Chapter 22: Blue Mountain Psychiatric Hospital (Part 22)

Chapter 22: Blue Mountain Psychiatric Hospital (Twenty-two)

The newspaper was the one found in the security room, which Qi Chanyang had placed on the newspaper rack since bringing it back.

It was Lu Xiaoqin who happened to glance at it while passing by, spotting a harsh red smear. On closer inspection, she noticed a new line of text on the last page of the newspaper.

The person who wrote this line seemed to be in a great hurry, not only was the handwriting messy, but they also accidentally left a thumbprint on the paper when writing the last character.

This thumbprint was strange, with a roughly three-millimeter blank space in the middle, as if a section of the thumb was mysteriously missing.

Even stranger was the fact that only the five players who took the medicine yesterday could see this line of text, whereas Xie Fangcheng and his two companions couldn't see it.

Qi Chanyang analyzed, "Just now, Han Qi mentioned, 'If you don't take the medicine, the hysteria will worsen'. It seems this is the consequence of the escalating hysteria."

"So, does this mean that this line of text doesn't actually exist in reality?"

Qi Chanyang shook his head, "I'm not sure. But if it is indeed hysteria, what we are seeing should be an illusion."

At this moment, Lu Xiaoqin gritted her teeth, lifted the newspaper to her nose and took a sniff, her complexion changed instantly, "There's a smell of blood."

Everyone exchanged uneasy glances.

If it's an illusion, does the smell that Lu Xiaoqin detected also fall under the illusion? Does an illusion encompass even the scent?

Qi Chanyang furrowed his brows, finding himself unable to ascertain the current situation for a moment.

"The clues we have are still too scant. How about this?" Qi Chanyang turned to Xie Fangcheng beside him, "There are many books in the reading room. We can look for clues here, and since you're strong and not afraid of NPCs, if you're not too tired, you can explore other places."

After saying that, Qi Chanyang reminded him, "The room next to the cafeteria without a nameplate is Liu Hanyue's room. I saw some of her belongings there last night. If it's convenient, you can check it out first."

"Alright." Saying so, Xie Fangcheng picked up his stick and was about to leave.

Xue Kai hurriedly interjected, "What if the NPCs suddenly become hostile? Brother Xie, don't go too far! It's better to leave the door open, what if we scream for help and you can't hear us?"

Xie Fangcheng pondered briefly: "That can be managed."

Having said that, he opened the door and went to the adjacent badminton court.

In a short while, he returned, followed by number nine.

"If there's an emergency, have number nine inform me."

Xue Kai was perplexed, "How will it inform you?"

Xie Fangcheng patted his pocket, and only then did everyone notice something housed within it.

"I borrowed a finger from little nine. If you call him, he'll alert me."

Everyone: "..."

Xie Fangcheng seriously inquired, "Nine! Any issues?"

Number nine's neck twitched, and its head shook, "No..."

"Truly reliable!"

After speaking, Xie Fangcheng hoisted his stick onto his shoulder and walked out flamboyantly.

Behind him, the individuals in the reading room clustered at the door, heads stacked upon heads as they watched his retreating figure. Xue Kai couldn't help but praise, "Brother Xie is indeed Brother Xie, look at that stride that seems to level everything in its path, look at that arrogant and domineering figure, look at that unconstrained and free-spirited stick... uh, what is he going to the security room for?"

The security room was now unoccupied, the gruesomely deceased security guard NPC was nowhere to be found, his body most likely disposed of.

Xie Fangcheng entered the security room and emerged shortly after, this time with a festive banner hanging from his stick.

The red banner fluttered behind him, transforming the originally dilapidated, eerie, and frightening corridor into a semblance of a countryside path. He resembled an old farmer carrying a hoe on a rural path, ready to work the fields. The sight of his jubilant figure made Qi Chanyang, a normally stern and meticulous player, feel a sudden surge of uneasiness.

Xue Kai squinted, "What does the banner say? Uh, 'Dedicated and Considerate Service'... Brother Qi, what does it mean for Brother Xie to carry this banner?"

Qi Chanyang looked up, "It means nothing, he has simply procured a cloth for himself in advance."

.

Meanwhile, Jie Fangcheng walked over to the unmarked door, knocking politely before standing at the threshold.

Silence prevailed within the room.

Creak—

The door was unlocked, and Jie Fangcheng opened it.

Upon entering, Jie Fangcheng couldn't help but utter an exclamation of "oh wow."

In this hospital, where the prevalent hues were either white or grey, this room stood as an exception, exhibiting a rather delicate and pinkish finesse in its decoration. One could immediately tell that the person who arranged this room had put in a significant amount of effort and consideration.

