It was hardly surprising that Miao Feichi's first suspicion fell on Mu Sicheng. After all, Bai Liu had only cleared two games and hadn't joined any guild; even as a controller-type player, he had no one to control. In the game lobby, control-type skills were nullified, meaning Bai Liu could only recruit allies—or rather, subordinates—within the game itself. Yet, with only two games under his belt, the first a solo run and the second a multiplayer match, Bai Liu had managed to control only Du Sanying and Mu Sicheng.
But Du Sanying had made it clear upon exiting that he was no longer under Bai Liu's influence. With his extraordinary luck, he always found a way out of any predicament; it was expected that Bai Liu's control over him would be fleeting. Liu Huai and Fang Ke had been controlled through Zhang Kui, but with Zhang Kui's death, they too were freed. Only Mu Sicheng remained, still clearly under Bai Liu's sway.
Thus, when it came to Bai Liu's accomplices, Mu Sicheng was the first to come to Miao Feichi's mind.
There was another reason Miao Feichi paid special attention to Mu Sicheng: his immense potential and formidable skill checks. While Miao Feichi didn't exactly fear Mu Sicheng, he found him troublesome—a high-mobility, high-judgment player who, in a direct confrontation, would be difficult to handle. Mu Sicheng's thief skills were particularly vexing for speed-attack players like Miao Feichi, much as he had once stolen an item from Spade, the game's top attacker, through sheer force of skill.
No speed-attack player liked Mu Sicheng, least of all Miao Feichi.
Earlier, in the orphanage registration room, Miao Feichi had checked for Mu Sicheng's name, but it was absent. Still, he trusted nothing written by other players and insisted on verifying everything himself.
He had already confirmed the identities of Liu Huai and Liu Jiayi in the cafeteria. Liu Huai, being a member of the King's Guild, had no reason to cross Miao Feichi without cause, and had readily shown his system panel, which listed his secondary identity—his sister, Liu Jiayi. For controller-type players like Bai Liu, however, such evidence was not always reliable, so Miao Feichi and his allies had double-checked, having Liu Huai use his personal skill and verify some internal guild information before finally accepting his identity.
There were six players in "Loving Welfare Home": Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang, Liu Huai and his sister, Bai Liu, and one more. Miao Feichi's eyes narrowed.
"You're really not Bai Liu's accomplice—Mu Sicheng?"
Mu Ke, bewildered by the sudden turn, shook his head. "I'm not. I'm just an ordinary player."
The scale tipped once more toward "Truth."
"Open your system panel for me," Miao Feichi demanded.
Mu Ke obediently displayed all his stats, even his inventory. He had no personal skill, and while his stats were decent—C+—they were nothing compared to Miao Feichi's. His inventory was a jumble: a nearly spent torch, a school notebook, some rope, a keyboard missing keycaps, and a mermaid figurine.
"Looks like a regular player," Miao Gaojiang concluded after repeated checks.
Miao Feichi clicked his tongue. "Wasn't Mu Sicheng supposed to be under Bai Liu's control? Why isn't he here?"
"He's a thief—he has plenty of ways to slip free. It's not surprising if he found a way to break Bai Liu's control," Miao Gaojiang replied, unperturbed. In fact, Mu Sicheng's absence made things easier for Miao Feichi.
Mu Ke listened to their exchange, head bowed, fists clenched. Mu Sicheng was far stronger than he was—so strong that even these top players were wary of him. If Mu Sicheng had accompanied Bai Liu, Bai Liu would never have needed to take such risks.
Mu Ke knew he could never measure up to Mu Sicheng; he lacked the powerful personal skill, always a step behind. Yet he was unwilling to accept it.
He resented that, despite Bai Liu's trust, he still couldn't reach the level where he could truly help him.
No one had ever placed such hope in him before. As a patient, he was always excused from expectations, so to hope for anything from him was a burden—a waste.
But Bai Liu would say, "You must do it. I believe in you. I will always assume you can."
