Working Records in a Weird World - 01

| WRIAWW | Guiyi City | 01

On the weekend, Taikang Yongle Hospital in Guiyi City was packed to the brim, with patients jostling shoulder to shoulder in the outpatient area.

Zong Le sat hunched on a faded plastic chair in the waiting area, looking somewhat uneasy.

This wasn’t his first time coming to the hospital for a follow-up, but the doctors he had encountered during his previous two visits were highly unreliable—either communication was difficult, or their professional competence was lacking. Reluctantly, he had to make time for a third visit.

After waiting for twenty minutes, a broadcast filled with the pungent smell of disinfectant echoed through the air.

【Mr. Zong Le, please proceed to Consultation Room 444】

【Mr. Zong Le, please proceed to Consultation Room 444】

【Mr. Zong Le, please proceed to Consultation Room 444】

After repeating three times, the LED signboard hanging high above began to flash, displaying the current number of patients waiting.

【Current number of patients waiting: 32】

“Hello, Mr. Zong, welcome to the psychiatry department.”

The consultation room was spacious, illuminated by bright fluorescent lights, and a vase of white flowers covered in dew sat on the desk.

After shaking hands with him, the doctor sat down and opened the medical record in front of him: “Let me see... Oh, you were previously an inpatient in our psychiatry department and were discharged just this past February. Are you here for a follow-up because there are still unresolved issues?”

“Yes,” Zong Le nodded. “I suspect my condition hasn’t been fully cured.”

“Hold on, I need to retrieve your previous inpatient records first.”

About three minutes later, the doctor turned away from the screen: “Alright, I’ve got a general understanding of your medical history.”

“So, after being discharged, have you experienced the abnormal phenomena described in your records again?”

“Yes.”

The doctor’s professional and matter-of-fact attitude eased some of the anxiety Zong Le had been carrying with him. “Since being discharged, I’ve felt like everyone in the city has become extremely unfriendly. For example, last week at the subway station, I saw someone accidentally step on the heel of the person in front of them, and the other person bit their ear off. What’s even stranger is that the passersby on the platform either hurried away, watched indifferently, or cheered them on.”

“Then what do you think relationships between people should be like?”

“In my impression, people should be peaceful, friendly, and full of love.”

“Peaceful? Friendly? Love?”

Zong Le watched as the doctor repeated each word, then wrote “Severe Cognitive Inversion Disorder” in the medical record.

“Anything else?”

“People’s eyes no longer have pupils or whites—they’re all pitch black.”

“What about you?”

“Me? I’m normal. The outside is the white of the eye, and the inside is the pupil.”

“So you think normal eyes should have pupils and whites?”

“Isn’t that the case?”

The doctor didn’t answer. He glanced at Zong Le, shook his head, muttered “Hopeless, hopeless,” and casually added “Severe Hallucination Disorder” to the notes.

“Most importantly, sometimes when I’m walking down the street, I suddenly feel like everything around me turns gray and foggy. From a certain line on the ground, black, paper-like shreds start floating up. Do you understand? It’s like everything around me instantly loses its color, just like in a movie, as if I’ve stepped into some kind of barrier.”

“Haha, you’ve got quite the imagination.”

This time, “Severe Hallucination Disorder” was followed by a new note: “Early-stage Schizophrenia.”

Watching the black ink spread across the paper in a spiderweb-like pattern, Zong Le finally couldn't sit still anymore. "Doctor, does this mean my illness hasn't fully recovered? Do I need to be readmitted for treatment? But... I really don't think this is my problem."

"Don't get agitated," the doctor said without looking up, his pen drawing sharp lines on the paper. "Every patient who comes to the psychiatric department for a check-up or follow-up says the same thing."

"If mental illnesses could heal on their own, what would we psychiatrists be here for? The fact that you can recognize you're still unwell is already a significant step forward."

"So..." Zong Le asked cautiously, "Do I need to be readmitted?"

"Not for now. Our hospital's medical resources are currently stretched thin, and beds are reserved for patients with more severe conditions. Your case isn't a priority at the moment."

Hearing this, Zong Le couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

It wasn't that he was overly nervous, but being hospitalized wasn't exactly a pleasant experience.

Even though Taikang Yongle Hospital had a beautiful environment and good food, the nurses would often conduct surprise room checks without notice, and there were frequent, uncomfortably close face-to-face interactions. Not to mention, every so often, depending on the severity of the condition, patients had to undergo shock therapy at varying voltages.

Shock therapy could shatter past memories, leaving large gaps and confusion. This was the main reason Zong Le found it difficult to adapt to society after being discharged.

"Forgive my bluntness, but have you tried to integrate into society?"

As he spoke, the doctor stood up and took a prescription pad from the shelf. "For psychiatric patients like you who have been discharged, we usually recommend actively engaging with society, as it can help improve your condition. For example, finding a job."

"A job?"

"Yes. A job allows you to interact with people from all walks of life. The income you earn can help you reestablish yourself in society and experience the joy of labor, which is very suitable for your current situation."

