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墨書 Inktalez
Things did not go as smoothly as imagined. As the saying goes, everything is ready except for the crucial wind. Now, everything was in place, but what was missing was a heavy rain that Professor Lu had predicted. Two days had passed, and it felt as if the heavens were playing tricks; every day was overcast, with thick clouds blocking out the sun. The air was so humid it felt like it could be squeezed for water, yet not a single drop of rain fell.
In the hospital, everything remained the same. For most patients, there was no sense of time; at most, they subconsciously retained the habits of waking early and sleeping late. The changes in weather had no effect on them. The doctors were no different; on the faces of most medical staff, one could see the marks left by a monotonous life—indifference and solemnity. Their not-so-rich expressions easily revealed their inner weariness with life. Indeed, facing so many mental patients every day would make anyone weary.
The only exception seemed to be the three who were preparing to escape. From the moment they met, Xiao Mu unhesitatingly joined this family and became one of Professor Lu's favored members. It was no exaggeration to say that Professor Lu was a mad genius; every morning he would gather everyone for morning training, which included shouting slogans and singing after breakfast before starting classes filled with lectures, impromptu performances, singing, and Q&A sessions that could last until noon. After lunch, they continued with various forms of dry content that he creatively combined into enjoyable activities until dinner. Those people remained as spirited as if they had just woken up.
A genius indeed; at least being able to talk non-stop for over ten hours was not something ordinary people could achieve. Besides Xiao Mu, another auditor had joined—a dementia patient whom Professor Lu coaxed into participating. The patient drooled and stared blankly at Professor Lu while he taught, showing no sign of understanding. Yet Professor Lu didn’t mind the foolish gaze at all; after a morning of gentle persuasion, this fool finally clapped along with everyone else.
"I understood this is about creating conditioned reflexes," Xiao Mu realized that the patient's clapping wasn’t genuine but merely mimicked Professor Lu's actions mechanically. In fact, everyone here had been indoctrinated into this conditioned response—clapping along with him, laughing with him, and mechanically shouting slogans. This was an unconscious herd mentality; in a closed environment, individuals easily succumbed to collective will. Simply put, it was like training cats or dogs; as long as you have enough patience, you can instill a conditioned reflex behavior in them. And precisely this mad genius lacked nothing but patience to repeat a phrase a thousand times.
There was nothing mysterious about it; Xiao Mu felt somewhat disinterested and occasionally glanced around. Next to him sat an unknown thug who seemed to be guarding against him, often shooting him fierce glares that made Xiao Mu realize something: besides being inherently menacing, it also proved that this Baldy was still mentally aware.
"You’re also a mental patient?" Xiao Mu moved closer and whispered.
"Yeah, always have been," Baldy replied without looking away and grunted in response before asking Xiao Mu: "What about you?"
"Delusional disorder; what about you?" Xiao Mu asked.
"Since I’m already a lunatic, how the hell would I know?" Baldy snapped back angrily.
"Understood—mood disorder, a type of personality split caused by emotional dullness and inappropriate emotions stemming from mood disorders; both delusions belong to schizophrenia," Xiao Mu explained with a smile that left Baldy momentarily speechless.
"What’s the point of your nonsense?" Baldy said warily, his face twitching unkindly as he glared at Xiao Mu.
Xiao Mu cautiously told him: "Bro, we both have mental issues; we should sympathize with each other. Why are you being so fierce?"
Baldy's chest heaved slightly as if he were almost amused by this moment; at that instant, Xiao Mu understood that this guy was definitely faking his illness—if he truly had schizophrenia, there wouldn’t be such consistent emotional changes in context.
"Get lost! Just seeing your pretty boy face annoys me," Baldy retorted immediately.
Damn it! Xiao Mu felt provoked but instead of exploding in anger, he slowly moved away. In his experience outside, one always encounters frightening people; this Baldy was burly with a face full of muscle and clearly not someone he could provoke.
"So how did these two end up together?" Xiao Mu wondered while looking at Professor Lu excitedly lecturing at the front and then glancing back at Baldy. He found it hard to comprehend whether Baldy's respect for Professor Lu was genuine or feigned. This sudden thought made him feel uneasy about the impending escape.
"If we run out separately and you dare to talk nonsense, I'll kill you." A cold voice echoed in Xiao Mu's ear as he turned his head slightly to meet Baldy's sinister gaze—paired with his bald head marked by several scars—it startled even someone as worldly as Xiao Mu. He cautiously nodded in acknowledgment and flatteringly said: "Yes, big brother; you call the shots."
