Chapter 113 The Madman's Riot His heavy head felt as if it had been crushed by a seed...
It was a bright and sunny day.
Although the curtains in the room were drawn tightly, they still couldn't block the penetrating power of the glaring sunlight from outside.
Liang Xun tossed and turned on the bed, finally opening her eyes completely in a half-dreaming, half-awake state.
She tilted her head and looked to the left, staring blankly at the corner of the curtain that was slightly blown by the wind. Only after her pupils adjusted to the bright sunlight did Liang Jun turn to look at the other side.
Including herself, all four beds were fully occupied. Since everyone was a girl, the step of drawing the curtains was naturally skipped. Therefore, from her angle, she could even notice Jiang Zhiling and Gu Keke sleeping huddled together on one bed.
Just thinking about the two of them snuggling under the same blanket, whispering secrets to each other all night long, made Liang Jun's lips curl into a smile.
The others were sleeping soundly, their even breathing subtle yet powerful.
Liang Jun wanted everyone to rest and recharge on their last day, so she didn't disturb their sleep. She quietly got out of bed, slipped into her shoes, and prepared to leave the ward.
Just because these four people can sleep in doesn't mean the two people in room 601 across the hall can enjoy the same.
Liang Jun should go there as soon as possible to discuss the next steps. If there's an opportunity, even on the last day, she should seize the time to explore as much as possible.
She had just carefully opened the door when she bumped into Geng Qing, who was about to knock on the door.
"Director Geng?"
Liang Xun was puzzled for a while. Her mind was still a bit foggy from just turning on the phone, and she couldn't figure out why the other person had come so early in the morning. "Why are you here?"
She deliberately lowered her voice, trying not to disturb the other people in the room, then gripped the doorknob, took a few steps outside, and naturally closed the door again.
Liang Xun grabbed Geng Qing's white coat and led her away from the door. "Do we still need to do rounds today?"
Geng Qing, with his right hand hanging behind his back, lightly raised his left hand to push up his glasses. "You have all basically recovered, so there's no need for me to make rounds and apply medicine anymore."
"and you……"
Hearing this, Liang Xun was even more confused. "Could it be that you've encountered some problem and need our help?"
Geng Qing's lips twitched, barely managing to suppress a roll of his eyes.
"I'm not so low as to need your help. You guys should be careful."
Her expression was slightly unnatural, as if she was having some kind of trouble, but in the end she couldn't withstand Liang Xun's piercing gaze and finally pulled her right hand out from behind her waist.
A plain brown paper bag without any pattern appeared right in front of Liang Jun.
Liang Jun's brain short-circuited even more. "What...is this?"
"Take it and take a look."
Geng Qing turned his head awkwardly and coughed twice. "When I was cleaning the ward, I saw a pair of unwanted sneakers on the floor. I didn't know if they would fit, but I brought them over anyway."
Liang Jun was overjoyed.
She took the brand-new brown paper bag with both hands, bent down, and slowly pulled the contents out of the bag.
It was a complete blue shoebox with "BROOKS" printed on the side in the same color as the kraft paper bag.
If she wasn't mistaken, this should be a brand of sneakers.
Like unwrapping a birthday present, Liang Jun wished every step was a carefully planned slow motion.
She slowly opened the well-sealed shoebox, peeled off the top layer of tissue paper with the logo, and a pair of black and purple running shoes appeared in front of her.
The running shoes are mostly black, but the laces, upper, and sole are accented with different shades of violet, making them less dull and more vibrant.
Liang Jun picked up a shoe and realized it was by no means light. She subconsciously squeezed the sole and found that it was supported by cushioning foam, which not only provided a good height increase but also had an unparalleled shock absorption effect.
Liang Xun squatted down and looked up, her eyes sparkling with gratitude for Geng Qing.
"Director Geng, is this a gift for me?!"
Geng Qing seemed unmoved by her expression.
"It's already been delivered to you. If it wasn't for you, who else could it be for?"
She stood there, hands in her white coat pockets, and said casually, "Why don't you give it a try?"
Liang Jun's face was beaming with joy, a joy that never faded from her expression.
She usually just throws on any old shoes, and now she's taken them off by stepping on the heels.
Liang Jun hurriedly shoved her feet into her new sneakers. The thick, enveloping feel gave her feet an unprecedented sense of security.