Miao Feichi was about to ask another question, but Miao Gaojiang stopped him, placing the scale before Mu Ke and regarding him with a seemingly kind, yet inscrutable, smile. "There's just one question left. You've told the truth so far; I hope you'll do so again—are you a player under Bai Liu's control?"
Miao Gaojiang's question was direct and incisive, probing the possibility that Mu Ke, as an ordinary player, had been controlled after entering the game.
Mu Ke forced himself not to look away, raising his trembling gaze to meet Miao Gaojiang's. His hands shook with the memory of tearing Bai Liu's flesh, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
He could not lie—the scale would not be fooled by a simple question. He was, in fact, under Bai Liu's control. If he lied and was caught, both he and Bai Liu would be finished.
With a trembling voice, Mu Ke drew a deep breath. "...I am a player under his control."
The scale wavered, then slowly tipped toward "Truth."
Miao Feichi's eyes narrowed, and he raised his blades, ready to dispatch this controlled player.
Tears streamed down Mu Ke's face. "But I've broken free! I escaped when he was attacked by a monster—I stabbed him and ran. After he and the monster were both gravely wounded, he lost consciousness and could no longer control anyone."
He quickly opened his personal panel again, showing it to Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang. "You can see—there's no control skill affecting me. I'm free."
Normally, a player under another's control would have a status displayed on their panel, but Mu Ke's was clean—because Bai Liu hadn't used a control skill, but rather acted as a behind-the-scenes guide, leaving no trace.
After checking, Miao Feichi hesitated, lowering his weapons, though Miao Gaojiang remained skeptical.
Standing beside Mu Ke, Miao Gaojiang narrowed his eyes. "But as an ordinary player, how did you have the courage to rebel against Bai Liu and steal from him? He was the second-ranked rising star last round."
Mu Ke bit his lip, tears welling up. "Because I didn't want to be controlled. I hate Bai Liu."
His reaction piqued Miao Feichi's interest—this was the kind of drama that made for good viewing.
Bai Liu, having soared to second place in just his second game, was a hot topic. His fan support rivaled that of some small guild stars, even Miao Feichi himself. If Miao Feichi could stir up controversy, he might even outpace Bai Liu's meteoric rise.
"Why do you hate him?" Miao Feichi pressed, his curiosity aroused.
Beneath a veil of tears, Mu Ke's eyes flashed with a hidden ferocity. He choked out, "He nearly made me kill the person I care about most. That's why I hate him!"
His pitiful sobs, even behind the Slender Man mask, were enough to evoke sympathy, prompting Miao Feichi to probe further.
"Is this a grudge from the real world?" Miao Feichi asked, raising an eyebrow.
The three questions were done; Mu Ke, relieved, maintained his expression and nodded, "Yes."
Miao Feichi wanted to dig deeper, but Miao Gaojiang nudged him, reminding him to focus on the game. Miao Feichi stood, feigning nonchalance. "It's just a level-two game. We've cleared harder maps against tougher opponents in the league. Why so nervous?"
"You're Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang, right?" Mu Ke ventured, glancing at them. He respectfully offered up the bone whip and his hands. "I know you want to kill Bai Liu in this game. I'm willing to hand over everything I have, as long as you let me help you kill him."
"Even if you didn't, we could take it from you. Your only merit is knowing your place," Miao Feichi replied, taking the whip and giving it a casual swing. It struck the ground with a dull thud, leaving no mark.
He frowned. "This whip is hard to use. In the game, it's supposed to have higher attack judgment than Mu Sicheng, but it feels blunt, as if it's lost its edge."
He tossed it aside, confirming it was indeed the fishbone whip, then addressed the unseen audience, "See? The weapon you were all so eager to see is nothing special. Let's see how it performs when reassembled with the Ghost Mirror."
Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang continued their conversation, barely acknowledging Mu Ke.
"You can only kill the hospital's Bai Liu, right?" Mu Ke pressed, drawing their attention. "But Bai Liu still has fifty percent of his health in the orphanage, in the form of the child Bai Liu the Sixth."
"If that child survives, Bai Liu does too. But as benefactors, we can't enter the orphanage at will. Do you know how to kill Bai Liu the Sixth?"
