Куры и собаки летают в хаосе и возрождении

Глава 8

Luo Shimin blushed and said, "I'll give you the leaf ingredients." The implication was clear.

"Who is Ye Cheng? I've never heard of that name before."

Luo Shimin lowered her head as much as she could. "Is Ye Cheng the policeman who just went out?"

"Him?" Hu Rongrong exclaimed angrily, "Are you trying to drive me crazy?"

“Ye Cheng is a good person. He was just anxious to solve the case, that’s why he acted that way.” Hu Rongrong turned to look at the wall, ignoring Luo Shimin’s explanation. Xia Chen also chimed in, “Xiao Ye is a good policeman. He’s very caring.”

"You two have only known each other for a few days, how come you're already so close that you're practically inseparable?" Hu Rongrong's words left Xia and Luo speechless with embarrassment.

Ye Cheng was taking a walk in the hospital when he received a call from his superior. After Luo Shimin's outburst, although Hu Rongrong had woken up, she had also been exposed. To prevent further incidents, Hu Rongrong was to be moved to a different room, and the number of people in the know was limited to a few. If anything happened, he would be held responsible. Ye Cheng could only turn around and return to the ward to discuss the room change with the doctor.

Half an hour later, Ye Cheng returned to Hu Rongrong's room looking dejected. Hu Rongrong asked provocatively, "Didn't you go for a walk to clear your mind? Why are you back so soon?"

"I didn't want to come back." Ye Cheng saw that there was nothing left to pack in the room. He picked up the washbasin and other toiletries and said to Hu Rongrong, "Get up, don't lie there."

"Where to?" Hu Rongrong asked.

Ye Cheng said impatiently, "Just come with me. Why ask so many questions? The police won't hurt you."

Hu Rongrong snatched the washbasin away, saying, "I won't leave unless you tell me. If you dare to pull me, I'll call the police and beat people up."

"You're being a scoundrel."

"What can you do to me if I act like a scoundrel?"

Luo and Xia watched helplessly as the two bickered. These two must have had a grudge in their past lives, arguing non-stop every time they met in this one. Ye Cheng, defeated, looked to Xia Chen for help.

Xia Chen said, "She asked you why you changed rooms, just tell her, it's not like it's a state secret."

Even if you don't say it, anyone with a brain can figure out why. Just tell me.

Luo Shimin said somewhat embarrassedly, "Why did I change rooms? I'm sure I'm not out of my mind, but I just didn't expect this."

Xia Chen gave Luo Shimin a meaningful look but remained silent. Ye Cheng, left with no other choice, said, "It's for your safety. You're the only survivor in this case now. Six people have already died, and we don't want another one. Because of Luo Shimin's outburst, too many people now know you're in this room. To prevent any accidents, we need to move you to another room."

"Six?" Hu Rongrong turned her questioning gaze to Luo Shimin. "Who else?"

"Qi Xiaoke and all members of the medical room."

"You mean Dr. Wei, Nurse Song, and them, they all..." Hu Rongrong couldn't finish her sentence.

"So please remember what happened that night as soon as possible." Ye Cheng took the washbasin and walked out of the ward. Hu Rongrong followed behind with a gloomy expression. Luo Shimin carried her flower basket, while Xia Chen walked out of the ward empty-handed.

Outside the ward, the thugs from the Batian Gang were still standing in the corridor. When they saw Luo Shimin come out, they all stood up straight like javelins, hoping that Luo Shimin would give them a second glance.

The new ward is located at the very back of the top floor, with only one elevator connecting it to the outside. The stairs are far from the ward. There are two security cameras along the only way to get to the ward; you could see a fly fly by. The corridor has excellent visibility, with the elevator and stairs clearly visible at a glance. The only way to enter the ward undetected is through a ghost or an invisible person.

Ye Cheng was very satisfied with the new ward. "The environment is excellent. Anyone with malicious intentions can be seen from ten meters away, which is no different from walking into a trap. If I arrange two more police officers to be on duty in the corridor, everything will be even more perfect. I hope the murderer will not fail to come."

Hu Rongrong asked coldly, "Are you using me as bait to fish?"

Ye Cheng was speechless. Hu Rongrong then said, "As long as the murderer can be caught, I'm willing to be your bait." After saying that, she turned and looked out the window at the sky, seemingly lost in thought.

Luo Shimin was always worried about Hu Rongrong's safety and didn't want her to get hurt in any way. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, she quietly slipped out the door, found Sang Long, and told him that Hu Rongrong's best friend was staying in the ward on the top floor, and that she should protect her safety without disturbing her rest.

