ASA Ch29: Tenant

Chapter 29: “Are you expensive?”

Qin Ge walked into the hotel’s cafeteria and spotted Xie Zijing, Bai Xiaoyuan, and Tang Cuo talking together from a distance. He immediately turned to stop Lu Qinglai, pointing in another direction and saying, “Professor Lu, let’s sit over there.”

Lu Qinglai readily agreed. Qin Ge chose a secluded spot that was further away from Xie Zijing and his group. When Lu Qinglai went to get his food and sat down, Qin Ge was about to start steering the conversation in a different direction, but Lu Qinglai began talking enthusiastically about the history, future, and fascinating aspects of the octopus.

After patiently waiting for Lu Qinglai to express his passion for Bi Xingyi’s spiritual body, Qin Ge seized a moment to ask, “Professor Lu, do you still remember what you mentioned in your lecture last time? Can you really successfully influence sentinels and guides with suggestions when infiltrating their ‘sea area’?”

Lu Qinglai swallowed a bite of noodles, dabbed his mouth with a napkin, and smiled with wrinkles at the corner of his eyes. “Qin Ge, I thought you would ask me about Xie Zijing.”

Qin Ge was taken aback. “I won’t ask.”

“Aren’t you worried about his condition in the ‘sea area’?” Lu Qinglai said, “I trust you a lot; you’re a reliable person. If you were to ask me, perhaps I would tell you more specific details.”

“No need,” Qin Ge replied. “Xie Zijing doesn’t like that.”

Lu Qinglai said, “His preferences are one thing, but you should still understand, right? What if his ‘sea area’ really drives him to madness and turns him into a manic lunatic?”

Qin Ge looked at Lu Qinglai. “Though I am concerned, if I want to delve deeper into his ‘sea area,’ I will seek his opinion. Professor Lu, Xie Zijing is a very important partner to me, and we have many opportunities to get to know each other. Even if I do want to understand him better right away, I can’t inquire behind his back.”

Lu Qinglai had already finished eating. He took a sip of water and then turned to Qin Ge. “I believe whether he personally likes it or not is the least important thing.”

Qin Ge braced himself to deal with Lu Qinglai, who was more challenging than Gao Tianyue with his friendly demeanor. “So, you believe that influencing their thoughts by suggesting during infiltration of sentinel and guide sea areas, regardless of their personal willingness, is the least important thing?”

Lu Qinglai burst into laughter.

“Dangerous words,” he pointed at Qin Ge. “You’re essentially criticizing me.”

“Just discussing,” Qin Ge tried to keep his tone humble and sincere, “I’m genuinely interested in how you go about suggesting.”

“Let’s talk about it later this afternoon,” Lu Qinglai got up. “Or if you promise me right now to let me patrol your ‘sea area,’ I’ll tell you.”

Seeing that Qin Ge didn’t respond, he waved his hand and left.

Qin Ge wasn’t sure if Lu Qinglai had genuinely forgotten the rule that guides couldn’t patrol each other’s “sea areas,” or if this was a way for Lu Qinglai to tempt him to open up his “sea area,” just as he had offered his rabbit to Xie Zijing in exchange for access to his “sea area.”

He looked over at Xie Zijing’s table, where they had been having dinner, only to realize that the three of them had already left.

The afternoon’s “sea area” testing began smoothly, but Bi Xingyi was still nowhere to be found. A new teacher from the Second Middle School had been sent over, and all 18 students were waiting anxiously, their faces filled with worry, except for the Golden Python sentinel, who had been scratched by Xie Zijing’s lion a few times that day.

He seemed completely dispirited, sitting alone and lost in thought while the others chatted with the new teacher. Xie Zijing and Bai Xiaoyuan approached the Second Middle School teacher, and when the young sentinel saw Xie Zijing, he fell off his chair with a pale face.

Xie Zijing said, “Hello there, little one.”

The young sentinel didn’t even look back and rushed out of the room.

Xie Zijing: “Why so shy? You weren’t like this yesterday!”

Bai Xiaoyuan suspected that Xie Zijing was in an exceptionally good mood today, exuding an aura that discouraged further inquiry. She left Xie Zijing and quietly asked the Second Middle School teacher, “Do you really not know what happened to Bi Xingyi?”

