Nightfall

"We entered the same Deathmatch Arena in the last round."

Xiao Xueyin walked to the window, brushed aside two leaves, and said with a smile, "But I'm just a nobody, Brother Hui, you definitely don't remember me."

"No, I'm sure I've seen you before. Where exactly?"

Duan Jianhui took two steps back. He vaguely felt that the face looked familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.

In fact, the only time the two met was when Liu Yue carried the dying Xiao Xueyin downstairs and Duan Jianhui caught a glimpse of her in the lobby.

So it's normal that Duan Jianhui doesn't remember; what's strange is that Xiao Xueyin knows what he looks like...

It's worth mentioning that both of them made it into the top ten in the previous round, which means that both of them had actually received a title before.

However, their heads were completely bare, clearly indicating that they did not choose to wear titles too early for the sake of concealment.

"If I don't have a strong impression of it, it proves that we didn't speak at the time."

Xiao Xueyin picked up the binoculars and twirled them around like a pen.

Duan Jianhui's muscles were tense, ready to strike at any moment. "Let's put that aside for now, how did you know I was here?"

"That's my guess. After all, besides going into the hospital, this building is the best observation point with the best view of the 'Node'."

Xiao Xueyin wandered around the room casually with binoculars in hand, intentionally or unintentionally moving closer to Duan Jianhui: "You'd better not ask why I found your room so accurately, it will only make me think you're not quite right in the head."

A quick check of the recent occupancy information for this apartment building will tell you how much confidentiality you can expect from a guesthouse that doesn't even have a contract.

Not just you, this apartment building suddenly has five new residents today. Isn't that a coincidence? I only looked at the second place and then I ran into someone I knew."

Duan Jianhui's expression was somewhat unpleasant; the other party's leisurely strolling demeanor created a strong sense of pressure for him.

If you look closely, you'll see beads of sweat on his forehead.

To avoid appearing weak, Duan Jianhui forced himself to remain calm and said in a deep voice, "I won't ask what happened to the last resident. Now that you haven't made a move, you want to cooperate with me, right?"

Xiao Xueyin stared at the ceiling, seemingly choosing his words carefully. "At first, I thought I had this idea, but now that I think about it, it seems unnecessary to contact you."

The next second, he moved his feet, darted forward, and delivered a whip kick.

In the critical moment, Duan Jianhui crossed his arms in front of his chest and immediately put on his title, with four large, gray characters shining above his head. "Observe in secret."

However, it's hard to say how much help this level of title can actually provide.

Bang!

A dull thud of flesh colliding rang out.

Duan Jianhui was kicked backward and only stopped when he crashed into the wall.

He felt a numbness in both arms, as if he had been hit by a steel pillar.

Xiao Xueyin pressed her advantage, stepping on Duan Jianhui's crossed arms with one foot, and using the momentum to leap into the air, raising her leg and bending her knee to slam it heavily into Duan Jianhui's chin.

The powerful knee strike caused Duan Jianhui's head to tilt back uncontrollably, and the back of his head slammed directly against the wall with a crisp sound.

It's no exaggeration to say that being hit like that would result in a concussion, or at least that's the least of your worries.

Xiao Xueyin calmed her rapid breathing, reached out and cupped Duan Jianhui's head in her hands, and said calmly.

"As expected, you were just lucky last round."

Click~

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly exerted force in his arm and snapped Duan Jianhui's neck.

Inpatient Department, Ward 6019.

"Although it's a bit blurry, it should be Xiao Xueyin, right?"

Lu Bai zoomed in on the surveillance footage on his phone to its maximum size.

The footage shows a thin, pale figure standing for a while by the flowerbed at the hospital entrance.

Lu Bai mainly checked the surveillance footage at various intersections near the hospital, without paying much attention to the situation inside the hospital.

It's not that I don't think any fighters would dare to enter the hospital.

In fact, he had already obtained a list of patients who registered for today's appointments.

If any suicide fighters manage to infiltrate the hospital, no matter how well they disguise themselves, they will all be included in this scope, making the risk relatively more controllable.

Yao Yi was scrolling through short videos with Wang Ting when he heard Lu Bai talking to himself. He looked up and asked, "What Xiao Xueyin? Is she your high school classmate?"

I guess so.

Lu Bai gave a perfunctory reply.

Seeing that Lu Bai wasn't interested in a deeper conversation, Yao Yi changed the subject. "Speaking of which, Brother Lu, you're really famous now. Even my account, which usually only looks at pretty girls, keeps seeing you."

"It's all negative news, right?"

Lu Bai revealed a kind smile, his composure as if he weren't the one at the center of the controversy.

Yao Yi hummed in agreement and added, "But Brother Lu, aren't you really planning to ask Director Xu to help you cool things down?"

When negative public opinion arises, taking a low-key approach is indeed a good way to handle it.

After all, the internet has no memory.

However, the prerequisite for a cooling-off period is that no one continues to fan the flames behind the scenes.

"It's alright."

Lu Bai chuckled and said, "Anyway, no one's going to come and beat me up."

Yao Yi seemed to want to offer more advice, but after opening her mouth, she swallowed the words back.

Since Lu Bai seemed completely unconcerned, even if he wanted to persuade him, he could only give up.

Night fell.

Yao Yi was still recovering from her injuries, so she played on her phone for a while before going to sleep.

After reviewing the surveillance footage from each intersection and gaining a clear understanding of the situation, Lu Bai stood up and stretched.

He wasn't planning on sleeping, so the night was still long for him.

I walked to the door of the ward and observed the situation in the corridor through the small window in the door.

The corridor was quiet; I didn't see any patients wandering around in it.

At the Nurse Station not far away, a young female nurse on duty rested her chin on her hand, unconsciously yawned, her eyelids drooping, as if she was about to fall asleep at any moment.

According to the list, only three patients admitted today were assigned to this floor.

These are wards 6012 and 6025.

Room 6025 was occupied by two new patients.

Moreover, the symptoms were all minor finger bone fractures in Lu Bai's eyes. If it weren't for the patients' strong insistence, the doctor would have even suggested that the two of them go home to recuperate.

Leaving aside the patients in ward 6012, at least these two patients with fractures could be labeled as death row intrigue fighters in Lu Bai's eyes.

It's a bit of a shame that he can't see what's happening in ward 6025 from this angle.

Lu Bai used a medical record sign to block the small window on the door and went back to lie down on the hospital bed.

With hands behind my head, I quietly waited for time to pass.

At times like these, he longed for the powerful hearing the Zombie Virus had given him.

When the time came, the corridor lights automatically dimmed according to the preset settings.

Squeak~

In the dim light, a hospital room door was gently pushed open...