Ten Day Ultimatum

The two of them made their way through the darkening city, carrying the old aluminum pot.
Qi Xia never imagined that a city without lights could feel more oppressive than the wilderness. After only a few minutes of walking, the sky darkened to the point where it seemed soaked in ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) ink, suffocatingly still and eerily quiet.

"Creak creak, chirp chirp—"
The incessant rustling of insects echoed around them, heightening Qi Xia's unease and fraying his nerves.
"Lin Qin, are you still there?" Qi Xia called out.

"I'm here," Lin Qin replied. "Slow down, be careful not to trip."
"We can’t afford to slow down," Qi Xia said, glancing at the darkening sky. "The path is still visible for now, but we need to reach the convenience store as soon as possible. Hold onto my clothes."
Lin Qin nodded, gripping the fabric of Qi Xia's shirt as they pressed forward.

Guided by memory, they trudged on for about twenty minutes before finally reaching the plaza where they had first arrived. The open space allowed them to make out their surroundings despite the dimness.
As they crossed the plaza heading east, a faint light appeared in the distance, glowing from within a building.
That had to be the convenience store.

"A fire..." Lin Qin murmured, puzzled. "Where did they find supplies to start one?"
As she spoke, a thought struck her—she remembered the female shop assistant in the convenience store. When they had first encountered her, she’d had a fire going for cooking. The fire source must have been borrowed from her.
The two made their way toward the glow in the darkness and finally reached the entrance of the convenience store.

What caught them off guard, however, was the absence of the ox-headed figure that had previously been stationed in the restaurant across from the convenience store.
"Police Officer Li? Lawyer Zhang, are you there?" Lin Qin called out cautiously. "Xiao Ran? Doctor Zhao?"
There was unmistakable movement inside the store, but no one responded.

"What’s going on?"
Lin Qin started to move forward to investigate, but Qi Xia quickly stopped her. "Stay back. I’ll go in first," he whispered.
With the persistent creaking and chirping of insects in the background, the two cautiously entered the store.

The moment Qi Xia stepped through the doorway, a wooden board came hurtling toward him. Luckily, he was on guard and swiftly dodged backward, narrowly avoiding the potentially lethal blow.
"Ah!" Lin Qin cried out in alarm, rushing to steady Qi Xia. "Are you alright?"
It was then they noticed the assailant was none other than Doctor Zhao, with Xiao Ran standing behind him.
Doctor Zhao’s gaze shifted between Qi Xia and Lin Qin, and he forced a strained smile. "Ah, it’s you two… I thought you were someone else."

Qi Xia frowned in bewilderment.
Doctor Zhao stood clad only in his lab coat, which he clutched around himself like a makeshift cloak. His bare feet and uneasy expression suggested he’d been caught unprepared.
Xiao Ran, behind him, appeared equally disheveled. Her hair was in disarray, her clothes rumpled, and her makeup smeared.

Together, they resembled a couple caught in the act.
While Qi Xia grasped the general situation, the specifics of how it came to be eluded him.
"Qi—Qi Xia, don’t jump to conclusions," Doctor Zhao stammered with an awkward smile. "Xiao Ran mentioned she might be injured… I was just examining her."

"Stop trying to explain!" Xiao Ran cut in, nudging Doctor Zhao with her elbow. "With that stammering, are you even a man?"
Qi Xia shook his head. "I have no interest in your personal affairs. Where are Officer Li and Lawyer Zhang?"
"Ah…" Doctor Zhao's awkward smile returned. "They went out to survey the area earlier and haven’t come back yet."

"What?" Qi Xia’s brow furrowed. "They still haven’t returned?"
Darkness had fully enveloped the surroundings. Given that Police Officer Li had mentioned investigating the nearby area, it seemed unlikely they would still be out overnight.
Their continued absence raised unsettling possibilities—were they dead?

Or… were these two lying?
Qi Xia cautiously entered the building, scanning the interior.
Despite the filthy state of the place, there were no fresh bloodstains or signs of a struggle.

A faint bonfire flickered in the room, casting eerie shadows, while the lifeless body of Han Yimo lay nearby, deepening the unsettling atmosphere.
Qi Xia turned his gaze back to the two, their uneasy expressions betraying a sense of guilt. He asked, "Aren’t you all on the same team? It’s dark now, and they still haven’t returned. How can you two be so indifferent, even indulging in frivolous activities?"
Doctor Zhao shifted uncomfortably. "There’s no point in worrying now. It’s already so dark that searching would be futile. We can only wait until morning."

Xiao Ran snapped, "Why is it your concern? Since when did you take responsibility for our team?"
Ignoring her, Qi Xia headed to the staff lounge and carefully opened the door.
Inside, the female shop assistant was huddled in the corner, facing the wall and murmuring incoherently.

It was clear she had stayed there, motionless, the entire time.
Qi Xia closed the door and turned his attention back to Doctor Zhao, arguably the only one here with whom he could reason.
"Is the {Dào} still here?" Qi Xia asked.

Doctor Zhao's expression turned defensive. "Qi Xia, what are you and Lin Qin doing here?"
"I came to request the {Dào} stored here earlier," Qi Xia explained. "I intend to borrow it. I’ll return it, along with compensation."
"Borrow it?" Doctor Zhao hesitated, glancing at Qi Xia’s disheveled attire, stained with dirt and blood. "Where’s your own {Dào}? And those two… the hoodlum and the prostitute?"

"They have names," Lin Qin cut in sharply. "Kindly refrain from calling them that."
"Oh…" Doctor Zhao replied with a dismissive nod.
"Why act noble after sinning…" Xiao Ran adjusted her rumpled clothes and stepped forward. "Did they die during a game?"

Qi Xia nodded slightly, his expression grim. "More or less."
"Ha!" Xiao Ran’s laugh was tinged with scorn. "Didn’t you swear to collect three thousand six hundred {Dào} and leave this place? Now you’ve caused your teammates’ deaths, and you come here to borrow ours?"
Upon hearing this, Qi Xia’s gaze sharpened. Maintaining his composure, he remarked, "Though it may seem as you describe, I suggest you reconsider your stance before things escalate."

Doctor Zhao quickly stepped in to defuse the tension. "Let’s not fight… we should talk this through."
Turning to Qi Xia, he added, "It’s not that we’re unwilling to lend the {Dào}. The truth is, Police Officer Li took it."
"Took it?" Qi Xia echoed.

"Yes," Doctor Zhao confirmed, gesturing across the street. "After you left, Officer Li and Lawyer Zhang went to the restaurant to participate in the game. They appeared to have won and left with the {Dào}."
Qi Xia followed his gaze to the building, sensing something amiss. "What do you mean ‘appeared to have’ won? You were so close—shouldn’t you know for sure?"
Doctor Zhao’s expression tightened as he forced a strained smile. "Well… Initially, Xiao Ran opposed them taking the {Dào} out. But Officer Li insisted on investigating, they argued, communication broke down, and… we stopped concerning ourselves with their actions. After all, who’d willingly follow them on a suicide mission…"

"Stopped… concerning yourselves?"
Qi Xia’s eyes widened in disbelief. Without hesitation, he seized Doctor Zhao’s collar with fierce intensity.
"Aiyo[1]!?"

Startled, Xiao Ran lunged at Qi Xia. With a swift sidestep, he tripped her, sending her crashing to the filthy ground—making her quite literally {eat shit}.
Taking a steadying breath, Qi Xia addressed Doctor Zhao, his voice laced with fury. "I extended courtesy to you out of respect for Police Officer Li, yet you’ve abandoned him without a second thought?"