Chapter 144: Your complexion seems a bit off. Are you feeling unwell?
Following several other attendants, Wen Jianyan walked through the corridor without changing his expression.
The structure of the Ping An Asylum was very old, and although it occupied a considerable area, it only had three floors in total.
The corridor was narrow and long, with a high ceiling, pristine white walls, and a shiny floor. There were dark crosses hung on the walls, creating an oppressive atmosphere.
After passing through a narrow corridor, they finally arrived at the back kitchen.
Most of the workers here were less aggressive patients who had been tamed by medication. Some of them were wearing patient gowns, blending in with the others, and preparing to distribute food.
Before long, nurses responsible for delivering meals to the patients started to arrive in the kitchen.
Standing in the waiting line, Wen Jianyan discreetly scanned his surroundings.
Clearly, he wasn’t the only streamer disguised as an attendant.
After all, the level of this instance was A-, so the anchors matched with this instance were at least at C+ or higher, which meant they were relatively experienced and had some understanding of identity card switching in the instance. Additionally, the difficulty of changing identity cards in this instance was indeed quite low, with minimal requirements for judgment.
So, whether to do this or not depended on whether the anchor dared to.
Wen Jianyan lowered his gaze, licking his dry lips with some unease.
This instance… was really strange.
Although he had often been targeted by instances before, he had never, like this time, accumulated hatred from different NPCs without even taking much action…
Although the difficulty of this instance was lower than the previous one, it was still his first time being forced to use two hidden items of difficult level.
And the inexplicable increase in plot deviation…
He had a feeling that this instance had undergone some strange changes he couldn’t quite explain, making everything gradually deviate from the normal course.
While Wen Jianyan was contemplating, a familiar voice suddenly sounded not far away:
“Oh my god! You’re here!!”
Wen Jianyan was slightly surprised and turned his head to look. A pair of striking blonde hairs came into his line of sight without warning.
It was Su Cheng and Blond, along with Luce and the others.
They were also dressed in attendant uniforms and were walking into the kitchen.
The temporary squad that had scattered earlier had unexpectedly gathered here.
“You’re okay!!”
Su Cheng’s eyes lit up, and he visibly heaved a sigh of relief on his face. He quickly approached, raised his hand, and gave Wen Jianyan a hug. “Oh, I was really worried. I didn’t expect to run into you here!”
Wen Jianyan was equally surprised. “How did you guys get here?”
“Of course, we come to find you.”
Luce looked at Wen Jianyan with some surprise and said:
“Buddy, to be honest, even though your teammates kept insisting that you’d be fine, I really didn’t expect you to still be alive… You really do have some stubborn teammates.”
Previously, in the hydrotherapy room, the difficult-to-deal-with doctor boss had taken Wen Jianyan away with seven or eight attendants armed with stun batons but had completely ignored the remaining anchors, giving them an excellent opportunity to escape.
They quickly fled from the hydrotherapy room.
In general, when encountering such situations in instances, the remaining teammates would assume that the person had already died. As for whether the one who got separated could survive, it depended entirely on their personal luck.
Because of their previous cooperation, Luce extended an olive branch to Su Cheng, suggesting that they join his team to return to the Free Activity Room and continue to gather intelligence without taking any action.
Unexpectedly, Su Cheng decisively refused.
He firmly believed that his teammates were still alive. So not only did he not intend to return to the Free Activity Room with them, but he also decided to take the risk of searching for his teammates within the instance.
Luce initially didn’t agree.
He didn’t know these people and had no need to get involved in this dangerous operation. However, Su Cheng’s subsequent proposal changed his mind.
“To freely move within the instance, the best way is to change into attendants’ clothes and swap identity cards. I’m going to do that next,” Su Cheng said.
“Once I manage to get the clothes, you can make a choice. Either join me in the operation or return to the free activity room.”
After a brief consideration of the pros and cons, Luce decided to join.
They weren’t intending to help rescue people, but the attendant’s identity cards indeed provided great convenience. Since the other party had proactively offered to complete this risky step alone, it wasn’t a bad idea to work together from that point onward.
Surprisingly, the person with the seemingly timid Blond mustered the courage to help when Su Cheng was about to leave the team to steal clothes.
After the two of them returned safely, the group started to move under the guise of attendants.
“…We found the doctor’s treatment room, but after we went there, we discovered that the whole floor had been sealed off, and there was no way to get in,” Su Cheng scratched his head and said. “Then an attendant informed us to deliver meals to different floors. I thought this might allow us to openly expand our search area, so we came here.”
