asked.

"I can't open the Dean's office door. It's like a fortress. No matter what I tried, it won't budge." Zhao Lan looked at the mangled remains of the chubby doctor on the floor and added urgently, "You have to run; the Dean is a nightmare, way above our level!"

Ending the call, Yu Xiao's expression changed.

☆ 20 Dean Yu of St Elizabeth's

While observing Yu Xiao talk on the phone, Zhou Xiao Zhen noticed a change in her expression. She shot her a questioning look, silently trying to figure out the cause of her unease.

Yu Xiao's heart was racing irregularly; a miscalculation had thrown her off balance. She had always regarded the Dean as a formidable force, and as a result, she had taken steps to manipulate the medical staff, neutralising their combat potential and ensuring that they wouldn't align with the Dean.

Every talisman she'd hoarded was intended for the Dean. While they might not cause chaos, they could at least help her navigate the situation.

Her initial strategy involved stalling the Dean, giving Zhao Lan the opportunity to infiltrate the Dean's office. However, the Dean's office door stubbornly resisted all attempts to open it.

Through the phone, Zhao Lan urgently begged her to escape, warning that the Dean was en route. But where could Yu Xiao flee to? The Dean's omnipresence covered every corner of the hospital. Adding to her fear was the return of her sporadic deafness, causing the surrounding sounds to fade until Zhou Xiao Zhen's moving lips produced no audible words.

Yu Xiao glanced at Zhou Xiao Zhen and gently shook her head.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Xiao Zhen paused, then witnessed Yu Xiao lightly touching her ear.

Dread washed over Zhou Xiao Zhen's face. The realisation hit her—Smiley had lost her hearing again. Meanwhile, the deliberate footsteps echoed from outside—a composed and unhurried rhythm.

Lighter than Dr. Fatties, slower than George's, those were Dean's footsteps.

Zhou Xiao Zhen desperately wanted to warn Yu Xiao about the immediate danger lurking outside, but Yu Xiao remained oblivious and unable to hear. Suppressing her own movements, Zhou Xiao Zhen refrained from making any gestures, fearing that the ghost nurses would perceive Yu Xiao's vulnerability and cease to obey.

All Zhou Xiao Zhen could do was direct a horrified gaze towards the door, silently praying that Yu Xiao could sense the encroaching dread reflected in her expression.

Understanding the unspoken message and sensing something more, as the nurses mirrored her terror, all fixated on the entrance.

Recalling Zhao Lan's description of the Dean's terrifying nature, Yu Xiao comprehended the gravity of the situation. Although Zhao Lan sounded anxious on the phone, the fact that she had not suffered any physical harm indicated that she had successfully avoided the Dean's attention. But how did she come to know about the Dean's terrifying nature?

She must have witnessed something. Combining the nurses' fearful expressions with Zhao Lan's information, Yu Xiao began to suspect. Her fingers hesitated over her phone's contact list, hovering over a specific number.

In the deserted corridor, the sound of footsteps echoed. A thin shadow stretched under the lamplight, appearing like a malevolent spirit entwined in an unseen struggle beneath the surface.

In his office, George heard the sound and emitted a sinister chuckle. There was always someone trying to outsmart him. He didn't need to speculate about what would happen next; he had witnessed such scenarios countless times. However, tonight was different. He yearned to witness the desperate downfall of the audacious woman who dared to challenge him.

George stepped out into the hallway to hear better, with his eyes closed, had a sinister grin on his face as he felt the ominous presence approaching the front of the nurses' station.

Inside the station, Zhou Xiaozhen heard footsteps getting closer and then suddenly stopping. Fear was clearly visible on her face as she desperately tried to communicate with Yu Xiao through her eyes. Although Yu Xiao couldn't hear, she understood that the most dangerous moment had arrived. Without any hesitation, she pressed her fingers down to make the call.

George, lost in his own imaginary movie of Yu Xiao death, imagined having a fresh brain as a snack in this situation. But no worries – is anything perfect in the world of ghosts? This small imperfection didn't need to bother him.

Then, a familiar sound came from his own pocket...

"Beep beep beep beep beep..."

"..."

