Chapter 2 : X City First People Hospital (II)

A deathly silence hung in the air.

 

Qi Leren stared intently at the ghost, which returned his gaze with an expressionless face.

 

It appeared to be an elderly woman. In the hazy white light, her features were indistinct, yet an icy chill seeped from her translucent form. Her hollow, pupil-less eyes—those unsettling white sockets—seemed to stare right through him, sending shivers down his spine.

 

Neither moved.

 

Qi Leren took a step back, but the ghost remained motionless.

 

In the stillness, only his accelerating heartbeat pounded in his ears, a rhythmic drumbeat of panic.

 

Slowly, Qi Leren began sidestepping to avoid the ghost’s gaze. The phantom sat quietly in the iron chair, its head gradually twisting to follow his movement. When it reached approximately ninety degrees, the head stilled, refusing to turn further.

 

Qi Leren’s steps quickened as he circled behind the ghost, letting out a relieved breath.

 

In that instant, the ghost’s neck snapped with unnatural force, silently pivoting its head to face him—a full 180-degree rotation! The twisted visage now stared directly at Qi Leren, monitoring his every move.

 

Qi Leren gasped and stumbled backward as the ghost rose slowly, maintaining its grotesque posture with the head turned sideways. Step by step, it advanced on him, both back and face pointed toward the fleeing man.

 

*What now?* The Infusion Hall was completely sealed. Unless…

 

Qi Leren’s eyes darted around frantically, searching for something to break the glass door. Just then, screams erupted from the corridor outside, followed by hurried footsteps:

 

“Don’t kill me! Don’t… Who are you?! I don’t know you! We’ve done nothing wrong! Why kill me?!”

 

The glass door shuddered from a violent impact, as if someone had slammed into it. Qi Leren scrambled behind the service counter, hiding in the narrow space beneath.

 

The cramped space offered a false sense of security, but it couldn’t block out the brutal slaughter nearby. The man outside the door wept and pleaded, but his desperate cries fell on deaf ears. The sickening whine of a chainsaw filled the air, followed by the muffled, bloody sound of the blade sinking into flesh. The screams turned shrill, then abruptly cut off. A heavy thud echoed as something collapsed to the ground. The glass door rattled violently, as if someone were desperately trying to claw their way inside. When the chainsaw’s whine ceased, only faint moans remained in the silent space, gradually weakening until they vanished completely.

 

Outside the door, someone was using a chainsaw to kill people.

 

This realization was even more terrifying than the nearby ghosts. Qi Leren could almost visualize the chainsaw slicing through human flesh, the brutal dismemberment, the blood spraying as the killer watched coldly, observing the victim’s final breaths.

 

“Useless trash.”

 

A deep male voice echoed from outside. Someone pushed against the Infusion Hall door, discovered it was locked, and their footsteps faded away.

 

Qi Leren’s entire body trembled, but his heartbeat gradually slowed. The killer had left. He was safe…

 

With a sudden crash, the glass door shattered. Qi Leren’s body jolted—The killer hadn’t left at all! He’d merely gone to find something to break the glass!

 

Shards of glass cascaded across the floor as the killer entered the Infusion Hall.

 

In that moment, Qi Leren’s breath caught. Every sound in the air felt like a death sentence. He froze, curled motionless beneath the service counter. Less than three meters away, the killer approached with an electric saw. At their closest, only a thin wooden board separated them. Then the footsteps stopped.

 

*Whirr—* The saw roared to life.

 

*Impossible! He couldn’t have found me! How could he know I’m here?!*

 

Qi Leren nearly fainted. How could an unarmed man possibly fight a cold-blooded killer? The deafening whine of the saw circled above his head. A single downward motion would end his life.

 

Run, or wait here to die? Qi Leren forced his fear-stricken mind to function. The door stood less than three meters away, already shattered. If he bolted now, what chance did he have of escape?

 

“Old hag, get lost!” the man snarled. The chainsaw whined through the air, followed by a shrill scream that couldn’t possibly be human. Blood sprayed from the saw, splattering across the service desk’s inner wall. Dark crimson streaks slid downward, catching Qi Leren’s eye – this must be the blood of the man who’d died outside moments ago.

 

*Should I run?* Qi Leren’s mind churned. The ghost seemed no match for the man; the screams grew faint. Now might be his best chance to flee. But if he ran, the killer would know someone hid here. He’d chase, and then…

 

No, no need to flee. The killer had paused only because he saw the ghost. Once the ghost was dead, he’d leave quickly. There was no reason to risk pursuit by escaping now.

 

Clutching at this fragile hope, Qi Leren remained curled under the service desk, his heart pounding like war drums as he waited for the killer to depart.

 

The chainsaw’s roar ceased once more. *So the killer has even slain the ghost*, Qi Leren thought. *Can people with such murderous intent truly kill even spirits?* With the chainsaw silenced, the man likely remained unaware of the survivor’s presence.

 

Before the relief of survival could take root, footsteps echoed again. Heavy yet deliberate steps… circled around the service counter!

 

Qi Leren’s mind, washed blank by the threat of death, struggled to function.

 

*Swish.* The leftmost drawer opened with a sharp sound. A rough search followed before it slammed shut, and the second drawer opened…

 

After a momentary lapse, Qi Leren forced his mind to work. The service counter was large – six drawers in total, each with a separate wooden compartment beneath. He’d instinctively hidden under the drawer farthest from the door. With the drawer open, the searcher above shouldn’t see the space below!

 

The killer had opened four drawers. Only one remained between him and Qi Leren’s hiding place. He could almost taste the metallic tang of blood from the chainsaw.

 

The fifth drawer opened to reveal the killer’s shoes – dark blue and unfashionable, with an old-fashioned style. A strange symbol adorned them, surrounded by small text:

 

<i>Prison Administration Bureau Supervised</i>

 

Prison shoes!

 

Qi Leren’s gaze traveled up the man’s trousers, catching a glimpse of the open drawer’s corner. That single glance sealed his fate – the service desk’s drawer was made of transparent plastic!

 

Qi Leren stiffened as he looked up at the drawer above him. The transparent bottom exposed its contents: a few ballpoint pens, a notepad, and a box of paper clips.

 

If the killer took just half a step forward and opened the drawer, he’d see Qi Leren cowering beneath the desk – a pathetic, laughable figure awaiting death’s embrace.

 

Time stretched endlessly before death’s approach. The sounds of rummaging grew distant and muffled. Fear, resentment, hatred… countless emotions flooded his mind. For the first time, he loathed his own weakness and indecisiveness. Had he seized the moment when the killer battled the ghost, he might have escaped this fate.

 

The sound of a wrapper being torn echoed through the room. Qi Leren took several seconds to process the noise, his mind struggling to piece together the cacophony of sounds and smells that revealed the killer’s movements. The man had found the small cake left in the drawer by the nurse, tearing open the packaging to devour it. He picked up the still-steaming cup from the service desk and drank its contents, his mood relaxed enough to hum an indistinct tune. Not a trace of unease lingered after his murderous rampage.

 

This brief interlude of eating gave Qi Leren time to regain his composure. *Escape*, he thought desperately. *I must escape.* His only advantage now lay in the killer’s ignorance of his presence. Even the most deranged murderer would pause in shock upon discovering a hidden witness. That fleeting moment might be his only chance.

 

He couldn’t afford to miss it this time. Absolutely not.

 

The wrapper crumpled to the floor as the killer took a step forward, standing directly before the drawer where Qi Leren cowered. His hand reached out, fingers brushing the drawer handle as he pulled it open…