Healing Doctor

Chapter 747 A Hurdle in My Heart

"Isn't that right, teacher?" Ji Xiang asked.

"Of course not," the system NPC said. "I've only encountered a few similar cases of people hanging themselves, and a large part of them were cooperating with the police."

"One of the victims died with his legs outstretched and his buttocks less than 10cm off the ground."

Ji Xiang was stunned for a moment; this was completely different from what he had imagined about hanging.

In movies and TV dramas, before hanging oneself, a small stool is prepared, the rope is tied to a tree branch or roof beam, and after the head is put in, the stool is kicked off.

However, the system NPC said that one of the deceased died with his legs on the ground.

"Teacher, if that's the case, you can stand up anytime, anywhere, so how can you die?" Ji Xiang asked in confusion.

The system NPC smiled slightly.

Ji Xiang paused for a moment, then immediately shook his head without hesitation.

He didn't want to experience the same thing as someone who had hanged themselves.

I don't want to think about it this time, I don't want to think about it next time, and I won't want to think about it in the future either.

Life is so interesting; I haven't lived enough yet.

"Dr. Ji Xiang, you're overthinking it," the system NPC said. "Don't you have a very good impression of Shen Lang?"

"Well……"

Ji Xiang was taken aback.

Of course, I have a very good impression of Brother Lang!

But what does this have to do with hanging!

Although the system is a simulation, Ji Xiang absolutely does not want to experience the feeling of slow suffocation and death. He feels that doing so would leave him with irreparable psychological trauma.

"Congwen and Shen Lang encountered a patient who hanged himself, and the ending was a bit strange. Would you like to go and see it?"

"From a doctor's perspective?"

"Hmm." The system NPC nodded.

Ji Xiang was relieved, not even realizing that he was beaming with joy.

Following the system NPC to the next operating room, light and shadow flickered, and the next second Ji Xiang heard a familiar voice in his ear.

"Ji Xiang, hurry up! What are you doing!"

"Brother Lang!" Ji Xiang's eyes filled with tears.

Opening his eyes, Ji Xiang saw that Shen Lang's ears were already perked up, like antennas.

"Forget about 'Brother Lang,' let's go with Wen to the home of the deceased who was just brought in to check on the situation!"

"What's the matter?" Ji Xiang asked knowingly.

"Haunted."

"..."

again!

After the incident with Old Wang who drained people's lifespan, Ji Xiang had already gained a preliminary understanding of Shen Lang.

This guy always likes to exaggerate when he talks to others, but he knows exactly what's going on in his mind.

Even when Old Wang's body was hidden in a freezer, and his grandson was pushing him out for a walk, Shen Lang himself believed that Old Wang could drain people's lifespan, but Shen Lang knew it all too well.

The phrase "saying one thing and meaning another" perfectly describes someone like Shen Lang.

"Brother Lang, don't rush, let's go a little later." Ji Xiang pulled Shen Lang and persuaded him, "Think about it, if we go right away, they'll have set up a cordon, and we won't be able to get in. Once there's a crowd and they've collected enough evidence, we can just take a look from a distance."

"What if the director scolds us?"

"Sigh." Shen Lang patted Ji Xiang on the head. "If you don't dare to go, then don't go. Why say so much? I already told you, the patient's family didn't call the police. The director went to check on the situation at the patient's family's place."

"You're really boring. Don't you want to know what happened? Let's talk as we walk, don't make excuses."

Tsk tsk, Brother Shen Lang really looks rough, but he's actually incredibly meticulous.

The two got into the car, Shen Lang holding a cigarette in one hand and gripping the steering wheel with the other.

"The deceased was a white-collar worker at a company, and it seems he was already at the sales manager level," Shen Lang explained to Ji Xiang.

"A few days ago, she rejected a guy who was a simp, but because he was too clingy, she said some hurtful things."

"Clingy? That's definitely troublesome. Brother Lang, let me tell you, I was a simp once too. At the time, I didn't think much of it; I just wanted to give my heart to the other person. But now, thinking about it, I wish I could disappear into a crack in the ground," Ji Xiang chimed in, seizing the opportunity.

