Chapter 124

Chapter 124

They might not care about a single Little Red Riding Hood; if one disappeared, countless others would rise to take her place.

However, they would certainly be infuriated that someone dared to challenge their authority.

Therefore, accomplishing this task would be incredibly difficult.

Tu Nan needed to help Little Red Riding Hood escape without a sound and without drawing any suspicion to herself.

After all, as Little Red Riding Hood’s primary nurse, she would be the first person suspected the moment the girl vanished.

Moreover, she was running out of time.

The Head Nurse narrowed her eyes, studying her. “Are you truly mentally prepared for this?”

Tu Nan met her skeptical gaze.

“I know you have your doubts about me. Little Red Riding Hood and I are neither kin nor friends, so why would I take such a massive risk to help her?”

Without clearing these matters up, the Head Nurse would likely never feel at ease enough to help her.

“Though you might think I’m just talking nonsense, there are many things in this world that must be done, no matter how difficult they are,” she said calmly, as if merely making small talk.

“And what is your reason?” The Head Nurse did not lower her guard because of those words.

Tu Nan paused.

“I cannot bear to watch such a lovely girl wither away before she even has the chance to bloom.”

“Do you actually believe that kind of diplomatic talk yourself?” The Head Nurse gave a slightly mocking smile.

“Then what must I do for you to believe my sincerity?” Tu Nan asked.

The Head Nurse stood up, walked to a cabinet behind her, and pulled out a small black bottle.

“I trust you’ve heard some rumors about me.” The Head Nurse turned to face her. “I come from the distant deep sea. I made many friends there, one of whom was the Sea Witch.”

“She taught me many things… such as how to craft miraculous potions.”

The Head Nurse handed the black bottle to Tu Nan. “This is one of my masterpieces. If you can drink it in front of me, then I will believe you truly want to help Little Red Riding Hood.”

“What is this?” Tu Nan asked.

“Drinking this potion allows the consumer to speak their innermost thoughts honestly.” The Head Nurse’s long tentacles gently tossed the bottle up and down as she scrutinized her. “Do you dare drink it?”

Tu Nan did not panic, calmly taking the bottle from her hand.

Whenever an item in an Instance involved specific effects, the System would usually provide a prompt.

As the small black bottle landed in her hand, unexpectedly, no System notification sounded in her mind.

Was the Head Nurse lying?

Tu Nan’s expression remained unchanged. She opened the cap and gently swirled the liquid inside.

The clear fluid sloshed in the bottle. Tu Nan lowered her head to sniff it, but there was no scent at all.

There was nothing special about it; it seemed like a bottle of ordinary water.

“What, don’t you dare?” The Head Nurse watched her movements, her tentacles slowly writhing on the floor. “It’s not too late to regret this. Put it down, and I can let you leave.”

Let her leave? Tu Nan smiled inwardly.

She had already laid all her cards on the table with the Head Nurse. If she truly put the bottle down and tried to leave, the Head Nurse would likely not let her go at all.

She didn’t know what was in the bottle, but if the Head Nurse really wanted to harm her, there was no need to go through all this trouble.

A single tentacle would be enough to strangle her to death.

Within an Instance, there was no such thing as a permanently safe method or a guaranteed correct path. All choices were merely the most likely options she had calculated after repeated deductions.
Tu Nan took the bottle and tilted her head back, draining it in one gulp.

It was ice-cold as it hit her throat, colorless and tasteless.

She turned the bottle upside down to show the Head Nurse.

“I have shown you my sincerity,” Tu Nan said earnestly. “You may ask me now whether I truly want to help Little Red Riding Hood.”

A flicker of surprise crossed the Head Nurse’s yellow eyes. She looked at the empty bottle in Tu Nan’s hand and suddenly smiled.

“Very well,” she said. “You’ve passed my test.”

The heart that had been lodged in Tu Nan’s throat finally settled back into place.

Although she had suspected as much, a suspicion was just a suspicion after all; she couldn’t be certain that her guesses would be right every time.

She had simply been gambling-gambling that the Head Nurse didn’t actually have such a potion, gambling that the Head Nurse had no reason to kill her, and gambling that she… was a good person.

It seemed she had won the bet.

“So, the liquid in this bottle wasn’t actually some magic potion that forces people to tell the truth?” Tu Nan asked. “Do you really even have such a thing?”

“Such a potion does exist,” the Head Nurse said, picking up the bottle Tu Nan had placed on the table and turning it over in her hands. “But I wouldn’t waste something so precious on you.”

Tu Nan hadn’t known if the potion was real or fake. As long as she dared to drink it, it proved she wasn’t afraid of the Head Nurse’s questions, which was enough to demonstrate her sincerity.

“…” Tu Nan smiled. “But now, you can believe that I truly want to save Little Red Riding Hood, right?”

“Saving Little Red Riding Hood takes more than just talk.” The Head Nurse’s words were still sharp and guarded, her expression flat. “What are your thoughts?”

“I do have a few ideas.” Tu Nan lowered her eyes. “Saving her is important, but protecting ourselves is equally vital. Therefore, we must distance ourselves completely from Little Red Riding Hood’s escape from the hospital.”

The Head Nurse nodded with satisfaction, signaling for her to continue.

“There are too many eyes and ears during the day; escaping then is nearly impossible. Only at night, after everyone has fallen asleep, might there be a chance to smuggle Little Red Riding Hood out unnoticed.”

“The hospital will be scheduling Little Red Riding Hood for surgery soon. Only by ensuring everyone sees that I am not present when she disappears can I clear myself of suspicion to the greatest extent.”

Tu Nan made a bold decision.

“Why don’t we set the timing for the day of her surgery? Arrange for me to be the night nurse on duty then.”

“If it’s just you alone, wouldn’t you still be under suspicion?” the Head Nurse asked, frowning.

“That’s why I need your help.” Tu Nan smiled slightly. “The best way is to find another nurse to work the night shift with me. If she and I can testify for each other, it will clear my name.”

But if another person was brought in, how would they get Little Red Riding Hood out from under their nose? Especially on the day of the surgery.

The Head Nurse looked at her skeptically, but Tu Nan gave her a confident smile, appearing as though she had already thought of a foolproof plan.

The Head Nurse hesitated for a moment. Ultimately, she had no better alternative and could only choose to trust Tu Nan.

“I can arrange for you and another nurse to be on duty that night,” the Head Nurse decided. “What else do you need?”

Tu Nan shook her head. “You only need to have Little Red Riding Hood’s parents waiting at the exit. Once she has escaped the hospital, they must leave this place immediately and never return.”

“That goes without saying,” the Head Nurse nodded.