Artes antiguas y maravillosas

Capítulo 14

Zhao Zhuo put on his already dirty jacket, hunched his shoulders, and sat down with the two of them, head down and silent. The shopkeeper hurriedly came over to shoo the beggar away, but Lin Hong stopped him, saying, "Mind your own business, we're together." The shopkeeper's expression was one of utter astonishment: "Together? Together... then we're together." Then the shopkeeper stepped aside, his face full of confusion as he pondered his own thoughts.

Sitting and eating with a beggar made Qin Fangcheng feel inexplicably awkward. Frustrated, he banged on the table and yelled, "Boss, two bottles of beer!" Zhao Zhuo suddenly looked up and said, "No, no, I'm afraid there won't be time to drink. Bring up some hot wontons first. I have a few words to tell you two. Listen to them and then leave."

"Fuck you!" Qin Fangcheng snapped, cursing, "Zhao Zhuo, are you even a man? Your wife was bullied like that, and you didn't even dare to show your face. What shameful things did you do to let that Du guy humiliate you to this extent? You bastard, do you know that having a friend like you makes me, Qin Fangcheng, ashamed to face anyone!"

Zhao Zhuo, however, was completely unaffected by Qin Fangcheng's angry outburst. His face was filled with terror as he kept turning back to look, asking, "Have you seen Xiaoping?"

"I saw him." Qin Fangcheng said in a muffled voice, glancing at Lin Hong. Lin Hong pretended not to see him. From now on, she planned not to hear anything and let the two men say whatever foul words they wanted.

Zhao Zhuo became agitated and grabbed Qin Fangcheng's hand: "Xiaoping...is she alright?"

"Nothing's wrong, of course!" Qin Fangcheng disgustedly shook off Zhao Zhuo's hand: "Don't touch me, you're dirty."

Zhao Zhuo lowered his head. His posture was that of a typical coward. Even Lin Hong couldn't stand it anymore, so she picked up her hand and carefully examined the color and texture of the nail polish. Then Qin Fangcheng shouted, "Zhao Zhuo, you look like a decent human being, but you're such a spineless coward when things get tough! What shameful things have you done to let your wife be harmed like this? Do you know how that guy surnamed Du dealt with your wife? Raise your head and listen to me!" He roared, leaning close to Zhao Zhuo's pathetic face, and said viciously, "That guy surnamed Du ate your wife's…that…that…you know, while it was still hot. Doesn't that make you happy?"

"Eat...which one?" Zhao Zhuo was taken aback.

Qin Fangcheng didn't look at him again, took out a cigarette and lit it. Zhao Zhuo saw him smoking and reached out to ask for one too, but Qin Fangcheng deliberately threw the pack of cigarettes on the ground and stomped on it twice. Zhao Zhuo raised his head sullenly and suddenly shouted, "You two, have you seen my wife or not?"

Qin Fangcheng was speechless. He despised the man in his eyes. He reached out and pinched Lin Hong's thin sleeve, saying, "Your clothes are too light. I'll have He Ming buy you some decent clothes later. What are you doing? You earn so much but can't bear to spend it." Zhao Zhuo hurriedly leaned forward, blocking Qin Fangcheng and Lin Hong. "I'm asking you a question. Have you seen Xiao Ping?" Qin Fangcheng shoved him hard in disgust. "Get the hell out of here! You can't even protect your own wife. You dare to sit with us?" Caught off guard, Zhao Zhuo was pushed to the ground, chair and all.

Qin Fangcheng didn't even glance at Zhao Zhuo, but took Lin Hong's arm and helped her up: "Let's go, it's disgusting to be with this kind of person."

Zhao Zhuo, however, was like a complete beggar, feeling no dissatisfaction at being despised and humiliated. He got up and stepped forward to stop Qin Fangcheng and Lin Hong: "Are you willing to tell me or not? Have you seen Xiaoping?"

Lin Hong sighed, knowing that Zhao Zhuo would really pester her if she didn't make things clear, so she said, "We only saw her face through the security door. She didn't say anything, and she didn't let us in."

