Eldritch Horror Theatre

Was the Director Servis?

The answer felt like it was already staring him in the face.

Working from that premise, Fu Qian figured the odds were even higher that the person he was about to meet was the Attending Physician.

The only discrepancy was that, in such a scenario, the man would need to break his own routine and return to his office.

But if it meant calling a wrap and bringing the game to a perfect close, it seemed entirely worth it.

After all, everyone had worked so hard and cooperated so well to get this far.

And if that really was how the story unfolded, what role did he, the intruder, play in it?

In the corner of his vision, the Main Building loomed closer once again.

Buyiren had chosen an interesting return route. Not only was it just as concealed as before, but it also severely restricted their own line of sight.

Relying on an occasional fleeting glimpse to correct his bearings, Fu Qian pondered his own artistic journey.

His experience in the Sanitarium so far clearly fell into the thriller genre.

No one was chasing him with knives, guns, or clubs, but he was undeniably walking a tightrope, one misstep away from plummeting into The Abyss.

After playing along to this point, if he followed Buyiren into the Head Physician's Office only to find Servis sitting inside...

And if the doctor started clapping, heaping praise on Fu Qian's acting, what exactly would this story be illustrating?

The success of yet another amusement project, satisfying Servis's twisted tastes?

Or a sinister medical trial where a self-righteous Columnist finally had his will broken by despair, left to thoroughly "rot" away deep in the mountains?

Then again, the two possibilities weren't mutually exclusive. They could easily coexist in the same play; the mad scientist trope was very common, after all.

Either way, the meeting in the Head Physician's Office was bound to hold considerable significance.

Up to this point, thanks to the rapid flip-flopping of their two-man act, the entire situation felt as scrambled as a shaken egg.

He couldn't tell if Buyiren was good or evil, couldn't distinguish truth from fiction, and didn't know if he could actually leave...

Under such circumstances, as the person in charge of the Sanitarium, there should be nothing more authoritative in this place than the validation of the Attending Physician, Servis.

On one hand, this was naturally due to his professional status, which made him highly credible.

More importantly, the very title of "person in charge" compelled belief.

By believing it, one could at least find peace of mind and hole up in this place a bit more calmly.

Disbelieving it wouldn't change the outcome; it would only invite endless pain and fear.

Driven by humanity's instinct to avoid harm, he would probably end up convincing himself to trust the doctor's judgment when the time came.

"Actually, I held back when I struck him. Is it possible he already had some underlying illness?"

Pondering the nature of art didn't stop Fu Qian from shirking responsibility.

Since Buyiren had mentioned that Mrs. Tracy's male companion was kept behind for an injury assessment, Fu Qian naturally hastened to clear his name.

...

"I actually can't argue with that."

The man's focus remained as bizarre as ever. Buyiren held his tongue for a moment before conceding that the lack of surveillance footage made it hard to judge.

"For the people living here, even if they look completely fine on the outside, it's hard to guarantee that something inside hasn't already shattered."

Since laying his cards on the table, however, Buyiren appeared much more relaxed, holding nothing back as he sharply criticized the clientele.

"Like me, for instance."

Fu Qian thoroughly agreed, directly offering himself up as an example.

"You are indeed a special case. Even I misjudged you in that regard... It was Servis who recognized your true nature from the very beginning."

Buyiren agreed instantly, though his tone sounded a bit odd.

"A certain hidden madness has always existed deep within you. It was just tended to so perfectly that it never had the chance to grow.

"Unlocking it isn't difficult either. It doesn't require complex methods; just lock you in solitary confinement for a while, and it will claw its way to the surface on its own."

He even started from the very beginning this time, abruptly providing a clear cause and effect for the Columnist's entire experience—

One day, a clueless young man stumbled into this place, shattering the tranquility of the Sanitarium.

As the actual person in charge, Servis could have just gone through the motions and brushed him off.

But he didn't. Instead, recognizing the young man's potential, he confirmed him to be a gem waiting to be polished.

Then came the subsequent manipulations. First, he orchestrated a scenario that induced madness, and then, to control the situation, he was "forced" to keep the man here.

What followed was a long period of incubation.

Over the course of forty-eight days, even the residents of the Sanitarium grew accustomed to this new member, going so far as to use him for their own amusement.

Then, through what might have been deliberately arranged provocations, Servis once again proved his keen eye.

A certain madness surged out from that body, leading the man to wander the Sanitarium and enter a game long prepared for him.

As for now, things were already marching toward the grand finale.

Once Servis gave his personal validation, the polishing process would be complete.

Compared to the intruder known as Number 1, the Columnist had transformed into a completely different character—one who fit in perfectly here.

He had to admit, the logic was remarkably smooth.

Even Fu Qian couldn't help but concede that this was a piece of cinematic art suitable for all ages.

The only issue was that his own role in it felt a bit awkward.

Why did it feel like the Warehouse was insulting him? Was the dignified King of the Abandoned Prison just the physical embodiment of madness?

Furthermore, Buyiren's tone had been quite peculiar.

On one hand, he had openly laid his cards on the table, showing he was in league with the Attending Physician, yet whenever he mentioned Servis, a faint sense of rivalry bled through.

"It truly is an effective method. It wasn't even a slow growth; it broke through the soil in an instant. All of a sudden, I felt a brand-new will surge into my mind."

Recalling the initial scenes of the mission, Fu Qian deeply agreed with Doctor Servis's superb eye for talent.

"Also, it sounds like you're more than just a simple guard? Yet I distinctly remember this being your exact job. What's going on here?"

Shifting the topic, Fu Qian directed his focus onto Buyiren.

The first part was how he truly felt, while the latter half was pure bluffing. After all, he had absolutely no memories from before the forty-eighth day.

The reason he dared to assert it so boldly came down to simple logic.

Regardless of whether Fu Qian appeared to have lost his memories or not, as the main agent chosen to mislead him, Buyiren couldn't afford to have any glaring flaws in his identity.

Add to that how effortlessly the man handled his guard duties, and there was good reason to suspect that if he had interacted with the Columnist before, it had indeed been in this very guise.

"Not bad. The last time we met, you weren't nearly this sharp."

Surprised by Fu Qian's deduction, Buyiren also seemed somewhat pleased, admitting to it with a smile.

"Because I am both the night guard and a neurologist—Servis's deputy."

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