"Mental hospitals and regular hospitals serve very different functions. Although both exist within cities, the vast majority of people will consciously or unconsciously keep their distance from them."
After scaling the wall into the rehabilitation center, Chen Ge's attention sharpened to a razor's edge. "The hospital in front of me is the subject of countless urban legends. In the dead of night, eerie screams echo from inside the ward buildings. Bloodstained words appear on their own along empty hallways. The director vanished under mysterious circumstances and was never found—some say he might be hiding somewhere inside the ward itself."
After that lengthy buildup, Chen Ge glanced at his phone screen. His viewers were far from impressed—some even compared his stream to Qin Guang's.
"A supernatural livestream. Another man walking the front line of courting death."
"I can practically see how this ends through the screen. Some streamers are fated to live on only in memories."
"I can understand all the other stuff, but could you explain why you're carrying a live chicken? Are you making supernatural cuisine? Pioneering a whole new genre?"
"Nighttime ward building? Bold choice of subject—I'm following!"
Chen Ge read through the barrage of comments. These people talked a good game, but not a single one seemed remotely frightened.
"A live chicken can ward off evil. Tonight I'll bring you a thrilling experience like no other. This place is incredibly creepy—I rode two hours to find it. You're not even a little scared?" Chen Ge patiently explained, but his viewers remained utterly unfazed.
"Why would we be scared? Another streamer said the same thing earlier. Last I heard, he's out there getting his car repaired."
"Aww! The kitty is so cute…"
With the mood lightened, Chen Ge calmed down as well. After exchanging a few more words with his viewers, he began his genuine exploration of the Third Mental Illness Rehabilitation Center.
This private hospital occupied an enormous footprint. A concrete wall surrounded the entire compound, with a large courtyard in the center where patients could move about freely. Aside from a small patch of concrete, every other area was choked with wild grass that grew tall enough to cover one's knees.
Beyond that lay the conjoined buildings Chen Ge had spotted earlier. Three ward buildings were arranged in a triangular pattern, with every floor from the second story upward interconnected.
"The ones facing the sun are the First and Second Ward Buildings. The one with its back to them should be the Third Ward Building. That's strange—why would the hospital be designed this way? The Third Ward Building gets no sunlight at all. Are some patients unable to tolerate sunlight?"
From its very layout, the hospital radiated an unsettling aura. "Every existence has a reason behind it. Whether it's for the trial mission or the clues my parents left behind, I'm going inside the Third Ward Building tonight."
Chen Ge walked at the front, the white cat trailing close behind.
The moonlight was brilliant tonight, washing the concrete in a ghastly white glow. Chen Ge ascended the steps and arrived at the entrance of the First Ward Building.
The doors were made of iron. Chen Ge gave them a tentative push—and to his surprise, they swung open without resistance.
"The lock is broken." The previous trial missions had given Chen Ge a wealth of experience. He pulled out his flashlight and examined the keyhole. "The spring clip snapped—this was forced open with brute strength."
Staring down the dark, seemingly bottomless corridor within, a question surfaced in Chen Ge's mind: "Who picked the lock?"
After the hospital was sealed off, someone else had come here. Was it a patient who had relapsed—or his parents?