The teacher from the Second Middle School looked bewildered and replied, “I have no idea; what happened to him?”

Bai Xiaoyuan brushed it off with a vague response.

The afternoon’s work passed quickly. In the waiting room, sentinels released their spiritual bodies to show off. However, a large bald vulture barely had a chance to land before being swatted to the ground by Bai Xiaoyuan’s sand cats. She swung her wine bottle, her demeanor cool and aloof, saying, “Anyone else?”

Due to her excellent work, Xie Zijing and Tang Cuo had little to do besides calling the sentinels. Xie Zijing noticed that Tang Cuo was covered in bruises, with his ankle swollen like a tennis ball and his face adorned with band-aids and gauze. He suggested that Tang Cuo should go home and rest, but Tang Cuo refused.

Tang Cuo waited until Qin Ge left the testing venue and hobbled over to tell him everything that had happened the day before.

Qin Ge was so shocked that he couldn’t speak for a while. The information Tang Cuo had received from the police station was limited, but he knew that Bi Fan was currently in the psychiatric ward of 267th Hospital, while Bi Xingyi was still missing.

“We’ll eventually find out,” Qin Ge reassured him. “There are surveillance cameras everywhere, so he can’t escape.”

When he said this, his feelings were extremely strange. Qin Ge had only met Bi Xingyi a few times and had a good impression of him. He never expected that Bi Xingyi would become involved with Tang Cuo in this way.

“Qing Ge, can you do me a favor?” Tang Cuo said, “I just want to know if there’s really something wrong with Bi Fan’s ‘sea area.’ Just entering to patrol should reveal some clues, right?”

“…Are you worried that she became like that because she was controlled by Bi Xingyi?” Qing Ge pondered for a moment, “The real abnormal one is Bi Xingyi?”

“I don’t know, and I’m not sure,” Tang Cuo said, “If you can go inside and take a look, you should be able to find some evidence, right?”

In fact, Qin Ge was somewhat tempted. Every conversation with Lu Qinglai made him acutely aware of his own lack of experience. He had patrolled very few “sea areas.” Although he had patrolled the “sea areas” of mental patients during the psychological adjuster’s practical exam, it couldn’t be considered a normal patrol; everything was predetermined, and everything he saw and touched were test questions rather than a true exploration.

But his current workload was heavy, so he responded cautiously, “I’ll try my best. You can contact Bi Fan, right?”

Tang Cuo: “I can’t contact her.”

Qin Ge: “Let’s wait until you can contact her, and then we’ll talk about your proposal. At the moment, the priority is still the high school entrance exam testing, so let’s not delay that.”

With Qin Ge’s agreement, Tang Cuo felt somewhat relieved. Hearing that Lei Chi was still on duty tonight, Tang Cuo went back to the crisis management office to find Lei Chi, hoping he could help obtain more information from his friends at the police station.

“I can’t do that,” Lei Chi flatly refused. “The case is their responsibility, and I can’t interfere. I hope you understand.”

Tang Cuo said, “I understand, but…”

Lei Chi waved his hand, cutting him off.

Tang Cuo wondered if he should bring up Bai Xiaoyuan again. However, besides her WeChat account for business, her regular account was the only one left.

“Bai Xiaoyuan won’t be of any help,” Lei Chi quickly added, as if he knew what Tang Cuo had in mind.

Tang Cuo asked, “Aren’t you pursuing Bai Xiaoyuan?”

Lei Chi looked surprised. “No.”

Tang Cuo said, “The candies…”

Lei Chi explained, “Bai Xiaoyuan is interesting, and I like her. But she already has a boyfriend. Giving her candies is just a thing I learned from her, so have my ratings in your department gone up?”

Tang Cuo commented, “…You’re really something.”

Lei Chi picked up two milk candies from the table and handed them to Tang Cuo. For the first time, Tang Cuo saw Lei Chi smile, which was somewhat cunning and cute. He had never seen Bai Xiaoyuan’s boyfriend, but he had unilaterally assumed that Lei Chi was better.

