Chapter 24: Estrangement

Han Yi Mo let out a bitter laugh. "Hehe... Zhao Yi Sheng, you're overthinking it. As a novel writer, the last thing I want to talk about is my own works... If I have some free time, I just want to forget everything in them and relax properly."

"Then let's talk about something else!" Zhao Yi Sheng was slowly stitching up the wound, but it was a circular one, making it more complicated than a typical injury. He steadied himself and asked, "Tell me, besides writing, how do you usually relax?"

"I... play games."

Zhao Yi Sheng nodded. "That's great. I play games after work too. What kinds do you play?"

Due to excessive blood loss, Han Yi Mo's thoughts were moving very slowly. After a long pause, he said, "Ying Xiong Lian Meng... There's a female ninja character called A Ka Li. I really like her."

"Oh?" Zhao Yi Sheng smiled. "What a coincidence. I play Ying Xiong Lian Meng too, and I like A Ka Li as well."

Though his tone was steady, everyone noticed his hands trembling slightly. After all, in his years as a doctor, this was the first time he was stitching a wound without anesthesia while the patient was fully conscious. No one knew if he genuinely liked the character or was just going along with Han Yi Mo's topic.

"Zhao Yi Sheng, you like A Ka Li too?" Han Yi Mo nodded weakly. "I'm fascinated by everything about A Ka Li... This female ninja with the title 'An Ying Zhi Quan,' I feel her backstory is also..."

Zhao Yi Sheng paused his movements for a moment, then gently touched Han Yi Mo's face and asked, "Han Yi Mo, can you see me?"

"Hmm?" Han Yi Mo didn't know why Zhao Yi Sheng suddenly asked that, so he replied, "I can see you..."

"Who am I?"

"You're Zhao Yi Sheng..."

Zhao Yi Sheng nodded after hearing this. "Han Yi Mo, you're starting to hallucinate. You need to stay conscious."

"Hallucinate?" Han Yi Mo felt his current state was still normal and didn't understand what Zhao Yi Sheng meant. "Aren't I having a normal conversation with you right now? How could I be hallucinating..."

"It's probably a symptom of blood loss; your brain isn't getting enough blood. Like you said about A Ka Li, her hero title is 'Li Qun Zhi Ci,' not 'An Ying Zhi Quan.'"

"Li Qun Zhi Ci?" Han Yi Mo narrowed his eyes, feeling a bit unsure. He'd never heard that name before. Could this be because of the hallucination?

Qiao Jia Jin nudged Qi Xia and asked, "Swindler, what are they talking about?"

"I don't know." Qi Xia shook his head. "I don't play games, so I don't get it."

"I've played video games before." Qiao Jia Jin pursed his lips. "But I haven't heard of the game they're mentioning. Is this hero battle game more fun than 'Hungry Wolf Legend'...?"

Qi Xia didn't want to engage in that topic and walked aside, finding a clean rock to sit on.

He was thinking about something else.

The conversation between Han Yi Mo and Zhao Yi Sheng had gone quiet, probably because Han Yi Mo's hallucinations were making it impossible to continue.

The group's atmosphere gradually fell silent.

Lin Geng realized she couldn't help much, so she sat down next to Qi Xia.

"What are you thinking about?" Lin Geng asked.

Qi Xia turned to look at Lin Geng, his expression indifferent.

"This is the second time you've asked me 'what are you thinking about.'" Qi Xia said. "Do you always ask your clients that directly during psychological consultations?"

"You're not my client, though." Lin Geng shook her head. "We don't call them 'patients' either—that's rude. I'm just genuinely curious. You're such a smart person; I wonder what goes on in your mind."

"It's filled with thoughts of my wife." Qi Xia said with a wistful expression.

"Your wife?" Lin Geng nodded quietly. "Earlier, you mentioned someone waiting for you outside. Is that person your wife?"

"Yes." Qi Xia nodded.

Lin Geng smiled slightly. "I didn't expect that answer. So, you're already married?"

"Why can't I be married?" Qi Xia sensed there was more to Lin Geng's words.

"I didn't mean to offend you. But you're a swindler—what kind of person would your wife be?"

"You..." Qi Xia rarely got angry. He slowly stood up, his eyes cold and unfeeling. "What do you mean? Because I'm a swindler, the only person who'd marry me must be from the dregs of society, right?"

"Ah? I..." Lin Geng was startled by Qi Xia's intensity. "I really didn't mean to offend; I was just curious..."

"I advise you not to be curious about me." Qi Xia said icily. "I'm a swindler, so nothing I say is true."

Their conversation ended on a sour note, but Lin Geng didn't seem to mind.

Over on Zhao Yi Sheng's side, he had finally finished stitching the wound.

"That's about it..." Zhao Yi Sheng wiped the blood from his hands as he spoke. "We've done all we can for now. All that's left is to hope the wound doesn't get infected."

"Thank you..." Han Yi Mo's lips were pale as he said slowly to Zhao Yi Sheng.

Once everything seemed settled, Qi Xia slowly stood up and said to the group, "Everyone, it's time to say goodbye."

The other eight people looked puzzled at his words.

Goodbye?

"Where are you going?" Qiao Jia Jin asked.

"That's none of your concern." Qi Xia gazed thoughtfully at the restaurant across the street.

"You're not seriously going to look for 'Dao,' are you?!" Li Jing Guan was stunned.

"Why? Got any advice?" Qi Xia seemed to confirm that was his plan.

"With all due respect, that's suicide." Li Jing Guan shook his head helplessly. "Three thousand six hundred 'Dao'! Do you know what that means? If you get one 'Dao' each time, you'd have to clear three thousand six hundred near-death games like the ones before!"

"Yes." Qi Xia nodded. "It sounds like a slim chance, but there's still hope, right?"

"Hope?" Li Jing Guan sighed. "Ten days, three thousand six hundred games—that's an average of three hundred sixty per day. Even if you did nothing else and just focused on clearing them, the time wouldn't be enough. Plus, you could die in any game, but if you do nothing, you won't die until after ten days."

After a pause, he added, "And this 'death' is based on assuming everything 'Ren Long' said is true. In other words, we might not die after ten days, and this place might not be destroyed. Even if you collect three thousand six hundred 'Dao,' he might not let you go."

"I understand all that." Qi Xia interrupted Li Jing Guan. "But I'm not planning to wait here. Even if I just go out for a walk, it's better than staying put."

"But you..." Li Jing Guan wanted to argue more, when the door to the staff room creaked open again.

Everyone turned to look, and the female staff member walked out.

She was completely naked, her mouth covered in grease stains, clutching something in her hand. Her body was shriveled, as if only bones were left.

Zhang Chen Ze frowned slightly, took off his women's suit jacket, and draped it over her.

She turned to the men, her face slightly angry. "What did you guys do in that room? Where are this girl's clothes?"

Qiao Jia Jin shook his head helplessly. "This is too much to explain right now. I advise you not to worry about her."

"You're so kind." The female staff member's eyes fixed on the clothes draped over her, then on Zhang Chen Ze. "Too bad you're not a man, or I'd have to sleep with you."

"Sleep?" Zhang Chen Ze was taken aback. "What are you talking about?"

"Since we can't sleep together, I'll give you this to eat instead..."

She opened her grimy hand, revealing a boiled, mushy infant arm in her grasp.