Chapter 130: A New Day |
Yu Xiao’s “finger” hovered over the “congratulations” message, but something held her back. Was ‘Wide Sea and Sky’ even interested in the points? Did he even do instances? Her thoughts were interrupted by Tang Xing Yin’s voice.
“When’s your next instance run?”
“Huh?” Yu Xiao blinked, momentarily disoriented. “Next week, I think. Need a break first.”
“Good.” Tang Xing Yin’s voice was clipped, business-like. “Do you still have that team-up card?”
“Yeah, I haven’t used it.” Yu Xiao frowned slightly. “You want to team up?”
“Don’t forget.” The line went dead.
Staring at her phone, Yu Xiao felt a prickle of unease. Everyone seemed so eager to have her along. Was she missing something? Then, with a mental shrug, she decided it must be the universe rewarding her inherent goodness. Karma points for being awesome, she thought with a smirk.
Meanwhile, Zhou Xiao Zhen, exhausted after hours spent registering their new burner phones on the Sixth Hospital forum, had succumbed to sleep. However, Zhao Lan was glued to her own phone, scrolling through who knows what.
Yu Xiao waited by the door, anticipation thrumming through her. She reviewed her plan and felt confident about it. In the ‘Avengers’ camp, Gluttony was a turncoat, George, the delusional fool, waited at St. Elizabeth’s, ready to walk into her trap. That left only Gu Shu, Lolita, Qing Shi, and the new creepy attending doctor as potential threats in the upcoming instance.
A slow smile spread across her face. Everything was in place. This time, she was in control.
A sharp knock startled her from her thoughts.
“Delivery!” The familiar sing-song voice of the courier girl drifted through the door.
Yu Xiao passed off the package with new phones, her mind already racing ahead. “Has anything strange been happening at the hospital lately?” she asked casually.
The courier girl shrugged as she tucked the package under her arm. “Just another day, another delivery. But I did hear whispers… something about the Chief Cerberus after that riot at the Second Hospital…”
“What?”
The delivery girl leaned in conspiratorially. “The word on the street is that there has been an injury. A big one.”
Yu Xiao’s interest was piqued. Gossip was currency in the Horror Hospital, especially when it involved the upper echelons. “Who got hurt?”
The girl’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Chief Cerberus himself. Apparently, it has got the ghosts all riled up.”
“Riled up?” Yu Xiao frowned.
“You know, scheming, causing trouble,” the girl elaborated, her eyes wide. “Chief Cerberus runs a tight ship, keeps everyone in line. But with him out of commission…” She trailed off meaningfully.
A thought struck Yu Xiao. Could this be why George and his gang had chosen now to target her? Was this chaos their doing, or were they simply taking advantage of the situation?
“Interesting,” she mused, then a mischievous glint entered her eye. “Tell me, do you ever think about a career change?”
The girl giggled. “Me? I’m just a humble delivery girl.”
“Oh?” Yu Xiao drawled, her voice laced with amusement. “What if I told you I knew of a certain attending doctor position that needed filling?”
The girl’s laughter died down. “But… I don’t have a domain.”
“A domain?” Yu Xiao had heard whispers of this before, but her understanding was vague. “What exactly is that?”
“It’s… complicated,” the girl mumbled. “A symbol of power, I guess. You need one to be an attending doctor.”
Yu Xiao sighed internally. Just her luck. She had been hoping to install one of her own in the Time Hospital’s hierarchy, someone she could trust to maintain order and further her own goals. But her options were limited.
Tie Niu was loyal, but lacked the necessary… finesse. Nightmare, now there was a force to be reckoned with, but she needed him for the Ghost Monster Group. Her gaze drifted back to him, his feline form a study in nonchalance.
“Smiley!” Zhao Lan’s voice, sharp and impatient, cut through her thoughts.
Yu Xiao walked across the room to where Zhao Lan sat hunched over her phone, a frown marring her usually deadpan face. “What’s wrong?”
“Trouble,” Zhao Lan muttered, glancing up. “The forum.”
“What about it?” Yu Xiao leaned closer, peering at the screen.
Zhao Lan’s fingers flew across the screen, scrolling furiously. “I tried posting about the Time Hospital on the Sixth Hospital forum. Ten minutes later, poof! Gone. Deleted.”
Yu Xiao didn’t waste time with questions. She whipped out her phone and typed furiously, summarising the Time Hospital situation in a text to Luo Jin.
**
At the Fourth Hospital, Luo Jin pondered his options. Another lengthy instance had left him feeling rough, and the craving for human flesh was creeping in even during his waking hours. Raid again tomorrow, or take a break?
A soft ping from his phone interrupted his thoughts. It was a message from Yu Xiao. As he read, his brow creased in concern.