Tang Cuo slowly walked to the roadside to wait for the bus. He unwrapped the candy wrappers and ate the two milk candies together. As he leaned against a traffic light post, he absentmindedly looked up. Neon lights illuminated the night sky, and the tiny water droplets in the air refracted various colors. However, Tang Cuo felt that the night sky tonight seemed particularly empty.

He didn’t know if he would ever have the chance to see that ugly-looking giant shark again.

After the traffic light changed, he threw the candy wrappers into a nearby trash can and accidentally touched a card in his pocket.

In one corner of the gym card, there was the silhouette of a large fish swimming. Tang Cuo stared at it for a moment and slowly turned the card over. On the reverse side, there was the address of the gym and a handwritten phone number.

“Fitness is not a joyful activity for me. It’s extremely painful… I used to have muscles, but I did office work in the hospital, and I was either sitting in the office building or sitting in the car all day,” Yan Hong said while running, slightly breathless. “Although it’s painful, I still have to think about myself, right?”

“…Are you in a romantic relationship?” Qin Ge hit the nail on the head. “Other people say they exercise to get fit, and I believe that. But you? I don’t believe it. The only thing that can motivate you is falling in love.”

Yan Hong chuckled and didn’t deny it. “It’s not at the level of love. I don’t know if she likes me.”

“A young girl?”

“An intern nurse,” Yan Hong said quietly. “She practices yoga in this gym.”

Qin Ge remarked, “So you called me just to show off this to me?”

“Am I such a boring person?” Yan Hong stopped running, and his tone suddenly turned serious. “I have a serious matter I want to ask you about.”

The 267th Hospital had admitted a young guide with a mental disorder the previous night. She was diagnosed with schizophrenia, displaying symptoms such as thought disorder, catatonia, and paranoid delusions. Although her condition had a relatively short duration, it was severe, and she continuously claimed to be under mind control. Reviewing her medical records, it was discovered that her condition had progressed more rapidly than usual for patients due to non-compliance with her medication. She had even shown tendencies toward self-harm and harming others, which required immediate hospitalization.

All sentinels or guides admitted to the 267th Hospital had to undergo a simple snorkeling procedure in their “sea area” before being admitted, and the results were recorded.

However, Bi Fan refused to allow anyone into her “sea area.” She vigorously resisted any guides’ approach, even after being injected with sedatives. Her “sea area” was entirely sealed off, and the hospital’s guides had no way to enter.

Without the “sea area” examination before admission, the 267th Hospital would refuse to admit her. Several years ago, a similar incident occurred when the hospital admitted an appendix patient with an abnormal “sea area” without examination. After the surgery, he used his bizarre spiritual body to attack several doctors and nurses, ultimately taking two visitors hostage and jumping from the 17th floor.

“So, we are in a difficult situation now,” Yan Hong said. “She was brought in by the police, and the 267th Hospital must admit her with no room for negotiation. But now… we are very concerned that something might go wrong.”

Qin Ge understood the situation. The hospital was seeking a trustworthy psychological adjuster who could attempt to enter the patient’s “sea area” for investigation.

“Is the girl’s name Bi Fan?” Qin Ge asked, and after receiving confirmation, he sighed in relief. “My colleague, Tang Cuo, also knows her, and patrolling is not an issue. I can also gain experience with individual cases, you know. But are you sure the hospital trusts me?”

Yan Hong laughed: “The hospital certainly doesn’t trust you, but I trust you, and my immediate superior does too.”

He lowered his voice:”That immediate superior is Cai Mingyue’s arch-nemesis.”

Qin Ge raised his eyebrows and replied, “I have no interest in getting involved in internal factional battles at your hospital.”

“I know,” Yan Hong responded, “As long as you agree, I can arrange it secretly. You can provide me with the results of your patrol, and in the end, the hospital’s guide’s name will be on the examination report.”

After some contemplation, Qin Ge couldn’t resist his curiosity about entering the patient’s “sea area.

“When?” he asked.

“Tonight.” Yan Hong said as he headed toward the changing room. “Right now. The police have requested the hospital to provide Bi Fan’s examination results within 24 hours, and we are only missing the ‘sea area’ patrol. Time is running out.”

