The View Behind the Bars

Reeking of alcohol and filled with confusion, the Monkey followed Lin Feng into the black sedan. The car was quiet, its interior simple yet exuding a low-key elegance, completely out of place amidst the bustling atmosphere of the food stalls outside. The driver was a taciturn middle-aged man who never looked back or asked about the destination; he simply started the car smoothly after Lin Feng got in.

The scenery outside the car window rushed past, the city lights gradually thinned, and the streetlights dimmed. Monkey leaned back in his seat, still tipsy and with a groggy head, but he could sense that the car was heading towards the outskirts of the city. He couldn't help but glance at Lin Feng beside him. Lin Feng simply closed his eyes to rest, his face expressionless, as if this were just an ordinary nighttime drive.

"Madman... where are we going?" The Monkey finally couldn't hold back and asked in a hoarse voice.

Lin Feng didn't open his eyes, only replying with two words: "You'll know when we get there."

This sense of mystery deepened the Monkey's doubts, but out of an almost instinctive trust in Lin Feng, he didn't press the matter further. Alcohol and exhaustion quickly plunged him back into a semi-conscious state.

After an unknown amount of time, the vehicle slowly came to a stop. The Monkey groggily opened his eyes, looked out the window, and was instantly jolted awake, most of his remaining drunkenness vanishing in an instant.

Before me stood a white building that appeared particularly solemn under the cold moonlight. The tall walls, the tightly closed heavy iron gate, and the sign that read "Municipal Mental Health Center" hanging beside the gate all indicated the special nature of this place.

Mental hospital?!

Why would Madman bring him to a mental hospital?

A strange chill crept up the Monkey's spine. He abruptly turned to look at Lin Feng, his eyes filled with confusion and a hint of barely perceptible fear.

Lin Feng had already opened his eyes. He pushed open the car door and said to the Monkey, "Get out of the car."

The Monkey hesitated before getting off the car, a chill creeping up his spine from the cold night wind in the suburbs. He watched Lin Feng walk straight towards the massive iron gate that seemed to separate two worlds, his heart pounding. Was this a place he could just walk into?

However, what happened next completely overturned his understanding.

Just as Lin Feng reached the door, the heavy iron door silently opened a crack from the inside, just enough for one person to pass through. A man in a security guard uniform, but with sharp eyes unlike those of an ordinary security guard, stood inside the door, giving Lin Feng a barely perceptible nod. There were no questions asked, and no registration procedures were followed.

Lin Feng stepped in calmly, and the Monkey quickly followed, his heart pounding.

Upon entering the courtyard, the streetlights were dim, the shadows of the trees swayed, and several buildings lay like silent behemoths in the darkness, with only a few windows letting out faint light. The environment was eerily quiet, and the occasional strange noises, indistinct from some building, added to the sinister atmosphere.

What the Monkey found even stranger was the journey that followed.

Lin Feng seemed extremely familiar with this place. He walked straight towards one of the buildings marked "Intensive Care and Behavioral Correction Ward" without stopping. Along the way, they encountered several groups of patrolling caregivers and security guards, but strangely, when these people saw Lin Feng, they acted as if they didn't see him. They either turned around and walked to another side road in advance, or stood still with their eyes downcast, as if Lin Feng and they were in a different dimension of time and space.

No one approached to ask questions, and no one stopped them. Even when they reached the tightly closed glass door of the building, the door was opened from the inside by a person wearing a white coat who looked like a doctor. The "doctor" also did not communicate with Lin Feng at all, but silently stepped aside and closed the door silently after the two went in.

The Monkey followed closely behind Lin Feng, feeling as if it had stumbled into a bizarre dream that had been muted. This was all too unreal! How... how did that Madman do it? Why were everyone here like his puppets?

They walked down the empty, silent corridor, their footsteps echoing. The ward doors on both sides of the corridor were all tightly closed, secured with sturdy locks and small observation windows. The air was thick with the smell of disinfectant and a certain indescribable, oppressive atmosphere.

Finally, Lin Feng stopped in front of a hospital room door that looked no different from any other.

He turned his head and looked at the Monkey, who looked surprised and uncertain. His face remained expressionless, but he gestured with his eyes to the observation window on the door.

The Monkey swallowed hard, his heart filled with immense confusion and a vague unease. He took a deep breath and, following Lin Feng's instructions, cautiously approached the small window, held his breath, and peered inside.

The room was even dimmer than the corridor, with only a dim floor lamp in the corner casting a faint glow that barely outlined the room. It was a single room, and the walls were still made of that suffocating upholstered material.

And in the center of the room, on that specially made hospital bed fixed to the floor—

A human figure, bound to the bed in an extremely humiliating and secure manner with dark leather straps, was spread-eagled. His head was tilted to one side, his hair was disheveled, and his face appeared ashen in the dim light. His eyes were wide open and vacant, staring at the ceiling without any focus. His mouth was slightly open, and there was even a trace of dried saliva or vomit at the corner of his mouth.

Although the man was emaciated and his face was distorted by pain and despair, the Monkey recognized him at a glance!

It's Qin Ming!

That Doctor Qin almost killed his sister, who escaped legal punishment in the official report due to "mental illness"!

At this moment, where was the dignified air he once had when he wore a white coat? He was like a broken doll whose soul had been ripped out, abandoned in this cold cage, enduring imprisonment and torment more inhuman than that of a prison.

The Monkey's breathing quickened as he watched the scene unfold before him, a fire burning in his chest. Anger, hatred, and a sense of triumphant satisfaction overwhelmed him, surging through his mind.

Just then, a hand gently patted his shoulder.

The Monkey suddenly turned around and saw that Lin Feng had been standing next to him at some point.

Looking at the Monkey's bloodshot eyes, which were filled with excitement and alcohol, Lin Feng revealed a clear, even "gentle," smile for the first time.

However, what he said made the Monkey shudder.

"How was it?" Lin Feng's tone was as relaxed as if he were asking if the late-night snack was to his liking. He pointed to Qin Ming inside the observation window, then smiled and asked the Monkey:

"Should we go in and... give him a good beating?"