Dark Farm 11

The woman's voice rang out above her, soft and melodious, indescribably pleasant to the ear. 

"Give me the ring." 

Wen Xirou didn't move. 

The woman stared at her intensely, repeating once more, "Give me the ring." 

Wen Xirou gathered her courage and, pretending to be nonchalant, picked up the severed finger and the ring. However, she didn't hand them to the woman. Instead, she slipped them into her own pocket. 

"Found items should be handed over to the superior or the farm owner," she muttered to herself, her voice trembling as she tried to act calm. 

Farm Employee Code of Conduct, Rule 5: "Must not leave their posts." 

Since she was assigned the task of cleaning the lawn, helping the woman search for the ring would definitely be considered abandoning her post. 

Even if she had simply found the ring while cleaning the lawn and handed it to the woman, there was still a high chance it would be deemed as dereliction of duty. 

Faced with the woman's constant urging and pressure, Wen Xirou had very little room to maneuver. The only option she could think of was to do this. 

The woman's lips curled into a sly smile, a sharp, high-pitched laugh escaping her. 

"I am the farm owner, just give it to me," the woman said, extending her hand toward Wen Xirou. 

Wu Hao, meanwhile, was distractedly using his tool to clear the weeds. His mind, however, was entirely focused on Wen Xirou, who was now facing off with the woman in the red dress. He could already foresee how this confrontation would end. It was almost certain that Wen Xirou was heading toward disaster. 

Farm Employee Code of Conduct, Rule 30: "The farm owner is the highest authority of the farm. All employees must comply with the farm owner's commands." 

Once Wen Xirou gives the ring to the woman, she may violate Rule 5; if she doesn't give it to her, she will definitely violate Rule 30. 

Wu Hao felt a bit sorry. After all, Wen Xirou was beautiful and sharp-minded, perhaps Wen Xirou might gamble on the fifty percent chance of Rule 5? 

"Is the ring really yours, Ms. Sun?" to To Wu Hao's surprise, Wen Xirou stood still, looked up, and asked the woman a question in return. 

The woman's smile widened, her scarlet lips stretching to the sides like a blood-red gash, splitting her face almost in half.

"Of course," the woman answered. 

With the woman's confirmation, Wen Xirou did not give her the ring. Instead, she crouched down and continued using the trowel to dig up the weeds. No matter what the woman said, she ignored her. 

The woman's expression gradually twisted, and her red dress seemed to darken, as if it had soaked up blood. 

"Give me the ring." 

"I order you to give me the ring!" 

"Give it to me! Give it to me!!!" 

The woman's voice grew sharper, no longer laced with the initial allure, but now like a rusty saw scraping against nerves. 

Wen Xirou bit her lip hard, her face turning pale as beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Her hands still gripped the trowel, mechanically digging into the earth. 

In front of her, the world seemed to blur, shadows dancing in and out, black and white. In her daze, she saw that the ground beneath her was no longer dirt and weeds, but surging blood and floating bones in the blood. 

Finally, a voice rang out— "What's going on? It's already been an entire morning, and you've only done this little work?" 

The hallucination before Wen Xirou suddenly disappeared. She raised her head, feeling as though her body had become completely drained, her back drenched in sweat. 

They were safe. Standing on the road outside the lawn was the head of the cleaning department, dressed in a blue uniform. He was staring at the three of them, his face dark with displeasure. 

"Are you slacking off? Otherwise, how could you be working so slowly?" 

"You group of interns, don't think that just because the steward isn't here at the farm, you can slack off. When the internship ends, those who don't qualify..." 

It seemed like the head of the cleaning department had thought of something. The darkness in his face lightened a little, replaced by a mysterious smile. 

Anyone seeing this would have no doubt about the fate of interns who didn't meet the standards. 

Wen Xirou touched the severed finger in her pocket, hesitated, but didn't hand it in right away. She thought about taking it back to Wan Qian and showing it to her. Perhaps the big shot could find something useful from it. 

The head of the cleaning department scolded the three of them for a while before leaving. Before he left, he reminded them that they had to finish cleaning the lawn by the end of the day. 

Once the head of the cleaning department was gone, Wu Hao dared to approach Wen Xirou. 

"You didn't give that woman the ring just now. Why?" 

Wen Xirou collapsed weakly onto the ground, no longer concerned about her appearance. She took a moment to catch her breath. 

"I don't have the strength anymore, I can't do that much work. The task for today must be completed. You all work harder. If we finish clearing this lawn by 5 PM, I'll tell you everything." 

Wu Hao immediately ordered the chubby guy to get to work. Wen Xirou watched the scene of Wu Hao bossing the chubby guy around and didn't raise any objections. 

She didn't listen to that woman's orders for one simple reason: the woman wasn't the farm owner. So, there is no conflict between Rule 5 and Rule 30. 

When the woman claimed to be the farm owner, Wen Xirou doubted her identity immediately. 

In Wen Xirou's view, the farm owner should be busy outwitting the big shot, Wan Qian, at this moment. How could she possibly have time to bother with someone like herself, a mere nobody? 

Moreover, the band of the ring was engraved with a surname. Logically, the person who gave the ring or its owner should have the last name "Sun." 

So, Wen Xirou decided to test the red-dressed woman by calling her "Ms. Sun." The woman didn't deny it. 

However, before coming to the farm, on the bus driven by the female ghost, the broadcast had already mentioned— 

"[Ms. Wan, the farm owner of Dark Farm, is kind-hearted and friendly, with a deep bond with the 444 bus. Therefore, there is no fare for this trip.]" 

The farm owner should have the last name "Wan," not "Sun." Wen Xirou was now certain the woman wasn't the farm owner, so there was no need to follow her orders. 

Thankfully, her decision was the right one.