Chapter 62
Jiang Li made her way downstairs in the dark; she still didn’t dare to turn on her flashlight.
As she descended, the slip of paper in her pocket began to heat up slightly.
In the pitch-black darkness,
Jiang Li vaguely sensed that it was the first “Madhouse – Patient’s Rules” slip that was heating up.
She unfolded the slip and glanced at it briefly.
She couldn’t make out the words clearly.
But she could vaguely see that the sixth rule inside had turned bold.
Patient’s Rules, Rule Six:
[There is no Floor 0 in the hospital. Do not attempt to look for Floor 0.]
The last time Jiang Li checked, this rule was still incorrect.
But now, through the Eye of Truth, Jiang Li could clearly feel that this rule had changed.
Now, it was real.
As Jiang Li was thinking this, she unknowingly arrived at a dark stairwell entrance.
Above the entrance, a green sign informed Jiang Li that this was-Floor 0!
Jiang Li hesitated.
Should she go in and take a look?
Her original plan for tonight was to visit Floor -3.
Because when Jiang Li was washing her hands in the Cafeteria on Floor -2, she had already considered this.
At that time, the red, blood-like water from the faucet had been contaminated.
Tracing the source of the faucet, she could investigate the nearby floors.
If the Cafeteria used groundwater, then the water on Floor -2 likely came from the Morgue on Floor -3.
The Pollution Source was most likely in the Morgue.
But now, Floor 0 had appeared again.
If the hospital used tap water, and the pipes ran from top to bottom, the Pollution Source could also be coming from Floor 0.
Floor 0… still felt a bit too much of an Aberration.
Jiang Li thought for a moment and decided to bring Red Infant with her next time.
Tonight, she would first check out Floor -3.
Jiang Li continued down the Stairs.
She quickly reached the bottom-Floor -3.
The Morgue, which should have been shrouded in a chilling gloom, was now brightly lit.
Through the glass doors at the stairwell, Jiang Li peered inside.
On Floor -3,
Many Staff Members wearing white tall hats and aprons were busily working.
Above them, a greenish sign hung from the ceiling-Back Kitchen Warehouse.
Wasn’t this supposed to be the Morgue?
How had it become the Back Kitchen Warehouse…
Jiang Li set aside her doubts and looked at a slip of paper posted at the stairwell entrance.
She took out her flashlight, turned it to the lowest brightness, and carefully shone it on the paper.
[Madhouse – Back Kitchen Warehouse Work Rules]
[1. The Back Kitchen Warehouse is open from 00:00 to 04:00. Attendance is recorded precisely at midnight. Arrive on time.]
[2. When working in the warehouse, please wear your Work Uniform and work hat.]
[3. Please follow the procedures: clean, scald, scrape, and cut the pork to prepare ingredients for the Cafeteria’s meals the next day.]
[4. Do not let blades stained with pig’s blood cut your skin. If this happens, immediately stop working and go to the Second Floor Clinic for treatment!]
[5. If you find cat hair on the pig, do not panic. Simply cut away the affected part.]
“What are you looking at?” A woman’s voice suddenly sounded right next to Jiang Li’s ear.
Jiang Li turned around.
She saw a capable-looking woman in a black suit, scrutinizing her.
The woman pushed up her black-rimmed glasses, her hair slicked tightly to her scalp.
“I…” Jiang Li was at a loss for words.
From the rules slip just now, there were only two kinds of people on Floor -3.
The first were the Kitchen Staff working inside.
The second were those responsible for Attendance.
“I’m here to work. Sorry I’m late.” Jiang Li smiled at the woman.
This woman was probably in charge of Attendance.
The woman looked Jiang Li up and down, eyeing her hospital gown. “Are you sure you’re here to work?”
Jiang Li nodded. “Yes.”
Jiang Li’s index finger trembled slightly, but she continued speaking:
“Last time, I was cut on the back of my hand by a knife stained with pig’s blood and had to stay in the hospital for a few days. This is the patient gown I didn’t have time to change out of.”
According to Article Four of the Back Kitchen Warehouse Work Rules:
“Do not let sharp instruments stained with pig’s blood cut your skin. If it happens, immediately stop working and go to the Second Floor Clinic for treatment!”
Using this rule, Jiang Li now had an explanation for the patient gown she was wearing!
The woman in glasses listened to Jiang Li’s detailed account and believed her for the most part.
After all, if she really was a mental patient from the building, she probably wouldn’t be able to think so quickly.
It’s always difficult for normal people to communicate with those lunatics.
“Alright then. Sign in, change into your Work Uniform, and you can go in.”
The Woman in Suit pushed open the door at the end of the corridor and led Jiang Li to a registration desk.
A Sign-in Sheet was placed in front of Jiang Li.
The text on it was all gibberish; Jiang Li couldn’t recognize a single character.
She calmed herself for a second and did a quick analysis.
On the sheet, each row had the same symbol, and each column had a different one.
The rows represented names, and the columns represented dates.
Jiang Li randomly picked a person who hadn’t signed in for the past two days, and for today’s date, she copied that person’s name symbol.
The Woman in Suit picked up a pen and deliberately drew a strange symbol next to that name.
Jiang Li guessed that the symbol probably meant “late.”
Then, the woman turned to the rows of cubbyholes behind her, took out the Work Uniform belonging to that person, and handed it to Jiang Li.
She told Jiang Li to go to the Changing Room across the hall to change.
Jiang Li took the outfit and went into the Changing Room.
The Work Uniform was much too big for her.
Fortunately, Jiang Li folded the sleeves and pant legs inward, and the Woman in Suit didn’t notice anything unusual.
“Your post was covered by someone else for the past two days. Today, you’ll do something different.”
The woman said, leading Jiang Li to a station where pork was being cut.
Jiang Li’s task was to chop off the pig’s feet.
At the start of the conveyor belt, cold, whole pigs covered with blood-stained White Cloth were sent out from the freezer.
By the time they reached Jiang Li, the pork had already been cleaned and processed.
Jiang Li pulled the pig in front of her and had to use a cleaver to quickly chop off all four hooves, then send it down the line to the next person.
Luckily, in the last Instance, Jiang Li had cleared it with SSS Rank, and her personal reward was Physical Strength Boost 100%.
Otherwise, with such a physically demanding job, Jiang Li might not have been able to last two hours on her own.
While chopping pig’s feet, Jiang Li noticed something odd.
A pig’s foot should have four toes, but these all had five.
Or, for some pigs, their feet weren’t entirely pig’s feet-there were tufts of cat hair that couldn’t be washed off.
Jiang Li recalled the rule she had just read:
“If you find cat hair on a pig, don’t panic. Just cut off the affected part.”
Jiang Li cut off that section of meat and, imitating the other Staff Members, tossed it into the trash bin.
This high-intensity work continued until four in the morning.
Only then was Jiang Li allowed to leave.
Everyone changed out of their Work Uniforms, lined up in order, and exited through a hidden Employee Passage on the far right.
This Employee Passage was not the same as the corridor Jiang Li had used to enter the building.
The separate passage everyone used led directly to the Hospital Square outside the hospital building.
All these employees had Passes to enter and exit the Madhouse.
After leaving the building, they continued to line up, carrying their credentials, and went to the tall iron gate-seven or eight meters high-at the front of the hospital for inspection.
Those who passed inspection could leave the Madhouse directly.
Jiang Li didn’t have a Pass, so even if she queued up, she couldn’t get out.
So, halfway through the line, she stepped out and headed toward the Hospital Square.