"Good evening, dear viewers!"
The female anchor's opening line remained unchanged, a nightly ritual as familiar as it was reassuring.
"Good evening, my wife!"
"Hello, my girlfriend!"
"Villain! Dare you meet me in battle?"
The psychiatric patients were visibly animated. The caregivers looked on helplessly—perhaps it was true: no one, not even the mentally ill, could resist the allure of a beautiful woman.
The staff themselves had little interest in the news.
But tonight, a breaking bulletin caught their attention.
"We interrupt this program for an urgent announcement: Four graduates from the nation's top universities have gone missing in Yanhai City. If you have any information regarding their whereabouts, please call the following number—"
"110."
Almost immediately, four photographs appeared on the screen, accompanied by personal details.
Promising graduates in the prime of youth—now vanished without a trace. Tragic. Heart-wrenching.
Inside the office—
Director Hao sipped his wolfberry and red date tea, eyes narrowing as the news report unfolded.
"So... the foul creatures have already reached Yanhai?"
To the average citizen, the disappearance of four young adults might seem unfortunate, but not entirely uncommon.
But to Director Hao, it was anything but ordinary.
If even the Special Division had failed to locate them, there could be only one explanation: they had been slain by some malevolent entity.
The phone rang.
"Hello? What made you think of calling me? Someone finally lost their mind and wants to check in at my hospital?"
"You're saying there's no trace of the four, despite a city-wide search? Come on, that's exaggeration. You haven't even looked in my asylum—how dare you say the whole city's been searched?"
"Fine, fine. No more jokes. But if I were a demonic entity, do you really think I'd walk straight into your surveillance?"
"If they're not aboveground, search below. The sewer system sprawls beneath the city like a web. If the creature is hiding there, it's hardly surprising."
He hung up.
Taking another sip of tea and a long drag from his cigarette, smoke curling about him like a mystic's aura, Director Hao exuded the air of a man who saw through the world's illusions.
Would such a creature dare enter the asylum?
Unlikely.
Not with me here. Lest I hand it a certificate and trap it within these walls forever.
Night deepened.
The asylum grew quiet. A stillness settled in, thick as fog. Some patients, unable to sleep, whispered in tongues only they could understand.
The corridor lights flickered erratically, thanks to the electrician's questionable craftsmanship. Their faint sputtering added an unintended layer of dread to the atmosphere.
In a shadowy corner of the asylum—
Creak.
A sewer grate shifted.
From within emerged a canine form, crawling out of the underground.
It was the demonic creature—the Corpse Hound.
And now, it had entered the asylum.
Half-concealed in darkness, its appearance was harrowing. Under the corridor's weak light, one could see its matted fur, bloodied and torn. Its battle earlier that day with the four graduates had taken its toll—particularly the boy from Mount Mao, whose strikes had left lasting wounds.
The Corpse Hound was not mindless; it was a creature of dark intelligence. In its current state, if discovered by a seasoned hunter, death would be certain. It needed a place to recuperate.
But in its monstrous form, it couldn't simply walk among humans.
Even a single glance would send the average person into cardiac arrest.
So—
The black mist surrounding it withdrew into its body. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a stubby-legged, wide-eyed little black puppy. Aside from its visible injuries, it perfectly embodied every human notion of "cute."
A teenage girl, upon seeing it, would have squealed with delight, hugged it tightly, and whispered:
"What an adorable doggy!"
Kawaii~!
"Fools. Pathetic humans. Prepare yourselves for my arrival."
Though it could not speak, the Corpse Hound's thoughts seethed with menace.
Room 666.
Lin Fan and Old Zhang sat cross-legged on their beds, sipping soy milk—a nightly ritual to help them sleep.
"I think my watch is a fake," Old Zhang grumbled, clutching his cup. He pulled back his sleeve to show Lin Fan. "Today is clearly March 2nd, but when I checked with him, it said the 29th! I took it back, and he claimed someone had tampered with it and refused to fix it without charging me. The repair costs alone are several grand—I don't have that kind of money."
"Maybe… maybe you could lend me a few thousand? I'll pay you back later."
His tone was mournful, but his eyes gleamed—he had found his opening.
"I don't have any money," Lin Fan replied calmly.
Old Zhang drooped. "I figured. I was just asking. Maybe we should kidnap someone? I hear ransom's fast money."
"Who would we kidnap?" Lin Fan asked, willing to entertain his friend's idea. A friend in trouble must be helped.
Old Zhang pointed at Lin Fan.
"You. Don't you have a girlfriend? I'll pretend to kidnap you, and she'll pay to fix my watch. Once it's fixed, I'll let you go. Tell her not to worry."
"I don't have a girlfriend," Lin Fan replied, blinking.
"But the woman on the TV—wasn't that your girlfriend?"
"Oh, that's my wife. I don't have a girlfriend."
Lin Fan sighed with genuine regret. "You're my friend, but I can't help you. That makes me sad. Still, I'll think of another way."
Old Zhang groaned. "Your wife, huh? I thought she was your girlfriend. Well, that's no use, then."
Just then—
A faint whining echoed from the door.
"Did you hear that?" asked Old Zhang.
"No."
"I clearly heard something."
"I didn't."
Outside the room, the Corpse Hound grew agitated. Were these humans deaf?
It had been whining for ages, yet no one opened the door.
Fine.
It lifted a thick little paw and scratched at the door. If this didn't work, it'd have to find another spot to hide.
"I heard it! I swear I heard something!" Old Zhang leapt out of bed, swung open the door—and his eyes lit up.
There it was. A tiny black dog, adorable beyond words.
Old Zhang's aged heart melted.
"Look what I found! The cutest dog ever! I love dogs!"
Soon, the two of them had the little creature resting on the bed.
"He's hurt. It must really hurt," said Old Zhang, heart aching for the pup.
"Yeah. It must hurt a lot," Lin Fan nodded.
"Good thing I know acupuncture. I'll treat him."
"Once he's healed, we can play with him!"
The two men gazed at the puppy with unrestrained affection, as though they'd never seen a dog before. True dog lovers, through and through.
The Corpse Hound brimmed with pride.
Foolish humans. Fall under the spell of my irresistible cuteness.
But wait—
What is this old man doing?
Where is he sticking those needles?!
The creature trembled. It wanted to retaliate—but held back. For now.
Old Zhang worked carefully, his hands gentle. A dog was still a mammal—acupuncture points should be more or less the same. Wherever it hurt, he inserted a needle.
Accurate or not? Who could say?
Lin Fan gently stroked the dog's fur.
"You're such a sweet little dog. I really like you."
The Corpse Hound understood every word.
Sweet. Loved. Just wait until I recover—when I cast aside this disguise and reveal my true form... let's see if you still call me cute.
Growl...
Lin Fan's stomach rumbled.
"Old Zhang, I'm hungry. I really want to eat something."
Old Zhang frowned. "What do we do?"
Whoosh!
Their eyes locked onto the dog.
Huh?
The Corpse Hound felt a chill.
Those looks...
They weren't adoring anymore.
They were... hungry.
Like a starving man seeing a roast duck.
No!
Impossible!
Surely I've just overwhelmed them with cuteness!
To seal the deal—
The Corpse Hound licked Lin Fan's palm, mustering its most adorable expression.
(End of Chapter)