As a result, they unexpectedly ran into Wen Jianyan in the kitchen, which was a pleasant surprise.
“What about you? What have you encountered?”
Su Cheng asked.
Wen Jianyan raised his eyebrows, skipping the part about Edward and briefly explaining the doctor’s “treatment plan.”
“…”
Su Cheng’s expression contorted. “Frontal lobe resection surgery? Physical castration… chemical castration? Really? They used these methods to treat sexual deviance?”
“It’s a shame, but it’s true.”
Wen Jianyan shrugged, jokingly adding, “Fortunately, there are no chimpanzees here, or I might have had the option of testicular transplantation.”
This surgical method was once in vogue, with some academic circles believing that human sexual orientation errors originated from the testicles. Therefore, they transplanted chimpanzee testicles onto humans in the hopes of curing this condition.
Of course, no one was cured, and most transplant recipients died due to rejection.
As they exchanged information, a “clang clang clang” sound of metal trays being hit came from nearby. A person wearing a chef’s outfit walked out from the back and said to the attendants in front of him, “The meals for the patients are ready. You can go and deliver them.”
Wen Jianyan thought of something and turned to the others, asking, “Have your task lists also been refreshed?”
Several of them nodded.
After their identity cards were converted into attendants, they promptly received new tasks to deliver meals to different floors, with each mission having a different difficulty level.
Wen Jianyan lowered his eyes slightly and said, “Based on the current clues, it seems that the Ping An Asylum not only houses low-risk patients but also detains high-risk, violent offenders. It’s both a mental hospital and a prison, and these patients should be confined on the two underground floors.”
The other people nodded in agreement.
“I think so too,”
Luce said, proposing:
“The missions on the underground floors are clearly more challenging. I think it’s best to start with delivering meals to regular wards and see if we can find clues from the periphery.”
Su Cheng agreed, “Indeed, especially since it’s been a long time since the last bell. The next bell could sound at any moment, so going to the basement now would be very dangerous.”
Wen Jianyan squinted his eyes slightly and suddenly asked, “Speaking of which, why is changing identity cards in this instance so easy?”
“…”
Upon hearing this question, the others were momentarily taken aback.
“The easy conversion of identity cards is most likely a deliberate loophole left open for anchors in this instance. It will only increase the difficulty of the instance, not decrease it.”
Wen Jianyan turned to look at the head nurse, who had walked out. He said in a low voice:
“In other words, we might not have control over where we choose to deliver meals.”
Sure enough, as soon as Wen Jianyan finished speaking, the head nurse raised her glazed eyes, scanned the attendants waiting in front of her, and then extended her bony hand, pointing at some individuals.
“You, you, and you, go to the first floor.”
“You guys, go to the second floor.”
Her gaze shifted to another group of people not far away, and she gestured in the air with her finger, “You few, go to the first underground floor.”
Immediately after, the head nurse’s gaze fell on Wen Jianyan and his group.
“You few, go to the second underground floor.”
In the instant her command was given, Wen Jianyan saw the task list on the edge of his field of vision refresh once more. The elementary task of delivering meals to the regular ward had disappeared, leaving only the task of delivering meals to the second underground floor.
“…”
Alas.
Wen Jianyan had the urge to sigh.
Sometimes, he really wished that his speculations were wrong.
In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[Damn, the second underground floor… Why am I not surprised at all?]
[Hahahahahahaha, this passive ability is way too accurate! This luck is unmatched!]
[Oh man, this is tough.]
[But I believe in the anchor! He even managed to escape from Dr. Reese’s side, so this time should be fine… right?]
[By the way, what happened to Dr. Resse and Edward afterward? I’m so curious. Why doesn’t a live broadcast open up an NPC’s perspective? I really want to know who won in the end!]
After receiving their orders, the group exchanged glances and obediently walked forward, finding the metal meal delivery cart labeled with “Second Underground Floor” and then pushing it out of the kitchen.
“What’s next? What do we do?”
One of them asked.
Wen Jianyan pushed the cart without looking around and said, “Of course, we’re going to the second underground floor.”
“Of course, if you don’t want to go, you can take off your attendant uniform now and go back to the free activity room.”
He paused, then pointed to the free activity room not far away, reminding him, “You still have a chance.”
“…”
The team fell into silence.
After a few seconds, the person who asked the question gritted their teeth and said determinedly, “Let’s go.”