Chatting with Shen Lang was very comfortable; Ji Xiang especially liked this relaxed atmosphere. Moreover, Shen Lang was clear-headed, and although he might say things without thinking, Ji Xiang didn't care.

"You say that being a simp means you end up with nothing, what's the point?" Shen Lang shook his head.

"Hey Lang, do you have a girlfriend yet?"

"No, why would I need a girlfriend? To be a simp like you?" Shen Lang retorted.

"Well……"

"In Northeast China, it's relatively easy to avoid dowries, but given the nature of our work... women need time to spend with them, and that's not suitable for us."

Although Ji Xiang did not think so, he did not refute it.

"And you, Xiao Ji?"

"I didn't look for anyone. When I was in school, my dad registered a new QQ account and started chatting with me. That's when I became his simp for over a year."

"Wow! How could your dad be so irresponsible!" Shen Lang immediately understood and exclaimed, "Take me to meet your old man sometime. I need to have a good chat with this irresponsible old man."

"..."

Ji Xiang was quite helpless.

"Oops, you interrupted me and I forgot what I was talking about." Unlike Zhao Zhe, who would forget what he was saying mid-conversation, Shen Lang immediately brought the topic back on his own. "Back then, the deceased told his suitor that there was absolutely no chance in this lifetime."

"Oh, that's good. At least we're not leaving them hanging," Ji Xiang said.

"Yeah, but guess what that guy said?"

"What do you mean? Everyone says it's absolutely impossible in this lifetime," Ji Xiang said, puzzled.

He said, "If I die, will I be able to have a better next life?"

"Damn!" Ji Xiang exclaimed in shock.

"I heard from Wen that the man seems to have really committed suicide, he hanged himself," Shen Lang said mysteriously.

"!!!"

"After he died, the girl kept seeing the dead man for the next two days."

"Saw it? Brother Lang, that's a bit ridiculous." Ji Xiang immediately said, recalling the incident with Old Wang, "It's impossible."

"See what I told you?" Shen Lang said, "Your imagination is really terrible."

Ji Xiang remained silent.

"The girl's mother said that she called yesterday saying that her daughter had encountered a ghost."

Next, Shen Lang briefly explained the whole story.

The girl rejected the man's advances firmly, but soon after returning home, she received a video call request from him.

The girl, of course, clicked "decline".

But the man messaged me saying he was going to die and asked for one last video call.

The girl panicked and tried to persuade him not to commit suicide. She clicked "accept" and saw that the man had prepared a rope at home to kill himself.

The girl was a little annoyed at the time. There is a type of person in this world that is quite annoying—regardless of gender.

They use self-harm to express their love, taking advantage of any sliver of kindness in the other person's heart.

The woman wanted to hang up the video call, but the man didn't hesitate at all. After saying that, he hanged himself.

The girl was emotionally devastated after witnessing the man's suicide.

The crucial point is that she didn't even know where the man was, and there wasn't even time to call 120 for emergency help.

Coupled with feelings of fear and anxiety, she happened to receive a phone call from a close friend, and she told her friend about it.

Her best friend came to visit her.

Then, strange things began to happen.

The specifics of what happened are unclear, and the deceased's mother did not elaborate. It is said that a series of strange events caused the girl to have an emotional breakdown, and she ultimately chose to hang herself.

"You'll die the same way a man would! I'm asking you, are you scared?!" Shen Lang asked.

"Uh... something seems off, Brother Lang."

"Xiao Ji, are you going to ask where the man died?"

Ji Xiang smiled slightly; Shen Lang really knew exactly what was going on.

"We don't know yet."

"Brother Lang, do you really believe it's ghostly? That man hanged himself, and then the girl also hanged herself like she was possessed? It sounds like a horror movie. Usually, these things aren't real."

"Of course I believe it," Shen Lang said to himself.

Ji Xiang curled his lip, "You believe me, you old geezer."

Shen Lang fooled himself quite well last time with Old Wang, and he's trying the same trick again this time!

Shen Lang said, "The patient's family didn't call the police. Congwen felt something was wrong, so he asked someone he knew to contact the patient's family and go to their home to take a look."

"A doctor is just a doctor, and can only be a doctor."

