30. The Hidden Mission

The photograph Chi You held up depicted Fu Shaohuai sitting on a hospital bed. The young boy’s complexion was deathly pale, his nose and mouth covered by an oxygen mask. Clad in a blue-and-white striped hospital gown with an IV drip attached to the back of his hand, he was surrounded by various medical instruments—a stark testament to the severity of his illness.

Seeing the image, the Dean’s temper flared, his eyes beginning to flush red once more. The two people beside him watched Chi You, their hearts filled with uneasy trepidation. Just then, characters appeared on the wall: "Photograph," "Put away," "He hates it." It seemed this truly did concern the young boy.

"Dean, tell me what happened that led you to curse this hospital," Chi You said, putting the photo away and asking with grave seriousness.

The Dean was reluctant to speak. He turned his gaze toward Ning’er, his eyes brimming with sorrow.

"You tell them."

Two words appeared on the white wall, visible to everyone, including the Dean. Finally, the Dean spoke with great reluctance: "The boy in that picture—he survived."

"But he only survived by using the organs of my wife and son."

The Dean’s revelation was a bombshell. For a moment, the group thought they had misheard him.

"What?" Meng Shuyin asked, unable to believe her ears. "He survived using your wife and son’s organs?"

"That can't be real, can it?" Zheng Hong was equally skeptical; it sounded like a fantasy.

In contrast, the other two—the ghosts—nodded as they listened.

"But didn't he have a severe mental illness? Even if he survived, he would only be able to live in a psychiatric hospital," Chi You, the diligent student, asked, voicing her confusion.

"And why is your psychiatric hospital so different from the others?" Jiang Pan joined in the inquiry.

"They took control of this place and turned it into a laboratory," the Dean said, his tone heavy with self-reproach. He had opened this facility to provide a sanctuary for the mentally ill, but in the end, it was he who had ruined them—and the doctors and nurses who worked here. "I am a sinner."

"The Fu family brought in several doctors to conduct research, solely to save Fu Shaohuai when he was on the verge of dying from organ failure. Because he was the Fu family’s only son, they could not let him die."

Zheng Hong was puzzled. "Couldn't they just have another child?"

"The head of the Fu family suffered from oligospermia. That child was only conceived after the couple tried for years."

The four of them fell silent.

***

That certainly made him a "little ancestor." To keep their son from dying, the Fu family sought treatment at various hospitals, but the prognosis was always the same: Fu Shaohuai would not live past fifteen. Once he reached that age, his organs would fail rapidly, leading to a quick death. They had to keep their son alive within that limited window.

The Fu family was wealthy and lacked nothing. They conducted experiments all over the country and eventually found a glimmer of hope. However, Fu Shaohuai’s mental illness grew increasingly severe; at his worst, he had beaten people so badly they had to be hospitalized. Under mounting pressure, the Fu family had no choice but to send their precious son to a psychiatric hospital. This marked the beginning of the tragedy for the Dean and his family.

At first, Ning’er would care for the boy, feeling pity for him, and would report back to the Dean. Their family was kind-hearted and always willing to help, but the Fu family took notice of the patients in the psychiatric hospital. Those monsters used the patients for their experiments. The Dean tried to stop them, but he was powerless. Every time, he could only watch helplessly as they died on the operating table. The Fu family committed the atrocities, yet the Dean bore all the infamy.

Later, they discovered that the organs of the Dean’s wife and son were compatible with Fu Shaohuai. The Fu family, devoid of humanity, forcibly strapped them to operating tables for the transplants. Having witnessed the death of his wife and child, the grief-stricken Dean cursed the entire hospital.

After hearing the story, Chi You immediately sensed something wrong. She frowned and asked, "That’s not right. Your enemies were the Fu family; you should have cursed them. Why curse this hospital?"

Upon hearing this, the other three realized it too. Indeed, the Fu family was still thriving outside, so what purpose did his curse serve?

Just then, a "ding" sounded from the pockets of all four of them. They quickly pulled out their devices, some joyful, others worried.

[Ding—Congratulations on unlocking a hidden quest: Help the Dean resolve his lingering resentment. Those who complete this mission will receive additional rewards.]

They hadn't even finished the first quest, and now there was a hidden one. This was madness. Chi You and Jiang Pan were ecstatic—a hidden quest! And with generous rewards upon completion.

The Dean said with profound loneliness, "Yes, I wanted to trap them all in this hospital to suffer the torture of evil spirits, but they managed to escape."

"Not only did they escape, but they also hired a powerful high monk to seal the psychiatric hospital."

"Damn the Fu family!"

"Damn them!"

***

The Dean, consumed by rage, looked as if he were about to transform. Ning’er reached out and gently patted his shoulder. The Dean quickly calmed down.

Chi You asked, "What is your wish?"

"To see the Fu family dead!" The Dean only wanted revenge for his wife and child.

"Very well," Chi You agreed.

This was the Dean’s heart-knot. He wanted the Fu family dead. "I understand. We will help you."

Seeing the resolve in Chi You’s eyes, the Dean was taken aback, then nodded.

*Charge forward for the hidden quest!*

As they left the fourth floor and made their way down, Zheng Hong spoke up: "It seems we still haven't completed Task 1." The curse set by the Dean—they hadn't found the source yet.

"We'll deal with that later," Chi You said dismissively.

Along the way, the monsters had vanished, and the place had returned to its original state: an abandoned psychiatric hospital. As they exited the main gate, a cold wind blew, and the female ghost appeared before them. She must have come to see them off.

Walking toward the front gate, Chi You looked at the banyan tree, suddenly recalling the video where the family of three would often play together.

"The curse set by the Dean must be there," Chi You said, pointing toward the banyan tree in a calm voice.

"How do you know?"

"Because in the video, that family of three loved to play there."

The Dean had cast the curse for his wife and child, so he would surely have chosen a place of sentimental value. And that banyan tree held great significance.

Exiting the hospital gates, they saw Liu Qiang and the other man waiting in the car. Chi You was surprised. "Aren't you leaving?"

Liu Qiang replied, "We came together, so of course we leave together. It’s just a pity about my brothers; they can only stay here."