Le deuxième livre de la série Oolong Wizard , intitulé The Normal Mind

Chapitre 2

“Teacher Zheng, he…” Meng Qiu pointed to the corpse, then looked at Zheng Dazhi and could no longer speak.

Zheng Dazhi also found this matter very strange, but he couldn't say anything, so he waved his hand and said, "This one will do."

With swift, decisive strokes, Mr. Zheng Dazhi's skill is top-notch.

Unlike surgery, a scalpel is a truly bloodless weapon. Because no blood will flow from the corpse.

This saves a lot of trouble. Hemostats and gauze are nowhere to be seen here. There are also no operating lights above the technician's head.

But the specimen preparation room is always much more gruesome than the operating room. You can find discarded heads, hands, or even entire thighs here at any time.

Although there is no bloodshed, those who have never witnessed this scene before will still feel deeply shocked the first time and have nightmares afterward.

The scalpel cut downwards from the center of the jaw, along the anterior midline. With practiced skill, Dr. Zheng Dazhi peeled away the skin of the chest wall, along with the subcutaneous tissue and pectoralis major muscle. The grayish-white ribs were now clearly visible.

"Cartilage scalpel, quick!"

"Pull the traction device out a little more, yes! Don't block the light."

Zheng Dazhi's voice sounded like that of a stern surgical expert. In such a strict atmosphere, there was no room for idle thoughts.

Because this is science, rigorous medical science; and what's in this room aren't dead bodies, but medical specimens. Yes, just specimens!

Meng Qiu kept comforting himself with this thought, though he could feel his legs trembling noticeably. He had already been given a harsh glare by Zheng Dazhi for his hand trembling twice when he handed him the pliers.

You can't blame him. After all, he was very familiar with the corpse.

Who knows what might happen today? Could it be that, like before, there will be some unexpected events?

Meng Qiu stood opposite Zheng Dazhi, watching his swordsmanship. One hand casually pulled on the traction device that was opening his chest cavity. Zheng Dazhi was now preparing to use rib shears to sever the first rib. Meng Qiu's heart skipped a beat. "God, please finish this quickly."

He prayed silently. He glanced quickly back at that handsome face. It seemed serene. As if, too, it was waiting for something…

Zheng Dazhi threw the ribs he had removed directly into the trash can at his feet.

After peeling away the diaphragm and removing the triangular sternal rib wall in front of his chest, he prepared to carefully cut open the pericardium.

But then his hand suddenly stopped, and Zheng Dazhi's forehead broke out in a sweat. He sensed something was wrong. The color of that heart?!

But he had no choice but to continue! The scalpel in his hand was a newly replaced surgical blade that morning, exceptionally sharp, its cold gleam making it impossible for Zheng Dazhi to stop. Moreover, a force was urging him on—downward! Yes! Downward!

Teacher Zheng Dazhi began to make a "V"-shaped cut in the pericardial wall.

Downwards, downwards! Zheng Dazhi's vision was filled with bright red.

He heard a terrified and shrill scream.

That was Meng Qiu's voice. Meng Qiu's face was contorted and deathly pale, his lips trembling violently. The adrenaline rush of extreme fear had made him unrecognizable.

It was a bright red heart. But it was no longer beating. It looked as if it had just stopped working.

This ancient corpse, which had been submerged in the morgue for over three years, surprisingly possessed a fresh heart! Zheng Dazhi's scalpel was covered in gushing blood. The blood didn't spurt out, but rather flowed out slowly, like tears welling up in someone in extreme pain.

In just a short while, Zheng Dazhi's latex gloves, the scalpel blade, and the dissection table were all covered in bright red blood.

Zheng Dazhi looked exactly like an executioner on an execution ground. His hand went limp, and the silver hilt of the knife slowly, very slowly, fell onto the cement floor of the specimen preparation room with a crisp clang.

The sun had now fully risen, completely enveloping the bright red heart and the handsome face to which the corpse belonged.

Yan Hao doesn't like being a doctor.