Flattery had little effect; Baldy shrank back into his seat again. This dangerous individual was not someone Xiao Mu dared to provoke; after all, his own slender arms and legs were no match for him. He discreetly observed Baldy’s clenched fist—the muscles on his bare arms bulged like those of a mule—and his hospital gown fit tightly against his body. The raw power hidden beneath that layer made one wary.
As commotion arose around them, Xiao Mu shifted his gaze away just as Professor Lu announced a break in his lecture—a break for him meant merely changing how he spoke. He began singing another hit song titled "Can I Hug You?" Outside it rained heavily like blood dripping from his heart.
"I've loved you for so long; it's really not easy when I think about it." Professor Lu sang passionately while gazing at the sky; Xiao Mu knew he was waiting for this rain—but unfortunately it hadn’t come yet. When he lowered his head again, Professor Lu made a playful face at him as if they shared some unspoken connection.
"Don’t think about love bearing fruit; I can’t bear to find excuses anymore," Professor Lu sang emotionally while making gestures of unbearable pain as if embracing someone.
Ironically enough, below him all the mental patients seemed infected by his emotions mimicking his gestures— even the dementia patient clumsily followed along—Xiao Mu thought perhaps even Baldy would join in too. Turning around startled him: Baldy was indeed singing along too! His embrace looked like he was strangling a she-wolf to death.
"Can I Hug You? My love let me cry on your shoulder If today we must part Let me cry out loud."
As they sang on together, these mental patients began hugging each other indiscriminately—regardless of gender or age—embracing each other like family or lovers while humming along with Professor Lu who embraced each "family member" deeply in turn. This scene reminded Xiao Mu of something grotesque and nauseating; he crouched down on all fours and fled desperately from there.
"Damn it!" Just thinking about being hugged by Baldy or that dementia patient sent shivers down Xiao Mu's spine. Turning around a corner made him bump into someone unexpectedly—he staggered back two steps only to find Sister Gu and Dr. Bai watching him curiously.
Feeling awkward when glancing back at them made it clear Sister Gu must have informed Dr. Bai about what happened earlier—they exchanged surprised looks before Dr. Bai gestured for Sister Gu to step aside while walking out not far before asking curiously: "Have you taken a liking to Pyramid Schemes?"
"How could that be? It scared me to death!" Xiao Mu pointed back nervously.
"Oh good! If you were brainwashed by some mental patient here in the Mental Hospital that would be quite a joke," Dr. Bai seemed relieved as he waved for Xiao Mu to follow him hesitantly pondering something before finally asking: "Have you been hanging out with them these past few days?"
"Yeah...at least there are a few who can speak clearly," Xiao Mu replied.
"What did they tell you?" Dr. Bai asked further.
"Singing songs, shouting slogans...attending lectures—what else? They’re open classes after all! Free of charge! It’s hard to find such conscientious courses nowadays," Xiao Mu laughed without knowing why he instinctively withheld certain details compared to how much more despicable these doctors seemed than actual mental patients.
"Don’t let them mislead you! Lu Hongbo is an old Pyramid Scheme operator! They were sent here by police after getting caught doing Pyramid Schemes which drove them insane! When they first came here he could stand at the door talking nonstop all day long but once he stopped talking he'd act just like any normal person—a typical case of cognitive impairment and personality split!" Dr. Bai warned seriously since strange things happen most frequently in Mental Hospitals where mad geniuses congregate.
"You’re overthinking it! What can he do developing mental patients under him? It’s just killing time," Xiao Mu shrugged off dismissively.
However Dr. Bai’s line of thought differed greatly from his own: "Think about it—mental patients who are withdrawn or demented or cognitively impaired can all be influenced by him! If he's released into contact with normal people within days he'd cultivate more lunatics just like himself!"
"Wow! That sounds impressive!" Xiao Mu exclaimed startled.
"What do you think? He has escaped from Mental Hospitals several times already! If there are any signs similar to this please let me know because someone like him out there could cause endless trouble!" Dr. Bai insisted earnestly.
"You make it sound so serious! Who would believe escaping from here is harder than breaking out of prison? If he could escape I'd really have to follow him!" Xiao Mu joked trying to cover up his unease with laughter.