George's expression went blank for a moment – the first time he had felt confused since becoming the head doctor. Who on earth would call him at such a moment?!

An extremely withered hand pressed against the door handle of the nurses' station. Just as it was about to open the door, a sound echoed through the corridor.

"Beep beep beep beep beep..."

The dried-up hand hesitated for a moment, then released the handle.

George fumbled for his phone, zeroing in on that unforgettable number.  His once composed and handsome face crumbled, transforming into a look of distress.

Honestly, if he could start over, he would strangle her on the first day 'Deaf Descendant' walked in—consequences be damned!

As the sound of footsteps echoed, Zhou Xiao Zhen realised they were leaving. Overjoyed, she instinctively grabbed someone close and shook them vigorously, bursting with excitement yet hesitant to express it aloud.

The nurses, though not needing to breathe, breathed a collective sigh of relief and embraced each other in celebration.

After the exhilarating moment, Zhou Xiao Zhen felt something wet on her shoulder. She froze, realising she had been hugging a nurse with a disturbing look on her face, saliva dripping ominously.

Swiftly, she pushed the nurse away and used the mahjong tiles as a threat.

The frightened nurse, with a look of terror on her face, retreated to a corner, appearing wronged.

Watching their animated reactions, Yu Xiao recognized her victory. The Dean wasn't only attracted by the patients; he could be swayed by other factors.

Upon seeing a tall, thin, almost skeletal figure appear around the corner, George's eye twitched. He quickly entered the office and silenced his phone. Ready to reciprocate, he immediately dialled Yu Xiao's number.

"Sorry, the user you're trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please try again later…"

"..."

Frustrated, George threw his phone!

In the nurse's station, Zhou Xiao Zhen's ears perked up, alerting her to the unmistakable sound of a door being forcefully broken open. Soon, a cacophony of chaotic noises followed, a discordant symphony of destruction that was initially difficult to comprehend. The crashing of breaking walls interrupted the chaos sporadically, adding to the raw, uncontrolled chaos.

Her gaze shifted towards Yu Xiao, whose expression, though seemingly composed, revealed a hint of confusion beneath her serious exterior. Quickly, Zhou Xiao Zhen pulled out her phone, swiftly documenting the pandemonium unfolding outside the walls. She handed the electronic record to Yu Xiao.

In an instant, Yu Xiao absorbed the unfolding drama. It was clear that the Dean and George were engaged in a heated struggle.

Amidst the turmoil, Yu Xiao couldn't help but admire George's skill. Since her arrival, he had proven to be an invaluable ally.

"What's our plan here?" Zhou Xiao Zhen typed, her fingers dancing on the screen. "What should we do?"

Yu Xiao considered for a moment, then replied, "Let's go out."

Zhou Xiao Zhen: "What?"

Other nurses: "?"

Ignoring their confusion, Yu Xiao decisively pushed the door open.

Collective gasps: "!!!"

Undeterred, Yu Xiao stepped out, the open door amplifying the chaotic sounds. Alas, Yu Xiao remained deaf to the tumult. With a chainsaw in one hand and talismans in the other, she quietly advanced towards George's besieged sanctuary.

Not long after they left, Zhou Xiao Zhen reached out and took Yu Xiao's hand. Yu Xiao understood the situation and crouched down in the corner, her eyes fixed on what lay ahead.

Despite Zhou Xiao Zhen's fear, curiosity got the better of her and she peeked over Yu Xiao's head. In that corner, there were nine heads lined up perfectly from bottom to top.

On the other side of the corner, George's once pristine white coat was torn to shreds and his once neatly combed hair was messy. His usually covered pale skin was exposed and marked with numerous wounds, resembling the bites of wild animals.

Facing him was the dean, whose condition mirrored George's misfortune. His white coat, barely recognizable now, bore the signs of a relentless attack, and a vacant sleeve sadly hung by his side. Upon closer inspection, his hand lay discarded on the ground.

The doors and walls surrounding them showed the marks of a brutal confrontation, reduced to a pitiful state.

The terrifying scene unfolding before them was both gruesome and deeply disturbing. Zhou Xiao Zhen, her face twisted in horror, couldn't look away.

