With a grin that stretched from ear to ear, Yu Xiao returned to the ward. Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen lay in their beds, their chests rising and falling in a steady rhythm.

    Yu Xiao suppressed a giggle. Everyone’s asleep, so no one to share her joy with for now ~Hehehe~!

    Quietly, she walked into the bathroom, holding her clothes. Looking at herself in the mirror, a surge of satisfaction washed over her. Even more beautiful than before!

    Turning on the shower, she allowed the warm water to wash over her, softly humming a tune. She longed to sing out loud, but didn’t want to disturb anyone. Lathering herself with fragrant soap and shampoo, she made sure she smelled fresh and pleasant. She dried herself with a fluffy towel and put on her clothes, feeling ready for anything.

    She stepped out of the bathroom, just as she heard a scratching sound at the door.

    It was the ghost, still roaming the corridors, still not giving up on its quest. Yu Xiao felt a pang of sympathy for the poor creature, and whispered through the door, “Stop scratching. When the inspection is over, I’ll get Saint Elizabeth to expand.”

    The scratching ceased immediately, followed by a soft rustling sound, and then something slid under the door.

    Yu Xiao bent down and picked it up. It was a card.

    She flipped it over and read the words on the card – “One-time Charm Card.”

    Well, would you look at that?

    Yu Xiao felt a warm glow in her chest, as if she had been rewarded for her kindness. Being helpful was the right thing to do!

    “Thank you,” Yu Xiao said sincerely. “Go back and wait for news. It shouldn’t take long.”

    The sound outside faded away, and Yu Xiao lay on her bed, holding the card in her hand. She wondered what it could do. This kind of card must be like asking for a pair of roller skates – both were disposable tools. Though the effect of the card only lasted for a while, it could have unexpected effects at critical moments.

    Yu Xiao was grinning from ear to ear. Today was a glorious day, wasn’t it?

    “Smiley… Smiley?”

    Yu Xiao cracked her eyes open, finding Zhou Xiao Zhen’s pale and round face inches from her own. “Come on, get up. It’s inspection day today. Misty said we should be up bright and early.”

    “Mmm…” Yu Xiao agreed vaguely. She had slept poorly last night; she had stayed out too late and tossed and turned in bed.

    She rose and joined the others by the window, where they had arranged some chairs and a kettle of tea. They waited for the curtains to part.

    Yu Xiao looked around the gloomy hospital room and felt a pang of curiosity. “What do you think we’d see if we opened the curtains before eight?”

    “The mountains at night,” Zhou Xiao Zhen said.

    She realised her two sisters had gone quiet. Puzzled, she asked, “Did I say something wrong?”

    “Well…” Zhao Lan said, “Precious has a point.”

    “But we all know the view outside is fake. I mean, no bird flies the same way every day, right? So I have a hunch the night scene might be different from the day one,” Yu Xiao wondered.

    “Smiley has a point,” Zhou Xiao Zhen said, itching to pull the curtains. “Should we have a look?”

    “Maybe not,” Zhao Lan said nervously, “What if there’s something out there we don’t want to see?”

    “No way.” Zhou Xiao Zhen said, “The hospital rules don’t say anything about not opening the curtains before eight.”

    “Exactly,” Yu Xiao rose and strode to the window, saying, “I doubt we’re the only ones intrigued by what’s outside.”

    As she spoke, she seized the curtain with one hand and said, “You lot, cower in the corner.”

    “Cower for what?” Zhou Xiao Zhen said, “Let’s do it together.”

    With that, she pulled the curtain with force, and it flew open. Yu Xiao was awed by Zhou Xiao Zhen’s courage and thought, ‘Truly, Precious is the boldest among us three.’

    “There’s nothing out there,” Zhou Xiao Zhen said baffled.

    Yu Xiao swiftly looked out, only to see a thick, impenetrable darkness outside the window, a darkness that not even light could pierce.

    ‘Is that it?’ Yu Xiao felt somewhat let down, thinking, ‘Is this all?’