Beside him, Lu Xu was busy tallying their meagre points, calculating how many more instances they needed to conquer, how many more deals they needed to broker, to escape this cursed existence.
“Hey, check this out,” Luo Jin called him over, phone outstretched..
Lu Xu took the phone, his eyes scanning the message. A low whistle escaped his lips. “This Time Hospital sounds like a real nightmare. You know, for all the craziness we’ve faced, I have to admire that woman. She just keeps going.”
He handed the phone back. “So, you want to warn others? Good idea. Forewarned is forearmed, as they say.”
Luo Jin said nothing, merely edited the message slightly and hit send. He scrolled through the forum, his curiosity piqued by a particularly heated debate on the merits of ghost-repelling talismans versus thunder talismans.
When he returned to his own post, however, it was gone. He flipped through the pages, a knot of unease forming in his stomach. The post had vanished, swallowed whole by the digital abyss.
Before he could dwell on it, another message from Yu Xiao arrived.
【Is the post still there?】
“The post disappeared,” Luo Jin’s voice was filled with frustration. “They’re censoring it. Do you know anything about this?”
“It happens every time,” Yu Xiao sighed, remembering her own failed attempts to spread the word. “I tried posting on the Sixth Hospital forum multiple times. It always disappears. Someone or something wants to keep the Time Hospital’s secrets hidden.”
“But why? Information about other instances is freely circulated. What makes the Time Hospital so special?” Luo Jin’s mind raced as he tried to understand the reasoning behind this information blackout.
“That’s what we need to find out,” Yu Xiao paused, a new thought forming. “Since we can’t use the forums, we’ll have to spread the word ourselves. You have a good network, right? Tell everyone you know. Tell them to be cautious.”
“Consider it done,” Luo Jin readily agreed. But a nagging question remained. He remembered the message he had just read, detailing the escape methods Yu Xiao had outlined: using mobile phones, swapping appearance cards, and impersonating patients. “You mentioned those escape methods…the mobile phones, the cards…do they only work in the Time Hospital?”
“No, they work in all instances,” Yu Xiao confirmed.
A chill ran down Luo Jin’s spine. “And can…can ghosts use them too?”
“Yes.”
The line fell silent. Luo Jin’s mind flooded with images: faces, encounters, patients he had encountered during his time in the hospital. Patients who had seemed a bit strange, a bit off, but still human. Now, he wasn’t so sure.
**
The call ended late. Zhao Lan dragged a sleepy Zhou Xiao Zhen out of bed for a makeshift dinner. Yu Xiao joined them, her mind still buzzing with the implications of their discovery.
Exhaustion finally overcame her, pulling her into a restless sleep. She found herself walking down a crowded street, drawn in by a tantalising sweet fragrance that seemed to emanate from the heart of the crowd.
Then it hit her. The dream, the scent, the hunger…were these the cravings Luo Jin had warned her about? Was she turning into a monster, even in her sleep?
Panic gripped her. She stood frozen, her heart pounding, as a wave of cold sweat washed over her. Then, she saw it. A small, yellow cat, huddled in the shadows behind the oblivious crowd.
She rushed toward the startled feline, scooping him into her arms as he let out a surprised meow.
“I didn’t mean to intrude,” he mumbled. “I sensed your distress, so I came to check on you.”
Yu Xiao didn’t mind. She asked, “Can you change my nightmare?”
The furball in her hand tilted his head. “Sure, but this definitely isn’t a nightmare.”
Yu Xiao furrowed her brow. If it wasn’t a nightmare, then what was this craving, this pull towards the heart of the bustling? She scanned the crowd, her gaze landing on an unassuming stall tucked away in a corner. A plume of pungent steam rose from a bubbling cauldron, carrying with it a scent both familiar and oddly alluring.
Snail noodles.
- (螺蛳粉; luósī fěn; snail noodles] A famous Chinese dish known for its pungent smell, popular in southern China, especially in Liuzhou, Guangxi.)
The Nightmare wrinkled his nose, burying his face in its paw. Yu Xiao, however, felt a pang of longing. Was her sense of smell going haywire? Since when did she find the notoriously pungent aroma of snail noodles appealing?
“Nightmare,” she began, a new thought taking root. “Can you…influence the nightmares of someone far away?”
“Of course,” He nodded, still hiding from the offensive odour. “But I need a medium.”
“Like what?”
“A phone will do nicely.”
“Oh,” Yu Xiao nodded thoughtfully, “Then you…”
But this involved Nightmare… she hesitated. He was powerful, unpredictable.
Nightmare, sensing her reluctance, slumped slightly. Sometimes, he mused, not being needed was the worst feeling of all.
“Beep! Beep! Beep!”