The books on the table were neatly arranged, and the floor was spotless, bearing evidence that someone had resided here not long ago.

Jie Fangcheng approached the desk, picked up a book from the table and flipped through it, but didn't find anything of interest.

He then opened the drawers.

Finding them locked, Jie Fangcheng wasted no words, promptly breaking the locks and setting them aside.

The first drawer housed an array of stationery items. It was evident that the young girl who occupied the room was dearly cherished. Even the erasers were stocked in two full rows, and the pencils, all pre-sharpened, lay in a bundle of more than a dozen. Additionally, there was a thick stack of beautiful, albeit slightly aged stickers and drawings, some of which had already started to yellow with time.

Perhaps due to the lack of usage over a significant period, this layer appeared overly pristine.

Upon accessing the second layer, Jie Fangcheng stumbled upon something quite extraordinary.

It was a photo album, the cover and edges of which bore a reddish-brown hue, suggestive of residual blood stains.

With a pinch of two fingers, Jie Fangcheng opened the album.

The initial pages presented several photographs of a baby.

In the photos, a chubby infant lay peacefully in a crib, dressed in a blue and white baby suit. The baby appeared tranquil, eyes gently closed, suckling on its own thumb.

Despite the child's undeniable cuteness, Jie Fangcheng felt an inexplicable strangeness emanating from the images of the infant.

After flipping through a couple more pages, he finally pinpointed the anomaly.

In every picture, the child in the crib had its eyes closed, without exception.

Jie Fangcheng continued to leaf through the album, which documented the child’s progression through various stages of growth.

Starting from a tiny being, just about the size of a few palms, capable of fitting snugly within a baby carriage, the child grew steadily. By the age of three, it could stand before a camera, smiling joyously with eyes still firmly closed.

Progressing to the age of five or six, her hair was twisted into two adorable twirls, wearing a birthday crown, with her hands crossed over her chest, she closed her eyes to make a wish.

Even though her eyes were unseen, one could infer from the photographs alone that the young girl was radiant and cheerful, often wearing a smile, embodying a little princess who was profoundly cherished.

Jie Fangcheng flipped further, feeling a sudden heaviness at his fingertips.

The next page of the album was stuck to the adjacent one, inadvertently staining his fingertip with a smudge of reddish-brown blood.

With a gentle tug, Jie Fangcheng separated the pages that were adhered together.

Blood.

What had glued the pages together was fresh, bright red blood, yet to dry.

Jie Fangcheng furrowed his brow, peering into the album.

Just then, he felt a fierce tug at his sleeve from his pocket.

From the hallway, Xue Kai's heart-wrenching screams echoed.

"Jie bro—behind you!!!"

Without looking back, Jie Fangcheng twisted his waist abruptly.

A fetid smell brushed past his face, followed by a resounding "thud" from the table in front of him. A mop had struck the wall from the tabletop, leaving a gaping hole and causing the books to fall in succession.

Only after evading the attack did Jie Fangcheng turn around.

Behind him stood Ge Juan, who he could never seem to catch up to, stationed at the doorway with crimson eyes, maintaining a throwing posture.

Her voice was shrill: "What are you doing in Yueyue's room?!"

"Ah," Jie Fangcheng felt somewhat embarrassed, "Well, don't be angry, I was just looking for clues."

He could understand; Ge Juan was Liu Hanyue's mother. It was only natural for her to be angry seeing a strange man intruding into her daughter's room.

But as reasonable as that was—

Two seconds later, Jie Fangcheng had her pinned to the table with a rod, expressing his frustration: "Why resort to violence? You know you can't beat me."

Ge Juan flailed, her long nails attempting to claw back at him, but Jie Fangcheng suppressed her movements firmly.

Ge Juan, evidently weakened during the daytime, struggled momentarily before becoming immobile, only able to glare at him fiercely.

Jie Fangcheng spoke: "I didn't mean to, I apologize to you, alright?"

Ge Juan's expression softened slightly.

"Here's the deal, I'll let you go, but no more fighting, or I won't be so courteous, okay?"

Having said that, Jie Fangcheng gradually released the rod.

The moment the restraint was lifted, Ge Juan retreated to the doorway in two quick steps.

Jie Fangcheng hurriedly called out to her: "Hey! Aren't we going to have a chat? It's quite impolite to resort to violence upon meeting, isn't it?"

Ge Juan fixated her gaze on him.

Jie Fangcheng pondered briefly before speaking: "I saw Liu Hanyue yesterday."

Ge Juan's eyes widened: "Is she alright?"