Qin Ge didn’t inform Yan Hong about his long and exhausting day of high-intensity work. At home, he rummaged through his belongings, finding two packs of coffee and making them. He drank both in one go. While his spirits remained undaunted, he was concerned about whether he could safely leave Bi Fan’s “sea area” after entering it.

He could absorb negative emotions from abnormal “sea areas.” He had no idea how well he could resist the influence of patients with mental disorders. ‘…Give it a try,’ Qin Ge told himself. He had a persistent feeling that if he didn’t become a more experienced psychological adjuster soon, he wouldn’t be able to interpret Xie Zijing’s “sea area” or handle people like Lu Qinglai.

Before leaving, Qin Ge sent a message to Tang Cuo.

Tang Cuo’s phone lit up silently in his pocket, but he didn’t notice. He was standing at the gym’s front desk, exchanging glances with the receptionist, who had a ponytail.

“Sir, are you… here for a workout?” The receptionist looked at his rolled-up pants, the bandaged ankle, the adhesive bandages on his face, and the tiny wounds, and her inquiry carried a tone of uncertainty. “Is your body okay?”

“Not really,” Tang Cuo murmured. “That’s why I’m here to exercise.”

Maybe Bai Xiaoyuan lied to him, Tang Cuo thought. At a glance, there weren’t many handsome people around.

He was resolutely against interracial relationships, just like Bai Xiaoyuan, a veteran member of the appearance association. Combined with his laziness and his love life that was stuck in the “16th online relationship” that went nowhere, he initially entered the gym with selfish motives. However, after scanning around, he silently abandoned that idea.

While he made fun of himself for overthinking, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease due to Bai Xiaoyuan’s advertisement. He was caught in a dilemma, looking left and right and never taking out his monthly card.

The front desk receptionist called over a fitness consultant to explain. The consultant was also taken aback when he saw Tang Cuo, but out of professional courtesy, he refrained from asking.

Guided by the consultant, Tang Cuo limped through several large areas, eventually stopping in the equipment area.

In one corner of the equipment area stood six or seven coaches wearing identical uniforms. Tang Cuo looked at them seriously, and he gradually felt that the salesgirl’s words were not entirely untrue. Without exception, the coaches were all tall and well-built, even though their looks didn’t completely align with Tang Cuo’s aesthetic. But their muscular lines were smooth and graceful, and each one looked full of energy, making people—especially Tang Cuo—feel delighted.

Among the coaches being surrounded in the equipment area was a middle-aged man with a prosthetic leg.

“…because of the lack of weight in the lower body, we can put pressure on his knee during exercise to maintain lower body stability,”

A man explained, directing the coaches to follow his instructions. He squatted in front of the man, placing pressure on his knee, then turned back to continue explaining to the coaches. Tang Cuo observed his appearance: a very handsome man with clear facial features, a high nose, thick, arched eyebrows, and a pair of enticing eyes.

“Mr. Tang, can we go to the rest area first? I can provide you with a detailed introduction to the coaches,” the consultant called out to Tang Cuo. “Mr. Tang?”

All of Tang Cuo’s attention was captured by the man who was giving instructions.

“Can I choose any coach I like?” he asked.

The consultant: “Of course, Mr. Tang, but considering your current situation…”

Tang Cuo: “Then, can I choose him?”

This sentence, which almost exhausted all his courage for the day, was spoken loudly. Everyone in the equipment area, including the man who was squatting on the ground, turned their heads simultaneously. Tang Cuo realized he was pointing at the man, and feeling that it was impolite, he quickly retracted his hand.

“…Mr. Tang, um, this gentleman… doesn’t take students.” the consultant didn’t laugh but appeared very embarrassed. “I can introduce you to other coaches.”

Alright, the courage was exhausted. Tang Cuo felt like an inflatable doll at this point, completely empty inside, and his face was burning. “Sorry, sorry…”

—”I’ll take him.”

The man instructed the coaches to train according to the method he described and walked over to Tang Cuo. He approached, and Tang Cuo only realized that this man was very tall, estimating about 6 feet 3 inches, a full head taller than himself. When he looked at him, he had to slightly tilt his head.

“Hello.” he extended his hand to Tang Cuo. “I’m Gao Shu.”

