The mention of a condition mirroring the boy Chen Ge had once described immediately captured his attention, his curiosity sharpening like a blade. "Same condition as the boy? He also likes to visit Haunted Houses?" he asked, his voice laced with intrigue as he studied Doctor Gao, searching for clues about this unexpected visit. The black phone's cryptic message about a "special visitor" lingered in his mind, heightening his awareness that this encounter was no coincidence. Doctor Gao's presence, combined with the phone's warning, suggested that something significant was unfolding, possibly tied to the supernatural undercurrents that had been guiding Chen Ge's actions since he first inherited the Haunted House.
Doctor Gao's expression remained calm, but there was a weight to his words as he elaborated. "Low spirited with occasional outbursts. Prefers to be alone in dark places because it gives him a sense of security. Whether he likes to visit Haunted Houses or not, I'm not so sure." Stepping aside, he revealed a young man standing behind him, introducing him as "Men Nan, my student, who came to me with his illness about three weeks ago." The young man's demeanor was striking—his slight frame seemed to shrink under the weight of an unseen burden, his face taut with tension, high cheekbones casting sharp shadows beneath dark, hollow circles around his eyes. Standing under the morning sun, beads of sweat glistened on his forehead, betraying a nervous energy that made him seem out of place among the lively crowd of park visitors.
Men Nan's appearance was unsettling, his head bowed as if the weight of the world pressed down on him. His eyes darted briefly toward Chen Ge before dropping back to the ground, avoiding direct contact. "Surname Men?" Chen Ge ventured, attempting to break the ice with a casual tone, hoping to ease the young man's visible discomfort. "That's rare, nice to meet you." The words hung in the air, met with an awkward silence. Men Nan's response was a faint murmur, "Nice to meet you," his voice barely audible, his gaze flickering over Chen Ge for a fleeting moment before retreating. The young man's strange behavior sent a ripple of unease through Chen Ge, who couldn't shake the feeling that Men Nan was more than just a troubled student—perhaps he was the "special visitor" flagged by the black phone.
Sensing the need for a private conversation, Chen Ge gently pulled Doctor Gao aside, his voice low to avoid alarming Men Nan. "But, Doctor Gao, why did you bring him here? If you plan to let him visit the Haunted House, I'm not responsible if anything happens to him." His tone was cautious, tinged with concern. The Haunted House was no ordinary attraction; its scenarios were infused with supernatural elements that could unsettle even the most stable minds. The thought of exposing someone as fragile as Men Nan to its terrors made Chen Ge wary, especially given the black phone's cryptic warning about the consequences of his choices. Doctor Gao's intentions, though well-meaning, seemed fraught with risks that Chen Ge wasn't sure he was prepared to take.
Doctor Gao's expression softened, a trace of pride in his voice as he explained. "Men Nan was a cheerful, confident child, one of my brightest students. He is incredibly talented in the field of personality psychology." His words painted a picture of a young man whose potential had once shone brightly, now dimmed by an inexplicable affliction. Chen Ge tilted his head, unfamiliar with the term. "Personality psychology?" he asked, seeking clarification. Doctor Gao nodded, his tone patient. "One of the branches of psychology. Generally speaking, it is the science of understanding human behavior, delving into the patterns and motivations that shape how individuals act and interact." The explanation was clear, but Chen Ge's mind was already racing, trying to connect Men Nan's condition to the supernatural threads woven into his own life.
Doctor Gao's voice dropped to a whisper, his words careful to avoid Men Nan's ears. "His symptoms appeared three weeks ago without any warning. There is usually a trigger to psychological illnesses, mostly related to one's family or living environment. However, Men Nan lives alone, and his environment has not undergone any changes recently, so I'm stumped." The admission of uncertainty from a seasoned psychologist like Doctor Gao was startling, underscoring the gravity of Men Nan's condition. He continued, detailing how the young man's behavior had deteriorated, marked by violent mood swings that seemed to erupt over trivial matters. "He got into a scuffle with a classmate because the animal patterns on a curtain didn't match, and he injured a stranger over the inconsistent number of sesame seeds on a bun," Doctor Gao said, his brow furrowing with concern.
