When Zhuang Yu looked down, Gu Rong had already taken back the straw, and on the back of his hand was a red mark shaped like concentric circles.

Other than that, nothing.

Why did it feel like…something had stabbed the back of his hand?

Was it an illusion?

But there was a concentric circle mark on the back of his hand, about the size of a bubble tea straw, so it probably wasn’t an illusion.

It didn’t hurt, it was just strange. But in a horror world, it seemed like nothing was too strange.

Before Zhuang Yu could figure it out, he made eye contact with Morrison outside the van, who was giving him a wicked grin. The expression was creepy and unsettling.

The police chief was holding a baton in his left hand, tapping it rhythmically against his right palm, his gaze fixed on Zhuang Yu.

Zhuang Yu: “…”

That looked like it would really hurt.

It was as if, if he took one more second to get out of the van, that baton would come crashing down on his head.

Zhuang Yu gulped and quickly got out of the van.

After Zhuang Yu got out, the toddler who had been lined up behind him was revealed.

Gu Rong looked at the “excessively high” distance to the ground from the van, patted his little tummy, and took two steps back. He seemed a little scared, not daring to get off. For a toddler his size, this distance was like a sheer cliff, and he might even be experiencing a fear of heights.

[If you’re scared, just pat your little tummy! That height is like a chasm to him, hahaha, so cute!]

[Applying for duty! Send me in to carry this little guy off the van!]

[Applying for duty! I can go be a footstool and let the cub step on me to get off.]

[I can be a dog and carry the cub off in my mouth!]

[…]

These comments were all posted in the public livestream chat.

Players had their own personal live streams, but there was also a public live stream.

Ever since Gu Rong appeared in the live stream, not only had the viewership of the public livestream skyrocketed, but each player’s individual livestream viewership had also increased significantly.

The players couldn’t help but be puzzled. Most of the players in this group were newbies. To receive a large audience as soon as they entered the game seemed…unreasonable.

At this point, they had the same question as Zhuang Yu.

Could it be that the viewers were judging based on looks? But while you could say that for the handsome ones, it didn’t make sense for the ugly ones, those without good looks.

Or was it that this infinite game had so many viewers that you could slap your hand down and hit dozens of them?

The veteran players, however, didn’t notice anything amiss. This wasn’t their first time entering the game. They had accumulated fans in the past, and having a fan base meant that a large number of fans would come to support and watch them as soon as they entered the game. That seemed completely reasonable.

And at this point, even if the players weren’t looking at the chat, they had all seen Gu Rong, the toddler, and were all shocked.

Was this…a player?

It couldn’t be!

He was so tiny!

No wonder they’d only counted twelve people. They’d missed this little one.

Because he was so small, he’d been tucked away in some nook or cranny, and everyone had overlooked him.

But, a child this small, being pulled into a horror game, wasn’t this a joke?

Everyone gasped and sighed in disbelief.

The perfect, flawless smile that the man in the white coat had been wearing seemed to stiffen for a moment when he saw Gu Rong.

Chief Morrison’s eyes went wide, and he looked Gu Rong up and down, seemingly unable to believe it. He repeatedly checked, and only after a while did he finally believe that there really was a human toddler in front of him.

“Well, well, what do we have here? A little darling?”

Chief Morrison raised an eyebrow, grinned, and easily scooped up Gu Rong, like he was picking up a kitten. He tucked him under his arm, carrying him effortlessly down from the van.

Gu Rong was held under his arm, completely helpless, his little legs kicking uselessly, his short arms reaching out in front of him. In a sweet, childish voice, he cried out, “Help!”

Chief Morrison: “…”

Everyone: “…”

The chief gave his fluffy little head a reassuring pat. A child’s skull wasn’t fully developed yet, and the scalp was very soft. It felt incredibly good to the touch.

The chief couldn’t resist and stroked his head a couple more times, then, carrying him, strode into the mental hospital.

–

The players followed closely behind, entering the mental hospital.

The hospital gates slowly closed behind them and were then locked.

The players increasingly felt like they had stepped into a prison, not a mental hospital.

The mental hospital was a European-style castle building, over a hundred years old, with intricate and elaborate carvings and murals on the walls.

As soon as they entered the hospital, they saw a crucifix hanging on the central wall, with a seraphim relief sculpture below it.

