The blood-red numbers on the display were a little harsh on the eyes. When 24 lit up, the elevator doors slid open.
Drops of not-yet-congealed blood streaked the hallway, and fresh scratch marks marred the walls.
A faint smell of blood hung in the air, as though something terrible had just taken place here.
Chen Ge untied the pig-slaughter knife strapped to his calf, reversed his grip on it, and tucked it into his sleeve.
"Let's go in and take a look."
A chill crept up his back. Chen Ge didn't turn around — he knew Zhang Ya was right behind him.
The hallway was dead quiet. Any sound would carry perfectly clearly.
Roughly a third of the way down, Chen Ge's ears caught the noise of something being cut.
He walked a few more steps and finally confirmed that the sound was coming from the same room where he had first seen the beak-masked man.
"There are ten seats set around the dining table. They probably represent the ten original patients. The beak-masked man handles all kinds of odd jobs — what exactly is his role in the Urban Legends Association?"
After a moment of thought, Chen Ge shook his head. There was no need to dwell on that now. He hadn't come here to investigate — he was here to tear apart this association of lunatics, root and branch.
"They're all three-star horror scenarios too. Zhang Ya shouldn't be much weaker than them."
Standing outside the room, Chen Ge peered through the security door at the scene inside, and his brows furrowed involuntarily.
A man who looked as though he were wearing a bird-beak mask was crouched in the corner, tool in hand. An elderly man lay on the ground before him, and a mask had been tossed aside nearby.
Chen Ge had seen that mask in the dining hall — the first newcomer had worn it.
"What are you doing?" Chen Ge blocked the doorway and spoke abruptly, startling the man. The beak-masked man's shoulders visibly twitched.
The other didn't turn his head, keeping his back to Chen Ge. "Everyone else has left. Why haven't you gone?"
"Weren't you about to serve the meal? I stepped away for just a moment — you've already finished eating?" Chen Ge felt a twinge of regret. Regardless of the reason, today's plan might need to change.
"There was a small problem. One of them received a message from the president and left on short notice." The beak-masked man still didn't turn around. His upper body seemed frozen in place, back to Chen Ge, facing the old man on the floor.
"A message from the president?" Chen Ge sensed something off about this man and stepped inside. "Can you tell me where they went?"
"I don't know." The man paused, then added: "I advise you not to come any closer."
"There's only one elevator at the end of this hallway. I never left the elevator car the entire time. Are there other exits here?" Chen Ge gathered a good deal of useful information from the man's words. Now that everyone else had already left, his only source of information was this beak-masked man.
"Someone will tell you about these things later. You can leave now." The beak-masked man's movements were stiff, as though he was deliberately refusing to show his face.
Chen Ge hadn't come here to negotiate. After the beak-masked man finished speaking, not only did he not leave — he took several more steps inside.
"They've all left. Why are you still here? Have you been living in this place all along?" Chen Ge's questions came one after another.
"I'm only responsible for cleaning and cooking."
"How interesting." Chen Ge had long been suspicious of the beak-masked man. He was free to stay on the twenty-fourth floor and handled everything here.