Discharged

The next day, the weather wasn't great; low-hanging, leaden clouds hung in the air, and a cool breeze occasionally swept through the fallen leaves on the street.

Lin Feng drove Lawyer Zhou's unassuming black sedan, with Zhou Wenyuan in the passenger seat. The two remained silent throughout the journey, the only sound being the faint, soft music playing from the radio. Their destination was a mental health center located on the outskirts of the city.

After parking the car, the two didn't go inside but leaned against the hood and waited. Lawyer Zhou looked much better than yesterday, but a trace of fatigue still lingered in his eyes. He looked at the white building surrounded by high walls and barbed wire, his gaze somewhat complicated. Lin Feng, on the other hand, remained calm and composed, his gaze sweeping indifferently over the people and vehicles coming and going.

The wait wasn't long. About ten minutes later, the heavy iron door of the mental hospital creaked open a crack. A tall, burly figure emerged from inside—it was Lü Yi.

Today he changed into a clean blue tracksuit, and his hair was shaved even shorter, almost stubble close to his scalp, making his already somewhat handsome face look even more rugged. However, the light in his eyes still carried a kind of eccentricity and excitement that was out of place with his surroundings.

As he walked out, he turned back and waved vigorously to the medical staff in white coats inside, shouting in a loud voice, "I'm leaving now! Doctors, nurses, and everyone! Don't miss me too much! Don't worry, I'll definitely come back to see you in a couple of days! I'll bring you some delicious food!"

The tone wasn't like someone being discharged from the hospital; it sounded more like a neighbor saying goodbye before embarking on a long journey. The medical staff at the gate seemed used to it, simply shaking their heads with a helpless smile before quickly closing the iron gate.

Lü Yi turned around and immediately saw Lin Feng and Zhou Wenyuan waiting by the car. His eyes lit up instantly, and an extremely bright, even overly cheerful smile bloomed on his face. He opened his arms and rushed over like a cannonball.

"Boss! Brother Zhou! I've missed you guys so much!"

He first gave Lin Feng a solid bear hug, so strong that Lin Feng frowned slightly. Then, before Lin Feng could break free, he turned to Zhou Wenyuan and gave him the same enthusiastic, almost suffocating hug.

That wasn't all. After hugging Lawyer Zhou, Lü Yi seemed to get carried away with her emotions, pouting as if she was about to kiss Lawyer Zhou on the face!

"Stop!" Lin Feng reacted swiftly, grabbing Lü Yi's shoulder and pulling him away from Lawyer Zhou, his tone carrying an undeniable warning, "Behave yourself!"

Lawyer Zhou was also somewhat embarrassed by this sudden "attack," and subconsciously took half a step back to straighten his wrinkled suit.

Lü Yi wasn't angry when he was stopped; instead, he chuckled and scratched his prickly short hair. "Hehe, boss, I was just too excited! There are so many rules inside, it was so stifling! The air outside smells so sweet!" He took an exaggerated deep breath, as if he could really taste the difference.

"Alright, get in the car." Lin Feng was too lazy to argue with him any longer, so he opened the car door and got into the driver's seat.

Lawyer Zhou quickly got into the passenger seat.

Lü Yi cheerfully opened the back door and climbed in like a hyperactive child, curiously touching and looking at everything, muttering, "Wow, Brother Zhou, what a nice car! Much better than our director's beat-up Santana!"

The vehicle slowly started and drove away from the mental health center. Lin Feng glanced at Lü Yi, who was excitedly fidgeting in the back seat, through the rearview mirror, and asked casually, "Is everything alright with Director Du?"

"No problem! Absolutely no problem!" Lü Yi patted his chest and assured him, "Old Du... oh no, Director Du said my condition is stable and my emotions are under control, which fully meets the discharge criteria! It's just a matter of going through the formalities! Boss, don't worry, the paperwork will be spotless!"

Lin Feng didn't ask any more questions. Lawyer Zhou took a file folder from his briefcase and handed it to Lü Yi behind him. "Inside is your new ID card, the address of your temporary residence, your Key, and some cash. Settle in first, familiarize yourself with the surroundings, and don't cause any trouble for now."

"Understood! Brother Zhou! I promise I'll behave!" Lü Yi took the file bag, stuffed it into his pocket without even looking at it, his face still beaming with that overly bright smile, but deep in his eyes, something seemed to be stirring.

In apartment 602, unit 3 of Qingyuan Residential Complex, Sun Qiang was shirtless, wearing only a pair of shorts, sprawled out on the worn-out sofa in the living room watching TV.

The bandage on his head was still on, throbbing slightly, and he was in a bad mood. Last night, he had glued the lock on the downstairs kid's door, which had given him a sense of satisfaction, but the thought of that Madman locked up in the mental hospital and Lin Feng's cold eyes still made him a little scared, and even more so, he felt resentful.

Just then, "Bang bang bang! Bang bang bang!"

A sudden, urgent, rough, and even banging-on knocking sound startled him.

"Damn it! Who is it?! Are you trying to kill me?!" Sun Qiang cursed as he stood up, shuffling in his slippers, and walked impatiently to the door. He assumed it was someone collecting property fees or some inconsiderate neighbor.

Without even looking through the peephole, he reached out and turned the doorknob, opening the door a crack.