Jie Fangcheng curiously asked, "Aren't you her mother? How do you not know whether she's fine or not?"

Ge Juan paused for a moment before responding, "She can only come out to play at night, but I have work during that time."

"Cleaning?"

"Yes."

Jie Fangcheng expressed his astonishment: "You don't even slack off during your job?"

Ge Juan simply shook her head.

Half of her face was obscured by her hair, with only the intact half visible, appearing quite clean — a stark contrast to her frenzied demeanor at night.

Jie Fangcheng scratched his head in a troubled manner, somewhat at a loss for how to continue the conversation.

He usually dealt with situations more directly, finding it somewhat challenging to engage in casual conversation for clues.

However, he believed that what was difficult for him might not be difficult for others.

"Ahem... How about I find a girl to chat with you? Would that be okay?"

Jie Fangcheng was forthright: "Either I search this room, or I find a girl to do the searching. But the search has to happen, one way or another."

Ge Juan glared at him.

"Glaring at me won't help; I'm giving you two options, at least. If it were Han Qi, he would have been sliced into eight sections by now for daring to lay a hand on me."

Ge Juan: "..."

Jie Fangcheng made up his mind: "Then, I'll call someone in."

Saying so, he peeked his head outside.

In the reading room nearby, one, two, three... a total of ten heads were crowded by the door, attentively peering inside with concern. Even number nine was craning their neck, swaying their head flamboyantly in the corridor.

Jie Fangcheng smiled: "It's alright, everyone retreat. Shan Shan, could you come here for a moment?"

Shortly, Gu Shan Shan, holding a self-defense tool given by Qi Chan Yang, walked over from the reading room.

Upon entering the room, Jie Fangcheng introduced the two to each other.

"Ms. Ge here is willing to have a chat with us."

Having said that, Shuo Ba hugged his staff closer to his chest, clearly resolved to remain a bystander.

The scene was somewhat eerie. Gu Shanshan steadied herself, her gaze fixed on Ge Juan.

"Hello, Ms. Ge, may I ask you a few questions?"

Ge Juan remained silent for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"Go ahead," she said, adding, "but there are many questions I cannot answer. If the dean hears me, I'm done for."

Gu Shanshan hurriedly followed up: "Where is the dean? We have been here for several days and have yet to meet him."

Ge Juan gave her a profound look: "No, you have met him already."

Gu Shanshan paused, surprised: "We have?"

Impossible!

The only people they had encountered so far were the patient NPCs, two doctors... and the kitchen NPC.

Could it be the kitchen NPC? After all, his face was always obscured by a mask and hat.

Gu Shanshan continued to inquire: "Is he in the kitchen?"

Ge Juan fell silent.

Gu Shanshan had no choice but to change the question.

"What exactly is in the medicine we have been given? What are the consequences of taking it?"

Ge Juan smiled: "Haven't you already witnessed the effects?"

"Are you referring to those patients? Will we become like them if we continue taking it?"

Ge Juan glanced at her, then at Jie Fangcheng, correcting her: "No, you all are patients as well."

"What illness?"

Ge Juan fell silent again.

Despite Gu Shanshan's further attempts to inquire, Ge Juan remained reticent, shaking her head thrice to each question.

Eventually, she just looked at them both: "The only thing I can tell you is that your end is nearing, and avoiding the medication is not an option."

"But taking three pills will make us like the other patients, right?"

Ge Juan gave a bizarre smile, whispering, "Is it so bad to be like them?"

After that, she refused to answer any more questions, urging them instead: "Once you find what you're looking for, leave Yuanyuan's room quickly!"

Subsequently, while Gu Shanshan was busy searching for clues in the room, Jie Fangcheng stood at the doorway with Ge Juan.

Gu Shanshan heard him engaging in casual conversation with someone.

"How old are you this year? Where is your family from? Are you in charge of cleaning? Did you fix the doors on the first, second, and third floors? No? Then who did? Han Qi? I didn't realize he could fix doors too. Oh, he replaced the locks as well...”

Gu Shanshan felt a growing frustration as she listened.

She also found a photo album and began flipping through it.

Stuck together with blood on two of the pages was the same beautiful little girl who resembled a small princess.

However, compared to the sunny and radiant child in the previous pictures, from this page on, Liu Hanyue finally opened her eyes.

She stared at the camera with abnormally large, pitch-black eyes, her face devoid of emotion. Dressed in a beautiful white princess gown, holding a doll, yet her face held not a trace of a smile.

From this page onward in the album, her smiles were absent.

