The female ghost probably had never encountered such a situation since her debut.
First of all, this was a beginner’s area, and there weren’t many people with strong psychological resilience. Moreover, his appearance gave a chilling and eerie visual impact when he looked up.
Generally, when people saw him, they either screamed in terror and fled in a panic or mustered their courage to fight back, trying to counter their fear with aggression.
Yet here was someone who, like a blind person, ignored his appearance and instead calmly set a trap for him.
The female ghost was furious, twisting herself like a pretzel, and fiercely accused him from within the curtain bundle: “You little schemer!”
“You deliberately kept a stern face to make me suspicious and lower my guard, right? Damn it, it’s impossible to defend against you; indeed, ghosts are always sinister.”
Lu Qingjia pinpointed the position of her head and repeatedly rubbed it against the railing.
Only when he heard a pained yelp from inside did he stop, smiling as he said, “Sounds like you know quite a bit. Come on, let’s go chat in the restroom.”
The female ghost, already exhausted from the torment, had little energy left to struggle. Upon hearing Lu Qingjia’s words, she immediately screamed, “Are you trying to be a pervert?!”
Lu Qingjia replied, “I like men.”
The female ghost retorted, “Then I’m in danger no matter what!”
Lu Qingjia said, “You can question my character, but please respect my taste.”
The female ghost was momentarily speechless, muttering a few times, clearly unconvinced: “How did you figure that out?”
“Although you had breast augmentation and softened your facial features, your bone structure is still more pronounced than that of a normal woman. You have an Adam’s apple, broad shoulders, a male body proportion, wide hands and feet, and your skin texture is off. Even a blind person could see that.”
He smirked maliciously, “To put it bluntly, you were born with inadequate conditions, and your efforts to change came too late. Moreover, the gender reassignment plan designed for you was quite crude.”
The transgender ghost was clearly hit where it hurt, screaming, “It’s all that black-hearted hospital’s fault! I want to kill them, I want to kill them all!!!”
As Lu Qingjia walked, he flicked the bundle a few times, “Shh! This floor is full of guests, and they are currently resting, enduring post-operative pain. Don’t disturb them.”
The transgender ghost was even more aggrieved, “Why? Why the double standard? Those women are human, but those who transitioned don’t deserve the same treatment, right?”
She cried out in grievance, “I truly believe I am a woman at heart!”
Lu Qingjia smiled gently, comforting her, “Do you think I hold prejudice against transgender people?”
“No, you misunderstood. To me, regardless of appearance, having the courage to acknowledge one’s true gender identity is a brave act. Women who endure prejudice and pain to become their ideal selves exude unparalleled charm.”
“Just like you. Your current situation is not your fault. You are very brave. Many people compromise their inner selves to cater to the approval of unimportant others, becoming ugly and servile. You are different; even if you missed the best timing, you still resolutely chose to be your true self. This courage is something no one has the right to belittle.”
“The only thing wrong is the maliciousness of people’s hearts and the dark underbelly of predatory industries. If you must attribute part of the responsibility to yourself, it is merely your initial naivety.”
“But ordinary people don’t understand things outside their expertise and knowledge. Following professional advice is, of course, the right choice. You just had bad luck and couldn’t distinguish between true professionals and frauds.”
The transgender ghost, initially filled with resentment towards the person who had caused her great loss, now felt a warmth in her heart after hearing his words. Each sentence seemed to resonate deeply within her.
Her regrets and obsessions were soothed, and she suddenly had a much better impression of him.
Her voice was no longer sharp and coarse like before; instead, it softened deliberately, taking on a gentle tone: “So, do you still treat me differently?”
Thinking he would continue to be a gentleman, the transgender ghost was nearly infuriated by his next words.
He casually replied, “Oh, while I usually treat women kindly without ulterior motives, in critical moments, I will still react based on the specific situation.”
“Although you transitioned to become a woman, you still like women. A man’s appearance won’t sway you in a short time. Besides, your demeanor clearly didn’t give me time to act; I had no choice but to handle it roughly.”
The transgender ghost: “…”
So he’s just a smooth-talking central air conditioning unit? Ugh! What a scumbag.
“Wait, how do you know I like women?”
As they spoke, Lu Qingjia had already brought her to the changing room where Yang Qian was waiting.
Yang Qian saw him carrying a bundle and was wondering what it was when she suddenly heard a voice from inside the bundle: “Why did you bring me here?”
Lu Qingjia shook the bundle, “What? Didn’t you say you loved to peek here the most?”
The bundle fell silent, clearly caught off guard.
