Chapter 45: The Premonition of the Red-Eyed Patient

[Automatically deducting 100 yuan. Future scene constructing… Construction successful. Activating now.]

Qiao Xia understood now; some things truly couldn’t withstand being thought about too much.

Only moments ago, he had been pondering whether the absence of Red-Eyed Patients signaled temporary safety. Yet, the very next second, the premonition screen activated.

He wondered what danger awaited him ten minutes from now.

With these thoughts, Qiao Xia, now accustomed to such occurrences, felt no anxiety. Instead, he calmly awaited the dispersal of the darkness before his eyes.

Since this was a premonition of ten minutes into the future, no immediate danger was present, and Qiao Xia naturally saw no need to rush into hiding.

Soon, as light began to pierce the gloom, Qiao Xia surveyed his surroundings. He found himself inside Class One’s classroom, his backpack, heavy with snacks and drinks, clutched in his hand.

Simultaneously, he moved quickly, pacing back and forth, searching through his classmates’ desks for any hidden food.

The profound silence of the classroom, coupled with the familiar sight of bloodstains and scattered flesh, immediately led Qiao Xia, in his conscious state, to deduce that no immediate danger lurked within.

This assurance allowed him to calmly search for food, rather than simply grabbing his bag and fleeing.

After Qiao Xia’s swift search, he indeed uncovered a significant haul. He couldn’t help but inwardly marvel at the ‘hamsters’ in his class, who had stashed away an impressive amount of food within their desk compartments.

Once he had casually filled another large backpack, Qiao Xia knew it was unwise to be overly greedy. Slinging both bags over his shoulders, he immediately headed towards the classroom door.

It was at this precise moment that a dark silhouette abruptly appeared in the half-open doorway, causing Qiao Xia’s steps to halt instinctively. His breathing grew shallow and rapid.

[Qiao Xia, let’s hurry back!]

However, upon seeing Li Lin Guan gesturing, the tension that had gripped Qiao Xia’s heart instantly dissipated.

His relief was swiftly followed by a decision to give Li Lin Guan a good beating later. How dare he play such terrifying tricks when he should be taking care of himself!

With Red-Eyed Patients rampaging, Li Lin Guan’s sudden appearance in the doorway was enough to make even Qiao Xia, with his slightly greater courage, jump. Anyone less bold would have undoubtedly wet themselves.

[You actually found so much food—that’s amazing! I didn’t find much to eat, but I did get a knife.]

Li Lin Guan’s eyes lit up as he gazed at the two backpacks on Qiao Xia’s back, and he quickly gave Qiao Xia a thumbs-up.

However, when Li Lin Guan produced a palm-sized fruit knife, it was Qiao Xia’s turn to be utterly astonished.

Bringing a fruit knife to school was far from common. He wondered which audacious student had brought it, and for what purpose.

[An old enemy always tried to mess with me, but this knife ended up being a bargain for me, hahaha! Now that we have a weapon, we don’t have to fear the Red-Eyed Patients anymore. Let’s get out of here!]

Qiao Xia watched Li Lin Guan’s hands move swiftly through the gestures. He was quite impressed with his own ability to not only understand but also keep pace with Li Lin Guan’s rapid signs—truly first-rate comprehension.

Naturally, having a fruit knife as a weapon now felt like a huge reassurance to Qiao Xia.

No matter how formidable the Red-Eyed Patients might seem, they were merely ordinary people infected with a disease.

Against real blades and weapons, they would still fall.

[Alright, let’s go now.]

Qiao Xia returned the gesture, but just as he lifted his foot, he suddenly noticed another dark mass appearing at the classroom door.

Having already been startled by Li Lin Guan, Qiao Xia felt no alarm this time. He assumed it was the Ye Dafeng brothers, having finished their search, coming to meet them.

True to Li Lin Guan’s subordinates, even their entrance was precisely the same.

As Qiao Xia, feeling a touch exasperated, finally directed his gaze towards the shadowy figure, he unexpectedly locked eyes with a pair of blood-red orbs.

His heart immediately plummeted. He knew with chilling certainty that the owner of those crimson eyes was absolutely not one of Li Lin Guan’s subordinates.

Damn it, this is a Red-Eyed Patient!

“Li Lin Guan, watch your back!”

At that moment, Qiao Xia cast aside all other considerations and directly shouted a warning to Li Lin Guan.

Propelled by Qiao Xia’s warning, Li Lin Guan’s reaction was swift and decisive. He immediately thrust the fruit knife he held backward, then executed an awkward, scrambling roll, narrowly evading the fists and teeth lunging at him.

Among the Red-Eyed Patients, aside from those wielding weapons, most attacked by biting with their teeth and pounding with their fists. Other methods were rare.

It seemed that once infected with the Red-Eye disease, the patients were left with only their primal human instincts.

“Damn it, you scared the hell out of me! Die already!”

After his narrow escape, Li Lin Guan was incredibly fortunate to have saved his life. He scrambled to his feet, grumbling, and pressed a hand to his wildly thumping heart.

He then stared at the Red-Eyed Patient, who stood frozen in place with a knife protruding from its chest, making no further move to attack.

A wave of relief washed over Li Lin Guan. He figured that even if the Red-Eyed Patient who ambushed him didn’t die instantly, it would no longer be capable of action.

Judging by where the fruit knife was lodged, it was undoubtedly the heart… or even if not, being stabbed in the chest was hardly a pleasant experience.

No matter how berserk a Red-Eyed Patient became, with a knife through its heart, it surely couldn’t continue to attack others with such ferocious vigor, could it?

If it could still move, that would defy all normal human understanding!

“Qiao Xia, let’s hurry and leave. The sound of our voices might have attracted other Red-Eyed Patients to…”

Then, as Li Lin Guan turned to speak to Qiao Xia, his words were cut short. A hand suddenly burst through his chest.

A vivid red heart still pulsed within the palm, yet Li Lin Guan, utterly breathless, collapsed to the ground.

The turn of events was so sudden that by the time Qiao Xia reacted, the Red-Eyed Patient, with the knife still in its chest, had already brought the heart to its mouth, chewing great mouthfuls.

After consuming half of it, it seemed to remember Qiao Xia’s presence. The Red-Eyed Patient immediately tossed aside the half-eaten heart and stiffly advanced towards Qiao Xia.

Covered in blood, with bits of viscera clinging to its mouth and those ghastly red eyes, it looked like a fiend freshly clawed from the depths of hell.

[Preview sequence ended, returning to reality.]

Ultimately, the Red-Eyed Patient in the classroom had made noise without restraint, drawing in several other Red-Eyed Patients who cornered and attacked Qiao Xia within the classroom.

With two fists unable to contend against multiple attackers, Qiao Xia, too, gloriously fell, dying shortly after Li Lin Guan.

As the darkness swiftly receded from his vision, Qiao Xia disregarded the faint aches in his body.

He immediately turned to look at Li Lin Guan, who stood beside him, and without a word, quickly gestured towards him.

[Did that enemy of yours bring a knife? Take me to get it right now!]