"Haha better safe than sorry! Come with me!" Dr. Bai said leading Xiao Mu out of the ward into another enclosed campus area.
Upon entering through the door made Xiao Mu shrink back in fear—a cage full of overly excited individuals shouting speeches loudly or singing boisterously like they’d been injected with adrenaline surged through them while one person looked directly at Xiao Mu beckoning: "Friend! Only confidence can keep you in peak condition and unleash your potential! Only faith can bring vitality allowing you to shine brightly making your speech effortless—but I see you’ve already lost confidence appearing so hesitant and weak!"
"Without confidence your life will never succeed! I want to remind you every day when looking into mirrors add more smiles so what you'll see is confident happy vibrant self heading towards success! Join us let's become The Greatest Salesman in the World together!"
Such an impassioned expression radiated warmth from their eyes while their magnetic voice drew more people reaching out invitingly: "Join us let’s become The Greatest Salesman in the World together!"
Terrified by this scene made Xiao Mu retreat immediately standing at the entrance afraid to step inside while peeking inside where Dr.Bai conversed with observing medical staff—the seemingly normal patients continued persuading doctors: "Join us let’s become The Greatest Salesman in the World together!"
After some time Dr.Bai finally emerged smiling looking at Xiao Mu asking: "What do you feel?"
"They're all involved in Pyramid Schemes!" Xiao Mu replied incredulously.
"Exactly! The police dismantled one nest sending some back home leaving behind these zealots who can't even recall their own family addresses anymore—all they do daily is read The Greatest Salesman in the World! The Pyramid Scheme model keeps members trapped within closed environments over time mentally fragile individuals become paranoid schizophrenics losing coherence between speech logic behavior driven by delusions experiencing emotions disconnected from reality believing themselves to be world’s greatest Pyramid Scheme salesmen!"
Dr.Bai explained rationally fearing this young master might turn deaf or blind due to treatment gone wrong!
Xiao Mu seized upon this topic scratching his head laughingly asking: "I feel like I'm falling into such dangerous places—you need to hurry send me away otherwise I’ll truly become one such lunatic—you won’t be able to account for it!"
This statement surprisingly reassured Dr.Bai seeing laziness and disdain remained true colors within XiaoMu suggesting perhaps he'd not been infected after all since someone indifferent towards family money—even unconcerned about father would prove difficult indeed!
Dr.Bai relaxed chuckling walking away leaving behind an absent-minded XiaoMu who then habitually gave thumbs up secretly cursing under breath: Damn it! F**k your whole family—I want to become insane but you're not letting me!
He felt somewhat impacted nonetheless growing increasingly aware how mismatched he felt within this crazy environment—he couldn’t fathom how cruelly his father could send him here which felt worse than being sent abroad during teenage years!
He vividly recalled loneliness helplessness overshadowing poverty being far greater fears within unfamiliar surroundings where every struggle left marks on already complicated psyche!
Indeed having traveled across five continents seen four oceans visited red-light districts mingled with mafia surely this small Mental Hospital couldn't possibly stop him!
Strolling towards kitchen watching darkening skies heavy clouds returning ambulances alongside heavily guarded gates checkpoints security personnel calculating distances methods possible accidents occurring made him appreciate Professor Lu slightly more—the old madman gathered intelligence almost matching his own while escape plans aligned perfectly!
Could it be? Was this also an omen signaling impending madness?
XiaoMu's thoughts spiraled chaotically pretending smiles inside kitchen yet harboring disgust glancing at chefs aides none appeared decent—they stuffed food into their mouths first before serving others each one growing fat while eating excessively!
Not only did they eat shamelessly but many snuck pork ham away during breaks stuffing them into pockets—if moral standards existed among these locked-up mental patients surely they'd surpass those working here!
“Let’s go already why are you staring?” Sister Gu shouted suddenly breaking through thoughts!
“Oh coming!” responded quickly from startled state beginning work again!
Sister Gu led ahead while XiaoMu pushed behind perhaps feeling guilty she glanced back several times murmuring softly: “Linzi don’t blame sister…”
“What’s wrong? Why would I blame you?” puzzled expression crossed over face from confusion!
“Just glad you don’t blame me—I worry you'd learn bad habits from Lu the Madman my husband is involved in Pyramid Schemes too!” Sister Gu expressed indignantly “These bastards deserve execution yet they're kept alive wasting food!”
“Wow your brother-in-law sounds severe—is he locked up too
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