"Then how do you know that the man surnamed Du ate her...that?" Zhao Zhuo hesitated before speaking.

"Because after your wife slammed the door shut right in front of us, that guy surnamed Du went there," Qin Fangcheng said, deliberately raising his voice. "We heard your wife screaming in agony through the door, and we also heard that guy surnamed Du beating your wife. He was beating her so badly that we could hear the loud slapping sounds through the door. He was beating her because he was angry that she opened the door for us and deliberately... made her... cold, so he had to eat something fishy." At this point, Qin Fangcheng added maliciously, "You've probably eaten your wife's... too, right? Did it taste a bit fishy? Offering that to your boss, you're really being filial."

Zhao Zhuo ignored Qin Fangcheng's sarcasm and stood up with a puzzled look on his face. He took a few steps forward and then turned back, muttering to himself, "No, no, you must have made a mistake." Then he suddenly lunged forward and asked in a stiff tone, "Did you see any external injuries on Xiaoping's head?"

Qin Fangcheng said to Lin Hong, "It seems being a big boss is really comfortable for him. Even when he wants to drink this stuff, his grandson can't wait to send his wife up. Sigh, how can this grandson be so shameless? Tomorrow, let's find a couple of grandsons like that to start a company. Who told us we have money?"

Lin Hong ignored Qin Fangcheng's interruption, thought for a moment, and said to Zhao Zhuo, "Your wife has a lock of hair pulled out and there are obvious injuries on her face, but we haven't noticed anything else."

Zhao Zhuo pressed further, "Did you see the hole in her head?"

"A hole?" Lin Hong looked at Qin Fangcheng in confusion. Qin Fangcheng snorted, turned his head, and said seriously, "Zhao Zhuo, you don't need to be so afraid of that guy surnamed Du. He's just got a little money. The three of us plus a few friends aren't necessarily weaker than him. What weakness do you have that that guy surnamed Du has? Don't be afraid, tell us, and we brothers will stand up for you. If all else fails, we'll find someone to chop that guy surnamed Du up. Why should he bully people to this extent?"

Zhao Zhuo ignored Qin Fangcheng and looked at Lin Hong with a worried expression: "Did you see the hole in your head?"

Lin Hong shook her head helplessly: "I don't understand what you're saying."

Zhao Zhuo was so anxious he was jumping up and down: "Hole, hole, it's the hole for inserting straws, look carefully, it's like the one on my head." As he spoke, he lowered his head, brushed his hair aside, and let Lin Hong and Qin Fangcheng see it clearly.

Lin Hong and Qin Fangcheng stared intently, then exclaimed in surprise and took several steps back.

On the top of Zhao Zhuo's head, in his skull, was a smooth, round hole. The hole wasn't large, less than a centimeter in diameter, but in the dim light of the distant streetlights, one could clearly see a milky, reddish-white fluid writhing inside. The fluid resembled boiled tofu pudding, occasionally overflowing from the edges of the hole. Furthermore, wisps of steam rose clearly in the light. The scene was undeniably eerie.

Amidst Lin Hong and Qin Fangcheng's gasps, Zhao Zhuo carefully covered the hole in his head with his hair, raised his head, and his face, illuminated by the night lamplight, revealed a look of utter desolation and horror. He then let out a mournful laugh:

"Now you should know what that guy surnamed Du is drinking, right?"

7)

Zhao Zhuo had a frightening hole on his skull, which terrified Qin Fangcheng and Lin Hong. Lin Hong looked at him in fear: "Does it hurt? It's such a... big hole." She wanted to reach out and touch it, but hesitated. Qin Fangcheng also came over: "Buddy, buddy, don't blame me for teasing you earlier, I was only doing it for you... Don't dawdle any longer, get in my car and go to the hospital right away."

