Chapter 46: Controlled?

Chapter 46: Controlled?

No, perhaps it should be said that he seemed to be inside a shell, observing the unfolding story from that person's perspective. Thus, his current identity was: not a permanent resident, but a doctor who frequently visited.

Ji Xinghai pondered for a moment, relaxing his body and, for once, observing everything from the perspective of an outsider looking down on the plot.

If the children and other members were all here, then this could only be considered a small orphanage. It housed merely twenty-some children and four adults.

Apart from the nun and the laborer woman who appeared at the beginning, there was also him, the young doctor, and a hunchbacked gardener.

The age distribution among these twenty-some children was quite evident; they were mostly teenagers over thirteen years old and younger children under seven or eight, with very few around ten years old.

Those missing might just be the ones who disappeared over the past three years.

'Is something targeting children between the ages of eight and thirteen?' Such an obvious matter, yet it took three years to be discovered?

Ji Xinghai continued to observe.

At the request of others, the doctor came to help capture people, and the children, somewhat afraid of him, obediently left with him.

At that moment, the hunchbacked gardener pushed a wooden-wheeled cart from the backyard, and the laborer woman asked him for assistance as well.

But the gardener was somewhat unhappy, and even as he did so, he muttered, "Just a few more days, and I'll be returning to my hometown. I won't have to see this damned yard or these damned little brats ever again."

The mischievous children were caught one by one, but some still played hide-and-seek with the adults. Yes, they hid, some in haystacks, some behind trees, and in various inconceivable corners.

They were lively, not like children who were often subjected to persecution and abuse.

But eventually, they were caught one by one, covered in grass leaves, insects, and spider webs, holding stones, bones, rags, and other things that others would consider trash, being scolded to go back to sleep.

The nun recorded each name, counting and finding three still missing: "Barney, Hans, and Lily."

"I think I know where they are," sighed the doctor, setting down his medical bag and rolling up his sleeves once again.

"Thank God you're here today. These little brats always have some strange hiding places, but you can always find them," the laborer woman also expressed her gratitude, "Ever since the headmaster... Oh!"

Mentioning this taboo, the woman's face paled, and she quickly laughed vaguely, "I'll go look over there." The expressions of the others were also somewhat unnatural, filled with fear, confusion, anger, and all sorts of emotions.

Finally, all the children were driven back into their cages like chicks, and it was almost completely dark. The wind blew through the trees near the courtyard, the whistling sounds accompanying the swaying tree shadows, making one suspect that someone, or something, was lurking in the darkness.

"Come in, have some hot soup, kale and potato stew," the nun called from the doorway, the house emitting a warm glow.

"Kale and potatoes again," the laborer woman walked into the house.

All the adults entered the house, the door closing and the light disappearing along with it. The garden was once again empty, except for the simple wooden swing swaying under the tree.

Ji Xinghai followed them 'into' the house, still seeing through the eyes of the young doctor.

Oil lamps with glass shades lit the room, but it was still dim. The nun went to the kitchen, while the laborer woman sat at the long table drinking water.

The gardener remained silent, sitting in the farthest corner, staring at a stain on the hem of his clothes, studying it.

The doctor slowly approached and sat at the long table, placing his medical bag on it.

This was a long table with repair marks, capable of seating twenty to thirty people, but now there were only the four of them.

The nun served everyone a thick bowl of cabbage and potato soup, and they sat down to pray, thanking the gods for the food.

But in fact, only the nun was devout. Ji Xinghai saw the laborer woman roll her eyes, and the hunchbacked gardener merely opened his mouth without actually making a sound.

After finishing this not particularly delicious snack, the nun sat across from the doctor, while the laborer woman cleared the dishes and went to the kitchen.

"The doctor has worked hard again today. If not for the doctor's care over these past two to three years, we few old and weak individuals wouldn't have known how to continue running this orphanage on the verge of bankruptcy. Unfortunately, the old headmaster... she took the wrong path, and such an outcome is what she deserved."

Speaking up to this point, the nun paused, furrowing her brow, her subtle expression conveying 'I do not agree with this statement, I deny it.'

It seemed she did not believe the former headmaster deserved such an end.

However, the nun's facial expression flashed by, and in the gentle orange light, she still exuded grandmother-like kindness: "Our abilities are limited, perhaps being merged with another orphanage by the government would be a good thing.

"Oh, sorry, I shouldn't say these things.

"I'll check if all the children's windows are closed."

She picked up an oil lamp and entered a small side door. After the nun left, the brightness in the room seemed to drop further. The laborer woman emerged from the kitchen, hesitating for a moment before asking, "Doctor, they say it was all done by Grandma Jacar, is that true?"

Just one sentence, and the suspenseful film transitioned into a horror scene, introducing a key name, Grandma Jacar.

