Hospital 444
Chapter 528 - 30: The Outpatient Building from Midnight to 4 A.M.

Chapter 528: Chapter 30: The Outpatient Building from Midnight to 4 A.M.

It was almost midnight.

Any doctor had to leave the outpatient area immediately once it struck midnight, they could go to the emergency center or to the hospital wards, but... they absolutely couldn’t remain within the boundaries of the outpatient area. Not until after 4 a.m. could they return.

This was an iron rule of Hospital 444.

Mei Quzhen had to leave as well.

In fact, her clinic hours had already ended, but she was waiting, waiting for An Xiunian to contact her. And if there were any emergencies, perhaps she could be called over. Unless it was an emergency case, ambulances could only bring patients into the outpatient area. And the emergency center... after all, was controlled by the Han Ming Faction, and she did not wish for An Xiunian to fall into Han Ming’s hands.

However, the time was approaching, and she had to go.

After making sure she hadn’t left anything behind, she locked her department head office, turned off the lights, and prepared to teleport away.

But just as she was leaving, she suddenly saw someone.

"You?"

The person in front of her was a blonde Caucasian woman.

The woman held what looked like a Barbie doll, staring at her with a face that seemed completely paralyzed in muscle.

"Who are you?"

Mei Quzhen was very puzzled as she observed the woman.

There were less than ten minutes left until midnight. Even the doctors working overtime had mostly left. Besides, there were very few foreign doctors in the hospital, and she didn’t recall this woman.

Could she be one of the Curse Object Department Doctors? Apart from those stationed in the outpatient building, most of them didn’t interact with clinical doctors, so it was possible that there were doctors she didn’t recognize.

But, there was a strict protocol for the doctors of the Curse Object Department. If they weren’t stationed in the outpatient building, they wouldn’t come to the outpatient area for no reason.

Could it be...

"I am a doctor from the Demons Department, Niru Xiao. Director Mei Quzhen, Director Keli sent me to talk to you,"

The other’s speech was as if an AI was reading a script, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

Even her expression remained unchanged.

Mei Quzhen said warily, "It’s too late now... and what would a doctor from the Demons Department have to discuss with me?"

"You were once an intern in our Demons Department."

"I’m not anymore. And I didn’t intern for long in the Demons Department; after that, I went to work in the Evil Ghost Department. Now, I don’t even have the Devil’s Cursed Object I acquired back then."

"Director Keli hopes you will consider becoming a candidate doctor in our department again."

What a joke?

She was doing fine as a department head and to go back as a candidate doctor?

"You shouldn’t have established the Evil Ghost Department. The director’s intentions are very clear... Next, the Evil Ghost Department will either be re-integrated into the Evil Spirits Department or be disbanded altogether."

"Are you dreaming?" Mei Quzhen began to slowly back away, ready to teleport at any moment, "The Evil Ghost Department was approved and established by the director of the hospital. At the end of the day, isn’t your department directly under the director?"

For a long time, doctors from the Demons Department were regarded as direct followers of the director because even the deputy director did not have the power to decide their appointment or dismissal, only the right to recommend, and even a recommendation did not guarantee a position.

So, to everyone, the Demons Department doctors were absolutely part of the director’s faction.

Weren’t they?

"The director might have approved the establishment, and we can make the Evil Ghost Department disappear, or rather... the Evil Ghost Department should have disappeared long ago. And you, you have overstepped the line. From the beginning, when Han Ming taught the concept of the Sign of the Devil to the clinical doctors, it was a mistake. You even went on to establish a department for Malevolent Ghosts within the hospital. In the concept of paranormal medicine, there should not be a definition of Malevolent Ghost."

"Yet Malevolent Ghosts do exist, there are such cursed ones..."

"When the Sign of the Devil appears, we will take care of treating them," Niru Xiao continued dispassionately, "It’s not your turn. Now, I will ask you again, would you be willing to work in our Demons Department?"

"Are you... threatening me?"

Mei Quzhen was starting to realize that her "overstepping the line" referred to An Xiunian.

She began to understand why the report on An Xiunian’s examination required the deputy director’s authorization to view.

"Threats do not exist in the spectrum of emotions within my mind," Niru pointed to her head, "Our duty is to treat those cursed by demons, those who have seen what should not exist, then isolate and treat them until they are cured. As an intern, you should be aware of this."

"I have to leave. Once it’s past midnight, I can’t stay in the outpatient area any longer."

Niru Xiao continued, "Fine. I will ask you the same question tomorrow. But one thing I can assure you, the Evil Ghost Department will soon disappear from this hospital."

Then, the white female’s doll suddenly opened its mouth at this moment and said, "Disappear!"

At this instant, Mei Quzhen felt a tingling on her scalp and immediately teleported away.

Niru Xiao turned her head and began to walk, but a closer look at her gait revealed something very strange. Each step was incredibly precise, the distance entirely consistent, showing no variation whatsoever.

As time passed, midnight drew closer and closer.

If Mei Quzhen had still been there, she would have been extremely surprised.

Because... there were now less than three minutes left until midnight. Not a single doctor would remain in the outpatient area at this time, not even the deputy director.

The outpatient area was strictly forbidden to any doctor from midnight until four in the morning!

This was an ironclad rule that all doctors must follow!

Ironclad rule!

It was a rule set by the dean, and no one dared to break it!

Yet, as time ticked away second by second, Niru Xiao, the Demon Department doctor, was still here!

Less than one minute left until midnight.

Thirty seconds...

Twenty seconds...

Ten seconds!

At this moment, as Niru reached the outpatient hall, there was a large clock directly above her head.

Within Hospital 444, all clocks operated without the need for battery changes, eternally keeping the absolute correct time. Under any circumstances, the clocks would not err, not even malevolent ghosts could interfere with their normal operation.

At this time, the minute hand was just about to coincide with the hour hand on the number 12.

When these two hands overlapped, any paranormal doctor still in the outpatient area would be dismissed by the dean.

With the dean’s dismissal also came death, and all accrued Spiritual Therapy Points would be reclaimed. A paranormal doctor who died due to dismissal couldn’t even retain their soul, nor could they go to the world where the dead reside.

Finally, the minute hand, completely merged with the hour hand...!

At this moment...

Niru Xiao was still in the outpatient area.

She continued to walk slowly and steadily.

Then, a black inverted cross began to slowly emerge on her forehead!

Her gaze also changed in an instant.

The emergence of the black inverted cross caused Niru’s face to start transforming as well.

After a long time...

She slowly started to turn into a ghostly figure, her body stretching continuously until it reached two meters tall.

Her mouth began to split open, dividing into countless parts.

Immediately after...

One by one, people began to enter the outpatient area.

All of these people... were non-admitted patients who had once come to the hospital for treatment, paying with Spiritual Therapy Points!

The patients now seemed to be in a sleepwalking state, one after another, queuing up in front of Niru.

Niru’s split mouth moved closer to a patient, and then, the mouth split completely into over a dozen parts! In this mouth, there was no tongue, no teeth, no tissues that should belong to a normal human oral cavity.

Only an endless void of darkness.

As the patients lined up in front of Niru, the first person in line raised his head, his eyes vacant as he looked at Niru, devoid of any self-awareness.

Then, from his body, a transparent soul emerged. Bit by bit, the dark, hole-like mouth sucked something from the soul, and as time went on, the transparency of the soul grew higher and higher!

Right after that, with the absorption complete, his body disappeared. The next person in line stepped up and continued to raise their head...