In that terrifying moment, Yu Xiao's calm voice broke the silence and revealed, "See that? George fought bravely with the dean on my behalf, showing how deeply he cared for me."

Zhou Xiao Zhen stood frozen in disbelief: This is the Smiley I know, always finding a way to tease George even in such dire circumstances. What an admirable role model!

The nurses shared a collective gasp of astonishment: This is unbelievable. How could such a thing happen? It's one thing for a patient to act aggressively, but for a senior doctor to recklessly support her? Aren't we supposed to allow spirits to rest in peace? This is unbearable!

In the heat of the battle, the confrontation reached its peak. Suddenly, the hospital Dean's neck extended, and he sank his teeth into George's shoulder with ruthless determination. George winced in pain, his face contorting. Showing no sign of weakness, he reciprocated by sinking his teeth into Dean's head.

"Crack!"

The sharp sound reverberated as George snapped off Dean's skull. Witnessing this, Yu Xiao couldn't help but think that the Dean was done for. George has a tendency to feast on brains; surely he won't let the Dean off the hook. Without his brain, survival would be impossible.

Yet, reality hit her hard the next moment. From her vantage point, she could clearly see a cavity in the Dean's head. Even with a missing piece of his skull, the Dean remained aggressive and undaunted. Yu Xiao scrutinised that mysterious void, deep and hollow, with nothing inside.

Damn it, once again I miscalculated. The Dean doesn't have a brain!

As George fell behind, Yu Xiao finally understood the true significance of his earlier words.

"...The Dean is not the type of person you can casually meet with..."

Because encountering him was practically a death sentence. So naturally, not just anyone gets the opportunity to have a casual meeting with him and live!

'Damn George, always setting traps, just waiting for me to fall right into them!' Yu Xiao shot a glare at George.

Crackle!

George twisted the Dean's head, completely turning it around 180 degrees. He was prepared to throw the Dean aside, and if he could, he would make Yu Xiao witness the bitter taste of true hopelessness!

Just as he was about to push the Dean away, he spotted a familiar figure, someone who had made a lasting mark on him, hurrying from around the corner. Swiftly, the person reached him, bent down, and stuffed something into the hole in Dean's head, then quickly ran away.

Watching Yu Xiao disappear around the corner, George, puzzled, examined the hole in Dean's head, and that's when he noticed the yellow paper.

"…"

Yu Xiao sprinted back around the corner, signalling to Zhou Xiao Zhen, "Cover your ears!"

Zhou Xiao Zhen dutifully covered her ears, and in the next moment, the world erupted.

"Boom! Boom! BOOM!!!"

One thunderous explosion followed another, shaking the entire St. Elizabeth's. In that instant, it felt like hell for everyone on staff. Thunder roared incessantly, and amid the vast darkness, the blinding flashes seemed capable of scorching eyes.

*

*

On the ground floor, Zhao Lan distinctly registered the tremors. She had seen the power of the Thunderstriking Talisman before, so she naturally knew that this was the result of Yu Xiao using several talismans at once.

Is the situation above really this dire? Zhao Lan was filled with anxiety, but there was nothing she could do. She couldn't even leave the first floor now. Smiley, Precious, please be safe!

After a while, everything became silent, and Zhao Lan couldn't hear any sound or sense any movement.

It's over, she thought.

She didn't dare to leave the utility room. Instead, she leaned against the door, taking deep breaths for a while. Then, she tremblingly pulled out her phone and called Yu Xiao.

"Sorry, the number you have dialled is currently switched off..."

A chill ran down her spine, but despair had not claimed her yet. Determined, she punched in Zhou Xiao Zhen's number, clinging to a sliver of hope.

"Sorry, the number you have dialled is currently switched off..."

"..."

Zhao Lan had endured the onslaught of incurable illness with stoic composure, but now her face was soaked in tears. Was she the sole survivor? The only one left standing?

*

*

The smoke hung in the air, unwilling to dissipate. Yu Xiao took her hand away from her mouth, letting it pass through her tousled hair. Unknowingly, the dust that had settled there from the lingering smoke found its way into her nostrils. Thanks to the protective charm against thunder, her hearing had miraculously returned.