Chen Ge's eyebrows rose at the peculiar triggers for Men Nan's outbursts. "The reasons for his anger sure are unique," he remarked, a mix of curiosity and unease settling in his chest. Doctor Gao nodded gravely. "Whenever one is under the torment of psychological pressure, even the smallest provocation can lead to an explosion of emotions. Men Nan's actions made me realize he was in deep pain, a pain that defies conventional diagnosis." The description painted a vivid picture of a young man unraveling, his mind a battleground for forces that neither he nor his mentor could fully understand. Chen Ge's gaze flickered between Doctor Gao and Men Nan, the black phone's message echoing in his mind: one of them was the special visitor, and their presence held the key to an opportunity he couldn't afford to ignore.
Doctor Gao's next words carried a hopeful yet desperate tone. "Wang Xin's illness has improved greatly. Her symptoms, which were deteriorating, turned around after meeting you," he said, a faint smile breaking through his serious demeanor. "I'm not a stubborn person. No matter the method, as long as it can cure the patient, it is a good method. I am deeply disturbed by the pain Men Nan is in, so I wish for you to lend me a hand." The request caught Chen Ge off guard, his mind flashing back to Wang Xin's case. Her recovery had been a unique convergence of supernatural intervention and the Pen Spirit's guidance, not a repeatable formula. The weight of Doctor Gao's trust pressed on him, mingling with the black phone's cryptic urging to seize this opportunity.
Chen Ge hesitated, the complexity of the situation sinking in. "Can you repeat what you did for Wang Xin on Men Nan?" Doctor Gao pressed, his voice earnest. "From what we know, Men Nan, Wang Xin, and the boy we discussed before all suffer from the same illness." The comparison sent a chill through Chen Ge, who knew the truth behind Wang Xin's recovery was far from conventional. The Pen Spirit's involvement had been the key, a supernatural aid that couldn't be replicated for Men Nan without understanding the root of his condition. The request was daunting, but the black phone's message suggested that this encounter was pivotal. Chen Ge's reluctance warred with his curiosity, the possibility that Men Nan's condition might be tied to the Haunted House's mysteries too compelling to dismiss.
Doctor Gao's expression softened as he sensed Chen Ge's hesitation. "Is it going to be a problem for you? If it's too much trouble, then forget I ever asked. After all, I'm just hoping for the best here. This child has immense talent, but if I put him under medication, it will cause great side effects on his body and mind; I'm afraid it will ruin his future." The plea was heartfelt, revealing the depth of Doctor Gao's concern for his student. Chen Ge's resolve wavered; he couldn't outright refuse, not when the black phone had flagged this moment as significant. "It's difficult but not impossible," he said carefully. "If you want me to help, at least let me know a little bit more about him." The words were a cautious step forward, acknowledging the potential of this "special visitor" without committing to an impossible promise.
The smile returned to Doctor Gao's face, a glimmer of relief breaking through his professional composure. "Then I will thank you in advance on behalf of the child," he said, his voice warm with gratitude. He turned and beckoned to Men Nan, who had been standing silently at a distance, his head still lowered. "Men Nan, come and tell us what has been bothering you." The young man shuffled forward, his movements hesitant, as if each step required immense effort. Chen Ge watched him closely, his mind racing with possibilities. Was Men Nan the key to unlocking another layer of the Haunted House's secrets? The black phone's message loomed large, its promise of different outcomes based on his choices weighing heavily on Chen Ge as he prepared to delve into the young man's troubled world.
Men Nan's posture was striking in its discomfort, his head perpetually bowed as if an invisible weight pressed relentlessly against his skull, forcing his gaze downward. No matter who addressed him—whether Chen Ge's cautious curiosity or Doctor Gao's gentle encouragement—his head remained fixed in that submissive angle, his eyes avoiding contact with an intensity that suggested more than mere shyness. The sight sent a chill through Chen Ge, who couldn't shake the feeling that Men Nan's demeanor was tied to the black phone's cryptic message about a "special visitor." The young man's hunched figure seemed to carry a burden far heavier than the morning sunlight could dispel, and Chen Ge's instincts, honed by countless supernatural encounters, whispered that this was no ordinary psychological affliction but something deeply entwined with the Haunted House's mysteries.
