章 22: The 17th Door
Seeing that the situation had been resolved, Zhou Bai took off the protective suit, returned it to its place, and walked back to the gatekeeper's room. He sat at the desk, taking out the two sets of rules from the drawer and examining them closely. However, his focus differed from that of the experts.
His eyes fell on the fifth rule in the previous gatekeeper's notes:
[Director Liu always puts our safety first!]
This rule had flashed through his mind during the critical moment. If this rule was correct, then Zhou Bai's decision to enter Slaughter Room No. 8 without violating the rules made sense. Old Li had been in the slaughter room and would have been in mortal danger if left there. A director who prioritized employee safety would never oppose Zhou Bai's actions under such circumstances.
If this rule was correct, then Zhou Bai's actions also aligned with the fourth rule of the gatekeeper's duties:
[Do not enter Slaughter Room No. 8 without Director Liu's permission.]
Understanding this, Zhou Bai felt even more puzzled by Director Liu's behavior. The director described by this rule seemed entirely different from the ruthless person Zhou Bai had encountered. What was the hidden mystery?
Shaking his head, Zhou Bai looked at the other rules but found too little information to verify their accuracy. He decided to memorize them to avoid forgetting them at a crucial moment.
For the rest of the day, Zhou Bai performed his gatekeeping duties. He joked to himself that if he was destined to be a gatekeeper in his old age, starting at 22 meant he was skipping decades of detours.
The job was tedious, especially since there were no activities to pass the time in the gatekeeper's room. Zhou Bai's phone was an old model, only capable of sending texts, making calls, and showing the time. He sat idly until 11 AM, when the slaughterhouse employees left for home. Zhou Bai locked the gate and went to bed, knowing that the slaughterhouse's work hours started at midnight and no one would be coming or going in the afternoon.
He slept deeply until 10 PM. After waking, he washed up, grabbed the keys, and prepared to inspect all the rooms before the slaughterhouse started its operations.
He began his patrol with the slaughter rooms. After cleaning and disinfection, the rooms no longer smelled of blood. Zhou Bai inspected each room from 1 to 7 thoroughly. When he reached Slaughter Room No. 8, he hesitated again. Without formal permission from Director Liu and without a protective suit, he decided not to enter. He peered through the window, unlocked the door for the workers, and moved on.
The viewers didn't fully understand Zhou Bai's excessive caution, but they appreciated his prudence.
After leaving Slaughter Room No. 8, Zhou Bai headed towards other areas: the cutting room, the pig holding area, the freezer, the cafeteria, and the infirmary. He inspected each one. As he walked towards the northernmost part of the slaughterhouse, he heard faint groans of pain from ahead.
He realized he was nearing Director Liu's office. Was the director punishing another employee? Zhou Bai didn't let curiosity get the better of him.
Gatekeeper Duty No. 7:
[Director Liu's office is at the far end of the slaughterhouse. Do not approach it after sunset.]
Without hesitation, Zhou Bai turned and walked in the opposite direction. He had inspected 15 rooms, excluding the director's office. Now, he could open the gate and wait for the night shift workers.
He jingled the keys in his hand, the metallic clinks echoing in the empty corridor. Suddenly, the sound stopped with a dull thud. Zhou Bai tightened his grip on the keys and stared at a red door nearby. He was sure he hadn't seen it earlier.
He checked the keys—16 in total. He had matched each key to a door without any issues.
Gatekeeper Duty No. 3:
[There are 16 gates in the slaughterhouse, and you need to keep 16 keys. There is no 17th gate, and no red key.]
The system had marked this rule as incorrect. So, this was the 17th door. Zhou Bai pondered his next move, but the live stream chat exploded with comments.
—"A red door? That's creepy!"
—"Is this the 17th door?"
—"So the third rule in the gatekeeper's duties was wrong!"
—"It looks like something you shouldn't see. Should Zhou Bai run?"
To their disappointment, Zhou Bai approached the red door. His experience from the previous scenario taught him that the things forbidden by incorrect rules were often crucial for clearance. This door was usually invisible. He might not get another chance to investigate it.
The viewers watched as Zhou Bai reached the red door and turned the handle. Some viewers, too scared, looked away. Zhou Bai turned the handle a few times, but the door didn't open. It seemed he needed a key.
Relieved, the viewers relaxed slightly. But their relief was short-lived. They heard frantic knocking from inside the door.
"Who's in there?"
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