She even bounced twice, and the strong rebound made her feel as if she were back on the playground during her physical education entrance exam.
"Perfect fit! It's not too tight, and the shoes don't slip off. There's just enough space for about half a big toe in front of my toes!"
Liang Jun stood there excitedly, clutching the shoebox. "Director Geng, thank you!"
A suspicious blush flashed across Geng Qing's face. "Why are you thanking me? I just threw away other people's trash to you. Is that something to make you so happy about?"
She shrugged and snorted, "I never expected that someone would still be wearing those tattered shoes with holes in them when we're about to enter a new dungeon."
Liang Jun didn't offer any explanation, she just gave a genuine "hehe" laugh.
A brand new paper bag, an intact shoebox, and running shoes that fit perfectly.
If what Geng Qing said is true, and this is just "trash" she picked up casually, then Liang Jun will immediately ask for the address and then take Xin Sang along to pick up trash and get rich.
Geng Qing was kind to all of them, but her awkward behavior made her seem somewhat indifferent.
Fortunately, everyone knows the truth.
Just as the other person was about to leave, Liang Jun suddenly called out to her.
"Director Geng, wait a minute!" In her haste, she finally managed to pull her phone out of her pocket. "Would you like to join our group chat?"
Seeing that Geng Qing remained unmoved, Liang Jun further explained, "It doesn't mean anything else, and it's not like I'm trying to force you to join—if you need any help, you can just say so in the group."
Geng Qing clicked his tongue. "Troublesome."
But even though she said that, she still took out her phone and quickly scanned the QR code that Liang Jun handed over.
Seeing that the other party had joined the group chat on WeChat, Liang Jun finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Geng Qing didn't hesitate at all, and simply tossed his phone back into his pocket. "You can send messages all you want, I've already set it to Do Not Disturb."
Liang Jun had already figured out what the other person was thinking, so she didn't say anything more and just watched the other person walk towards the elevator.
After the other person left, she turned around and knocked on the door of room 601.
"Please come in—"
Luo Chuange's voice, strained to his throat, came from inside the house, "The door's unlocked—"
Liang Jun pushed the door open and went in, just in time to see the two of them finished washing up and sitting on a bench, dressed neatly, looking up at her with their heads slightly tilted back.
“You…” Liang Jun hesitated, “Are you ready?”
"certainly!"
Luo Chuange was full of energy, showing no signs of the fatigue he had felt in the previous days. "We've been out for so long, how could I possibly slack off on the last day!"
He stood up and shook out his windbreaker—a jacket he had recently scavenged from somewhere else.
Old Ren stood close beside him, his bulging backpack seemingly stuffed with a lot of emergency food.
Seeing this, Liang Jun could only nod, "Even on the last day, we cannot let our guard down. If things go wrong, don't linger, come back immediately."
There was no need for further words. After Luo Chuange and Lao Ren set off one after the other, Liang Xuan also left ward 601 and returned to the team's base camp.
The curtains were fully drawn, letting in sunlight and instantly increasing the heat. Liang Jun was only wearing a thin shirt, yet she felt like she was about to sweat.
Xin Sang, who was making the bed, saw Liang Yun return and eagerly beckoned her over.
“We were just talking about whether we should have a nice meal on our last day,” Xin Sang said, putting her arm around Liang Xun’s shoulder. “Baby, you have to come with us!”
Liang Jun casually placed the brown paper bag containing the worn-out shoes in the corner. "What do you want to eat?"
"Hot pot, of course!"
Gu Keke gently nudged Jiang Zhiling beside her with her bottom, "Ling'er has been wanting to eat hot pot for a long time, and Sister Xin has just prepared it. Let's eat it today!"
Xin Sang chimed in, "I have a lot of self-heating hot pots in my car. Although they certainly can't compare to those made with fresh ingredients, at least they can satisfy my cravings."
"Yes, Sister Jun, let's eat together."
Jiang Zhiling changed into Gu Keke's black and white tracksuit, and looked much more energetic. "Sister Xin has prepared enough. We can eat first and save the portions for Brother Ge and Uncle Ren."
Perhaps infected by everyone's enthusiastic atmosphere, Liang Jun's stomach also made a "grumble" sound, which made everyone laugh non-stop.
Xin Sang's car was parked right at the hospital entrance; it wouldn't take long to walk out. They grabbed a few plastic bags and strolled out, chatting and laughing.
