Normal meetings often become a platform for the leader's monologue.
Dangerous meetings are no different, with the leader holding the stage alone.
Does anyone present dare to speak? Unfortunately, no. Everyone is cautious, those who have survived this long are all shrewd. They won't take sides unless absolutely necessary.
The Demon God's appearance in Yanhai City is naturally dangerous. Years of experience have shown that cities where Demon Gods appear, even if they defeat the Demon God, become hotspots for evil entities.
The frequency of evil entity activity will gradually increase. As of now, Yanhai City's frequency has risen to the top ten, and it's steadily climbing. It's hard to say how high it will ultimately go.
March 31st!
The weather outside is terrible, with strong winds raging. Just like a while ago, another beautiful day is wasted.
Lin Fan leans against the window, chin resting on his hand, gazing at the scenery outside, feeling somewhat lonely and quiet.
"What are you looking at?" Old Zhang asks.
Lin Fan points to a distant tree. "I'm watching to see when that leaf will fall."
"Will it really fall?" Old Zhang looks in the direction Lin Fan is pointing. He sees the tree, but not the leaf.
"It will fall."
Zhang Hongmin tells his daughter a children's story, seemingly focused, but his mind is preoccupied with the two patients. Honestly, he's gradually seeing through their situation. They are indeed good people, they've never had an episode.
It's just that their thinking is a bit… peculiar.
Simply put, he doesn't understand what they're talking about most of the time.
Lin Fan scratches his head. "I have a voice in my head telling me I'm leaving. I've been trying to figure out who's talking to me, but I've searched everywhere and can't find anyone. Do you think I'll leave?"
"Will you?" Old Zhang asks.
"No, even if I leave, I'll take you with me," Lin Fan says.
Old Zhang's eyes are confused. "You promised me, wherever you go, you'll take me with you."
"Yes, you're my best friend. No matter where I go, I'll take you with me." Lin Fan nods earnestly, certain of his words.
Knock, knock!
"Lin Fan, Master."
Liu Ying stands at the door, holding an umbrella and a carton of milk, smiling at the two patients. After learning about their hospitalization, Liu Ying begged his girlfriend for a hundred yuan and bought a carton of milk to visit them.
Of course, he pocketed a few dozen yuan for himself.
"Why are you here?" Lin Fan turns around and asks with a smile.
"Something happened to us," Old Zhang says.
Liu Ying places the umbrella by the door and enters. "I came as soon as I heard about your incident. The weather outside is bad, so I didn't dare drive too fast. Now that I see you're alright, I'm relieved."
"We're perfectly fine."
"Exactly."
Zhang Hongmin observes Liu Ying. Anyone who can befriend these two patients is likely a patient themselves. He doesn't dare speak or even look at Liu Ying, afraid his gaze might be misinterpreted as discrimination and cause unnecessary misunderstandings.
Liu Ying chats with them. Although he sometimes finds their words strange and disjointed, he simply dismisses it as them being lively and eccentric.
As long as he follows their lead, there won't be any problems.
As they chat, Old Zhang suggests giving Liu Ying acupuncture since there's nothing else to do.
Liu Ying, eagerly anticipating this, agrees without hesitation.
He sits there quietly waiting.
Old Zhang holds the silver needle and, with a swift, precise motion, inserts it into Liu Ying's head without a moment's hesitation. This confident needling technique earns Liu Ying's trust.
Zhang Hongmin is terrified. Sticking needles into someone's head is truly frightening. His previous belief that the patients wouldn't have an episode is completely forgotten. If his daughter were to be stabbed like that, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Outside the door, a nurse stands.
She is Nurse Zhang, the one chosen by the director last time. Having some understanding of mental patients, she's been assigned this arduous task again with the patients' readmission.
"Mental patients aren't so scary after all."
This is her genuine thought.
She initially thought it would be dangerous, but later realized it wasn't as she imagined. Even if they are mental patients, so what? There are good and bad people everywhere.
These two are the good kind.
Humming a popular tune, she walks with light steps to the ward door. Just as she's about to greet the patients warmly, the scene before her makes her tremble, her eyes widening in horror.
Old Zhang holds the last needle, and with a jeer sound, inserts it.
The thirteenth needle!
Thump!
Liu Ying collapses to the floor.
Old Zhang looks up, his gaze calm as he looks at the nurse standing at the door. In a low voice, he asks:
"Would you like to try?"
A friendly inquiry, willing to use his lifelong learning for the benefit of others.