    “Look, what’s that?” Zhao Lan pointed above the window.

    Yu Xiao looked up and saw a sticky, blood-like liquid dripping down from the top of the window. It trickled down slowly, splitting into three streams all the way to the bottom.

    Yu Xiao scowled, about to close the curtain. Suddenly, something fell from above, making a “thud” as it landed on the outside window sill, even bouncing a bit.

    Zhou Xiao Zhen recoiled in horror, taking two steps backward.

    It was then that they beheld the horror—a black, spherical object that spun in the air. As it rotated to face them, they recognised it for what it was: the severed head of a woman, oozing blood from every orifice.

    Her eyes, wide and bloody, fixed them with a malevolent stare, and her crimson lips parted.

    “— One.”

    “— Two.”

    “— Three.”

    “— Hehehe… don’t forget, yeah?” The head cackled shrilly and vanished.

    Simultaneously, the 8 a.m. alarm sounded on cue.

    “Ding dong!”

    A gentle melody accompanied the soft light that pierced the dark window. When the light dimmed, the tranquil vista of nature revealed itself—majestic mountains, rippling streams, birdsong, and floral scents.

    Zhao Lan stirred, “Did she just count us?”

    “Seems so,” Yu Xiao agreed.

    “What did she mean by don’t forget?” Zhou Xiao Zhen wondered. “Is she planning to return for us?”

    Yu Xiao scowled, grabbing talismans and affixing two letters on the window: an S and a B.

    (“S” (pronounced “sī”) stands for “sèn” (傻) which means “silly” or “stupid.”

    “B” (pronounced “bì”) stands for “bī” (逼) which is a vulgar slang term often used to insult or denote contempt, roughly equivalent to “fk” or “fker” in English slang.)

    “That should keep her out,” Yu Xiao declared.

    “Hmm,” Zhou Xiao Zhen dismissed it, and went on, “The inspection work begins today. I’m curious about what kind of inspection it will be.”

    “Luo Jin said it wouldn’t bother the regular patients much,” Zhao Lan remarked. “The main focus is on Saint Elizabeth’s. Speaking of which, Smiley, have you sorted out everything at Saint Elizabeth’s?”

    “Done and dusted, George is too,” Yu Xiao said, taking a sip of her tea. “But he let slip that someone has a grudge against me. I haven’t the foggiest who, but I suspect it’s Gu Shu. He’s the only one I’ve really rubbed the wrong way… and the only one who’s gone AWOL.”

    “Gu Shu’s a right plonker,” Zhou Xiao Zhen said, shaking her head. “Can’t we all just bury the hatchet? Hasn’t he realised our Smiley has upgraded? Smiley can even lock up the attending doctors now, what can he do to frighten us?”

    “Don’t be complacent about Gu Shu,” Zhao Lan warned her sisters. “He’s still the attending doctor. If he shows up with a plan, we’re in trouble.”

    “I get it,” Yu Xiao said, nodding. “I’m not taking him lightly.”

    “And now, let the splendid day begin~ Let’s tune in to the hospital’s morning news…”

    “Today, the hospital inspection officially gets underway. The Director of Health Bureau, along with other leaders, paid a visit to the Sixth Hospital to scrutinise its operations, escorted by the hospital director…”

    “Bloody hell!” Zhou Xiao Zhen cried. “Why’s the Sixth Hospital the first on their inspection agenda?”

    The news bulletin droned on.

    “The director and his companions reached the Sixth Hospital’s inpatient department and scrutinised its infrastructure. The director stressed that the Sixth Hospital was a new establishment, and the hospital president and medical staff ought to learn humbly and manage it effectively…”

    “The hospital president and his crew then moved on to the Sixth Hospital’s cafeteria, inspecting its hygiene standards. The director pointed out that the cafeteria was a vital part of the hospital, and cafeteria staff should endure hardship and fatigue…”

    “Next, the director and his group ascended to the second floor of the inpatient department to check the occupancy of the wards. He observed that the occupancy rate of the Sixth Hospital’s wards was still low, which was the fault of the hospital president. He resolved on the spot that communication with patients about their impressions of staying at the hospital should occur…”

    Zhao Lan knitted her brows. “Do they have to chat with patients too?”

