004
On both sides of the sand playground are rows of semi-identical cylindrical buildings. Lude walked towards Lian Pu, but his eyes focused on the dark-skinned male nurse Wang Yi standing on the side. Whenever someone was brought in, he would appear at this final checkpoint.
With a raised eyebrow, Lude asked, "Another one?"
Wang Yi responded with a deep "Hmm."
Three months ago, Lude's actions at the entrance of the treatment centre had caused a stir, but the news was contained within the Xing family and did not spread to Chung Ying Street. Xing's grandfather was still alive, and everyone in Hong Kong knew how much he spilt this grandson. However, the Xing family had never been involved in such matters before. Out of anger, Lude's father had sent him to a gray industry owned by others to learn a lesson.
The Xing family's influence in Hong Kong was not to be underestimated. Therefore, despite their disdain for Lude, some people in the treatment centre were unable to resort to inhumane methods on him and could only let him act recklessly from time to time.
Lude's attitude towards Wang Yi was indifferent, his gaze drifting to Lian Pu's face, his index finger lifting his chin, pausing momentarily, and murmuring, "This handsome and remarkable face, unfortunately, is not to my taste."
Lian Pu remained calm, the thorns beneath his black velvet-like pupils reminiscent of rose petals. Lude released his finger, tilting his head to ask Wang Yi, "Shall we go directly to the confessional room?"
Another dull nasal response greeted him.
"Then let's go together."
Confession classes were held in the confessional room, based on the Catholic confession room, differing in form but similar in purpose.
On the way, Wang Yi rigidly and seriously summarised the "treatment rules" in the treatment centre next to Lian Pu. Concerned for his own ears regarding the extensive 88 "treatment rules," Lude pulled out a copy of the "Treatment Guidelines" from Wang Yi's arms and tossed it to Lian Pu, saying, "Read it yourself."
In the confessional room, there are seven wooden stools and five cushions arranged in a circle. Those who follow Christianity sit on the stools, while those who practice Buddhism kneel on the cushions. As the instructor begins the session, everyone looks up at the depictions of Jesus nailed to the cross and the Ten Kings of Hell on the ceiling, initiating the act of repentance.
During the confession in the room, individuals recount their inhumane actions and moral deviations repeatedly from start to finish.
Repentance starts in numerical order, sometimes from the beginning to the end, and other times from the end to the beginning, depending on the mood of the instructor. This time, it started randomly from front to back, with Lude sitting next to Lian Pu.
Lude Xing, designated as number 11, is a Christian.
Numbers 0001, 0004, 0005, and 0009 all appeared expressionless during their repentance, either remaining motionless or mechanically acknowledging their sins like puppets. Some of those left regretting their actions failed to satisfy the reformer and thus faced punishment.
As the sun began to shift, light seeped in through the previously untouched curtains, casting a gentle glow on Lude's cheek. When it was his turn to repent, Lude spoke slowly, "I had a dream that clearly indicated a transformation into heterosexuality, although I lacked any real passion to accept this situation, both in the dream and in reality." His gaze seemed to penetrate Jesus and the cross, envisioning a vast expanse of freedom. As Lude made this statement, a hint of a smile escaped his lips, gazing up at the judge of the underworld, silently reciting within.
Lude faced punishment without surprise, yet a smirk played on his lips.
Lude's next and final disciple was Lian Pu.
Apart from Lude, few paid much attention to Lian Pu's first confession in the confessional room. Lian Pu gazed at the Ten Kings of Hell, with a faint smile on his lips, calmly speaking about art from the 18th century. "I am yet unsure if I would like get into a relationship with a man, but those loves that dare not speak their name, as found in Michelangelo and Shakespeare's sonnets, this love ought to be so, yet this world cannot comprehend it. This world mocks it, sometimes even making the lover a laughingstock."
Lude's lips curled slightly, adding a touch of depth to his expression.
Among the twelve individuals, six were subjected to punishment.
Upon rising, Lude and Lian Pu's sleeves brushed against each other, and Lude whispered a few words to Lian Pu discreetly. A faint glint passed through Lian Pu's dark eyes, and he slowly uttered the word "Turing" in response to Xing Lu.
Lude bit his lip, repeated his words of repentance, and left the chamber of repentance with the group, escorted to the small dark room along with the other five individuals who had also been punished. The forthcoming punishment in the dark room was considered a corrective measure within the realm of therapy - specifically, sexual response therapy. This form of therapy involved entering a dark room with a black and white television set, where, upon the closing of the door, the television would start playing moaning sounds, and the individual was required to watch explicit content while hearing continuous gasping sounds, filling a measuring cup with a viscous liquid up to a certain level before being allowed to leave. The punishment did not end there, as upon exiting the dark room, the group was taken to the Chamber of Harmony to receive advice from the other six individuals who had seen the error of their ways, and to witness the enforced treatments involving medication and electric currents.
Apart from Lude, the others all seemed to float when they came out.
The night was thick, shrouding the earth, and when one looked up from the slope under the building, the moon was nowhere to be seen.
Lude paid attention to the footsteps behind him, though somewhat ethereal, they were not unstable.
During the meal in the cafeteria, with long tables and benches separated by a meter, the only sound was the clang of iron spoons and steel bowls, creating a dead silence. Lude ate quickly but with grace. As he passed by Lian Pu, his chopsticks slipped off the plate, making a crisp sound as they hit the cement floor. The stainless steel bowl rolled to Lian Pu's feet, making a clattering noise as it stopped.
The cafeteria supervisor was no stranger to his habit of dropping utensils; it seemed the young master of the Xing family was born unable to handle utensils properly. While others would face physical punishment for such actions, it seemed different for Lude, as it was almost as if it never happened.
After all, there were special instructions from higher-ups regarding this esteemed young master from the Xing family.
While bending down to pick up the utensils, Lude discreetly slipped a note into Lian Pu's sock. Lian Pu showed no reaction on his face, but his right foot involuntarily moved back, only to be stopped by Lude grabbing his ankle, keeping his foot in place.
The evening routine remained unchanged without the company of stars - reading in the library.
Though not large, the library was filled with several bookshelves containing books in both Chinese and English, printed or handwritten, all related to religion and the stigma around homosexuality. There were a few long tables and benches next to the bookshelves, spaced a meter apart with no one sitting across from each other. Pens and papers were available for note-taking, with the option to take notes out but leave the pens behind.
Lian Pu squatted in front of the bookshelves, running his fingers along the bottom row of book spines, selecting one and retrieving a piece of paper that Lude had tucked into his sock.
He inserted the paper into the book and returned to his seat.
The bold words on the paper read: "Many are offended."
Lian Pu furrowed his brows and turned a page. The inked words seemed to be filled with an enticing allure, as if they were jumping out of the rough paper, but failing to catch his eye. Lian Pu recalled the phrase, "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."
Upon reciting his confession, Lude left the confession room with a group and was taken to a small dark room along with five others who had also been punished. The punishment that was about to take place in the small dark room was considered a method of corrective therapy known as "The therapy of sexual reaction."
In this process, one must enter the punishment box with a measuring cup while a black-and-white TV plays explicit content. The individual is required to watch and listen to the material until they are able to comfort themselves, at which point their semen will be collected in the cup after a certain number of occurrences. Only upon completing this procedure can one leave the punishment box, which is referred to as the therapy of sexual reaction.