Chapter 127: Who Wants to Kill Smiley? |
When Yu Xiao took the reins as leader of the investigation team, she finally had the upper hand over some of the troublesome ghosts at the hospital, including a few attending doctors who used to be above her pay grade.
This was a far cry from her previous reliance on talismans to force the ghosts into submission. Even though the talismans were powerful, there were still ghosts that slipped through the cracks. Plus, talismans were just part of the hospital’s rules, so challenging the rules themselves was impossible. But now, as the leader of the investigation team, Yu Xiao had become an integral part of those rules, making her a special existence in the eyes of the ghosts.
The trio celebrated their victory like lizards basking under a heat lamp, until Zhao Lan let out a sigh. “I swear, the hospital leaders don’t care about patients gaining power at all.”
Yu Xiao blinked, her mind working like a rusty engine. “Huh. You might be onto something there.”
When Yu Xiao first became the head of Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital, she thought she had found a loophole in the rules. But as time went on, the hospital didn’t bat an eyelid. They didn’t even flinch when she became the inspector of the Health Bureau, allowing her to keep her position as dean by default.
And now, she was the chairman of the ghost group, with the hospital handing over the leadership of the investigation team to her on a silver platter.
Zhao Lan’s words triggered a realisation in Yu Xiao. Perhaps she didn’t find a loophole in the rules when she became the director of Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital. Perhaps… perhaps the rules had allowed it all along.
The hospital didn’t care about the existence patients had within its walls. Yu Xiao remembered her conversation with Zhao Lan after they left Sage Hospital, where they discussed how patients and hospitals were two sides of the same coin. Patients were just one of the many important parts that kept the hospital running smoothly.
Zhao Lan’s thoughts had already drifted away, her voice filled with curiosity. “Hasn’t any other patients tried to become the dean of any instance before Yu Xiao?”
“You guys are overthinking it,” Zhou Xiao Zhen chimed in, her voice amused. “Did anyone else notice that all the attending doctors who got defeated knew Smiley? And they could even sneak into each other’s hospitals?”
Yu Xiao pointed at her, emphasising, “They know us, Us.”
“Remember how George pretended to be clueless when Smiley offered to help?” Zhao Lan’s voice was filled with amusement. “Well, it turns out that sneaky fox had a plan all along – he gathered a whole bunch of attending doctors. Who knew he had such impressive connections with the ghosts to gather so many? I always thought those doctors weren’t particularly chummy with each other.”
Yu Xiao stroked her chin. “I wouldn’t be so certain that they’re there to lend a hand. Yesterday, I ran into Tie Niu, and you know what? He said that George invited them all to a fancy feast at St. Elizabeth’s…”
Zhou Xiao Zhen’s eyes lit up, the pieces falling into place. “Ah, so that’s his strategy! They must have turned him down, so he resorted to a bit of trickery. A delicious feast as bait to lure them into dealing with Gluttony – sly, but brilliant!”
“Never underestimate George,” Yu Xiao chuckled, shaking her head in amazement. “And who knew attending doctors had such a lively social life? It turns out they also enjoy the finer things!”
Unnoticed amidst their conversation, Nightmare the cat stretched out a paw, hoping his adorable pink paw pad would catch their attention. Sadly, the humans were too engrossed in their chat.
Just then, Yu Xiao’s phone buzzed. A message from Lu Xu: someone was interested in buying her ability cards. The text listed the buyer’s nickname, address, and offer price.
Although Yu Xiao had encountered many people during her adventures, she hadn’t formed many close connections. Yet, she chose to cooperate with Lu Xu and his partner. It wasn’t necessarily their character she trusted, but rather their innate merchant nature.
- (jian shang (奸商): A derogatory term for a cunning or profiteering merchant, often implying unscrupulous practices.)
Ability cards were her treasure trove, but when it came to their market value, she was a complete novice. Prices, demand, the whole deal – it was a mystery. Selling to others was risky; they might not be any wiser, and even if they were, the temptation to take advantage of her was a gamble she wasn’t willing to take. Lu Xu and his partner, on the other hand, might take a cut, but their success was directly tied to hers. The more she earned, the more they profited – a win-win situation.
As Yu Xiao gathered the ordered cards, Zhou Xiao Zhen happily filled out the delivery slips. The thought of the incoming points made her exclaim, “Wide Sea and Sky is really quite wealthy, isn’t he?”
The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted saying them. Smiley’s anger toward Wide Sea and Sky from yesterday was still fresh in her mind. Way to go, Zhou Xiao Zhen, she thought, mentally kicking herself.
Her stomach churned with worry. She sneaked a peek at Yu Xiao, hoping to decipher her reaction, but Yu Xiao’s face remained impassive, as if the words had simply bounced off her. Was she just pretending not to care?
In truth, Yu Xiao was feeling rather pleased. The attending doctors had received their just desserts. Though she was almost certain George had tricked them into helping him deal with Gluttony under the guise of a friendly feast, a nagging question remained: why were all the attendees ghosts she knew? And not just any ghosts, mind you, but ones she’d had past disagreements with.
The perfect opportunity to gather some information would be when the delivery girl arrived to collect the packages. Normally, this would be the ideal time to bribe her with some delicious roasted drumsticks, but with St. Elizabeth’s in ruins, where could she possibly find such a treat?
“Smiley? Earth to Smiley?” Zhou Xiao Zhen’s concerned voice snapped Yu Xiao out of her thoughts. Her distracted expression only confirmed her suspicions. Smiley clearly still held a grudge against Wide Sea and Sky; even a mention of his name was enough to send her daydreaming.
“Hmm?” Yu Xiao blinked, turning to her friend. “Did you say something?”