"No, no." Zhao Zhuo waved his hand and declined their offer. "It's much better now. When this hole first appeared, the opening was about one and a half centimeters in diameter. I didn't even dare to walk fast, because my brain would splatter all over my face. It wasn't so bad that the brain would splatter out, but it affected my thinking. I couldn't concentrate on anything. If I thought about anything, the brain would spray out of the hole. But these past few days, the opening has slowly healed, and the brain has stopped splattering. I can slowly think about things again. I'm basically fine now. I'm just worried about Xiaoping. If she falls into the hands of that Du guy, I'm afraid... the kind of suffering she'll endure will be even more unbearable."

Qin Fangcheng shook his head in disbelief: "I thought I'd be dead if my head got cracked open, but you seem alright."

Zhao Zhuo gave a bitter smile: "That's only because I'm Zhao Zhuo. Anyone else would be dead by now." Qin Fangcheng nodded repeatedly: "That's right, that's right. So... what exactly happened?" Zhao Zhuo let out a long breath and sat on the bench: "Give me a bowl of wontons first. I'm starving. Let me eat while I tell you all about it."

The wontons were served quickly. Zhao Zhuo stiffly picked up the bowl and chopsticks, wolfing down his food with a slurping sound, and began to speak:

You've already met Mr. Du; his name is Du Hongyuan, a very famous figure. He and his company are legendary in the business world. One of the reasons I joined that company was because of Du Hongyuan's reputation. Moreover, once you meet him in person, you can truly feel his charismatic personality as a successful person, and his commanding presence and unwavering integrity. This charisma and integrity have already been proven by the internationally renowned company he built; I don't need to elaborate further.

What I want to tell you is that I was once captivated by his aggressive mentality of doing anything to succeed, and I was proud to serve under Du Hongyuan. As my friends, you have all felt this sense of pride in me, and even shared in my honor.

Oh, I haven't gone off-topic at all, because I have a long story to tell. If I don't explain the whole thing from the beginning, you'll hardly believe what I'm about to tell you. What I'm about to say is too terrible, too contrary to common sense. You won't believe me just because of the hole in my head, unless... the worst thing happens to you, just like it happened to my wife, which is definitely not what I want!

The company is Du Hongyuan's independent kingdom, and he is the undisputed emperor. All the company's employees rely on Du Hongyuan's extraordinary wisdom and strong will for survival. This man surnamed Du has a keen business sense. Once he has identified a promising idea, he will stick to it to the end and always succeeds. He personally oversees every major investment project of the company. Once he encounters a tough opponent, he will seek to negotiate rationally with the other party. Almost all competitors have been completely conquered by his personal strength. He can still make a lot of profits on investment projects that are rejected by all investment experts. This is the most legendary part of his tough personal style.

Working under such a renowned figure is something to be proud of, because I can not only feel the power of success from Du Hongyuan, but more importantly, I can also learn from his extraordinary courage, talent and wisdom. These qualities are something we can never have enough of, and we always hope to gain more.

It was out of such admiration that I repeatedly begged Du Hongyuan to allow Xiaoping to join the company. When he agreed after the interview, I was overjoyed and even threw a big party. You two, as my best friends, also attended the party. I still remember your excitement in celebrating for me. Indeed, it was an honor for all of us, at least that's how I felt that night.

But after the gathering, Xiaoping's attitude suddenly changed. She stammered that she had changed her mind and didn't want to go to our company anymore. I was furious and questioned her why. You know how much I had done for Du Hongyuan to get her into our company? Now she just casually said she wasn't going. How was I supposed to explain this to Chairman Du? But Xiaoping just cried and refused to give a reason. I kept pressing her for answers, and finally, Xiaoping got angry and tried to run away, but I grabbed her and slapped her hard. That was the first and only time I ever hit her.

Xiaoping looked at me with utter disbelief and said, "That guy surnamed Du is a lecher. He made inappropriate advances during my interview." I burst out laughing. It was utterly ridiculous, absurd, and utterly lacking in common sense. Who is Du Hongyuan? A shrewd and ambitious man with a broad vision. Countless beautiful women have tried to win his favor, but he's a businessman with grand ambitions. He wouldn't be bound by personal feelings. Even if you looked down on him, he had no reason to make a move on a girl like Xiaoping.