Yang Qian gasped, “What is this? A ghost? Have you caught one already?”
Lu Qingjia nodded and opened the bundle for her to see. Yang Qian leaned over to take a look inside, where an adult-sized ghost was crammed into a bundle, its head flattened, eyes and mouth sewn shut with red thread. However, since it had spoken a lot, the thread had loosened considerably, but it still looked unsettling.
Seeing Lu Qingjia open the bundle, the transgender ghost thought it was her chance to escape and tried to flee, but as soon as she reached the opening, she was jolted back as if electrocuted. “What is this?”
“You little schemer, you thought I would let my guard down and open the bundle? What do you mean by pretending to be relaxed? Bullying an honest ghost.”
Yang Qian twitched her lips, pointing at Lu Qingjia’s temple: “Is this thing okay here?”
Lu Qingjia shrugged and asked, “Didn’t you say you were puzzled about the haunting last night? Well, here it is.”
“She?” Yang Qian’s voice rose.
Last night, as the first night of the instance, it was the least dangerous time, making it the best opportunity to search for clues and uncover the truth about the hospital.
Although the four of them had an advantage over Lu Qingjia, they were all playing roles as hospital staff, and even the doctors were not key figures who truly held the hospital’s core secrets.
Especially in the VVIP ward area and the research area, they were off-limits.
So last night, under the temporary captain doctor’s arrangement, the four of them went to different areas to explore.
In the female changing room, Yang Qian and a nurse encountered a ghost with gaping wounds on both sides of its chest, continuously bleeding, with flesh and an unknown gelatinous substance spilling out.
It looked extremely terrifying; if the two hadn’t dodged quickly, they might have been attacked.
When the four gathered to analyze the origin of that ghost, it was clear it was the vengeful spirit of someone who died due to a botched surgery. However, the doctor searched through the records and found no incidents of death since the hospital opened.
There were failure cases, but they weren’t too severe; usually, they just offered some compensation and threatened or intimidated someone, and the matter would be buried.
The appearance of such a ghost here clearly did not align with the hospital’s existing records.
Either the doctors lacked the authority to access information about those who truly died and were discreetly dealt with, or this ghost had to trace back to before the hospital opened.
The doctor could temporarily lead the small team not only because of his role advantage and Yang Qian’s deliberate concealment of her skills but also because he had some abilities.
Although his thought process differed from Lu Qingjia’s, he managed to obtain the hospital’s financial flow for the month from the finance department, discovering from the month’s business statistics and advertising expenses that the hospital’s revenue was far greater than it should have been.
Especially in terms of income, although this hospital had attracted many customers due to its summer promotions, making it bustling every day, after deducting operational costs, equipment and material purchases, and employee salaries, the net profit was far beyond his estimates.
Thus, the doctor also confirmed through these indirect messages that a batch of customers existed, completely different from what was publicly known.
And how could a cosmetic surgery hospital that had only been established for less than two years, with average reputation and technology, achieve this?
So, although he took some detours, the doctor’s thought process returned to the right track, and he needed to investigate what kind of mysterious situation this hospital was in before it was established.
Among them, a cleaning lady player, due to her age and experience, along with her emotional intelligence, had gathered some rumors from the mouths of some old employees in the hospital.
Especially an old cleaning man who lived nearby naturally knew some things.
In summary, after the group exchanged information and discussed strategies, the female ghost in the changing room lingered for a while before disappearing.
The group, mustering their courage, entered and found that along with the female ghost, two sets of underwear had also vanished.
One set belonged to a nurse, particularly bold and sexy in design, which had gotten wet when she bumped into a customer while carrying water in the hallway, so she took it off to hang it in the changing room to dry.
The other set was a bright red lucky underwear. Both sets were particularly memorable, and after the ghost of the split-breasted woman disappeared, Yang Qian and the others thought that the ghost’s obsession was with breasts, hence her newfound habit of stealing underwear after death.
Lu Qingjia was aware of this and had come over that night to see if he could find any clues.
As a result, he encountered the transgender ghost and discovered an incredible truth.
Lu Qingjia pointed at the transgender ghost: “You go ahead, so this thing doesn’t say I took advantage of her.”
Yang Qian hesitated a bit, but seeing that the ghost was completely under Lu Qingjia’s control, she chose to trust him and pulled aside the transgender ghost’s clothing.
What she saw was the two stolen pieces of underwear worn on the ghost, and immediately, Yang Qian lost any sense of fear or guilt towards this grotesque-looking ghost, her gaze now filled only with disdain for the scum.
