Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital.
Director Hao lived a comfortable life. He had no shortage of money, patients, or food. Every day, he indulged in historical dramas and occasionally patrolled the wards, checking on the patients.
Sometimes, he'd see on his social media feed that a formerly cured patient had relapsed.
He felt a heavy sense of responsibility and would arrange for staff to bring the patient back for further treatment.
Mental illness is prone to relapse. A current cure doesn't guarantee future stability. The threshold for mental illness is both high and low; it's easy to cross that line, but incredibly difficult to return.
Knock, knock!
"Come in."
The head nurse hurried in. "Director, we brought in a patient with a severe mental illness from the streets."
"Oh, how severe?" Director Hao asked absentmindedly.
How severe could it be?
After witnessing the cases of Lin Fan and Old Zhang, his tolerance had significantly increased. No matter the patient, he felt he'd seen it all.
The head nurse said, "He was streaking in the street. After being subdued, he stuck out his tongue and tried to lick people's buttocks in public."
"What?"
Director Hao was shocked. He hadn't expected such a case. "That sounds more like perversion than mental illness. He shouldn't be sent here, but to the police station."
"Director, the thing is, he claimed that anyone he licked would achieve immortality," the head nurse explained.
Director Hao's expression turned serious. "That's a severe case indeed."
The head nurse continued, "Definitely severe. That's why he was sent here. Now he's yelling in the hallway. Our female nurses are keeping their distance. He's difficult to control, so we need your help."
For Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital, Director Hao was their god. There was no patient he couldn't subdue.
"Let's go see him."
In the hallway.
A naked middle-aged man was shouting.
"Let me lick you, and you'll be immune to all diseases!"
"Let me lick you, and you'll ascend to heaven in broad daylight!"
A group of male nurses struggled to restrain the man's limbs. He was incredibly strong, almost breaking free. They had seen many patients, but rarely one like this.
So damn perverted.
Nurse Sun, clinging to the man's arm, was red-faced, using all his strength.
The middle-aged man tilted his head and stuck out his tongue, leeringly trying to lick Sun's face, his eyes gleaming.
"Just one lick, just one!"
Sun was almost suffocated by the man's bad breath. "Help! His breath is so bad, I can't hold on much longer!"
He had graduated from university.
He had become a male nurse at Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital.
He had been full of hope for the future.
But now… he was truly despairing.
Someone, please save me! There are so many people here, why does he have to lick me? I haven't offended him, why is he doing this to me?
The other male nurses breathed a sigh of relief.
Being handsome has its perks. The mentally ill patient only wants to kiss you, leaving us alone. How infuriating!
Just then, someone shouted, "The Director is here!"
The Director was their anchor. As long as he arrived, there was no problem that couldn't be solved.
"Director, save me!" Sun cried out.
He was almost driven to tears.
"What's his name?" Director Hao asked.
The head nurse replied, "We don't know yet. He doesn't have any identification on him, and we haven't found his family."
Director Hao approached the man. Upon seeing him, the middle-aged man shifted his attention, leeringly sticking his tongue out towards Director Hao. "Lick… lick you!"
Slap!
Director Hao delivered a swift, crisp slap, stunning the man.
"Lick what?"
The middle-aged man was momentarily dazed, then frantically stuck his tongue out again. "Lick you! I want to lick you! If I lick you, you'll be immune to all diseases!"
Backhand slap!
"Immune to what?" Director Hao asked.
"I want to lick you!"
"I want to lick…"
"I want…"
"I…"
Slap!
The male nurses restraining the patient were dumbfounded. The Director was a bit too domineering, wasn't he? Those slaps were quite satisfying.
A moment later, the head nurse applauded. "As expected of the Director! The patient was having an episode, constantly wanting to lick people, but now he's silent. I've learned something new, a truly valuable treatment method."
The surrounding nurses looked at Director Hao with admiration.
"The Director is so amazing!"
"He's truly a master of psychiatry. This kind of treatment method is something we could never learn in a lifetime."
"Fantastic!"