Do you need a reason to dislike something? Just like he enjoys running all over the soccer field; he enjoys sitting by the floor-to-ceiling windows of McDonald's watching the pretty girls walk by; and he especially enjoys drinking draft beer and eating Sichuan hot pot shirtless—no reason is needed!

Yan Hao felt that there were only two types of people who could be doctors: effeminate women and effeminate men.

Physiologically, Yan Hao does not belong to the former category, nor psychologically, he does not belong to the latter!

Yan Hao had three dreams when he was a child. First, to become a pilot, but unfortunately, by the time he was eighteen, he had grown to 1.77 meters tall and had 200 degrees of myopia, so this dream had to be abandoned. Second, to become an explorer, to explore tropical jungles and raft down the Grand Canyon, but after his parents said, "Who's going to pay for your trip?", he gave up on that idea, relegating it to a potentially lucrative second career. Third, to become an architect, but Yan Hao had a poor sense of direction and would easily lose his bearings when traveling. His spatial geometry grades in high school were abysmal, and this ambitious goal was also earnestly discouraged by his older cousin, who was studying architecture at Southeast University.

Aside from his three ideals, Yan Hao felt that becoming a monk would be better.

But Yan Hao was born into a family of doctors! Forget those three dreams; he had no other choice but to study medicine. Yan Hao's mother was the head nurse of the obstetrics and gynecology department at the city's People's Hospital, and his father was the deputy director of the city's health bureau—just a few years ago, he was also the vice president of a large hospital. Yan Hao's second uncle was a very famous dermatologist in the area; Yan Hao had seen countless horribly disgusting pictures of skin diseases there since he was a child. Yan Hao's grandfather was a researcher of traditional Chinese medicine needle knife therapy, working his way up from apprentice to chief physician, and after retirement, he was rehired by the city's Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital to work as a specialist in the outpatient clinic.

To paraphrase Yan Hao's high school girlfriend, Xiao Hui'er: You don't want to study medicine? Give me half a reason first.

Yan Hao couldn't come up with even half a reason.

Unable to come up with a reason, Yan Hao went on a two-day hunger strike when filling out his college application. In the end, he couldn't resist the temptation of his mother's three spicy chicken leg hamburgers and ruined his reputation. Even Xiao Hui'er mocked him for this, saying that he was actually a rather "cowardly" man.

Yan Hao's score exceeded the provincial first-tier undergraduate admission cutoff line by more than 20 points. His father filled out the college application for him—his first three choices were all medical universities and medical schools within comprehensive universities.

Yan Hao's father said to his son earnestly, "Your father is a worker-peasant-soldier college student, with a weak foundation, so I didn't have much academic development. Giving up medicine for politics was a last resort. Now it's up to you, son."

While Yan Hao was munching on a hamburger, his mother said, "Want to live a decent life? Then study medicine! Look how much American and German doctors earn and how respected they are—they don't even eat this kind of junk food!"

Yan Hao thought to himself, "Just wait and see how I become the unfilial son of the Yan family! I may study, but whether I'll become a doctor is still uncertain."

That's what Yan Hao was thinking—even after getting his bachelor's degree, he wouldn't report to any hospital. As for what he'd do in the future? Five years—over 1,800 days, 43,800 hours—it's still a long way off.

Yan Hao ultimately got into the most prestigious medical university in the province, which was his father's first choice. Another reason was that several of his father's old classmates worked at this university. This way, they could help Yan Hao if he needed anything.

The architecture and campus scenery of the medical university are far inferior to those of other comprehensive universities. Perhaps due to the rigor of medicine, all the buildings on campus are square and rigid. New buildings, without exception, feature white tiled walls and blue glass windows with aluminum alloy trim. There is absolutely no imagination or creativity.

There is a large circular fountain in front of the main teaching building. But it looks like it hasn't been used for years, and now it's a garbage dump filled with fallen leaves and bricks.