The transgender ghost felt scorched under that gaze, shouting in a fierce yet cowardly manner, “What? Just because I’m dead, I can’t have a hobby?”
“Besides, I’m very friendly towards women; you see, I only target smelly men.”
Then, feeling embarrassed, he asked Lu Qingjia, “How did you know?”
Lu Qingjia looked at him as if he were an idiot: “You don’t know that wearing two pieces of underwear is very unnatural? I want to ignore it, but you have to give me a chance.”
“Is this why you figured out I like women and not men?”
Lu Qingjia shook his head: “How could that be? This can at most only prove you have a theft fetish or are dissatisfied with your breast augmentation size, or simply crave sexy clothing.”
“My judgment that you don’t like men is purely because I stand in front of you, and you ignore me without hesitation, wanting to strike me down.”
Saying this, he swept his left hair back, and his originally gentle and elegant demeanor turned aggressive, becoming both assertive and alluring.
Not to mention ordinary women or female ghosts, even someone as resolute and professionally trained as Yang Qian couldn’t help but feel a moment of daze in her eyes.
This guy was genuinely handsome, and there was a special allure about him. When his deep gaze locked onto you, very few women could withstand it—
No, probably men couldn’t either, especially if he deliberately exuded charm.
Yang Qian and the transgender ghost wanted to scoff at this guy’s narcissism, but inexplicably, they felt that this reasoning wasn’t entirely unconvincing.
The transgender ghost knew that in the past, those female ghosts who played tricks on people were particularly favored if they were good-looking; at least, they had only died after committing a taboo.
This indicated that being attractive and charming was indeed an advantage that transcended life and death.
Lu Qingjia sat down on a nearby chair: “I originally wanted to come to the scene to look for clues, but now I have a ready source of information in hand.”
He looked at the transgender ghost in the bundle and smiled, “I’ll ask, and if you satisfy me, you can live; if not—”
“Oh, what can you do?” The transgender ghost held her neck high, looking brave and ready to sacrifice: “Do you think I would betray my sisters in the hospital? What do you take me for? Being a woman means being righteous.”
“At worst, you can just kill me, and in my next life, I’ll definitely be reborn as a true woman.”
Lu Qingjia’s smile grew even friendlier, like a blooming lily: “I also wanted to say, if I’m not satisfied, I would have to please you, buy you the latest fashionable clothes, shoes, bags, lipsticks, and eyeshadows.”
“From your clothing, it looks like a design that was popular five or six years ago. Although the hospital is bustling, you probably don’t have many things you can actually get your hands on, right?”
“In recent years, many beautifully colored lipsticks have come out, with various textures, and the packaging is high-end and fashionable. Just owning them is a pleasure for women.”
“Since you are so righteous, I’m not a devil either. Forget it, there are plenty of sources of information; I don’t want to—”
“Wait!” The transgender ghost struggled to extend a hand from inside, holding up three fingers: “I want three tubes of lipstick, and I’ll choose the colors and brands myself.”
“Okay!”
Yang Qian: “…”
This iron-willed ghost, a tube of lipstick could betray the country.
Well, they were people who valued beauty over life when alive; what progress could they expect after death?
However, unfortunately, the transgender ghost didn’t know much.
From her, they learned that this place had been an underground cosmetic surgery hospital over ten years ago, operating under the guise of a club.
Because they frequently issued discount coupons, the prices were quite reasonable, attracting many white-collar workers from nearby office buildings.
The service level there was good, and the consultants were eloquent. Many people who were dissatisfied with certain aspects of themselves gradually got persuaded to undergo surgery.
However, the failure rate was not small, and several vengeful spirits still lingered here due to deaths caused by such failures.
When the situation escalated, the place was shut down by the relevant authorities and remained vacant for several years until the rapid turnover of the city made people forget about it.
More than two years ago, the current cosmetic surgery hospital took over the place, renovated it, and opened for business.
The transgender ghost said, “After we died, we originally wanted to take revenge, but for some reason, we couldn’t affect the people here, and even our range of activities is limited, living in a daze.”
“However, every once in a while, a batch of people we can influence appears.” As she spoke, she revealed a malicious smile.
Lu Qingjia and Yang Qian understood that these must be the players. Since this instance had not been broken, the ghosts continued to linger here without reincarnation, and due to mysterious reasons, they couldn’t affect the indigenous people of this world. The arrival of players naturally became an outlet for their resentment.
Then Lu Qingjia asked a few more questions and discovered that the restrictions on the ghosts here were indeed unusual. She only knew of a few ghosts but couldn’t see those slightly farther away, which was even worse than the ghosts in the apartment. At least the apartment ghosts couldn’t leave, but they could communicate internally without issues.