The insistent chirping of her alarm clock dragged Yu Xiao back to reality. She sat up, yawning, the remnants of the dream – the crowd, the smell, the Nightmare’s golden eyes – fading like mist. She had dreamt of devouring ten bowls of snail noodles, an oddly satisfying feat.
“Smiley~” Zhou Xiao Zhen’s sleepy voice drifted from across the room. “First day of our seven-day holiday! Time to conquer the world, or at least the takeout menu.”
She rolled over, catching sight of Zhao Lan already perched on a chair, scrolling through her phone with an intensity that bordered on a religious experience. “Now that’s dedication,” she mumbled, impressed. “Misty, you put my morning scroll to shame.”
Zhao Lan’s eyes remained glued to her phone. “Things just got interesting,” she announced, her voice tight with excitement. “The Sixth Hospital forum exploded last night. New posts everywhere.”
Yu Xiao blinked, momentarily disoriented. “Exploded? What do you mean?” Then, realisation dawned. “The Second Hospital. They got through.”
“Bingo.” Zhao Lan grinned, swiping through a seemingly endless stream of messages. “Looks like they pulled an all-nighter, spamming the forum with their…unique brand of storytelling. The Sixth Hospital folks are not amused. It’s an all-out flame war.”
“What are they even arguing about?” Yu Xiao was baffled.
“It’s less about the content and more about the…delivery.” Zhao Lan chuckled. “Let’s just say the Second Hospital’s idea of a persuasive argument involves a lot of melodrama and questionable metaphors. The Sixth Hospital crowd thinks they are bragging and should stick to writing fantasy novels.”
Yu Xiao shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips. She was about to check out the forum herself when a morning news jingle caught her attention.
The chirpy voice of the morning news radio filled the room.
“Another beautiful day is upon us~! Let’s start with the morning news.”
“The hospital’s review team is looking for a few good souls. No age, gender, or experience restrictions. Interested parties, please contact Review Team Leader Long…”
“Yesterday, a patient from the Third Hospital, nicknamed ‘Cool Guy,’ earned themselves the prestigious title of ‘I Serve Everyone, Everyone Serves Me’ for their outstanding performance during treatment. Congratulations!”
“…Another round of applause for a patient from the Third Hospital, nicknamed ‘Invincible Zoffy,’ who earned the coveted title of ‘Slick Dodger’ for his exceptional treatment performance. Well done!”
“From the Fourth Hospital, we have a familiar face at the top of the charts. Congratulations to ‘Zhuge Liang burning the Spider Web Cave’ for their exceptional treatment performance, earning them the distinguished titles of ‘Grumpy Old Man’ and ‘Don’t Talk to Strangers.’ Let’s hear it for them!”
“…”
“And topping the charts again, it’s ‘Deaf Descendant’ from the Sixth Hospital! This patient has truly outdone themselves, earning a remarkable three titles for their exceptional treatment performance: ‘Manipulator of Time ,’Yu Han San Returns’, and ‘Mirror Ghost Master’. Give them a round of applause!”
“…”
“Three titles again,” Zhou Xiao Zhen marvelled. “Smiley, even if you couldn’t draw talismans, you’d be racking up points like a pro.”
Yu Xiao, still snuggled under the covers, lazily scrolling through her phone, chuckled. “If I couldn’t draw talismans, honey, I wouldn’t be alive to see this day.”
She tapped open the Sixth Hospital forum. The Second Hospital patients, she mused, seemed allergic to sleep.
The post titles themselves were a sight to behold:
【So This Is What the Forum Looks Like!】
【Should I Say Hello?】
【Why Is No One Talking?】
【Brothers from the Rabbit Hospital, Gather Here!】
【…】
It was like watching a chat group unravel in real-time, complete with gossip and scandalous reveals. Not entirely surprising, considering the pressure cooker environment of the hospital. Some patients, their mental states a bit frayed, sought solace and a sense of belonging in the digital world.
With all their bravado, these powerhouses couldn’t resist a good old-fashioned bragging session. Who had faced off against the most attending doctors was a favourite topic.
To the newbies of the Sixth Hospital, it all seemed a bit much. Boasting was one thing, but a little grounding in reality wouldn’t hurt.
Their conversation, a whirlwind of one-upmanship, soon turned to Yu Xiao. No one seemed to notice, or care, about the curious onlookers from the Sixth.
It started innocently enough. Someone wondered about her next instance, sparking a flurry of excited suggestions and a near stampede to join her team. With only six spots available, the competition was fierce.
The tension was palpable. Finally, one voice rose above the rest. “If I weren’t stuck under house arrest,” he declared, “none of you would stand a chance! With me by her side, she’d be practically invincible!”
The Sixth Hospital crew exchanged bewildered glances. Exaggeration was one thing, but this was bordering on delusional. Who was this Yu Xiao, and why was everyone so obsessed with her?
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