Chapter 125
Having learned from the precedent that players were not immediately kicked out of the instance after completing the first two trials, many players were able to remain calm in the face of this sudden change in the scene.
However, their composure lasted only a second.
[Ding! Congratulations to all players in this session for triggering the hidden level "First Hospital".]
This is a bonus stage containing abundant rare and top-tier items and a large number of bonus points. The dungeon's danger level decreases to C-rank during the stage, meaning players are unlikely to die easily. Do you wish to participate?
The players went wild, their eyes turning red with excitement, their fingers flying across the keyboard as they frantically tapped the "Participate" button.
"Of course! Participate! Participate! Participate! Aaaaaah!"
Players were already captivated by the words "Special Grade Rare Item," not to mention the added "Danger reduced to C Rank"—honestly! These days, even B Rank trials aren't enough to get you onto the black market bosses' power leveling lists, so what kind of freebie is C Rank difficulty?
A flash of white light appeared before my eyes, and the scene changed again.
The player opened their eyes with excitement, and the first thing they saw was a magnificent, modern building. Behind it, a metal gate blocked their way, and on the stone plaque next to it, the words "H City First People's Hospital" were powerfully engraved in regular script.
Medical staff in blue and white uniforms walked briskly forward, with laptops tucked under their arms. Judging from the direction the crowd was heading, it seemed to be heading straight for the medical administration building not far away.
The players exchanged glances. Although it was only a C-level difficulty, who knew where the system might set a trap? They didn't lose their caution and carefully observed their surroundings. Suddenly, one of them was tapped on the shoulder by a nurse who hurriedly passed by.
She frowned and reminded them, "What are you all standing here for? The exchange and learning events organized by various departments are about to begin, so hurry up and go inside!"
An exchange and learning session?
By this time, some players had already looked down and noticed that they were wearing hospital intern uniforms, with a name tag on their chest that read "Intern Doctor/Nurse." The name field was blank, allowing players to choose whether to display their nickname or real name.
In a normal instance, their names would be revealed without hesitation, and if they happened to run into an enemy, a battle would be inevitable.
The game has always been happy to see players fight amongst themselves, but this time it actually helped them conceal their identities. Even some wary players couldn't help but become more convinced of the so-called "bonus level".
By searching their pockets for identification and asking the medical NPCs, the players quickly deduced that they were exchange students from other hospitals, with a small number of them being newly admitted interns at their own hospital.
"The fact that the focus is on other hospitals and newly recruited staff indicates that, apart from the teachers leading the team, almost no one in this hospital knows us."
"So, we don't have to follow those harsh and twisted rules anymore?!"
"The difficulty has really decreased!"
"Don't be too happy yet. Even if the difficulty has been reduced, this is still an S-rank dungeon. A slightly stronger elite monster can send us to the sky with a single slap."
"By the way, I just checked, and the medical NPC who kindly reminded us has an A level."
"..." A large number of players gasped, solemnly watching the white figure disappear into the distance.
Some people raised a question: "I understand the logic, but the question is why did we enter this hospital? I look at it from all angles, but I don't see any connection whatsoever between this place and the content of the previous instance."
Players complete the game on the battlefield where they attacked the Fu Group more than 20 years ago, and the last scene in their mind freezes before they close their eyes.
At that time, the First Hospital was just a haphazardly built survivor base, which was completely destroyed in the battle between the madman and Fu Zong, turning into a dilapidated ruin filled with flames.
Let alone them, even if the original founders of the base were standing here, looking at the beautiful and magnificent First Hospital, they probably wouldn't dare to associate this place with the dilapidated survivor base.
Fortunately, after the first round of life-or-death selection, these surviving players were not clueless newcomers. After a brief discussion, they split up and took action on their own.
Many players remained where they were, focusing their attention on a young man in the corner wearing a playing card earring, secretly observing his next move.
The magician was not unaware of those gazes he thought were discreet.
For inexperienced players who are hesitant and lack decision-making skills, following behind experienced players greatly increases their chances of avoiding pitfalls.
They were all newbies once, so as long as they don't do anything stupid that prevents him from clearing dungeons and getting rewards, he doesn't care.
Right now, the magician is more concerned about one thing: he scanned the players present but couldn't find a figure similar to Pei Yu.
So far, this is the first time on record that a large-scale reward level has appeared in the numerous dungeons that players have cleared, and it's even S-rank! Even he couldn't resist pressing the participate button; there's no reason for Pei Yu to refuse a pie that's been handed to him.
Could it be that Pei Yu used a tool to conceal himself? But the tracking tool he used didn't react at all.
Either the identity information Pei Yu provided was fake, or the other party was using a tool that was one level higher than his own.
Regardless of the possibility, the fact that they didn't meet immediately after the bonus stage opened means that Pei Yu had no intention of seeing him again.
To say I don't care would be a lie.
The magician looked around desperately, only to find that the players waiting to be carried were watching him longingly, while the person he was so eager to see hadn't even shown up.
Finally, the magician accepted the fact that the young man had no intention of befriending him.