“Uh…” Zhou Xiao Zhen mentally cursed herself for bringing up such a touchy subject. “Hehehe… Just, uh, wondering what you’re thinking about,” she stammered, instantly regretting her clumsy attempt at changing the subject. Oh, Zhou Xiao Zhen, you utter fool, she thought, can’t even steer a conversation properly!
“I was just thinking… it’s been a while since I’ve bribed the delivery lady,” Yu Xiao confessed, a hint of worry creeping into her voice. “She’s always been so helpful with passing messages, but I haven’t treated her to a meal in ages. Do you think she might be annoyed with me?”
Zhou Xiao Zhen frowned, confused. “Well, then just treat her to another meal!”
“But St. Elizabeth’s is a wreck,” she reminded her with a sigh. “Tie Niu can’t exactly whip up a feast in a burnt-out kitchen.”
“Does it have to be St. Elizabeth’s?” Zhou Xiao Zhen’s confusion deepened. “Don’t we have delivery people constantly buzzing outside?”
“Yes, but they only sell food for humans…” Yu Xiao paused, a light bulb suddenly illuminating above her head. “Wait a minute!” she exclaimed, slapping her thigh. “How could I be so dense?”
For so long, they had gotten used to the delivery people eagerly offering hot human meals, that she had completely forgotten it wasn’t their main purpose.
**
“Honoured guest,” a polite voice called from behind the door, “May I offer you a meal?”
“You bet,” Yu Xiao called back.
“Very well. What dish would you like to order?”
“Hey, by any chance, do you have… roasted thigh?”
“…We do,” came the slightly uncertain reply. “Any particular animal’s thigh you’re after?”
“What kind of thigh do you personally find most… delicious?”
“Ah, well, that would be…”
Before the delivery person could share their secret preference, Yu Xiao interrupted, “I’ll have whatever you’re having then.”
**
The delivery girl arrived to find Yu Xiao practically bouncing with anticipation. As she handed over the roasted thigh, the girl’s voice was laced with a delightful surprise. “Aw, you shouldn’t have!”
“No worries, it’s on me,” Yu Xiao said with a wink, grabbing the package. As if a sudden thought occurred to her, she added, “So, I heard about those doctors who messed up St. Elizabeth’s. They got what they deserved, right? Community service – that’ll teach them. I wonder where they ended up? Maybe they’re mopping floors at Sage Hospital?”
The delivery girl’s tone turned slightly gloomy. “Tsk, it’s a shame. The chef hasn’t been himself lately. This roasted thigh is okay, but it’s definitely not as good as a charcoal-grilled tenderloin.”
Yu Xiao let out a dramatic sigh. “Poor guy is still heartbroken over the hospital. I practically had to beg him to make this thigh.”
“That George,” the delivery lady hissed, her voice filled with disgust. “He’s the absolute worst!”
“…”
However, Yu Xiao remained silent, deep in thought. There was one thing she couldn’t understand: why did everyone keep blaming George?
“Wait, George is the bad guy?” Yu Xiao’s brain did a double take. “Shouldn’t Gluttony be the one getting the evil eye?”
The delivery girl just shrugged. “Gluttony was just hungry. Why’d George have to be such a drama queen and resist? Now everyone’s in a tizzy. Honestly, if he’d just let himself be a happy meal, none of this mess would’ve happened.”
Yu Xiao’s jaw practically hit the floor. This ghost-logic was something else. She decided to leave it alone; exploring the depths of their thought processes might just break her brain.
“Speaking of those doctors,” the delivery girl chirped, snapping Yu Xiao out of her existential crisis, “Turns out they’re not polishing bedpans at the Sage’s. Nope, they got shipped off to the St. Elizabeth’s construction site. Guess the bigwigs want them to rebuild what they wrecked.”
A shiver danced down Yu Xiao’s spine. So much for returning to St. Elizabeth’s anytime soon. A construction site crawling with pissed-off ghosts? No way. Not even if you paid her.
“Is… is Gluttony there too?” Yu Xiao’s voice came out a few octaves higher than usual. “And they’re not, you know, going to have a rematch?”
“Nah, probably not,” the delivery girl said with a dismissive wave. “Haven’t been there myself, but word on the street is Gluttony’s got a new chew toy. Doctors are so last season.”
Yu Xiao’s gut twisted. “A new… target? Who?”
The delivery girl just shrugged, the picture of innocence. “No clue.”
With a final wave, she skipped off, leaving Yu Xiao stewing in a pot of unease. Who was Gluttony’s next victim? And why did she suddenly feel like a five-course meal?
Lost in her morbid musings, Yu Xiao trudged back to her bed. Nightmare, squatting on the floor like a gargoyle, suddenly piped up. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”
Yu Xiao’s nod was slow, her eyes still glazed over from whatever weirdness had just gone down. “You want to protect me? Newsflash, Nightmare: I don’t need a bodyguard.”
Nightmare’s whiskered face turned dead serious, his voice low and even. “I’ll go kill the Glutton. How about that?”
Yu Xiao’s brain was still trying to catch up. “Wait, what? You think you can take down the Glutton? And why the hell would you even try?”
Nightmare’s ears folded back, his expression sheepish. “I don’t know… but I’ll try my best to kill him.”
“No,” Yu Xiao was perplexed, “Why do you want to kill him?”
Nightmare’s round eyes locked onto hers, his pupils constricting like a cat’s. “The Glutton wants to eat you, Yu Xiao. He’s got a serious grudge.”
“Ah?!” Yu Xiao’s face turned as white as a sheet, “Why does he want to eat me?”
Nightmare’s voice was matter-of-fact. “George told him you sold him out.”
Yu Xiao’s anger sparked, her eyes flashing. “That snake, George!”
Nightmare kept going, sensing Yu Xiao’s outrage. “And get this: George has also recruited a team of doctors to join the party. They’re all about making your demise a real regret-fest…”