Ji Xiang summarized what the system NPCs, Meng Qingfei, and Director Bai had told him.

"Oh?" Shen Lang raised an eyebrow. "Xiao Ji, the way you talk is just like the big boss!"

"Right?"

"But Congwen felt that the girl's death was a bit strange; she hanged herself in her own closet."

"Wardrobe?"

"Um."

Ji Xiang's expression was solemn, and it seemed that he indeed did not need roof beams or tree branches.

"Brother Lang, if that's the case, wouldn't it be fine if she just stood up when she was dying?" Shen Lang asked the same question.

"That's right. Initially, a person's desire to die is very strong. When the brain is deprived of oxygen, it falls into a semi-comatose state. Coupled with weakness in the limbs, some people really can't escape from similar situations."

"???" Ji Xiang was full of questions.

"If you don't believe me, search online. There are videos on the website. I watched as that person half-sat on the ground and committed suicide. His buttocks weren't very high off the ground, but he just died like that."

Furthermore, people who hang themselves don't stick their tongues out; at least in those videos, the mouths of the deceased are always closed.

"!!!"

Ji Xiang heard something similar about seeing a doctor online, but this time it was even stranger: people were looking up information about hanging themselves online.

He took out his phone and started searching.

He doesn't usually search for similar things, but after Shen Lang's reminder, Ji Xiang immediately started searching.

Sure enough, there were related videos, and they hadn't been blocked yet!

"See?"

"Brother Lang, do you usually like this kind of thing? This is a rather strong flavor." Ji Xiang asked in a daze.

"Ugh! What are you talking about? How could I possibly like such heavy stuff?" Shen Lang said. "When Congwen called me, I immediately searched for relevant information."

Ji Xiang had nothing to say about Shen Lang calling these things "knowledge points".

That's roughly how things went, and Ji Xiang had a general idea of ​​what was going on.

Professor Zhou Congwen is making too much of a fuss; his approach to treating patients with Trisomy 21 is completely different.

Perhaps this is just the doctor's style?

Given that Professor Zhou Congwen performed so many surgeries, he shouldn't have had the time or energy to be curious.

Moreover, this matter is clearly not beneficial.

But he did it anyway.

eccentric.

Ji Xiang was so confused by the two instances of feeling the same way that he finally gave up and focused on chatting with Shen Lang.

Ever since he last met Shen Lang, Ji Xiang has been unable to forget him.

Shen Lang is a very interesting person. He has a wide range of knowledge and can talk about all sorts of strange and wonderful things from all over the world with ease.

Shen Lang spoke with particular enthusiasm when it came to supernatural or superstitious matters.

If it weren't for his previous experience, Ji Xiang would probably have already believed Shen Lang's nonsense.

The two rushed to the deceased's house, where Professor Zhou was examining the spot where the deceased had been hanged.

"Brother Lang, why didn't you call the police at home?"

"There's no need to call the police. The last person to see the girl was her mother. Apparently, her mother went to buy her favorite food, and when she came back, she found that the girl was dead."

"The most important thing is that our rule is that if the people don't report it, the officials won't investigate. If the family doesn't call the police, no one will care."

"You've arrived." Professor Zhou waved. "Put on shoe covers."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Lang took out shoe covers, handed one to Ji Xiang, and quickly put it on.

"How about Congwen?"

"Nothing unusual was found." Professor Zhou rested his chin on his hand and stared at the locker.

Ji Xiang shuffled over with his shoe covers on and took a look. The locker was small, with a clothes rack on top. It was made of solid wood and looked very sturdy.

How did I suddenly turn into Detective Conan? Ji Xiang felt something was strange.

But suicide by hanging is indeed rare, so Ji Xiang didn't have any further complaints.

"Director, have you found anything?" Ji Xiang asked.

"No, the surveillance footage shows that the deceased was indeed home alone at the time, and no one came in," Professor Zhou said in a deep voice.

"It really is haunted!" Shen Lang exclaimed in a low voice.

"Shut up!"

"Congwen, it's true!" Shen Lang retorted. "I just don't believe that a perfectly healthy person would commit suicide, especially in such a bizarre way."