It was entirely due to a blind worship mentality that I didn't believe Xiaoping's words at all. I even imagined that what happened to her was a test from Chairman Du to test her career orientation or personal growth trend. In short, I started from the best wishes and portrayed Du Hongyuan as a perfect success, which finally convinced Xiaoping and made her agree to work in the company's finance department.

However, a few days later, Xiaoping told me with great concern that she sensed something was wrong with the atmosphere in the company. The employee turnover rate was too high; even key employees had significantly shorter tenures than in other companies. My explanation was that the company was developing too rapidly, and those who couldn't keep up were inevitably laid off. That's the harsh reality. If the company didn't eliminate these lazy employees, it would be eliminated in the brutal business competition. We certainly didn't want to see that happen, so we had to work hard to keep up with the company's development.

Despite my elaborate explanations, I still couldn't convince Xiaoping. She complained that the company's employees were working too much overtime, and every night some employees would sleep at the company because of the long hours. Despite their dedication to the company, they still couldn't escape being ruthlessly kicked out in the end.

Xiaoping's words gave me a jolt.

Indeed, the company's turnover rate is too fast. Every day, some young and confident new employees join, but before long, these people all become pale and sallow, their thinking sluggish, their eyes lifeless, and even their gait resembles that of an elderly person, their legs stumbling and bumping against each other. I used to have no sympathy for these people. Competition in the business world is a comprehensive competition, including not only intellectual contests but also physical ones. These people are too physically fit to keep up with the company's pace of development, and they have no one to blame but themselves.

However, a strange thing happened: all these dismissed employees had one thing in common: they had all worked overtime at the company until very late, eventually sleeping there. A few days later, they all became disorganized, mentally unstable, listless, and unable to concentrate, ultimately becoming worthless employees and being kicked out.

Du Hongyuan famously said, "The more you do for the company, the more the company will reward you." Almost every employee firmly believed this. In reality, it was just a lie; no one actually benefited from the company's growth. All the profits went into Du Hongyuan's pocket. Once doubts arose about this once unwavering belief, they spread like wildfire, quickly and irresistibly engulfing me.

I recall something. Du Hongyuan often found strange excuses to delay working hours. If he worked too late, he would sleep on the company sofa, which he proudly called "the company's sofa culture." I remember an employee who had fallen asleep during work hours after working overtime complaining that he dreamed of a terrifying monster licking his head with a barbed tongue. These absurd tales would circulate in the company every now and then, and one of my jobs was to stop these harmful rumors from spreading unchecked. Whenever I heard someone irresponsibly spreading such rumors, I would immediately and ruthlessly report them to HR for dismissal.

However, Xiaoping's strange attitude made me start to have doubts about it.

8)

The day after I became suspicious, the company laid off several more employees. Like those who had been kicked out before, they were once the company's most energetic, hardworking, innovative, and ambitious core members who firmly believed in Du Hongyuan's famous saying. The longest they had worked for the company was no more than a year, but they had become listless, weak, and yawning all the time, like a heavy smoker who hadn't had his fill of smoking.

As these emaciated, dejected losers walked out of the HR department, I called one of them to my office. I closed the door and asked, "You seemed quite energetic when you first joined the company. Why have you suddenly become so depressed?" The man stared at me for a long time before letting out a strange laugh: "Director Zhao, we're nothing but blood-sucked trash. It's only natural that we're being kicked out. Look at us, even our bone marrow and brains have been drained by that guy surnamed Du. Don't believe me? Tap my head!" He then flicked his head a few times, producing a few hollow, clear, and powerful echoes—bang, bang, bang, bang!

The sound startled me so much that I jumped up. Based on my experience, I immediately realized that the person standing in front of me had a hollow skull!

But could such a bizarre thing really happen in the world? A person with an empty head can still walk, think, eat, and even have sex?

I walked up to this man in disbelief and tapped his skull with my own hand. It was true; his skull was indeed empty. If we were to crack open his skull now, we would find nothing inside—no brain matter, no cerebrospinal fluid, and even very little blood.