A nun stood on the spiral staircase next to the relief sculpture, her hands clasped in front of her. Her smile was even more fake than the one on the sculpture, and she tilted her chin up, looking down at the thirteen new patients.

“This is Sister Ishmael,” Chief Morrison said. “These are the new batch of patients.”

The latter sentence was addressed to Sister Ishmael.

Sister Ishmael was the highest administrator of the mental hospital, around forty years old, a French-Chinese mix with high eyebrows, deep-set eyes, and sharp features. She wore a black nun’s habit, and her brown hair was wrapped in a black headscarf.

Seeing the nun, the players had a bad feeling.

This mental hospital was filled with Christian culture. There were 13 players, and 13, in Christian culture, was a symbol of bad luck and betrayal.

Chief Morrison was still carrying Gu Rong. He patted his little head and set him down on the ground.

The handcuffs on Gu Rong’s hands were already too big, and they almost slipped off and fell to the ground, but he grabbed them just in time. Although his hands were small, his grip was good. After grabbing them, he very obediently put them back on.

Everyone: … speechless

Seeing Gu Rong, the toddler, the nun’s smile stiffened. It seemed she also hadn’t expected that there would be such a young patient in this batch.

Gu Rong had a round head and face, fair skin, big, bright black eyes, and delicate features like a porcelain doll. Such a tiny thing, he was incredibly soft and cute.

But, for some reason, this little cub, looking left and right, seemed to be looking around for something, appearing very excited, his snow-white little face flushed with excitement.

The nun: “…”

Anyone who didn’t know better would think he’d entered a candy store or a toy shop, not a mental hospital.

The nun quickly averted her gaze and began to assess each patient one by one.

The thirteen patients lined up in a row like students being lectured by the dean.

The air was strangely silent.

The nun instructed the nurses to remove the patients’ handcuffs and replace them with wristbands.

Gu Rong was at the end of the line. The nurse came to him, knelt down, and her stiff expression softened with a hint of gentle affection as she prepared to remove his handcuffs.

Gu Rong himself took off the handcuffs and obediently handed them to the female nurse.

The female nurse: “…”

Alright, then.

Sister Ishmael had been looking at Gu Rong, seemingly unintentionally, and when she saw the nurse about to put the wristband on Gu Rong, she said, “This little patient doesn’t need to wear one. He’s so small, it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t wear it.”

“Yes, Sister.”

The nurse took the wristband back.

The players: “…”

Seriously? NPCs are allowed to have double standards?

Chief Morrison raised an eyebrow and said, “But he has little legs. He can walk and run.”

Sister Ishmael gave him a look, a hint of a smile on her face: “If you can’t even catch a kid with legs that are barely half a zha long, then you shouldn’t be working here.”

Chief Morrison’s eye twitched: “The wristbands don’t just have the function of electric shock and paralysis, they also provide real-time positioning and constantly monitor vital signs.”

Sister Ishmael thought for a moment, then had the nurse put the wristband on Gu Rong after all.

The Players: “…”

“Damn it,” the players thought, “I knew this thing wasn’t anything good.”

The nurse put the wristband on Gu Rong. She noticed a ring around his wrist, like one made by a tight rubber band. His little arm was pale, chubby, and soft.

She curiously picked up his little hand and examined it. His hand was mini in hers, unbelievably small.

After a closer look, the female nurse realized it wasn’t a rubber band mark at all; it was just pure, baby-fat rolls.

The female nurse: “…”

Gu Rong didn’t look fat, but he certainly had plenty of baby fat.

The female nurse couldn’t resist and poked his little arm. It was like soft tofu.

Seeing this, Gu Rong also extended a short little finger and poked his own arm.

The female nurse’s eyes lit up, about to explode from the cuteness, and her gaze towards Gu Rong became even more affectionate. If it weren’t for the inappropriate setting, she’d have wanted to kiss him, hug him, and lift him up high.

[Awww, I want to poke him too! It looks so poke-able! QAQ]

[Quick, let Auntie have a bite! I could eat a whole one of these in one bite!]

[Something’s not right. Am I the only one who’s noticed? From the very beginning, why is everyone’s focus on this little NPC cub? He might be soft and cute, but he’s still an NPC. He’s definitely not a vegetarian!]

[The cub is so cute, why would you want to feed him vegetarian food? Cubs need to eat meat! [Raises fist in the air]]

[…Seriously, do you guys even remember why you’re here? We’re here to watch the players play the game, not to watch an NPC cub! Do you think this is a parenting channel?!]

