"Still looking?"
Hao Ren carefully observed Lin Fan. His heart ached. He felt Lin Fan had gone astray. Back in the mental hospital, he was quite well-behaved. Aside from occasional self-harm, he never hurt anyone.
But now?
He truly couldn't believe Lin Fan would molest a woman in public. What was even more unacceptable was that Old Zhang had also gone down the wrong path, audaciously molesting a female officer.
If it weren't for their status as mental patients, this matter wouldn't have been resolved so easily.
Director Hao scratched his pale hair, deeply worried. At his age, he just wanted to work peacefully until retirement.
He originally thought sending them to the special department would give him some peace.
Now it seemed he had thought too much.
Gone bad, they had really gone bad.
"Director Hao, thank you so much. If it weren't for you, I don't know how this would have been resolved." Liu Ying expressed his gratitude. He also admired his leader; what a resourceful person, to even think of this method.
A mental illness certificate.
It was a protective charm.
Facing the young man's thanks, Hao Ren appeared calm. As the director of Qingshan Mental Hospital, he had to maintain his composure.
Seeing no one around, Liu Ying whispered, "Director Hao, I've been having headaches lately, and I think I have some mental issues. Could you possibly issue me a mental illness certificate?"
As he spoke, he looked expectant.
Hao Ren stared at him in astonishment. He had never encountered such a bizarre request in his life.
"Sure, you can come to my hospital for a check-up sometime." Director Hao smiled warmly. He had no ulterior motives; he was simply interested in this young man.
Director Hao patted Old Zhang's shoulder sincerely, "Old Zhang, I know you're still vigorous and have needs, but don't do such things in the future. We need to be good boys, okay?"
When talking to mental patients, you shouldn't scold them. Instead, you need to guide them like children, persuading them with sincerity and enveloping them with kindness.
Make them feel loved.
Only love is the most radiant thing in this world.
"I didn't do anything. I was just learning from Lin Fan," Old Zhang said.
One-Eyed Man blinked, thinking, You took advantage of someone, just admit it. Why do you have to say you learned it from Lin Fan? If he ate shit, would you really eat it too…
But on second thought…
There really was that possibility.
"Fan, we can't do things that harm others. If you have needs, tell me, and I'll arrange it for you, help you resolve it properly." Director Hao estimated that if he were to arrange it, it would cost several hundred.
That was quite a bit of money.
Lin Fan said, "Director, I didn't do anything that harmed others. She's my wife. I've always remembered."
"Really?"
Director Hao pretended to be calm, his mind racing. Where did you get a wife? Many normal people don't have wives, how could you?
Lin Fan calmly replied, "Really."
"I believe you." Director Hao pondered how to explain to Lin Fan, without agitating him, that he didn't have a wife and it was all in his imagination.
Non-existent.
Stop dreaming.
Lin Fan smiled, "I think there must be some misunderstanding, but I'm really happy now."
Regarding Lin Fan's current situation, Director Hao contemplated.
He thought of the research topic he had been working on.
How to help mental patients recover faster.
He had no clue before.
But seeing Lin Fan's current state, he had an idea.
Back in the mental hospital, they knew about the existence of his 'wife,' but he never acted on it. Now, after being in the big, bad world for so long, he had learned to take the initiative.
This was emotional progress.
A conflict of desires.
Progress.
No, wait.
If he really had desires, it wasn't like the mental hospital didn't have female nurses. Could it be that the nurses were too ugly, and even mental patients knew beauty and ugliness?
Picky eaters?
Director Hao's thoughts began to wander, deviating from the original track.
Until his phone rang.
The caller ID showed One-Eyed Man. He answered the call.
One-Eyed Man: "Is the matter resolved?"
Hao Ren: "What do you think?"
One-Eyed Man: "What kind of attitude is that? I'm talking to you. Just tell me if it's resolved or not. I shouldn't have asked."
Hao Ren: "Haha, if you didn't ask, I was going to ask you. When I handed them over to you, they were as pure as white lotuses. How long have they been in your special department? They've become like this. I'm telling you, this isn't over. I have to take them back to Qingshan to cleanse them. If they stay any longer, I can't imagine what will happen."
In the past, One-Eyed Man might have said, Take them away then, as if I really need them.
But now…
He really needed them.
One-Eyed Man: "We signed a contract."
Hao Ren: "You signed a contract with mental patients. Do you think that contract is valid?"
Silence. There was no sound from the other end of the line for a moment.
"Director Hao, you and I are true brothers, with deep affection. You've given so much to Qingshan Mental Hospital. I see it, and it pains me. Such a big operation, needing to support so many people, it must be tiring. I've decided to fund Qingshan Mental Hospital. What do you think?"
One-Eyed Man's tone suddenly changed, as if someone was holding a knife to his throat.
Hao Ren: "I'm touched that you understand me. Therefore, I also understand you."
The art of language transcends age.
The charm of money is infinite.
Even Director Hao, a leading figure in the field of mental health, couldn't resist.
A van drove along the elevated highway.
"Mu Jie, don't take it to heart. I've already spoken to the major websites about those photos and videos online. They'll delete them immediately." The agent asked cautiously.
Anyone who encountered such a thing would be furious.
It was inhumane.
Even a heads-up would have been better than a surprise attack.
The agent said, "The Yanhai City department is truly outrageous. They even came up with the excuse of mental illness. I just searched online, and that Hao Ren really is a leading expert in the field of mental health. Even such an expert is giving false testimony. Yanhai City is too shady."
Indignant.
Abuse of power.
Lawless.
"I believe they are mentally ill." Mu Qing played with her phone, replying to messages as she spoke.
The agent exclaimed, "Mu Jie, you believe that?"
"My gut feeling is never wrong." Mu Qing said.
The agent flipped through the tablet, "Mu Jie, I just found this online. That guy who molested… you is indeed quite famous, a hero in the hearts of Yanhai City citizens. He single-handedly held back the horde of evil creatures outside the city. This was posted by a forum member. And the comments online are truly outrageous. They actually say you two are a good match. What are these people thinking? How could you possibly be a good match?"
"The head of Yanhai City's special department just said he'd like to treat you to dinner tonight to apologize for what happened. Will you go?"
Mu Qing asked, "Do you think I'll be in danger if I go?"
The agent said, "How could there be any danger? That mental patient wouldn't dare molest you again in front of their leader, right? If that happens, I'll fight them."
"No, my sixth sense tells me I'll be in danger. Decline the invitation. Thank him for his kindness. We'll leave Yanhai City tomorrow." Mu Qing said slowly. A woman's intuition is very accurate. She didn't want to take the risk.
She could forget about today's incident.
But if there was a second time…
It wouldn't be forgotten.
It would be a disaster.
Who did I offend? I just came to Yanhai City to give a safety lecture, and this happened. Behind her calm exterior, she felt like crying.
When One-Eyed Man learned about this, he smiled happily.
Another expense saved.
His days weren't easy lately. Every time he contacted Hao Ren, he knew he would be scammed. Although he was the head of the special department, with a large operation, he was also very distressed.
Knock, knock!
Jin He Li pushed the door open and reported, "The monitoring department just detected another ground subsidence in Mount Tai. The energy fluctuation is much higher than the last time. I'm afraid more evil creatures will appear."
One-Eyed Man, who was just thinking about saving the cost of a meal, heard this news and abruptly stood up.
"Let's go take a look."
One-Eyed Man's expression was serious. Yanhai City had been relatively peaceful recently, and they couldn't afford another incident.
Thinking about what he was doing now, he felt exhausted.
Although he was only the head of the Yanhai City special department, he also paid attention to the situation at headquarters. Uncovering the traitor was his responsibility, and now something was happening at Mount Tai.
It was truly troublesome.
He couldn't keep up.
If only someone could help him.
Although that Xu Zihao guy seemed alright, he was too young and his background was a bit complicated. If his father really was a traitor, and he colluded with his father, then Yanhai City would have no secrets left.
Monitoring Department.
Tang Wensheng, the department head, directed his subordinates to collect data from Mount Tai.
"How's the situation?" One-Eyed Man asked.
Tang Wensheng said seriously, "The situation is not good. According to the monitoring data, the energy fluctuations are extremely high, reaching a magnitude of seven. We need to continue monitoring for more details."
His expression showed his gravity.
"Chief, I suggest we send people to the site for external investigation." Tang Wensheng said.
One-Eyed Man pondered for a moment.
Sending personnel to the site was dangerous. Although drones could roughly observe the surrounding situation, human observation was more thorough.
Moreover, a terrifying magnetic field would form there, making it difficult for drones to detect clearly, or even enter.
"I'll arrange this. You continue monitoring and notify me immediately if there are any updates." One-Eyed Man said.
Night.
Lin Fan stood on the street, sniffing the air as if searching for something. After coaxing Old Zhang to sleep, he came out alone.
"What should I buy?"
He pondered, remembering that Mu Qing's favorite seemed to be strawberries.
He patted his pockets.
How frustrating.
No money.
"What are you doing here?"
Jin He Li was on her way home from work when she saw Lin Fan standing there blankly, as if lost. She initially didn't want to pay attention, but they had comforted her when she was sad. Give and take, that's how they interacted.
"I'm going to buy some fruit, but I don't have any money. Do you have any money? Can you lend me some? I'll return it to you when I have money." Lin Fan asked.
Jin He Li was genuinely shocked when Lin Fan said he had no money. Members of special departments were generally well-off. Their salaries and benefits were more than enough to cover their expenses. However, she knew Lin Fan was a psychiatric patient, and it seemed his wages were all going to Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital.
"Here," Jin He Li took out a thousand yuan from her purse and handed it to Lin Fan. "This is a thousand. If you don't have any money, you can go to the leader. Your salary in the department is very high, unlike others."
Lin Fan said, "I told the director that I want to use my salary to help my family. I don't usually spend money, so it doesn't matter whether I have it or not."
He believed this was the right thing to do. He and Lao Zhang worked to help alleviate the financial burden on Qingshan; it was their duty.
"Go back early, don't wander around alone at night. It's hard to find you if you get lost," Jin He Li said, then left with her bag.
Lin Fan watched her go. "She's a really good person."
He felt that many people in the department were very friendly, too many to name.
He arrived at a fruit stand.
"Handsome young man, what kind of fruit would you like?" The stall owner, an older woman, greeted the customer warmly.
"I'd like some strawberries," Lin Fan said.
The stall owner smiled. "Young man, our strawberries are all freshly picked today, delicious and tasty. This box was just packed, not a single bad strawberry."
"I'll take a box," Lin Fan said.
After paying, Lin Fan squatted by the roadside holding the strawberry box. He opened the lid, took out a strawberry, and bit off the top, leaving only the bottom.
He remembered Mu Qing loved to eat the bottoms of strawberries.
He had asked her before.
Mu Qing had said, "I just like to eat the strawberry bottoms."
So Lin Fan always kept it in mind.
"So sweet."
Lin Fan loved to eat strawberries, and his current spending was exceeding his income. He now had two creditors.
He hadn't forgotten.
He owed Sun Neng 125 yuan.
He owed Jin He Li 1000 yuan.
When he had money in the future, he would pay them back.
Lin Fan looked at the box full of strawberry bottoms with satisfaction, his mood very pleasant. He could smell Mu Qing's scent. She was still in Yanhai City, the destination not far. He could find her after a short walk.
Jia He International Hotel.
The highest-rated hotel in Yanhai City.
The news of Mu Qing staying here hadn't spread, otherwise, the entrance would surely be crowded with fans.
It would be normal for a blockage to occur.
Inside the room.
Mu Qing was video chatting with a few friends from the entertainment industry.
"Sister Mu, this trip to Yanhai City, you even left your first kiss there! I was stunned when I saw the news. I didn't expect Yanhai City's security to be so inadequate."
"Sister Mu, who is your husband? Was it arranged beforehand, just to test the outside world's reaction? If the situation is good, will you gradually announce it?"
"It's already been announced online! That person is Yanhai City's hero. It seems he was the one who single-handedly resisted the army of evil creatures. Such a heroic person, I'm so envious of Sister Mu's man."
Several beautiful girls chattered.
For them, it was still hard to believe that Sister Mu had really been forcibly kissed by a stranger.
With so many special department experts present at the scene.
How could they let someone do as they pleased?
It must have been pre-arranged. Thinking about it carefully, the possibility was very high; it couldn't be wrong.
Mu Qing, wearing pajamas, said, "Don't you girls guess wildly. I really don't know him. There are some things I can't tell you yet, but just trust me."
"Hee hee, Sister Mu is hiding something."
"Sister Mu, bring him to us when you have a chance, let me check him out."
"My younger brother is a student at the High Court. I asked him, and he said that man is the strongest in Yanhai City, his idol."
Mu Qing could only shake her head helplessly at these young girls. She then turned off the video, spread her arms, and lay on the soft bed, her expression turning serious.
Ding! Her phone chimed.
Mu Qing picked up her phone. It was a message. She opened it.
"Unexpected harvest."
Mu Qing deleted the message without replying, then took off her pajamas and went to the bathroom for a bath.
At this moment.
Lin Fan was walking in a dark alley.
His steps showed his happiness. He was about to deliver the strawberries and was looking forward to Mu Qing's surprised expression.
Under the moonlight, two figures appeared at both ends of the alley.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Strange sounds came.
Lin Fan stopped and looked ahead. He could vaguely see someone standing in the darkness.
Then, as the moonlight shone, he saw what looked like metal wires rapidly sweeping towards him from the darkness.
Two large nets were closing in from the front and back of the alley.
These nets were woven from special metal wires, incredibly sharp, capable of piercing even steel.
A net from heaven and earth, nowhere to escape.
Lin Fan placed the strawberry box in his arms, crouched down, and bent over to protect the contents in his arms.
The two figures standing there smiled.
Their target was waiting passively to be captured.
His body would soon be torn to shreds by the metal net.
Rip!
The metal net cut through Lin Fan's clothes, but when it touched his skin, it couldn't penetrate even a little.
Lin Fan stood up, and the large net wrapped around him instantly burst apart.
"Good thing the strawberries weren't damaged."
The two mysterious people stared at the scene in disbelief.
"How is this possible?"
To them, this was simply impossible.
The metal used to make the nets was precious and extremely sharp, capable of cutting even diamonds. How could human flesh withstand it?
Even a Buddhist master, cultivating an indestructible Vajra body, couldn't withstand it.
"What are you doing?" Lin Fan asked.
He didn't understand why they were trying to catch him with a net.
They were very strange.
Then, the two threw something on the ground. Bang! A thick white smoke erupted, just like ninjas. If they couldn't win, they would run. But the result was…
"Who are you?" Lin Fan looked at the two strangers. They were wearing headgear, which Lin Fan removed. He looked at their faces; he had never seen them before.
They had just tried to run.
Lin Fan felt they were being impolite, so he caught them to ask a few questions.
Even if they had mistaken him for someone else.
They shouldn't attack without reason.
"Lin Fan, you are indeed very strong. Even the iron-cutting black wires can't break your skin. The organization was right, you are indeed our greatest enemy." One of the men pretended to be calm, but his heart was racing.
The current situation was something he hadn't anticipated.
Even if their first attack failed.
They still had a chance to escape. Using the smoke, they could disappear from his sight as quickly as possible.
But terrifying things always happened around them.
They had clearly run very fast.
Yet they were caught. This was truly terrifying.
Lin Fan said, "I've always been training, and my body is a bit stronger than others. But you say I'm your greatest enemy, I don't understand. I don't know you, and I've never bullied you. Besides, the thing I dislike the most is bullying people. Are you mistaken?"
Cough! Cough!
The man had a lung condition and was coughing violently, even coughing up blood.
"Look, you're coughing up blood. If Lao Zhang were here, he could treat you. Unfortunately, he's not here now. I'll call an ambulance for you. I'm very familiar with the people there, they will definitely cure you," Lin Fan said.
Although they had just attacked him.
There must be a misunderstanding.
He wasn't angry. It would be best if they could clear up the misunderstanding.
"Hmph, it's our fault that we are less skilled. But if you think you can capture us and learn the truth about the organization from us, you're dreaming."
"Do you think we're afraid of you?"
"Death is not terrifying to us."
They looked at each other.
They nodded in agreement.
At that moment, it was as if they bit something in their mouths. A trickle of blood spilled out, flowing slowly down the corners of their lips. Then, with a loud thud, they collapsed to the ground.
Lin Fan watched them, his mind filled with questions.
What were they doing?
Lin Fan stayed where he was, pondering for a long time. Then, he took out his phone and called the emergency services (110) for them before turning and leaving. He urgently wanted to deliver the strawberries to Mu Qing.
These two really weren't thinking straight.
They clearly didn't have to die.
Yet they chose suicide.
Could our Lin Fan ever be an unfriendly person?
At the Jiahe International Hotel:
"Excuse me, sir, you can't enter with your clothes torn like that," the security guard at the entrance stopped him.
Lin Fan looked down at his clothes. They had been ripped earlier. He hadn't expected to be denied entry because of this. If he had known earlier, he would have thought of another way to keep his clothes from getting damaged.
"If I take off the damaged clothes, can I go in?" Lin Fan asked.
The security guard was stunned by Lin Fan's question.
To be honest, he had never encountered such a situation.
"I'm sorry, sir, you cannot."
The security guard of the luxury hotel maintained his professional composure and answered politely.
"Alright." Lin Fan turned to leave, but he didn't give up. He looked up at the towering building, thought for a moment, and his eyes lit up as he thought of a particularly good solution.
Bending his knees, he sprang up with a bang.
He looked inside through the window.
"Not this room."
"Not this room either."
"The scent is still higher up."
Inside a luxurious room:
The sound of running water.
Mu Qing lay in the bathtub, enjoying a relaxing soak. Bubble baths were her favorite way to unwind. Through the window, she looked out at the night view.
