"Why… why are you here?" Jiang Hai asked, eyes fixed on the half-naked woman. At the same time, he positioned himself beneath the vent he had come through, ready to jump back if anything seemed off. He didn't intend to die today.
"Me? I live in the basement," the woman replied, sounding confused at first, then confidently asserting herself. Jiang Hai slapped his forehead in disbelief.
"I mean… why are you in the elevator?" he clarified.
"I just finished eating, went to the bathroom, and was about to go back to sleep. I got in the elevator, almost reached my floor, and then the power went out! Ugh, why are you asking so many questions? Weren't you coming to rescue me?" she said, sounding a little impatient.
Jiang Hai let out a quiet sigh of relief. It seemed her presence here was just a misunderstanding… though he remained cautious.
"I'm sorry. I'm not actually here to rescue you. I'm heading to the basement," he admitted.
The woman's shoulders slumped, and she let out a helpless sigh.
"That's a real pity. I thought you were here to save me. Okay… you go ahead. I'll wait for someone else." She leaned against the wall, complaining about the heat and gazing helplessly at the ceiling.
Jiang Hai hesitated, then shook his head and moved toward the elevator door. There was no time to dwell. Using his arms, he pried the door open just enough to peek outside. It was pitch black, but no one seemed to be there. Carefully, he eased the door open enough to slip through. He glanced back, expecting her to follow, but she stayed behind, leaving him momentarily confused.
"Aren't you coming out?" he asked.
"It's alright. I'll wait for someone to rescue me. You go first!" she said firmly.
Jiang Hai hesitated, then remembered she was mentally ill. He laughed at himself—always thinking of a mentally ill person the way a normal person would.
"I'm here to rescue you! Come on!" he waved helplessly.
Her eyes lit up at his words. With a joyful smile, she squeezed through the elevator and stepped outside.
"Wow! The air is so fresh out here!" she exclaimed, sniffing deeply.
"Uh… aren't you going to put your clothes on?" Jiang Hai asked, stunned as she moved without hesitation.
It had to be admitted—her figure was phenomenal. Exquisite features, long blonde hair, and a body that could turn heads anywhere. Her shorts barely covered her, showing long, straight legs and a shapely figure. About 1.75 meters tall, her legs alone were almost 1.1 meters. Her waist had gained a little weight over time, but it only added a touch of charm. Her bust was full and perky—probably a D cup. If she weren't mentally unstable, she could easily be a goddess-level beauty. Jiang Hai imagined her walking down a California beach, drawing envious stares from every direction.
Now, however, there was no time to flirt. He focused, though her presence left him momentarily bewildered.
"No, it's too hot. Thank you for coming to rescue me. Where are you going now?" she asked with a smile.
"To the archives room," Jiang Hai replied.
"Oh! I'm going that way too. Let's go together!" she said, stepping ahead. Jiang Hai hesitated but followed; it was better than searching blindly.
Despite the blood-stained basement floor, the place was eerily empty. No bodies, no signs of struggle. Jiang Hai didn't question it; he just kept moving with the woman. After a while, she stopped and pointed to a room beside her.
"This is the archives room," she said.
Jiang Hai nodded. It was indeed the room he had been searching for, its number confirming it. But the security measures were extreme: a massive outer door reinforced with magnets.
Magnetic doors could open automatically during a power outage or remain locked depending on the design. Some rooms were kept closed deliberately to protect sensitive documents—burnable secrets, in other words. This archive room was clearly one of those. Whoever controlled it didn't want outsiders seeing what was inside.
"What do we do now?" Jiang Hai muttered, eyes scanning the locked door.
"This door is locked. You need to restore power to open it," the woman said.
Jiang Hai exhaled, realizing he had no choice. He couldn't fight the lunatics endlessly—he needed to find Bruce David and escape. He had to deal with the man who had pulled the power switch if he wanted any chance of success.
"Where's the power room? Do you know?" he asked the woman.
"Of course!" she replied with a smile, leading the way.
"Weren't you going back to rest? You don't need to come with me," Jiang Hai said, concerned.
"It's fine. I was going to watch TV anyway, but now there's no power, so I can walk with you," she said, walking confidently ahead.
Jiang Hai realized her madness wasn't severe—nothing like the deranged patients on the second floor. Still, he didn't know the basement layout, so he gritted his teeth and followed her.
As they walked, she described the basement layout.
"Don't let the basement fool you—it's large. Two main areas: the living area and the research area. We're in the living area now. There are living quarters, a power room, an underground warehouse, a data room, an archive room, water supply pipes… The research institute is on the other side," she explained, her voice loud and clear. Jiang Hai memorized the layout as best he could.
The power room, luckily, was accessible even after the outage. Jiang Hai exhaled in relief. But just as they approached, he caught a whiff of blood. Instantly, he grabbed the woman and spun her around. There was nothing—only a dilapidated locker in the distance.
Quickly, he shoved the woman inside and climbed in after her. He pressed a hand to her mouth, signaling her to stay quiet.
As he locked the iron door from the inside, hurried footsteps echoed from afar…