章 23: Is Pain the Key to Suppressing Contamination?
"You want to know who I am? No. You don't. You want to survive here and uncover the secrets of this slaughterhouse," said the voice from behind the door, sending chills down Zhou Bai's spine. The voice seemed to know exactly what he was thinking.
Could the person behind the door read minds? Zhou Bai hesitated, then asked, "Can you tell me?"
"Hahaha..." The voice laughed. "Yes, I can tell you. But in exchange, you must find the red key and set me free."
Zhou Bai grew wary. The person behind the door didn't seem trustworthy. He deliberately asked, "Why should I believe you?"
The voice remained calm despite Zhou Bai's skepticism. "I can give you a down payment. If you see a second truck delivering pigs at night, go check it out. You'll find something you want to know."
A second truck? Zhou Bai recalled the fifth rule of the gatekeeper's duties:
**[The slaughterhouse only receives pigs at 12 PM daily. If you see pigs being delivered at any other time, return to your room immediately and lock the door.]**
Another incorrect rule? Or was the person behind the door trying to lure Zhou Bai into breaking the rules? According to the rules, merely seeing the second truck could be dangerous. Zhou Bai's suspicion deepened.
He reminded himself to stay vigilant and not be swayed by the voice. As he pondered how to respond, the voice spoke again.
"Look behind you."
Zhou Bai felt a chill down his spine. He took a deep breath and slowly turned around. Standing silently behind him was the doctor from the infirmary, wearing a white coat. Zhou Bai had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't heard the doctor approach.
"What are you doing?" The doctor asked, his expression eerie, eyes bloodshot.
Zhou Bai immediately noticed the doctor's abnormality. Was he contaminated again? Zhou Bai tensed up, ready for anything.
"What did you see?" The doctor didn't look behind Zhou Bai but stared intently at his face. "Why aren't you answering me? Why?"
The doctor was getting angry again. The viewers, remembering the doctor's earlier outburst and the fate of the Chosen One from Monkey Country, were scared.
"I can't take it. You need to die!" The doctor lunged at Zhou Bai.
Terrified viewers covered their eyes. But just as the doctor was about to reach Zhou Bai, Zhou Bai's fist connected with the doctor's face.
Again? Hadn't the doctor learned his lesson from earlier? Zhou Bai watched as the doctor clutched his face. His previously pale, refined face now sported a swollen lump. Zhou Bai shook his head.
The sound of the punch echoed, making even the viewers wince in sympathy.
"Ouch... it hurts..." The doctor whimpered, finally moving his hand away from his face. "It really hurts." He avoided touching the sore spot, looking pitiful and completely different from his earlier self.
Zhou Bai scrutinized the doctor. Earlier, he had suspected that pain might alleviate the contamination. Seeing the doctor's current state strengthened his hypothesis.
The doctor, now clear-headed, looked at Zhou Bai with fear. "Gatekeeper, why are we meeting again?"
Zhou Bai sighed. "It's almost time for work. I'm just inspecting the rooms."
The doctor nodded blankly. "Oh, you're very diligent."
Suddenly, the doctor remembered something, his expression turning anxious. "I came out to find someone. A critical patient has escaped."
He looked around frantically. Zhou Bai glanced back at where the red door had been. It was now just a plain wall. Had the door been an illusion?
"I saw him coming this way. Strange. He's not very mobile. Where could he have gone?" The doctor continued searching nearby.
Zhou Bai asked, "Who are you looking for? What does he look like?"
The doctor hesitated. "Characteristics... characteristics..." He seemed reluctant to answer.
"Right! Slaughter Room No. 8. He might have gone there." The doctor suddenly ran towards Slaughter Room No. 8. Zhou Bai followed.
As they neared Slaughter Room No. 8, Zhou Bai saw a shadow on the ground, like an animal crawling.
"Master Ma, I found you!" The doctor called out to the shadow. Zhou Bai was stunned. The shadow, crawling like an animal, was the critical patient?
Zhou Bai's heart raced as he followed the doctor. When the shadow reached the light, Zhou Bai and the viewers gasped. The man's face had an empty eye socket, and he had only one hand to crawl with. He was just a few steps from Slaughter Room No. 8.
The doctor grabbed his hand and lifted him. "Master Ma, you can't work now. Come back with me."
Master Ma struggled. "No. It's almost midnight. I have to work. Let me go."
The doctor, unfazed, carried him back to the infirmary. Zhou Bai watched them leave, his doubts about the slaughterhouse growing.
As he turned to leave, he noticed a piece of paper on the ground. Picking it up, he read the heading and frowned. It was a new set of rules.
週次パワーステータス
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