Or to put it this way, the number of vengeful spirits the transgender ghost knew might not even be accurate.
After finishing the questioning, Lu Qingjia kept his promise and released her, but she repeatedly emphasized not to forget her lipstick.
“It’s almost certain that the biggest threat here doesn’t come from the ghosts,” Yang Qian said. “Although the ghosts will initiate attacks first.”
“With this number of ghosts, they will hinder all of our progress in clearing the instance. Even with their abilities and cunning, previous players might have died without even getting close to the truth, exhausted just dealing with the ghosts.”
Yang Qian recalled the transgender ghost’s sneak attack on Lu Qingjia and shivered at the thought of what would have happened if she had encountered that situation. It truly was impossible to guard against.
Lu Qingjia said, “It won’t be difficult, nor will it become a special scenario. If this instance develops for a few more years, it might even be upgraded to a mid-level instance.”
As they spoke, the two went downstairs, and Lu Qingjia led Yang Qian to the well near the garden: “Have you checked this well?”
Before Yang Qian could respond, a voice rang out, “Yes, this thing is indeed out of place. The shady atmosphere in the garden is excessively high; it’s impossible not to be vigilant.”
Lu Qingjia turned around to see a doctor player in a white coat, flanked by two other players in pink nurse uniforms and blue cleaning outfits, looking like a solid alliance.
The doctor glanced at Yang Qian, a flicker of predictable displeasure crossing his eyes as he approached the two, saying, “As players in the same instance, we should work together.”
“If there are any issues or clues, just ask directly. There’s no need to avoid your teammates; that only affects our efficiency in clearing the instance, don’t you think?”
The doctor stepped in front of Lu Qingjia, his expression quite friendly: “I originally wanted to meet up with you after work yesterday, but I didn’t expect you to rent the adjacent room and not stay there. I also temporarily didn’t have your contact information.”
“I didn’t expect you to be in touch with Xiao Yang.” He then chided Yang Qian lightly, “You should have told us earlier. That way, we could have communicated from the start last night.”
“Although Brother Lu’s initial position was average, putting him at a clear disadvantage compared to us, we’re not short-sighted enough to only maintain our current advantages. Yang Qian, what exactly are you planning?”
This round of accusations was a bit heavy, almost directly implying that Yang Qian was sowing discord within the team.
However, Yang Qian showed no change in her expression upon hearing this, merely responding nonchalantly, “Is that so? I thought from what Xiao Ting said yesterday that you all didn’t want to carry someone who couldn’t provide sources of clues, and you were just being kind by trying to help.”
Xiao Ting was the nurse player. Upon hearing this, she froze for a moment, and after everyone looked over, it seemed she only then realized what she had said, quickly waving her hands: “I didn’t mean that.”
Lu Qingjia’s eyes flickered; this nurse—
According to the information Yang Qian provided, this nurse was quite good at talking back and shirking responsibility, but her reaction just now was clearly a bit slow, as if it took her a second to realize she was talking about herself.
She stood there, looking uneasy, her body shifting in small arcs, her toes rubbing against the ground, and her hand occasionally touching her chest, as if confirming something.
In contrast, the other cleaning lady was much more composed, her entire face smiling, looking at Lu Qingjia with no hint of hostility, almost as if she genuinely hoped for team cohesion, unlike the doctor player’s pretense.
Lu Qingjia felt a stir in his heart, raised an eyebrow, and took a step forward. The doctor player instinctively wanted to step back but held himself back.
The other party was wary; although they claimed to welcome anyone, their true attitude was far from it.
Lu Qingjia revealed a sly smile, looking like a serial killer, and the doctor player’s expression became even more amusing.
He spoke, “I heard Yang Qian say you’re not stupid, but now it seems a bit disappointing.”
“I think with your intelligence, you shouldn’t have ended up in the game last, and your identity is extremely inconvenient. Simply seeing that player’s obvious disadvantage, it must be quite difficult for you.”
“We gamers have no randomness in our positions; everyone has their suitable arrangements. My disadvantages are higher than all of yours, so what does that indicate? I believe with your intelligence, you should understand this.”
“Now the question arises, why is the game arranged this way? If the players’ positions are consistent, what is the significance of entering at different times? You must have thought about this too, right?”
As Lu Qingjia spoke, he moved closer to the other person, sensing that they were on the verge of losing their earlier arrogant demeanor.