The bizarre turn of events left me speechless. My mouth hung open, and I stared at him, unable to utter a single word. The man gave a bitter laugh and said, "Director Zhao, thank you for working so hard for Du Hongyuan, for draining our brains dry. You've fattened him up, and you've fattened yourself up too. But let me warn you, sooner or later you too will become prey for the addicts. Believe me, the feeling of having your brains drained is extremely painful. You'll experience it for yourself." With that, he staggered away like a frail old patient. I quickly went up to him and called out, "Why is this happening?"

Why is this happening? The man tried to clear his mind, but because his head was completely blank, any thought-provoking work was an extremely painful thing for him. The words he had already spoken were heartfelt words that had been accumulating in his heart for far too long. If he hadn't been asked about them at this moment, he believed that even these thoughts would have slowly faded away, like water stains on a stone under the scorching sun, until nothing was left.

Although his face was contorted in pain from overthinking, I still wouldn't let him go. I grabbed his arm and shouted, "Think about it! Think carefully about how this happened! This is important, do you understand?"

He looked up at me with a bewildered gaze, and said hesitantly, "That night I worked the night shift... the sofa, the straw, the steaming, delicious drink... that's it... that's it... that's it..." Overwhelmed by thought, he only managed a few words before drifting off to sleep. I quickly helped him to the sofa and sat back down to think. Clearly, he had described it perfectly clearly; all the strange events had occurred that night while he was working overtime. But what terrible thing had happened that night? Based on his few words alone, I still couldn't reach a conclusion.

The next day, Xiaoping told me, somewhat agitated, that Du Hongyuan had notified several colleagues in the finance department, including herself, to work overtime the following night. My face immediately paled, and the rice bowl I was holding crashed to the floor and shattered. Xiaoping thought I was worried she would have to stay at the company overnight, so she smiled and reassured me that it was okay, I could stay with her at the company the next night, and we could go home together after she finished her work. Although I completely agreed with this idea, I still felt a vague unease, though I couldn't quite put my finger on why.

The following afternoon, as expected, Du Hongyuan issued a notice instructing the finance department to expedite the accounting process in preparation for tomorrow's financial audit. The finance staff immediately began working diligently. I was restless, repeatedly glancing towards the finance department's door. Xiaoping, sitting at her desk, smiled sweetly at me, indicating I should wait for her after get off work. But my eyes were fixed nervously on the door of Du Hongyuan's chairman's office. I wondered if he would also be staying at the company that night.

Thankfully, no. About an hour later, the phone on my desk suddenly rang. I hesitated for a moment, then quickly slipped away. Sure enough, just a few minutes after I hid, Du Hongyuan stormed out of the chairman's office, his face contorted with rage. He kicked open my office door and roared as he searched for me throughout the company. I hid behind a pile of cardboard boxes in the storage room, vowing not to let him find me. I knew why he was looking for me; he wanted to take me out to negotiate with clients or have dinner. Whatever it was, he just wanted to separate me from Xiaoping. And I had promised to take care of Xiaoping for the rest of my life; I would never allow such a thing to happen!

Du Hongyuan kept causing trouble at the company for a long time, but I didn't show up. He had no choice but to instruct the people in the company that if they saw me, I should go to the Hongcheng Hotel immediately. I secretly laughed in the shadows, thinking that no one would run into me. I refused to come out until the end of the workday.

So, like a naughty child, I hid in the storage room and waited until it was past closing time and most of the company had left before I quietly slipped out.

I stopped in front of the finance office door and peeked at the light shining through the crack. Xiaoping was indeed still inside. When I opened the door, I saw her sitting there, looking melancholy, mechanically sorting through the accounts. I whistled softly, and she suddenly looked up, letting out a joyful shout, and jumped onto the desk, leaping towards me. I caught her, hugged her slender body, and spun her around. At that moment, I was quite pleased with my little trick, believing that no one could separate us.

That's absolutely right. In this world, no one can truly separate us. However, I overlooked the existence of another terrifying force.

