Chapter 78: Do Lowly Humans Have No Manners?

At the prostitute's house.

Lin Fan and Old Zhang rubbed their bellies, pleasantly full. Lin Fan had devoured three and a half bear paws.

Old Zhang couldn't eat that much, declaring he was full after only a few bites.

Unwilling to waste food, Lin Fan stuffed the rest of Old Zhang's portion into his own stomach.

The prostitute sat there, the scene from earlier replaying in her mind. It was hard to forget; a bit bloody, a bit violent. If she could, she wouldn't want to see that kind of scene again.

"We should go home," Lin Fan said.

"I want to go home too," Old Zhang replied.

They both stood up, smiling at the prostitute. "Thank you for your hospitality, thank you for cooking for us. We're going back now. See you later."

"Let me call you a car," the prostitute, a kind-hearted woman, offered, getting up to hail a taxi outside.

"No need, we like to walk back."

Lin Fan pulled Old Zhang to the door and waved goodbye.

"See you."

They closed the door and left, not giving the prostitute a chance to argue.

On the street.

"Lin Fan, it's much faster to take a car back," Old Zhang said. He felt sleepy after eating and walking was tiring.

Lin Fan replied, "Taking a car is expensive. It's hard for her to earn money. We'll just walk back."

"But she said making money is easy."

"Did she?"

"I think so… Let's just walk."

Holding hands, they walked cheerfully down the street. Passersby pointed and whispered, noticing their mental hospital attire and their somewhat eccentric demeanor. They assumed they were indeed patients.

People kept their distance.

Staying far away.

Whether they were right or wrong didn't matter. Distance offered the greatest safety.

Soon, a mental hospital van stopped in front of them. Three orderlies got out, looking nervously at the two patients.

Li Ang said, "Get in the car. Let's go home."

Normally, they would just force patients into the van, but these two had left an indelible scar on Li Ang's psyche.

He was still afraid.

So, he spoke to them in a friendly tone.

Passersby stopped, realizing they were indeed mental patients. They took pictures with their phones, posting them on their social media feeds. "First time seeing mental patients! Eye-opening!" they captioned their posts.

Making a big fuss.

As if they'd never seen the world.

Lin Fan said, "We want to walk back."

Old Zhang added, "Full tummy, walk back, exercise."

Li Ang looked at Sun Neng.

Sun Neng widened his eyes, his message clear: "Why are you looking at me? You do it! I'm just here with you."

Lin Fan and Old Zhang sensed something was off with them, as if they were the ones with mental problems. They didn't dare talk to them further and continued walking hand-in-hand.

"Go after them," Li Ang said.

"Why don't you?" Sun Neng retorted.

"They escaped on your shift, so you're responsible," Li Ang reasoned, wanting Sun Neng to interact with the patients. If they got violent, he planned to stand back and yell, "Stop fighting!"

The other orderly was Xiao Chen.

He had worked at the mental hospital for a while and was a capable and composed orderly. Ordinary matters rarely fazed him.

Don't panic in a crisis. First, think about what the great Director Hao once said.

Inspiration struck.

Xiao Chen said, "Stop arguing. I know what to do. The great Director Hao once said that mental patients' behavior has a basis. They want to walk back, so let them walk back. We'll follow them, and the van will follow us. Remember, our mission is to bring the patients back, not to start a conflict."

Li Ang and Sun Neng looked at Xiao Chen with admiration.

As if they hadn't expected him to understand such profound道理 (principles/reasoning). He was truly a master.

Xiao Chen noticed their admiring gazes.

He couldn't help but feel a little proud.

Experience trumps all. Regularly listening to Director Hao's teachings was essential.

Lin Fan and Old Zhang walked ahead.

The three orderlies followed behind.

The van slowly trailed the orderlies.

Somehow, the scene appeared warm and harmonious.

On the bridge over the river.

A cold wind blew. Old Zhang tightened his thin hospital gown, which offered little protection against the chill.

"Are you cold?" Lin Fan asked.

"No," Old Zhang replied.

"If you're cold, I'll take off my clothes and give them to you."

"I'm not cold at all."

Their dialogue was simple, but years of camaraderie as fellow patients resonated within those few words.

They continued talking.

"Do you think those three following us have a problem? They have a van, why are they walking behind us?"

"Maybe the van is tired, so they're being considerate."

"That makes sense."

"Let's have Sprite when we get back."

"I want Coke."

"And then we'll cheers?"

"Okay."

They looked at each other, smiling, then burst into laughter. They put their arms around each other's shoulders and strode forward.

"One, two."

"One, two."

Li Ang whispered, "Brother Chen, they're crazy."

Xiao Chen gave Li Ang a strange look. "No kidding. Have you forgotten where you work?"

Li Ang realized, "Oh, right. I work at the青山 Mental Hospital. If they're not sick, then I must be… No, wait, I am sick, with that infertility thing."

Sun Neng remained cautious, keeping a safe distance from the two patients.

Danger always lurked.

When you felt safest, that was often when danger began.

At that moment, a jet-black crow circled overhead, arriving from afar and hovering above Lin Fan and the others.

No one noticed.

Lin Fan looked up, pointing excitedly. "A black birdie!"

Everyone looked up.

A crow!

The orderlies were puzzled by the crow's presence but didn't pay much attention. Seeing a crow wasn't unusual.

Old Zhang said, "I know what kind of bird that is. I saw it on TV. It's an eagle, a very powerful one. It catches rabbits. Whoosh! It swoops down, spreads its claws, and grabs the little white rabbit."

"Wow, really?" Lin Fan exclaimed.

"Yes."

The crow, with its keen hearing, heard their conversation.

An eagle?

Did I, a crow, appear so majestic?

It had been in the city earlier, perched on a building, watching the giant bear wreak havoc, assessing the number of powerful beings in Yanhai City. It discovered there were quite a few.

This was troublesome.

But now, it was in a good mood.

"Those lowly humans finally recognize my magnificence, mistaking me for an eagle. Not bad, not bad at all."

It remembered how those lowly humans used to violently chase it away, calling it a bird of ill omen.

That made it furious.

But now, it finally found humans who appreciated it, and it was pleased.

The crow landed on the bridge, watching them.

Lin Fan raised his hand. "Eagle, let me pet you."

The evil crow pondered for a moment. Since you insist, I'll let you touch me. Consider it a small favor. To be able to touch me, a crow, is a blessing you insignificant humans couldn't achieve in three lifetimes.

The crow flapped its wings and slowly descended, landing in front of Lin Fan.

Lin Fan slowly extended his hand.

Suddenly, with lightning speed, he grabbed the crow's claws and pinned it down, exclaiming, "Old Zhang, I caught an eagle! Let's take it home as a pet!"

The crow was stunned.

It hadn't expected to be captured by a lowly human.

But that wasn't the main issue.

You're crushing my internal organs!

"Great, great!" Old Zhang clapped his hands with joy.

The crow struggled to break free.

But Lin Fan's grip was strong, and it couldn't escape.

Despicable human! You said petting, but this is excessive! Do you have no manners?