Gu Zhan didn't expect to gain anything.
No wonder he always felt something was off about this dungeon: there were surveillance cameras everywhere, and their attitude towards the patients was like that of criminals. It turned out they really were criminals.
Gu Zhan asked, “Can we look at other places?”
Xiao Ling replied, “Sure!”
She started to control the screens on the walls, switching between different views.
The views kept changing, and they all seemed to be within the inpatient building.
Gu Zhan asked, “Can you access other buildings?”
“Um…” Xiao Ling looked guilty. “Well… not really…”
They could only stay within the inpatient building.
Gu Zhan said, “Let’s take a closer look on the third floor.”
He remembered there were several windows on the third floor, so there should be several important rooms.
Xiao Ling began switching views on the third floor. Most of the rooms were empty, filled with some clutter.
But one room was very special; as soon as they entered, they found it clean and bright, with no one inside, but the lights were on.
It seemed to be an office. A desk was placed against the north wall, and there was a calligraphy hanging on the wall, saying “Heaven rewards diligence.” The solid wood desk and chairs were empty, and nothing was placed on the table.
There was a small door on the side of the office.
Gu Zhan asked, “Can we go in and take a look?”
But Xiao Ling shook her head, pale-faced: “This place… is very scary… I can’t…”
Her reaction further confirmed to Gu Zhan that this place was very important and likely related to the director.
Gu Zhan realized that Xiao Ling's ability was extremely useful in this dungeon.
But if he wanted to use her abilities, he would probably have to help her complete her side quest.
Helping her get revenge… how was that possible?
Xiao Ling said, “As long as you promise to help me! I will assist you! You can knock on the walls anywhere, and I will come to get you!”
Gu Zhan: “…”
【This choice is so difficult. Helping her get revenge… doesn’t that mean taking down the dungeon boss? How is that possible?】
【But her teleportation ability is also very strong!】
【Let’s see what 707 decides.】
After a long pause, Gu Zhan finally nodded.
There was no other choice; she was offering too much.
Xiao Ling was very happy: “Where do you want to go now? Do you want to go take down that bad guy!”
Gu Zhan: “… Let’s go to the cafeteria first.”
“Okay!” With a wave of her hand, the hallway transformed into a cafeteria. In the corner, Zhao Xiaoyue was still eating, holding a bowl of fried rice, looking worried.
Xiao Ling said, “Just walk straight ahead, and you can go out.”
Gu Zhan moved forward, reached the wall, and without any resistance, he smoothly “walked” out from the wall.
At the dining table, Zhao Xiaoyue had been staring at the entrance, having urged Gu Zhan to come eat, but he never did.
Breakfast time was almost over, and Zhao Xiaoyue sighed, looking down at her bowl and preparing to leave this place.
As she looked down, her peripheral vision caught Gu Zhan standing not far away.
Zhao Xiaoyue froze. She hadn’t seen anyone enter the cafeteria. When did Gu Zhan come?
“When did you get here?” she couldn’t help but ask.
Gu Zhan: “Just now.”
Zhao Xiaoyue fell silent for a moment. Did she lose focus and not notice?
Since coming to this dungeon, her mind had gradually become hazy, so it wasn't surprising.
At least Gu Zhan had come; he didn’t seem to be doing anything reckless—she didn’t know why, but even though she wasn’t familiar with him, she felt he was a bit of a daredevil, like someone who would do something crazy if she wasn’t paying attention.
Zhao Xiaoyue said, “There’s not much time left for breakfast; hurry and eat.”
Gu Zhan didn’t say much, went to get some food, and started eating once he sat down.
Zhao Xiaoyue’s bowl was already empty, yet she remained sitting across from him.
Facing the upcoming events, she was filled with anxiety.
But Gu Zhan gave her a strange feeling; his indifference and stability felt like an oasis in the desert of this dungeon. Even if it was out of reach, it still soothed the heart and provided strength.
