Chapter 5: Rules of Survival

The second rule was learned in the fourth year since the head nurse arrived here

This way of greeting did not only frighten the head nurse at the very beginning

The head nurse's thick lips were tightly pressed together, and her eyes were fixed intently on the end of the corridor. Although it was shrouded in darkness, she could clearly see a blood-red object gently writhing.

Through that lesson, she also came to understand another principle: never underestimate a dwarf with peculiar hobbies

When one looks at a hospital, it resembles a graveyard of lost souls. To manage a household and maintain a family, one must possess an immunity to fear and a restraint against astonishment

I am not ill

The door is tightly closed, and through the gap at the bottom of the door, one can see a pitch-black outside

When the head nurse triggered the second hidden rule in her fourth year, she first thought of the first hidden rule. Nevertheless, she still harbored a glimmer of hope, after all, it had been two years since that incident

Do you know what the biggest difference is between mental illness and ordinary diseases

For some unknown reason, after the head nurse stepped out, Zhao Zhi suddenly felt an unusual fatigue, and as soon as his eyelids closed, he fell asleep in an instant

Her feet dragged her heavy body across the ground, producing a dull thudding sound

Sometimes, surviving is not solely dependent on courage

To make a living in a place, one must adhere to the survival rules of that place

It feels as if I am dead, no, I do not wish to live even for a single moment.

The second rule is: Never engage in any relationship with the guards here, of any kind

How long he has slept, what time it is now, whether it is day or night, Zhao Zhi has no idea at all

Let me out

A gruesome mass of blood-red color forcefully oozed in through the crack at the bottom of the door

If one does not adhere to this established set of rules, it is likely that it will not be the patient who dies, but rather you, who seeks to cure and save lives, and to uncover the truth

The head nurse's lips are thick, exuding a sense reminiscent of Western women. When her lips are not speaking, they are tightly pressed together, as if there is an invisible force at the corners of her mouth

It is unclear how much time has passed, but suddenly the first light at the edge of the corridor illuminated.

This woman seems to possess an irresistible power

Her lips pursed again as she bent down, gazing at Zhao Zhi

Then why did you tie me up

No one knows when he entered this mental hospital, no one knows his actual age, and of course, no one knows what he does all day in his little dark room

There is also restraint

Moreover, six months ago, the director became infatuated with an even stranger hobby, which is wearing a mask

The director is a dwarf and also an eccentric. Everything he likes is a size larger than that of ordinary people, such as wearing clothes one size larger and smoking specially made thick cigarettes

A higher scream followed closely, tearing out from the throat

A silent light, devoid of footsteps, devoid of breath

After the two guards securely bound Zhao Zhi, they hurriedly left with Zhao Zhi's spit on their faces

My body begins to ache, my head also starts to hurt, my throat is itchy, and my heart is twitching

Although she has been working here for seven years, in the blink of an eye, she still feels that she does not have a particularly deep understanding of this psychiatric hospital after all these years

The dimly lit corridor, with its haunting lights, occasionally flickers as if a ghostly shadow is swaying.

After the meeting and the book club, a tall woman dressed in a nurse's uniform walked in

After calling out three times, there was still no response from outside

Learning this first rule cost the head nurse a great deal, and even now, her back still aches faintly

Zhao Zhi's eyes were fixed intently on the crack of the door

This psychiatric hospital for severe mental illness also has its own set of rules

When the head nurse spoke these philosophical words, she seemed to feel no sense of pride; instead, a fleeting sadness passed across her cheeks.

However, the head nurse came only by hearsay and was not aware of the specific details

The head nurse's high nose bridge slightly furrowed for a moment, then she turned around and walked towards the other side, her pace gradually quickening until she was running.

He was first stripped of his clothes by two court officers, and then disinfectant powder was sprinkled all over his bare body, followed by a forced wash of his body with a water gun

He was then taken to the basement, forcibly confined in a small, airtight room, and bound to the bed with various bandages and adhesive tape

After gradually adapting to the light, he saw the white walls, the white bed sheets, the aluminum bed frame, and a wooden window nailed shut with iron mesh above the head of the bed, with the other side of the bed facing the door.

Zhao Zhi had never imagined that being tied to a bed and trapped in a nearly empty small room would feel this way

Rest assured, stay here, and we will cure your illness

Zhao Zhi shook his head and fixed his gaze on the head nurse's mouth

The head nurse learned the first rule only in her second year after arriving here

A woman in her thirties has a very coarse voice; if one were to hear her voice without seeing her physical features, it would be easy to mistakenly think she is male.

