Chapter 1218: The Efficiency of Betraying One"s People Is Higher Than Enemies"
Gardenia seemed to have suddenly turned into an empty sh.e.l.l, her expression becoming bleak and desolate. The shock she felt at this moment seemed to be more severe than the combined shock felt by everyone present. She instinctively reached out and grabbed the NPC"s sleeve, asking in disbelief, "I guessed wrong? How?"
"What you proposed is an organ monopoly, which is indeed a way to earn points," the NPC replied. "This method involves players having all the necessary organs to leave the hospital. So, if a small group of players focus on acquiring a specific organ and pool all their points to buy up all the organs of that type available in the hospital, someone will have to pay a high price to acquire that organ when they have no other option but to leave the hospital. This method can be very effective, but it requires a well-coordinated team effort and has certain limitations."
He intentionally raised his voice so that everyone present could hear clearly. "However, this method still involves hunting for organs. As long as the method involves hunting for organs, you must hand over the organs to me in exchange for points. This is the rule of the hospital that cannot be ignored."
Lin Sanjiu clenched her fist tightly and asked quietly, "Does the method known to the gamer not involve organs?"
"That"s right, it doesn"t involve organs," the NPC said. He probably didn"t expect the plan to go this far and take such a turn. His previously leisurely expression vanished, and deep wrinkles appeared on his chubby face. "You all need to think about what methods a gamer might have. Hurry up, even if it"s just a guess."
As Lin Sanjiu had spent more time in the hospital as a fugitive than as a patient, she had limited knowledge of the rules. Thus, how could she begin to guess the gamer"s hidden way? Hei Zeji, who had no connection with the hospital, was there only because she inexplicably summoned him. As for Magus, although she was intelligent, she had been lying in the ICU without receiving any relevant information from the outside world; she couldn"t produce something out of thin air. The more Lin Sanjiu thought about it, the tighter she clenched her teeth. She wished she could grip Gardenia between her teeth.
Gardenia seemed more fl.u.s.tered than anyone else. In her eyes, her fragment of knowledge was her only hope for survival. When it was confirmed that she was of no use, her immediate reaction was to jump up and retreat to the back two rows of white trees, putting distance between herself and Lin Sanjiu"s group. She shouted, "Stay away from me!" Though her words were general, her plea was directed solely at Lin Sanjiu.
"I... I do know the hidden way," Gardenia said hastily, trying to regain some control. "Let me think..."
Lin Sanjiu paid her no mind. Whatever Gardenia said or did at this point held no significance for her, much like one wouldn"t argue with a terminally ill patient.
Lin Sanjiu had faced countless desperate situations, dead ends, and dilemmas before. Each time, despite the odds, she managed to survive to the present. She couldn"t fathom that this dark, mutated hospital would be where she and her friends met their end.
There had to be a key to breaking the deadlock in her past experiences, something she had overlooked...
What if Gardenia was not only wrong once? If she could be wrong once, why not twice?
This thought gave Lin Sanjiu pause. Perhaps the former security guard Gardenia had killed wasn"t a gamer at all, and Red Face was the actual gamer.
Lin Sanjiu"s gaze s.h.i.+fted to the door.
They had been in the room for some time. Red Face, whom she had kicked in the chin and left among the pile of security guards, might not be in the same spot, and his survival was uncertain. Furthermore, since their entrance, the corridor might have been secured by guards, as initially planned.
Yet, this was her only lead—perhaps her last hope—and she had no other options.
"Be careful," Lin Sanjiu advised Hei Zeji and Magus individually. "I"ll go out and take a look."
She touched the door"s edge and cast one last look back at the room. Gardenia"s shadow lingered among the distant white trees, retreating further when Lin Sanjiu glanced back. Even if Hei Zeji was immobilized, his hands were free; if Gardenia attempted anything during Lin Sanjiu"s absence, she would likely meet her end at Hei Zeji"s hands.
When Lin Sanjiu gently opened the door a crack, she focused all her strength on her arm, prepared to pull the door back at any moment. However, the guards on the other side appeared unaware of the movement, taking no action to stop the door from closing again. Peering through the crack, she was taken aback.
Outside, only three or four guards remained, all facing away from the door, guarding the corridor. Listening closely, she discerned where the rest of the guards had gone. The distant sounds of tools striking and digging echoed through the darkness like a construction site. Those guards had likely noticed the destruction in the corridor, which caused some of them to be trapped in dead ends. Now, they were probably digging a new pa.s.sage.
However, Red Face, her target, was nowhere to be seen. Scanning through the door"s crack, all she could spot were sporadic blood trails on the floor, leading around a corner and out of sight.
With his severe injuries, Red Face couldn"t have gone far. Lin Sanjiu took a quiet breath and signaled to the others inside before carefully widening the door, using her body to block any escaping light.
Four guards stood in a semicircle with their backs to the door, effectively encircling the entrance. As Lin Sanjiu stepped out, unnoticed, she crouched to stay out of their line of sight, then closed the door and slowly approached the guard closest to the bloodstain on the far left.
She popped a candy into her mouth. Gong Daoyi had been quite generous, so even at her consumption rate, she was still left with five or six candies in the [There Is Probably Someone Like This in Your Cla.s.s] bottle. Feeling the Special Item"s effect kick in, she straightened up, lowered her head, and said to the guard, "Excuse me; let me pa.s.s."
"Huh?" The guard"s confusion was evident, even in the dim light. He turned to Lin Sanjiu, instinctively stepping aside. "Where are you going?"
Her response was m.u.f.fled and unclear.
"What?" The guard stopped. "We"re short-staffed, so it"s best not to wander off... What are you up to?"
Given that these guards likely had no need for restrooms, Lin Sanjiu had no plausible excuse. She kept her face down and swiftly moved through the gap, careful not to brush against the guard. As she walked away, she sensed his lingering doubt as he glanced back at his companions.
"Huh? Everyone is here," he said. "Wait... hey, stop!"
Lin Sanjiu didn"t look back; she accelerated and rushed toward the corner where the bloodstain disappeared. She knew the guards would definitely catch up. It was only a matter of how many of them would continue guarding the door. However, when she reached the corner and quickly glanced back, she suddenly realized that all four guards were chasing after her. Due to the sudden turn of events, the guards didn"t have time to discuss it and reacted instinctively. For a brief moment, there wasn"t even one guard left at the door.
As Lin Sanjiu ran, a figure suddenly appeared from behind a corner and raced towards the door. Although she was surprised, she had already pa.s.sed the corner and lost sight of the figure. Quickly, she stopped and ducked before turning around, feeling an arm swing over her from behind.
She heard the other two guards behind her exclaim, "Someone"s here!"
The two guards were no longer concerned about whether the person in front of them was a friend or a foe; they turned back to rush towards the entrance of the room. While the other two guards hesitated, Lin Sanjiu quickly changed direction and ran back. The two guards followed her. If anyone who was unaware of the situation had seen them, they would have thought that the five of them were playing a game of back and forth.
When the figure placed their hand on the door handle, the guard at the forefront shouted, "Intruder!"
Lin Sanjiu guessed correctly; only one person would rush into the room at a time like this.
Bohemia quickly glanced at her pursuers: four guards and an inconspicuous person who might also be a guard. Her face paled, and she pressed her lips tightly, making them almost invisible. With one hand supporting the large cloth bag tied to her back while the other opened the door, she was in no condition to fight.
Lin Sanjiu was about to say "Bohemia, it"s me!" but before she could spit the words out, Bohemia quickly opened the door, darted inside, and shut the door with a loud sound. Lin Sanjiu stumbled and found herself surrounded by four guards.