On the card, beneath "Hospital 444," there was a line of fine print: "The bearer of this card may dial the phone number 44444444 for registration and appointment scheduling. If the number is dialed by someone without the card, it will appear as a disconnected number."
At this moment, she was clutching the card tightly, treating it as her last lifesaver.
Then, trembling, she picked up her phone and quickly dialed that number.
The phone rang only twice before it was answered.
A voice came from the other end.
"Hospital 444... outpatient department."
The voice was even and emotionless, revealing little sentiment.
She flipped the card over, looked at the tiny print on the back, and said, "My name is Lin Yan. May I register for an outpatient appointment with Dr. Gao Heyann of the Wraith Surgery Department? I have her card, which says I can directly call the hospital's phone number to register."
"Yes, Dr. Gao has night clinic hours available tonight."
Afterward, the voice continued, "The consultation fee is 30 Spiritual Therapy Points. For charges under 100 Spiritual Therapy Points, verbal consent of the patient is sufficient. Just say you agree, and the charge will be made immediately, after which our hospital will send a dedicated vehicle to transport you to the hospital."
"What are Spiritual Therapy Points?"
"They are an overall assessment of your future life, of course, under the premise that you do not encounter any supernatural phenomena. The specific evaluation system is determined by the hospital dean. You can also have a family member pay on your behalf. If you are unable to decide right now, take some time to think it over and then redial this number."
"And the Spiritual Therapy Points that are paid?"
"They will result in a random loss of something in your future life. It might be a missed promotion at work, the love of someone dear, the realization of a dream, the acquisition of certain assets, and in severe cases, even the birth of a child."
Lin Yan looked around and, biting her lip, said, "Alright, I agree!"
No sooner had she finished speaking than the call was abruptly disconnected.
In an instant, Lin Yan heard a noise and saw a light shining her way. She turned back and was shocked to find an ambulance driving straight toward her!
And then... Lin Yan found herself sitting in the ambulance!
There was no one else in the vehicle, and no one was driving in front.
The speed of the ambulance was terrifyingly fast, with the scenery flying past the windows in reverse. In the blink of an eye... she could no longer see any other vehicles or pedestrians outside, as everything gradually turned into a profound darkness.
Lin Yan's eyes widened, and she quickly realized that something was wrong because the ambulance hadn't turned even once, always moving in a straight line. Given the layout of the area around the square, that was simply impossible!
After an unknown period of time...
The ambulance finally stopped.
The door slowly opened.
Outside... was a stark white that completely contrasted the pitch black.
Lin Yan stepped out.
Then Lin Yan realized she was standing in a corridor of a hospital, everything around her white.
Lin Yan looked back, but the ambulance had vanished without a trace.
She looked around with forced calm.
This corridor... was pure white everywhere. The floor and walls were as if they had just been waxed, so clean they could reflect someone's reflection, resembling a sterile environment.
Lin Yan immediately looked toward a nurse's station ahead with the sign for the "Wraith Surgery Department."
She walked step by step toward the nurse's station, where two nurses were sitting.
One nurse was tall and thin, the other had a round face, but both of their faces were extremely pale, with deep-set eyes showing no trace of vitality, and their bodies exuded a chilling aura.
She asked with trepidation, "Excuse me... is this Hospital 444, the Wraith Surgery Department?"
The round-faced nurse nodded indifferently.
"Yes, that's right... My name is Lin Yan. I just called to make an appointment," she said.
The tall nurse looked at the computer screen and said, "Miss Lin, please show me your ID card."
"Here."
After receiving Lin Yan's ID card, the tall nurse typed something into the computer in front of her.
Lin Yan was shocked: she had only made a phone call... could they verify her identity through her ID card?
"Consultation number 4, Lin Yan, Wraith Surgery Department. Go over there and watch the big screen. They'll call your number when it's time. Also, I know you must have a lot of questions right now. All I can say is that everything you see on the business card is true. Other than that, I won't answer any of your questions."
After handing back the ID card, Lin Yan looked up at the nurse and asked, "I suppose it's not possible to use a health insurance card here, right?"
"Miss, you're quite humorous."
Lin Yan felt like she'd asked a stupid question.
Subsequently, Lin Yan followed the nurse's directions and walked to the left side of the corridor.
There was a spacious waiting hall, but the lighting was rather dim.
On the rows of long benches, only two people were seated.
One was an elderly lady with simple clothing and white hair, and the other was a middle-aged man wearing glasses.
Lin Yan sat down next to the middle-aged man. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the man looked extremely haggard, with sunken cheeks, a vacant stare, and eyes rimmed with red blood vessels.
"A new patient?" The middle-aged man glanced at Lin Yan and asked, "Or are you here for a follow-up visit?"
"First time... coming," she replied.
Lin Yan took a deep breath and said, "Is this place really... um... able to treat..."
"Yes," the middle-aged man said. "I didn't believe it either before. Our problems can only be treated at this hospital."
The elderly woman not far away was restless, frequently standing up and saying, "When will it be time? That thing was at my doorstep before, but tonight... tonight it has crawled to the front of my bed! I... I need to see the doctor quickly! If only I knew, I would have registered for emergency!"
At that moment, the door to the consultation room opened, and a girl with twin ponytails walked out.
Then, the words "No. 2 Chen X Yue" appeared on the big screen.
Immediately, the elderly woman dashed forward in a swift move and entered the consultation room.
As the twin ponytailed girl passed by Lin Yan, she turned her head and asked, "Excuse me? Have you finished your consultation?"
The girl looked puzzled for a moment, glanced at Lin Yan, and said, "Hmm. The doctor has written me a prescription, and now I need to go make a payment."
A prescription?
"Do you mind if I ask..."
"Sorry, I'm in a hurry." The girl's face filled with fear. After quickly saying this, she turned and left in a hurry.
The middle-aged man sighed and said, "Looking at her, she's got it bad. I'm a bit luckier, the conditions in my follow-up visits have all been good."
"What brought you here for the first time?" she inquired.
"It was two months ago," he began.
Seemingly eager to confide in someone, the middle-aged man told Lin Yan, "Back then, I witnessed a teenager being beaten up by a group of people. He tried to ask me for help, but I was too scared, and I didn't even have the courage to call the police. I just ran away. And then, that boy was beaten to death. I can never forget the look in his eyes when he pleaded for help. Thinking about it now... I truly regret it!"
Lin Yan, who usually paid close attention to the news, didn't recall any such incident in City W from two months ago. This thought prompted her to realize that the middle-aged man didn't seem to have an accent from City W.
"About a month after that... I started to experience bizarre incidents frequently. Every time I went home, I felt like someone was following me. But every time I looked back, there was no one there."
Lin Yan, listening to this, subconsciously exclaimed, "Yes! That's exactly what happened to me too!"
"And then, one time my son took a photo of me... and in the picture, I saw someone standing not far behind me. It was... it was that boy!"