Although the danger was not low, the team understood that risks and opportunities coexisted. The attendant’s identity card was highly risky, and it might be discarded soon. The development of the instance was still unclear, and the next opportunity might be a long time away. Instead of shrinking back in the face of unknown dangers, they decided to gather all the clues while they still had their identity cards.
Blond: “…”
Wow, you’re all so brave.
After all, Wen Jianyan has been found now, and his original goal has been activated. As a coward who didn’t want to take a risk, Blond really wanted to go to the free activity room, but… he looked around with a look of despair on his face.
Forget it; just go with the flow.
Soon, the group arrived at the elevator leading downward.
The elevator had a design from the last century, with manually operated metal grilles that could be opened and closed. The up and down buttons on the side looked exceptionally old.
Luce pressed the down button, and soon, the mechanical humming of the elevator’s operation began.
They stood outside the iron fence, waiting for the elevator to ascend from below.
【Plot Deviation: 25%, Reward Points: 1000】
A familiar system prompt sounded in their ears.
Wen Jianyan was taken aback.
…Here we go again.
Why exactly is this happening?
He carefully searched through everything he had done from the escape until now in his mind but found no clues.
【Plot Deviation: 32%, Reward Points: 1000】
With almost no warning, the mechanical notification sound rang in the next second, like an ominous chime echoing in Wen Jianyan’s ear.
“…”
Wen Jianyan subconsciously furrowed his brow, and his body tensed instinctively.
He couldn’t figure it out.
He couldn’t figure it out at all.
In other instances, he had caused higher plot deviations, but each time he was very clear about the reasons for the increase in plot deviation. But experiencing the plot deviation increase with the constant sound effects without having done anything was something Wen Jianyan had never encountered before.
The feeling of things going beyond his control made him particularly uneasy.
“Ding.”
Accompanied by the humming of the mechanical operation, a metal box rose from the ground and stopped with a clang.
This sound awakened Wen Jianyan from his contemplation.
He raised his eyes.
“Are we here?—“
The next second, his voice got stuck deep in his throat, and Wen Jianyan’s pupils involuntarily shrank slightly, almost forgetting to breathe.
No one could have expected that the elevator ascending from below… wasn’t empty.
A man in a white coat stood alone in the elevator. He had a slender figure and a calm expression, and the glasses perched on his nose had been replaced with another pair at some point. Behind the lenses, his green eyes carried a hint of false gentleness and elegance. His uniform was neat and impeccable.
…It was that doctor named Reese.
Through the gap between the metal fence, the other side raised his eyes and looked over.
He glanced at all the “attendants” in front of him and finally fixed his gaze on Wen Jianyan.
“…”
The moment the other side’s gaze fell on him, a strong sense of crisis, like fine steel needles, pierced Wen Jianyan’s skin. His body stiffened, and he felt a slightly cold and slippery sweat on his palms.
“Kala-kala—”
The piercing sound of metal friction resounded, and the fence slowly pulled to the side, leaving no barrier between the inside and outside of the elevator.
Dr. Reese stepped out of the elevator.
Wen Jianyan felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. The eerie feeling of being targeted by a venomous snake wrapped around him once again without warning, making his scalp tingle. He almost had the impulse to turn and flee.
But he didn’t.
Wen Jianyan composed himself. He pushed the metal cart and, along with his teammates, took a step aside to clear a path for Dr. Reese as he walked out of the elevator.
He kept his gaze lowered and stared tightly at the cart in front of him, waiting for the doctor to pass by.
Everything will be fine—absolutely fine.
Even though this guy was not an ordinary implanted NPC like the nurse and attendants, he still belonged to the world of the instance. Therefore, he shouldn’t recognize Wen Jianyan as the patient who escaped from his treatment room.
One step, two steps.
The hard soles of his shoes echoed on the floor with a not-so-light sound.
Wen Jianyan saw through the corner of his eye that the doctor’s trousers and shiny shoes were moving away, passing by the cart in front of him without stopping and continuing forward.
His teammates had already started to walk toward the open elevator, and Su Cheng held the metal fence, waiting for Wen Jianyan to enter.
“…”
Wen Jianyan exhaled a sigh of relief discreetly.
He applied a little force, pushing the cart forward. But before he could take a step, a bony hand wearing gloves lightly grabbed one corner of the cart, preventing the wheels from moving forward.
“!”
Wen Jianyan’s breath hitched.
