I let out a cold laugh, "That guy's quite defensive. Isn't doing this just a way to draw more attention?"
He Qing produced a pair of bolt cutters and, with practiced ease, severed the chain. Then, the two of us stepped back a few paces and kicked hard at the metal and wooden boards in front of us. Truly, when brothers work together, their strength is amplified! After a few more kicks, the obstacles were sent flying, clearing the path to the previously vast corridor.
However, the moment we stepped inside, a familiar figure rushed towards us!
Gao Mingqiang, looking deranged and clad in a hospital gown, lunged at me, his hands clamping onto my neck!
His speed was so astonishing that I had no time to react!
"Mingqiang, what are you doing! That's your team leader!" He Qing, beside me, grabbed his arms, trying to pry them off, but Gao Mingqiang remained unyielding. The man's strength was already formidable, and now, as if hypnotized, his potential had been unleashed. He Qing suddenly had an idea and quickly produced some quicksand, swirling it in front of Gao Mingqiang.
"Mingqiang, the dreamscape around you is about to be dispelled. Don't be stubborn. You're one of us. Don't be influenced by the Nightmare Saint! Alright, wake up now!"
He Qing snapped his fingers, but Gao Mingqiang showed no sign of reaction. It seemed He Qing's counter-hypnosis had failed!
Despite the setback, this was no time for annoyance. I struggled, the blockage of my windpipe causing immense pain and a suffocating sensation. Death seemed to rush to my head. I strained with all my might to pry off Gao Mingqiang's hands, even kicking him in the abdomen several times with my knees. But he wouldn't let go, his grip as tenacious as if possessed by Long Wu.
Long Wu was our nation's strongest man. If I were to compete with him in strength, I'd be weaker than an ant.
Now, Gao Mingqiang could crush me as easily as a tiny insect. Seeing this, He Qing had no other choice. He picked up an iron rod from the ground and smashed it hard against the back of Gao Mingqiang's head.
The blow made Gao Mingqiang dizzy, yet his hands still refused to loosen their grip. However, when I exerted force again, I could clearly feel his strength diminish significantly. Simultaneously, I shoved him away. He collapsed to his knees, his eyes closed, and fainted in that kneeling posture.
We dragged him out and called Shao Zhengzhi, who informed us that provincial support was en route.
Could these people be any slower? The previous time, Xiao Dou Dou failed to notify me successfully, costing me valuable time. I had to call Shao Zhengzhi myself.
I summoned Xiao Dou Dou again, asking it to lead the way. He Qing had suggested waiting for reinforcements, but I couldn't afford to delay. I feared He Xin and the others were running out of time.
We delved deeper into the corridor of the psychiatric hospital. This time, we had no intention of lingering in the dean's office, but as we passed by, we heard a faint rustling sound from within, as if someone was diligently writing.
He Qing and I exchanged glances. He cautiously kicked the door open. What greeted our eyes was a gaunt old woman. She sat with her head bowed, her white hair falling forward, holding a pen in her right hand, writing furiously. As her body swayed irregularly with her scribbling, it seemed the content she was writing was so captivating that she couldn't help but be excited by it.
He Qing and I approached. Just as I was about to show my police badge, the old woman seemed oblivious, continuing her writing. We had already closed in on her, blocking her escape route, yet she remained as steady as a rock, completely ignoring us.
Unable to help myself, I asked, "Grandma, are you the dean here?"
After all, the news reported she had drowned long ago, yet here she was, reappearing. My voice was tinged with tension. The moment I spoke, the old woman's writing abruptly stopped. Then, she stared blankly at the paper, as if realizing something. Suddenly, she grabbed her face with both hands, tearing at her already withered skin.
"I'm dead, how could I forget I'm dead! Heh heh... Go to hell! All of you will die. Everyone in the psychiatric hospital is dead, drowned. It's so strange, there's no water here, how could they drown? Hahahaha! What's for dinner tonight?"
The old woman babbled incoherently, her hands tearing at her facial skin with abandon. She first ripped open her mouth, then her nose, and a patch of skin from her forehead. Then, right before our eyes, she gouged out her own eyes with her bare hands!
"Ahahaha! Resentful spirits, hahaha, don't look for me anymore, I can't see anything. It's useless to stare at me. I've committed sins, great sins. I should die. Why didn't I die? I didn't die, I'm still alive, woo woo woo, why won't they let me die! Go to hell! Go to hell! Go to hell! Die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die!"
The old woman's bloody lips landed on the desk. Her eyes, the size of two peas, still seemed to roll when they hit the desk, their surfaces covered with murky fibers. A surge of malevolence filled the dean's office and, indeed, every corner of the hospital.
He Qing and I finally snapped back to reality. Helping the old woman, whose face was severely injured from her own actions, He Qing quickly grabbed his phone and dialed 120. My hands trembled too. It was the first time I had ever witnessed someone inflict such severe self-harm right in front of me. Yet, the old woman showed no signs of pain. Instead, an expression of utter relief and liberation spread across her weathered, shriveled face.
It seemed after gouging out her eyes, she had found peace and let go. He Qing put down his phone and said to me in a panicked tone, "This is bad, brother! There's no signal here!"
"No signal? And you were fiddling with it for so long?"
"I tried a few times earlier and thought my phone was broken!"
I was speechless with He Qing, but this was no time to blame anyone. I quickly told him to help me support the old woman. I intended to leave the psychiatric hospital for now, as we had a signal outside.
Thus, we emerged from the psychiatric hospital. Seeing the light outside, I quickly took out my phone and, this time, successfully made a call. However, given the old woman's condition, the town hospital wouldn't be able to handle it. I directly dialed the Guangming City Central Hospital. Having received treatment there multiple times, I already had their number.