Chapter 1038: Extra Qing Wanglai

Qing Wanglai slowly opened his eyes, watching the sun outside the window and waiting for his 7 o'clock alarm to ring.

His gaze shifted downwards, and he looked at his residence. It was a villa, not very large—just over 300 square meters—simply decorated and predominantly white.

It was indeed a bit small, but sufficient for one person. He was used to living alone, finding comfort in his own company, and had no intention of leaving his comfort zone.

The moment the alarm rang, he abruptly sat up in bed and began to wash up and get dressed.

He left promptly at 7:20 AM, drove for 30 minutes, managed to buy a jianbing guozi on the way, and arrived at White Pagoda Prison precisely at 8:00 AM.

His work here was certainly not as hectic as general surgery or obstetrics and gynecology in a large hospital, but it was by no means easy.

Qing Wanglai brewed a cup of tea, just about to enjoy it with his jianbing guozi, when someone appeared at the door—a tall, bearded man. "Dr. Qing, a VIP has arrived. Come and take a look."

"What?"

"It's the old man who was trending online recently. We're lucky; he's been assigned to our section," Qian Fu said.

"Oh?" Qing Wanglai remembered the news he had seen earlier and immediately became interested. "Let's go, let's see him."

Soon, the two of them were in the intensive care ward, where they saw Li Huowang.

"Dr. Qing, this is patient number 13's medical record. Please take a look; he's from Anding Hospital."

Qing Wanglai took the medical record and opened it. "Is this him...?"

Although news reports wouldn't use real names, psychiatrists had their own circles; any significant development quickly became common knowledge among them.

"Yes, it's that Li Huowang. He was number one on the trending list: 'Crazy Guy Wields Knife to Save Girlfriend'."

After quickly reviewing the medical record, Qing Wanglai observed the young man in the restraint jacket, screaming in despair, through the one-way glass, carefully listening to his incoherent ramblings.

"No," Qing Wanglai said, closing the medical record. What he said next startled his colleague beside him.

"He didn't go to save his girlfriend; he went to kill her. This guy is too sick."

"What?! How is that possible? That's his girlfriend, such a beautiful girl!" Dr. Qian next to him exclaimed, his face full of surprise.

"Yes, I'm wondering the same thing. How is that possible? What was his motive?" Qing Wanglai pondered.

"Are we detectives here? Patient number 13 is already mentally ill. Isn't that motive enough?"

Qing Wanglai gave him a slightly displeased look. "Dr. Qian, what you just said is unprofessional. Who says a mentally ill person kills without a reason? Every psychiatric patient has their own reason for killing; it's just that the reason only makes sense to them."

"Sigh," Qian Fu said, stroking his beard. "They send all sorts of strange people to us."

"Stop complaining. Let's figure out a treatment plan. He's tried all sorts of conventional medications at his previous hospital with little effect." Qing Wanglai quickly flipped through the records.

"Why bother treating him? To be frank, White Pagoda is just a last resort. Our job is done as long as we keep him locked up so he can't escape."

Qing Wanglai glanced at Qian Fu beside him. "Brother Qian, one should still have some ideals in life. Do you really plan to stay in this prison until you retire?"

"What do you want to do? Cure him? Publish papers left and right and get promoted quickly?"

"Regardless of whether it works, we should at least try," Qing Wanglai said, walking towards a nearby iron door.

Qian Fu quickly followed. "You need to be careful. This guy is strange. I heard his previous doctor was driven to mental illness by him."

Qing Wanglai didn't alert anyone prematurely. Instead, he secretly listened from outside while other doctors observed the patient's condition.

With such a disruptive patient admitted to the ward, the superiors took it very seriously, arranging a consultation among the doctors that very day. Qing Wanglai naturally attended.

He didn't offer any opinions during the consultation, merely listening as much as possible to the ideas of other doctors.

The final treatment plan wasn't particularly unconventional; it primarily focused on conservative therapy.

Qing Wanglai understood, of course. After all, the patient was a hot potato, making anyone uneasy.

"This young man has very high psychological defenses, and he's been treated by doctors many times. Ordinary treatment methods are no longer effective."

"At his previous hospital, he'd tried every kind of medication; he's probably developed drug resistance," Qian Fu said, leaning half his body against a jianbing guozi, eating as he spoke.