This was a lady from ancient fairy tales, her profession being a witch, her existence akin to the wolf grandmother, used to discipline children at home, telling them to keep their legs under control and not wander off to play.

But having her own specific title, this alone made Grandma Jacar stand out from the crowd of 'old witches.'

"There is no Grandma Jacar in the world, it's just a fairy tale," Ji Xinghai heard the doctor say.

"But the children say they saw her. On moonless nights, there were fine dancing shadows on the windows, Grandma Jacar's long fingernails, and afterward, the shadow of an old woman with a high nose appeared on the third-floor window.

"The window opened silently, and the curtains flew.

"After that, the children sleeping together in the room disappeared."

The laborer woman stared with round eyes, speaking mysteriously and somewhat viciously.

"That's just the children talking in their sleep," the doctor reassured, "The townspeople below the mountain are gossiping, and the children, after hearing too much, will dream. They probably mistook the shadows of branches outside the window for monsters."

The laborer woman's expression showed some disbelief, but out of respect, she did not contradict the doctor. Instead, she turned to another topic: "Fortunately, the doctor is willing to register as a staff member, otherwise, this orphanage would have been shut down due to insufficient staff. At my age, without family or a house, what would happen if I lost my job?"

The gardener suddenly raised his head, his scarred face especially grotesque in the shadows: "Are you blaming me? Yes, I am leaving. I don't want to stay in a place where so many people have died. If you want to stay, then stay.

"In any case, whether it stays open this year or closes next, the end is inevitable. Those women have found ways to avoid pregnancy and childbirth; the number of infants we receive will only dwindle."

"How ironic, you who were imprisoned for harming others now fear the dead?"

"Tsk, and where else would you go if you left here? Poor, old, and with nothing to your name, your kin would have to be mad to take care of you. Some have seen you lurking on the back mountain—who knows what you were up to. Perhaps you're responsible for all these incidents."

The gardener's face twisted in anger: "You are the one who wishes those pesky brats dead, to lighten your workload. Yes, you've cursed them countless times, even laid hands on them. At least I never squeezed their arms or legs."

The laborer woman trembled with rage.

Then, the gardener turned his ire on two others:

"And the nun, always by the old headmaster's side, she knew about the ten-year indenture he tricked the older children into signing. She knows everything. But since that money goes to the younger ones, she pretends ignorance. Behold, the servant of God.

"As for the doctor, who knows why you're here at all. What a bunch of hypocrites!"

With that, he stormed off, leaving the laborer woman fuming and spewing crude curses.

Ji Xinghai, now in the doctor's perspective, waited for further developments, but the scene before him shattered like a soap bubble, revealing the dark background behind it.

One layer of illusion peeled away, revealing another.

On the pitch-black backdrop floated four exquisite cards: the first was the nun, the second the laborer woman, the third a young, shy doctor, and the fourth an intimidating gardener with scars on his face.

Appearing alongside the cards was a line of text: Who is Grandmother Jacar? Please choose. Countdown: 01:00.

Ji Xinghai, who had already loaded his rifle: ...

He looked around, gun in hand, utterly bewildered.

It was absurd. Everyone else was fleeing for their lives, yet here he was playing 'Great Detective'?

"..."

"What's going on?"

"I was ready for an 'Orphanage Horror,' but now you tell me it's a detective game? Hungry Academy, who are you messing with?"

"Just a few lines of dialogue, no crucial clues—how am I supposed to know who Grandmother Jacar is!"

Ji Xinghai's livestream audience was as taken aback as he was.

When Ji Xinghai chose to park at the abandoned orphanage, everyone knew what he intended—to trigger a mission by entering the monster's domain, much like some proactive students.

Frankly, some viewers couldn't fathom his thought process. After all, besides the obvious trigger point of the orphanage, there were other smaller triggers along the way, such as a pool where someone had died or an unused bus stop.

Even if one sought fortune through risk to secure a ticket, couldn't they pick a relatively weaker spot?

Well, he chose the 'orphanage,' a favorite setting in horror films, second only to abandoned hospitals, derelict amusement parks, and haunted houses.

But he made his choice, and as jiuZhou residents, they could only face it together, like setting up an early stakeout near the safe house. If anything happened, they could promptly retreat inside, protecting themselves without burdening the state.

At this point, jiuZhou residents consoled themselves with the notion of 'immunity,' though deep down, they felt uneasy. While their country had sheltered them somewhat naively, they weren't completely disconnected from reality. What if Ji Xinghai overplayed his hand? What if the state didn't invoke immunity this time?

Fortunately, Ji Xinghai's advice on dealing with the weeping angel statue restored some confidence, making them think that triggering the orphanage scenario might not be as grim as initially feared.

But what was this turn of events? Was it now a test of intellect rather than strength?

"I feel like our student is being targeted."

"Drop the 'I feel like.'"

"So, who is Grandmother Jacar?"!