Chapter 4 of 10

Chapter 4

18 min read4,543 words

Just like most hospitals, the Seventh Hospital was a place where the staff remained constant while the patients came and went. Unlike stubborn patients like Zhang Dadao and Old Man Han, most patients wouldn’t stay in the hospital for too long. On one hand, although mental illness might sound mysterious and terrifying, in reality, it was not much different from other diseases, and there weren’t many incurable cases. Most people would show improvement after a period of hospitalization. On the other hand, for those with severe conditions, hospitalization wouldn’t cure them anyway. The saying "no filial son by a sickbed" applied here, and the cost of staying in a psychiatric hospital was not low. Not many people could afford long-term treatment.

Zhang Dadao, however, had his parents' inheritance and insurance compensation, and his relatives were not short of money. Moreover, the party responsible for the car accident years ago was wealthy and paid a substantial amount to avoid making a big fuss. Zhang Dadao never worried about the hospitalization fees, and his savings had accumulated to a considerable amount over the years.

When his parents died, his relatives, upon discovering his condition, gave up the idea of adopting him. They pooled some money, added it to what his parents left behind, and set up a fund to cover his treatment expenses. Despite the rising prices over the years, Zhang Dadao’s father, who was a real estate investor, left behind mostly properties. The rent from these properties was enough to cover the treatment costs and even increase the fund’s value, as property prices rose faster than the cost of living.

Most of the patients in the hospital now had a general relationship with Zhang Dadao, except for the depressed college student who had just entered due to failing the college entrance exam. People like "Shadow King" and "Superstition Man" were not highly regarded by Zhang Dadao. Where there are people, there is a hierarchy, and this applied to mental patients as well.

Patients like Zhang Dadao and Old Man Han, who didn’t cause trouble, were liked by doctors, nurses, and caregivers, and were considered the top tier. "Shadow King" was relatively safe, though he occasionally scared visitors, and was considered the second tier compared to those with suicidal tendencies or violent behavior. The most dangerous patients, who not only harmed themselves but also others, were mostly in the intensive care unit, forming the third tier.

The most dangerous of all were those with extremely dangerous and deceptive thoughts, who could influence other patients and even deceive doctors. The hospital was wary of such patients, considering them the most terrifying category.

Apart from these, there were some in between. The two young girls Zhang Dadao was about to visit belonged to this category. Because of their age, they were still in the Children's Psychological Rehabilitation Center. Zhang Dadao wobbled up the stairs and slipped into the elevator when no one was paying attention, eventually reaching the first floor and exiting Building 3.

Although someone would definitely notice his movements through the surveillance cameras, as a seasoned patient, he was generally left alone. Having stayed in the Seventh Hospital for so long, Zhang Dadao had a relatively free life. Even the security guards recognized him and wouldn’t stop him unless he tried to leave the hospital. Even if he wanted to go out, with his condition, he could leave for a short while after informing the staff. Apart from his somewhat erratic speech, Zhang Dadao’s intelligence and behavior were relatively normal, and he was considered to have normal behavioral capacity.

Most importantly, given Zhang Dadao’s situation, there was nowhere else for him to go besides the hospital. The hospital staff didn’t worry about him running away, or even if he did, it wouldn’t be a big concern, as his relatives had not taken care of him for years.

The reason he took the elevator to the upper floor was more about his own self-importance. He smoothly exited Building 3 and wobbled to the Children's Psychological Rehabilitation Center. He had stayed there before, and after greeting the nurses, he found his way to a ward. The fact that Zhang Dadao still recognized the nurses indicated that the Children's Psychological Rehabilitation Center was the safest place in the entire hospital.

After all, the patients here were children, and even if they had shocking thoughts, they were often seen as innocent. The nurses were the same group from when Zhang Dadao stayed there. He quietly opened the door and saw an eight- or nine-year-old girl drawing on a table. She seemed startled by the noise, but when she saw Zhang Dadao, she smiled and waved, her eyes unfocused. "Brother Snake is here?"

Zhang Dadao chuckled and nodded, entering the room and sitting on the floor by the table.

"Little Mole, are you going to be discharged?" Zhang Dadao snapped his fingers and squinted at the drawing on the floor. The girl, whom he called Little Mole, was a bit chubby but had large, fluttering eyelashes, making her look very cute. Her skin, pale from lack of sunlight, was almost transparent, and her veins were clearly visible. She didn’t look like a mole at all.

The reason for her admission was quite interesting. According to her, when she looked at people with unfocused eyes, she saw them as animals. Her family didn’t pay much attention at first, but when she reached school age, problems arose. She often laughed strangely during class, disrupting the order. When the teacher asked, they thought she had a mental issue and sent her to the Seventh Hospital to get a certificate of mental health to return to school.

Zhang Dadao understood the girl. Anyone who saw the world as a zoo every day would find it absurd. Her physical education teacher was a gorilla, her Chinese teacher was a fox, and her math teacher was a ninja turtle. The image was hilarious! In her eyes, Zhang Dadao was a half-fish, half-snake creature, and she was a mole.

The girl nodded and said, "Mom said I can go back if I don’t disrupt class anymore. Grandpa Panda said I’m fine, but..."

"Cognitive disorder!" Zhang Dadao interjected. Little Mole nodded and said, "That’s the disorder!"

Zhang Dadao sneered and knew that the "Grandpa Panda" she referred to was the lazy, fat director of the Children's Psychological Rehabilitation Center. He said, "That’s just his routine. You have a natural ability to see people’s life force and form. I don’t know why they all appear as animals, but it’s not a disorder. Anyway, before you leave, tell me more about your natural ability so I can learn more!"

Little Mole hesitated and said, "Isn’t this a disease? Brother Snake, you don’t want to go to school either? Do you want to learn how to be sick?"

Zhang Dadao sighed helplessly and said, "Forget it, you won’t understand. Little Pencil is more reasonable. Did you collect the tears as I asked?"

Little Mole nodded, got up, and took a small bottle from her backpack, handing it to Zhang Dadao. "I saved this from the last injection, here you go!"

Zhang Dadao took the bottle, glanced at it, and sneered, "Another multivitamin B. Sleeping pills would be better!" After saying that, he put the bottle away and said, "Don’t look at people with unfocused eyes anymore. Just take a quick peek and don’t tell anyone. They won’t understand!"

Little Mole nodded, and Zhang Dadao got up, smiling. "Alright, I’ll visit you when I have time! Little Pencil is also being discharged, I’ll go see her!"

As he spoke, he rolled his eyes and wobbled out of the ward, muttering, "Damn, kids get better treatment, even single rooms. In Building 3, except for those isolated upstairs, everyone is in large wards!"

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