Chapter 114: Five Senses (Second Installment)

The remainder of the third day was spent by Chen Shijin in the hospital. Thanks to his kind neighbor, he would have to stay for at least two more days, coincidentally aligning with the time needed to repair his house.

Most importantly, Chen Shijin didn't need to pay for hospital fees or meals. It wasn't because the neighbor's son insisted on footing the bill; rather, the hospital had noticed the unusual condition of his sudden severe nearsightedness, hearing loss, and loss of taste. They deemed it a textbook case and wanted to keep him for observation for another couple of days.

During this period, they could study his condition and perhaps discover some new standards for such rare cases.

Well, to put it bluntly, it was another form of working for the hospital.

There was a slight risk involved, akin to being a guinea pig, but with a maximum stay of only two days, the danger was significantly reduced.

Another reason was that hospitals generally prohibited unknown individuals from entering, which might decrease potential crises.

Fat chance.

On the fourth day, his first day as an inpatient, Chen Shijin was served a light yet nutritious breakfast in his specially arranged single room. As expected, he discovered that he had lost his sense of smell.

Then, he saw an elderly man with gray hair accompanied by a sweet-looking nurse. They approached and took 200 milliliters of his blood without hesitation.

"Mr. Chen, rest assured. We'll thoroughly study your condition. Our expert team has already discussed it. We speculate that your illness might be related to a sudden genetic mutation in your body."

"Your state resembles ALS, but it's entirely different. ALS involves gradually losing control over the body, whereas you seem to be progressively losing your 'five senses' selectively."

"It's not a complete loss, but it's almost at its extreme, which is remarkable," the elder analyzed earnestly. "Today, you've lost your sense of smell, and your senses are mostly reduced to touch. Hence, we'll continue monitoring your condition tomorrow and on the sixth day, which is crucial."

"If you don't experience any further deterioration or unusual symptoms on the sixth day, perhaps a new, unique condition will be named after your case."

"Indeed, we could call it—the Gradual Loss of Five Senses Syndrome."

Chen Shiming rolled his eyes as he listened to the old man's lengthy explanation. He now wore a hearing aid, allowing him to hear slightly better. The hospital had also provided specialized glasses for his eyes, but unfortunately, the issue seemed to extend beyond his cornea; the glasses couldn't restore his vision.

Thus, his current state was as follows: he could hear loud sounds, see objects within a palm's distance, couldn't smell, couldn't taste, but could feel touch.

In summary - half crippled.

"Mr. Chen, you must maintain an optimistic attitude! Believe that this is definitely not a terminal illness!"

Lying on the hospital bed, Chen Shi Jin twitched his lips. "Understood. I'm in a very normal state of mind right now."

And he was trying to be even more normal.

Then, with the vials of blood in hand, the old man cheerfully left, clearly intending for a long period of research.

Just as they reached the door, Chen Shi Jin suddenly called out, "Old Man, wait!"

His voice was so loud that it startled the elder.

"Huh?"

"Are you free for the rest of the day after this?"

"Yes, I am."

"Then please inform the hospital staff that they should avoid entering my room unless it's necessary. This ward has facilities for boiling water and cooking instant noodles, a bathroom with a shower, a TV, plus I have fruits, milk, and a cat. There's no need for anyone to bring meals or disturb me. Could you kindly make that clear to others?"

The old man was taken aback. "Uh, oh, I can certainly do that, but... why?"

Chen Shiming's expression was grave. "As you know, misfortune has been chasing me since a few days ago. First, I fell ill, then I nearly had a car accident, followed by a fire upstairs at home, and then food poisoning..."

Both the old man and the nurse were speechless. What a tragic string of events.

"My mental state and mood have suffered significantly. I'm now experiencing a mild paranoia, feeling that anyone close to me might bring harm. I feel mentally unstable."

"So, please, make it clear to the rest of the hospital staff not to disturb me or enter this room without reason. Give me the peace and quiet I need."

"Otherwise, I fear I might act impulsively."

Sitting on the bed with his head lowered, the young man looked utterly pitiful. Both the old man and the nurse couldn't help but show their concern for this unlucky soul.

"Young man, don't worry! I'll make sure to communicate this to the rest of the hospital staff! For the entire day, no one will bother you! If there's anything, I'll personally knock on the door, alright?"

Chen Shijin instantly flashed a grateful smile at the old man.

The little nurse was not one to be outdone: "Don't worry, big brother! I'll put up a 'Do Not Disturb' sign outside your door! As long as that's there, nobody will come in!"

Chen Shijin returned her a melancholic yet charming smile. "Thank you so much, beautiful lady."

Feeling a great sense of responsibility, the old man and the nurse left. Chen Shijin listened carefully to the sounds outside his door, seemingly hearing the nurse putting up the sign.

Chen Shijin chuckled softly.

Then, he promptly got out of bed.

"Meow?!"

Judging from Sweet Gold's expression, it was surely up to something significant.

Chen Shijin first sent a text to his neighbor uncle: "Uncle, my luck hasn't been good lately and my mood isn't great either. I'm a bit scared. Could you please buy some nails and tape from the hardware store for me? I want to reinforce my windows and doors later. Please, Uncle, have mercy on me .jpg"

A quick reply came back: "Just wait!"