As the renowned fifth-ranked fighter, he had his pride. He couldn't bring himself to fawn over Pei Yu in front of everyone.
The magician frowned, a surge of resentment rising within him as he clicked his tongue and cursed under his breath: "That bastard, we were brothers in arms in one dungeon run, and he won't even meet me..."
His teammates could barely make out his mutterings and thought they were hallucinating. When had the usually proud and arrogant magician ever been so mournful?
Seeing the dark aura on the magician's face growing thicker, he cautiously asked, "Little magician, where do we go next?"
They now faced two options: either find and go to the academic conference the nurse had mentioned, or wait for their hospital's team leader to arrive.
The magician snapped out of his daze, choosing no particular path, and casually tossed out a few puppets to go to the exchange meeting in their place. He then turned and led his teammates around the hospital, exploring the surrounding area.
The system prompt emphasizes that this level contains a large number of point-earning items, subtly encouraging players to actively trigger side quests. In such situations, it's crucial to be proactive and avoid rigidly following the prompts; otherwise, you risk missing out on rewards.
Sure enough, not long after, they found a large truck unloading goods behind the administration building. Delivery workers were coming and going, and there were many brand-new, unopened office items piled up on the roadside.
Among the people helping with deliveries, the magician spotted several medical staff in white coats. With a smile, he quickly approached them and said kindly, "Sorry we're late! The teacher said we're short-staffed here, so we came to lend a hand. Can you help carry these things upstairs?"
"Give me a hand?" The worker glanced up at the magician's name tag, unsuspecting, and gestured with his chin toward the cabinet next to him: "Yes, you guys just need to move it up there."
Which floor are you moving to?
"The vice president's office, which floor could it be?" the worker cautioned. "Be careful not to break the glass, or you'll leave a bad impression on your superiors. If you damage anything, we'll be the ones held responsible and have to pay for it!"
The magician instantly understood the intricacies of the situation. It seemed the other medical staff had rushed over to help in order to curry favor with the vice president. The ornaments were all brand new, most likely indicating the vice president had recently been promoted…
As luck would have it, the academic exchange meeting was being held in the conference room on the first floor of the administration building. Before the meeting even started, the magician's puppet wandered around the crowd, listening to a lot of gossip from the NPCs at headquarters.
"Who would have thought that Dean Fu is actually Dean Pei! Dean Pei was also the one who developed the vaccine and promoted it vigorously, securing ultra-low drug prices for patients!"
"Dean Pei has sacrificed so much for us, and I actually mistook him for that despicable Fu Zong? Am I blind?"
“I even publicly slandered Dean Pei before… He was able to withstand the pressure from the Fu Group and save the lives of thousands of people under such dangerous circumstances. If he is incompetent, then what am I? A piece of trash?”
"In short, the net of justice is vast and its meshes are wide, yet nothing escapes it; now the truth has finally come to light."
"It's not just Dean Pei, but also Vice Dean Xie who just returned. I heard he's about our age, and at such a young age, he's already doing very well in the H City Commerce Committee. In the early stages when supplies were scarce, it was all thanks to him that we were able to secure funding!"
"Huh? That can't be right! Vice Dean Xie is only in his early twenties this year. If that's the case, he wasn't even born more than twenty years ago!"
"I also find it unbelievable. Could it be that Vice Dean Xie is actually over forty years old?"
...
The elevator doors opened, and the magician and his teammates entered with smiles. Inside, a medical worker stood with a lush potted plant at her feet.
Since there was just enough room, the medical staff glanced at them but didn't say anything more.
The elevator doors closed, and the screen showed they were heading to the sixth floor.
The magician noted down the floor number and took the opportunity to extract and integrate the information from the gossip in his mind. Although it was somewhat unbelievable, he still deduced directly from the two surnames "Fu" and "Pei" to Pei Yuheng and Fu Zong.
Since it's a bonus level that's derived from the main story, it has to be linked to the content of the main story.
So, have they jumped to a timeline more than 20 years in the future?
The magician raised an eyebrow and suddenly realized the biggest reward hidden in the "bonus level"—after all, they had contributed their efforts to help Pei Yuheng fight against the Fu Group. Now that Pei Yuheng had successfully taken the position, they could reveal their identities and directly ask for credit.
At that moment, a mechanical female voice rang out inside the elevator.
"Ding, we've arrived at the sixth floor."
The magician felt a surge of joy at the prospect of acquiring a top-tier item. The elevator doors opened again, and a slender, upright figure appeared before him. He held onto the cabinet with one hand and said, "Excuse me, excuse me!"
Immediately afterward, he saw his teammate suddenly raise his hand and point at the person who had come in, his eyes widening in shock.
The magician, filled with suspicion, quickly glanced over and nearly lost control of his expression when he saw that unexpectedly handsome face.
"Pei Yu? Why are you here?"
To his surprise, after he blurted out the other person's name, the previously indifferent medical staff next to him changed their expressions, their respectful demeanor filled with surprise as they looked at the newcomer: "Vice President Xie! Are you going to attend the exchange meeting below?"
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