READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 38 - A Special Red Towel?
“Bzzz… Bzzz…”
Groggily, He Gu felt something vibrating in his pocket as he was about to turn over, refusing to open his eyes.
However, he suddenly remembered he was still in the World of Strange Tales, and immediately woke up.
Opening his eyes, He Gu saw the underside of the bunk above him.
Looking around as he sat up, He Gu realized it was already daylight.
He was still in Dormitory 303, sleeping on the bed that Wang Tao had made for him the night before.
The dormitory door was closed, and Wang Tao was sound asleep opposite him, snoring loudly.
“Was it… a dream?” He Gu was puzzled.
He distinctly remembered the dormitory door being kicked down by Wang Tao last night, Wang Tao getting his neck bitten off by Zhang Chao, and even he himself…
Thinking of this, He Gu instinctively reached out to touch his own neck.
Fortunately, his neck was intact.
The last hidden message that He Gu saw last night said: “Stay calm, let the bullets fly for a while, and you will eventually see the dawn of victory!”
Now it was dawn.
The dawn of victory had arrived, and He Gu knew he was close to winning—or passing the game.
Sitting on the bed for a few seconds, He Gu woke up completely.
He took out his phone and glanced at the time; it was 8:56 a.m.
At this point, He Gu noticed two missed calls on his phone, both from the same unknown landline number that had just awakened him.
Ignoring the missed calls, He Gu got out of bed and prepared to stretch his joints.
As he got up, an earthy yellow envelope slipped from his body.
He Gu picked up the envelope, opened it, and found a stamped internship notice inside.
In addition to this, there was also a note.
He Gu picked up the note and instantly recognized Zhang Chao’s handwriting:
“Brother Gu, our internship notice actually came a long time ago. I secretly hid yours… They all have to die, but I didn’t want to involve you, so I had to resort to this. It’s meaningless to say these things now. I will bear the consequences I should bear. I wish you a bright future.”
…
After reading this, He Gu was baffled.
What did it mean?
From the tone of it, the car accident last week that nearly wiped out their dormitory seemed to be no accident!?
But why?
He Gu shook his head with a sigh, clueless.
Then, He Gu picked up the internship notice and glanced at it; the date on it was indeed ten days ago.
There was also a contact number for the internship unit.
He Gu looked at it, took out his phone and was about to dial it when his phone vibrated again.
It was the same landline number that He Gu had missed before, and it was calling again.
Upon closer inspection, He Gu found that this number was indeed the contact number of the internship unit on the notice!
After a brief hesitation, He Gu answered the phone: “Hello?”
A female voice came from the receiver: “Hello, this is the Human Resources Department of Kangde Traditional Chinese Medicine Co., Ltd. Is this Mr. He Gu?”
He Gu replied, “Yes, it’s me.”
The person on the phone continued, “Hello, Mr. He Gu. You had previously requested leave due to personal matters and were unable to report to our company on time. The file indicates that you postponed your report date to today.”
“A colleague from our Freight Department is returning to the factory from your city today and will pass by the main entrance of your school around 9:30. Do you need a ride?”
He Gu immediately responded, “Yes, I do.”
The person on the other end said, “I will notify the colleague in the Freight Department. Please be prepared, bring necessary items, your ID, internship notice, etc., and wait at the main entrance of your school at 9:30.”
He Gu nodded, “I understand.”
…
After hanging up the phone, He Gu glanced at his mobile phone for the time, about half an hour remained.
He Gu didn’t wake Wang Tao who was deep in sleep, and quietly left Dormitory 303.
Once in the hallway, He Gu quickly noticed the birdcage hanging at the entrance of the neighboring Dormitory 302. The parrot inside was lying quietly at the bottom of the cage.
The parrot was dead.
He Gu carefully opened the door to his dorm room and peeked inside.
The room was empty, not a single soul in sight.
The bedding on Zhang Chao’s bed had been cleared away at some point, only the bed frame remained. All of Xiao Ying’s belongings, including her pink suitcase, were nowhere to be found.
Only at He Gu’s bedside, a vibrant Red Towel was hanging…
He Gu was slightly taken aback. Wasn’t this the Red Towel from Xiao Ying’s suitcase?
Hadn’t he already thrown it away? How did it reappear?