"Yes, it's quite difficult to handle."

Qing Wanglai, arms crossed, nodded. After thinking seriously for a moment, he spoke again: "However, after watching all his surveillance videos, I believe this situation isn't entirely without a solution."

"How so?"

"We find someone to act as his attending physician, pretending to treat him on the surface. Then, secretly, we become projections of the people in his delusions and treat him discreetly when his guard is at its lowest."

"This might not work for other patients, but it might for him. His delusions are very... very complete."

"We? Why me again? You want me to play a mentally ill patient again, right?" Qian Fu's face instantly drooped.

"What do you mean 'play'? You clearly are. Look how well those clothes fit you," Qing Wanglai said, vigorously patting Qian Fu's shoulder on his blue-and-white striped uniform.

"Don't worry, if the superiors blame us, I'll take full responsibility."

"Alright, your word is enough. I'll help you find a few more 'actors'," Qian Fu said, immediately pulling out his phone and starting to call people.

"But there's one concern now: will doing this really not worsen patient number 13's condition?"

"No, he's already like this. How much worse can it get?"

"Let's go ask the ward director."

"Okay." The two then walked towards the ward director's office.

Upon arriving, they found the door open and the bald director chatting idly with someone.

"Director, I'd like to discuss something with you." Qing Wanglai then concisely explained his plan.

The director pulled out a pack of Liqun cigarettes from his pocket, took one out, lit it, took a puff, and said, "Oh, alright. Give it a try."

"Then please sign this," Qing Wanglai said, handing him a pen and paper.

The director didn't move.

"I'm a very open-minded person," he said. "Treat him however you like, but I won't sign this. If it succeeds, the credit will be all yours. As your leader, I would never claim any of your achievements."

Hearing this, Qing Wanglai paused slightly. He understood the subtext: no shared credit also meant that if anything went wrong, it would be solely his private undertaking, unrelated to the director.

However, Qing Wanglai smiled indifferently, picked up the paper, and walked out of the door. He was not like such people.

After leaving the office, the two began to act.

"But Qingzi, I can play a mentally ill patient, but who will be the doctor? Others probably won't go along with your crazy ideas."

"No doctors? Don't we have patients?" Qing Wanglai pushed the bridge of his glasses, pointing to Yi Donglai in the recreation area, who was earnestly treating a patient.

"Ha, you're amazing, truly amazing. Doctors playing patients, patients playing doctors."

"How can we treat and save lives without a spirit of exploration?" Qing Wanglai walked towards Yi Donglai.

"Dr. Yi, the hospital has admitted a new patient, and I'd like to invite you to assist me with the treatment," Qing Wanglai warmly invited Yi Donglai.

"Don't you have your own sidekick?" Yi Donglai said, crossing his legs.

"What kind of talk is that?" Qian Fu retorted. "What's wrong with me being close to him when we went to the same university?"

"Besides him, you know other doctors too. Why me?" Yi Donglai said, looking unconcerned.

"Oh, just say whether you'll help or not. Why so many questions?"

"I'll help. If it's Li Huowang, then I must help," Yi Donglai stood up.

"Excellent. Let's talk as we walk. Li Huowang isn't always in a delusional state; it's cyclical. This time, the treatment plan is like this..."

With everything ready, Yi Donglai, dressed in a white lab coat, walked into Li Huowang's room.

Just as the patient opened his eyes, Yi Donglai smiled faintly. "Hello, Li Huowang. Nice to meet you. I am your attending physician, Yi Donglai."

Outside the door, Qian Fu silently gave Qing Wanglai a thumbs-up. "Look at that proficiency. One word, and he sounds like a seasoned mentally ill patient."

"Shh, be serious. Write down all his delusional content; we'll need it later."

"You write it down then. I'm not writing anything. When the time comes, I'll just make something up. We're all mentally ill, so why should his worldview be superior to mine?"

Qing Wanglai thought for a moment and nodded. "That works too. It'll leave fewer openings during negotiations."

"So, when do I make my entrance?"

"Shh, we just follow Dr. Yi's lead." The two continued listening to what was happening inside.

While Li Huowang was trapped in his delusions, the three of them would discuss his condition and analyze his mental state.