This clearly shows that the inpatient department is deserted.
The usual flow of people was only slightly less than that of the inpatient hall of the emergency department, but now only a few of them were moving around, and even their laughter echoed in the empty environment.
They were discussing which self-heating hot pot was the best, and Gu Keke was about to give a professional review when the noisy engine roar interrupted her thoughts.
Gu Keke was very dissatisfied with this. "Who is it? Stepping on the gas pedal outside the hospital in broad daylight?"
"Could it be Brother Ge and his group?" Jiang Zhiling casually chimed in. "Didn't they just leave not long ago?"
Gu Keke sighed, patted her shoulder, and said earnestly, "Child, it's already a miracle that the chopped chili fish head can even make its way to the afterlife. Did you really expect it to make that kind of sound?"
As soon as she finished speaking, a glimpse of blue suddenly entered Liang Jun's peripheral vision.
After a half-second of stunned staring at each other, Ge Lin instantly snapped out of it and started walking away with a howling voice.
"I've finally found you all! Ahhhhhh!"
Ge Lin's words and actions revealed the surging emotions he was experiencing at that moment.
He hugged Xin Sang, Jiang Zhiling, and Gu Keke one after another, but when it was Liang Jun's turn, she was pricked by his "thorns".
Liang Xun reflexively turned her head away, "Why did you shave your head?"
"Ah, yes."
Ge Lin belatedly touched his round head, his soft palm rubbing against the stiff stubble, making a rustling sound. "I wanted to find a hairdresser to fix my hairstyle—but forget about hairdressers, I couldn't even find a proper barbershop..."
Ge Lin helplessly spread her hands, "Having half my hair on is really too uncomfortable. I had no choice but to cut it myself."
Although it was both pitiful and funny, it has to be admitted that Ge Lin looked more reliable with his buzz cut.
But the young man was only reliable for a moment. The next second, he took out his car keys and chuckled mischievously.
"Did you all hear that sound just now?" He excitedly swung his key ring. "What do you think of my carefully chosen Lamborghini supercar?"
Liang Jun peeked out slightly and caught a glimpse of that fluorescent green, just as flamboyant as he was.
"Didn't you just get your driver's license?" She looked at Ge Lin with a hint of admiration. "You dared to drive a supercar on your first day on the road, you're really brave..."
Unexpectedly, Ge Lin shook his head mysteriously.
"No, no. Even if it were a Lamborghini supercar, I wouldn't dare to speed on the road at 200 miles per hour."
He put the car keys back in his pocket and clasped his hands together.
"There are countless roads, but safety is the first priority..."
People can actually laugh when they're speechless, and Liang Jun resisted the urge to slap him.
She finally understood why Green couldn't arrive until the very last day—but anyway, as long as he arrived safely, that was all that mattered.
As usual, Liang Jun sent a group chat invitation to the other party, and Ge Lin readily became a member after saying that the team name was very cool.
At this point, the "Never Die" team, plus additional members, has been fully assembled, totaling nine people.
The phone screen automatically turned off, but soon turned on again, displaying a pop-up message that there were new messages in the WeChat group chat.
Liang Jun assumed it was just a casual welcome message from someone and thought she could just remove the little red dot and move on.
But to my surprise, it was a voice message from Geng Qing.
"What kind of luck do you have, kid? To actually get Director Geng to personally send you a voice message to welcome you?"
Gu Keke teased, casually clicking on the short voice message that only lasted a few seconds.
Geng Qing's voice came out as expected, but his tone was unusually impatient.
This is unlike how she usually appears.
"Do not leave the hospital building."
The group's carefree smiles were extinguished by this bucket of cold water.
Gu Keke's fingertips trembled as they hovered over the screen. "Wh...what does that mean?"
As if to answer everyone's questions, Geng Qing then sent two longer voice messages.
"If you've already left the hospital grounds, try to get back as soon as possible. We just received a notification that an uncontrollable riot has broken out outside, with a large-scale, unorganized, and erratic massacre of surviving players. The hospital will use existing equipment to completely seal off the area, and will be completely isolated in five minutes."
"Do everything you can to get back to your respective wards as soon as possible. Don't say I didn't warn you!"
The hurried sound of high heels echoed throughout the audio, like a bronze bell tolling as a vengeful ghost tormented the listener, relentlessly pursuing him.
