Inside the ward.
Lin Fan calmly watched Li Ang being wheeled out for emergency treatment, puzzled by his extreme reaction upon seeing him. Li Ang had been so agitated he couldn't even speak. Lin Fan couldn't understand it.
He glanced at Old Man Zhang and then at the one-eyed man. Neither had woken up yet.
He lay quietly in his bed, staring motionlessly at the ceiling. A current of energy flowed within him.
The Qi Gong cultivation method emphasized natural harmony, a tranquil mind, undisturbed by ripples, free from desires and pursuits, sensing nature, sensing the world, and absorbing energy particles from between heaven and earth. It also involved digesting food and refining its energy to replenish the physical body. These were the fundamental principles of Qi Gong cultivation.
Ordinary people could at most consume food and refine its energy to strengthen themselves. They couldn't integrate with nature and absorb energy particles from between heaven and earth.
Only Lin Fan could achieve this.
He was free from desires, acted spontaneously, his thoughts simple yet complex, like a thread tangled countless times, making it impossible for others to grasp his thinking.
"What happened to me?" Old Man Zhang woke up, looking at the ceiling in confusion. He couldn't remember what had happened before; how had he ended up here?
"You're awake," Lin Fan asked.
"Yeah, awake. I want to drink Sprite." Old Man Zhang scratched his head, feeling a bit dazed, wanting a Sprite to calm his nerves.
"I want a Coke."
Lin Fan and Old Man Zhang looked at each other, seeing a shared yearning. But there was nothing here.
They looked at the one-eyed man.
"He's still asleep."
"Maybe he's a pig."
They looked at each other and then couldn't help but giggle.
A nurse at the door watched the two mental patients, shivering. She couldn't understand what they were saying, but for some reason, their smiles were frightening. Especially their laughter; it was terrifying.
A long time later!
The one-eyed man regained consciousness, slowly opening his eyes. His first reaction was tense alertness. Where was he? What had happened before? Why had he suddenly lost consciousness?
This was a terrifying thing.
He vaguely remembered needles being stuck in his head. With his abilities, even a gunshot to the head wouldn't affect him. So why had this happened?
The one-eyed man looked to the side and saw Lin Fan and Old Man Zhang looking at him with smiles, their expressions calm and unchanging, just quietly watching.
Could the one-eyed man say he felt a chill down his spine from their gazes? The feeling was strange. Their smiles were as bright as sunshine and should have been heartwarming. But they gave off a sinister and eerie feeling.
"How did you do it?" the one-eyed man asked, enduring their stares. He wanted to know how they could use needles to knock out someone as strong as him. If others found out, they would laugh their heads off. One of the strongest in Yanhai City, knocked out by mental patients with needles? How ludicrous.
Lin Fan and Old Man Zhang maintained their smiles, not answering his question, just watching him intently.
After a moment, Old Man Zhang said disappointedly, "It failed. He didn't grow an eye. But I feel like I must have stuck the needle in the wrong place. If I had another chance, I could definitely succeed."
"Yes, I believe you," Lin Fan said.
The one-eyed man realized something was wrong. They wanted to try again? That was impossible.
But he was deeply unwilling. He really wanted to know what had happened.
A nurse cautiously entered to retrieve something. The one-eyed man asked her how he had fainted, whether the examination had revealed anything.
The nurse was terrified. She already considered him a mental patient, and seeing him actively talk to her frightened her. She lowered her head and hurried away, not daring to answer him.
The one-eyed man pondered for a moment, deciding to experience it again. He didn't believe he could be knocked unconscious by a few needles. He had once been trampled by an evil creature, his bones crushed, enduring excruciating pain without losing consciousness. How could he be so easily taken down by a few needles?
"I want to try again," the one-eyed man said.
A strong person has a strong person's dignity. How could it be trampled by mental patients?
Lin Fan and Old Man Zhang looked at the one-eyed man in surprise, then their expressions turned to joy.
"Okay."
Old Man Zhang nodded happily. He had just been feeling down about his failure, and now the opportunity had come. How could he not be happy?
Lin Fan said firmly, "You will definitely succeed."
"Yes, I believe I will succeed too," Old Man Zhang nodded vigorously.
But soon, Old Man Zhang's face crumpled. "But I don't have any needles. They stole all my tools."
Lin Fan put his arm around Old Man Zhang's shoulder, comforting him.
"Don't cry, don't cry. They are really bad."
The one-eyed man looked at the two expressionlessly. He could now confirm that these two were one hundred percent mentally ill, and severely so. He even began to doubt his earlier decision. Was it foolish? Wasn't it a sign of mental problems to compete with mental patients?
"I'll solve it for you," the one-eyed man said.
Then he took out his phone and dialed a number.
In the corridor.
Li Ang's emergency treatment was over. After being given a sedative, he gradually calmed down. He grabbed the doctor's hand, pleading tearfully, "Doctor, please, don't put me back in that ward. They are all mentally ill. I'm normal. I'm a caregiver at the mental hospital. I want to change wards."
The doctor patted Li Ang's hand and said, "That's great! You're a caregiver, so you must have a lot of experience. Your experience in caring for them must be much richer than ours."
Hearing this, Li Ang nimbly climbed off the emergency stretcher and knelt on the floor, grabbing the doctor's arm. "Please, don't make me go back. I just want to change wards. I beg you, I really don't want to die!"
As he spoke, tears and snot streamed down his face.
"Hey, young man, why so agitated? You're a professional. You should have confidence in yourself. Besides, the hospital wards are all full now, and it's really difficult to arrange another one for you at the moment. Moreover, staying there will reduce your hospitalization fees. Aren't you happy about that?" The doctor, unable to persuade him with professional reasoning, tried appealing to his financial interests. There had to be some benefit he would like.
Many patients' family members passed by in the corridor.
At this moment, a disheveled middle-aged man with messy hair walked past. His empty pockets indicated his poverty. Hearing the conversation between Li Ang and the doctor, a glimmer of light appeared in his dull eyes.
"Doctor, is what you just said true?"
"As long as I'm willing to stay in that ward, the hospitalization fees will be waived?"
The man looked at the doctor expectantly.
The doctor nodded. "Yes, that's right. But there are three mental patients in there, and they're a bit dangerous."
The man shook his head. "I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid at all. I'm willing to switch wards with him."
Li Ang grabbed the man's hand, filled with gratitude.
"Big brother, thank you."
"You are a truly good person."