"And you don't know what's happening with your own children in the orphanage, do you?" Mu Ke continued. "But those children hold fifty percent of your health."
Both Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang fell silent.
It was a real problem—their own children were weak, yet carried half their life force, and they had no idea what was happening to them.
Miao Gaojiang hadn't received a call from his child the previous night, and while Miao Feichi had, the conversation had been brief and uninformative.
Mu Ke lied without blinking. "I have crucial information that could help us deal with Bai Liu the Sixth. My child can also help us gather intel from inside the orphanage, and even, under my direction, kill Bai Liu the Sixth."
Miao Gaojiang studied Mu Ke for a moment, but Mu Ke met his gaze unflinchingly.
"Fine, I'll take you along. I've brought low-level guild players before," Miao Feichi relented, sheathing his blades. "Just stay behind us and don't cause trouble."
He licked his teeth, flashing a strange smile. "We can't let any version of Bai Liu escape—not even the little one in the orphanage. The tastiest morsels are always saved for last."
"For now, let's kill the older one in the hospital," Miao Feichi said, eyes narrowing with anticipation. "My viewers paid thousands of points to see me eat at least three pounds of him."
As Miao Feichi strode toward the ICU, Mu Ke's heart leapt into his throat.
Recalling Bai Liu's plan, Mu Ke forced himself to remain calm and followed the two men.
The elevator descended from the seventh-floor operating room to the first floor. As the doors opened, nurses rushed out with a gurney. The patient on the bed was covered in a blood-soaked sheet, hands folded, face deathly pale, as if already dead.
Mu Ke's legs nearly gave out at the sight of all that blood. He almost called out Bai Liu's name.
Blood dripped from the sheet, trailing from the elevator as the gurney was wheeled away. Nurses pressed down on Bai Liu's neck, trying to staunch the bleeding.
"Severe hemorrhage! Prepare the ICU!"
"Bleeding is under control, but the patient has lost too much blood. Has he found his medication?"
"No! He's a new admission!"
Mu Ke's panic surged, but then he saw Bai Liu's long, spider-like fingers slip from beneath the sheet, holding a peculiar object.
He checked his inventory—his keyboard had been altered. The missing [1], [0], and [7] keycaps had returned; now the [Enter] key was gone.
Bai Liu had flashed the [Enter] key between his fingers—a signal: "Continue the plan. Enter room 107."
Miao Gaojiang, ever vigilant, glanced at Mu Ke's inventory but saw only a collection of battered items.
Miao Feichi tried to sneak into the ICU but was blocked by nurses. Bai Liu was wheeled inside, placed beside another patient as long-limbed and shrouded as himself.
Mu Ke saw that the ICU, like every room, had a bookshelf—its books older and more worn, covered in notes, just as Bai Liu had predicted.
Miao Feichi tried twice to enter, but was rebuffed by the nurses. He scowled, "NPCs are blocking the way."
"Wait for the shift change," Miao Gaojiang advised. "I checked the schedule—between 8:45 and 9:00 p.m., the day and night nurses switch. That's our window."
"Tonight, then," Miao Feichi said, sheathing his blades. "I was hoping for lunch, but I guess it'll be a midnight snack."
They spoke of storming the ICU as if it were any ordinary room, unconcerned by the monster within. With their stats, it was no wonder.
Miao Gaojiang reminded Miao Feichi, "We'll be fighting tonight. Top off your stamina and mental strength—our health is halved now."
"Yeah, yeah," Miao Feichi replied, but still checked his stats.
Mu Ke managed to sneak a look:
[Player: Miao Feichi]
[Stamina: 780]
[Agility: 1793]
[Attack: 3900]
[Resistance: 1400]
[Total attribute points: over 8000, rated S-]
[Player: Miao Gaojiang]
[Stamina: 1980]
[Agility: 1300]
[Attack: 2000]
[Resistance: 4300]
[Total attribute points: over 8000, rated S-]
Mu Ke's heart raced. No wonder they were so unbothered by the ICU monster—these two were S- rank, leagues above even the A+ monsters that had given Bai Liu's team so much trouble before.