Tang Cuo nervously shook his hand. “…Excuse me. What’s your name again?”

“Gao Shu.”

Tang Cuo immediately recalled the terrifying past of being dominated by makeup exams in college.

Half of his heart turned cold, but Gao Shu hadn’t released his hand yet. Instead, he grasped Tang Cuo’s finger and placed his hand in his palm, writing the character “Shu” on it: “I’m this ‘Shu’.”

The half that had gone cold was suddenly warmed up. Tang Cuo felt that this person was simply too handsome. He was tall and polite, and although he knew that it was just a professional smile, this man was the ideal template in his mind. Inside his heart, a few trembling little flowers sprouted in that desolate field.

Tang Cuo exchanged names with him and asked in a low voice, by the way: “Why don’t you accept students? Are you too busy?”

“Yes, I work a lot.” Gao Shu looked Tang Cuo up and down, “But it’s okay to make time to take care of you.”

Tang Cuo: “Wh–why?”

He felt like a small deer caught in headlights.

Gao Shu: “You seem to have poor physical fitness and physique. If I can help you improve, I’d get a great sense of achievement.”

The little deer within Tang Cuo met its end on the solid and muscular legs of Gao Shu.

Tang Cuo scratched the scab on his face, knowing that his meager conversational skills wouldn’t be of much help right now. Just when he couldn’t find the words to respond, Gao Shu suddenly smiled. “I’m kidding; I can be a bit forward. Please don’t mind. Your posture is great, and you have a straight waist. After you gain muscle, you’ll feel much better.”

He patted Tang Cuo’s shoulder and gestured to his waist and back.

Although he didn’t touch him, Tang Cuo had the illusion that he had been touched all over by him, and his face turned red. He thought to himself, “Are you expensive?”

The moment the words left his mouth, Tang Cuo wanted to punch himself: was he ordering in a restaurant or shopping in a supermarket?!

“Quite expensive.” Gao Shu glanced at the monthly card Tang Cuo handed him, then smiled. “But it’s quite a coincidence; this card was given out by me. Since you’re a friend of Bai Xiaoyuan, of course, I’ll give you a discount.”

Thirty private coaching sessions cost Tang Cuo a total of 13,000 yuan. He hadn’t compared the prices, and while he filled out the information, he realized that even his spiritual body had to be registered.

“Coach, what’s your spiritual body?” he asked while writing.

“A little fish,” Gao Shu said, smiling at Tang Cuo. “Mr. Tang, you have beautiful hands and beautiful handwriting. You look like a cultured person at first glance.”

Tang Cuo smiled back at him, wondering if this was harassment. Touching his hand and his back—is it sexual harassment? But he was feeling quite happy… Since he was happy, it couldn’t be considered harassment, right?

He took out his phone to make the payment, but only then did he notice Qin Ge’s message. He became so flustered that he couldn’t even hold the pen.

Without bothering to respond to Gao Shu’s amused expression, Tang Cuo quickly dialed Qin Ge’s number, but it didn’t connect. In his panic, he contacted Xie Zijing instead.

“Bi Fan is at the 267th Hospital now, and Qin Ge should have already gone there,” Tang Cuo said. “He told me in his message that he would be conducting a patrol tonight, but I can’t reach him right now.”

Xie Zijing, who was playing a game while reclining by the window, could be heard cursing clearly. He snatched up his coat and phone and rushed out the door.

Tang Cuo hung up the phone and couldn’t find any peace of mind. He completely forgot about making the payment and turned to apologize to Gao Shu, “Coach, I’ll come to see you tomorrow.”

Gao Shu was stunned for a moment: “Tomorrow?”

Tang Cuo said, “I’ll definitely come; don’t worry.”

He regretted his words the moment they came out; it sounded like he didn’t want to leave. Gao Shu’s smile returned, and he personally escorted Tang Cuo out of the gym. Before parting, he whispered, “Be sure to come.”

The author has something to say:

Gao Shu: Be sure to come… with money.

Just to prevent any confusion: Guides can explore the shallower levels of consciousness during “sea diving”; psychological adjusters, on the other hand, can engage in snorkeling, deep diving, interrogation, and other forms of exploration in both shallow and deep consciousness.

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