Chapter 24: Leaving the Group
"Heh heh..." Han Yimo let out a bitter laugh. "Doctor Zhao, you're overthinking things. As a novelist, the last thing I want to talk about is my own work... If I have any free time, I want to temporarily forget everything about my stories and let myself relax properly."
"Then let's talk about something else!" Doctor Zhao was slowly stitching the wound, but since it was circular, suturing it was more complicated than a normal wound. He steadied himself and asked again, "Tell me, besides writing, how do you usually relax?"
"I... play games."
Doctor Zhao nodded. "That's great. I play games after work too. What games do you play?"
Due to excessive blood loss, Han Yimo's thoughts were very sluggish. It took him a long time before he replied, "League of Legends... There's a female ninja named 'Akali.' I really like that character."
"Oh?" Doctor Zhao smiled. "What a coincidence. I play League of Legends too, and I also like Akali."
Although his tone remained steady, everyone could see his hands trembling slightly. After all, in all his years as a doctor, this was the first time he had stitched a wound without anesthetic while the patient was fully conscious. At this point, no one knew if he truly liked the character or was simply trying to keep the conversation going along Han Yimo's topic.
"You like Akali too, Doctor Zhao?" Han Yimo nodded weakly. "I'm fascinated by everything about Akali... This female ninja called the 'Fist of Shadow'—I feel like her backstory also..."
Doctor Zhao's hands paused slightly, then he reached out and touched Han Yimo's face, asking, "Han Yimo, can you see me?"
"Huh?" Han Yimo didn't understand why Doctor Zhao suddenly asked this question, but he answered, "I can see you..."
"Who am I?"
"You're Doctor Zhao..."
Doctor Zhao nodded again and said, "Han Yimo, you're starting to hallucinate now. You need to stay conscious."
"Hallucination?" Han Yimo felt he was still in a normal state and didn't understand what Doctor Zhao meant. "Aren't I chatting normally with you? How could I be hallucinating..."
"It must be a symptom of excessive blood loss. Your brain isn't getting enough blood. Regarding the Akali you mentioned—her champion title is 'Rogue Assassin,' not 'Fist of Shadow.'"
"Rogue Assassin?" Han Yimo squinted, hesitating. He had never heard that name before. Was this also because of the hallucinations?
Qiao Jiajin, standing nearby, nudged Qi Xia and asked, "Hey, con artist, what are they talking about?"
"No idea." Qi Xia shook his head. "I don't play games. I can't follow."
"I've played arcade games before." Qiao Jiajin pursed his lips. "But I've never heard of the game they're talking about. Is this hero-battle game more fun than 'Fatal Fury'..."
Qi Xia didn't want to join the conversation. He walked aside and found a clean rock to sit on.
He was thinking about something else.
The conversation between Han Yimo and Doctor Zhao soon fell silent. Probably Han Yimo was having too many hallucinations for the chat to continue.
The atmosphere among the group gradually grew quiet.
Lin Qin realized she couldn't be of much help, so she sat down next to Qi Xia.
"What are you thinking about?" Lin Qin asked.
Qi Xia turned to look at her, his expression cold.
"This is the second time you've asked me 'what I'm thinking.'" Qi Xia said. "Do you always ask your patients so bluntly during counseling?"
"But you're not my patient." Lin Qin shook her head. "And we don't call them 'patients'—that would be rude. I'm just genuinely curious. For someone as smart as you, what's really going on in your mind?"
"My wife." Qi Xia's face showed a hint of melancholy as he spoke.
"Your wife?" Lin Qin nodded slowly. "Earlier you said someone was waiting for you outside. Is that person your wife?"
"Yes." Qi Xia nodded.
Lin Qin gave a slight smile. "I didn't expect that answer. So you're already married?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Qi Xia felt like Lin Qin was implying something.
"I didn't mean to offend you. But you're a con artist. What kind of person is your wife?"
"You..." Qi Xia rarely showed anger. He slowly stood up, his eyes icy cold. "What do you mean? Because I'm a con artist, the person who marries me must also be a lowlife?"
"Huh? I..." Lin Qin was startled by Qi Xia's intensity. "I really didn't mean to offend. I was just curious..."
"I suggest you stop being curious about me." Qi Xia's voice remained cold. "I'm a con artist. Nothing I say is the truth anyway."
Their conversation ended on a sour note, but Lin Qin's expression didn't seem to care.
Over at Doctor Zhao's side, the wound was finally stitched up.
"Almost done..." Doctor Zhao wiped the blood off his hands as he spoke. "We've done everything we can for now. Next, we just have to hope the wound doesn't get infected."
"Thank you..." Han Yimo's lips were pale as he spoke weakly to Doctor Zhao.
Seeing that everything had come to a temporary halt, Qi Xia slowly stood up and addressed the group. "Everyone, it's time to say goodbye."
The other eight people looked at him with confusion.
Goodbye?
"Where are you going?" Qiao Jiajin asked.
"That's none of your concern." Qi Xia looked thoughtfully at the restaurant across the street.
"You're not really going to look for those 'Tao' are you?!" Officer Li was stunned.
"What? Any advice?" Qi Xia seemed to confirm the answer.
"With all due respect, you're walking to your death." Officer Li shook his head helplessly. "Three thousand six hundred 'Tao'! Do you have any idea what that means?! If you could get one 'Tao' every time, you'd need to clear three thousand six hundred games like the one we almost died in!"
"Yes." Qi Xia nodded. "The odds sound extremely slim, but there's still hope, isn't there?"
"Hope?" Officer Li sighed. "Ten days. Three thousand six hundred games. That's an average of three hundred sixty games per day. Even if you spent every waking moment clearing games, there's no way you'd have enough time. And you could die at any moment in those games. But if you do nothing, you'll only die after ten days."
He paused, then added, "And that 'death' is based entirely on the assumption that what 'Ren Long' said is true. In other words, we might not die after ten days, and this place might not be destroyed. Even if you collect all three thousand six hundred 'Tao,' he might not let you out."
"I understand all that." Qi Xia cut Officer Li off. "But I'm not going to just wait here. Even if I only go out for a stroll, it's better than staying here."
"But you—" Officer Li wanted to argue further, but the door to the staff break room creaked open again.
Everyone turned to look. The female clerk from earlier walked out.
She was completely naked, her mouth smeared with grease, something clutched in her hand. Her emaciated body looked like little more than bones.
Zhang Chenze frowned slightly, took off her own blazer, and walked over to drape it over the woman's shoulders.
She turned to look at the men, her expression showing a hint of anger. "What exactly did you men do to her in that room? Where are her clothes?"
Qiao Jiajin shook his head helplessly. "It's a long story. I suggest you just leave her alone."
"You're so kind." The female clerk stared blankly at the blazer draped over her, then at Zhang Chenze. "Too bad you're not a man. Otherwise I'd definitely sleep with you."
"Sleep with me?" Zhang Chenze was startled by the girl's words. "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"Since I can't sleep with you, then I'll give you this to eat..."
She opened her dirty hand. In it was a boiled baby's arm, already cooked to a mush.