For Bai Liu, this meant not only did he have to contend with the dungeon's monsters, but also two S- rank players hunting him—players whose stats complemented each other perfectly.
Miao Feichi was a glass cannon: lower defense, but devastating attack and speed. Miao Gaojiang was a fortress: immense defense, able to withstand even the most powerful attacks.
Either could kill Bai Liu with ease. In a free-for-all dungeon, Bai Liu would have been doomed from the start.
But "Loving Welfare Home" was not that kind of dungeon. The presence of NPCs and the split health between adult and child players limited their actions, forcing even these veterans to adapt.
During the day, Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang scoured the hospital for the remedy. As seasoned players, they thought much like Bai Liu, ignoring the GM's hints and searching rooms directly, unafraid of the monstrous patients.
But after searching nearly an entire floor, they were reported for disturbing the peace and confined to their rooms until dinner.
[System prompt: The nurse NPCs are extremely displeased with players Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang for repeated disruptive behavior. If this continues, you will be forbidden from leaving your rooms tomorrow.]
Unfazed, the Miao father and son chatted as they were escorted back.
Mu Ke followed behind. They treated him like a stray cat or dog, not bothering to hide their conversation.
"One floor, twenty-one rooms. We finished before the nurses locked us in. The older the patient, the older the books, and the more notes. The sicker the patient, the more likely we'll find the remedy. But the problem is these nurse NPCs," Miao Gaojiang mused.
"Yeah," Miao Feichi agreed, annoyed. "We can't take the books out, and we can't stay long in the rooms without being caught."
"A whole bookshelf—even with notes, we can't read it all before the nurses come. I need an empty room with old books, where I won't be disturbed," Miao Gaojiang said.
For players who could kill monsters, the answer was obvious.
They exchanged a glance, and Miao Gaojiang made the call: "Kill a patient-monster to clear a room. New patients only arrive in the afternoon, so if we kill now, we'll have a day to search."
Mu Ke's breath caught at the casual mention of murder, but he quickly regained his composure, hiding his turmoil behind the Slender Man mask.
He was terrified—of the strength of his adversaries, of the ease with which they could do what he and Bai Liu could not. He resented Bai Liu for entrusting his life to someone as weak as himself, for forcing him to walk a tightrope with every step.
For a moment, he wished he were Mu Sicheng.
But, as Bai Liu had hoped, the pressure forced him to stabilize. Bai Liu was gone; if Mu Ke wanted to survive, he could not rely on him. He had to save Bai Liu, and to do that, he could not lose control.
Even facing two S- rank players, he had to win.
"If the sicker the patient, the more likely we'll find the remedy," Mu Ke interjected, his voice steadying, "then killing the ICU patient is our best chance."
Miao Feichi glanced at him, unimpressed, while Miao Gaojiang explained, "We won't kill the ICU patient. With Bai Liu there, the nurses are on high alert. We don't know how they'll react to a patient's death, so we won't risk it."
"That's not the only reason," Miao Feichi added. "Even if we killed the ICU patient, we couldn't stay long—new patients arrive quickly, and we'd have only fifteen minutes during the nurse shift change."
"Fifteen minutes isn't enough to search a whole bookshelf, especially since most digital tools are banned. All we have is this old phone," he said, waving it at Mu Ke. "You think this can take pictures?"
"Fifteen minutes is enough for me to memorize the notes," Mu Ke interrupted. "I have a photographic memory."
Both men paused. "I thought you didn't have a personal skill," Miao Gaojiang said.
"It's not a skill—I was born with it," Mu Ke lied smoothly. "If you're going to kill a patient anyway, the ICU is our best bet."
He stepped forward, eyes earnest, voice persuasive. "Take me with you, and I can find the main quest clue in fifteen minutes."
Author's note:
Mu Ke (sobbing): I hurt Bai Liu! I'm guilty! I almost killed him!
Siren's fishbone: me too!!
The real mastermind, Bai Liu: …?