"You know, you might have gotten yourself into trouble again. This could be a big deal," Fangfang speculated.
"Don't jinx it! Can you stop spouting nonsense and just go home?" Alai replied irritably.
Fangfang, concerned, said, "I'm not going home tonight. I'm too scared to leave. I'm worried about you."
Alai coldly responded, "I have Miyuki and Mirei to take care of me. It's not appropriate for an unmarried woman like you to stay here overnight."
Fangfang, resigned, said, "I think you've planned this out well. Fine, I'll come back tomorrow. Take good care of yourself, and don't try to act tough if something happens. I'll come early and make you some black fish soup."
With that, she left the room, full of worry.
Once she was gone, Alai finally let out a sigh of relief.
By evening, Miyuki had returned with the groceries, bringing several small empty bottles as requested.
The staff from the cafeteria knocked on the door and brought in a nutritious meal. They politely asked Alai what dishes he liked, promising to bring them next time. After setting down the food, they left.
As soon as they were gone, Alai took a bit of each dish, placing the samples into one of the empty bottles, which he then sealed tightly. The rest of the food was dumped into a black plastic bag, and he instructed Miyuki to discreetly dispose of it in the trash.
Miyuki, with hands clasped together, muttered, "Amitabha, forgive me for my sins," and then left with the bag.
Not long after, he returned and reported something to Alai.
He noticed that as he passed by the nurse's station, Director Li was still busy.
Alai muttered to himself, "It's so late, and he's still not home? Could he be plotting something against me?" He immediately became vigilant.
Miyuki advised, "If you're really worried and suspicious, maybe we should quietly leave."
Alai shook his head and said, "If I leave, it will only show that I'm afraid of him, that I'm not as smart as him, and it would tarnish the reputation of 'Thunder God.'"
Miyuki sighed, not understanding what Alai was thinking.
Ignoring any further objections, Alai ordered the food to be unpacked, and everyone began to eat.
Miyuki took some food and a bottle of mineral water and went outside to wander and observe.
Before they knew it, it was nine o'clock in the evening.
A chubby nurse entered the ward, holding an IV drip, without saying a word, ready to administer it to Alai.
"What's your name?" the nurse asked.
"Lei Tianlai," Alai replied.
The nurse quickly wrote his name on the IV bottle, hung it up, and began the infusion.
Alai, puzzled, asked, "Didn't I already get an IV? I had several bottles this afternoon."
The nurse, inserting the needle, explained, "This medicine was prepared earlier. Each type of medication has its specific function. This one will help replenish what you lost during surgery and speed up your recovery."
"Oh, oh..."
"If you feel uncomfortable, just press the call button. Call me anytime if you need anything."
As soon as the nurse left, Alai immediately tightened the regulator, ordered Mirei to close the door, and made sure no one could enter.
He pulled out the IV needle, carefully examined the contents of the IV bottle, and cursed, "Damn it, aliens must have come to Earth; this is all gibberish."
He reattached the bottle and then used a tool from his bag to carefully pierce a hole in the upper part of the IV tube, allowing the liquid to flow into an empty mineral water bottle.
Everything was restored to its original state.
Half an hour later, the nurse knocked on the door again.
Alai quickly removed the mineral water bottle, sealed the small hole with transparent tape from his bag, and adjusted the regulator. Everything was back to normal.
He instructed Mirei to open the door.
The nurse entered, annoyed, "Why did it take so long to open the door?"
Alai quickly apologized, "I fell asleep, sorry."
The nurse placed a small box on the bedside table, instructing, "These are your bedtime medications." She checked the IV equipment, watched the liquid drip steadily, and said, "Not too fast." As she spoke, she adjusted the regulator slightly.
At the door, she added, "Don't close the door too tightly. The on-duty doctor will do rounds around eleven."
Once the nurse left, Alai didn't hesitate to pour the pills from the small box into one of the bottles.
Mirei immediately stashed the bottle in his bag, saying, "Are you planning to have these tested after you leave the hospital to see if there's anything harmful?"
Alai nodded, "It's best if there's nothing, but if there is, it means my suspicions were correct."
He closed the regulator again, removed the tape, and returned to the previous setup, letting the liquid drip into the mineral water bottle.
Mirei smiled, "Alai, you're really smart."
Alai replied, "It's just a small trick, better safe than sorry."
As they chatted, time passed quickly.
The IV bottle was now empty. Alai removed the mineral water bottle, sealed it, and handed it to Mirei for safekeeping. He then pressed the call button to summon the nurse to remove the needle, pretending to fall asleep in the meantime.
Everything went smoothly.
Around eleven o'clock, the doctor came to check on the patients.
The on-duty doctor woke Alai and asked, "How are you feeling?"
"Just a bit sore," Alai replied groggily.
"That's normal after surgery. Don't worry," the doctor reassured him and then left without much fuss.
By midnight, Alai couldn't stay in bed any longer and asked Mirei to help him out into the corridor for some fresh air.
Miyuki, standing at the door, immediately came over when he saw Alai, staying close by as he quietly reported his observations.
At that moment, Alai noticed a familiar figure limping towards the bathroom, his face covered in several bandages.
It was Hu San, limping as he walked.
The two met face to face.
Alai took the initiative and asked, "Brother Hu, why are you still in the hospital? What happened to your face? Does your chest still hurt?"
Hu San, realizing he had run into an enemy, eyed the two burly monks with Alai and decided not to act rashly. He replied grumpily, "I was discharged but had to come back. Last night, I drank too much and fell into a ditch. What's the big deal?"
"Achoo... Achoo..."
Hu San sneezed several times, spraying mucus everywhere.
"Oh dear, Brother Hu, it looks like you caught a cold after getting rained on. You should take it easy with the drinking."
Hu San said, "Yeah, you're right. What brings you back to the hospital, Alai?"
Alai replied, "I'm here to remove the steel plate from my arm."
"Oh."
Hu San mumbled an "oh" as if in thought and said, "Goodbye."
Alai said, "Take care of yourself."
Hu San didn't say much more and quickly left.
"Hehe."
Alai couldn't help but think that last night's fight at the Thunder God Cemetery—this guy must have been involved. Because it was so dark and everyone was wearing masks, it was hard to tell, but he could guess...
The three of them wandered around for a while before returning to their room, closing the doors and windows securely.
Miyuki sat cross-legged by the door with a blanket, ready to prevent any intruders.
Mirei took a pillow and sat by the window, guarding against anyone breaking in.
Alai, sitting cross-legged on the hospital bed, relaxed and regulated his breathing, soon entering his optimal meditative state.
The surgical wound from the day started to feel like ants crawling on it, then turned into a dull ache. Soon, his arm began to warm up and heat, and with his energy depleted from the surgery, his forehead started to sweat lightly.