Hospital 444
Chapter 141 - 18 Misstep

Chapter 141: Chapter 18 Misstep

Jin Yunran felt that either she or the world had definitely gone mad.

She walked down the hallway on the third floor with her flashlight, accompanied by Gao Heyann.

Gao Heyann followed her with a stool in hand.

Just as they were about to reach the attic, Jin Yunran suddenly realized where the disconnect she’d been feeling all along was.

She immediately turned around, scrutinizing Gao Heyann closely.

"Alan, there’s something that I find very strange."

"Wha... What?"

"Why do you believe what I’ve told you?"

Jin Yunran took out the diary and said, "Everything I’ve told you sounds absurd, doesn’t it? Yet you seem to have never doubted my words at all?"

Gao Heyann was also stunned.

Now, she had no memory of being a doctor at Hospital 444.

Her first reaction was: Right, why did she fully believe Yun Ran? It was unbelievable. A paper diary that automatically "updates" itself without anyone recording in it? No matter how she thought about it, it felt far-fetched.

Yet she never doubted it.

In fact, Jin Yunran also found it puzzling. Why did she only think of this now? It was clearly illogical, but why had it taken her so long to realize that!

"Let’s put this aside for now and discuss it later, Alan."

For the current Jin Yunran, the most important thing was to confirm whether there really was a secret hidden in the attic.

"Okay, I understand."

Gao Heyann still felt her brain was in a great mess, with many memories feeling fuzzy.

Soon, the two of them arrived at the attic on the third floor.

Gao Heyann placed the stool on the floor, and then Jin Yunran stepped upon it, reached up to the ceiling hatch, and... pulled down the attic’s folding ladder.

"Okay, Alan... could you, could you go ahead... in front?"

Gao Heyann looked at Jin Yunran’s earnest expression and, after pondering for a while, nodded her head.

"Okay... Alright."

Then, Gao Heyann took the flashlight, climbed the stairs, and walked up to the attic.

Jin Yunran followed behind her, climbing up as well.

...

Inside Blue Heart Cafe.

"He Yan is missing... I seem to have heard about it, but I’m not very clear on the details."

Lu Yuqing lied to Dai Lin without changing her expression.

"You two are friends, right?" Lu Yuqing glanced at Luo Ren and said, "I won’t disturb you any longer. Take your time chatting."

After that, she walked away.

Dai Lin watched Lu Yuqing’s receding figure and couldn’t yet tell whether she was lying.

Dai Lin and Luo Ren sat facing each other.

"It’s been so many years since we’ve seen each other, Luo Ren." Dai Lin carefully examined his long-unseen dear friend: "How is auntie doing?"

"Mom remarried and settled abroad. I was dispatched back to the country not long ago." Luo Ren said this and looked carefully at Dai Lin, "You really became a doctor, and I’ve heard... you’ve even been promoted to associate chief physician? Are you working at a private hospital now?"

"Lucky break, just happened to make it."

"You’re really amazing."

Luo Ren said this and then suddenly added, "Our investment bank is now looking to increase our investment in the healthcare sector, and it just so happens that the country is also supporting private hospitals. In recent years, the state has canceled the medical insurance audit system for private hospitals, which means, private hospitals can now use medical insurance and are no longer seen as an option only for the wealthy."

"You’re looking to invest in private hospitals?" Dai Lin shook his head quickly, "The private hospital sector here is quite complex, policy support is one thing..."

"My main responsibility is now investing in the healthcare sector, and I already started due diligence investigations on some private hospitals. By the way, what’s the name of your hospital?"

"Si Kang... it’s a nondescript private hospital with no reputation."

"Hmm..." Luo Ren was taken aback. He hadn’t expected the hospital to be so obscure; he hadn’t heard of it at all.

"Your photo must be hanging in the most conspicuous place at the outpatient hall on the first floor of the hospital, right? Private hospitals love to promote outstanding doctors who’ve transferred from public hospitals."

"No... it’s not..."

Just then, Dai Lin subconsciously glanced at the time—it was already past ten.