With his heart pounding, he slowly raised his eyes to look at the doctor who was holding the cart.
The distance was…
Very close.
Wen Jianyan could even see those green eyes shining with a cold, predatory gleam hidden behind the lenses.
A chilling feeling washed over him.
“Your complexion seems a bit off. Are you feeling unwell?”
Dr. Reese gazed at the young man in front of him, and he suddenly smiled faintly. His voice was low and gentle, carrying a genuine tone of concern.
He leaned in slightly, closing the gap between them.
“Or perhaps you’re overworked?”
“…I’m fine, thank you for your concern.”
Wen Jianyan replied calmly, resisting the urge to step back.
“Please take good care of yourself. If you ever feel uncomfortable or need anything, my office is always open to you.”
Dr. Reese continued, his smile warm.
“…”
I’d have to be haunted to go there.
Unpleasant memories flooded Wen Jianyan’s mind. He gritted his teeth and managed a smile. “I will,”
He looked at the man in front of him with a troubled expression. “Doctor, is there anything else I can assist you with? I have work to do next…”
Dr. Reese, with a smile at the corner of his lips, gently released his grip on the cart in Wen Jianyan’s hand.
Accompanied by the clattering sound of wheels rolling on the floor, Wen Jianyan pushed the cart into the elevator.
“Ka-la-la—”
The metal gates closed, and with a mechanical humming sound, the elevator began to descend. Just before it was about to disappear into the ground, those same shoes turned away, unperturbed, and vanished from their narrow view.
“…Phew.”
Wen Jianyan unconsciously let out a long breath.
Inside the elevator, the tension had finally begun to dissipate. In just a few minutes, not only Wen Jianyan but all of them had been pushed to their limits, mentally and physically. Their hearts raced, and cold sweat soaked them from the spine to the palms of their hands.
Su Cheng hesitated and asked, “Was that…?”
“Yes,” Wen Jianyan nodded, confirming what he was thinking.
Luce was restless. “Could it be that he recognized us?”
“…”
Wen Jianyan didn’t answer because he wasn’t sure himself. According to the rules of the instance, he shouldn’t have recognized them beneath their identity cards. But the recent terrifying encounter had been anything but fake.
However, if the doctor did recognize them, why had he let them go?
Wen Jianyan couldn’t figure it out. He took a deep breath and said, “Anyway, let’s not dwell on that for now.”
Dr. Reese is gone, and he’s not our primary threat.
Wen Jianyan bent down, opened the metal cart, and quickly scanned its contents.
The food at the Ping An Asylum was far from gourmet. It included shriveled bread, sticky beans, and a few thin slices of transparent smoked meat, all served on small plastic trays.
One, two, three…
There were only five portions in total.
Wen Jianyan stood up and turned to his teammates. “There should be only five patients on the second underground floor.”
“So few?” Blond frowned.
Luce gave him a look. “These are seriously violent, high-risk mentally ill patients. Do you think five is not enough?”
Blond shut his mouth sheepishly.
“Ding—”
The elevator gradually stopped, and the metal gates opened with a mechanical humming sound. Before them lay a deep corridor filled with locked iron doors. Behind those doors were security stations guarding the inner passageways.
The team exchanged glances, pushed the cart, and walked forward.
After a piercing “beep—” and a flash of red lights, the closest door to them slowly opened.
From the intercom, a dry, businesslike voice of the guard spoke matter-of-factly:
“Go inside.”
“Same rules apply: don’t give them any sharp objects, don’t stay in front of any patient’s room for more than five minutes, and it’s better not to talk to them.”
“After you’ve delivered the meals, leave as soon as possible. Understood?”
The dim corridor stretched ahead like a dark tunnel leading to hell, causing an overwhelming sense of psychological pressure.
Just as they were about to pass through the first iron door, Wen Jianyan suddenly remembered something. He turned to the intercom and politely asked, “Excuse me, can I ask if Dr. Reese came here earlier?”
Everyone was taken aback, subconsciously stopping in their tracks and turning to look at Wen Jianyan. They clearly didn’t expect him to ask such a question.
In the midst of a brief, crackling noise, the guard’s voice came from the intercom, cold and expressionless.
“Yes.”
“Do you know the purpose of his visit?”
“…”
There was no response from the intercom.
Undeterred, Wen Jianyan inquired further:
“Then, may I ask which rooms he went to?”
After another rustling sound, the security guard’s voice returned, still icy:
“All of them.”