Lowering his head, he whispered softly in the other person’s ear, “The conclusion is that everyone’s tasks are likely to conflict.”
“I believe with your caution, you must have already found a way to confirm the tasks of the other three. The only uncertainty lies with me, the one who is out in the open.”
“You know very well that we are likely adversaries. Given the advantage in numbers, why choose to feign politeness with me?”
Lu Qingjia’s voice grew softer, yet the pressure increased: “Tell me, what are you afraid of? Hmm?”
Doctor nearly exhausted all his strength to pull away from the suffocating atmosphere, gasping for air, his face drenched in cold sweat.
Lu Qingjia confirmed his suspicion, a smile appearing on his face: “It seems you know quite a bit.”
He patted Doctor’s shoulder: “It’s getting late; let’s head back and rest. When you’ve figured out how to negotiate with me in the right manner, come find me, alright?”
The other person’s departure was almost clumsy, which made Yang Qian, who had witnessed the entire exchange, frown in confusion—
“Are you really that intimidating? Or do you have some skill that resembles a turtle’s shell?”
Lu Qingjia shook his head: “Do you know why the game occasionally releases combat dungeons, allowing players who normally cannot attack each other to kill freely?”
Yang Qian had truly started from scratch, gradually reaching his current state, and could only explore the rules based on his own experiences or what he had heard. His understanding was still limited, so he shook his head.
Lu Qingjia explained: “Because there are some players that the game does not want to see grow within the dungeons.”
Yang Qian felt a chill run down his spine: “What does this mean? Those players? By what standard?”
Lu Qingjia gestured for her to relax: “Some players who are reckless, with insatiable greed; allowing them to grow stronger would bring disaster to reality.”
Yang Qian pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked up: “You mean those who have committed serious crimes in reality? You suspect Doctor—”
“No, I suspected him before, but just now I confirmed he is not.”
Lu Qingjia said: “On the contrary, he thinks I am, so even though he is wary and fearful, he does not dare to confront me.”
Yang Qian understood; no wonder Lu Qingjia had just shown a villainous expression, the other person looked like a cat ready to flee at any moment.
Lu Qingjia shrugged: “He is relatively smart and has his own network, but unfortunately, he is too timid. I originally wanted to ask him about this well.”
Yang Qian said: “Oh, I know about that. So far, nothing unusual has been found, but it is said that some carp are being raised in there, and they have grown quite large. I suspect there is something strange about it.”
Lu Qingjia replied: “Of course, there is something strange.”
As he spoke, a small bottle appeared in his hand, containing a yellow paste. Yang Qian leaned in to take a closer look and was disgusted to find it was a small bottle of fat.
“I managed to obtain a bit of their special medicine, but I didn’t dare to try it myself,” Lu Qingjia chuckled, pouring the fat into the well.
The well, which had been calm and still, suddenly erupted with activity. Upon closer inspection, countless slippery, eel-like creatures surged forth, writhing and struggling, making one feel nauseous just to look at them.
“What is this?” Yang Qian’s expression twisted in disgust.
Both of their attentions were drawn to the well, unaware that at that moment, a figure suddenly appeared on the rooftop of the hospital.
Seeing Lu Qingjia in the courtyard, the figure was about to step forward but hesitated.
In the next instant, the figure vanished, reappearing in a senior doctor’s office.
Zhong Liyu glanced around; the calendar on the wall indicated a business trip, returning in half a month.
He was quite satisfied with this. With a snap of his fingers, the entire world seemed to pause for a moment, then time resumed flowing, and Zhong Liyu had changed his appearance.
He wore a doctor’s white coat over a dark gray suit, glasses perched on his nose, looking like a refined scoundrel.
The horror game observed and spoke: “Don’t blame me for not warning you; if you help him in any way, it will affect his evaluation.”
Zhong Liyu laughed: “I couldn’t even get a good deal from him; a mere low-level dungeon is nothing.”
The horror game thought, fine, as long as it doesn’t hinder the player’s progress. It then curiously asked: “You’ve changed your appearance; why not just use the doctor’s face? That would be much more convenient and better than modifying the entire world’s memory to avoid any sense of incongruity.”
Zhong Liyu replied: “That won’t do; he’s too ugly. He treats men and women differently; he wouldn’t even glance at an ugly man, no matter how you try to flirt.”
After saying this, he heard the game fall silent for a moment before bursting into a fit of manic laughter—
“Hahahaha!!!! I only knew you were a pervert, but I didn’t know you were this perverted, willingly putting a green hat on yourself, hahahaha!!!”
Zhong Liyu: “……”