    “We’re lucky we’re on a high floor,” Zhou Xiao Zhen commented. “They likely won’t trouble us for that.”

    “Relax,” Yu Xiao soothed. “Our luck isn’t that rotten. I’ve used several luck cards; bad things steer clear of me.”

    “Right you are!” Zhou Xiao Zhen agreed. “Smiley’s got it!”

    “After a short deliberation, the Director opted to converse with the patient who topped the leaderboard of the sixth hospital…” Sёarch* The N??eFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Yu Xiao: “…”

    Zhou Xiao Zhen: “Eek!”

    Zhao Lan: “Crikey…”

    “Knock knock knock!”

    A knock sounded from outside the door.

    “The Director and his followers have reached the ward of the patient known as ‘Deaf Descendant’, who is the leader of the leaderboard, and they are requesting the patient to communicate.”

    “Hello.” A very standard Mandarin voice came from outside the door, “Is this the ward of Deaf Heir? I am the director of the Health Bureau and I would like to have a word with you. Could you step out for a bit?”

    Yu Xiao felt her scalp prickle.

    Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen were petrified.

    Yu Xiao’s rational mind urged her not to botch this up, but her body wouldn’t comply; she couldn’t even get up.

    “Hello? Could you step out for a bit?”

    “I…” Yu Xiao nibbled her lip, “Er, I’m not very… available right now. Can’t we talk things over without opening the door?”

    There was a pause outside, then the director said, “Of course, may I inquire if there’s anything unsatisfactory during your hospitalisation, Miss?”

    “Unsatisfactory…” Yu Xiao said, “Lots of places feelin’ off.”

    The Director: “Such as?”

    She decided to start with the obvious. “Like… being confined to the ward all day, unable to move around, feels pretty miserable,” Yu Xiao said, warming up, “And also, the courier service from the Sixth Hospital is abysmal. Always shouting, even snarling at me. I’m a bloody brain cancer patient, for heaven’s sake, fragile as hell mentally. Every time I have to deal with the courier, it just feels wrong.”

    “Alright, anything else?”

    “Oh, there’s more, but it’s all stuff from the treatment instances, not sure if I should blab?” Yu Xiao asked.

    “Go on, say it.”

    “So, when I was getting treated in Gu Village before, the attending doctor there seemed to have some odd notions about me. Sigh, maybe I’m just paranoid. But the villagers all sensed that something was off, ah… never mind, ignore what I said,” Yu Xiao’s tone brightened, “Overall, I’ve been feeling pretty chipper during my time at the Sixth Hospital, thanks to the leaders, thanks to the medical staff for giving me a chance at life, I sincerely thank everyone…”

    “Alright, thank you for your useful feedback,” the Director said, “We won’t disturb your rest any longer.”

    After that, the noise outside faded away, and Yu Xiao let out a huge sigh of relief. Zhou Xiao Zhen gave her a thumbs up.

    The news bulletin resumed.

    “After successfully and efficiently communicating with the ‘Deaf Descendant’ patient, the Director felt rather heavy-hearted. A hospital was a place to treat and save lives, yet such malignant incidents like rude courier attitudes and the attending doctor developing taboo feelings towards patients… unbelievable…”

    Yu Xiao: “…”

    “Blimey,” Zhou Xiao Zhen was shocked, “The Director didn’t even look into it?”

    “…After conducting inquiries and interviews, with testimonies from villagers in Gu Village. Dr. Gu, the attending doctor, during the treatment period, despite the patient being a ‘Deaf Descendant’ already married, attempted to force a relationship with said patient. Considering it’s their first offence and no severe consequences resulted, the leadership decided to penalise them with a three-year salary cut…”