Chapter 699: Freedom

Chapter 699: Freedom

“Yang Na, go to the specific address first. See if you can find anything,” Li Huowang said.

“Okay, but all these houses are built in such a chaotic manner.” As Yang Na spoke, the camera began to shake.

After searching for a while, Yang Na quickly found the address that Qian Fu had mentioned in an alleyway.

It was a two-story concrete house at the end of a narrow alley, with rough cement walls and colorful graffiti drawn by children on its surface.

The door on the second floor was locked, and the address indicated the second floor.

“Crack!” A sound of a bowl breaking came from inside, followed immediately by another sharp sound—clearly a slap.

Startled by the noise, Yang Na took a step back, but then cautiously moved forward again.

“Money! Money! All about money! How much do I make in a month?!” The voice of a man with a coarse throat came from within.

Then came a woman’s cry. “You promised me when we got married! You said you’d take care of Dad’s medical expenses!”

“How dare you bring up your father! It’s no wonder he’s greedy as money itself! How much did he swallow over the years! Why does he still live?! How much longer will he torment our family?!”

Another broken bowl shattered inside, along with the sound of tables and chairs falling over, mixed with a girl’s suppressed sobs.

Hearing their argument, Li Huowang realized they had found the right place. He quickly thought things through and formed a plan in his mind. “Excuse me, is Qian Peiling there?”

“Who’s asking?” A bearded man with an unfriendly expression emerged from inside, wearing a yellow electric scooter helmet.

When he saw it was a young student's face on the phone screen, his expression turned impatient.

If not for the fact that the one holding the phone was a beautiful woman, he would have cursed at him already. “What do you want?”

“Hello, Grandpa Qian sent me to deliver a message to you. He doesn’t want to stay at Kangning Hospital anymore—he wants to leave. Na Na, I’ve sent a video. Please open it and show them.”

Soon, Qian Fu’s thin and pale face appeared on the screen, full of despair and complaints. After his daughter and son-in-law watched the video, their quarrel became even more intense.

As their shouting grew louder, neighbors began peering out from their homes to watch the spectacle. Sensing the embarrassment, the couple shut the door and resumed arguing inside.

Yang Na didn’t leave; she waited as instructed by Li Huowang.

After lunch, when she saw the man riding his electric scooter out of the house, she quickly told Yang Na to follow him.

“You know what? There’s a hospital better than Kangning, cheaper, and more considerate toward patients. That way, your burden will be lighter.”

“But this hospital has one disadvantage—it has fewer surveillance cameras.”

Li Huowang quickly chatted with him, but the man remained indifferent.

“Huowang, it’s useless,” Yang Na said, her face unreadable—whether with regret or relief.

“No, it’s useful. If it weren’t, he wouldn’t have listened to my nonsense just now.”

“He didn’t agree to anything.”

Hearing that, Li Huowang smiled faintly. “We’ve only met once. We don’t know each other well. How could he tell us what he really thinks? But look at how he acted just now—does he really want Qian Fu to keep wasting money at Kangning Hospital?”

“In truth, he doesn’t want to be the villain, to carry the guilt of being disrespectful to his father. He needs us to give him a push.”

“How do we push?”

Li Huowang opened his mouth, then paused and shook his head. “Never mind. Go back. Tomorrow we’ll visit Kangning Hospital again.”

Three days later, Qian Fu was admitted to the hospital due to swallowing foreign objects and needed gastric lavage. Coincidentally, this news reached his daughter and son-in-law.

The matter was soon resolved. Qian Fu was transferred to another hospital.

He went to the one Li Huowang had recommended. Not only was it cheaper, but Li Huowang had lived there before and knew it well. Plus, it was close to his residential area.

After the transfer, Qian Fu’s condition seemed to improve. He no longer had to stay in the restricted ward every day.

Time passed, and as the surrounding security relaxed slightly, one evening Li Huowang quietly scaled the wall of the residential complex with his prepared items.

After riding on the electric scooter Yang Na had arranged for a while, he arrived at the psychiatric hospital where Qian Fu stayed.

Li Huowang skillfully climbed over the wall, evading surveillance, and led Qian Fu away quietly and smoothly from the hospital.

Once he took off the striped hospital uniform and put on the clothes Li Huowang had prepared, Qian Fu was finally free.

As soon as Qian Fu stepped onto the street, tears welled up in his eyes as he looked around at everything. He breathed in the fresh air of freedom. Suddenly, he moved. He ran to a garbage pile, picked up leftover takeaway food, and started eating greedily.

“Stop eating!” Li Huowang forcibly grabbed him and pulled him into a secluded alley.

Looking around nervously to ensure no one was watching, Li Huowang stared at him urgently. “I gave you freedom. Now you should help me too! How can we deal with those people?”

“Don’t panic. Before, you were alone and couldn’t act. Now we’re on the same side. I can help you, help you fight them together!”

“What nonsense are you talking about? I’m asking how to deal with them! Don’t tell me you can’t do anything! If you say that, I’ll throw you back into the psychiatric ward right now!”

“No, no, no! There’s a way!” Qian Fu, startled, waved his hands frantically. “They’re watching you, but they’re not watching me or my friends!”

“I’ll go find our friends. Since you saved me, my friends are your friends too. Once everyone’s here, you’ll be the bait. We’ll catch them all. Don’t worry—they’re not as powerful as you think!”

Li Huowang was skeptical about this plan, but decided to meet Qian Fu’s so-called friends first. He was curious—could Qian Fu’s friends also see those people?

“Fine! Here’s my old phone and an unmarked card.” Li Huowang shoved the phone into his chest.

“Use the phone to contact me!” Just as Li Huowang tried to let go, Qian Fu held him tightly, fear evident on his face. “No! They... they’re already acting on me! They want to turn me into one of them! Hurry! Help me!”

“What?” Just as Li Huowang couldn’t understand what was happening, he suddenly noticed Qian Fu had changed completely, staring at him in shock. “Li Huowang? Where am I? What’s going on? Why am I not in the hospital?”

“Damn!” Faced with this sudden change, Li Huowang nearly spat blood. He had forgotten—Qian Fu had dual personality disorder!

“No! I must go back! Back to the psychiatric hospital! I must get treatment!”

Just as Qian Fu struggled to escape, Li Huowang tackled him to the ground, pressing a sharp knife against his neck. “Don’t move!”

Clearly frightened by Li Huowang’s actions, Qian Fu stammered, “Li... Li Huowang, calm down. Please, please stay calm. Did you forget to take your medicine today? Come on, take it first.”

“We may be psychiatric patients, but we can’t give up on ourselves! As long as we keep receiving treatment, we’ll recover.”

“Shut up! Get up!”

With a fierce expression, Li Huowang forcefully dragged Qian Fu up and wrapped his arm around his neck, dragging him deeper into the alley.

At this moment, Qian Fu was clearly terrified by the current Li Huowang, his face turning ashen.

(End of Chapter)