"Understood, I'll take care of it." Sang Long happily gave the instructions and went off to make arrangements. Twenty minutes later, a group of thugs flooded into the inpatient department of Huaxia Hospital. Except for the top floor, there were thirty or forty people on every floor, almost filling the entire corridor, glaring menacingly at every visitor. Sang Long's injuries no longer hurt. He kept patrolling each floor to ensure everything went smoothly. He was just a low-ranking leader in the Batian Gang, and this was a golden opportunity. If he handled it well, he might be promoted several ranks. He didn't want to miss this precious chance.

The frightened patient called the police, but the police were helpless. The thugs hadn't done anything illegal; while standing in the hallway might obstruct traffic, they posed no threat to anyone's life or property. Hospital security guards had the right to remove them, but seeing this situation, how many guards would dare to step forward?

Time flew by, and night fell in the blink of an eye.

Luo Shimin, Xia Chen, and Ye Cheng all stayed behind to keep Hu Rongrong company, but unfortunately, there was only one bed in the ward. Luo Shimin and Hu Rongrong shared a bed, but luckily it was big enough that they often squeezed together without too much discomfort. Xia Chen and Ye Cheng were in a worse situation; they slept on chairs in the corridor—chairs with armrests at that. They could only curl up in an M-shape, looking like large worms. When people are really sleepy, they can fall asleep in any environment, including chairs with armrests.

The night was deep.

Hu Rongrong tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Her mind was filled with uncontrollable images of Qi Xiaoke's tragic death, and what her parents' expressions would be when they heard the news. The more she thought about it, the less she could sleep.

The light from the corridor shone through the window in the door, falling directly on the hospital bed and illuminating Luo Shimin's sweet face as she slept. She murmured enviously to herself, "I wish I could be like you, not thinking about anything, not remembering anything, living a carefree and easy life."

Luo Shimin seemed to have heard Hu Rongrong's words, turned over, and gave her a sweet smile.

Hu Rongrong got out of bed, quietly walked to the door, and tiptoed to look down the corridor. Ye Cheng lay curled up in a ball on the chair facing the ward, like a cute little kitten, his lips still moving slightly. Hu Rongrong smiled; the sleeping Ye Cheng didn't seem so unpleasant. She then shifted her gaze to Xia Chen, who, still fast asleep, remained expressionless, as cold as a steel plate. "I can't understand why Luo Shimin would like this type of boy."

Feeling tired after watching for a while, Hu Rongrong went back to her hospital bed to prepare for sleep.

Suddenly, a strange sound came from a corner of the room.

Hiss...

The sound unlocked the floodgates of fear within her. Although her mind was still blank, her body trembled with terror, and cold sweat quickly soaked her pajamas.

At the boundary between light and darkness, something is moving! And that thing is watching her!

ghost!

Hu Rongrong was so frightened that she covered her head with the blanket and dared not look any further.

I don't know how much time passed, but nothing happened.

Hu Rongrong was very thirsty. She wanted a drink of water, and the water glass was on the bedside table not far from her, but she didn't dare to reach for it. Just when she was about to lose all her thirst, she felt Luo Shimin move, and then heard light footsteps. She went to the bathroom. Suddenly, she had a strange feeling; she was back in that afternoon, with Qi Xiaoke sitting beside her, clutching her stomach. The feeling of Qi Xiaoke being so close made sweat pour down her forehead like water.

The rustling sound... sounded like footsteps. Hu Rongrong assumed it was Luo Shimin returning from the bathroom.

Could you please hand me my water glass?

Luo Shimin didn't speak, but a hand touched her, and Hu Rongrong reached for the water glass. She drank most of the water in three gulps and felt much better. Hu Rongrong slowly stuck her head out of the covers. Everything in the room remained the same.

She turned her head, and a strong sense of fear pressed down on her chest like a mountain—she was alone; Luo Shimin was washing her hands in the bathroom. Her hand slipped, and the water glass fell to the floor with a thud.

Luo Shimin rushed out of the bathroom with lightning speed. She saw a terrified Hu Rongrong, and Xia Chen and Ye Cheng, who were outside the door, also rushed in at the same time. The three of them asked in unison, "What happened?"

"A ghost!" Hu Rongrong's lips turned pale with fright. "There's...there's...there's a ghost in the room!"

014 As if seeing a ghost

Upon seeing Luo Shimin, Hu Rongrong buried her face in her arms, trembling like a homeless wildcat caught in a storm.

