Chapter 12
Chapter 12
It wasn’t as though he’d bolt the instant they let go. He was a living, breathing person.
Zhao Xiuming shook his head with solemn conviction. “He won’t talk to us. Haven’t you noticed he doesn’t speak?”
“He might be mute.”
The biker said nothing. “…”
He tapped the top of Zhao Xiuming’s head with a gloved index finger. Zhao Xiuming didn’t dodge it. He couldn’t have, anyway.
The first floor had previously been full of NPCs pretending to be busy. Now it was deserted. The three of them had no idea why.
“Where is everyone?” Assistant Li looked around. “Why is there nobody here?”
Zhou Qingyan had been on edge ever since entering the hospital. She was nowhere near as adaptable as Assistant Li. “Have the… ones here all gone to find the players?”
The biker pointed at an electronic display that was still running, then shook his head.
Zhao Xiuming looked up at the time and guessed, “There’s a time limit? You can’t wander around outside after a certain time?”
He was so certain because he remembered the same thing happening in his hometown.
The villagers were friendly and welcoming by day. At night, every household shut its doors, and some of his neighbors began to hunt.
“Has it started already?” he asked.
The biker held up one finger. Zhao Xiuming kept guessing. “One minute? One hour?”
“We’re safe as long as we’re inside a room?”
“Not safe. It buys us time.”
“Time for what? For the rampage to end.”
The exchange was fast. Each time, Zhao Xiuming supplied the answer before Assistant Li and Zhou Qingyan had even worked out the gesture.
And so they learned that in twenty minutes, all the hospital’s NPCs would go on a rampage for some unknown reason.
The anomalies’ intelligence and abilities would increase, including those of the monster formed from the bodyguards and driver.
They had to find somewhere to hide. With little time left, they could only search nearby. It was so urgent that Assistant Li had no opportunity to investigate the biker’s identity.
Zhou Qingyan’s palms were slick with nervous sweat. Assistant Li’s forehead was wet, too. At last, they found a nurses’ break room.
It had running water and a toilet. Besides the main entrance, there was a side door. Both doors had locks, making it easier to get away at any moment.
Assistant Li and Zhou Qingyan entered one after the other. Zhao Xiuming came last.
He felt a push against his back and instinctively tightened his fingers. The leather glove, already warmed by body heat, collapsed empty in his grip.
He whipped around. The biker was nowhere to be seen. Only the empty gloves remained in his hand.
There was something peculiar in the System’s boyish voice. [He got away.]
Zhao Xiuming’s expression was mild. [He’ll turn up again, won’t he?]
Assistant Li and Zhou Qingyan hadn’t expected the biker to disappear, either. Zhao Xiuming dangled the gloves and deliberately sighed. “See? He can vanish even if I don’t let go.”
Both of them picked up on his foul mood.
Assistant Li was more concerned about something else. “Do you know who he is? He must have helped us because of you.”
Zhao Xiuming didn’t deny it. He took out his phone and glanced at it. “I think so, too. He helped so we’d make it into the hospital. And he’s hiding himself and refusing to speak. There’s definitely something going on.”
“For example, maybe he can turn into me, and he’s the one who frightened Li Zhehan and Zhang Xueya in the hospital.”
“Maybe I really do know him. That’s why he can’t speak. Why he doesn’t dare.”
He even remembered to prod the System, making sure he felt included. [Am I right, System?]
The System said, […Yes.]
Zhou Qingyan could hardly believe that the “Zhao Xiuming” who had terrified her had been the biker in disguise.
“Th-then why would he do that?” she stammered. “What’s his relationship with you? Isn’t he human?”
Zhao Xiuming smiled. “Probably wanted to lure me here.”
“Don’t ask me anything else. I’m not sure myself.”
He checked his phone again. “We have ten minutes left to talk. Assistant Li, can you adapt to changing circumstances?”
Assistant Li looked up. Of course he could. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be managing the Li family’s domestic businesses.
But he soon understood what Zhao Xiuming meant. In the world outside the hospital, he was capable and knew the rules.
Someone who understood how society worked and had resources at his disposal naturally wasn’t afraid of upheaval.
But this so-called “instance” had overturned everything he’d known.
He didn’t understand how this world worked. Trying to handle it with his experience from reality might not work at all.
Yet he couldn’t act with Zhao Xiuming’s reckless disregard for his own life, either.
He didn’t dwell on it long. “Some principles hold true no matter how the environment changes.”
“There’s still half an hour. Why did you say ten minutes?”
“Or do you have some sort of plan?”
Zhao Xiuming took the handkerchief from his white coat’s pocket, the one he’d used to wipe Assistant Li’s forehead.
Even Zhou Qingyan was curious, looking over with a frown.
Holding it by his fingertips, Zhao Xiuming looked up. “Assistant Li, do you sweat a lot?”
“If I’m right, the shirt under your coat is already soaked and stuck to your skin.”
Assistant Li stiffened. Before he could speak, Zhao Xiuming continued, “Sweating a lot is good.”
“Sometimes I like the sweaty ones.”
The System said, [?]
As Assistant Li’s expression grew increasingly rigid, Zhou Qingyan forced herself to speak. “Stop saying strange things.”
“What exactly are you trying to do?”
Only then did Zhao Xiuming explain. “I’m just curious.”
“How do you think the bodyguards found us?”
Assistant Li and Zhou Qingyan paused. They’d assumed that once people became monsters, naturally they would chase humans down and kill them.
But if they were asking how it worked…
Assistant Li caught on. “Sweat?”
“You think they tracked us by scent?”
“Then could we use my clothes to lure them somewhere else?”
“Or the three of us could split up. The monster made from the bodyguards could only follow one of us, leaving the other two…”
“We can’t split up!” Zhou Qingyan interrupted before he could finish.
She didn’t dare go anywhere alone. “Let’s stay together. Haven’t you seen horror movies?”
“Splitting up is asking to die. The anomalies will definitely pick us off one by one. Whatever happens, let’s not split up.”
Zhao Xiuming understood her fear and wasn’t surprised. He reassured her gently. “We can go in groups, then. You stay with Assistant Li, and I’ll put his clothes somewhere else.”
“That way, the bodyguards will have to search several places to find us.”
“No.” This time, Assistant Li objected. He didn’t trust Zhao Xiuming to act alone.
It wasn’t concern for his safety. He still had suspicions about him.
Zhao Xiuming checked the time on his phone. Apart from functions like the clock and camera, it was useless here; there was no signal or internet.
“Miss Zhou doesn’t want to be alone. Then how about she comes with me, and you go on your own?”
Frowning, Assistant Li refused. He was afraid Zhou Qingyan wouldn’t be able to keep Zhao Xiuming under control.
Besides, he still suspected Zhao Xiuming was the mastermind. What if he really was behind all of this?
Would he secretly send Zhou Qingyan back to the real world again and leave Assistant Li here alone to die?
Thinking about it that way, Zhou Qingyan really was his last hope of survival.
A thought flashed through his mind, but he failed to catch it.
Suddenly, Zhao Xiuming leaned closer, looking at him, and opened his mouth to speak.
Not a word came out. Instead, he looked as though he had a toothache.
His face scrunched up. It wasn’t ugly, just inexplicable.
He struggled to get his point across. “I haven’t lied to you. Put aside your experience from the real world and try following my train of thought.”