The lights came on just like that

Zhao Zhi felt a restless flame burning deep within his heart, his limbs twisting and struggling with all their might, the veins on his arms bulging, dark red blood flowing rapidly within them

Zhao Zhi shouted loudly at the crack of the door

I am the head nurse here

When the muffled sound completely faded away in the corridor, the dim yellow lights were all extinguished

However, a series of events that followed made her fully understand that the term 'luck' would never exist in this psychiatric hospital

It is said that there are three other thrilling and terrifying rules

Help me get out

I do not know how much time has passed, but suddenly a faint light came from outside the crack of the door

Upon opening my eyes, I was greeted by the blinding incandescent light above me

Sometimes he will quietly appear behind you, wearing a red mask and dressed in fiery red clothing, greeting you

Zhao Zhi felt as if his throat were smoking, the words he spoke floated in the air, lacking any strength

At this moment, Zhao Zhi awakened from the first bout of drowsiness

When Zhao Zhi shouted this sentence, he felt as if a heavy stone that had been pressing down in his heart had finally burst forth

I am not ill ... I have been framed ...

Here, do not rashly inquire about things that can be felt but not seen

Moreover, they are allowed to carry firearms, and even the chief of the security team here, who is the overall commander of the security personnel at this psychiatric hospital, is a tall man with a broad face, who can detain certain individuals directly without prior approval from higher authorities

But the light remained on

A hissing sound of metal scraping against the floor emanated from the room

Zhao Zhi saw this beam of light, as if he had glimpsed the hope of survival

Zhao Zhizhang opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, the head nurse released his hand, straightened up, and walked out.

When the head nurse spoke these words, her pupils constricted, and her high nose bridge slightly furrowed, as if she recalled something that troubled her

The head nurse extended her hand and grasped Zhao Zhi's hand. It seemed that there was a trace of sweat in her palm, which quickly spread into Zhao Zhi's palm.

Stealing glances at the patient's every move filled her with an indescribable sense of pleasure

Zhao Zhi's entire body tensed up as he forcefully pushed outward, the bandages and adhesive tape tightly embedded into his flesh, the pain causing him to shout even more recklessly.

The places with the highest number of deceased are not limited to crematoriums alone

The captain of the court police often keeps this phrase, "First strike, then report," on his lips

Suddenly, the head nurse's body trembled slightly, she took a gentle breath, raised her head, and turned halfway around.

To outsiders, a hospital is a place of salvation, where doctors and nurses are seen as reincarnated Bodhisattvas and incarnate lamas

Zhao Zhi was being stared at by her, and in an instant, he actually felt a bit flustered

The bed sheet is wrinkled, and the bed frame is shaking

The head nurse suddenly felt a strange sensation in her lower body, causing her to involuntarily shudder once again

The greatest difference between a person with a mental illness and a person with a common illness is that the former firmly believes they are not ill and considers everyone who is different from them to be ill, while the latter firmly believes they are ill and considers everyone who is different from them to be healthy

A sudden sharp pain pierced through the palm of Zhao Zhi's hand, prompting him to exclaim in surprise. He exerted force in an attempt to break free from the head nurse's grip, but a sudden surge of strength from her hand tightly held his hand in place.

Zhao Zhi swallowed hard, turned his head away, and twisted his palm, trying to break free from the tape on his arm

Do not be afraid of things that can be seen here but cannot be touched

No one here is ill

On her broad shoulders, it seems as if countless little fairies are dancing, causing her to sway gently from side to side as she walks

Zhao Zhi looked at the head nurse, and his emotions calmed down significantly. For some reason, seeing her broad shoulders and tall stature, Zhao Zhi felt neither surprise nor discomfort; instead, he experienced a sense of safety and stability.

The sting was fleeting, and after the sting, a strange sense of comfort unexpectedly spread through the palm.

The head nurse gently closed the door and then lowered her head, pressing her eye against the keyhole. Through the keyhole, she saw Zhao Zhi staring blankly at the door. His somewhat panicked expression, his slightly fatigued demeanor, and his stiff, rigid movements were all clearly visible to her.

The director is not only their director but also the most senior and capable attending psychiatrist here

On the very first night after Zhao Zhi entered the psychiatric hospital, he was subjected to this punishment

The reason why the hospital guards here are referred to as hospital guards is that they are different from the security personnel in ordinary hospitals; they belong to the Central Military Commission and are uniformly dispatched by higher authorities

The first rule is: never attempt to conceal anything from the dean

In the dark corner on the other side of the corridor, there seems to be a blood-red mass that is gently writhing. It writhes very slowly, with each movement resembling a rebirth, pausing for a long time after each motion

She gazed at the foot of the bed and softly spoke, as if confiding an unspeakable secret to a tree hollow

Get me the hell out of here!

Those who have worries find it difficult to fall asleep at night; being awake is a punishment for them