The barbell and sandbag returned to Lin Fan's hands.
He held the sandbag, while Old Man Zhang carried the barbell. Both wore genuine smiles as they walked towards Ward 666.
The other mental patients scratched their heads, wondering what they were doing there, bored and listless. Without any particular objective in mind, they dispersed, returning to whatever tasks they deemed important.
The doctors and nurses looked at Director Hao with admiration, applauding thunderously.
Flattery, rich in vibrant hues, flowed endlessly.
Director Hao smiled, enjoying the torrent of praise. Perhaps this was the greatest gift he could receive on his March 1st birthday.
"Mental patients are people too. The only difference between them and us is their way of thinking. You can't use ordinary thinking to understand their thoughts. If I hold up a finger, you'll say it's a finger. Some might think it's '1'. But to them, it might be a sausage."
A senior doctor, his expression serious yet unable to conceal his flattery, said, "Director, your words are worth more than ten years of study."
"Yes, yes. I wonder when I'll be as excellent as the Director."
"The Director is a leading figure in the field of mental health, someone we will always look up to."
Director Hao, invigorated by the compliments, waved his hand and left.
For him, this was all standard operating procedure, nothing to be proud of.
Ward 666.
Lin Fan lifted the barbell, surprised by its lightness. He swung it against his chest, feeling no pain at all. He stared at the barbell in confusion, lost in thought.
It used to hurt.
Why didn't it hurt now?
"Here, hit me with it," Lin Fan said, handing the barbell to Old Man Zhang.
Old Man Zhang hefted the barbell. It was a bit heavy. He believed Lin Fan could cultivate, so he never considered whether it would hurt. He swung the barbell against Lin Fan's chest.
The sound was dull.
Lin Fan didn't budge, but due to Newton's Third Law, Old Man Zhang was pushed back several steps.
"How did it feel?" Old Man Zhang asked expectantly.
"It felt good. I'm full of energy. Everything feels good, but it doesn't hurt." Lin Fan struggled to understand the situation. Had their previous efforts finally paid off?
Old Man Zhang stared at the barbell and then hit himself with it. Hiss... He sucked in a sharp breath, rubbing his chest, his face contorted in pain, his eyes wide, his tongue lolling out as if to say, "I'm in agony!"
"Do you want to cultivate too?" Lin Fan asked, puzzled.
Old Man Zhang's eyes reddened, on the verge of tears. "I wanted to see if it hurt, but it really hurts! You lied!"
"I didn't lie. It really doesn't hurt." Lin Fan thought for a moment, then said, "I had a dream where someone said they would reward me and taught me qigong. I think our previous efforts must have succeeded."
Old Man Zhang jumped up excitedly. "Really? Is it because of me? Is my acupuncture that amazing?"
"Yes, it's amazing," Lin Fan praised.
Then, Lin Fan lay quietly on the bed, looking at Old Man Zhang. "I'll lie here, and you hit me with the barbell. We'll continue cultivating. We can definitely succeed."
"Okay, but before that, I think it's necessary to give you a few needles first. My Galactic Circulation Technique is very powerful. It can help you." Old Man Zhang surreptitiously pulled out his acupuncture needles from his pocket, where he kept them hidden for fear of theft.
In the corridor, a male nurse named Li Ang was on patrol. Recently graduated from university, he once dreamed of upholding justice and hoped to be admitted to one of the four top universities. Unfortunately, his talent wasn't enough, and he ended up at an ordinary university.
Even so, he never gave up on his dream.
After graduation, he was assigned to the Green Mountain Mental Hospital.
Here, he felt the patients were endearing. Although their words were sometimes incomprehensible, their genuine smiles brought him joy.
Even more delightful was the fact that Uncle Wang next door had introduced him to a girlfriend. She was beautiful, petite, and obedient. The only flaw was her slightly plump belly, but she promised she would slim down in a few months. Considering his salary and her looks, he felt he shouldn't be picky.
Bang! Bang!
"What's that sound?"
Li Ang frowned, following the sound.
He was facing away from Ward 666. The sound seemed to be coming from behind him. Turning around, he looked through the window embedded in the wall and saw what was happening inside.
His pleasant expression faded, his smile freezing.
He saw Old Man Zhang's back as he lifted the barbell high and slammed it down onto the bed where a patient lay. Each time the barbell landed, the bed shook violently.
"This..."
Li Ang's heart turned cold, fear gripping him. Old Man Zhang in the ward seemed to sense something. He slowly turned his head, his eyes glancing sideways, his expression fixed, a smile gradually spreading across his face.
"Ah!"
Li Ang collapsed to the floor, scrambling and rolling away, screaming, "Murder! Murder in Ward 666!"
His screams alerted the doctors and other nurses.
Ward 666 was all too familiar.
Something life-threatening was happening again.
Couldn't they have some peace and quiet, even just a little, in the mental hospital?
The sound of hurried footsteps approached.
A group of doctors and nurses rushed over, some holding their phones, dialing 120. If the scene was gruesome, they would call emergency services immediately.
When they arrived at the ward and looked through the window, they were all stunned.
It wasn't as serious as described. They looked at Li Ang strangely.
A doctor holding a thermos said gently, "Xiao Li, you've just started working here. It's normal to be tense, but you can't have hallucinations. Otherwise, we won't be colleagues, but doctor and patient."
Li Ang felt his reality crumble. Things weren't like this at all. He looked at the scene inside the ward, then at his colleagues, screaming internally, "It's not what you think! I saw it with my own eyes!"
Inside the ward, Lin Fan and Old Man Zhang sat side by side on the edge of the bed, each with a carton of soy milk, swinging their feet, their expressions calm, their eyes clear as they looked at the doctors outside.
They waved, greeting the doctors, as if to say, "Hello everyone."
Behind them, the barbell lay quietly on the bed, as if to prove that Old Man Zhang had indeed been hitting Lin Fan with it.
I, the barbell, can attest to this.
This fact couldn't be hidden.
It was just that they hid it too quickly.
The others simply hadn't noticed.
"The sun outside is so warm," Lin Fan said, looking outside.
"Yes, it is," Old Man Zhang replied.
They raised their soy milk cartons.
"Sprite."
"Coke."
"Cheers!"
They looked at each other and grinned, their eyes crinkling into slits.