Initially, the results were poor; Li Huowang was very cautious and resistant to everything. But gradually, new changes emerged, and he slowly became somewhat skeptical.

Although there were some twists and turns along the way, just a few months later, when Li Huowang stood on the slide and retrieved the dice from inside the lampshade, everyone immediately surrounded him, clapping happily.

Noticing a smile on Qing Wanglai's face, Qian Fu, who was clapping beside him, nudged him with his elbow. "Honestly, this course of treatment really did work."

"Next is the second phase of treatment. It's your turn to make an appearance: the projection beneath Green Hill, the master of death."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, can you stop talking like that? It's too chuunibyou. I'm going to change."

With that, Qian Fu left and walked towards the intensive care unit. "If I'm making an appearance, then Chen Hongyu and the others should too. Please notify them."

"I've already called them."

The treatment process was originally proceeding as planned, but then the situation took a turn.

"What's going on? Why the sudden transfer? The patient hasn't recovered yet!" Qing Wanglai said, arriving in the director's office, clearly displeased.

Just when everything was going smoothly, the higher-ups decided to transfer Li Huowang.

"Isn't his condition stable now? Hasn't he clarified things? If we don't send him away quickly, what if he causes trouble while he's still with us?" The director spread his hands.

"But that's just an illusion! Our goal is to cure Li Huowang, not to trap him permanently in his hallucinations! Besides, his family won't agree."

"Sigh," the director deeply sighed, then took out another cigarette and lit it. "Dr. Qing, you know I'm not the big boss here. The one in charge is Xie Qiuquan; he's the prison warden. Don't forget, this isn't White Pagoda Hospital, it's White Pagoda Prison."

Qing Wanglai clenched his fists tightly. "Li Huowang is a high-risk patient now. Don't forget he's killed someone! If you transfer him to a private hospital now, what if he takes a few more lives?!"

The director leaned back, his bulging belly making the chair creak. "At least then the responsibility won't be ours. As long as he's in White Pagoda for one day, the warden and I will always be on edge."

"Dr. Qing, I know you're capable and driven, but I'm 52. I'll be retiring in a few years, so please don't make things difficult for an old comrade like me."

Qing Wanglai, his face ashen, abruptly stood up, walked outside, and slammed the door shut with a bang.

As soon as he came out, Yi Donglai and Qian Fu immediately crowded around him, asking, "What did he say?"

"No chance. The director is determined to send Li Huowang away."

"What do we do then?" Yi Donglai asked, his face full of anxiety.

"What else can we do? A living person can't be held back by mere obstacles, right? If he goes out, then we'll follow him out and treat him."

"But I still have work on my hands. I can't spare the time to go out right now."

Hearing Yi Donglai say this, Qing Wanglai smiled slightly. "It's fine. You focus on your work. It's my turn to make an appearance."

Inside the university cafeteria, Qing Wanglai swung his legs back and forth, trying to get into a suitable pose.

When he heard dense footsteps approaching, Qing Wanglai looked in the direction of the sound.

He put down his bowl and chopsticks and walked towards the person. "Long time no see. How have you been recently?"

Although he was Li Huowang's attending physician and had observed him for several months, strictly speaking, today marked their first actual meeting.

"Hello, Qing Wanglai. Let me introduce myself, I am Li Huowang."

"Xiao Qing, it's not good, it's really not good! I've been locked up again by someone, I'll give you—"

As Qian Fu began to respond, the second phase of treatment officially commenced.

With Qing Wanglai's personal involvement, the somewhat out-of-control situation stabilized. Not only was the treatment very convenient, but some medications could also be secretly added to Li Huowang's meals.

Towards the end of the treatment, they could even leverage the trust built between them to make him willingly take his medication, which was far simpler than forcing him.

Previously, at the hospital, getting him to take his medicine was impossible without at least four strong men.

Li Huowang's condition was gradually improving; everything seemed to be getting better. However, at that very moment, an unexpected situation arose again.

"What's going on? What happened?"

A bloody, gouged-out eyeball lay before everyone. Everyone's faces were grim. As doctors, what did it mean when their own patient forcefully removed an eye under their care?

"Whose medical malpractice is this? How about we draw straws?" Chen Hongyu suggested.

"There's no time for that! This is a necessary cost! We must cure Li Huowang! If he's cured, everything will be fine! If we fail, I'll bear all the responsibility!"