[That was then, this is now. The moment this auntie saw this cub, I knew he was my destined little one. I don’t care if he’s a player or an NPC, Auntie just wants to watch the cub! Just wants to watch!]

[Seconded! Don’t tell us what to watch. Mind your own business. We just want to watch the cub!]

[666, I’m staying here. NPCs can die and be eliminated too, and they’re easily killed. Their mortality rate is even higher than players’. How long can this little cub with his short arms and legs survive? Let’s wait and see!]

—Spoilers are only visible to the audience—

All the players were fitted with wristbands.

The wristbands were adjustable, so this time, when it was put on Gu Rong’s little wrist, it wouldn’t fall off.

Each wristband had a patient number on it, one wristband corresponding to one patient.

Gu Rong’s number was 3416.

After being put on his wrist, the wristband screen lit up, emitting a pale purple light.

Gu Rong tapped the screen with his little hand, very curious.

006 said: [Congratulations, little host, for completing the initial task. Success reward: 10,000 points.]

Considering that Gu Rong was a two-year-old toddler and a newbie, the initial task difficulty was half a star.

Gu Rong happily shook his little head, then clutched his little tummy: [When can we eat? My little tummy is all empty!]

006 said: […What does the little host want to eat?]

Gu Rong said in a babyish voice: [I didn’t get to drink that big brother’s blood earlier, and I was discovered. The prey was right in the cub’s hands, and I still couldn’t eat it. Sigh.]

He sighed like a little adult.

006: […]

Seriously, with the way the little host stabbed, it would have been hard not to be noticed, unless the other person was a corpse.

And, not to discourage the little host’s enthusiasm, but that wasn’t exactly prey falling into his hands. The prey was just standing there, not moving.

Wait, why were they prey in the first place?

The male player standing next to Zhuang Yu was a complete newbie. He seemed to have been holding it in the whole way, and now he couldn’t take it anymore. He clutched his head, screamed in despair, and turned to run.

Even if he ran out of the room, he wouldn’t be able to run out of the gate, which was already locked.

Experienced players seemed accustomed to newbies making such foolish moves. Their expressions were mocking, and they just watched the show.

Not only did the players not move, but the nun was also indifferent. She simply watched coldly, seeing this struggle as futile.

The next moment, everyone’s vision blurred, and a shadow flashed before their eyes. Then they heard a “bang,” the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground.

When they looked again, the player who had just run out had been thrown back in, lying on the ground, unconscious.

Before the players could even gasp, they heard another “thump, thump” heavy sound coming from behind them.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and was stunned, their eyes widening.

A burly, bearded man with a massive build was walking in from outside. He was extremely tall and large, as wide as three people, over two meters tall, and probably weighed at least four or five hundred jin. His bulky body almost broke the doorframe.

The door trembled, about to collapse.

Because he was so bulky, the bearded man walked very heavily, making the ground shake.

The skin exposed on his body was covered in bristles…because his body hair was so long and thick, it looked like the bristles of a wild animal.

The players were dumbfounded. As the bearded man approached, they all gave way, unconsciously avoiding him.

Gu Rong hid behind Zhuang Yu, his mouth forming an “O” shape: “Big monster!”

“Shh.”

Zhuang Yu pushed his little head, which was peeking out, back behind him.

The bearded man walked through the players, went to the player he had thrown on the ground, and picked him up with one hand. He lifted him like a little chick, his feet dangling in the air.

After picking him up, he took out a brush from his pocket. The brush was covered in bristles, and the bristles, in both color and length, were identical to the ones on his body. It was hard not to suspect that he had pulled them directly from his own body.

And what drew their attention was that a vintage-style red key was attached to the end of the brush!

The first key had appeared!!

Except for Gu Rong, all the players’ eyes lit up.

The bearded man, holding the bristle brush, opened his mouth, stuck out his thick, greasy tongue, which seemed longer than a normal person’s, and licked the bristles to wet them. Then, without further ado, he used the wet bristle brush to brush the male player’s hair, styling it into a slicked-back look in just a few strokes. The slicked-back hair was so shiny and smooth, that it was even smoother than a calf licked by its mother.

The players: “…………”

Good heavens, who was this trying to disgust?!

Were they going to suffer the same cruel treatment?!!!