Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Assistant Li was no innocent. Even without understanding these so-called “players,” he instantly considered several possibilities.
The word alone was enough to suggest what people might do while playing a game.
A game’s NPCs and players wouldn’t be on the same side. Mutual benefit was the only guarantee of cooperation.
So what did they have that the players might want?
Assistant Li looked up to find Zhao Xiuming putting a piece of dried meat into his mouth.
His cheeks bulged as he chewed. Those harmless-looking eyes held not the slightest worry about their predicament.
Throughout it all, he’d maintained an outsider’s detachment, as though nothing could affect him.
Such composure in anyone else would have made Assistant Li feel insecure. But Zhao Xiuming was different.
In the brief minutes just past, Assistant Li had discovered that he loved nothing more than trouble.
The man delighted in creating chaos, even if it meant getting hurt himself.
Was he simply used to anomalies, or did he have some other plan?
Assistant Li wanted to know his objective. He didn’t want to stay beside such an unpredictable liability.
Noticing the stare, Zhao Xiuming generously held out some dried meat. “Here.”
Assistant Li only felt a headache coming on. He snatched all the dried meat away. “Stop eating.”
“Your dried meat worked on the nurse. Do you know why?”
“Saving this for the nurses could keep us alive.”
“How much do you know about that rider?”
Zhao Xiuming felt wronged. He didn’t particularly want to explain where the dried meat came from, mainly because Assistant Li wouldn’t believe him anyway.
“It’s a local specialty from my hometown. Everyone back home loves it.”
“As for why it works on anomalies, I’m not sure.”
“The rider… I don’t know him yet.”
Assistant Li sneered. “Whatever you say.”
[See? I knew he wouldn’t believe me,] Zhao Xiuming complained to the System.
The System drawled back, [Whatever you say.]
Zhao Xiuming said, […]
Assistant Li quickly composed himself. Crouching in front of Zhao Xiuming, he looked directly into his lowered eyes. “I say we pose as hospital NPCs.”
Zhao Xiuming’s eyes lit up, his expression thoughtful.
He ran both index fingers from the center of his upper lip to the corners of his mouth, then up toward his ears, tracing a smile like the anomaly doctor’s. “Sounds good.”
Apparently, all Assistant Li had to do was use Zhao Xiuming’s curiosity and appetite for chaos. He could achieve his aim without making it obvious.
Just as he thought he’d figured out how to handle the man, Zhao Xiuming said, “Using me, Mr. Second Male Lead?”
“You really want to work out the rules for dealing with me.”
“Is that how you’ve always dealt with people?”
“Doesn’t it get exhausting?”
Assistant Li’s newfound confidence deflated at once. He still couldn’t control Zhao Xiuming.
He closed his eyes, took several deep breaths, then opened them again.
Zhao Xiuming was playing with Zhou Qingyan’s hair as if nothing had happened. Assistant Li forced himself to calm down once more. “Mr. Zhao, you seem to have become much livelier.”
“This isn’t the time to play. We need to get some doctors’ coats.”
The System suddenly gave a cold snort inside Zhao Xiuming’s head, then pitched his voice into a mocking whine. [Cannon Fodder Gege…]
[I’m so heartbroken…]
[I’m the little System brother with a secret crush on Cannon Fodder Gege…]
Zhao Xiuming admitted defeat. He covered his face, his ears a little red.
The System’s laughter rang in his head, that youthful voice utterly wicked.
The Horror Game players were busy playing their game. They had to do more than clear the instance. They also had to livestream.
They had run into a slight problem. Their mission was to survive for three days as patients. This instance wasn’t ranked very high; they could clear it simply by throwing enough items at it.
But shortly after entering the [Monster Hospital] instance, they received a notification from Horror Game: Terror Game had sent players here, too.
Yes, this instance had been sold more than once. It was connected to both Horror Game and Terror Game.
“No wonder the rewards are so low. With two games plundering it, how much fortune could possibly be left?”