Outside the door, a face he least wanted to see at that moment, a face that even carried a hint of fear, was facing him, revealing an extremely "kind" smile.

It was Lü Yi!

With a gloomy face, before Sun Qiang could react, Lü Yi stretched out his right index finger and forcefully poked Sun Qiang's thick, hairy chest again and again, with considerable force, causing Sun Qiang pain.

"I heard..." Lü Yi began, her voice low but carrying a hint of ferocity, "That you've been looking for me?"

He tilted his head, his eyes filled with a mocking, cat-and -Rat -like amusement. "What's wrong, Qiangzi? Still not done?"

The moment Sun Qiang saw Lü Yi's face, his heart clenched, and he felt a throbbing pain in the spot where he had been beaten yesterday.

He instinctively wanted to back away and close the door, but his body felt like it was nailed to the spot. He tried to force himself to say something harsh, like "What do you want?" or "This is my home!", but his throat felt blocked, and he couldn't utter a single word.

In particular, when he saw the seemingly bright but actually chilling smile on Lü Yi's face, a tremendous fear gripped him.

However, what happened next terrified him even more.

Seeing his cowardly appearance, Lü Yi's smile became even "brighter." He slowly stretched out his left hand, which had been behind his back.

A blinding glint of cold light flashed in the sunlight!

In his left hand, he held a gleaming kitchen knife! The broad blade and sharp edge reflected a chilling luster in the dim light of the stairwell!

Sun Qiang's pupils suddenly contracted, his breathing stopped for a moment, and his legs began to tremble uncontrollably.

Lü Yi placed the kitchen knife between the two men, then with a flick of his wrist, smoothly turned it around. He gripped the cold back of the blade tightly in his own hand, and presented the greasy, cloth-wrapped handle directly to Sun Qiang!

"Qiangzi," Lü Yi's voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable sense of pressure, exploding in Sun Qiang's ears like a thunderclap:

"Didn't you look for me? I'm giving you this chance!"

He stared intently into Sun Qiang's eyes, which were glazed over with extreme fear, and roared:

"Take it!!!"

This roar carried a violent, spiritual impact. Sun Qiang was completely stunned, his mind went blank, he lost all ability to think, and only the instinct for survival remained. Almost subconsciously, he reached out with trembling hands and grasped the knife handle offered to him. The icy touch sent a chill down his spine.

When Lü Yi saw him grip the knife, the ferocity on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a seemingly "reasonable" expression, though the madness in his eyes intensified. He released his grip on the back of the knife, took a small step back, and spread his arms slightly, exposing his chest and abdomen, like an undefended target.

He began to speak, his tone even carrying a hint of "sincerity":

"Qiangzi, I know you're angry. Your mother is in the hospital, your son was frightened, and you got injured yourself. You feel aggrieved and resentful, right?"

He pointed to his wide-open chest:

"But it's okay! Today, I'll give you the chance to vent! I, Lü Yi, will stand right here, unmoving! Let you, aim here, and slash me!"

He gestured to his heart with his hand, his tone resolute. "Just one cut! After that, all past grievances are wiped clean! I'll never bother you again! Come on!"

Sun Qiang was completely stunned. He looked down at the heavy, gleaming kitchen knife in his hand, then looked up at the madman in front of him, arms outstretched, waiting for him to chop him Madman.

A knife? He's a regular fighter, but he'd never dared to actually take a knife and slash someone in a vital spot! Especially not when the other person comes to him willingly! This is something no normal person would do!

His hand gripping the knife trembled violently, his palms clammy with cold sweat. To strike? He dared not. Not to strike? What would become of his pride? And what would this Madman do next?

Just as he was struggling internally and frozen in place, Lü Yi seemed to lose patience.

He extended his right hand, pointing three fingers at Sun Qiang, his tone turning cold and urgent:

"Qiangzi, what are you daydreaming about? I'm giving you your chance, you have to seize it! I'll give you three more counts!"

"three!"

Lü Yi's voice struck Sun Qiang's heart like a heavy hammer. Sun Qiang trembled, his lips quivered, and his eyes were filled with struggle and fear.

"two!"

Lü Yi took a step forward, his eyes almost overflowing with madness. Sun Qiang instinctively stepped back, his back hitting the cold wall, with nowhere left to retreat.

"one!"

As the last count ended, all expression vanished from Lü Yi's face, leaving only extreme indifference. He gave Sun Qiang no time to react, his right hand flashing out like lightning, snatching the kitchen knife back from Sun Qiang's hand!

The whole process was incredibly fast!

The knife returned to Lü Yi's hand. He casually weighed it in his right hand, then extended his left hand and dribbled the ball with one hand towards Sun Qiang's shiny bald head, which was wrapped in gauze.

With each slap, Sun Qiang's body shrank a little, his face drained of color, leaving only boundless fear.

Lü Yi looked down at Sun Qiang, who was almost slumped to the ground, his face filled with extreme contempt and mockery. He shook his head and said, word by word, in a tone that was a mixture of disappointment, disdain, and icy killing intent:

"Qiangzi--!"

"I'll give you a chance..."

"You're useless!!"

"You're useless too!!!"

The voice wasn't loud, and even carried a hint of mockery, but it made Sun Qiang's eardrums ring, and completely shattered his last bit of courage.