Xia Chen and Ye Cheng carefully examined every corner of the room but found nothing unusual. Ye Cheng asked somewhat angrily, "My dear young lady, what did you see?"

Hu Rongrong was still in shock. "A ghost! There's a ghost in the room!"

Ye Cheng said with dissatisfaction, "Are you still half asleep? Can't you tell the difference between dreams and reality? How could there be ghosts in the world?" Making Ye Cheng believe that ghosts exist is not an easy task, but even more difficult than making him believe that aliens exist.

Hu Rongrong didn't argue with Ye Cheng; she was genuinely terrified.

Xia Chen thought about it more carefully, and he asked gently, "Rongrong, what did you see?"

"Shimin... went to the bathroom... I... was scared... covered my head... under the blanket... I was thirsty... someone... handed me... a water cup... Shimin... Shimin... is still... in... the bathroom." Hu Rongrong recounted the events in fits and starts, and everyone understood.

Ye Cheng said sarcastically, "Maybe you have superpowers, that is, you can move objects with your mind."

Luo Shimin glared angrily at Ye Cheng.

Xia Chen didn't speak. He walked to the bedside and picked up the water glass. There were faint red marks on the surface of the glass, some of which had been washed away by the water spilled inside. The remaining residue looked like blood, but there was no smell of blood. Xia Chen handed the glass to Ye Cheng, who remained silent. Something had indeed been in the room; whether it was a ghost or not was hard to say. Xia Chen checked the time; it was 2:30 AM. Hu Rongrong had seen the 'ghost' around 2:00 AM.

Ye Cheng put the cup away, intending to take it back to the police station for testing tomorrow. Hu Rongrong gradually fell asleep amidst Luo Shimin's comforting words. Ye and Xia left the room, frowning as they couldn't understand how something could have entered the ward so unnoticed right under their noses. Neither of them slept that night, remaining awake until dawn.

Xia Chen saw that it was already past six o'clock, so he got up to stretch his stiff body and took the elevator downstairs. He was going to exercise and buy breakfast, a habit he had developed over the years.

On his way back, he noticed that doctors, nurses, and patients' families were all whispering and talking about something. At first, he didn't pay much attention to it, but after walking for a while, he realized that everyone in the hospital was talking in hushed tones, even the fearless thugs of the Ba Tian Gang. Listening carefully, just like in the song, Xia Chen's brows furrowed again.

"Old Zhang, have you heard? The hospital is haunted."

"I've heard about it. The whole hospital is talking about it. How could I not have heard? That ghost with blue hair and fangs is terrifying. Old Wang, who lives next door, saw it with his own eyes. He was so scared that he had a heart attack and just got out of danger."

"I was saying that as soon as I entered this hospital, I felt a chill down my spine and cold air was coming out. So it's haunted. But I heard it's a female ghost in red."

Xia Chen overheard the conversation between two old men in the elevator. He was secretly amazed. Hu Rongrong said she saw a ghost last night, and this morning everyone in the hospital said they saw a ghost. This could not be a coincidence.

Back in the ward on the top floor, Hu Rongrong woke up. Luo Shimin helped her sit on the sofa. Ye Cheng stood in the room with a gloomy face, not saying a word. The atmosphere in the room was a bit strange.

Xia Chen put down his breakfast. "You all have such gloomy faces, like you've seen a ghost. You've heard about the hospital being haunted too?"

Ye Cheng countered, "Is the hospital haunted?"

"Yes, everyone knows about it now. You guys don't know? Then what are you doing...?"

Before Xia Chen could finish speaking, Ye Cheng interrupted, "The cup is gone?"

"What? Say it again?" Xia Chen couldn't believe his ears.

Ye Cheng repeated, "When Luo Shimin woke up, she found that the cup was missing. I searched every corner of the room but couldn't find it. I also checked the surveillance footage. No one came up after 10 p.m. last night, but the cup is really gone. It might really be haunted."

"I don't believe in ghosts." Xia Chen searched the room carefully, but he didn't know what he was looking for.

Ye Cheng sighed and said, "It's no use. I searched very carefully. I would notice even if there was an extra hair in the room."

"I want to search again myself." Xia Chen checked under the bed, on the floor, in the bathroom, in the wardrobe, and even the air vent. Just when he was about to give up, he found something on the windowsill outside the window. It was a strange mark left by something crawling over it. He took out his phone and compared it with a photo he had taken on Dr. Song's air conditioner. The mark was exactly the same. "Take a look at this." Xia Chen handed his phone to Ye Cheng and asked him to compare it.