Seeing this towel, He Gu felt a chill down his spine, scared that Xiao Ying would suddenly pop out from somewhere demanding him to hand over the Red Towel.
Fortunately, Xiao Ying did not appear. Instead, there was a note on the back of the towel:
Rule Seven
Don’t hesitate; this is your only chance to leave alive…
Hidden Message: The Red Towel that might take your life could also save it…
He Gu didn’t expect to come across another rule when he was close to completing the game.
And the content of this rule was quite straightforward: He Gu must not linger.
What really sparked He Gu’s interest was the Hidden Message that only he could see.
The Red Towel that might take your life could also save it…
The Red Towel had indeed almost cost He Gu his life, but what did it mean that it could also save him?
Could this Red Towel serve another purpose?
After a brief thought, He Gu took down the Red Towel, folded it up, and tucked it into his suitcase.
The Hidden Message seen by the Eyes of Delusion Breaking would not be false. The Red Towel must be kept!
Afterwards, He Gu looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, noticing that his complexion had significantly improved, no longer looking like a zombie.
The cat scratch wounds on his cheek were still there, but they had subsided, and the three scratch marks had scabbed over.
He Gu carefully wiped his face with the towel, changed his clothes, packed a few sets of clothes, cleaned the dorm room briefly, and then left the dorm with his suitcase.
Soon, He Gu arrived at the dormitory building entrance.
The Dormitory Supervisor’s chair was still there, but the supervisor was nowhere to be seen.
He Gu looked around the quiet campus, pulled his suitcase, and strode toward the school gate.
As He Gu was about to reach the school gate, a figure suddenly approached.
Upon seeing this figure, He Gu’s heart skipped a beat, and he was prepared to run.
The figure approaching was Teacher Fang, who should have died in a car accident last week!
Teacher Fang stood not far in front of He Gu with a gloomy face, glaring at him: “Hand it over!”
He Gu was taken aback: “What?”
Clearly, this incarnation of Teacher Fang was “it”, not hiding anymore, it growled: “You took something you weren’t supposed to!”
“You’ve passed the challenge of the rules, as long as you hand over the item, I won’t trouble you anymore!”
Hearing the words of “Teacher Fang”, He Gu had an idea of what was happening.
The object “it” wanted was probably the Red Towel.
But what was so special about this Red Towel that “it” would go so far as to reveal itself again to demand it from He Gu?
After a brief thought, He Gu took a deep breath to stay calm and said lightly: “I haven’t violated any rules, what can you do to me?”
Upon hearing these words, “Teacher Fang’s” face grew increasingly gloomy. He stared intently at He Gu, his eyes gradually turning completely black, and a hint of black aura began to seep from his body.
Upon seeing this, a jolt of fear shot through He Gu’s heart. Without uttering another word, he grabbed his suitcase and began to run.
Under normal circumstances, He Gu would have abandoned his luggage by now, but the Red Towel was still inside!
Although He Gu did not yet know the use of the Red Towel, the Hidden Message claimed that it could save his life!
And the fact that “it” had also shown itself to find He Gu further proved that this Red Towel was not ordinary!
He absolutely could not hand it over!
He Gu made up his mind, and with his suitcase in tow, he desperately ran towards the school gate.
Despite “Teacher Fang’s” feet seemingly unmoving, his speed was unnaturally fast and bizarre, and he was about to catch up with He Gu.
In a state of desperation, He Gu acted on the principle of “desperate times call for desperate measures,” and swung his suitcase towards “Teacher Fang.”
Caught off guard, “Teacher Fang” stumbled due to He Gu’s attack, and He Gu took the chance to break through the school gate.
Just as he burst out of the gate, He Gu narrowly avoided being hit by a truck.
The truck slammed on its brakes, and the driver stuck his head out and yelled, “Are you in a hurry to reincarnate?”
He Gu looked up and was surprised to find the words “Kangde Chinese Medicine” printed on the white truck’s cargo hold.
Without bothering to explain, He Gu hastily climbed into the truck’s passenger seat.
The driver glared at him, “What are you…”
Before the driver could finish his sentence, He Gu quickly pulled out his ID and handed it over, “I’m He Gu, I’m the one you’re supposed to pick up. Drive, now!”