He had come here because the Blue Heart Coffee Shop was the origin of everything. At the same time, he wanted to ask Lu Yuqing if she knew anything. Of course, he knew it was impossible to stealthily take a strand of her hair to read her memory. Besides, the hair of a Paranormal Doctor, if used to extract memories, was likely impractical, as their bodies often formed part of a curse.

Encountering Luo Ren was indeed a huge surprise. Although many years had passed, for Dai Lin, Luo Ren would always be his best friend.

"Luo Ren, you now..."

Suddenly, Dai Lin felt a strong pain in his arm!

Dai Lin immediately rolled up his sleeve and saw... the ghostly tattoo that Gao Heyann had given him at the Muyang Building to share visions with the ghostly Lu Ning—it was causing him unbearable pain!

"Luo Ren, wait a moment!"

Dai Lin rushed behind the coffee shop’s counter and said to Lu Yuqing, who was sitting there making coffee, "Dr. Lu, you and Dr. Gao were friends before, right? So what does it mean when this tattoo suddenly starts hurting?"

Lu Yuqing, taken aback, quickly asked with concern, "How painful is it?"

"It feels..." Dai Lin’s expression distorted with pain, "like the skin here is being forcibly sliced open!"

Lu Yuqing’s complexion turned grim.

"This situation..."

Gao Heyann had already transferred the pain through Cursed Flesh once before; it was impossible for him to endure another such crisis.

"Keep an eye on the tattoo... watch if the tattoo fades..." Lu Yuqing looked around, pointed to a spot, and said, "The light is brightest over there; go observe the tattoo in that light!"

"Okay, I understand..."

Dai Lin went under the bright light and examined the tattoo carefully. At that moment, Luo Ren came over.

"Did you get a tattoo, Dai Lin?" Luo Ren looked at the terrifying ghostly tattoo on Dai Lin’s arm. "Is it new? Did you get it done at a regular tattoo shop? Could it be a bacterial infection?"

Luo Ren, seeing Dai Lin’s face twisted in pain, began to worry.

Lu Yuqing also came over; this was the first time she saw a new expression on Luo Ren’s typically poker-faced countenance.

Lu Yuqing said, "Relax your arm, let me check."

Her hand caressed Dai Lin’s forearm and then gently touched the eye area of the tattoo.

About five seconds later, she replied, "No use, I can’t feel anything."

Luo Ren was dumbfounded.

Even for traditional Chinese medicine, this wasn’t the right way to take a pulse!

"Dai Lin, go to the emergency room. If the tattoo’s wound has an acute infection, it would be troublesome!"

Dai Lin endured the intense pain, gritted his teeth, and shook his head; he wanted to reassure Luo Ren, but he found it extremely difficult to speak.

Lu Yuqing coldly interjected, "He’s not infected! Don’t talk and distract me!"

Lu Yuqing gripped Dai Lin’s arm, continuously checking whether the tattoo was fading.

"I have to take you back to the hospital," Lu Yuqing made up her mind: "To see the doctors from other... from the Department of Cursed Objects."

"Their department doesn’t do night clinics, right?"

"Our situation is special, let’s go together!"

"Dai Lin, is your hospital far? I drove here! I’ll take you guys!"

Before Luo Ren could understand what was happening, he grabbed Dai Lin’s shoulder, but at that very moment...

Lu Yuqing and Dai Lin activated their ability to teleport back to the hospital!

Normally, teleporting in front of Luo Ren wouldn’t matter, as his memory would automatically be corrected.

But Dai Lin had never anticipated that this action would inadvertently bring Luo Ren into the hospital with them!

Appearing in the dark corridor of Hospital 444, Luo Ren was completely stunned, doubting whether he was hallucinating.

"Luo Ren, you?" Dai Lin realized he had brought Luo Ren in and panicked, quickly saying, "I’ll send you back first!"

"Wait!" Luo Ren took a fearful step back, looking at Dai Lin and said, "What did you mean by that? You brought me in here? This isn’t science fiction, how could we possibly move through space instantly?"

"He can’t leave yet!" Suddenly Lu Yuqing spoke up, "He entered the hospital without touching a business card; if he just leaves, he could expose the existence of the hospital. I don’t have a business card on me right now, so for the time being, he has to follow us! Let’s go... to the office of the Department of Cursed Objects’ outpatient division!"