Chapter 144: Your complexion seems a bit off. Are you feeling unwell?
Following several other attendants, Wen Jianyan walked through the corridor without changing his expression.
The structure of the Ping An Asylum was very old, and although it occupied a considerable area, it only had three floors in total.
The corridor was narrow and long, with a high ceiling, pristine white walls, and a shiny floor. There were dark crosses hung on the walls, creating an oppressive atmosphere.
After passing through a narrow corridor, they finally arrived at the back kitchen.
Most of the workers here were less aggressive patients who had been tamed by medication. Some of them were wearing patient gowns, blending in with the others, and preparing to distribute food.
Before long, nurses responsible for delivering meals to the patients started to arrive in the kitchen.
Standing in the waiting line, Wen Jianyan discreetly scanned his surroundings.
Clearly, he wasn’t the only streamer disguised as an attendant.
After all, the level of this instance was A-, so the anchors matched with this instance were at least at C+ or higher, which meant they were relatively experienced and had some understanding of identity card switching in the instance. Additionally, the difficulty of changing identity cards in this instance was indeed quite low, with minimal requirements for judgment.
So, whether to do this or not depended on whether the anchor dared to.
Wen Jianyan lowered his gaze, licking his dry lips with some unease.
This instance… was really strange.
Although he had often been targeted by instances before, he had never, like this time, accumulated hatred from different NPCs without even taking much action…
Although the difficulty of this instance was lower than the previous one, it was still his first time being forced to use two hidden items of difficult level.
And the inexplicable increase in plot deviation…
He had a feeling that this instance had undergone some strange changes he couldn’t quite explain, making everything gradually deviate from the normal course.
While Wen Jianyan was contemplating, a familiar voice suddenly sounded not far away:
“Oh my god! You’re here!!”
Wen Jianyan was slightly surprised and turned his head to look. A pair of striking blonde hairs came into his line of sight without warning.
It was Su Cheng and Blond, along with Luce and the others.
They were also dressed in attendant uniforms and were walking into the kitchen.
The temporary squad that had scattered earlier had unexpectedly gathered here.
“You’re okay!!”
Su Cheng’s eyes lit up, and he visibly heaved a sigh of relief on his face. He quickly approached, raised his hand, and gave Wen Jianyan a hug. “Oh, I was really worried. I didn’t expect to run into you here!”
Wen Jianyan was equally surprised. “How did you guys get here?”
“Of course, we come to find you.”
Luce looked at Wen Jianyan with some surprise and said:
“Buddy, to be honest, even though your teammates kept insisting that you’d be fine, I really didn’t expect you to still be alive… You really do have some stubborn teammates.”
Previously, in the hydrotherapy room, the difficult-to-deal-with doctor boss had taken Wen Jianyan away with seven or eight attendants armed with stun batons but had completely ignored the remaining anchors, giving them an excellent opportunity to escape.
They quickly fled from the hydrotherapy room.
In general, when encountering such situations in instances, the remaining teammates would assume that the person had already died. As for whether the one who got separated could survive, it depended entirely on their personal luck.
Because of their previous cooperation, Luce extended an olive branch to Su Cheng, suggesting that they join his team to return to the Free Activity Room and continue to gather intelligence without taking any action.
Unexpectedly, Su Cheng decisively refused.
He firmly believed that his teammates were still alive. So not only did he not intend to return to the Free Activity Room with them, but he also decided to take the risk of searching for his teammates within the instance.
Luce initially didn’t agree.
He didn’t know these people and had no need to get involved in this dangerous operation. However, Su Cheng’s subsequent proposal changed his mind.
“To freely move within the instance, the best way is to change into attendants’ clothes and swap identity cards. I’m going to do that next,” Su Cheng said.
“Once I manage to get the clothes, you can make a choice. Either join me in the operation or return to the free activity room.”
After a brief consideration of the pros and cons, Luce decided to join.
They weren’t intending to help rescue people, but the attendant’s identity cards indeed provided great convenience. Since the other party had proactively offered to complete this risky step alone, it wasn’t a bad idea to work together from that point onward.
Surprisingly, the person with the seemingly timid Blond mustered the courage to help when Su Cheng was about to leave the team to steal clothes.
After the two of them returned safely, the group started to move under the guise of attendants.
“…We found the doctor’s treatment room, but after we went there, we discovered that the whole floor had been sealed off, and there was no way to get in,” Su Cheng scratched his head and said. “Then an attendant informed us to deliver meals to different floors. I thought this might allow us to openly expand our search area, so we came here.”