"Uncle, if possible, could you get me one of those megaphones with a recorder? I'm afraid I won't be able to hear or see, and others won't hear me."

The uncle replied with an emoji expressing deep concern.

Twenty minutes later, the door to Chen Shijin's hospital room was knocked on. The apologetic neighbor uncle handed over a bag full of nails and tape to Chen Shijin, along with a hammer and the megaphone.

"Actually, you didn't have to buy them in advance. In a couple of days, when your house is fixed, I'll bring my tools and do it all for you! But you should keep the megaphone and the hammer close! They're great for self-defense!"

Chen Shijin smiled resiliently. "Thank you, Uncle! I understand. Since I have nothing much to do in the hospital, I can practice nailing beforehand."

The neighbor uncle pondered about practicing nailing in a hospital, then cautiously looked around. "Be careful, and keep the noise down! If you use too many nails, you might get fined."

Chen Shijin nodded assuredly. "Don't worry, Uncle! I'll nail into thin air!"

Only then did the neighbor uncle leave with peace of mind.

Le Feng watched his fragile, partially blind, and unsteady partner first set aside the recording megaphone. Then, he began to scatter the large bag of nails on the floor.

The nails varied in length, some were even rounded pushpins. As they clinked against the ground, the sound was incredibly crisp.

Le Feng: "..."

Chen Shi Jin strategically scattered nails at the entrance where the door was quietly opened, attached them upside down with tape on the windowsill and beneath the window, as well as by his bedside.

Then, with an expressionless face, he peeled five bananas, removed the flesh, and evenly divided the peels into four parts, placing them in the center of the nails.

Le Zi Meow crouched on the bed, involuntarily retracting its claws, feeling a slight pain in them.

"…Tsk, I forgot to buy lubricant. That stuff would be the safest to pour on the ground."

After setting up all the traps, Chen Shi Jin climbed onto the bed, carefully navigating around them. Now, only he knew the safe path in the room. Whoever dared to sneak in and harm him would have to pay a hefty price!

Anyway, he was currently an ailing patient. Who could be more miserable or deserving of sympathy than him?

With this thought in mind, Chen Shi Jin prepared a pack of instant noodles for lunch and drank a glass of milk before taking a refreshing nap.

Oh, he also locked the door from the inside.

Sometime after one in the afternoon, the black cat lying on the bed twitched its ears. Its deep blue eyes focused on the doorknob, noticing a subtle turning motion, but the door remained unopened.

For about ten minutes, the commotion outside ceased. The black cat yawned and resumed its slumber with a grin on its face.

In the afternoon, Chen Shijin spent the hours petting the cat and listening to audiobooks, all while doing exercises amidst the room filled with nails and bananas.

When dinner time arrived, a little nurse knocked on his door, claiming to have brought his meal. Without opening the door, Chen Shijin replied that he wasn't hungry and didn't want to eat. Despite her persistence, he refused to budge, eventually prompting the nurse to leave reluctantly.

Chen Shijin's lips curled into a small smile.

It seemed the spider demon and the creature with large eyes were growing impatient.

Tonight was bound to be the climax.

Before going to bed, he glanced at the tape set up to activate the speaker if someone fell from the window, along with the longest nail trap. At eight o'clock, he drifted off into a deep sleep.

Assuming no unforeseen circumstances, tonight, between one and three in the morning, would undoubtedly be a sleepless night.

0:00

The entire hospital fell silent.

Only the dim corridor lights remained illuminated.

0:40

Suddenly, a soft tapping of footsteps echoed in the hallway. High above, on the hospital's dark upper floors, a rope descended, and a figure began descending towards the special ward where Chen Shijin resided.

Click.

The doorknob was turned.

The door did not budge.

A human silhouette appeared by the window, attempting to push it open to no avail.

However, soon enough, the sound of a key being inserted into the lock could be heard.

Outside the window, the shadowy figure had a specialized tool sliding into the window's crevice.

Click.

Bang.

Simultaneously, two soft sounds echoed.

The door, which had been shut all day, creaked open a tiny crack and then widened gradually in the darkness of night.

The window was also thrown wide open. A silhouette outside, grinning wildly with immense excitement, leaped through it in a heartbeat!

He was here to kill—

? !

The moment his feet touched the ground, the excitement on his face contorted abruptly.

Piercing pain shot through his soles, causing him to shriek uncontrollably. The excruciating sensation made him desperate to escape, but stepping back found nails, and advancing forward two steps more, still nails!

"Ahh!"

"Ahh, ahh, ahh, my feet, ahh!"

As he let out an "Ah!", the shadow that had secretly entered through the door was startled and immediately roared in anger, "Shut up! You're risking your life!"

But it was to no avail.

The shadow hastily closed the door, attempting to rush over and silence its companion. However, it slipped, stumbled, and fell forward in pain!

"Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

By the time the alarmed hospital security guards and on-duty nurses rushed into the ward, they were met with a startling sight: two blood-soaked patients, clad in hospital gowns, writhing on the floor, and a delicate, pitiable, and seemingly vulnerable young man, wrapped in a blanket, sitting on the bed.

Everyone: ...

The scene was almost too picturesque, almost too harrowing to bear.