Chapter 274: The Infirmary

Hearing the system prompt in his mind, Lin Chen paused his steps, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes.

He looked toward the footsteps in the stairwell and saw Lin Hao standing against the wall, the bun in his hand already cold, his face as pale as a sheet of paper.

Lin Chen frowned. Before he could speak, Lin Hao moved his gaze away first and walked toward the infirmary. Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat.

He remembered that Lin Hao had been scratched by a mutant's bone spur while on a mission some time ago, the wound had become infected, and he had been running a high fever. Xia Nuan had said his condition was unstable, and he had been staying in the infirmary to recover.

Lin Chen turned and walked toward the infirmary, his steps very light, fearing he would disturb the person inside. The moment he pushed the door open, the smell of disinfectant rushed toward him, and Lin Chen saw Lin Hao lying on the hospital bed at a glance.

He had become gaunt, his once-fitting hospital gown hanging loosely on him. His exposed arms were covered in needle marks, his cheekbones protruded high, and his eye sockets were deeply sunken. Only his eyes were unusually calm, devoid of the fear and evasion he had shown in the past.

Hearing the door open, Lin Hao slowly raised his head and looked at Lin Chen standing in the doorway.

His lips moved, and his voice was very soft, yet carried an unprecedented sense of relief: "Cousin, you're here."

Lin Chen did not speak, just walked to the bedside step by step, looking down at him. The infirmary was very quiet, with only the sound of the wind outside,

and Lin Hao's slightly hurried breathing. Just then,

the voice of the blackened Lu Ran suddenly sounded in Lin Chen's mind, filled with heavy mockery and disdain: "Yo, isn't this that cowardly Lin Hao? Haven't seen you in a few days, how did you get so skinny and ghost-like?"

Lin Chen's brow furrowed even tighter. He recited silently in his heart, telling this voice to shut up.

But the blackened Lu Ran acted as if he hadn't heard, continuing: "You say, in this state,

what's the point of living?

Better to end it yourself early, so as not to waste the safe zone's medicine and food."

"System, get out here!" the blackened Lu Ran suddenly shouted in Lin Chen's mind,

his tone carrying a trace of impatience, "Where the hell have you been these past few months? How come I haven't even seen a shadow of you?"

A cold mechanical voice sounded slowly, without any emotional fluctuation: "Greetings, host."

"Don't give me that," the blackened Lu Ran sneered, "I'm asking you,

why didn't you come these past few months? Is it because you saw me being suppressed to death by Lin Chen and couldn't be bothered to care about me anymore?"

The system's mechanical voice remained steady: "I was hibernating."

The blackened Lu Ran was stunned, clearly not expecting the system to give such an answer. Lin Chen's mouth couldn't help but twitch, a trace of undisguised embarrassment appearing on his face. He could imagine how spectacular the blackened Lu Ran's expression was right now.

"Hibernating?" the blackened Lu Ran's voice rose sharply, filled with unbelievable shock, "A system like you needs to hibernate? Are you a snake or a bear? Do you want me to prepare a tree hole for you?"

The system ignored his mockery, just staying there quietly, no longer making a sound. The blackened Lu Ran was choked into silence, holding it in for a long time before snorting coldly and shifting his attention back to the two people in the infirmary.

"Lin Chen, look at him," the blackened Lu Ran used his consciousness to control Lin Chen's body, making him say these words, his tone filled with contempt, "Skinny as a bamboo pole, falling over with a gust of wind. What's the use of keeping such trash?"

Lin Hao did not refute, just looked at Lin Chen calmly, his eyes without a ripple. He knew that the one speaking now was not Lin Chen, but the blackened personality hidden in his body. During this time, he had heard too much about the blackened Lu Ran and knew how much trouble his existence had brought to the safe zone.

"And that Xia Nuan," the blackened Lu Ran controlled Lin Chen's mouth, continuing, "crying all day long like a pig,

besides using her healing ability to save a few people, what else can she do? When encountering trouble, she only knows how to hide behind you. She's simply a burden."

Lin Chen's body trembled violently. He struggled desperately against the blackened Lu Ran's control,

wanting to shut his mouth, but found he couldn't do it at all. He could only watch helplessly as he said those mean and hurtful words, his heart filled with anger and powerlessness.

"Cousin," Lin Hao suddenly spoke, his voice still very soft, yet carrying a strange power, "I know you don't mean it."

The blackened Lu Ran acted as if he had heard a massive joke, laughing wildly: "Don't mean it? He absolutely means it! In his heart, he wishes Xia Nuan would die sooner, wishes everyone would go to hell with Lu Ran!"

"Shut up!"

Lin Chen roared in his heart, finally breaking free of a trace of control, his voice carrying a trace of hoarseness, "Lin Hao, don't listen to his nonsense."

"Nonsense?"

The blackened Lu Ran regained the initiative, his tone becoming even more arrogant,

"Everything I said is the truth!

Lin Chen, do you dare say you haven't thought this way? Do you dare say you don't find Xia Nuan annoying? Do you dare say you don't want this world to be completely destroyed?"

Lin Chen gritted his teeth and stopped speaking. He knew that arguing with the blackened Lu Ran was meaningless; he would only become more excessive.

The atmosphere in the infirmary fell into silence again, with only the blackened Lu Ran's voice echoing in Lin Chen's mind.

He cursed and swore, saying all sorts of unbearable things, one moment calling Lin Hao trash, the next calling Xia Nuan a pig, and then calling Lu Ran a coward.

Lin Hao still looked at Lin Chen calmly, the sense of relief in his eyes growing thicker. He slowly raised his hand, wanting to touch Lin Chen's cheek, but stopped in mid-air. He knew that the current Lin Chen was not in control of himself.

Just then, the blackened Lu Ran suddenly sneered, his tone carrying a trace of provocation: "Lin Chen, how about we make a bet?"

Lin Chen did not respond, just watching him vigilantly in his heart.

"Bet that Lu Ran will never appear again," the blackened Lu Ran said word by word, his tone filled with confidence, "As long as he dares to appear in front of anyone again, I'll count it as my loss."

Lin Chen's heart sank abruptly. He knew that the blackened Lu Ran was forcing him to make a choice.

He knew even better that Lu Ran would not appear easily; he was currently hiding in some corner, licking his own wounds.

The system's mechanical voice suddenly sounded again, breaking the silence in the infirmary: "The bet is established; the outcome will be determined by the system."

Lin Chen's face turned pale instantly. He looked at Lin Hao on the hospital bed, looked at his calm eyes, and his heart was filled with despair. He knew that he had lost this bet from the very beginning. ===== CHAPTER 275 =====