"Ah, Achoo!" Yu Xiao sneezed loudly, feeling the weight of Zhou Xiao Zhen sprawled across her.

Shoving Zhou Xiao Zhen aside, Yu Xiao cautiously approached the aftermath of the battlefield.

The walls on either side bore the marks of fire, charred and burnt. The floor, too, was adorned with extensive patches of blackness, and within these burned areas lay two figures resembling humans.

Yu Xiao first examined the condition of the dean. At this point, the dean's head and neck were nowhere to be found, yet the body remained remarkably intact. Yu Xiao couldn't help but marvel, "Impressive! Despite filling the brain with thunder charms, it only blew off the head. This dean's body is truly resilient."

Seemingly motionless, the dean showed no signs of rising again. Yu Xiao then shifted her gaze to George, lying still on the scorched ground.

George lay sprawled, his once-white coat torn and soot-covered. Yu Xiao approached, squatted beside him, and after a momentary pause, prodded him with her finger. "Hey, still kicking?"

George's body trembled slightly, emitting a soft "Hmm."

"Whoa," Yu Xiao exclaimed, "Impressive, doc. You're like a tank, taking hits and still standing strong."

With deliberate effort, George managed to raise himself up, although the icy nonchalance on his face had lost its initial refinement.

Surveying the aftermath, Yu Xiao couldn't help but notice George's hair, now resembling a chaotic chicken coop, a fractured lens awkwardly perched on his glasses, a bruise imprint on his face, and his forehead painted pitch-black, as if life had just trampled all over him...

Well it wasn't far from the truth...

George used his middle finger to straighten his glasses, only to find the headless dean sprawled before him.

His stare pierced through the dean, as if trying to drill into his very essence. Breaking the silence after what felt like an eternity, he shifted his gaze from the lifeless figure to Yu Xiao.

The intensity in his eyes wasn't love; it was a reservoir of profound loathing.

"Uh..." Confronted with that gaze, Yu Xiao felt an inexplicable pang of guilt. "I did it for your own good. Without my help, you would have been in grave danger."

George, unaffected by the need to breathe, took a deep breath, then he let out a scornful chuckle. "Looks like you're planning on being my eternal companion, huh?"

"Huh?" Yu Xiao was taken aback, quickly averting her eyes. "Well, you see, life doesn't always follow our script. We're from different worlds..."

"Hmph, Ha!" George sneered at Yu Xiao, a wicked grin on his face. "You killed the dean, and now no one can enter the dean's office. You're trapped here, aren't you?"

"..."

Silence hung in the air, pregnant with disbelief. 

"What do you mean? You can't enter either?" Yu Xiao stuttered, struggling to accept the reality.

George remained expressionless. "Only the dean can open the door to the dean's office."

"..."

"Seriously?" Zhou Xiao Zhen nervously interjected, her eyes darting between the two. "Smiley, what's the plan? Are we stuck in this hellhole forever?"

Desperate for a solution, Yu Xiao asked George with a glimmer of hope, "The dean is gone. Can't you take on the role and open the door?"

A cold smile played on George's lips. "Nope."

"Um..."

"We're in deep shit," Zhou Xiao Zhen wailed, tears streaming down her face. "Wah, wah, wah... there's no turning back. Mom, Dad, goodbye forever. I'll miss you so much..."

Turning to George, Yu Xiao pressed, "There's no other way, really?"

George's eyes shot daggers at Yu Xiao, a frosty stare that could chill a room.

"Throw me another one of those glares, why don't you?" Yu Xiao threatened, "I'm stuck here anyway, might as well go out with a bang. Don't think I won't report you?"

At this point, George couldn't have cared less. He struggled to his feet, adopting a tone that practically begged for a beating. "Report me? I wouldn't even notice."

With those words hanging in the air, he turned, intending to make a swift exit back to his office. However, to his surprise, the office door had disappeared from its usual spot and now lay flat on his desk.

"Does Saint Elizabeth's only have one Dean?" Yu Xiao's voice trailed behind him. George turned to find her staring at him. "How did this Dean manage to get the job?"

George remained tight-lipped.

Zhou Xiao Zhen, tears welling in her eyes, asked, "What... What's happening, Smiley?"