The blood in my body froze in an instant, and even the loudest heartbeat couldn't restart my brain, which was now in a state of shutdown.
Liang Jun grabbed Ge Lin and Gu Keke, who were closest to the door, and Xin Sang immediately followed suit, protecting Qi Zhixia and Jiang Zhiling behind her.
The accident happened so fast that Gu Keke's frozen smile was still on her lips.
She trembled beside Liang Jun, her eyes filled with disbelief, "Sister Jun, what... what's going on?"
"Quickly make a group call to Luo Chuange and Lao Ren!" Liang Xun shouted, "Hurry!"
Perhaps because the other person was also looking at the message at the same time, the WeChat call I made was answered instantly.
Old Ren's voice broke the silence first, "What happened? What did Director Geng mean?"
"Never mind the details for now," Liang Jun said, her breathing quickening with anxiety, "You all need to come back right away!"
The roar of the engine suddenly filled the air. "Don't worry, we just left the hospital. We should be able to get back within five minutes."
Luo Chuange seemed to be turning the steering wheel rapidly, making the screeching sound of the tires even more pronounced. "The road conditions outside are chaotic right now, with murder and arson on the horizon. I'll hang up now, we'll be back soon!"
"you……"
Before Gu Keke could even say a word, her phone showed that the other party had hung up.
She had just put her phone back in her pocket when she immediately noticed that the ambient lighting was off.
Just moments ago, the sun was shining brightly, but in the blink of an eye, dark clouds gathered, and a sudden gust of wind, carrying dampness, swept towards everyone, making it difficult for them to stand.
What should we do now?
Xin Sang gripped Qi Zhixia and Jiang Zhiling's wrists tightly to steady them. "Are you going back to the ward, or are you waiting here?"
Jiang Zhiling's frail body swayed back and forth in the strong wind.
"Director Geng said that as long as we don't leave the hospital building area, it's fine... cough cough..." The sudden rush of air made her almost unable to speak. "Being able to see Brother Ge and Uncle Ren return safely, while ensuring our own safety, should be the best outcome—it's only five minutes anyway..."
Liang Jun hardened her heart. "Let's get close to the elevator and find a sheltered spot. We can only wait for them for the last three minutes."
Five minutes was the countdown to the complete lockdown of the hospital, but in order to give the others more time to return to their wards, she had to squeeze out an extra two minutes.
Once 180 seconds have passed, regardless of the external environment of the hospital, and whether Luo Chuange and Lao Ren return, Liang Xun must lead the remaining five people to retreat, prioritizing the safety of those in front of her.
Fortunately, the worst outcome did not occur.
In a critical moment, Luo Chuange's chopped chili fish head burst forth with unprecedented potential, sprinting into the hospital gate at a speed comparable to a Lamborghini supercar, and finally stopping in front of the inpatient building with a less-than-perfect drift.
Luo Chuange was staggered by the sudden gust of wind, and Lao Ren didn't forget to take their backpacks off as well. Braving the howling wind, the two finally made it back to the inpatient department just before the three-minute mark.
Seeing all this, Xin Sang, who was guarding behind the goalpost, felt relieved.
"Very good……"
With a keen eye for things, Ge Lin immediately stood up and quickly pressed the elevator button next to him to minimize everyone's waiting time for the elevator.
Qi Zhixia and Jiang Zhiling leaned out and waved their arms vigorously in the direction of the approaching people, shouting, "Here—"
Upon receiving the signal, the two ran back to the goalpost, panting, only to have their unkempt hairstyles completely ruined by the strong wind.
"It's complete chaos outside, everyone's acting like they've gone mad..." Luo Chuange put one hand on his hip, a dull pain in his abdomen forcing him to bend over. "It's not even dungeon time yet, why is this happening?"
"You're asking me? I don't know either."
The elevator arrived, and Liang Jun grabbed Luo Chuange by the collar, leading everyone to squeeze into the car.
There was still a lot of unused space inside the elevator car, but they didn't know what unexpected things might happen, so all eight of them huddled together tightly.
Qi Zhixia quickly pressed the elevator button for the sixth floor and then rapidly pressed the close button several times.
The elevator slowly closed its doors, and after a slight tremor, it began to ascend at a steady pace, carrying everyone along.
Perhaps due to the strong winds, the lights, which had been shining brightly, began to flicker, and a sense of dread about insufficient power permeated the crowd.
