Kapitel 13: The Pet Hospital Falls
So it was the father who accidentally killed her. In the video, the father frantically checked the woman's injuries with his trembling, skeletal hands, trying to stop the bleeding, but it was futile. Confirming her death, he collapsed to the floor. Zhou Bai watched with mixed emotions as the father's hunched, frail figure turned away from the camera.
After a long while, the father stood up, laboriously dragging her body out of the study. He returned with a mop and cloth, scrubbing the floor repeatedly. The video, shot from the study, didn't show what happened outside, but the sounds of a chainsaw and things falling could be heard. Then, the mother's voice appeared, indicating her involvement.
Zhou Bai didn't know how the woman in the red dress turned into "it" or how the father got contaminated. He only knew that after this incident, the family had a new black dog. When the father reappeared in the video, his eyes were different, devoid of their previous life.
Zhou Bai watched all the videos, leaning back in his chair, unable to calm his emotions.
[Congratulations to the Great Xia player Zhou Bai for unlocking the entire storyline!]
[Next, find the key character in the scenario and have them lead you to the safe zone.]
The mechanical voice echoed throughout the Great Xia live stream. The experts and viewers erupted in cheers.
"SSS-level clearance! Zhou Bai might achieve an SSS-level clearance!"
"Fantastic! Our Chosen One from Great Xia is truly amazing!"
Spies from other countries, lurking in the live stream, could only watch enviously. They had used all three of their hint opportunities, and even if they gathered information now, it would be useless.
Unlike the jubilant atmosphere in the live stream, Zhou Bai felt a heavy heart. He sat alone in the study until 4:30 PM, then came out, calling the black dog from the corner. The dog slowly crawled towards him, its figure overlapping with the father's in Zhou Bai's mind. He crouched down, put the leash on, and gently patted the dog.
"One last time to take care of you," Zhou Bai said. The dog seemed to understand, looking sad. At 5 PM, Zhou Bai took the dog to the pet hospital, remembering the rules he had to follow.
As they left the building, Zhou Bai saw Aunt Li, his neighbor, who was carrying a basket of groceries. He greeted her with a nod, feeling like he had forgotten something but couldn't recall what. Shaking his head, he continued to the pet hospital.
At 4:55 PM, they arrived at the pet hospital. The glass door was closed, and the rules posted outside were gone. Zhou Bai felt uneasy and peered inside, his heart sinking at the sight of people in black uniforms. He remembered the first rule of the pet hospital: [If the staff are wearing black uniforms, leave the city immediately.]
The doctor's blood-red eyes and the struggling puppy in his hands confirmed the danger. Zhou Bai turned and ran home, holding the dog tightly. Nearing home, he saw Aunt Li returning with her groceries, her basket filled with various meats and vegetables. Zhou Bai, flustered, passed her but stopped suddenly.
"Where did you buy this pork?" he asked, trying to stay calm.
Aunt Li, surprised by his question, replied, "At the market, of course."
Zhou Bai's heart pounded. "The market sells pork?"
Aunt Li laughed. "Why wouldn't it? The market always has pork."
She shook her head, muttering about young people lacking common sense. Zhou Bai stood there, his mind buzzing. The rule about the market not selling pork was wrong. If this rule was wrong, what about the others? Which ones were correct?
It was already 5 PM, the time for the dog's medication. The pet hospital was compromised, and Zhou Bai couldn't get the black pills. Without the medication, the dog grew restless and started sprouting white fur. Its nose wrinkled, baring sharp teeth, and it growled heavily.
The viewers were tense.
—"Oh no! The dog is mutating!"
—"What should he do? Throw it off the balcony?"
—"We don't know if that rule is correct now!"
—"There's less than an hour left! He can't fail now!"
Zhou Bai watched the dog, nearly frenzied. It needed medication. The pet hospital was out of the question, but what about the other pills? He rushed to the cabinet, grabbing the gray pills his mother took. Desperate, he decided to try them. He held the dog's scruff with one hand and forced its mouth open with the other, dropping the gray pill inside.
The dog struggled fiercely, but Zhou Bai held on, making sure it swallowed the pill. Everyone waited anxiously to see the effect.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein