A voice echoed in his mind.
Huatian Hospital, Inpatient Department.
Lin Fan woke up. It was just past midnight.
00:01.
"What an interesting dream. It felt like such a long time."
Lin Fan lay down, pulled the covers over himself, a smile playing on his lips as he drifted back to sleep.
Morning!
"Ah!"
A shrill scream pierced the quiet of the inpatient department, rising and falling like a deranged symphony.
Liu Ying stood before the mirror, touching his head. His scalp was completely bare, not a single hair remained. The fruits of his painstaking efforts over the past few days had been harvested by someone else.
"My mentality is completely shattered!"
He couldn't accept this reality.
Nurses huddled in the corner, fearfully watching the man. From the moment he woke up, he'd been acting like a madman, his howls and cries terrifying the innocent nurses.
Tears welled up in Liu Ying's eyes as he recalled the events of yesterday.
He had received treatment from the master, and it had been very effective.
But it was very likely that he would faint. He had thought that since he was in the hospital, the doctors and nurses would surely understand if something seemed wrong, so…
Thinking of this, he wanted to slap himself.
Damn it!
He had really been careless.
Inside the ward.
The demonic rooster habitually laid two eggs. He had grown accustomed to life here. Every day was carefree; all he had to do was be taken for a walk. Of course, laying eggs was a non-negotiable part of the deal.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to fulfill his obligations.
"Is there something on my face?" Old Zhang asked.
Lin Fan stepped forward and put his arm around Old Zhang's shoulder. "I had another dream last night, but this dream was so long, so long. I felt like I hadn't seen you in ages."
"Really?" Old Zhang patted Lin Fan's back. "I opened my eyes and saw you right away. It didn't seem that long."
Lin Fan continued, "Let me tell you, that dream was so interesting. I met so many people, and they all called me Brother Fei. I don't know why they called me Brother Fei, but they were so nice to me."
Old Zhang listened with great interest, his curiosity piqued.
"I want to go too."
Lin Fan promised, "Next time I have the chance, I'll take you there."
If a normal person experienced something like this, they would know it wasn't a dream but something that had actually happened. However, trying to explain this to a mentally ill patient was undoubtedly difficult.
The demonic rooster scoffed internally, Stupid humans with their illnesses.
Who are they trying to impress with such dramatic displays?
Zhang Hongmin pretended to be deaf and mute. No matter what the two mentally ill patients said, he wouldn't respond. Responding would make him a fool. He was grateful to his benefactor, but he remained cautiously wary of the mentally ill patients.
"Hee hee!" His daughter giggled softly, covering her mouth.
He looked at her in disbelief. My goodness, my dear daughter, why are you laughing? Can you understand what they're saying?
Don't pay attention to them.
They're dangerous.
Even though Daddy will protect you, Daddy is just an ordinary person.
Look at that mentally ill patient. He was clearly struck by lightning and was all charred yesterday, but now he's acting like nothing happened. It's truly frightening.
Knock, knock!
As the hospital director, Li Laifu had always been dedicated to Huatian Hospital, working tirelessly and without complaint. His aspiration was to make Huatian Hospital the best hospital, and he continuously strived towards this goal, never giving up.
And now…
The biggest source of instability for Huatian Hospital was these two mentally ill patients.
Keeping the doctors busy wasn't the issue, but they couldn't risk scaring the other patients. A complaint would be disastrous.
"Director Li, you're here."
Zhang Hongmin greeted him with a smile. Director Li had been very kind to him and his daughter, and he was deeply grateful.
Li Laifu walked over to the little girl and patted her head affectionately. "Little one, how are you feeling? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?"
"No, thank you, Uncle Director." The little girl replied.
Li Laifu smiled.
Since becoming the director, he had taken special care of this little girl with leukemia, doing everything within his power to help.
However, his purpose for coming here today was simple.
To check on the patients' condition.
If they were recovering well, he would personally drive them home.
"Huh!"
Li Laifu observed Lin Fan, who was lively and energetic, and fell into deep thought.
If he remembered correctly…
He had been struck by lightning. His condition had been critical. His survival was a miracle, but what was going on now? His recovery seemed remarkably fast.
It wasn't that he couldn't accept this fact.
Based on typical medical recovery timelines, it shouldn't have been this quick.
"You seem to be recovering rather quickly."
Li Laifu examined Lin Fan, and after a moment of silence…
Exceptionally gifted.
Quite remarkable.
He had heard from other doctors that the recovery was going well, but he hadn't expected it to be this good.
In his current state, he was ready to be discharged.
Li Laifu smiled. "You must be homesick after staying in the hospital for so long. How about I personally drive you back?"
