Chapter 95: My Watch is Gone

Li Ang held no resentment towards the two patients in Room 666.

"You did hurt me before, but I know you didn't mean it," he thought, recalling the director's words. "It was my fault for being new, unfamiliar, and feeling too much pressure. I, Li Ang, am willing to forgive you."

"What are you doing?" Li Ang pushed open the door, greeting the two patients with a smile.

Old Zhang, who had been applying acupuncture needles to Lin Fan, was startled by the sound and quickly hid his precious tools.

"Nothing," Old Zhang replied nervously, turning around.

Li Ang felt a sense of unease. Old Zhang's behavior suggested something was amiss. He cautioned himself to remain calm and avoid agitation, believing that a peaceful mindset would prevent any issues.

"Oh!" Li Ang sighed in relief. "If you say nothing's wrong, then nothing's wrong." But he couldn't help but wonder what the more unpredictable patient was doing. Was he sleeping? When Li Ang entered, he'd seen Lin Fan lying on the bed, with Old Zhang bending over, his face close to Lin Fan's. If one had a dirty mind... the scene was rather unsettling.

"What's he doing?" Li Ang asked.

Old Zhang shook his head. "Nothing, we weren't doing anything."

"Nothing at all," Lin Fan confirmed, sitting up in bed and looking at Li Ang with innocent eyes.

Just as Li Ang was about to speak, his eyes widened in shock. His mouth opened, words forming on his tongue, but he was momentarily stunned into silence by Lin Fan's appearance. Silver needles were deeply embedded in Lin Fan's head, making him look like a character from a horror film. Regret washed over Li Ang.

"Ah!"

Thud!

Li Ang collapsed onto the floor, his cry cut short.

Lin Fan and Old Zhang exchanged bewildered glances.

What happened to him? Why did he suddenly fall?

"The floor is a bit cold," Lin Fan observed.

"Let's help him onto the bed," Old Zhang suggested.

"I'll do it." Lin Fan lifted Li Ang into his arms. Looking down at Li Ang's face, he noticed his trembling eyelashes and pale complexion. He seemed to be in pain.

Was he having a nightmare? Or was he simply exhausted from a poor night's sleep, leading to a sudden faint?

He placed Li Ang on Old Zhang's bed and then pointed at him.

"Old Zhang, he needs to rest."

Old Zhang nodded. "I can see that. He looks very tired. I want to give him some acupuncture. Although he's a bad guy, he seems okay to us."

"You're so kind," Lin Fan said.

Old Zhang scratched his head shyly. "We're both kind."

Lin Fan pulled the needles from his head. They were stained with blood. He found a tissue, wiped the blood off, and handed them to Old Zhang.

"Cleaned them for you."

Old Zhang took out his precious box, opened the lid, and carefully placed the needles inside, one by one.

Lin Fan leaned over the bed, looking at the unconscious Li Ang. "Old Zhang, his recovery really depends on you now," he said seriously.

Old Zhang's expression turned serious. "Don't worry, I'll do my best."

Then, Old Zhang, holding a needle, gazed intently at Li Ang's frail body, searching for…not exactly flaws, but rather points that didn't look quite right.

The hallway was quiet. Each patient remained in their room, occupied with their own peculiar pursuits. Li Ang's disappearance went unnoticed.

Night fell.

In the common room of the青山 Mental Hospital, where patients gathered to watch the news, Lin Fan and Old Zhang sat upright.

"Is he awake?"

"No."

"He might have to sleep with us tonight. Let him sleep with you."

"Okay."

They spoke in hushed tones, keeping Li Ang's presence in their room a secret. They weren't the type to boast. Helping others was simply the right thing to do. If they told others, wouldn't that be like bragging about their good deed? They disliked such ostentatious behavior.

Inside the common room, the patients stared intently at the screen, various sounds erupting as the news program began.

"Look, my wife's on TV again!"

"That's my daughter! I raised her with my own two hands!"

"I challenged her to a duel in the woods last time, and she ran away scared. I challenge you again! Room 888 at the Passion Hotel. You bring your bottomless pit, I'll bring my sky-piercing pole. Do you dare accept?"

Old Zhang asked, "Is she your wife?"

Lin Fan replied, "No, she's my pen pal."

Old Zhang and Lin Fan stared at each other, their eyes filled with unspoken questions. It was complicated, and a little confusing.

"You said she was your wife last time," Old Zhang pointed out.

"Did I?" Lin Fan asked, puzzled.

As they pondered this, the female news anchor appeared on screen.

"Good evening, viewers. Today is Friday, March 13th. I'm your host, Liang Yuan. Welcome to…"

Director Hao stood at the back, watching the patients with satisfaction. He always believed his decisions were correct. When he first proposed letting the patients watch the news, many had dismissed it as a waste of time, even dangerous. He had told them then that they didn't understand. And now, he still maintained that they didn't understand. With decades of experience in psychiatry, who could possibly know these patients better than he, Hao Ren?

Suddenly, a news report caught everyone's attention.

"[Recently, there have been reports of paranormal activity in the suburbs of Yanhai City. Citizens are advised to plan their trips accordingly and avoid visiting the suburbs. If travel is unavoidable, please limit your time there to midday hours.]"

"[Today at noon, a paranormal entity appeared at Starlight Children's Park. Fortunately, three off-duty special department members were present, preventing any casualties. We remind the public again: if you encounter an unfamiliar animal, please contact the special department immediately.]"

The mental patients paid little attention to the content of the news. Their main focus was the female anchor.

Soon, the news program ended, and the patients, no longer able to admire the anchor, shuffled off to bed.

What were these paranormal entities? They didn't really understand. If it was animals they were talking about, well, they saw those all the time. Ants in the grass, for example, were a common sight, as were the birds soaring in the blue sky. How lovely.

A man wearing glasses approached Old Zhang, glanced around furtively, and whispered, "Want to buy a watch? Latest Rolex model, finely crafted, assembled on the spot, any style you want. Interested?"

"I already have one," Old Zhang replied, rolling up his sleeve to show off his watch. But then he froze, his face paling. His wrist was bare, with only a faint mark where the watchband used to be. His voice trembled as he cried, "My watch is gone!"