"Only the Dean can open that door," Yu Xiao explained. "So, find us another Dean, and the door should open, right?"

"That makes sense..." Zhou Xiao Zhen sighed. "But where on earth do we find another Dean?"

"Promote one of the people over there to Dean status," Yu Xiao gestured toward the group of nurses around the corner. "Or maybe we have an election. We just need a fresh face in the Dean's chair!"

Yu Xiao's enthusiasm grew; she wiped her face and fixed her sparkling eyes on George. "Can you...?"

George's lips twitched as he spoke, "I'm the attending doctor here; there's no way I can step into the Dean's shoes."

Yu Xiao chuckled and replied, "Alright then, let's throw an election into the mix."

George felt the need to clarify, "We've never done that at St. Elizabeth!"

"Who should we choose as our lucky candidate?" Yu Xiao questioned, looking at the group of nurses.

George snapped in response, "Did you not hear a word I just said?"

Zhou Xiaozhen, expressing her concern, voiced, "What if they turn against us once they're in charge? Shouldn't we take control ourselves?"

"Well, your reasoning makes sense," reassured Yu Xiao, patting Zhou Xiaozhen on the shoulder. "We might as well give it a try."

George exploded with frustration, saying, "Did anyone catch a single word I said just now?"

*

*

The patients lay in a deep slumber, oblivious to the world around them. However, when they woke up, they found themselves in an unusual situation in the hospital room.

Yu Xiao and Zhou Xiao Zhen, who were supposed to be waking up alongside them, were now sitting on the bed. Behind them stood seven nurses, and there was another nurse crawling on the floor, apparently joining them. Many pairs of eyes stared intently at them.

Qiao Qiao was overcome with fear. She had been at St. Elizabeth for over forty years, and this was the first time she had witnessed such a scene.

"No medication today," Yu Xiao declared, holding a chainsaw in her hand. "Everyone will cast their votes."

The patients, still in a daze, were herded into the cafeteria. On the walls, they noticed a few large words written in a dark red colour resembling blood.

—St. Elizabeth Dean Election Assembly.

All the patients and nurses gathered below, looking up at Yu Xiao with blank expressions. George stood in the corner, observing this seemingly absurd spectacle with indifference.

Yu Xiao motioned to Zhou Xiao Zhen, who approached each individual, distributing paper and pens in a methodical manner.

"What you have in your hands is a ballot. Make sure to write down the name of the person you believe should be the Dean," Yu Xiao instructed, pulling out the chainsaw.

She slammed the table loudly. "And that person is me, the Deaf Descendant! Hurry up, what's taking so long?"

Liu Cui, with frustration evident on her face, held the pen and paper, feeling perplexed. "How exactly do you write 'dragon'?"

"Tsk," Yu Xiao sneered dismissively. "Precious, show her how it's done."

Votes were quickly collected. Yu Xiao glanced at George, who was tucked away in the corner. "Are you going to count, or are you too busy holding grudges?"

George avoided eye contact, sensing his position as the attending doctor crumbling with the director's downfall. If that's the case, why bother with rules? Could he put an end to that miserable woman?

Lost in thought, he gazed at Yu Xiao's delicate neck—so fragile. Would it break with a gentle twist?

"Precious, come here," Yu Xiao beckoned.

Zhou Xiao Zhen stepped forward, grabbed a voting slip, and cleared her throat. "Ahem, let's skip the nonsense. Time to count the votes. Fairness, justice... who cares? Let's get on with it."

"One vote for the Deaf Descendant!"

"Two votes for the Deaf Descendant!"

"..."

"Twenty votes for the Deaf Descendant. Hooray, the Deaf Descendant takes the crown!"

"Thank you, everyone." Yu Xiao pressed her palms together and bowed graciously. "I appreciate the trust and support."

The nurses and patients below clapped with little enthusiasm. Trust and support my ass, a complete façade.

George observed the farce with a detached gaze, knowing it was time to stop it. He walked towards Yu Xiao from behind, gradually extending his hands. In an instant, he felt a shift.

At the same time, Yu Xiao also sensed the change in the air.