Most of the Horror Game players were in one ward. A few unlucky ones had been assigned to other rooms.
Their mission was to work together to survive, so they were fairly united.
Now they were discussing their options, reassuring each other. “At least it’s Terror Game. If Mutation Game or Grotesque Game players showed up, they’d wipe the instance clean. Nobody else would get so much as a scrap.”
“Let’s get down to business. I bet some of us saw the low rewards when we came in and planned to sacrifice other players to the instance for a bigger payout.”
“But now Terror Game players have been thrown in, too. If we don’t stick together against them, they might wipe us all out. Then it’ll be too late for regrets.”
“Put your little schemes aside, everyone. We need to take the initiative. Ideally, find out what their mission is.”
“Horror Game warned us that there are sixteen of them, too. Should we make the first move?”
The Horror Game players weren’t concerned about NPCs overhearing. Their game system would filter the conversation out.
Unfortunately, the rules of the supernatural horror novel didn’t extend to the melodramatic romance novel. Not yet.
Assistant Li already looked like a capable professional. With his suit jacket off, wearing only Zhao Xiuming’s old clothing beneath a white coat, he looked quite convincing.
After Zhou Qingyan woke up and learned the general plan, she put on a white coat, too, looking quiet and studious.
Only Zhao Xiuming didn’t look much like a doctor. His hair was tied back, his manner detached, as though he couldn’t be bothered to take anything seriously.
Assistant Li and Zhou Qingyan kept looking back at him. The reason was simple: something wasn’t quite right about the way that white coat looked on him.
It was a women’s cut, fitted at the waist like Zhou Qingyan’s. But his waist looked even narrower, probably because of the pronounced curve of his backside below it.
Zhao Xiuming was oblivious. Even if he’d known, he wouldn’t have cared.
He was too busy yawning, the rims of his eyes red.
Noticing their looks, he gave them a mild glance. “Um, I’d like to sleep…”
Zhou Qingyan turned away, her face heating. Assistant Li was speechless. “Sleep? Is this the time to sleep?”
Zhou Qingyan interrupted quietly. “Assistant Li, stop scolding him.”
“Didn’t you say we were approaching the players so we could use them to deal with the anomalies?”
“From what they’re saying, there are players from two different games.”
“And these Horror Game players don’t seem to want to kill anomalies. They just want to survive.”
Assistant Li kept his voice low, too. “Survival means staying alive. If we get the anomalies to attack them, they’ll fight back to protect themselves.”
Zhou Qingyan didn’t approve, but she didn’t show it.
Especially now that she knew how she’d escaped the emergency room. According to Assistant Li, they weren’t NPCs from this instance.
The anomalies couldn’t kill them here, unlike on the road, where they could attack directly.
But if that was true, why had they been able to kill the bodyguards and driver outright?
And why had they tried to stop them from reaching the hospital? Were they simply playing with them, or was there another reason?
Zhou Qingyan didn’t know she was a supporting female character in a romance novel. Assistant Li hadn’t told her.
Thinking she was still puzzling over the players, he continued, “Even if we don’t interfere, observing them is worthwhile, as long as we don’t get caught up in it.”
“Knowing more is better than knowing nothing.”
Zhou Qingyan nodded absently, her thoughts in a jumble.
She envied Zhao Xiuming. How could he take all this so well?
Looking up, she found him acting differently: he had raised a hand and was waving to someone with interest.
She and Assistant Li turned and drew sharp breaths. Something was crawling along the ceiling of the corridor behind them.
Black feelers. Raw-red limbs. Three familiar heads bobbing up and down.
The two bodyguards and the driver!
The monster assembled from torn flesh had followed them here. At the sight of them, it grew excited and picked up speed.
“How enthusiastic,” Zhao Xiuming said with a smile.
Assistant Li stared. “???”
Zhou Qingyan said, “Zhao Xiuming, stop saying weird things.”