Besides Xiaoping, four other female accountants from the finance department were also working overtime at the company that day, making a total of five girls. They all welcomed me. The company's abhorrence in making female employees work overtime until late at night reveals the extent of Du Hongyuan's malice, but everyone dared not speak out. Now that I, a man, was with them, they felt at ease.

To be honest, the office environment provided by the company for its employees is really good. There are several large meeting rooms with long sofas against the walls, some as big as sofa beds, where a person can easily sleep comfortably. There is air conditioning with adjustable temperature, a large flat-screen TV, a VCD player, and a whole cabinet full of movie discs. The reading room has many books that can be browsed at will. There are even high-quality blankets in the meeting rooms. The restrooms are equipped with a full set of disposable toiletries. This kind of superior environment is something that single men would love, but it is deeply criticized by female employees who value family more.

That night, the girls worked until about 1 a.m. before they finally finished clearing the accounts. Then they excitedly ran into the bathroom and played around in there for a while before coming out. After they came out, they started packing their things. None of the girls wanted to stay overnight at the company, so I had to take them home one by one.

I didn't complain about this arduous task. On the contrary, I was happy to be with Xiaoping. We joked around as we walked out of the office area, through the corridor to the door, only to find that the door was locked. We were locked inside the building and couldn't get out.

9)

Our company occupies a building in a bustling commercial area. The first floor is the staff canteen, and the second floor onwards are the staff office area. The finance department, the chairman's office, and the conference room are all on the sixth floor. Security guards hired from a security company are responsible for the security of the entire building. There is a security guard's duty station on the first floor that is open all night, but the security guard room is empty, quiet, and has an eerie feel to it.

After waiting for a long time without the security guard returning, the girls grumbled in dissatisfaction. Eventually, we grew impatient; it was obvious the security guard had neglected his post for the night. We decided to go upstairs to rest, which meant we'd all have to sleep on the sofa in the conference room tonight.

Exhausted, we climbed back to the sixth floor. The four girls immediately took over a large conference room, leaving the small one for Xiaoping and me.

After a long and tiring day, I was exhausted and yawning constantly. I lay down on the sofa, ready to sleep, when two girls came and knocked on the door, inviting Xiaoping to go to the restroom with them. They only asked Xiaoping as an excuse; they actually wanted me to go with them because the hallway was too dark and they were scared. Xiaoping reluctantly pulled me along as we left the meeting room and walked down the dark hallway to the restroom. Strangely, the women's restroom light was malfunctioning; pressing the switch did nothing. The three girls started chattering, discussing going to the large restroom on the fourth floor. I was quite impatient, but I couldn't say anything, so I just kept a straight face and accompanied them downstairs.

When we reached the fifth floor, we suddenly heard a scream from upstairs. It rang out abruptly in the quiet midnight, sharp and chilling. The girls were so frightened by the scream that they started yelling and screaming in unison, hugging each other tightly and looking at me.

I frowned and guessed: Don't be afraid, maybe the two of them were scared because they saw you were staying in the room for so long, so they called out.

Before I could finish speaking, another sharp scream rang out. This time, not only the girls, but my heart also clenched in pain.

It was a helpless scream from someone in extreme pain and humiliation, a cry that could only be uttered when one's heart is breaking and one is suffering unbearable torment. The terror revealed in the scream was so intense that several girls trembled involuntarily. Xiaoping was especially frightened, clinging tightly to my arm and burying her head in my chest.

I hesitated, glancing at Xiaoping and the other girls. They were all looking at me with pitiful eyes, an expression no one could misunderstand—they didn't want me to leave them, that was it. But I had to go back upstairs to check. If something had really happened, those two girls upstairs would definitely be hoping I'd come over quickly.

I nervously looked around and saw that the reception desk on the fifth floor was very high, so I pulled the three of them behind it and told them to crouch down and hide behind the desk without making a sound. I told them that if nothing happened, I would come back and get them to go back together. After settling the three of them down, I was about to go upstairs when Xiaoping jumped up and followed me, saying, "No, I want to stay with you. I'm afraid you're not safe."

