章節 69: Chapter 69: Tonight's Wind, How Tumultuous
Night fell.
Tonight's wind was particularly boisterous.
The青山 (Qīngshān) Mental Hospital was anything but tranquil.
At the security booth...
Xiao Qi held his phone, engrossed in a TV drama. At twenty-five, he harbored no grand ambitions. A small room and a mobile phone were enough to navigate his uneventful life.
He scoffed at the pronouncements of some young people who declared, "I swear to the heavens, I will be rich, have beautiful women on my arms, live in a villa, drive a luxury car, eat delicacies, drink the strongest liquor, and have the most exciting women..."
He considered such pronouncements impractical.
Happiness and joy, he believed, were often found in the simplest things.
Like now, for example. Holding his phone and watching a drama was the happiest life for him.
Landing a job as a security guard at Qīngshān Mental Hospital was the most fortunate thing that had ever happened to him.
He initially thought it would be dangerous.
Later, he discovered it was quite relaxed, with barely any incidents on a typical day.
He had been working there for five years.
He had dedicated the best five years of his youth to this place. He had no regrets, even feeling a sense of pride. Even if he were to change jobs in the future, this work experience would be a significant highlight on his resume.
"I worked at Qīngshān Mental Hospital for five years."
"Just try and tell me there's a security guard position I'm not qualified for."
"Another restless night."
Xiao Qi scratched his crotch, turned off his phone, and took out an eye-shaped sticker from the drawer. He closed his eyes and applied it.
This was his ingenious move.
Pretending to be asleep.
This invention of his had earned praise from Director Hao.
Youth was indeed a good thing; quick thinking, full of ideas, able to come up with such brilliant solutions.
He leaned back in his chair, his breathing gradually evening out.
The boisterous wind outside died down.
Following the rhythm of Xiao Qi's breathing, he drifted off to sleep.
The night was quiet.
So quiet that one could hear the chirping of insects in their springtime revelry.
Two heads slowly emerged from the security booth window. They cautiously observed the situation inside before slowly retreating.
"He's asleep."
"Then we can sneak away."
Lin Fan and Old Man Zhang crouched, stealthily moving along the side of the security booth.
They didn't make a sound.
Tiptoeing, absolutely avoiding any attention. Only Xiao Qi's snoring, combined with the chirping of insects, resembled a symphony.
In the corridor...
Nurse Sun Neng took over Li Ang's shift, patrolling each ward. He had large eyes, earning him the nickname "Big Eyes."
He paused at Ward 666.
He shone his flashlight inside. He couldn't see anyone, but the blanket was raised, clearly indicating someone was sleeping underneath.
Sun Neng smiled.
This sleeping habit was similar to his own.
But the smile faded when he remembered these two were mental patients.
Similar?
That didn't sound right at all.
Without further suspicion, he continued his patrol.
If it weren't for the bright lights illuminating the corridor, the silence would have been unsettling.
On the city streets...
Lin Fan and Old Man Zhang walked for several hours.
"I'm so tired," Old Man Zhang said.
"I'll carry you," Lin Fan said, crouching in front of Old Man Zhang.
"Will you get tired?"
"No."
"Oh!"
Old Man Zhang climbed onto Lin Fan's back, his arms around Lin Fan's neck.
The two walked along the sparsely populated streets. Occasionally, a drunk man would stumble past, shouting and cursing at them.
Then they would stagger away.
Lin Fan and Old Man Zhang simply stood there, smiling at each other.
"Lin Fan, are we going to the hospital now?" Old Man Zhang asked.
"We'll go tomorrow," Lin Fan replied.
"Then where are we going now?" Old Man Zhang asked again.
Lin Fan thought for a moment, then smiled. "We're going to find that kind older sister."
They remembered the direction and knew the location.
At the shop entrance...
Lin Fan, carrying Old Man Zhang, stood at the entrance of the small shop, looking at the items inside. He thought for a moment. It wouldn't be right to go empty-handed; he should at least buy a carton of milk.
The shopkeeper was a middle-aged man. Business was slow at night, with only occasional passersby buying a pack of cigarettes. He usually closed around three or four in the morning.
At this moment...
He was sitting at the cash register, scrolling through his phone. When he looked up, he was startled by the sight of them, nearly screaming.
Standing motionless at the doorway in the dead of night.
Trying to scare him to death!
Fortunately, he had strong nerves and managed to hold it together.
With one hand on his phone, he stealthily reached under the counter with the other, gripping the handle of a cleaver. If those two outside tried anything funny, he would slam the cleaver on the counter and yell,
"Get out!"
He noticed their clothing.
Something wasn't right.
It looked familiar.
He just couldn't place it.
As he pondered their attire, Lin Fan, still carrying Old Man Zhang, walked in. The shopkeeper's grip on the cleaver tightened, and he slowly drew it out a bit.
But the counter concealed his panic.
He just watched them.
He wanted to see what they were up to.
Lin Fan picked up a carton of milk and a sausage, handing the sausage to Old Man Zhang, and approached the counter.
"Boss, how much?"
"Fifty-five."
He pulled crumpled bills from his pocket.
He paid.
He picked up the milk and, with Old Man Zhang on his back, walked out.
The shopkeeper watched the strange pair. He saw the words printed on the back of their clothes and suddenly panicked.
Holy crap!
Qīngshān Mental Hospital.
Seeing those six characters, he finally remembered. Those were the clothes worn by mental patients.
He had actually considered brandishing a cleaver at them.
The thought of his earlier behavior sent shivers down his spine.
A cleaver would be useless against a mental patient.
They might even snatch the cleaver and hack him to death.
The thought was terrifying.
He could already picture the next day's headlines:
[Shocking!]
[Convenience Store Owner Hacked to Death by Mental Patient in the Middle of the Night.]
The shopkeeper had planned to stay open a while longer, but after this incident, he lost all motivation. He pulled down the security gate, turned off the lights, went upstairs to his loft, and crawled into bed, scrolling through his朋友圈 (Péngyouquān - social media feed).
[Terrifying! Just had mental patients in my shop buying things. Glad to be alive.]
Lin Fan carried Old Man Zhang, walking alone through the dark night.
Occasionally, a streetlight would cast a faint glow on them.
"Do you want some?" Old Man Zhang asked, offering the sausage to Lin Fan.
Lin Fan said, "I'm not hungry. You eat it."
"Oh!"
Old Man Zhang continued eating the sausage, then asked, "Can I have some milk?"
"No, the milk is for that kind older sister. I'll go buy you another one."
Lin Fan turned back.
A short while later...
They stood forlornly in front of the closed shop.
"It's closed."
每周推薦票狀態
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榜單 
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