Mad Demon

# Chapter 5 - Mad Demon

From the end of lunch onward, Director Meng had caught Li Bai, who had taken this case, and lectured him for at least two hours. Clearly, the online public opinion had brought immense pressure to Seventh People's Hospital.

Never before had a third-party evaluation felt as thorny as this one.

From morning till now, Dean Zhou's cell phone and office landline hadn't stopped ringing—greetings and hints from all sides. Even turning off the phone and unplugging the line did no good; people even managed to call the mobile phones of the exchange meeting staff and demand to be transferred through.

As the city's only specialized hospital, Seventh People's Hospital couldn't just dump this big trouble onto someone else the way Chen Sheng had dumped it onto Li Bai. They had to treat it as a political task and brace themselves.

Despite the dean's interception and maneuvering, some voices still reached Li Bai. The situation was far more serious than little nurse Su Mei's warnings had suggested.

The fourth-floor corridor had been temporarily sealed off by the police. Both the Public Security Bureau and the Procuratorate had sent people to liaise. Even the ever-intrusive reporters couldn't get in.

"Suspect Yao Bing, ID number..."

Though it wasn't an execution ground, the step of verifying his identity was still necessary.

After the handover procedures were completed, Yao Bing's handcuffs were removed, and he was pushed in front of Li Bai.

Feeling uncomfortable under the scrutinizing gaze, Young Master Yao rubbed his numb wrists and said contemptuously, "What are you looking at? Do you know who I am?"

Though he knew his family had made many preparations, Yao Bing wasn't willing to just sit and wait. He planned to intimidate this psychiatrist first—then whether by coercion and bribery or by winning him over with virtue, as long as he got a psychiatric evaluation report, he could escape this disaster.

A mere dissipated rich kid couldn't have come up with such a cunning tactic on his own. It was actually the secret guidance of the Legal Team hired by the Yao Family at great expense.

Money really could make anything possible!

Completely ignoring the provocation, Li Bai smiled and mimicked the other's arrogant tone. "Heh, do you know who I am? My dad's name is Li..." He was completely unpredictable.

"Is it Li Gang?"

Yao Bing naturally picked up on this well-known meme.

When it came to comparing dads, who could Yao Bing fear?

"My dad's name is Li Wei."

In another world, his grandfather was called Li Dahu, a retired big-time thief boss. In this world, his father was called Li Wei, the head of the Six Doors eagle claws in some remote, rundown County Town in the Great Northwest—also known as the Director of the Public Security Bureau.

A person in different worlds could always find different fates.

Come to think of it, the fathers in both worlds were really sworn enemies. Good thing they'd never run into each other, or there would definitely be many stories.

"Li Wei? Who's that? Never heard of him. Let me tell you..."

Yao Bing visibly relaxed—thank god it wasn't Li Gang. He was about to repeat his trick when Li Bai interrupted again.

"Then have you heard of Li Bai?"

"Li... Li Bai? The Poet Immortal of the Tang Dynasty? Everyone knows him."

The rich second generation had unknowingly been led astray, forgetting his initial arrogance.

"That would be yours truly."

Li Bai pointed calmly at himself.

"You? Li Bai? Who are you trying to fool? I'm not a three-year-old kid... Huh? You..."

This was the tone of someone who had fallen into a ditch, looking up at the sky.

Li Bai pointed at the work badge on his chest.

"..."

Yao Bing stared at it, his face full of shock as if struck by a blow.

Surname Li, given name Bai. Nothing wrong with that.

But did he have any shame?

Still, it was certain—no matter how awesome the Yao Family was, they weren't as famous as the Poet Immortal Li Bai.

The intimidation tactic secretly coached by the Yao Family's Legal Team was parried and dissipated in this chicken-pecking exchange.

First round, Li Bai wins.

Opponent Yao Bing—too young, too naive...

Witnessing their exchange, Cadre Liu from the Procuratorate gave Li Bai a thumbs-up. Though every department of the Public Security, Procuratorate, and Judiciary had been approached by the Yao Family through various connections and favors, no one liked this scumbag.