Director Hao calmly accepted the praise, gesturing for them to stop their worship. It was just standard procedure, nothing special.
But inwardly, he felt quite pleased.
Being praised felt good.
"Go to the kitchen and get a slaughtered chicken for him to lick," Director Hao instructed, preparing to let the patient lick a chicken's backside.
"Hurry and get a chicken from the kitchen!" the head nurse relayed the Director's words. As the Director's most trusted confidant, he would perfectly execute any task.
A male nurse hurried away.
The middle-aged man, whose face was now swollen from the slaps, felt a pang of despair.
He wasn't mentally ill.
He was an undercover agent, tasked with uncovering Lin Fan's secrets. Someone who could train a mentally ill patient into such a formidable individual must possess extraordinary abilities.
If there wasn't a hidden expert,
Then there must be some shocking secret.
Therefore, he had to infiltrate Qingshan.
Posing as a patient was the easiest way in, as applying for a position as a nurse or doctor required thorough background checks, and he didn't have time to waste. Qingshan wasn't hiring.
But now…
Damn it! He knew I was a mental patient and still dared to hit me.
How audacious!
Jiang Zhonghai knew he was pretending to be mentally ill.
He couldn't blow his cover.
"I'll lick…"
Even with a swollen face, he had to maintain his act. He had to convince everyone he was genuinely mentally ill.
The male nurse returned with the chicken.
Director Hao presented the chicken's rear end to him. "Lick it."
Jiang Zhonghai grinned foolishly, snatched the plucked chicken, and began licking it frantically.
Some couldn't bear the sight.
They vomited uncontrollably.
Damn!
That's terrifying! This patient definitely has extreme tastes. I can't handle this.
The head nurse inquired, "Director, what's his condition? I've seen many patients, but never someone so obsessed with licking."
Director Hao pondered, as if formulating an explanation.
The head nurse pulled out a banknote from his pocket, leaned slightly, and pricked up his ears, ready to record everything the Director said, feigning a thirst for knowledge.
The surrounding nurses sighed inwardly.
When it came to flattery, they were no match for the head nurse. He was truly skilled, and his ability to climb the ranks was impressive. This skill alone was worth learning.
"Based on my research, he might be suffering from Hyperactive Imaginary Congenital Licking Disorder. This illness doesn't exist in psychiatric history, and very few people know about it," Director Hao declared.
"I see," the head nurse said, feigning enlightenment, as if he had grasped some supreme martial art. His expression was something ordinary people could never replicate.
This was professional competence honed over decades of study and practice.
The head nurse asked, "Then, Director, how should this illness be treated?"
Director Hao replied, "To cure this mental illness, electroconvulsive therapy is necessary. Give him a session later and see how he responds. If he still wants to lick things afterward, continue the treatment until he stops."
"His desire to lick is caused by an excess of certain hormones in his body."
The head nurse nodded, pretending to understand. "I see."
Jiang Zhonghai felt a sense of foreboding.
But as a mental patient, he had to act convincingly. If he showed fear, he might be exposed.
At that moment, a nurse exclaimed, "Lin Fan and Old Zhang are back!"
They were the stars of Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital. The nurses and doctors all liked them very much.
Although they often played dangerous games, they never harmed anyone. They just sometimes played a bit too intensely.
"You're back?" Director Hao asked with a smile.
Lin Fan replied, "Yes, we came back to take a look. We crossed the river bridge from the city and felt close to home, so we came back."
Old Zhang greeted the patients from other rooms.
They hadn't seen each other for a while.
They all missed each other.
The patients from the surrounding wards came out to chat with Old Zhang.
"I heard you and Lin Fan went to the outer realms to slay demons. I'm relieved to see you back safely. If you need anything, just let me know. With my strength, they'll give me some face."
"I've discovered a big secret recently, but because it's a big secret, I can't tell you."
"Do you know that guy just now? He's quite ill. I saw him kissing a chicken's butt. It was truly disgusting."
"Be careful of him, he's a pervert."
Jiang Zhonghai listened to the conversations of these mentally ill patients.