After finishing a bowl of rice, Gu Zhan suddenly looked up at Zhao Xiaoyue and said, “What are you all planning to do for the quiz this afternoon?”
“I…” Zhao Xiaoyue hesitated for a moment and shook her head. “I don’t know.”
Although Gu Zhan had told her that answering questions would increase their stamps, the punishment loomed over them, and they knew that if they didn’t answer questions, they would definitely be sent to the punishment room.
She didn’t want to go to the punishment room.
Gu Zhan took out the answer sheet Xiao Ling had given him and handed it to Zhao Xiaoyue: “This is the answer sheet for the quiz; you can share it with others.”
“Ah?” Zhao Xiaoyue was taken aback, staring blankly at the answer sheet she received, unsure of Gu Zhan’s intentions.
Gu Zhan said, “The monster I encountered has four stamps on it; you can at least answer one more question correctly… If you’re uncertain whether the stamps are related to the quiz, today is the best opportunity to verify it.”
“But…” Zhao Xiaoyue felt this gift was too generous; she shouldn’t accept it, yet she needed it too much to refuse.
Gu Zhan said, “You all should experiment with it and it's fine I need your help later.”
Zhao Xiaoyue held the answer sheet for a long time, unable to utter a refusal. Finally, she gritted her teeth and said, “Okay, no matter what you need help with later, we’ll help you… At least I will help you!”
Gu Zhan replied, “I won’t make you do anything excessive. Our goals are the same.”
“Okay.” Zhao Xiaoyue stood up, holding the answer sheet with some panic: “I… I’m going to find others.”
“Go ahead.” Gu Zhan watched her leave.
【？？？ Giving his clues to others?? What kind of bodhisattva is this??】
【Wow, is this what you all praise as 707? His holy light is almost blinding me!】
【Being a personal hero here, but can’t even complete his own mission, and still wants to help others.】
【... My wife is beautiful, but this move really confuses me.】
【Why do it this way? I don’t understand.】
Gu Zhan's actions weren’t entirely to help Zhao Xiaoyue.
He needed a long period of solitude… Although Xiao Ling's wall teleportation allowed him to move back and forth, if there was a monitoring room overseeing everything, his prolonged disappearance would easily attract attention.
He had observed that there were no live cameras in the punishment room, meaning as long as he was in the punishment room, he could logically disappear for an extended time.
But no one else could be in the punishment room.
During the afternoon quiz, only he could fail; everyone else had to succeed.
To ensure that, he gave the answer sheet to Zhao Xiaoyue.
That answer sheet was useless to him now; he needed to find more clues to leave this hellish place; otherwise, he would be stuck in an endless cycle of decreasing sanity and increasing stamps.
After finishing his meal, Gu Zhan left the cafeteria.
He now had a clear goal, so he wouldn’t waste energy on other places. After eating, he directly returned to the inpatient building.
He hadn’t gone anywhere in the morning, conserving his mental strength, just waiting for the afternoon quiz.
Time passed quickly, and soon it was time for the quiz.
Half an hour early, the head nurse arrived at the ward, blocking all the patients inside.
“The quiz is about to start, so don’t wander around.”
“The questions today are quite simple.” Although the head nurse said they were simple, her gaze towards everyone said otherwise.
She was eagerly anticipating the moment when everyone would fail to answer.
At the back of the crowd, Zhao Xiaoyue nervously clutched her pocket.
She had already shared the correct answers with others, but she didn’t know if they had listened or how much they absorbed.
Moreover, she also didn’t know if the answer sheet Gu Zhan had given her was genuine. What if it was fake…
In any case, amidst her various doubts and anxieties, the quiz began.
“First question…”
After three consecutive questions, some people managed to answer correctly, and the head nurse’s expression became somewhat unpleasant.
She started scanning the crowd for anyone who failed to answer.
As her gaze swept across the room, it landed on Gu Zhan.
At the moment they made eye contact, the head nurse felt a familiar, subtle, and ominous premonition.
As expected, Gu Zhan didn’t answer the next few questions either.