The dormitories were in a terrible state. When Yan Hao first arrived, he lived in one of those old-style tenement buildings with red walls and black tiles, and shared bathrooms and toilets. Later, probably due to protests from the students' parents, the school rented an apartment building not far from the east gate a month later for the students to live in, which finally appeased the public anger.

The new apartment building has four-person rooms with private bathrooms and balconies; the conditions are quite good. But Yan Hao is prepared to live like a walking corpse for the next five years.

Yan Hao's first love, Xiao Hui'er, also studied in the same city as him. She studied fashion design, and "after graduation, she became a high-level tailor." That's how Yan Hao described her major, "Fashion Design and Technology Integration."

Yan Hao's major was also chosen by his father: Clinical Medicine, the oldest and longest-running major at the medical university, a five-year program. Originally, Yan Hao had also asked to consider four-year programs like Health Service Management or Pharmacy, but his father dismissed both requests with a dismissive "shortsightedness."

With things as they were, after his parents, who had brought him to school, left, Yan Hao, a freshman in the Department of Clinical Medicine in 2002, lay down on the bed and fell asleep like a pig.

Yan Hao's first friend in college was his bunkmate, Shen Zihan. A tall, imposing man from Northeast China, standing at 1.82 meters. He had a buzz cut, large hands and feet, and piercing eyes, unlike the delicate-looking Yan Hao.

Shen Zihan gave Yan Hao a bad first impression! Not just bad, they were practically sworn enemies!

First of all, Yan Hao thought this guy was a chatterbox. When he arrived at the dorm for freshman registration, he immediately clasped his hands together like a bandit leader. "Brothers, my surname is Shen, I was born in the Year of the Dog, on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month at midnight, hence my name Zihan. Hehe, please take care of me!"—leaving everyone in the dorm completely bewildered. He was so talkative, he seemed to want everyone to know he was a complete idiot.

Secondly, Shen Zihan was incredibly mischievous, as evidenced by the way he got into bed. Instead of using the ladder, he would push himself up with his hands, shrug his shoulders, and leap up. While his movements were agile, the ground shook violently, infuriating Yan Hao. It wasn't until they moved into the new dormitory, where everyone slept in bunks with desks underneath, that Yan Hao was finally free from this artificial earthquake.

Yan Hao disliked many other things about Shen Zihan. For example, his lack of hygiene; he changed his socks only once every two weeks, seemingly intent on causing everyone to suffer from methane poisoning. He also had a huge appetite, always bringing a small bowl to the cafeteria, which made the girls laugh at him. And he couldn't handle spicy food; even a little spice would make him sweat profusely and yell. Yan Hao thought: "If you can't eat spicy food, are you even a man? Humph, all looks and no substance."

What infuriated Yan Hao the most was Shen Zihan's constant barrage of comments like "You Sichuan people are like this and that," which Yan Hao couldn't stand and inevitably led to a verbal battle. Both sides were actively defending their hometown and fighting for their honor—saliva flying, faces flushed, and they were bound to get physical, eventually turning the entire hallway into chaos.

Over time, everyone in the boys' dormitory building knew that Room 313 had two people you couldn't mess with.

Men's friendships are forged through fighting!

After their fights, neither Yan Hao nor Shen Zihan held a grudge. Shen Zihan called Yan Hao "Haozi," which was actually a homonym for "mouse." Yan Hao, seeing that Shen Zihan was ugly, called him "Northeast Big Fool," or simply "Big Fool," or the even more disgusting "Big Idiot X."

Yan Hao's first time attending a hometown association event, unique to university, was brought there by this silly guy.

Shen Zihan extended a warm invitation that day. Yan Hao originally didn't want to go; what was the point of meddling in a bunch of Northeastern men eating and drinking? But Shen Zihan possessed the straightforwardness of a Northeasterner, as well as the quick and eloquent tongue of a Northeasterner.

"See, you're scared now? We Northeasterners drink straight from the bowl! Have you read 'Tracks in the Snowy Forest'? Unlike you Sichuan kids, who sip our drinks like that! If you're too scared, just say so!"

