Eldritch Horror Theatre

Good news—there really was a little note.

Bad news—the note wasn't even for him.

Anyway, there really was no one here? Just as he'd thought, this Sanitarium was a fascinating place.

Buyiren's expression was dead serious. He looked as if he were reading from a script word for word, not joking in the slightest.

Once he confirmed what the man was trying to convey, Fu Qian marveled inwardly.

He hadn't been going crazy this whole time, playing a single-player game in his own head. The Director really had been here all along.

That note—which looked exactly like the one he had received at the very beginning, clearly torn from the same notepad—was proof enough.

Just like his own note back then, it obviously outlined certain key plot twists.

As for Buyiren himself, it seemed that beyond his roles as an internal medicine physician and a night guard, he possessed a third identity after all: the Director's personal actor.

It was actually a highly logical progression, representing the exact "operational boundaries" he wanted to explore.

Just as he had noted earlier, the chances of leaving the Director helpless purely through rapid flip-flopping were extremely low.

The most likely reaction would simply be increasingly heavy-handed artificiality, culminating in a blunt and crude Scripted Death.

This process of escalation would perfectly outline the Director's degree of control over this place.

Simply put, it would expose exactly what he was capable of.

And admittedly, as a personal actor, Buyiren was more than worthy of the title.

Even when dealing with a terrible person like Fu Qian, his previous performance had been practically flawless.

Not only had he played his part well and masked the Director's operational boundaries, he had even kept the Director's true intentions elusive—until now.

Even metal suffered from fatigue; how could an actor not have limits?

Their latest back-and-forth in front of the Head Physician's Office seemed to have completely snapped a string in Brother Buyiren's mind.

The facade he had painstakingly maintained instantly collapsed. He had actually pulled out his script to read it right there, the heavy-handed artificiality practically smacking Fu Qian in the face.

Of course, rather than a full script, the note felt more like a pouch of secret instructions.

After all, he hadn't seemed to open it before. Given the size of the paper, even if it were crammed with text, it shouldn't have been impossible to memorize.

The plan was probably to proceed according to the original storyline, and only pull out these secret instructions if he truly couldn't handle the situation anymore.

For a moment, Fu Qian could practically picture the scene of the Director earnestly instructing Buyiren before sending him out.

In any case, the effect was undeniably good. The plot, which had seemed on the verge of its finale, was instantly thrown into turbulence once more.

After reading his secret instructions, Brother Buyiren had actually validated his theory, confirming that there was indeed no one behind the door.

So everything before this really had been a joke?

With just a single sentence, they had reverted to the timeline where they hid and waited for noon the next day? They were back to being comrades fighting the darkness together?

"I have to say, you haven't let me down."

This wasn't just some beautiful assumption on Fu Qian's part; it was confirmed the very next second.

"Congratulations on passing the test. I now believe you're the person we've been looking for."

In a matter of seconds, Buyiren had adjusted his mindset, his breathing miraculously returning to a steady rhythm.

Not only that, but the playful mockery in his eyes had completely faded. He stared at Fu Qian and gave a slight nod, signaling that he had "passed."

...

"I get it. Was that earlier bit also part of the test, just to see if I'd waver?"

The rapid shift in his expression was truly a sight to behold.

Appreciating that astonishingly exaggerated facial expression, Fu Qian also put on a look of sudden realization, acting as though he finally understood the purpose of this whole journey.

Unfortunately, his comprehension was a bit too efficient. He bypassed the shock phase entirely, which left the whole performance feeling a bit hollow.

"Yes... it's clear your will is exceptionally resilient. You're far from those who fall into self-doubt at the drop of a hat."

Buyiren's expression was visibly strained, but he bit the bullet and delivered the praise anyway.

"You flatter me. I just like to be an honest man, that's all."

Fu Qian naturally didn't forget to be humble. He waved a hand dismissively, and in the next second, he was already leading the way, arriving at the lower floor one step ahead.

Hmm...

Buyiren hesitated for a moment before choosing to follow.

Quietly, the reins of leadership had changed hands.

"You're actually planning to go in?"

Seeing Fu Qian walk right up to a specific door and stop to stare at the brass plaque on it, he frowned deeply, utterly bewildered.

"Isn't it empty inside?"

By now, Fu Qian had clearly read the text on the brass plaque.

Servis. It was the simple name of an Attending Physician, and the plaque already bore the faint marks of age.

"But didn't you want to avoid disrupting the ecology of this place? I can't guarantee what will happen once you step inside."

Having to use the other man's logic against him was a bitter pill to swallow. Buyiren pondered for a moment before finally coming up with a reason to dissuade him.

It was obvious he had made up his mind to classify all his previous suggestions as part of the test.

Unfortunately, their series of exchanges had also proven that the agreeable gentleman before him wasn't actually someone who could be easily persuaded.

Even as he spoke, Fu Qian reached out and pressed his hand flat against the door.

It wasn't even locked.

Fu Qian confirmed this the moment he touched it, silently praising Excellency Servis's magnanimity.

It was such a highly confidential area, yet not only could Servis not be bothered to visit it himself, he didn't even mind others pushing the door open and wandering in.

But perhaps it was precisely this open posture that made people wary of actually doing so.

Looking at it that way, using this place as a temporary hideout wasn't a bad choice at all, was it?

Of course, before doing anything else, Fu Qian made sure to observe Brother Buyiren's reaction.

One hand was half-extended, as if he wanted to stop him but held himself back.

The man's expression was a complicated mix of emotions. He looked like someone watching a situation spiral completely out of control, ready to turn and bolt at a moment's notice—

"Good point. But who said I was going in?"

Fu Qian stopped pushing the door.

Knock—knock, knock—

Turning his hand over, he politely rapped his knuckles against the unlocked door.

...

The air was dead silent. No sound came from behind the door.

Fortunately, to make up for the lack of response, sweat was practically beading up on Brother Buyiren's forehead.

Those few short seconds had clearly inflicted a massive amount of psychological pressure on the man—it was almost reaching the level of a workplace injury.

"Just checking. Looks like it really is empty in there."

A second later, Fu Qian offered him a shred of relief, explaining that he merely wanted to verify if what had been said earlier was true.

"Looks like you were right. So, where is my real hideout going to be?"

Wait... he said he wouldn't go in, and he really wasn't going in?

However, it seemed Fu Qian's good intentions had backfired.

Seeing Fu Qian actually pull his hand back and bring himself to a dead stop in front of such an important room, Buyiren's expression somehow grew even more rigid.

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