As a result, they unexpectedly ran into Wen Jianyan in the kitchen, which was a pleasant surprise.
“What about you? What have you encountered?”
Su Cheng asked.
Wen Jianyan raised his eyebrows, skipping the part about Edward and briefly explaining the doctor’s “treatment plan.”
“…”
Su Cheng’s expression contorted. “Frontal lobe resection surgery? Physical castration… chemical castration? Really? They used these methods to treat sexual deviance?”
“It’s a shame, but it’s true.”
Wen Jianyan shrugged, jokingly adding, “Fortunately, there are no chimpanzees here, or I might have had the option of testicular transplantation.”
This surgical method was once in vogue, with some academic circles believing that human sexual orientation errors originated from the testicles. Therefore, they transplanted chimpanzee testicles onto humans in the hopes of curing this condition.
Of course, no one was cured, and most transplant recipients died due to rejection.
As they exchanged information, a “clang clang clang” sound of metal trays being hit came from nearby. A person wearing a chef’s outfit walked out from the back and said to the attendants in front of him, “The meals for the patients are ready. You can go and deliver them.”
Wen Jianyan thought of something and turned to the others, asking, “Have your task lists also been refreshed?”
Several of them nodded.
After their identity cards were converted into attendants, they promptly received new tasks to deliver meals to different floors, with each mission having a different difficulty level.
Wen Jianyan lowered his eyes slightly and said, “Based on the current clues, it seems that the Ping An Asylum not only houses low-risk patients but also detains high-risk, violent offenders. It’s both a mental hospital and a prison, and these patients should be confined on the two underground floors.”
The other people nodded in agreement.
“I think so too,”
Luce said, proposing:
“The missions on the underground floors are clearly more challenging. I think it’s best to start with delivering meals to regular wards and see if we can find clues from the periphery.”
Su Cheng agreed, “Indeed, especially since it’s been a long time since the last bell. The next bell could sound at any moment, so going to the basement now would be very dangerous.”
Wen Jianyan squinted his eyes slightly and suddenly asked, “Speaking of which, why is changing identity cards in this instance so easy?”
“…”
Upon hearing this question, the others were momentarily taken aback.
“The easy conversion of identity cards is most likely a deliberate loophole left open for anchors in this instance. It will only increase the difficulty of the instance, not decrease it.”
Wen Jianyan turned to look at the head nurse, who had walked out. He said in a low voice:
“In other words, we might not have control over where we choose to deliver meals.”
Sure enough, as soon as Wen Jianyan finished speaking, the head nurse raised her glazed eyes, scanned the attendants waiting in front of her, and then extended her bony hand, pointing at some individuals.
“You, you, and you, go to the first floor.”
“You guys, go to the second floor.”
Her gaze shifted to another group of people not far away, and she gestured in the air with her finger, “You few, go to the first underground floor.”
Immediately after, the head nurse’s gaze fell on Wen Jianyan and his group.
“You few, go to the second underground floor.”
In the instant her command was given, Wen Jianyan saw the task list on the edge of his field of vision refresh once more. The elementary task of delivering meals to the regular ward had disappeared, leaving only the task of delivering meals to the second underground floor.
“…”
Alas.
Wen Jianyan had the urge to sigh.
Sometimes, he really wished that his speculations were wrong.
In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[Damn, the second underground floor… Why am I not surprised at all?]
[Hahahahahahaha, this passive ability is way too accurate! This luck is unmatched!]
[Oh man, this is tough.]
[But I believe in the anchor! He even managed to escape from Dr. Reese’s side, so this time should be fine… right?]
[By the way, what happened to Dr. Resse and Edward afterward? I’m so curious. Why doesn’t a live broadcast open up an NPC’s perspective? I really want to know who won in the end!]
After receiving their orders, the group exchanged glances and obediently walked forward, finding the metal meal delivery cart labeled with “Second Underground Floor” and then pushing it out of the kitchen.
“What’s next? What do we do?”
One of them asked.
Wen Jianyan pushed the cart without looking around and said, “Of course, we’re going to the second underground floor.”
“Of course, if you don’t want to go, you can take off your attendant uniform now and go back to the free activity room.”
He paused, then pointed to the free activity room not far away, reminding him, “You still have a chance.”
“…”
The team fell into silence.
After a few seconds, the person who asked the question gritted their teeth and said determinedly, “Let’s go.”