Two sentences were enough to provoke Yan Hao out of bed. Shen Zihan chuckled and rubbed his hands together with delight. "Alright! Be a man, we're not leaving until we're drunk tonight!"

Yan Hao straightened his neck. "Hmph, let's see who crawls under the table first! If I get drunk first, I'll wash your socks for a week."

There were nine people at the table; apart from Yan Hao, they were all medical students from Northeast China. Everyone was very welcoming to Yan Hao, saying things like, "A warm welcome, let's help each other out."

Despite being mentally prepared, Yan Hao was still taken aback by the way Northeasterners drank. A large bowl was placed in the middle of the table, and baijiu (Chinese liquor) was poured in without regard to strength. Before the dishes even arrived, three glasses were already clinking together.

Three cups is three bowls! Yan Hao sat there feeling incredibly guilty, but he still tried to act like a real man. He drank what others drank!

Two bottles of 55-proof liquor were emptied in the blink of an eye.

After three bowls of wine, the atmosphere at the table became lively. This so-called hometown gathering served not only as a way to connect with fellow townsfolk but also as a platform to share experiences and tips about university life with younger students. Countless remarkable anecdotes and stories would be shared over these drinks.

The president of Shen Zihan's hometown association is a senior male student in the Department of Clinical Medicine named Wang Yanyan. Before drinking, during his self-introduction, he mentioned that he lacked the element of fire in his Five Elements, hence the four fire radicals in his name. Yan Hao, seeing his face covered in acne, guessed it was from the excessive fire element. Like Shen Zihan, Wang Yanyan also had the typical deep voice of a Northeasterner. He was said to have excellent grades and also served as the head of the student union's life affairs department.

After downing three bowls of wine, Wang Yanyan's face was as red as a tomato. He had already given a long welcoming speech before drinking, and now it seemed he had more to say.

Wang Yanyan was referring to three ironclad rules that have been circulating among students at the medical university.

The first ironclad rule is: never cheat on the physiology final exam. This department has the university's infamous "Four Great Detectives." And, supposedly, the department head is a ruthless spinster who returned from studying in the US, the leader of the Four Great Detectives. Bringing a cheat sheet into the exam will be recorded. Wang Yanyan said, "Hey, if you fall into her hands, she'll skin you alive, and you'll at least forget about getting your degree."

The second ironclad rule is: absolutely no girlfriend before your sophomore year. Mentioning this rule caused a stir at the table, as if the upperclassmen all knew that Wang Yanyan's girlfriend was someone he had won over during his freshman year. But Wang Yanyan maintained a bitter, resentful expression, saying, "Gentlemen, I've suffered because of this! In your freshman and sophomore years, three swords of Damocles hang over your heads—systematic anatomy, physiology and pathology; two major hurdles—regional anatomy and biochemistry; and one major grudge—the CET-4 and CET-6! How daunting! How daunting! Back then, if it weren't for my cleverness and the little bit of knowledge I had in high school, I would have been torn to pieces by these swords, hurdles, and grudges. It was so tough!" Before he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in commotion. The upperclassmen, who had also suffered through similar experiences, sighed in agreement, while the freshmen were completely dumbfounded. As for Yan Hao, since he had no intention of studying hard in university, he considered both rules irrelevant. He sat at the table, appearing completely nonchalant.

Before revealing the third ironclad rule, Wang Yanyan took a large gulp of baijiu. "First, you need to muster your courage! You can take the first two for granted; after all, university studies are a personal matter. If you don't do well, you can always switch careers and sell quack medicine! But this last rule is something you absolutely must not break. If someone dies, I, the president, have already stated that I will not be responsible!" After saying this, he squinted and looked around, keeping everyone in suspense.

Shen Zihan, impatient as ever, shouted at the top of his lungs, "Brother Yan, tell me quickly! Brother Yan, tell me quickly! Is it true that we're not allowed to do 'that' before graduation?" Everyone knew what "that" meant, and they burst into laughter. Even Yan Hao couldn't help but punch Shen Zihan in the back.