Qing Wanglai said, turning to look at Zhao Shuangdian. "Call Li Huowang and find out the patient's current situation."

Zhao Shuangdian nodded and immediately made the call. After she hung up, her expression became somewhat strange.

"What did Li Huowang say?" Qing Wanglai asked.

Zhao Shuangdian's expression was peculiar. "He told me it was 'topology'."

Hearing this, Qing Wanglai breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, the situation is still under control. Let's get moving, everyone. Keep up the good work."

Qing Wanglai's treatment plan continued. The further into it they went, the more cautious everyone became. Qian Fu and others who were no longer directly involved didn't sit idle either, working behind the scenes, renting rooms and borrowing cars.

After much effort and persistence, Li Huowang finally returned to his ward at White Pagoda Prison, thanks to everyone's collective hard work.

Watching the restrained Li Huowang struggle incessantly, Qing Wanglai, with sweat on his forehead, leaned close to his ear and repeatedly whispered.

"Li Huowang, wake up! Li Huowang, wake up! Everything you've experienced is fake!"

"It's all fake!!"

Suddenly, Li Huowang's eyes snapped open. Dazzling sunlight streamed in from behind the fluttering white curtains, and a piercing ringing sound echoed in the ears of Li Huowang, who was wearing a patient gown.

"I feel... I feel like something is starting to overlap on both sides," Li Huowang said, looking confusedly at his emaciated hands.

Hearing this, Qing Wanglai immediately let out a long breath.

"Yes, this is normal. It means my method is working. Remember to take your medicine on time from now on. Cooperating will speed up your recovery."

The ward door suddenly swung open, and a crowd of doctors rushed in, pointing at Li Huowang with exclamations of wonder.

Sun Xiaoqin pushed past them, embracing Li Huowang, overcome with tears of joy.

Seeing this scene, the heavy burden Qing Wanglai had carried for months finally lifted, and he let out a sigh of relief.

As the applause slowly subsided, Qing Wanglai walked over and patted Li Huowang's shoulder.

"Xiao Li, let's go. I'll write you an order so you can transfer from intensive care to the light-symptom ward. You'll have more freedom there."

"And after you're discharged, go back and study hard, try to get into a good university."

Li Huowang was happy, and Qing Wanglai was happy too; thanks to him, he could publish so many papers.

"Dr. Qing, could I ask you for a favor?"

"Your girlfriend?" Qing Wanglai, anticipating correctly, handed him a cup of tea.

"Yes, I want to see her."

"First, call your mother and tell her you're better, then I'll take you."

Qing Wanglai knew Li Huowang's young girlfriend was ill; after all, it would be surprising if she weren't, given such a boyfriend.

However, none of this was a big problem. Since Li Huowang was cured, the girlfriend's illness was even less of a concern. Over the next period, Qing Wanglai put in some effort, using medication to stabilize her condition.

Sitting in his new, spacious office, Qing Wanglai picked up his tea, sipping it as he looked at the embroidered banner on the wall.

The banner read: "Medical Skill and Ethics Surpassing Hua Tuo, Heart Warm as Fire, Like Family. Presented by Li Huowang and Yang Na."

Looking at the banner, a sense of pride welled up within Qing Wanglai. His decision to study medicine years ago had indeed been the right one.

Although he was wealthy, no amount of money could buy this kind of satisfaction. Life truly needed to have some pursuits.

Just then, a pleasant phone ringtone sounded from his drawer. Qing Wanglai walked over, picked up the phone, and swiped to answer. "Hello? Sister Sun, what's wrong? Has Huowang's condition recurred?"

"No, I'm not from here. Yes, I was born in '89 and bought a house here. How many square meters? Not big. Sister Sun, why are you asking?"

"No, no, no, thank you, thank you, but I really don't need an introduction right now. I'm not interested in blind dates. I know she's a good match, but that's not what I mean..."

After dealing with the call for a while, Qing Wanglai sat back down in his armchair. He pulled open the drawer and casually tossed his phone inside.

Slowly sipping his tea, Qing Wanglai looked at the red wedding invitation in the drawer and smiled knowingly.

"Heh, this old sister is really amusing. Now that her own son doesn't need to be rushed into marriage, she's started pressuring others."

(End of Chapter)