Lost in the Otherworld

At 10 p.m., in the inpatient building of the Third Hospital of Shanqing District.

Gao Yang sat on a long bench in the corridor outside the ward, savoring a fragrant bowl of spicy hot pot. The late-night snack was brought by Officer Huang, who, after hearing about Gao Yang's father being hospitalized following a car accident, stopped by “on the way” after finishing his shift.

With no one else around, he bit into half a cigarette and asked, "How’s your dad doing?"

“He woke up again for a bit this afternoon, said he was thirsty, drank some water, and went back to sleep.” Gao Yang bit into a beef ball, causing hot juice to squirt out, scalding his tongue.

“Alright, let’s get to business.” Officer Huang flicked the ash off his cigarette. “The people from the organization came looking for you today, didn’t they?”

“The Zodiac, the White Rabbit. I was with Qing Ling at the time.” Gao Yang responded truthfully, briefly recounting the events at the KTV that afternoon.

"The one who came for me was called Tian Gou," Officer Huang said calmly. "The assessment was similar to yours. First, they asked me to kill a robber, who was a Lost One. I didn’t want to. Then they told me to kill my wife, which I, of course, refused. Oddly enough, I passed the test."

"Why didn’t you kill?" Gao Yang was curious. Could Officer Huang have seen through the trap, just like him?

"Oh, under normal circumstances, I would’ve. But it just so happened that the robber was my wife’s cousin’s nephew. My wife and her cousin are very close, they talk on the phone every day. With her being pregnant, I didn’t want this to affect her mood. Who would’ve thought that would work out?”

So he’s just a wife-loving maniac, Gao Yang chuckled quietly to himself.

Officer Huang glanced over. “Tian Gou said the clue to the third test is with you.”

“Yeah.” Gao Yang pulled a brass key from his pocket. “This. They said if we find the door this key opens and take a look inside, we’ll pass the test. The search area is within Shanqing District.”

Officer Huang took the key, examining it carefully between his fingers. His eyes lit up. "This isn’t hard. Leave it to me. You two wait for my word."

“Alright.”

After Officer Huang left, Gao Yang finished his spicy hot pot, returned to his father’s ward, unfolded a chair in the aisle by the bedside, and lay down with a blanket.

He closed his eyes but found no sleep.

Gao Yang entered the system and checked his luck points.

As expected, the time when the White Rabbit appeared that afternoon hadn’t triggered the double reward. It seemed that only by facing real danger could the reward multiplier be activated. The more perilous the situation, the higher the rewards, but also the greater the risk of dying. A fair trade.

...

The next day at noon, Gao Yang’s mother and sister came to take over the watch.

Gao Yang returned home to wash up, have dinner, and catch a few hours of sleep. In the evening, as he stepped out of the community gate, he spotted a familiar police car. Officer Huang was standing by the roadside, smoking. When he saw Gao Yang, he waved.

Gao Yang quickened his pace. “Officer Huang? What brings you here?”

“I found the place,” said Officer Huang.

“That fast?” Gao Yang was surprised.

“Finding things is child’s play for me.” The officer patted the car roof. “Get in, I’ll explain on the way.”

As Gao Yang approached the car, he saw Qing Ling sitting in the passenger seat. He opened the back door and froze—Wang Zikai and Fat Jun were also inside.

“Bro, missed me?” Wang Zikai was brimming with excitement, pulling Gao Yang into the car. “Let me tell you, I’ve made a breakthrough in my cultivation recently! Once we’re in a secluded spot, I’ll show you a few tricks. You’ll be blown away.”

Gao Yang’s head began to buzz again.

As the car started, Gao Yang asked Officer Huang, “Why are those two here?”

“I’ve been observing Fat Jun for a while. He hasn’t shown any signs of arm mutation since then,” Officer Huang explained.

“Yeah, not even once,” Fat Jun eagerly patted his plump chest. “Don’t worry, Yang, I’m confident in my body now!”

“What’s the rush? Even if Fatty does mutate, I could handle him with one hand!” In just a few days, Wang Zikai had grown incredibly cocky, already playing the role of the big boss.