Head Nurse: “…”
She couldn’t help but say, “I see some patients are very passive. The medication to be injected today is very different from before. I hope the patients will actively participate in the questions and not sink into self-pity! Don’t give up on yourselves!”
Who she was referring to was obvious to everyone.
Zhao Xiaoyue only mentioned to others while sharing the answer sheet that she accidentally got one, without mentioning Gu Zhan.
As a result, the others looked a bit surprised, mixed with schadenfreude. They didn’t think much of it; they just felt that Gu Zhan wasn’t liked by Zhao Xiaoyue and didn’t get to share… which was normal. After all, this person was taciturn; how could Zhao Xiaoyue possibly like him?
It was fine; as long as they succeeded in answering the questions, that was all that mattered.
So, no matter how much the head nurse urged, Gu Zhan still hadn’t answered a single question.
The time for answering questions passed quickly, and seeing that Gu Zhan still had a score of zero, the head nurse couldn’t help but say, “Given how actively you’re participating, I’ll give you a few more chances…”
【This is hilarious; three sentences and NPCs are changing the rules for me.】
【If I want to give up, I’ll just give up; not answering anything.】
【He’s doing this on purpose, right? The punishment room is his home?】
【Oh, I think I get it he’s purposely giving the answer sheet to others just so he can go to the punishment room alone this afternoon.】
【Wow, now that you mention it, that makes a lot of sense.】
【Saints will always be saints; can’t you stop adding drama for him? You’re all just like parasites in his brain, able to tell what he’s thinking with a glance!】
Gu Zhan was determined to get into the punishment room. The head nurse asked three questions, and his score was still zero.
Very stable, not moving at all.
In the end, the head nurse looked at him speechlessly.
Gu Zhan smiled slightly at the head nurse and said, “Ah, what a pity, I failed again.”
“…” Your tone doesn’t convey any regret.
The head nurse’s face darkened, but she had to abide by the rules and led Gu Zhan to the punishment room.
She said she would increase the punishment, and she really did increase the dosage of the medication. The light purple drug entered Gu Zhan’s body, causing double vision.
The head nurse gritted her teeth and threw down a sentence, “You don’t know when to quit,” before pushing the door open and leaving.
Gu Zhan lay on the bed without much movement.
When the medication was being administered, he heard the system's prompt; his sanity value was decreasing.
That feeling was mysterious, as if the copy world was slowly merging with the side spaces he experienced in previous mini-games. He was clearly lying on the bed, yet he heard the sound of Sun Jingqiu crying in the empty room and the faint sound of slender nails scratching against the wall.
He also saw the shadowless lights above his head shifting constantly, a man standing by the operating table, smiling at him while holding a scalpel.
He wore a mask, so his features were obscured, but the eyes visible were eerily familiar… it was the director.
His thoughts began to spread outward uncontrollably, as if the hospital had turned into a pond and he was a stone thrown into the water, creating ripples.
They were heavy offenders being forced to perform in a psychiatric hospital. How did the previous "patients" die?
Why was the punishment room filled with human specimens?
The director… the hospital…
Specimens…
Everything was laid out before him; the answer was just within reach.
However, just as Gu Zhan began to piece it all together, the effects of the medication gradually faded… The shadowless lights above returned to normal, and the ghostly wails became inaudible.
That mystical sensation disappeared.
Everything returned to how it was before.
Gu Zhan struggled to get up from the operating table, and this time, the head nurse didn’t even tie him down.
He rubbed his forehead, feeling an inexplicable sense of loss.
He actually felt lost; did he really like that sensation just now?
Gu Zhan was surprised; he didn’t understand himself. His previous life had always been lived according to others' commands.
Whatever they wanted him to be, he would become.
He had no idea he had such preferences.
He didn’t dwell on this feeling for long and began to take action.
He got off the bed and walked straight to the wall, knocking on it, “Xiao Ling.”
In the next moment, Xiao Ling pulled him into the wall.
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