Although the danger was not low, the team understood that risks and opportunities coexisted. The attendant’s identity card was highly risky, and it might be discarded soon. The development of the instance was still unclear, and the next opportunity might be a long time away. Instead of shrinking back in the face of unknown dangers, they decided to gather all the clues while they still had their identity cards.
Blond: “…”
Wow, you’re all so brave.
After all, Wen Jianyan has been found now, and his original goal has been activated. As a coward who didn’t want to take a risk, Blond really wanted to go to the free activity room, but… he looked around with a look of despair on his face.
Forget it; just go with the flow.
Soon, the group arrived at the elevator leading downward.
The elevator had a design from the last century, with manually operated metal grilles that could be opened and closed. The up and down buttons on the side looked exceptionally old.
Luce pressed the down button, and soon, the mechanical humming of the elevator’s operation began.
They stood outside the iron fence, waiting for the elevator to ascend from below.
【Plot Deviation: 25%, Reward Points: 1000】
A familiar system prompt sounded in their ears.
Wen Jianyan was taken aback.
…Here we go again.
Why exactly is this happening?
He carefully searched through everything he had done from the escape until now in his mind but found no clues.
【Plot Deviation: 32%, Reward Points: 1000】
With almost no warning, the mechanical notification sound rang in the next second, like an ominous chime echoing in Wen Jianyan’s ear.
“…”
Wen Jianyan subconsciously furrowed his brow, and his body tensed instinctively.
He couldn’t figure it out.
He couldn’t figure it out at all.
In other instances, he had caused higher plot deviations, but each time he was very clear about the reasons for the increase in plot deviation. But experiencing the plot deviation increase with the constant sound effects without having done anything was something Wen Jianyan had never encountered before.
The feeling of things going beyond his control made him particularly uneasy.
“Ding.”
Accompanied by the humming of the mechanical operation, a metal box rose from the ground and stopped with a clang.
This sound awakened Wen Jianyan from his contemplation.
He raised his eyes.
“Are we here?—“
The next second, his voice got stuck deep in his throat, and Wen Jianyan’s pupils involuntarily shrank slightly, almost forgetting to breathe.
No one could have expected that the elevator ascending from below… wasn’t empty.
A man in a white coat stood alone in the elevator. He had a slender figure and a calm expression, and the glasses perched on his nose had been replaced with another pair at some point. Behind the lenses, his green eyes carried a hint of false gentleness and elegance. His uniform was neat and impeccable.
…It was that doctor named Reese.
Through the gap between the metal fence, the other side raised his eyes and looked over.
He glanced at all the “attendants” in front of him and finally fixed his gaze on Wen Jianyan.
“…”
The moment the other side’s gaze fell on him, a strong sense of crisis, like fine steel needles, pierced Wen Jianyan’s skin. His body stiffened, and he felt a slightly cold and slippery sweat on his palms.
“Kala-kala—”
The piercing sound of metal friction resounded, and the fence slowly pulled to the side, leaving no barrier between the inside and outside of the elevator.
Dr. Reese stepped out of the elevator.
Wen Jianyan felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. The eerie feeling of being targeted by a venomous snake wrapped around him once again without warning, making his scalp tingle. He almost had the impulse to turn and flee.
But he didn’t.
Wen Jianyan composed himself. He pushed the metal cart and, along with his teammates, took a step aside to clear a path for Dr. Reese as he walked out of the elevator.
He kept his gaze lowered and stared tightly at the cart in front of him, waiting for the doctor to pass by.
Everything will be fine—absolutely fine.
Even though this guy was not an ordinary implanted NPC like the nurse and attendants, he still belonged to the world of the instance. Therefore, he shouldn’t recognize Wen Jianyan as the patient who escaped from his treatment room.
One step, two steps.
The hard soles of his shoes echoed on the floor with a not-so-light sound.
Wen Jianyan saw through the corner of his eye that the doctor’s trousers and shiny shoes were moving away, passing by the cart in front of him without stopping and continuing forward.
His teammates had already started to walk toward the open elevator, and Su Cheng held the metal fence, waiting for Wen Jianyan to enter.
“…”
Wen Jianyan exhaled a sigh of relief discreetly.
He applied a little force, pushing the cart forward. But before he could take a step, a bony hand wearing gloves lightly grabbed one corner of the cart, preventing the wheels from moving forward.
“!”
Wen Jianyan’s breath hitched.
