Chapter 22

"Disgusting..." Qiao Jiajin frowned as he looked at the dirty thing on the ground, "This pungent smell, it can't be excrement, can it?"

Excrement?

Qi Xia suddenly turned to look at Qiao Jiajin.

This was an interesting perspective.

In other words, besides the nine of them and the animal masks, there were other people here.

Or perhaps... other "things."

This person or "thing" seemed to have lived here for a long time, otherwise it wouldn't have left so much excrement on the ground.

The group searched around but couldn't find any needles or bandages. There were no pharmacies or clinics outside the convenience store, and Han Yimo might not last long if they went out blindly to look for them.

"What should we do..." Officer Li put his hands on his hips and looked helplessly at Doctor Zhao, as if seeking his opinion.

Before Doctor Zhao could speak, there was a noise from behind the cash register, and the door to the staff room slowly opened.

The nine people were shocked and immediately took a few steps back, looking at the slowly opening door.

A thin figure emerged from behind the door.

Upon closer inspection, it was a girl who was so emaciated that her age was indiscernible.

Her cheeks were deeply sunken, and her eyes bulged out as if all the flesh on her face had disappeared.

She pressed her dry, cracked lips together and looked at the group curiously.

After a brief moment of shock, she seemed to react and quickly tidied up her dirty, tattered clothes, then spoke in a hoarse voice, "Welcome... please come in..."

Welcome... please come in?

Officer Li carefully considered the meaning of these words and seemed to understand.

"Are you... an employee?"

The girl nodded, "Yes."

The group didn't say anything more because this situation seemed unreasonable.

Not to mention why there were other humans here, even if she was really an "employee," why would she

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work in a completely dilapidated convenience store?

Seeing that the group didn't move, the employee tentatively said, "Please feel free to browse."

Although she said this, there was nothing to "browse" here.

The shelves were almost empty, and the few items left were rotten and covered in filth.

The employee's eyes were lifeless, staring fixedly at the group.

This gaze made the girls feel afraid.

"Do you have any needles and thread?" Qi Xia asked the employee without changing her expression.

"Needles... thread?" The employee's lifeless eyes flickered, and she extended her hand, mimicking the action of threading a needle, "You mean... these needles and thread?"

Only then did the group notice that her hands were covered in dried, black blood, which was quite terrifying.

Qi Xia took another step forward and said, "Yes, these needles and thread. Do you have them for sale?"

"Fraudster, you..." Before Qiao Jiajin met Qi Xia, he thought he was the bravest person in the world, but now even he didn't dare to talk to this woman, "This woman is not right, can't you see?"

"So what if I can see?" Qi Xia said calmly, "Our situation can't get any worse."

The female employee thought for a moment, then suddenly opened the front counter and rushed out.

Only then did the group see her fully.

She was wearing a dirty, oversized white shirt that hung on her like a coat on a hanger.

The shirt was smeared with something that felt like oil or blood.

The shirt almost reached her knees, and it seemed she wasn't wearing any pants, with her thighs covered in dried blood.

Qi Xia frowned slightly and tried to take a step back, but the female employee grabbed her wrist.

She felt her wrist being tightly gripped by what felt like an old, dry vine, causing a painful sensation.

"I have them!!" The female employee opened her mouth, revealing yellowed teeth, "I have 'needles and thread'! Follow me!"

She kept pointing to the "staff room," as if she wanted Qi Xia to follow her.

The group was genuinely frightened. Given the woman's current behavior, it wasn't a good idea to follow her.

"Never mind... we're not buying!" Qiao Jiajin tried to pull the woman's hand away, "Let go first."

But the female employee seemed not to hear, pulling Qi Xia along while smiling happily.

"There's 'needles and thread' in this room! Come on!"

Her strength was even greater than that of Qiao Jiajin and Qi Xia combined.

"Hey!! Help me!" Qiao Jiajin turned and shouted.

Officer Li and Doctor Zhao came to their senses and rushed over.

The female employee quickened her pace.

Qi Xia felt a huge force dragging her, making it impossible to break free.

They were already close to the staff room, and in just a few steps, they were inside.

Doctor Zhao and Officer Li were pulling Qi Xia out, but the female employee suddenly let go of her hand.

"Ah!"

A scream, and the group almost fell over.

After regaining their balance, they saw that the female employee wasn't paying attention to them but was rummaging through things in the room.

The four men also looked around the room, still shaken.

The room was slightly cleaner than the outside, with a folding bed in the corner, the bedding yellowed.

There was a large, fresh bloodstain on the bed.

In another corner,

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a simple stove was set up, with a rusty pot bubbling on it, cooking something.

The female employee, oblivious to everything, was rummaging through an old box.

"Where is it... the needle and thread..." She kept throwing things out of the box, which contained cans, old magazines, and kitchen utensils.

Qiao Jiajin touched his nose and looked at the pot.

"Speaking of which, I'm really hungry," he whispered to Qi Xia, "If she weren't crazy, I'd ask her if I could have a meal."

Qi Xia glanced at the pot, which contained a white object.

He also felt a bit hungry.

"Would you dare to eat anything from this place?" Officer Li asked, "Who knows how dirty it is..."

"But it smells really good."

Qiao Jiajin was right; thanks to the pot, the room smelled fragrant, masking the stench.

"What are you cooking?" Qiao Jiajin asked boldly, clearly wanting a share.

"Piglet," the female employee answered.

"Piglet?"

Qiao Jiajin became interested and was about to go to the pot, but the female employee exclaimed.

"Ah! I found it!"

She turned around, holding something in both hands, and excitedly said to the group, "Look! Needle and thread!"

Officer Li stepped forward and looked, his face showing some difficulty.

This wasn't "needle and thread," but a rusty fish hook and a small bundle of tangled fishing line.

He turned to look at Doctor Zhao, giving him a meaningful glance.

Doctor Zhao thought for a moment, then stared at the fish hook and fishing line and asked, "Miss, do you have any other needles and thread?"

"No." The female employee shook her head, "Only this. Do you want to buy it?"