After the applause, Zhou Xiao Zhen remarked, "Smiley, it seems this approach isn't effective..."

"No," Yu Xiao met her gaze. "I sensed it."

Zhou Xiao Zhen asked, "What did you sense?"

"I am already the dean," Yu Xiao declared.

"??!!" Zhou Xiao Zhen exclaimed.

*

*

In the utility room on the first floor, Zhao Lan wept, waiting through the night. At this point, despair completely consumed her. Perhaps Smiley and Precious had already met their end. Consequently, she had nothing left to fear. What purpose did solitary survival serve? Soon, she would be discovered, meeting a gruesome fate, akin to Dr. Fat Pig.

Pushing the door open, Zhao Lan left the utility room.

Dr. Fat Pig's remains still littered the corridor floor. Fear no longer gripped Zhao Lan; her heart resembled lifeless embers.

Walking alone in the desolate corridor, she arrived at the hospital lobby. Glaring at the enormous portrait of the dean, she harboured a fierce resentment.

Why? Why was the world so unjust? Smiley and Precious were so young; why did they have to die?

Unfair!

She quickly brushed away the tears with her sleeve. When she looked up again, she was surprised. The large LED screen's images were changing.

At first, it showed the dean wearing a white coat. After a flicker that suggested a technical glitch, the figure changed.

Smiley?!

Zhao Lan stood in shock. A quick blink confirmed it—now Yu Xiao was on the screen.

Yu Xiao, wearing a white coat, had a friendly smile like a leader inspecting rural areas. She gently unfolded her hands, with a cluster of bold, red characters next to her.

St. Elizabeth welcomes you!

"..." Damn, Zhao Lan was speechless, her cognitive circuits crashing.

*

*

Meanwhile, on the top floor, Yu Xiao felt a strong conviction that St. Elizabeth was seemingly under her control. With her desires, she could go to any floor.

"Smiley, you're not joking, are you?" Zhou Xiao Zhen looked at her in disbelief.

"Do I seem like someone who would joke about this..." Yu Xiao eagerly turned to George, "Hurry up, tell me, is this real!"

"..."

George didn't want to speak; he was overwhelmed by the audacity of what had just happened.

"Hahaha..." Yu Xiao chortled, hands on hips, revelling in the victory. "Guess who's the dean now? Me, me!"

Zhou Xiao Zhen's eyes filled with tears of joy. "Unbelievable! We can finally escape!"

"Ah, right." Yu Xiao shifted focus to Zhao Lan. "Misty is still stuck on the first floor."

*

*

Zhao Lan, recovering from the shocking painting, fought to compose herself. Suddenly, she heard calm footsteps approaching from behind.

Swiftly turning, Zhao Lan found Yu Xiao with a smile. "Hey~"

"Smiley?" Zhao Lan stammered. "Are you okay? How did you make it to the first floor? And what's the deal with this portrait?"

"I'm the dean now," Yu Xiao grinned. "No need to be scared. You can leave this place."

"Really?" Zhao Lan felt like she was in a dream. "You're actually the dean?"

"Absolutely." Yu Xiao gestured toward the glowing LED screen. "Why else would I be up there?"

"Oh..." Zhao Lan's emotions burst forth, and she erupted into tearful sobs, clutching onto Yu Xiao.

Confused, Yu Xiao asked, "What's wrong? Why all the tears?"

"Smiley, you're so pitiable," Zhao Lan cried, tears flowing freely. "You've been so good to me. Even in death, you remember to help me. Sob, sob, sob. What about Precious? Did she die too?"

Yu Xiao blinked, a touch bewildered. "Who said I'm dead?"

With tears welling in her eyes, Zhao Lan said, "Weren't you the one who kicked the bucket, took a detour to the afterlife, and then snagged the director's chair?"

"...Misty, your imagination is running wild."

It took Zhao Lan a while to process the fact that Yu Xiao wasn't pushing up daisies.

"Oh my goodness." After the revelation, Zhao Lan remained in a daze for what felt like forever. "You can actually do something like this?"

"I just gave it a try with an experimental mindset..." Yu Xiao turned the doorknob, and the director's office door creaked open.

The interior was modest, not much different from George's workspace.