He felt melancholic.
A group of genuinely mentally ill patients were calling him mentally ill.
It was humiliating.
He realized he was acting too realistically. He had to give himself credit. This mission was perfect for him; only he could successfully and flawlessly infiltrate Qingshan.
Not only had he not been discovered, but he was even mistaken for a patient by actual patients. What a successful infiltration!
"So, he's Lin Fan."
While feigning madness, Jiang Zhonghai discreetly observed Lin Fan. He looked exactly like his photograph. He couldn't discern anything unusual about him, yet he was the organization's greatest concern.
A powerful individual, a very powerful individual.
Lin Fan looked curiously at the person kissing the chicken's backside. "What's wrong with him? Is he very hungry?"
Director Hao replied, "He's a new patient. His condition is quite serious."
"Does he need Old Zhang's help? With Old Zhang's methods, he can definitely be cured," Lin Fan asked. He was confident in Old Zhang's acupuncture skills and hoped to help others.
The surrounding nurses looked at Lin Fan helplessly.
Brother.
You're also a mental patient. Old Zhang's acupuncture isn't something ordinary people can withstand. Spare your fellow patient.
Look, he even dares to kiss a chicken's butt.
He's seriously ill.
Terminally ill, with no future.
Director Hao patted Lin Fan's shoulder. "I have great faith in Old Zhang's acupuncture. Since you have a kind heart, I can't disagree. I'll leave it to Old Zhang."
At this moment,
The scene was silent.
The nurses were stunned.
The head nurse was dumbfounded.
Even Jiang Zhonghai, who had been pretending to be mentally ill, was a bit bewildered. Was this necessary? To let a mental patient give him acupuncture? Was this how Qingshan treated its patients?
But he always remembered that he was playing a patient. Even in this situation, he absolutely couldn't reveal his bewilderment.
"I want to lick you…"
Jiang Zhonghai had a talent for acting mentally ill.
"Old Zhang, it's up to you," Lin Fan said trustingly.
Old Zhang replied, "Yes, trust me."
With the Cosmic Circulation Technique, Old Zhang was full of confidence.
Inside the ward,
Jiang Zhonghai lay on the bed, restrained and unable to move. Anyone in this situation would be apprehensive, primarily feeling fear and worry about what might happen to them.
Nurses gathered around.
Fellow patients peered through the glass outside, curiously watching the scene unfold.
Old Zhang took out his precious acupuncture kit and carefully opened it. Holding a silver needle, he said seriously, "Don't be afraid. My acupuncture skills are very good. I've given acupuncture to many people, and except for a few, everyone says it's good."
Jiang Zhonghai looked at the silver needle in Old Zhang's hand. Honestly, he was a little nervous. Not because he was afraid of being stabbed to death, but because the situation felt strange.
If it were a normal, experienced acupuncturist, he wouldn't say a word.
But now, the person giving him acupuncture was a mental patient.
The pressure was immense.
Maybe I can scare him away by acting crazy.
He had to try.
He was confident he could pull it off flawlessly. Being chosen for this undercover mission meant he was capable.
"I want to lick you…"
Jiang Zhonghai utilized his perverted persona, sticking out his tongue and making lewd expressions at Old Zhang.
Lin Fan said seriously, "His condition is indeed severe. He's quite ill."
"Director, is this really alright?" the head nurse asked worriedly.
Director Hao crossed his arms. "Don't worry, absolutely nothing will go wrong."
He just watched quietly.
Saying nothing.
A knowing smile played on his lips.
Old Zhang looked at Jiang Zhonghai's protruding tongue, frowned, and knew something was amiss. With swift precision, he jabbed the needle into Jiang Zhonghai's tongue.
"Good, treat the illness where it lies. This is the essence of acupuncture. Don't be nervous, it'll be over soon."
Old Zhang gripped Jiang Zhonghai's tongue, inserting needle after needle.
In the blink of an eye,
Seven or eight needles were inserted.
His speed was indeed that of a seasoned acupuncturist.