Chapter 23: Would You Like to Collaborate With Me?

The blood-colored doll’s eyes snapped open, and its gaze immediately locked onto Xie Yunjun. It raised its hand in a flash, intent on strangling her, but Xie Yunjun blinked three meters backward, evading the attack with ease.

Before the doll could launch another strike, fine black lines like spiderwebs erupted across its face. It froze in place, glitching as if suffering from a poor connection. Seconds later, Xie Yunjun felt a tether form—she had successfully gained control over the doll.

Realizing she could command it, she put the doll through its paces, testing its range of motion. Finally, she had it perform a series of combat maneuvers. After the doll executed a sharp side kick, Xie Yunjun pulled a scalpel from her system inventory and tossed it over. The doll caught it mid-air and fluidly flourished the blade before settling into a stance. Satisfied, Xie Yunjun nodded and stored the doll back in her inventory.

Once the matter of the doll was settled, Xie Yunying, her system, voiced the question that had been nagging her. "Host, what made you decide to ask Doctor Zhao of all people for information?"

It was rare for anyone to go looking for gossip among coworkers to dig up leads.

Xie Yunjun chuckled. "You don't get it, do you?"

Before Yunying could reply, Xie Yunjun sank into her office chair. She felt a bit drained after expending so much ghostly energy. "Even though everyone in this dungeon is a 'specter,' they were human once, weren't they? Most humans are obsessed with gossip, and even after becoming specters, that instinct remains deep in their bones. If you work in a hospital long enough, what kind of dirt *don't* you know? Don't even get me started on the director’s first love, his various flings, or his great-aunt's family drama—the hospital staff knows every single detail!"

"Are humans really that terrifying? They can find all that out?"

"Yingying, have you forgotten where I used to work?" Xie Yunjun asked. Yunying’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"But Host, can you guarantee that the gossip is true?"

"I can't guarantee its accuracy," Xie Yunjun said, shaking her head with a smile before her tone sharpened. "But Doctor Zhao can't guarantee that I won't come after him if I find out he fed me false information, can he? Don't you think so, Yingying?"

As she spoke, she shot a playful, triumphant look at the system.

Far away in his own office, Doctor Zhao suddenly shivered. *What’s going on?* he wondered. *Am I... getting sick?* He shook the thought away immediately—he was a specter; how could he possibly fall ill?

Xie Yunjun stretched and glanced at the digital clock on the wall. It was 1:32 PM.

"Alright, I'm going to rest. I need to recharge if I'm going to have the energy to hunt specters tonight. Yingying, wake me up at seven," she instructed as she lay down.

"Understood, Host! Rest easy! I'll keep watch!" Yunying said, tapping her chest with a tentacle.

For the next few hours, Yunying stood guard. A few specters came knocking at the door, but Yunying shooed them all away. When the appointed time arrived, she began nudging the host. "Host! Host! Time to wake up!"

Seeing no movement, she floated to within five centimeters of Xie Yunjun’s face. Before she could say another word, Xie Yunjun’s eyes flew open.

"Ah!" Yunying recoiled, flying back a meter.

*Ding! Fear value from system Xie Yunying +500.*

Both the host and the system heard the main system’s notification.

"I didn't expect you to be right in front of me, Yingying." In truth, Xie Yunjun had intended to startle the system, though she hadn't expected it to be so easily rattled. Naturally, she would never admit that. She looked at the system with a contrite expression. "Did I scare you? I had no idea you were capable of fear. You really shouldn't crowd me like that, lest I startle you again."

Taking the advice to heart, Yunying nodded earnestly. Once she composed herself, she explained, "You wouldn't know this, Host, but since I’m a high-level system, I possess emotional values! I’m nothing like the low-level systems those ordinary players have!"

"Then I’m truly lucky to have such a high-level system!"

Xie Yunying blushed and smiled. As long as she kept quiet, her host would never know that it was her own mistake that had turned Xie Yunjun into a specter in the first place.

Seeing the system go quiet, Xie Yunjun got off the bed, stretched, and stepped out of the partition. She found a hair tie and pulled her hair into a high ponytail.

"Host, why are you tying your hair up?"

Xie Yunjun smiled softly. "Because... once the hair is up, it’s either me or them!"

With that, she pushed open the office door. As she walked down the stairs in her heels, she ran into Zhang Yurou, who was wandering the halls.

"Just you? Where’s your brother?"

"Director Xie, I..." Looking up at Xie Yunjun standing above her, Zhang Yurou felt an overwhelming sense of pressure. Before she could think of an excuse, Xie Yunjun spoke again.

"Wandering around at this hour? Aren't you afraid those specters will come for you?"

As Xie Yunjun drew closer, Zhang Yurou could feel the ghostly aura radiating from her becoming even more condensed. She bit back the pressure and stammered, "Everyone in the hospital knows we are under your protection, Director Xie. So, the specters won't dare touch us. Your reputation has spread throughout the hospital—all thanks to Doctor Zhao’s 'promotion' of you."

Doctor Zhao, currently suffering for no reason: *Huh?*

Zhang Yurou, who had spent the whole afternoon spreading the word: *Doctor Zhao, you have no choice. In such a massive dungeon, you’re the only specter I know!*

"If I’m not mistaken, you’re out of this dungeon in two days, right?" Zhang Yurou didn't understand why Xie Yunjun mentioned this, but she nodded.

"Then stop wandering around. You two human players won't be needed for shifts over the next two days. You’d better find a safe place to hide. I’m only telling you this because I’m kind. Any other specter wouldn't even bother speaking to you. By the way, I assume you saw that specter last night, didn't you?"

Xie Yunjun raised an eyebrow. With the protection of the dungeon rules gone, where could these humans go? Zhang Yurou understood the implication—Xie Yunjun was looking for an excuse to extort her again! She hadn't earned much in this dungeon; if anything, she had lost quite a bit!

Seeing Zhang Yurou hesitate, Xie Yunjun smiled. "How about we cooperate? What do you say to a trade?"