Noticing Men Nan's stubborn silence, Doctor Gao let out a weary sigh, his professional composure tinged with frustration as he stepped in to bridge the gap. "Three weeks ago, Men Nan came to me out of the blue, claiming he suspected he was suffering from depression," he began, his voice measured but carrying an undercurrent of concern. "As professionals in psychology, we spent an entire afternoon assessing his condition. It quickly became clear that his symptoms didn't align with typical depression. He was overly agitated, plagued by a persistent exhaustion that seemed to drain his spirit. Initially, I dismissed it as stress or overwork, but his condition deteriorated rapidly. He would go entire days without speaking, retreating into a silence that felt almost palpable, and then explode into altercations over the smallest provocations. After extensive analysis, I reached a conclusion he refuses to acknowledge: Men Nan is consumed by fear, a deep, unshakable terror rooted in something buried within his psyche."
Doctor Gao's words hung in the air, heavy with implication, and Chen Ge noticed Men Nan flinch at the mention of fear, his shoulders tensing as if the word itself struck a nerve. "I suspect he's grappling with a fear complex," Doctor Gao continued, his eyes softening with concern as he glanced at his student. "But when I examined his environment—his home, his routines, his social interactions—I found nothing that could plausibly trigger such intense dread. It was only after repeated sessions, pressing him gently but persistently, that he finally revealed the truth." Doctor Gao's gaze lingered on Men Nan, a mix of empathy and frustration evident in his expression. "Starting three weeks ago, he has been plagued by the same recurring dream every night, a dream that seems to be the epicenter of his fear." The revelation sent a jolt through Chen Ge, the black phone's warning about choices and outcomes echoing in his mind, hinting that this dream might hold the key to Men Nan's role as the special visitor.
The mention of the dream caused a visible shudder to ripple through Men Nan's slight frame, his body reacting as if the mere thought of it was a physical blow. His head dipped lower, if that were possible, and his hands clenched into fists, betraying the depth of his terror. Chen Ge's curiosity sharpened, his mind racing through the myriad possibilities of what this dream could entail, each one tinged with the supernatural undertones that had become all too familiar in his work at the Haunted House. "What kind of dream?" he asked, his voice steady but laced with anticipation, expecting a tale of spectral apparitions or nightmarish scenarios drawn from the black phone's cryptic missions. Doctor Gao's answer, however, was disarmingly mundane, catching Chen Ge off guard. "He dreamed about washing his hair," the doctor said, his tone matter-of-fact yet heavy with the weight of what lay beneath the surface.
"Washing his hair?" Chen Ge repeated, his brow furrowing in confusion as he struggled to reconcile the simplicity of the act with the terror it evidently inspired. The image was so ordinary, so devoid of the grotesque horrors he had imagined, that it felt almost absurd. Yet, the raw fear in Men Nan's posture told a different story, one that hinted at a deeper, more sinister significance. Doctor Gao nodded, his expression acknowledging the oddity of the revelation. "It sounds trivial, but there's more to it," he said, placing a reassuring hand on Men Nan's shoulder, a gentle nudge meant to coax the young man into speaking. "I'll let him fill you in on the rest." The gesture was kind but firm, urging Men Nan to confront the source of his torment, though his body language screamed reluctance.
After a prolonged silence, Men Nan's lips parted, his voice emerging raw and strained, as if each word scraped against a throat scorched by fear. "It is the same dream every time, and it is becoming clearer and clearer," he said, his words halting and barely above a whisper. "Soon, I'll be able to see the person's face." The admission sent a chill through Chen Ge, the vagueness of "the person" carrying an ominous weight. The rawness in Men Nan's voice, coupled with his trembling frame, painted a vivid picture of a man haunted not just by a dream but by an encroaching presence that threatened to break through into his waking world. Chen Ge leaned closer, his instincts as the Specters' Favored kicking in, sensing that this dream was no mere psychological quirk but a thread in the Haunted House's supernatural tapestry.
"Who is this person? There's another person in your dream?" Chen Ge pressed, his voice low but insistent, his mind racing to connect Men Nan's dream to the black phone's cryptic missions. The idea of an unseen figure watching Men Nan in such an intimate, mundane act was unsettling, a violation that mirrored the invisible presences Chen Ge had encountered in his own nightmares. Men Nan's eyes flickered upward for a fleeting moment, meeting Chen Ge's gaze before dropping again. "Yes, he always appears beside me to watch me wash my hair," he said, his voice trembling with a fear that seemed to seep into the air around them. "He looks scary and dangerous, as if the moment I close my eyes, he will rush over to strangle me." The vivid imagery sent a shiver down Chen Ge's spine, the dream's simplicity now revealed as a facade for something far more menacing, a threat that might link Men Nan directly to the Haunted House's spectral inhabitants.