"So, what are your thoughts?"

Shen Lang's lips moved, but he didn't speak.

It was obvious that he knew Professor Zhou would be unhappy if he said something like that.

"I told the patient's family not to tell anyone for the time being," Professor Zhou said.

"Keep the death a secret? Is that even useful?"

"Who knows? We can keep it a secret for a day or two." Professor Zhou frowned, still resting his chin on his hand as he looked at the changing room.

Ji Xiang couldn't understand what Professor Zhou was thinking.

In detective drama terms, this is called a locked-room murder.

With cameras everywhere in China now, serious incidents are extremely rare.

Moreover, the deceased's death line is quite clear, suggesting suicide. It seems Professor Zhou has quite the imagination.

"Congwen, did you have any communication with the patient... or the deceased's family?" Shen Lang asked.

"They said the deceased had been in a bad mood these past few days, and her best friend had been staying with her."

"Why don't you ask her best friend?"

Zhou Congwen looked at Shen Lang with the same gaze one would give an idiot.

"You have paranoia."

"The deceased told her parents that the man who committed suicide because of a relationship had been sending her videos ever since she saw him hanged."

"Um?"

"That's why she was scared," Professor Zhou explained simply. "And her family didn't want to call the police, thinking it was unnecessary."

"So, what are your thoughts?"

"The person is dead, where are you going to keep sending videos?" Professor Zhou said disdainfully. "Do you think everyone is like you? Do you think everything is the same as what you think?"

"Congwen, I haven't offended you, why are you unhappy?" Shen Lang retorted with a frown.

Ji Xiang watched them with great interest.

Shen Lang seemed to have no fear of Professor Zhou whatsoever. The two of them spoke casually, as if they were old friends.

"You all go out first, I'll think about it some more."

Shen Lang pulled Ji Xiang out.

"Brother Lang." Ji Xiang handed Shen Lang a cigarette, then asked, "We doctors are just doctors, and can only be doctors. Isn't what the chief doctor is doing a bit excessive?"

"He has psychological trauma."

"Oh?"

"When we were still junior doctors, a patient came to his shift. She was a 17-year-old woman with cardiac tamponade," Shen Lang said. "According to her family, when her brother-in-law and sister-in-law were cleaning fish, the sister-in-law asked for a knife, and her brother-in-law threw the knife at her, stabbing her directly in the heart."

"!!!"

"We're in the thoracic surgery department. There are ribs in front of the heart. The gaps between the ribs aren't narrow, but think about it, can a knife pierce through them? Let alone throwing it while cleaning fish, if you pin someone to the ground and stab them, it would be impressive if the knife pierced through instead of being blocked by the ribs."

"Yes, what happened next?" Ji Xiang asked.

"If the people don't report it, the officials won't investigate. The patient was rescued, but due to prolonged cerebral hypoxia, he became a vegetable. He stayed in the ward for half a month, on a ventilator, and his family said they would give up."

"The day the tube was removed, I could tell Congwen's expression was off; his eyes were red and swollen. Tell me, what does a complete stranger have to do with him? It's just some bullshit sense of justice at play."

Shen Lang took a drag of his cigarette and muttered to himself.

So that's how it is. Professor Zhou had this kind of experience. Ji Xiang suddenly realized.

No wonder my empathy this time was different from the last time.

This falls under the categories of medical ethics and humanities, and generally speaking, few people pay attention to it.

"Brother Lang, what do you think?"

"It must be the work of ghosts!" Shen Lang said. "I won't overthink it like Congwen did."

"Hahaha." Ji Xiang lowered his voice and mocked Shen Lang.

Shen Lang didn't care at all. He silently smoked his cigarette and suddenly said, "I think whoever makes the call is the one who's hiding something."

"Oh?"

"The person who first called the deceased, who instructed the patient's family not to announce the death, must be up to no good."

That is a reasonable judgment.

"Brother Lang, didn't you say that if the people don't complain, the officials won't investigate?"

"The hospital has the right to sue, but it's a hospital after all, and the leaders all think it's pointless. Back then, we were all young doctors, and nobody understood," Shen Lang explained while smoking. "Anyway, it's better to avoid trouble."