A cluttered desk, covered in piles of files, took centre stage. Next to it, a trash can overflowed with discarded paperwork. Yu Xiao approached and found three discharge reports on the desk, each featuring a photo of the trio.

Pointing to the corner of the desk, Zhao Lan commented, "That's the director's stamp, right?"

"Yeah." Yu Xiao picked up the stamp, pressed it onto the three reports, and then flashed a grin. "Time to head home~"

Zhao Lan chuckled, "We can't really call that ward a home, huh?"

As Zhao Lan spoke, their surroundings blurred and darkness briefly enveloped them. When the haze lifted, the trio found themselves back in the familiar and comforting ward. 

Daylight streamed in through the drawn curtains, revealing a beautiful view of majestic mountains, crystal-clear waters, the cheerful melody of birds, and the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers.

"Misty!" Zhou Xiao Zhen exclaimed, rushing forward to embrace Zhao Lan tightly, "I was so damn worried about you!"

Zhao Lan affectionately patted Zhou Xiao Zhen's bald head, "I was worried sick about all of you too."

"Guess what, Smiley is now the big shot hospital Dean," Zhou Xiao Zhen shared the news, glancing quickly at Yu Xiao.

Yu Xiao, engrossed in her phone, furrowed her brow, "Check your messages. Did you score points?"

Back in the ward, Yu Xiao discovered four unread messages on her phone.

【Cheers! You nailed that treatment. Now you're a second-tier member of the Hospital 6 patient exchange forum.】

【Your stellar performance deserves a reward: 3 base points and 3 bonus points for you!】

【Hats off to the new 'Saint Elizabeth, Dean Yu.' Enjoy your 4 points. And for being a 'Chainsaw Maniac,' here's another 4 points. Your total tally? A solid 21 points.】

【Congratulations on being at the top of the points leaderboard. You have earned two functional cards. Please visit the forum to claim them.】

Staring at the text message, Yu Xiao's emotions churned like an unsettled storm. What in the world was 'Chainsaw Maniac'?

"Whoa! Holy shit!" Zhou Xiao Zhen burst out, her eyes wide with disbelief. "I'm rocking the second spot on the leaderboard! And they gave me another power card for it."

Zhao Lan mirrored the joy, a smile gracing her face. "I got a power card too, and now I'm holding steady in third place."

"Congrats," Yu Xiao chimed in, her mind suddenly buzzing with a thought. "By the way, with your points skyrocketing, did you unlock any titles?"

"Uhmm..."

Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen shared an uncomfortable glance.

"What's up?" Yu Xiao asked curiously. "What titles did you earn? I've got a new one, and it's almost too absurd to mention. I'm practically blushing."

"Really?" Zhao Lan sighed in relief. "Mine's called... 'Tyrant's Willing Accomplice in Cruelty (助纣为虐).'"

Yu Xiao: "?"

"Huh?" Zhou Xiao Zhen lifted her phone, a grin spreading on her face. "Mine's: 'Tiger's Devotee'. (为虎作伥)"

(TN: Both titles play on words and refer to being a dumb follower to a bad, unruly person.)

"..."

None of them had good titles!

Zhao Lan smiled wider as she quirked an eyebrow. "So, what's your title, then?" 

"Hmm..." Yu Xiao pondered. "The first one was meh, but the second one's the Chainsaw Maniac." 

Zhou Xiao Zhen. "Totally fits you, Smiley." 

Yu Xiao remained silent. 

"Let's discuss the cards," Zhou Xiao Zhen suggested, breaking the silence. 

Last time, Zhao Lan didn't get any cards, so that's her main concern. She jumped in. "Mine's a Physical Fitness card." 

After scrutinising it, Zhou Xiao Zhen looked up and declared, "I got an Upgrade card." 

Yu Xiao, searching through the forum backend, chimed in. "I got another Luck card and a Physical Fitness card." 

Letting out a sigh, she added, "Props cards aren't just falling from the sky." 

"Yeah," Zhou Xiao Zhen shuffled her mahjong tiles. "Feeling randomly lucky now." 

"Just having ability cards is a win," Zhao Lan patted their shoulders. "Remember, it's a treat for the elite on the leaderboard." 