Zhang Hongmin was nearly moved to tears.
Look at this wonderful director! Seeing that the patient was recovering well, he offered to personally drive them home. This gesture spoke volumes.
It clearly meant that since the recovery was progressing so well, further hospitalization would be a waste of money. I'm the director, I make the decisions, you can leave.
Other hospitals would likely want to keep them longer.
If a doctor with a penchant for writing knew about this, they would undoubtedly drop everything and dedicate themselves to crafting a piece, with the title already in mind:
A Simple Title, Filled with Immense Positive Energy.
Lin Fan and Old Zhang exchanged glances.
"Do you want to go back?"
"Yes."
"Then let's go back."
"Okay."
Then they looked at Li Laifu and smiled. "We can go back on our own. You don't have to drive us."
"Goodbye."
Lin Fan, holding the hen, waved goodbye to Li Laifu, then to the little girl and Zhang Hongmin.
The little girl said, "Bye, Big Brother."
Zhang Hongmin wiped away a tear, smiling. "Safe travels, benefactor."
A benefactor is a benefactor.
But mentally ill patients are ultimately dangerous.
He had to think of his daughter.
Li Laifu followed behind them. He could only rest easy once he saw them leave the hospital grounds. Otherwise, they remained a ticking time bomb.
In the corridor…
Passing doctors and nurses greeted the director. Seeing the two mentally ill patients, they understood that the director was once again shouldering the burden of sending them home.
They were nearly moved to tears.
The director was truly a good person, dedicating so much to the hospital.
Downstairs…
Huang Guan, who had recently been promoted, saw the director trailing behind the two mentally ill patients. He immediately approached, baton in hand, acting as the director's bodyguard.
If the mentally ill patients dared to harm the director, he would undoubtedly throw himself forward, shielding the director from the attackers, then shout with the resolve of a martyr:
"Director, run! I'll hold them off!"
Without the director's promotion, he couldn't imagine how his life would be.
Certainly not as comfortable as it was now.
For the director, he would sacrifice anything, except his wife and children. Even if they desired his body, he would meticulously cleanse himself, wrap himself in a towel, flash a seductive smile, and softly say:
"I'm ready."
Soon…
Watching the two mentally ill patients depart, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Join me for a cigarette."
They went to the smoking area. Li Laifu offered Huang Guan a cigarette. Huang Guan respectfully accepted it, took out his lighter, lit the director's cigarette first, and then his own.
"Director, you've worked hard."
Huang Guan spoke sincerely.
He was now firmly clinging to Li Laifu's coattails, striving for his family's future. Their fates were intertwined; one's rise or fall affected the other. He absolutely couldn't let Director Li down.
Li Laifu took a deep drag, exhaled, and said wistfully, "The higher the position, the greater the responsibility. Having become the director of Huatian Hospital due to my capabilities, it is my duty to lead Huatian Hospital towards a bright future."
"And your responsibility is no small matter. You must protect every staff member and patient in this hospital."
Huang Guan straightened his posture, declaring resolutely, "Rest assured, Director, I will certainly do my best."
"Good. I have high hopes for you." Li Laifu patted his shoulder, uttering words that every leader had spoken at some point. Some followed through with action, while for others, it was merely praise.
On the street…
Lin Fan whispered, "Old Zhang, I know a kind of magic."
"What kind of magic?" Old Zhang, seeing Lin Fan's hushed tone, knew it was something he didn't want others to hear. So he leaned in, pretending to be cautious, as if afraid of being discovered.
The demonic rooster scoffed internally, Crazy.
It was now certain that these two foolish humans were definitely insane. If they weren't, then it was the idiot.
Lin Fan discreetly raised a finger. A small flame flickered on his fingertip, then extinguished.
"See? I can make fire."
He was astonished. When he woke up this morning, he had this feeling that he could create fire. When he went to the bathroom to urinate, what came out wasn't liquid, but flames. It had seemed so novel to him, he felt like jumping for joy.
"Wow!"
Old Zhang gaped, exclaiming, "Does that mean we can eat whenever we want from now on?"
"Yes."
"And we won't be cold in the winter anymore."
"Yes."
"And even if the power goes out, we'll still be able to see."
"Yes."
The more Old Zhang spoke, the more excited he became. He grabbed Lin Fan's arm and hopped joyfully down the street. "Lin Fan, how can you be so awesome?"
Lin Fan scratched his head. "I don't know why I'm so awesome either."
Passersby gave them strange looks.
They unconsciously made way.
Like they're crazy.
The demonic rooster cast a disdainful glance.
Foolish humans.
But wait…
It focused its gaze on the distance. It sensed the aura of a demonic being awakening.