I put my hands on Xiaoping's shoulders and comforted her, saying, "Nothing will happen. The building doors are locked, and no outsiders will be able to get in. Even if someone does manage to get in, they might not be a match for me. Trust me. If I bring you along, I'll have to protect you if something happens, which will only get in my way. Just be a good girl and hide here with the two of them, okay?"

I gently patted Xiaoping's back to calm her down. I told her I was there, Zhao Zhuo was there, and no one could hurt her. She understood my body language, hugged me back, and nodded.

Suddenly, I felt a surge of energy. I turned around and picked up a dumbbell from the corner. It was a dumbbell that an employee had bought himself to improve the office's fitness routine. However, after working overtime one day, the employee quickly became lethargic and his mental state declined. He was fired by the company and forgot the dumbbell at the office when he left. I never expected it to come in handy at this time.

I tried not to make a sound and carefully made my way up to the sixth floor.

The sixth-floor corridor was pitch black. I could only see a bright light shining through the crack in the conference room door. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the light and was about to walk over when suddenly I froze. In the darkness, there was a sound.

The sound was right in front of me, like a huge reptile slowly wriggling, but I couldn't see it in the darkness, only feel a chilling sense of dread. I've always prided myself on being brave, but that night, I felt an inexplicable tremor. That terrifying sound, the source of that sound, seemed to possess a terrifying power, making my heart pound uncontrollably, my pulse quicken, and my adrenaline surge, instantly overwhelming my courage, making me afraid to utter a sound, lest I be discovered by what was lurking in the darkness. Like the most cowardly of cowards, I pressed my back against the wall, held my breath, and in extreme terror, hoped that this moment would pass quickly.

That terrifying thing passed by me, its pungent, suffocating stench almost making me groan. What kind of creature was that? How could it be in a company in a big city? I strained my eyes, trying to see it clearly, but no matter how hard I tried, I could only vaguely sense a shadowy shape. Suddenly, the thing swayed, the sound like a beast shaking its fur. Two drops of viscous liquid splashed onto my face. I reached out and touched it; it was a milky paste, still slightly warm. I was sure it wasn't blood, but what could it be?

The indistinct thing crawled into an open office. Immediately, there was a clatter of chairs and tables falling over. I breathed a sigh of relief, quietly ran along the wall, and then dashed towards the conference room where the two girls were.

I ran as fast as I could, feeling as if that thing had caught up with me. Luckily, I knew it was just an illusion, caused by my muscles being too tense due to extreme tension.

I ran to the conference room door in one breath, first hiding myself in the shadows against the wall, then nervously looked back. The thing was still on the other side of the corridor, then it burst into another office, smashing some glass container with a loud crash. The crisp sound of shattering echoed down the quiet corridor, unusually jarring. I clutched my chest, gasping for breath, a strange thought rising in my mind: whatever it was, it was something no human could overcome. I was thankful it hadn't discovered me.

After catching my breath, I peeked into the conference room: thankfully, the two girls were asleep safely on the sofa. Just as I relaxed, I suddenly tensed up again:

If the two of them are unharmed, then who made that terrifying scream just now?

I walked in with a pounding heart, went to a girl, and nudged her. She stirred slightly but continued to sleep soundly. I nudged another girl, who also let out a soft groan but remained fast asleep. This meant they were indeed alright. No matter how inexplicable the screams were, as long as they were safe and sound, I felt a sense of relief.

I pushed them hard, trying to wake them up, but they just groaned in dissatisfaction and wouldn't wake up no matter what I did. That terrifying feeling of tension gripped me again. What had happened to them? Why couldn't I wake them up? I turned one of the girls' heads over for a closer look and was so frightened that I almost fell to the ground.

The girl was very beautiful, with skin as white as jade and cheeks as white as snow. Everyone in the company called her Snow White. But now, her face had inexplicably turned ashen and pale, and her fingertips were digging deep into the fabric sofa, even tearing through the surface. Only in desperate situations or extreme suffering can a person unleash their full potential and exert such astonishing strength. So what had happened to her?

The other girl was in the same situation as Snow White, with a haggard and dull face, as if she had just recovered from a serious illness.

10)