"You got that right!" Zhou Xiao Zhen perked up. 

Zhao Lan prodded, "I used the Physical Fitness card last round. Precious, fancy giving it a try this time?" 

"Probably not," Zhou Xiao Zhen replied. "I thought about exchanging it with my Upgrade card, but it turns out the Upgrade only enhances props, and I'm the only owner in our trio."

"Misty, use it yourself," Yu Xiao grinned, taking charge of their decision-making. "Precious has amazing mahjong skills, and her self-defence game is top-notch, even better than mine. We're all newbies in this game; now is not the time for us to make compromises."

Zhao Lan thought it over. With her superior physical abilities, she could contribute much more to the team. Without hesitation, she decided to activate the physical fitness card herself.

【Congrats! Your physical strength just received a 30-point boost. You're now as strong as a bull.】

Ecstatic, Zhao Lan exclaimed, "I did it! I got another achievement!"

She crouched slightly, wrapping her left arm around Yu Xiao's shoulder and her right arm around Zhou Xiao Zhen. With a swift lift, she hoisted them both onto her shoulders and started running around the ward.

"Woooah~"

Zhou Xiao Zhen felt like she was losing her mind. "Put me down... I'm gonna throw up."

"Whoops, my bad." Zhao Lan reluctantly set them down, rubbing her hands in embarrassment. "I got a little carried away."

"I might throw up too... I understand you," Yu Xiao weakly sprawled on the bed. "Nice one with the lift, but let's not do that again."

Once she caught her breath, Zhou Xiao Zhen eagerly tore open the upgrade card.

"Holy cow!" She jumped up. "Holy cow!"

"Enough with the 'Holy cow' already," Zhao Lan asked, "How is it?"

Zhou Xiao Zhen's flushed face lit up like a firefly on a summer night. "Check this out! My mahjong game just got a power-up! Now I can unleashed it twice in a row!"

Even Yu Xiao and Zhao Lan couldn't help but exclaim, "Holy cow!"

Suppressing her bubbling excitement, Yu Xiao began flipping the cards.

【Endurance card, do you want to use it?】

【Your endurance increases by 30.】

And then, there was no more "then"...

Yu Xiao facepalmed. She'd just been yapping about how Misty's basic endurance was on life support, but it turns out she wasn't any better herself.

【Luck card, do you want to use it?】

Absolutely.

【Bam! Your luck increases by 30. Congratulations, you've hit the jackpot of good luck.】

"Smiley's luck is skyrocketing!" Zhou Xiao Zhen cheered, excitement shining in her eyes. "I swear, I'm hitching my wagon to Big Sister Smiley's thigh from now on. Just tagging along with Smiley seems to be levelling up our success rate like crazy."

"Yeah," mused Zhao Lan, taking a moment to reflect before proposing, "Maybe Smiley should always use that luck card, no matter who gets it. We're all in this mess together, and if Smiley's luck improves, we all benefit."

Zhou Xiao Zhen eagerly raised her hand and added, "I'm totally on board with that!"

Feeling a little uneasy, Yu Xiao quickly changed the subject, saying, "Now that we're back, let's have a proper meal. We've been stuck at St. Elizabeth, surviving on bread and fruit for days. I'm really craving some hot, mouth-watering dishes."

*

*

As the trio enjoyed their meal, the changes on the scoreboard caught the attention of the other patients in Ward Six.

Suddenly, surprised voices echoed through the hospital rooms.

"Whoa, the scoreboard has flipped! Someone took the risk and came out on top!"

"Check this out... The Dragon/Deaf Descendant is still dominating!"

"Is this dude just too darn impressive?"

"How can you be sure it's a dude? What if it's a chick?"

"Psh, you spewing nonsense. No gal would slap herself with such a darn ugly nickname..."

Their success sparked hope for other patients in Ward Six. Some who sought the treatment returned, alive and well. Does that mean it's not as terrifying as they thought?

Looking at the clock ticking away, if there's a chance at survival, why not take a gamble?

Without even realising it, many accessed the back end of the Ward Six forum and eventually clicked the button.

☆ | Next Chapter 

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