From here, she could take in the most beautiful scenery of Yanhai City.
She hummed a tune softly, her body and mind completely relaxed.
Suddenly…
"I think something just flew up there," Mu Qing muttered to herself, seemingly puzzled. Then she laughed, "I must be stressed. I'm seeing things."
Then she closed her eyes to rest for a bit.
"La la la la la…"
Humming a little tune, feeling the massaging water pressure of the bathtub, overall, it was very comfortable.
Truly relaxing.
Knock knock!
There was a sound, like knocking on the door, but it was strange. She was clearly in the bathroom, so why could she hear it so clearly?
Mu Qing opened her eyes. In an instant, she saw a figure standing outside the window. Her face changed dramatically, as if she had seen a ghost.
"Ah!"
She screamed.
The soundproofing of the room was exceptionally good; no one outside could hear the sound inside.
Mu Qing hid in the bubble bath, trembling with anger. This relentless person! The daytime incident was enough, why was he still pestering her? And who leaked her room number?
Was Yanhai City's security this bad?
How the hell did he find her?
The hotel's architecture was quite something; the windows had wide ledges.
Lin Fan sat there, dangling the strawberry box in his hand. The message was clear: I brought you your favorite strawberry bottoms.
At this moment, Mu Qing was truly panicked.
She wanted to call someone, but her phone was outside. If she got up now, she would definitely be seen.
"Please go away, I'm scared of you, okay?" Mu Qing shouted.
She usually appeared very composed, but at a time like this, she couldn't compose herself at all.
She really regretted it.
Her manager had offered to stay with her, sleeping in the guest room, but she had wanted her own space and refused. If she had known this would happen, she would have let her manager stay no matter what.
Lin Fan said, "Wife, don't be so agitated. We used to see each other all the time. I brought you your favorite strawberries."
The window was a bit thick.
It was hard to hear what was being said.
Mu Qing's head was about to explode.
She was thinking of all sorts of solutions.
But…
The nearest phone was by the toilet, several meters away. What should she do? What could she do?
She wondered what this guy outside was trying to do.
Their first meeting involved shocking behavior, and now this. It was really making things difficult for her.
She didn't even know how she had offended him.
Was it necessary to do this to her?
Perhaps… Yanhai City wasn't so friendly to her after all.
Lin Fan placed the strawberry box on the windowsill, waved, then leaped down, disappearing into the night.
Mu Qing hid in the bathtub for a while.
Carefully, she observed her surroundings.
After confirming the figure was gone, she quickly got out of the bathtub, wrapped herself in a bathrobe, returned to the room, grabbed her phone, and called her manager.
"Book a flight now, we're leaving Yanhai City," Mu Qing said without explaining the situation to her manager.
Less trouble was better.
Running away was the right thing to do.
She had always believed he was mentally ill, and now she was even more convinced that he was absolutely mentally ill.
The manager was shocked, "Sister Mu, there are no flights at night. How about we leave tomorrow?"
Mu Qing thought about leaving by car, but then considered that the suburbs were dangerous at night, with frequent paranormal activity and a high possibility of encountering danger.
"Prepare to leave first thing tomorrow morning."
She could only wait until tomorrow.
After hanging up, she went to the door, locked all the locks and bolts, and then moved a chair to block the door.
Ding ding!
A message arrived on her phone.
She opened her phone, checked the message, and her face instantly changed.
"Damn it!"
Mu Qing's face was grim.
She hadn't expected things to turn out like this.
In the alley:
He Mu looked expressionlessly at the bodies of the two members, then carried them away.
What was Dark Shadow Society thinking?
Actually sending them to their deaths.
Not long after He Mu left…
Wah! Wah! Wah!
The familiar sound rang out.
They arrived at the scene and found it wasn't as the caller had described.
"Holy crap! A prank call."
One of the officers said helplessly.
Someone was still making prank calls; it was truly outrageous.
"Wait, there's blood here. Something definitely happened here just now." A seasoned old officer examined the scene and discovered bloodstains on the ground.
Then he waved his hand, instructing them to collect blood samples to take back.
"Check the surrounding security cameras and see what happened here just now."
"Yes, sir."
Meanwhile, Lin Fan returned home with a smile on his face.
He wondered if Mu Qing would be happy to see the strawberries he had meticulously prepared.
He had bitten each one himself.
He hadn't even been willing to eat them.
He had only eaten the strawberry hearts.
She should be touched, right?
With such pleasant thoughts, he returned to his dorm and fell asleep smiling.