Zong Le pondered this.

"You can download an app called 'Today's Recruitment' on your phone. It has a lot of job listings. Coincidentally, the city is currently short-staffed, and many companies are hiring, with relaxed recruitment criteria. Even our Taikang Yongle Hospital is recruiting caregivers on a large scale. There might even be a major recruitment drive soon."

Under the doctor's recommendation, Zong Le took out his phone and downloaded the app.

The app had a black-and-red design, simple and clean, with a page full of densely packed text upon opening.

Zong Le quickly scanned through and saw many job postings.

【Taikang Yongle Biological Technology is recruiting Phase 1 drug trial participants, generous compensation, limited spots】

【Anxin Home Services is hiring part-time hourly workers, application location: Mingjue Mansion Sales Hall, 1st Floor】

【Taikang Yongle Hospital is recruiting caregivers, no gender restrictions, monthly meal allowance, shared dormitory provided】

【Guiyi City Funeral Home urgently hiring morticians, weekends off】

......

The doctor handed over a business card from behind his desk. "You can start by trying here at our hospital. Taikang Yongle Group is the top in the city, and the quality of our hospitals is beyond doubt, absolutely trustworthy. If you mention to the HR manager that I recommended you, it might increase your chances of getting hired."

"Thank you," Zong Le said gratefully. "You're truly a good doctor."

The doctor neither confirmed nor denied this. For a moment, the only sound in the ward was the scratching of a pen on the prescription form.

After locking his phone and putting it back in his pocket, Zong Le sat in the clinic chair, his mind inevitably wandering.

He gazed at the half-open window of the clinic, staring at the sky above the city for a long time.

"Doctor, actually... ever since I was discharged last time, I've been thinking about a question."

So far, the treatment had gone smoothly, and Zong Le couldn't help but ask the question that had been lingering in his mind.

"Why is the sky always black? Why is it never bright?"

In the bright fluorescent light of the room, the young man's pupils clearly reflected the scene he now saw.

The sky was as thick as ink that could never be diluted, and the clouds resembled necrotic connective tissue.

A massive blood moon hung in the center of this curtain, like a swollen, rotting eyeball, covered with countless dark red veins oozing thick, inflamed fluid.

Occasionally, a few stars struggled to pierce through the heavy darkness, but their light was quickly swallowed by the halo of the blood moon, as if digested in the gastric juices of a giant beast, never to be found again.

The doctor chuckled, "If it's not black, what color should the sky be?"

"..."

The young man seemed stumped by the question, his expression instantly scattering, filled with confusion.

"I don't know," he murmured after a while. "But at least... the moon shouldn't be this color, right?"

"Have you ever thought that maybe the world has always been like this?"

No. The world isn't like this. A voice in Zong Le's heart persistently told him.

He remembered someone once telling him what the "real," "normal" world was supposed to look like.

With a crisp sound of the pen being set down, the doctor in the white coat stood up from behind the desk. "The prescription is ready."

"Your condition has fluctuated, so I've added a few new medications. The instructions and dosage are written in your medical record. Remember to take the medicine as directed when you get back. Also, since you know you have a mental illness, stop pondering these questions all the time. Keep your feet on the ground and focus on what's in front of you."

"Alright, I'll remember," Zong Le said as he took the prescription. "Do I need to go to the outpatient department to pay now?"

"Oh, no need. You can pay here."

Mentioning payment, the doctor's expression softened, no longer looking as impatient as before. "That'll be 3,221 yuan. Cash or scan code?"

"What?" Zong Le was startled.

"But... as far as I know, the cost of these medications is only around a hundred yuan."

He tactfully hinted, "Did you perhaps make a mistake?"

The clinic suddenly fell into silence.

"What do you mean? Are you trying to skip out on the bill?" the doctor sneered.

Zong Le despairingly noticed that the "anomalies" in his vision had returned. Everything around him seemed like an old, faded photograph, rapidly losing color. The flowers on the table withered at a visible rate. The pristine white walls began to peel, revealing the dark gray panels beneath, covered in bloodstains.

"I don't have that much money," he said, pretending not to see these anomalies, speaking as if nothing was wrong. As a diagnosed mental patient, he had learned to act normal despite the chaos in his mind.

"It's alright. Our hospital has prepared many payment methods for people that couldn’t afford payment that are far more interesting than money."

Upon hearing that he had no money, the doctor's smile grew even more greedy, the corners of his mouth curling into an arc.

Gradually, the arc surpassed human limits, revealing a row of gleaming white teeth: "For example, the basement offers blood and organ selling services."

"...This is extortion."

"Extortion? Haha, my apologies. In our hospital, paying for medical services is the most basic rule. You should understand that in Guiyi City, only by following the rules can one stay safe."

As Zong Le gazed into the pair of dark, greedy eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses, he realized something, and the gratitude on his face gradually faded.