After Ye Cheng finished reading, Luo Shimin and Hu Rongrong also rushed to look at it. Even the two inexperienced women could see that the tire tracks were the same. Ye Cheng was confused. He tentatively asked Xia Chen, "You don't think a snake climbed up from the windowsill and stole the cup, do you? This is the fifteenth floor! Even if a snake could climb up, how could it take the cup and jump down with its tail wrapped around it?"

After pondering for a moment, Xia Chen said, "These are not traces left by a snake. A snake wouldn't leave crushing marks when it crawls over you. We were wrong from the start; there was no snake in this case at all."

Ye Cheng looked at Hu Rongrong and asked, "No snake? Then what left these traces? Could it be a ghost?"

Luo Shimin once again displayed her amazing imagination: "Perhaps it is a mark left by some kind of demon worship, or a special symbol of a cult."

Xia Chen shook his head. "You're all wrong. Snakes crawl with their whole body, so they don't leave any gaps in their tracks. This isn't a man-made mark either. Drawing symbols would be too complicated, taking too much time and easily noticeable. Of course, it couldn't be left by a ghost, because there are no ghosts in the world."

"What is that?" the three of them asked in unison.

“If we connect the information we already have, we might be able to find some clues.” Xia Chen took out a piece of white paper and started drawing on it, while the other three gathered around, listening intently.

"A few months ago, members of the medical clinic went on a scientific expedition to the northern desert under the guise of tourism. It's highly likely they succeeded, bringing back something. Without Dr. Wei's knowledge, the four of them used their shifts to build a secret chamber in the sewers for research. Just as the research was nearing completion, an accident occurred—the very day Qi Xiaoke and Hu Rongrong came to the medical clinic for their treatment. To cover it up, Dr. Wu killed everyone in the medical clinic and escaped into the sewers. At that moment, an insider, not a member of the medical clinic, appeared and interrogated Dr. Wu about the research findings." After succeeding, he brutally murdered Dr. Wu. Then he went to Nurse Song's house, drove her insane using some means, and then hid in the shadows watching her die in an accident. Only one person remained who knew the truth—Dr. Wei. However, Dr. Wei had already been taken to the police station and, realizing the key to the entire case, the killer was forced to infiltrate the police station, murder Dr. Wei, and stage a suicide scene. After learning that Hu Rongrong had woken up, the killer used the same method to sneak into the ward last night, but for some reason, did not harm Hu Rongrong.

Ye Cheng shook his head and said, "Your explanation seems plausible, but there are some questions that can't be explained. According to you, since the research went wrong, why would the murderer kill the researcher? Wouldn't that mean the research would never succeed? Also, why did Dr. Wu kill his colleague in the infirmary? If it was to keep a secret, they should have killed Hu Rongrong, who was with Qi Xiaoke."

Furthermore, in your theory, the murderer is the same person using the same method. However, we didn't find any matching traces at the scenes of Dr. Wu's and Dr. Wei's murders. Also, although Hu Rongrong has amnesia, it's only temporary. Isn't the murderer afraid that if she remembers, he'll be exposed? If that's the case, and the murderer sneaked in last night, why didn't he kill Hu Rongrong to silence her? Death would solve everything, and everything would remain a mystery, unsolvable by anyone. That's all I can think of for now.”

Hu Rongrong and Luo Shimin were stunned; the intellectual battle between the two men was truly captivating. They wanted to chime in, but didn't know what to say.

Ye Cheng continued, “I know there are some things you haven’t said, but I know. You think their secret research is about something called the Desert Sandworm. The traces we’ve seen could have been left by this mysterious animal. Putting aside whether this animal even exists, let’s assume it does. We haven’t seen any sand at any of the crime scenes. How could this mysterious animal survive? It can’t possibly shrink into a person’s stomach, can it?”

Xia Chen said, "What you said makes a lot of sense, but I stick to my point of view and I will take your opinion into consideration."

Seeing that the two had stopped arguing, Luo Shimin took out the breakfast that Xia Chen had bought and said, "Everyone, eat quickly. You must be hungry. The food is getting cold, and it won't taste good if it gets cold."

While eating, Ye Cheng looked at Xia Chen and asked, "Where should we begin our investigation?"

Xia Chen swallowed the food in his mouth. "I think we should start by investigating the ghosts in the hospital."

Haha... Ye Cheng laughed, spitting out the food in his mouth, "Xia boy, you've thought of the same thing as me again."