Nurse Zhang's breathing becomes rapid as she collapses to the ground, screaming at the top of her lungs:
"Ah!"
"Murder!"
Doctors and nurses hear the scream and, seeing the direction it came from – the mental patients' ward – rush over, praying that the patients haven't caused any fatalities.
Nurse Zhang clutches her head, deeply traumatized.
"The mental patient killed someone! I saw it with my own eyes!"
She is genuinely terrified.
A confident nurse, initially intending to befriend the patients, ends up frightened out of her wits.
"Are you okay?" Lin Fan stands before the nurse, trying to help her up.
Seeing Lin Fan's smile, Nurse Zhang screams again, her pants inexplicably wet, scrambling away while crying for help.
Lin Fan scratches his head.
"Strange."
Li Laifu basks in the prestige of his director position, idly scrolling through his social media feed. Every post he makes now garners countless likes, but what he truly desires is a comment from Hao Ren:
"Director Li, you're awesome!"
"Director, something happened! The mental patient killed someone!" A clueless nurse rushes in.
She doesn't know what happened.
She simply heard a rumor and became one of the rumormongers.
Li Laifu is startled and, without a word, rushes towards the inpatient department.
He prays silently.
Please, don't let there be a fatality. I just became director, and if you cause a death now, I'm completely screwed. Walking along, he wants to slap himself.
Has becoming director gone to his head?
He remembers when the patients had just recovered.
He didn't hesitate to drive them home personally, not even considering letting them stay another day, or even an hour.
He's acutely aware of his own arrogance.
Li Laifu decides to reflect on his life and the mistakes he's made.
He heads directly to the operating room.
Upon entering…
"Director, the patient's vital signs are stable, but he's unconscious."
"Check his brainwaves," Li Laifu instructs.
"Yes."
The doctors here are all experts. Their skills are a result of their constant efforts, and Lin Fan's contribution is significant.
Ordinary surgeries can't satisfy them; only a daredevil like Lin Fan can provide them with a challenge.
A doctor prepares to check Liu Ying's brainwaves. Noticing a few hairs on his head that are in the way, he considers shaving them but, seeing as there are only a few, decides it's too much trouble and plucks them out one by one.
The doctor nods in satisfaction. Much better.
Back in the ward…
Old Zhang can't understand why they took Liu Ying away. There's nothing wrong; he just needs a good night's sleep, and when he wakes up in the morning, everything will be fine.
"Lin Fan, do you think they misunderstood us?"
"Maybe."
"Then why didn't they listen to our explanation?"
"Maybe they didn't hear it."
The two of them converse, analyzing the situation.
The evil rooster squats obediently. Damn, it's terrifying. It truly regrets choosing these two humans; being an undercover agent isn't very comfortable.
Zhang Hongmin doesn't dare breathe loudly. Benefactors are benefactors, and mental patients are mental patients.
He witnessed everything that just happened.
It was truly terrifying.
"Do you think we did anything wrong?" Lin Fan asks Zhang Hongmin.
"No."
Zhang Hongmin replies decisively. I'll always side with you, whatever you say goes. I won't argue a single word, not even hesitate.
"Sigh!"
"I don't think we did anything wrong either."
Lin Fan shrugs, then pats Old Zhang's shoulder. "Don't feel wronged. Your acupuncture skills are amazing. If there were a school, you would definitely be a teacher. They simply don't understand your abilities."
Old Zhang nods, feeling much better. "Yes, I think so too. They definitely don't understand."
"Are you tired?"
"A little."
"Then lie down for a while."
"Okay."
The two lie on the same bed, staring at the ceiling, then close their eyes. Gradually, snores emerge.
Impressive!
Zhang Hongmin is truly impressed. They can sleep after causing such a commotion. Mental patients are truly something else; this kind of ability isn't something ordinary people possess.
"Daddy, what's wrong with the big brother?" the little girl asks.
"Shh!" Zhang Hongmin makes a silencing gesture, whispering, "Don't wake them up. Be good, okay?"
The little girl nods, mimicking her father's gesture.
"Big brother must be very tired. We need to be quiet."
Zhang Hongmin wants to cry. My dear daughter, this isn't about being tired. Your big brother's accomplice just stabbed someone right in front of us with those seemingly ordinary, yet deadly needles.
We don't even know if that person is dead or alive.
And they're friends.
They can even do this to a friend.
Let alone us, father and daughter.
The doctors couldn't diagnose Liu Ying's condition, but it's similar to the one-eyed man's, so they arrange for him to stay in the same ward.
They'll observe him for now.