He was a simple man, sincere and friendly to others in most situations, adhering to social norms and unwilling to cause trouble for others. Even when offended by others, he would show remarkable tolerance. For instance, in his neighborhood, there was a child who would start bouncing a basketball every midnight, or the young woman next door who would sing Kunqu opera late into the night... He endured it all without a single complaint.

But this was all based on his belief that people fell into the "friendly" and "approachable" category.

Once people actively displayed malice or aggressive intentions, and were categorized as "unfriendly" enemies by him, this gentle and accommodating attitude would immediately vanish, replaced by utter ruthlessness.

This was also why Zong Le could continue to live peacefully here after being discharged from the hospital.

He had a mental illness, but he wasn't an idiot. He could still distinguish between good and evil.

Being merciful to the wicked is being cruel to oneself.

"I've been treated long-term at Guiyi City Hospital, and I'm familiar with every brick and tile here. Even though I've encountered some unfriendly doctors during each check-up, I still hold affection for this place."

The doctor was momentarily stunned. He watched as the young man stood up from his seat, carefully took out some banknotes from his pocket, counted out the exact amount, and gently pushed it onto the table.

One hundred yuan, not a penny more or less.

"You're right. It's only fair to pay for medical services."

After doing all this, Zong Le expressionlessly stretched his neck, his knuckles cracking with a crisp sound, like a countdown to something dangerous: "I'm willing to follow your rules, but only if you don't go too far."

"If you do go too far, then I can only apologize."

It was only then that the doctor realized in horror. In those few short seconds, the patient he had just defined as meek and helpless seemed to have transformed into a completely different person—all emotions had vanished, leaving only a chilling indifference.

"You might not know this, but when I choose to no longer be friendly, I become... quite ruthless."

......

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—"

Ten minutes later, Zong Le stood in front of the sink, letting the water rinse through his fingers.

Unlike the methodical way he cleaned up the evidence, his heart was actually slightly uneasy.

Although he had acted without hesitation, striking out to clean up the trash and uphold justice; he still understood that hitting people wasn't a good thing, it was illegal.

Even though he knew full well that the police in Guiyi City were a bunch of good-for-nothing slackers who hadn’t even bothered to collect evidence for the serial murders that occurred in the neighboring mountain community months ago, Zong Le had his own principles in life. He had a clear sense of what he could and couldn’t do.

Most importantly, he was broke. If he got caught red-handed, he couldn’t afford to pay the fine.

Zong Le cautiously pushed the door open and scanned his surroundings.

Good, no one was around. Only a janitor was impatiently cleaning nearby, and no one seemed to notice him.

The neighboring clinic was pitch black, with only a dark red liquid seeping from the doorway, glowing eerily under the fluorescent light. From his angle, he couldn’t quite see what was happening, but he could make out a trail of fresh, sticky blood winding from the door all the way to the elevator.

The width of the trail was roughly the size of an adult man’s chest.

Zong Le calmly averted his gaze, only to hear footsteps approaching from a distance, followed by a sharp cry.

"The Weird Domain... it’s shattered!"

"What’s going on? It’s only been active for less than half an hour! Did some big shot intervene?"

"That’s impossible. Our mission wasn’t assigned to any big shots."

"But who else besides the top-ranked players could destroy a Weird Domain so quickly?"

"Look! Someone’s coming out of the clinic alive!"

The group turned their heads in unison, only to show disappointment the moment they saw Zong Le’s face.

The girl with blue-dyed hair was the first to react, kicking the wall in frustration.

"Damn it! Got all excited for nothing. It’s just an NPC! No wonder the Weird Domain shattered but the mission didn’t complete!"

Her words seemed to signal the group. The oddly dressed young men and women in hospital gowns instantly withdrew their gazes from him and huddled together, whispering in low voices.

Scattered phrases drifted over from the distance:

"Seriously, getting all worked up without even distinguishing between an NPC and a survivor."

"NPCs’ eyes are pure black, it’s super easy to tell apart. You’re not even a newbie anymore. Did you even read the beginner’s guide properly?"

"Alright, enough chit-chat. The weird hasn’t been eliminated yet. We need to figure out its rule loopholes."

"We’ve already lost over ten people. Good thing the Weird Domain shattered, or we’d have been wiped out today."

"Guiyi City really lives up to its reputation as the ultimate dungeon marked by the main system. A B-level mission spawning a weird with a Weird Domain is just insane."

"But it’s strange. The weird was always stable before. Why did its power suddenly surge and create a Weird Domain? Did someone provoke it?"

......

Their voices gradually faded as they moved further away.

Zong Le stared intently at the medicine bag in his hand, as if trying to bore a hole through the plastic.

Feeling guilty and keeping his head down, he quickened his pace, silently praying that the group hadn’t noticed him. Unbeknownst to him, behind him, the LED sign flickered slightly, and the crimson numbers silently changed once again.

【Current number of patients waiting: 21】

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TL: Haha...I picked up another novel ( ; ω ; ), I've recently been reading this novel and I was hooked immediately that I bought all the chapters, so now I might as well tl them. For now updates will be random as I am still tl~