Chapter 862: Method

Chapter 862: A Solution

Li Huowang was re-chained with handcuffs and shackles, then escorted back to his room.

Sitting on the bed, Li Huowang pondered the information Bahu had just revealed to him. He suppressed his growing unease, his mind beginning to analyze what Qingwang might be plotting.

"He wants to use Yang Na to threaten me?! But why? Has he finally stopped pretending? What exactly does he want to do? Yin."

The trembling lips of Li Huowang suddenly parted wide, and he bit down hard on his own hand, his eyes flashing with fury. "I'm going to kill him!! I'm going to murder him! I absolutely must kill him!!"

The longer Li Huowang stayed in Bai Ta Prison, the more intense his rage became. Just as it was about to reach its peak—just as he could barely contain himself from attempting an escape—Bahu finally made a move.

Today was Mid-Autumn Festival. Eating mooncakes was mandatory, even for the mentally ill. The mooncakes were made by patients themselves, saving labor costs while allowing the inmates to participate in the festive atmosphere—a win-win situation.

On one side of each mooncake was printed the name of Bai Ta Psychiatric Ward, and at the center was a stylized outline of a human head, within which was depicted a staff entwined by two serpents.

There were many varieties of mooncakes: milk cheese, green apple and plum, coffee chocolate, peach oolong tea, litchi xiangyu (fragrant taro), and golden purple sweet potato. Yet none of them interested Li Huowang.

"Have one, you know. How can it be Mid-Autumn without mooncakes?" A nurse placed a block of ice skin purple sweet potato mooncake into Li Huowang's hands. "I know you miss home. Everyone does. Cooperate well with your treatment, and when you're cured, you'll be reunited with your family."

Colorful paper decorations hung from the ceiling of the rest room. The more institutional this place was, the more emphasis they placed on holiday spirit. But Li Huowang felt nothing of it. He mechanically shoved the mooncake into his mouth and began chewing.

Just as he had chewed halfway through, Li Huowang froze mid-motion. There was something inside the purple sweet potato filling!

"Everyone, there’s a prisoner band from Block Six coming to perform around the prison! Let’s eat and watch!"

Hearing this, the patients watching TV suddenly stirred with excitement, grabbing their mooncakes and heading toward the sound.

After all, nothing beat real people over television. Although Block Six was a high-security ward, it housed some truly talented individuals.

Li Huowang didn’t move. He sat there, waiting until the entire rest area grew quiet. Then he brought his hand to his mouth and spat out whatever was inside.

Feigning interest in the pattern on the mooncake, Li Huowang quickly unfolded the paper.

He swiftly recorded the content, then tossed the paper into his mouth, chewed it a few times, and swallowed it.

With nonchalance, he ate a few more mooncakes before standing up and leaving the room.

The nurse watching TV hurriedly stood up and followed him. "Where are you going?"

"To the restroom."

"Big or small? Hurry up, that skit just now was kind of funny."

Li Huowang ignored him and walked straight to the restroom stall marked on the note.

What he didn’t expect was that the stall was already occupied—by a doctor who looked exactly like him.

The man raised a finger to his lips, signaling Li Huowang to stay silent. Then he pulled out a piece of skin and pressed it against Li Huowang’s face.

"Zuowang Dao?!" Li Huowang leaned back slightly.

But he quickly realized it wasn't Zuowang Dao—it was a realistic latex mask.

He had seen such things online. With proper makeup, these masks could be indistinguishable from real skin. Some foreign prisons even used them to escape.

Wearing the mask gave him the sensation of wearing a face mask, and then he let the other person draw on his face with various tools.

"Are we done?"

Hearing the nurse outside urging him, Li Huowang saw the man switch clothes with him, then skillfully unlock his handcuffs, shackles, and headgear, putting them all on himself.

Finally, the man handed him a note, patted his shoulder, and left, following the nurse out of the restroom.

Only after no sounds came from outside did Li Huowang emerge. He walked to the restroom mirror and stared blankly at his completely unfamiliar reflection.

He touched his face, amazed by Zhao Shuang’s capabilities. She could even get hold of something like this.

Not only skin, but even the eyeballs were so realistic. With a bit of hair covering them, one would never tell the difference unless looking closely.

But Li Huowang knew this wasn’t the time to dwell on such things. Time was tight.

He glanced at the note again, swallowed it once more, and took out a magnetic card from his pocket.

Taking a deep breath, Li Huowang gripped the card tightly and headed toward the exit of Bai Ta.

As the card swiped across the iron gate, it clicked open. Li Huowang felt his body grow lighter.

But just as he stepped toward the second door, a familiar voice called out, “Wait, you are—”

Li Huowang’s hair stood on end. He stopped walking and turned toward the voice. There stood Yi Donglai approaching him.

Yi Donglai glanced at Li Huowang’s badge and extended his hand. “Dr. He, right? Hello, hello. I’m Yi Donglai.”

Li Huowang was in a panic. Though his appearance had changed, his voice hadn’t. If he spoke, someone as close to him as Yi Donglai would recognize him instantly.

"You’re a stranger here, Dr. He. Are you newly transferred to this unit? Sorry, I just thought your silhouette looked familiar, thought maybe I knew someone."

Seeing the moment had come, and that silence would seem odd, Li Huowang suddenly remembered something Yi Donglai had said earlier.

Li Huowang took half a step back, looked at Yi Donglai with disdain, and shook his head, making a disapproving sound.

He tried to act as if he looked down upon this doctor whose paper had been retracted and who had been humiliated publicly.

Though this was rude, even offensive, it was true that there were such snobs in the world—and not a few.

Yi Donglai clearly understood what Li Huowang meant. His breathing became heavy, and his face flushed slightly.

His former colleague had merely whispered behind his back, but this new doctor didn’t even pretend anymore. It was enough to unsettle Yi Donglai’s composure.

"What gives you the right to look down on me? You don’t even know what kind of patient Li Huowang really is!"

"If Li Huowang were under your care, you incompetent doctors wouldn’t even find the door!"

Li Huowang acted as though he didn’t want to talk anymore, turned sharply, and strode away.

Though it pained him to disappoint the doctor who had always wanted to save him, thinking of Yang Na’s uncertain fate, he had no choice now.

"You all wait. When I cure Li Huowang, I’ll make you all lift your eyelids and see! I, Yi Donglai, will still be the first Yi Donglai!"