Chapter 186 - Treatment

Drip, drip. The milk on Li Feng's spoon dripped incessantly as he tilted the spoon as if playing with it. For today, he was given cereal by one of the cooks of the kitchen along with a few cuts of fruits. It was different from the usual bland gruel or egg fried rice that was served for breakfast. Actually, he was too distracted to see that he was the only one favored by the cooks—especially when everyone got gruel or egg rice that morning.

In just one night—second night even, the whole scenario around him was changed. Chuan Nayi never came back to their room, and Qiao Shan was asked to leave the project. Even this morning, Ruan Jin didn't show up and was not in his room when Li Feng looked for him a bit earlier. Right now, only the handsome man out of the four-man party remained.

However, Li Feng wasn't discouraged. It was expected from a Qiao-owned territory. Chuan Nayi had already made it clear that everything that would happen was technically not their fault. The only thing that could be his fault… was him failing to find Liu Xiaodan.

"Participants! Let me have your attention please!" One of the staff of the projects called out, and everyone turned their heads to him. "Tests are canceled until further notice! As you all knew, one of the participants of Red Scales Noah had lost her mind during one of the tests. It would be very dangerous for everyone to enter until she gets removed from the hall! Now, go busy yourselves in your own ways."

"Eh, wait? We can't have questions?" 

"Huh? Will our pays be stalled, too?"

The chatters echoed around him, but Li Feng only frowned. Someone like Mo Xingli was a threat when there were stronger creatures inside the Treatment Hall? That's insane. They were probably hiding something inside the Treatment Hall for now. So suspicious…

Then again, now that they were free to roam around the hall as long as they wouldn't cause trouble, Li Feng had plenty of time to investigate on his own. He then started eating his already-soggy cereal, planning how to find ways to ask around. 'Hm, maybe I should start with that Dr. Tang. He seemed to be very knowledgeable.'

…

A wheelchair was being rolled in along the path. His eyes were still heavy, but the motion started to awaken him. Ruan Jin realized that he was being wheeled in through a long hallway. However, the sights were different from the Lodging Hall. Moreover, the uniforms of the nurses and guards were different. Guard? No, those were soldiers. He then tried to move, but he saw how his arms were…

"Ah-gugh..." Ruan Jin gasped lowly as he looked down at his form. His body was very different from what he knew it was. His arms and legs were covered in bandages, and he could barely feel any of them. His movement could only bring a tremble to any part of his body. Moreover, he could feel bandages running around his face as well.

More importantly, his voice. He couldn't feel his mouth at all, and the sound he was making didn't sound any coherent. It looked like he just transferred from the body of a healthy young man to an old cripple who just got into an accident. So much that he started crying and trying to call for Liu Xiaodan's or Ye Ling's name.

Right, Ye Ling… he couldn't feel Ye Ling inside his body. It was as if his body had become empty all of a sudden.

"Hm? Is he the new guy?" A young man in a nurse uniform came from a side, and the female nurse pushing the wheelchair spoke to him for a moment. Ruan Jin couldn't move at all, but he tried to calm down while eavesdropping. The young man then nodded as well. "Okay, let me take over..."

The nurse wheeled him again, and they entered what seemed to be a huge cafeteria. What shocked Ruan Jin was that most people in this place were… the actual patients of the mental facility. Everyone didn't seem to be helpless, but some of them were indeed so rowdy. It was almost time to eat so the patients were all being put at a table and be served.

Ruan Jin then noticed a group of people looking in his direction. He was wheeled to their table, and the aunties and uncles were looking at him with so much pity. Ruan Jin couldn't help but cuss in his heart as he reined back his tears. One of them actually patted his head.

"Everyone, this is Jin. Well, I haven't reviewed his file yet so I don't know much about him. However, he'll be joining us later in the sharing session so we might learn a bit or two..." The nurse was speaking in a very kind tone, but Ruan Jin couldn't help but feel that the nurse was in despair. 

When Ruan Jin faintly lifted his face to take a look, the nurse looked back at him. "Is there something you need?"

"Ah-gugh..." Ruan Jin could only open his mouth and softly groan like a zombie. He didn't know what happened to him, but he could practically blame those nurses and soldiers from last night. 

The nurse twitched as if remembering something and then looking at the people. "Right, I forgot that Jin lost his ability to talk so… it might be hard to speak with him for now. Don't pressure him too much, okay?"

"Nurse Yun, can I feed him? He looks hungry..."

"...okay, I'll get the food out for you now." The nurse left as if it was completely acceptable to leave a paralyzed man in the care of mental patients. However, Ruan Jin wasn't getting that kind of vibe from them. They all seemed to be so normal.

One of the aunties actually started stroking at his head. "Take a look at him. So young. What could have happened to him to cause this? Can… one of those dirty things do something so awful to a healthy human body?"

The man next to her only whispered, but the group could still hear him. "You saw what they did to Min Ye. That Mother had drained him like a prune. I wonder how he's doing now. Also, didn't Nurse Yun say that three of us will be wheeled in for the treatments today? Would… would you guys be okay? I mean… none of us ever came back from those treatments..."

The group grew quiet, but a woman then snorted. "Don't forget. Xiaodan is now locked up in the Treatment Hall. Didn't he promise that he'd help everyone out? Maybe he's just waiting for us there..." She then turned to Ruan Jin with a cold smile. "Jin, you're so lucky you didn't get to meet that sick young man. He said his ghost friends will save us..."

Ruan Jin's eyes continued to widen, his throat almost choking out words: "X-Xiaodan? Liu Xiaodan?"