The last page of the album showed her at ten years old, still dressed immaculately, appearing quite lovely.

But maybe it was an illusion, Gu Shanshan felt that her eyes seemed to grow larger as she aged.

Apart from this, there were no other clues to be found in the room.

Ge Juan urged, “Have you found everything? If you have, then leave quickly!”

As the two exited the room, something seemed to occur to Gu Shanshan.

She turned her head slightly, catching Ge Juan in her peripheral vision.

Ge Juan was tidying up the table.

She neatly arranged the books that had been knocked over, placed the album back in the second drawer, and closed it.

Seemingly sensing the gaze on her, Ge Juan suddenly turned around, her eyes meeting with Gu Shanshan's.

"Is there anything else?"

Gu Shanshan felt a jolt in her heart and shook her head.

Only after the two returned to the reading room and closed the door, did Gu Shanshan speak up.

“Ge Juan... she's lying!”

Qi Chanyang was taken aback: “What? What happened just now? What did you guys discuss with Ge Juan?”

Jie Fangcheng began recounting their conversation with Ge Juan in the other room, causing Qi Chanyang to furrow his brows: "Is there an issue with that?"

Images of what had just transpired played repeatedly in Gu Shanshan's mind, making her more and more certain.

"While I was looking for clues earlier, the books on the table were knocked over but were clearly arranged in a sequence from smallest to largest. The erasers and pens in the drawer were also organized in a neat and orderly manner from smallest to largest. Initially, I thought Ge Juan had tidied them, but that wasn't the case! When Ge Juan was cleaning the table just now, she didn't arrange the books at all; she merely placed them back on the shelf."

"Moreover, I noticed that although the frequently used areas of the table show signs of wear and tear, the lesser-used areas are immaculately maintained. Whoever used this room cherished every aspect of it... unlike Ge Juan! She recklessly damaged the table with her mop!"

Gu Shanshan firmly believed, "Ge Juan is not as attached to the room as she portrays to be. Yet earlier, knowing she stood no chance against Xie Ge, she still put on that show... She did it on purpose!"

Qi Chanyang couldn't comprehend, "Why would she risk her life to put on such an act?"

Xie Fangcheng was discontented, "Hey! Why do you make it sound like I am some kind of monster?"

Everyone said in unison, "Aren't you indeed terrifying??"

Xie Fangcheng froze, then erupted in anger, "What do you mean by that?? When have I ever attacked an NPC without reason? I always act in self-defense!"

Everyone exchanged sideways glances.

Gu Shanshan steered the conversation back, "I believe... she staged this to convey those specific words to us."

Recollecting, Qi Chanyang quickly grasped the crux of the matter: "'You are all nearing death, medication is essential.' Ultimately, she intends to deceive us into taking that medicine!! We absolutely cannot consume it!"

At this moment, Gu Shanshan turned her attention to the newspaper.

"Perhaps... the 'Do not trust anyone' message refers to Ge Juan? Then who left this message? Could it be someone among the patient NPCs?"

Everyone furrowed their brows in deep contemplation.

Since entering the instance, a series of events appeared as unsolved mysteries. The fear of death and the anxiety of the unknown continuously lingered in everyone's minds, making their thoughts feel muddled and perplexing.

As Qi Chanyang pondered, he realized someone was missing. Startled, he exclaimed, "Where is Xie Fangcheng??"

Xue Kai at the doorway let out a sound, "Ah, Xie Ge just returned the number nine finger and is now playing badminton with number nine..."

Everyone: "..."

Qi Chanyang roared, "Damn it!!"

It was like a salaried worker, who worked until midnight, discovering on social media that someone in the department had left work at 5:30 pm.

Gu Shanshan couldn't help but smile, yet she consoled him, "Don't be angry, Qi Ge. He might be the most exhausted among us tonight. Letting loose for a bit is acceptable, isn't it? Moreover..."

Gu Shanshan paused momentarily, recalling the chatter between him and Ge Juan, "Xie Ge doesn't seem particularly adept at finding clues; let's just allow him to play."

Qi Chanyang felt a pulsing in his forehead, unable to contain himself, he emphasized to the new players, "Game instances are terrifying! Every player should approach it with seriousness and gravity!! Do not adopt the bad habits from certain individuals!!! It's wrong! It could easily lead to death in the instance! It can tremendously annoy your teammates!!! Do you understand??"

The newcomers nodded fervently like quails, "We understand, we understand."

Inside the badminton hall, Xie Fangcheng sneezed.

He sniffed, while coaching number nine on badminton techniques with a racket in hand, "You see, when serving, do it like this..."

