Chapter 706: New Helper

Given the gravity of the situation, the nurses quickly arrived. They promptly pulled away the unconscious Wang Wei, while several managers immediately stepped forward to apologize. A patient within the hospital had actually attempted murder, nearly succeeding. If this news spread, it would severely tarnish the reputation of a psychiatric institution. Their expressions grew even more strained, especially when some of the staff learned Li Huowang's identity.

Despite nearly dying, Li Huowang had no intention of demanding compensation. He simply made one request: to speak with Wang Wei, as he was crucial. Those people had been dormant for a long time and had finally sent someone to act again. Now that Li Huowang had encountered one of them, it would be inexcusable not to extract useful information from Wang Wei. Naturally, the staff at the Sixth People's Hospital readily agreed to Li Huowang's minor request. Compared to the potential negative publicity if the incident became public, this was insignificant.

Li Huowang soon saw Wang Wei again, but this time Wang Wei was restrained in a straitjacket with a bite guard covering his mouth. "It's fine, you can leave. I want to speak with him alone," Li Huowang told the hospital staff. The staff member hesitated, remembering that Wang Wei had just attempted murder. However, they quickly found a compromise: Wang Wei was confined in an isolation room, and Li Huowang could speak to him through the iron bars. This arrangement ensured safety even if the staff were not present.

Once everyone had left, Li Huowang turned his attention back to Wang Wei. Compared to before, Wang Wei now seemed even more deranged. His eyes were wide and staring, his mouth twitched slightly, drooling, and his bloodshot eyes conveyed an unsettling madness.

"Are you one of them?" Li Huowang asked, looking at him.

Wang Wei stared intently back at Li Huowang, remaining silent.

"What do you want? I want to talk," Li Huowang began. This was a probe; whatever their intentions, Li Huowang first needed to ascertain their identity. He found neither Qian Fu's "Leo aliens" nor Chen Hongyu's "group preying on psychic abilities" credible. He wanted to meet them in person and discern their true nature for himself. Of course, Li Huowang's phone was already recording. If he could gather crucial evidence, he would immediately call the police and enlist help to eliminate them, which would be ideal.

In response to Li Huowang's questions, Wang Wei simply stared back intently, utterly silent.

"It's no use, he's just a pawn; you won't get anything out of him," Qian Fu interjected from the side, speaking with unusual clarity, devoid of his usual eccentricities. "The Leo aliens are masters of deception, turning people into their puppets to be manipulated at will. Trying to get clues from him will likely prove fruitless."

Despite this, Li Huowang refused to give up. "Wang Wei, do you remember me? You were my therapist. What happened to you after we went our separate ways? Tell me, maybe I can help you."

"I didn't quite catch what you said before; could you repeat it?"

"You tried to kill me, but I don't hate you. Right now, I just want to understand why."

Li Huowang asked numerous questions, even sharing details of his own past, attempting to elicit a response from Wang Wei. Yet, no matter what he said, Wang Wei remained completely silent, as if he truly had become the puppet Qian Fu claimed. Compared to a few years ago, their roles had completely reversed, a truly ironic turn of events.

After asking many questions and receiving no response whatsoever, Li Huowang decided to leave temporarily. But just as Li Huowang took two steps away, Wang Wei finally spoke. "Li Huowang, you're running away."

Li Huowang stopped, slowly turned around, and looked at Wang Wei. "What did you say?"

"I said you've been running away. You know, you've always known, you can connect to that world, your potential is limitless!"

Li Huowang's pupils contracted slightly. "Is that their objective? They believe I can retrieve things from hallucinations, so they want to kidnap me?" He immediately recalled something. "So, those experiences on the boat weren't just my hallucinations? There really is a group like this?"

Chen Hongyu, standing nearby, interjected, "See? What did I tell you? They're after our psychic abilities. You must have them too, otherwise they wouldn't have come for you."

"Sister Chen, let me ask him first." With that, Li Huowang turned back to Wang Wei. "Answer me, is what I just said true?"

Wang Wei didn't answer, but instead posed a question of his own. "You answer my question first. When did you stop believing in these possibilities? Is that your genuine belief, or has someone made you think that way?" After saying this, his voice rose again. "Yi Donglai! Don't trust Yi Donglai! He's actually hurting you! Think about it! What has Yi Donglai done? If he truly cared about your well-being, why wasn't he there to help you when you encountered trouble?! That world truly exists! Yi Donglai has harmed you! He sealed away your abilities! You must remember! You must become your complete self! You're not sick! You're gifted! You don't need any treatment at all! You don't need to take any medication!"

"No!" Qian Fu quickly covered Li Huowang's ears with both hands. "Don't believe him! The Leo aliens are trying to bewitch you! Don't stop! Don't look! Don't think!"

Li Huowang was then forcibly escorted out. In truth, even without Qian Fu's intervention, Li Huowang was ready to leave, as Wang Wei had offered no valuable information.

"Alright, stop covering my ears. My mind isn't so fragile that I'd be swayed by mere words," Li Huowang said in the hospital lobby, shaking off Qian Fu's hands. He glanced at Chen Hongyu beside him and asked, "What are your plans now?"

"You're asking me? Didn't you ask for my help? Why are you asking me about this?" Chen Hongyu replied, then casually stuck a finger into her nostril.

"Besides her, we'll probably need someone else, won't we?" Li Huowang asked Qian Fu. Regardless, given that Chen Hongyu had just saved his life, it was wise to cultivate more relationships with people like her. Even if they were mentally ill, they were mentally ill in a way that could be helpful.

"Yes, we'll go find Qing Wanglai next."

"Qing Wanglai?" Li Huowang frowned. "That sounds like a man's name. Is he also mentally ill?"

"No, he's not mentally ill. He's an academic."

"An academic? A student?" Li Huowang almost thought he'd misheard; Qian Fu's associates actually included a seemingly normal person.

"No, Qing Wanglai is a graduate student," Chen Hongyu clarified from the side.