Chapter 974 - Convince

Inside Yi Donglai’s house, Li Huowang recounted everything that had happened to him, insisting it wasn’t just in his head.

“See, they aren’t hallucinations. They are real. You can touch them!”

With a cup in hand, Yi Donglai surveyed the room. “Where did you meet them?”

“Doctor Yi, I’ve told you before. They’re the Simings from Baiyu Capital! Have you forgotten? I told you they existed! There really is another world.”

Yi Donglai looked around. “Who’s the leader here?”

“I am,” Zhao Shuangdian replied.

Yi Donglai narrowed his eyes. “Do you think it’s amusing to manipulate a mentally ill man? Do you believe that if someone with his condition kills, they won’t face any consequences? Is that why you’re using him to kill people?

“Let me make this clear. According to the law, each one of you would be held responsible. Any crime committed by Li Huowang would fall on you!”

“Wait! They’re not deceiving me!” Li Huowang protested, but Yi Donglai remained unconvinced.

“Li Huowang, my thesis is public. Anyone could use it to impersonate your hallucinations and deceive you. They’re using you!

“You think he’s Qing Wanglai? He’s not! He’s just some fraud calling himself that! Qing Wanglai is just a name—anyone could claim to be him!”

“No! That’s not true! He’s the real Qing Wanglai!” Li Huowang pressed his hands to his temples. He didn’t know how to explain it.

“Why are you having trouble with it? Why do you need to convince him? Just threaten him so he can start treating you.”

Ba Nanxu unsheathed a dagger, driving it into the table before Yi Donglai. Her tattooed finger jabbed toward Li Huowang. “Treat him, or we’ll skin you alive.”

Yi Donglai adjusted his glasses, shaking his head in disbelief.

Ba Nanxu wasn’t bluffing. She picked up the dagger and slammed its hilt into Yi Donglai’s little finger.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

“What are you doing?!” Li Huowang stood up, shoving her away.

He examined Yi Donglai’s hand. His nail was nearly detached, and his bruised finger was bleeding heavily.

Undeterred, Ba Nanxu stepped forward again. “Treat him, or I’ll break every finger and toe you’ve got.”

Yi Donglai hissed and spoke in disbelief, saying, “Treat him? You want to use him while asking me to treat him? Isn’t that contradictory?”

“No,” Zhao Shuangdian replied calmly. “We don’t need you to cure him entirely. Just treat him enough to get results, like you did before. We’ll pay whatever it takes.”

Yi Donglai’s phone dinged. He picked it up and saw a bunch of zeros on the message. He was utterly stunned.

He looked at the ragtag group before him, their mismatched appearances undermining any sense of organization.

“Doctor Yi, please, I’m begging you,” Li Huowang said. “This is serious. Everything I’ve told you is true!”

Li Huowang tried to explain, but Yi Donglai couldn’t believe it. “Li Huowang, you’re my patient. I know your history better than anyone. You don’t have to explain it to me.”

“No, it’s not the same. I wasn't a Siming last time! Fu Shengtian didn’t attack us last time either! Everything has changed now!”

“Oh? Fine, I can trust you, but on one condition. Repeat everything you’ve just said to your parents. If you can do that, I’ll trust you.”

“Why are you dragging them in? They are not involved in this!”

Li Huowang recalled something and pulled Yang Na beside him. “Ask her! She knows that I’m telling the truth!”

Yi Donglai sighed when he saw Yang Na nodding. “You two are too young. There are a lot of bad people outside. Don’t get tricked by them.”

Zhao Shuangdian spoke up after seeing that Yi Donglai still didn't trust them. “Doctor Yi, let’s be rational. If you think we are using Li Huowang’s identity as a mental patient to do our deeds, why do we want you to treat him? Isn’t it better for us the crazier he is?

“Also, what kind of crime organization would give you so much money without any conditions?”

Yi Donglan couldn’t answer. Regardless, he still had reservations and couldn’t believe them.

Zhao Shuangdian took two steps back and touched her earlobes.

Ba Nanxu broke the silence, her forked tongue flicking at a photo frame. “Doctor Yi, this little girl must mean a lot to you, right?”

Everyone turned and saw Ba Nanxu licking a photo frame. In the photo, they could see Yi Donglai smiling with a young girl holding a balloon. The girl was about eight years old.

“What are you doing?!” Yi Donglai’s voice cracked with panic.

Ba Shengqing took Yi Donglai’s phone and handed it to his sister.

“She’s important to you, isn’t she?” Ba Nanxu smirked. “I doubt it’d take long to find information on her through your phone.”

“Fine! You win!” Yi Donglai’s composure shattered, his face pale. He didn’t know who they were, but he didn’t dare to take any chances. “What do you want me to do?”

Ba Nanxu threw the photo frame to the ground, causing it to shatter into countless pieces. “Treat that damned crazy bastard.”

“Fine! I’ll do it. I’ll do it.”

Ba Nanxu scoffed and looked at everyone else. “Are you guys so free that you could slowly talk it out? You should just be as straightforward as me.”

Li Huowang felt guilty because they were threatening Yi Donglai, but the situation was dire. There was no time to waste. He needed to get treatment now.

“Sorry, Doctor Yi. Once everything is over, I will come and apologize to you formally.”

Li Huowang approached Yi Donglai to receive his treatment.