The shuttlecock was smashed with a "thud", hitting the floor with the force of a steel bullet, leaving a faint indent on the surface.

Handing the broken racket back to number nine, Xie Fangcheng encouraged, "Now, you try."

Number Nine blinked slowly, staring at the racket in their hands: "It... has a hole..."

"No worries, a hole is just a hole," Jie Fangcheng declared unabashedly. "A truly skilled person could play excellently even with a shoe sole, let alone a racket with a hole. Keep it up! I believe in your abilities!"

Number Nine hesitated, head hung low, before nodding and picking up a new shuttlecock.

Jie Fangcheng showed no signs of guilt for deceiving his roommate, continuing to instruct from the sidelines: "Raise your hand a bit higher, higher, even higher, yes, that posture... Ah, no worries, let's try again."

Time flew swiftly.

Soon after dinner, everyone gathered once again in the reading room.

Qi Chanyang's expression was stern: "Is everyone prepared?"

The crowd responded solemnly: "We are ready!"

Jie Fangcheng appeared clueless: "Prepared for what?"

Xue Kai chimed in promptly: "Aren't we going to tie up the patient NPCs and refrain from taking the medicine tonight? We've devised a small plan."

Jie Fangcheng was astonished: "You guys devised a plan?"

Qi Chanyang fumed: "There are nine patients! Haven't you considered how to tie them up?? One by one or all at once?? Where do we keep them once tied up?? What if the bindings are not secure and a patient breaks free?? What if there must be two patients in a room?? Can you focus less on your stick and think more about how to clear the stage??"

Jie Fangcheng turned around: "What happened? Everyone was fine when I left. Who upset him?"

Gu Shanshan sighed, resigned: "Alright, let's focus on the matter at hand."

The original plan was to use ropes to tie the NPCs to the beds, grouping them two in a room, with players pairing up in separate rooms.

This wasn't a small task, and no one wanted to burden a single individual with all the work.

Qi Chanyang could handle two to three pre-mutated patient NPCs. Given Jie Fangcheng's strength, he was assigned to bind four. The remaining two would be tied up by the rest, using the tools provided by Qi Chanyang to secure one, before moving onto the last one once Qi Chanyang and Jie Fangcheng were done, all before the doctor arrived to avoid being caught in a pincer attack.

As Gu Shanshan finished outlining the plan, Jie Fangcheng remarked: "Sounds quite complicated, doesn't it?"

Qi Chanyang yelled: "What else do you suggest??"

"Ahem, you'll see tonight."

Come evening, the players witnessed the patient NPCs lining up quietly in the hallway.

Jie Fangcheng handed each patient a piece of rope, instructing: "Make sure to tie them tightly!"

The patient NPCs cooperatively tied each other up, with some even requesting: "Could you wrap it a few more rounds..."

After Number One was tied up by Number Nine, Jie Fangcheng personally stepped in to tie up Number Nine, securing them with an elaborate bow knot. Soon, the hallway was filled with neatly tied NPCs lying on the ground.

Everyone was petrified.

Xue Kai's eyes were sparkling with astonishment, "Jie-ge, how did you manage this?"

Jie Fangcheng vaguely replied, "Oh, just mentioned it and everyone seemed quite eager to help."

Indeed, it was just a casual mention.

In the afternoon while playing badminton, Jie Fangcheng told others: "I'll need to tie you up this evening, agree? If not, I'll knock you out before tying you up."

Number Nine was qualified to comment on this matter.

Quickly, everyone amicably agreed.

Jie Fangcheng even laid down a condition: "Since there are many of us, help each other with the tying. If someone manages to break free during the transformation because of a poor knot, I won't hesitate to step in."

On this matter, Number Nine had even more say.

At this point, all the NPCs were tied up. Qi Chanyang, having never witnessed such a scene, was dumbfounded: "So... they are just going to lie down in the corridor?"

"Let them lie in the corridor for now," Jie Fangcheng pulled out his stick with a nonchalant expression, "makes it easier for me to see who hasn't been tied properly so I can quickly knock them dead... I mean, unconscious."

Qi Chanyang: "..."

"Now, then."

The stick hit the ground with a "thud".

Jie Fangcheng planted the stick into the ground, his hands resting on the other end of it, resembling a swordsman more than someone wielding a stick.

In front of him was the ominously dark and long corridor, where it seemed some entity was gazing back at him.

Behind him were the nine bizarrely twisted patient NPCs.

In the eerie and terrifying atmosphere, Jie Fangcheng shouted at the entity at the other end of the corridor.

"Hey! Hurry up, I want to get this over with and head back to my room for some rest!"