Huatian Hospital, Inpatient Department.
Twelfth Floor!
Kind-hearted and popular, Liu Kai lay in his hospital bed, his entire body wrapped in bandages like a mummy, a truly pitiful sight.
After more than ten hours of continuous emergency surgery, the chief surgeon collapsed in the operating room, exhausted. He even swore he'd never take on such a complicated surgery again. But, a doctor's compassion wouldn't let him ignore his conscience.
Beep beep
A cheerful electronic sound rang out.
Liu Kai slowly opened his eyes, staring at the white ceiling.
Where am I?
What happened to me?
These two critical questions revealed his confusion and panic.
A wave of intense pain pulled him back to reality.
"How are you feeling?" a male voice asked.
He was a staff member assigned by a special department to accompany Liu Kai in the hospital. His responsibilities were numerous, mainly looking after Liu Kai, taking care of his toileting needs, and preparing his meals. This seemingly easy job was, in fact, tedious and unpleasant.
"Not very good," Liu Kai replied.
"Hey, you're lucky to be alive. You were in surgery for over ten hours. The doctor said your condition is stable for now, and all the necessary surgeries have been performed. But you'll have to stay in the hospital for at least a month," the staff member sighed.
His expression shifted slightly, as if he had a lot more to say but held back.
Liu Kai lay quietly in bed, the events of that day flashing through his mind. Though some parts were blurry, he remembered the general situation.
Downstairs, in the hospital lobby:
"Do you know which ward he's in?" Old Man Zhang asked.
"No," Lin Fan shook his head.
They looked at each other, both with calm expressions. Neither of them knew, so they would just have to search floor by floor.
Passing family members of other patients glanced at the two. They were a strange pair, especially with the large characters on the back of their clothes:
Qingshan Mental Hospital!
Lin Fan led Old Man Zhang to a young nurse who was focused on her work.
"Excuse me, which floor is Liu Kai on?" Lin Fan asked.
The nurse was in a good mood. She had a date with her boyfriend to see a movie that night, and the thought of it made her feel both nervous and shy.
Hearing someone inquire about a patient, she looked up with a smile. Just as she was about to speak, her smile froze.
"Ah!"
A scream pierced the air.
The nurse fell from her chair in fright and scrambled away.
She knew who these two were. They were infamous at the hospital, the troublemakers from Qingshan Mental Hospital. Every time they came, they were half-dead, then they'd get treated and sent back. Although she hadn't seen them many times in person, she had heard countless stories about them.
Legend had it that they were up to no good, taking advantage of their mental illness to act recklessly. They truly terrified the regular nurses.
Passersby looked curiously at the fleeing nurse, thinking she must be crazy to scream like that in broad daylight.
Lin Fan and Old Man Zhang exchanged looks of helplessness. They had simply wanted to ask where Liu Kai was, but they hadn't expected such a dramatic reaction from the nurse. Perhaps she had something urgent to attend to, which explained her panic.
They then proceeded to search floor by floor.
Walking through the hospital in their Qingshan Mental Hospital attire, carrying cartons of milk, they attracted a lot of attention.
Doctors and nurses were shocked to see them.
When were they admitted?
They seem perfectly fine?
A doctor quietly called Vice President Li to report the situation and ask how to handle the two mental patients.
Li Laifu immediately instructed the doctor to assign a few strong, brave staff members to follow them and observe their actions.
At the same time, he was inwardly cursing Hao Ren. It had to be Hao Ren's revenge, sending these two mental patients to the hospital. How else would they have gotten here?
He wanted to call Hao Ren and demand an explanation, but he hesitated. If he called, wouldn't he appear to be at a disadvantage, begging Hao Ren for mercy?
No, he couldn't do that. He was about to become the hospital president. He had to maintain his status, his dignity, his composure. He couldn't act like he used to.
Yes, that was the right way to handle it.
Twelfth floor.
Old Man Zhang was getting tired. Lin Fan, however, carried the milk cartons without any sign of fatigue. They finally found Liu Kai lying in a ward.
"Found him."
They entered the ward, milk in hand.
Liu Kai had been replaying the events in his mind. He had wanted to show off his skills in front of the two mental patients and build a rapport with them. He had used the Maoshan Daoist technique, the Diamond Body, but he was nearly knocked out with a single punch.
"Liu Kai, our good friend, we've come to visit you."
They both wore genuine smiles, as warm as sunshine. These were the smiles they always wanted to share with others, but many people found their smiles unsettling.
"My acupuncture is pretty amazing, right? I saved your life."
Old Man Zhang spoke of his acupuncture with pride and enthusiasm.
They walked into the ward and stood there as if they were at home, happily chatting about their joyful experiences. However, the atmosphere in the room was tense, heavy, and oppressive.
Looking at the two, Liu Kai felt a sense of dread. It had been building up inside him, suppressed for a long time.
"Ah! Stay away from me! Don't come any closer!"
Liu Kai screamed in terror, struggling to get up and escape. He had finally realized, with regret, that he had mistakenly believed mental patients were harmless.
I'm still young.
I haven't even had a girlfriend yet.
And now I'm stuck in the hospital, having undergone major surgery, unable to move. Anyone would be traumatized.
"We're just here to see you, nothing else," Lin Fan and Old Man Zhang said, looking bewildered by their friend's reaction.
"Aren't we friends?"
"Look, Old Man Zhang and I bought you a carton of milk."
Lin Fan lifted the milk, a smile on his face.
Liu Kai held no grudge against them, but after what he had experienced, his mental state was fragile.
"Please, just leave me alone. I'm just an ordinary person. I went to the mental hospital with no ill intentions. I'm a normal person; I can't be friends with you."
"Please."
"Let's just consider ourselves friends from that day. Please leave."
Liu Kai had experienced the terror of mental patients firsthand. His abdomen still ached.
Lin Fan and Old Man Zhang maintained their smiles, but now there was a hint of bitterness in them.
Lin Fan put down the milk.
"Okay, we understand."
"We'll go now."
"Bye."
Lin Fan and Old Man Zhang waved, hoping Liu Kai would wave back and say goodbye.
He didn't.
Watching them leave, Liu Kai felt a strange pang of guilt.
He asked, "Have I gone too far?"
The staff member replied, "Maybe a little."