"What exactly happened in the video?"

"What kind of explanation do you want to hear?" Shen Lang asked.

"Your explanation."

"If you ask me, it's basically the deceased's unresolved feelings leading them to become a ghost and seek out the woman they loved in life, then causing her to commit suicide in a bizarre way. This is the most basic formula, and it seems like Hong Kong horror movies often use this trope."

"Brother Lang, be serious and tell me what's on your mind. Stop lying to me," Ji Xiang said.

"I'm being serious, okay? Since you don't believe me, let me explain it to you properly."

Ji Xiang was taken aback.

Shen Lang, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, became serious.

One day, I rejected a man who was pursuing me. He asked me how we could be together, and I said in the next life.

That evening, I received a video call invitation from him. I definitely wouldn't accept the video call, but he immediately sent me a message saying he was going to commit suicide.

I frantically answered the video call, only to see a rope positioned behind the man, indicating he was preparing to commit suicide. At that moment, I panicked. I had never seen anything like this before, so it's understandable that I was a little flustered.

The man said a few words to me. He said that we couldn't be together in this life, and he hoped that I would keep my promise and go to him immediately after he died.

But I never said that; he misinterpreted my words.

Just as I was about to explain, he hanged himself right in front of me.

I was terrified. I've never even done anything like being a chicken since I was a child, let alone watching a person die right in front of me.

Especially when I saw his face gradually turn blue and purple, and his tongue sticking out, looking like a hanged ghost, I became even more frightened.

I hurriedly shut down the video and huddled under the covers.

But even under the covers wasn't safe; I always felt the hanging ghost's tongue dangling behind me.

"..." Ji Xiang was startled by Shen Lang's long speech.

Especially when Shen Lang was telling stories, his tone was sinister, and Ji Xiang vaguely felt someone blowing cold air behind him.

Ji Xiang even felt the hanged ghost behind him, its tongue drooping down, occasionally touching his neck.

"And that night, my phone received another message, this time from a video caller who was already dead!"

Of course I wouldn't dare accept it. Anyone who dares to accept it is a coward!

He died right in front of me, and now his ghost must be coming to claim my life!

I was terrified, so I called my mother back home. But as soon as I got to the details, I became even more frightened. I told her the whole story in a jumbled mess and asked her to come and stay with me.

But I was still scared. Just then, a close friend came to visit me, so I asked her if she could come and keep me company.

Thankfully she came…

Shen Lang stopped there.

"That's all the information I have. Xiao Ji, where do you think the problem lies?" Shen Lang asked.

"There's nothing wrong with it; everything makes sense. If there is any problem, is it possible that the deceased didn't clearly see the scene of the man hanging himself?"

"I think it's either a supernatural phenomenon, but Wen Yang's energy is strong, so he's not afraid of these things; or it's a clumsy prank, or even a deliberate murder."

"Hmm?" Ji Xiang pondered for a moment, but still couldn't figure out where the problem lay.

The phone rang, and Professor Zhou's voice came through.

"Hello, you must be Jiaojiao's friend. She's sick and in the hospital."

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm Jiaojiao's cousin. I just arrived today."

"The doctor said it was insomnia and arrhythmia, and that a few drops of medicine would make me feel better quickly."

"Okay, I'll hang up now."

Shen Lang stood up abruptly and strode inside.

"Congwen, who called?"

"It was the deceased's best friend, the one who was with her until her death."

"Is it a ghost?"

"We can't say that for now." Professor Zhou held the deceased's phone in his hand, the phone bobbing between his fingers like a sprite.

Ji Xiang had seen Shen Lang play with a lighter, but Professor Zhou was a bit too big for his phone, so he needed more dexterity.

"What a powerful sorcerer," Ji Xiang thought to himself.

Professor Zhou seemed to be pondering something, but then smiled slightly, opened his phone, and opened social media.

"Writing is a matter of privacy!"

"Oh, I know," Professor Zhou said casually. "Look, look at the conversation between the deceased and her mother. Her mother didn't tell us about it."

This time, Shen Lang seemed to have forgotten about things like privacy and moved closer.

(End of this chapter)