Having gained nothing, Yao Bing followed sullenly into the Consultation Room. The door closed quickly.

"Please, have a seat. Relax. Just treat it like a casual chat."

Li Bai began the process, starting with a simple one-on-one "interview."

After all, this wasn't an interrogation. The subject needed to be in the most relaxed state for basic tests, which would also involve some suggestive or hypnotic techniques.

For a psychiatrist, hypnosis wasn't a required skill, but seasoned professionals could more or less master some of these techniques.

While Li Bai was attaching brainwave detection electrode patches to his head, Yao Bing pulled out a bank card and said, "There's a million in this card. As long as you write a few words I want, it's yours."

Just as he pressed down the last electrode patch, Li Bai said with some surprise, "That's a lot of money!"

Even with inflation and the yuan not being as valuable as before, a million was still a considerable sum—enough for him to put a down payment on a small apartment, with plenty left over for spending, eating whatever he wanted, buying whatever he wanted.

"Yeah, a lot of money!"

Yao Bing laughed, as if he had already forgotten their earlier bickering.

He had seen plenty of people, and there were truly few who wouldn't bow for five bushels of rice.

"Take it back. I'll only write what there is to write."

A mere one million was obviously not enough to buy off the Great Demon, who had once stirred up storms in another world.

If the Great Demon could be bought so cheaply, then heavens above, could they send another dozen just like him?

"Three million!"

Yao Bing didn't even blink. A rich second generation, no matter how dissolute and unlearned, still knew the value of money.

Li Bai shook his head and continued strapping on the blood pressure cuff. In truth, the equipment he had rigged up on Yao Bing was much the same as the lie detectors used by the Public Security Bureau—both monitored physiological fluctuations caused by psychological changes.

"Five million. That's enough to buy a life. You know, hitting someone to death with a car—compulsory insurance pays out at most one hundred and twenty thousand."

Yao Bing gritted his teeth. This doctor wasn't just greedy; he was probably black-hearted.

"Keep it for yourself. Now start taking deep breaths, and count silently from one to a hundred."

Li Bai was completely unmoved. Instead, he frowned—this client still hadn't gotten into the right state.

"Ten million. To buy my life—or to buy yours!"

The bodyguard secretly slipped in ten bank cards, each with a million in deposits. Yao Bing made no effort to hide his blatant threat. If he didn't get this report, he was finished. Even if a death sentence was commuted to life, and then reduced, he wouldn't be out in less than fifteen years.

On the instrument display beside them, the intensity of the brainwaves surged higher and higher, while heart rate and blood pressure climbed steadily.

"Could you please cooperate a little?"

Li Bai was about to apply some pressure to this guy when his wrist suddenly felt lighter, as if something had plopped onto the floor.

"If you don't write this report for me, I'll, I'll..."

Yao Bing tried to continue his threats, but his eyes suddenly went wide. His face filled with terror as he pointed behind Li Bai and let out a piercing scream.

"Snake! Snake! A giant snake!"

A Azure Flood Dragon, as thick around as a water vat, suddenly appeared in the consultation room. It opened its jaws—wide enough to swallow a full-grown person in one gulp—and yawned lazily. Its fangs were as thick as an adult's arm. It flicked a crimson forked tongue, looking left and right as if sizing up its next meal.

The Heaven and Earth Rules were different here; spiritual energy was stagnant, making cultivation difficult. Having finished digesting the Morning Bite Essence Blood, the demoness suddenly loosened from Li Bai's arm and revealed her true form, curiously examining this strange world.

Doors, windows, tables, chairs, walls, floors—everything was novel to Qingyao Demoness.

Snake?

Li Bai looked back in confusion, then rolled his eyes hard at Yao Bing.

"There's no snake!"

It was clearly a flood dragon, wasn't it? That conspicuous single horn was right on top of its head, and he still couldn't see it.

What kind of eyesight was that?

The Azure Flood Dragon used the tip of its tail to flick the light switch. The lights in the consultation room flickered on and off, eerily like a ghost domain.