With his heart pounding, he slowly raised his eyes to look at the doctor who was holding the cart.
The distance was…
Very close.
Wen Jianyan could even see those green eyes shining with a cold, predatory gleam hidden behind the lenses.
A chilling feeling washed over him.
“Your complexion seems a bit off. Are you feeling unwell?”
Dr. Reese gazed at the young man in front of him, and he suddenly smiled faintly. His voice was low and gentle, carrying a genuine tone of concern.
He leaned in slightly, closing the gap between them.
“Or perhaps you’re overworked?”
“…I’m fine, thank you for your concern.”
Wen Jianyan replied calmly, resisting the urge to step back.
“Please take good care of yourself. If you ever feel uncomfortable or need anything, my office is always open to you.”
Dr. Reese continued, his smile warm.
“…”
I’d have to be haunted to go there.
Unpleasant memories flooded Wen Jianyan’s mind. He gritted his teeth and managed a smile. “I will,”
He looked at the man in front of him with a troubled expression. “Doctor, is there anything else I can assist you with? I have work to do next…”
Dr. Reese, with a smile at the corner of his lips, gently released his grip on the cart in Wen Jianyan’s hand.
Accompanied by the clattering sound of wheels rolling on the floor, Wen Jianyan pushed the cart into the elevator.
“Ka-la-la—”
The metal gates closed, and with a mechanical humming sound, the elevator began to descend. Just before it was about to disappear into the ground, those same shoes turned away, unperturbed, and vanished from their narrow view.
“…Phew.”
Wen Jianyan unconsciously let out a long breath.
Inside the elevator, the tension had finally begun to dissipate. In just a few minutes, not only Wen Jianyan but all of them had been pushed to their limits, mentally and physically. Their hearts raced, and cold sweat soaked them from the spine to the palms of their hands.
Su Cheng hesitated and asked, “Was that…?”
“Yes,” Wen Jianyan nodded, confirming what he was thinking.
Luce was restless. “Could it be that he recognized us?”
“…”
Wen Jianyan didn’t answer because he wasn’t sure himself. According to the rules of the instance, he shouldn’t have recognized them beneath their identity cards. But the recent terrifying encounter had been anything but fake.
However, if the doctor did recognize them, why had he let them go?
Wen Jianyan couldn’t figure it out. He took a deep breath and said, “Anyway, let’s not dwell on that for now.”
Dr. Reese is gone, and he’s not our primary threat.
Wen Jianyan bent down, opened the metal cart, and quickly scanned its contents.
The food at the Ping An Asylum was far from gourmet. It included shriveled bread, sticky beans, and a few thin slices of transparent smoked meat, all served on small plastic trays.
One, two, three…
There were only five portions in total.
Wen Jianyan stood up and turned to his teammates. “There should be only five patients on the second underground floor.”
“So few?” Blond frowned.
Luce gave him a look. “These are seriously violent, high-risk mentally ill patients. Do you think five is not enough?”
Blond shut his mouth sheepishly.
“Ding—”
The elevator gradually stopped, and the metal gates opened with a mechanical humming sound. Before them lay a deep corridor filled with locked iron doors. Behind those doors were security stations guarding the inner passageways.
The team exchanged glances, pushed the cart, and walked forward.
After a piercing “beep—” and a flash of red lights, the closest door to them slowly opened.
From the intercom, a dry, businesslike voice of the guard spoke matter-of-factly:
“Go inside.”
“Same rules apply: don’t give them any sharp objects, don’t stay in front of any patient’s room for more than five minutes, and it’s better not to talk to them.”
“After you’ve delivered the meals, leave as soon as possible. Understood?”
The dim corridor stretched ahead like a dark tunnel leading to hell, causing an overwhelming sense of psychological pressure.
Just as they were about to pass through the first iron door, Wen Jianyan suddenly remembered something. He turned to the intercom and politely asked, “Excuse me, can I ask if Dr. Reese came here earlier?”
Everyone was taken aback, subconsciously stopping in their tracks and turning to look at Wen Jianyan. They clearly didn’t expect him to ask such a question.
In the midst of a brief, crackling noise, the guard’s voice came from the intercom, cold and expressionless.
“Yes.”
“Do you know the purpose of his visit?”
“…”
There was no response from the intercom.
Undeterred, Wen Jianyan inquired further:
“Then, may I ask which rooms he went to?”
After another rustling sound, the security guard’s voice returned, still icy:
“All of them.”