Leung Yung was also worried that the elevator might malfunction as a result, and her palms were sweaty.
She quickly wiped herself on her clothes, then took out her phone and sent a voice message to Geng Qing.
"Director Geng, if you've finished dealing with everything on your end, you can come to room 602 to find us."
The moment the message was sent, the elevator car shook violently, as if a prelude to a fall.
Liang Jun's hand slipped, and the phone flew out and hit the floor hard.
She quickly crouched down, and just as she was about to grab her phone and stand up, the noisy elevator sounds outside were suddenly replaced by a sharp ringing in her ears.
Liang Jun barely managed to steady herself by bracing herself with her hands on the ground. The others were also shaken so much that they could only hold onto the walls of the carriage, enduring the high-frequency noise with difficulty.
Welcome to the fourth level: The Asylum Carnival!
To everyone's surprise, the system issued a notification sound about the new level at this moment.
Prior to this, they had not received any notification—and were inexplicably pulled into a new instance during the scheduled fourteen-day rest period without any preparation.
"That's not right! This isn't right!"
Gu Keke scratched her hair in despair, "Shouldn't we be entering the dungeon at four o'clock tomorrow morning? Why now—"
But her roar did not earn her the system's mercy; instead, the elevator car shook even more violently.
"Calm down, Coco." Liang Jun gripped the handrails on both sides of the elevator to steady herself.
But as soon as she looked up, the bright red text on the elevator display screen took away all her vision.
Liang Jun was also a little flustered, "The elevator...why did it go to the seventh floor?"
Qi Zhixia, who realized the problem first, was still frantically tapping the elevator buttons on the sixth floor.
Her slightly trembling voice was the last trace of her composure.
"I pressed it, but it didn't work." Qi Zhixia's forehead was covered in beads of sweat. "It didn't stop at all on the sixth floor, it's like... someone was waiting for us on the seventh floor..."
"But whether it's the sixth floor or the seventh floor, that's not important, is it..."
Xin Sang's red hair was already messy, but she didn't have the mood to fix it at the moment. She could only hold the wrist of the person next to her tightly, as if afraid that they would disappear on the spot. "Once the elevator door opens, what awaits us is this so-called 'madhouse carnival' instance - it's a completely new environment after all, so let's all be mentally prepared in advance."
As soon as he finished speaking, the elevator gears clicked and came to a steady stop on the seventh floor of the inpatient department.
The elevator doors slid open smoothly to both sides, revealing a long corridor illuminated by red emergency lights. Unable to discern their surroundings with the naked eye, they had no choice but to leave the elevator, where the risk of falling at any moment loomed.
Luo Chuange and Lao Ren took out portable fruit knives from their backpacks and, with both hands, led the way. The others, trying to minimize their size, followed closely behind them.
The red emergency lights resembled blood splattered across every corner.
Despite their limited visual perception, they quickly realized that this was not a new scene, but the same inpatient ward structure as the sixth floor.
"Are we... still in the hospital?" Jiang Zhiling asked cautiously.
Nobody paid any attention to her.
Because they soon noticed a shaky, unsteady figure slowly walking towards them at the end of the corridor.
The human eye is not suited to focusing on a single object for extended periods of time under strong light with high precision.
Moreover, this was under red light with extremely poor visibility.
The object that could barely be called a "human" was completely black. Its arms seemed to be twisted behind its back in an extremely exaggerated way, its overly long neck was tilted to the left, and its heavy head was like a sunflower head crushed by seeds, hanging limply.
The familiar feeling of suffocation rose in everyone's throats again, and Jiang Zhiling was still able to manage to utter a faint sound, "What...what is that?"
Old Ren's hand, gripping the fruit knife, was trembling.
He was certain the person opposite him was human—but obviously, playing tricks at this moment would be extremely annoying.
Old Ren mustered his courage and suddenly shouted loudly towards the end of the corridor, "Hey! Brother! Let's talk this out, don't just stand there scaring people!"
His voice echoed in the empty corridor, startling Liang Xun.
But it's definitely not because of Lao Ren.
Instead, after the shouts, the distorted figure rushed toward them at an incredible speed.
Liang Jun's breath hitched.
"Damn it, it's zombies."
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Author's Note: A brand new September, and everyone knows what flag I'm going to set...
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