Wang Yanyan waved her hand, cleared her throat, and lowered her voice, saying, "This third rule is the real ironclad rule! You all know our school's Basic Medical Sciences Department building, right?" The group of freshmen sitting there all nodded vigorously.

"Do you know what's on the first floor of that building?" The freshmen looked at each other and shook their heads.

“Dissection, anatomy, laboratory,” Wang Yanyan said, enunciating each word clearly. As if the atmosphere wasn't intense enough, he lowered his voice and widened his eyes. “At night, when you're alone, it's best not to go near that place, it's best not to enter that building. It's haunted!”

The banquet was silent; everyone seemed to be still processing what had just happened.

Wang Yanyan sighed heavily and continued, "It's true. We medical students are supposed to be atheists. But the more I study, the more scared I get. There are so many things that science can't explain. I've experienced it firsthand."

"Huh?" Everyone exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes! When I was a sophomore, I also didn't take this third ironclad rule seriously. One afternoon after my anatomy lab class, I left my lab report on the table. After dinner, I remembered it and wanted to go back to get it. It was getting dark, and there was no one in the building. The lights in the anatomy lab were off, but I could clearly see people walking around inside! It was definitely true—I thought it was one of the teachers who hadn't left! So I ran over and knocked on the door. But no one answered after knocking for a long time, and then I heard rustling footsteps inside. After that, I didn't hear anything, and no one opened the door for me. The more I thought about it, the more scared I got. My legs were shaking with fear."

Yan Hao was genuinely stunned. His heart leaped into his throat, and he hesitated, unsure whether to lower his hand. He casually placed his hand on Shen Zihan's back, but Shen Zihan turned around and yelled, "Who?!" Yan Hao looked at Shen Zihan's terrified face and chuckled, "You're such a scaredy-cat!" Shen Zihan blushed and said, "Damn, that was terrifying! I was listening to Brother Yan tell a story, and then it turned out to be your ghostly claws!"

Shen Zihan's exaggerated expressions and words drew another round of laughter. The banquet then became lively again. Wang Yanyan raised her bowl and said, "Let's have a drink to boost our courage! But what I just told you wasn't a story! If any of you aren't afraid of death, go ahead and try it. I'm not the only one who's encountered strange things." Yan Hao wanted to interject and ask what other strange things had happened, but considering he was a newcomer and not from Shen Zihan's hometown, he was too embarrassed to speak.

Then, the drinking continued, with people urging each other to drink more and stirring the drinks. In the end, Yan Hao only remembered vomiting in the toilet countless times, and he also forgot how this "battle" ended.

When he woke up, it was already past one o'clock the next afternoon. He was lying in his own bed, covered with a blanket. The snoring coming from the upper bunk was undoubtedly Shen Zihan.

The bet ended in a crushing defeat for Yan Hao. He then experienced firsthand the drinking prowess of Shen Zihan and his gang—Yan Hao was so drunk that he had to be dragged back to the dormitory by Shen Zihan and another fellow villager!

He sobered up. All Yan Hao remembered was the third ironclad rule Wang Yanyan had mentioned. Wang Yanyan's expression and every word she uttered at the time were crystal clear in Yan Hao's mind! He replayed the scene again and again, analyzing it carefully. Finally, he confirmed that Wang Yanyan hadn't lied, nor was she just teasing them!

So, could this third ironclad rule really be true?! Yan Hao wasn't sure, but he felt incredibly excited! It's not easy to find something exciting to do in this mundane university life—even though it's an ironclad rule!

Having lost the bet, Yan Hao didn't renege; he dutifully washed Shen Zihan's socks for a week. The hometown gathering greatly eased the tension between these two "unapproachable" individuals. Yan Hao's willingness to honor his bet earned him Shen Zihan's respect, and he began calling him "Haozi" with increasing sweetness.

After moving to the new apartment, Shen Zihan and Yan Hao still shared a room. The only difference was that Shen Zihan's bed was moved from above Yan Hao's to the opposite side. Besides the two of them, there was also the room leader, Liao Guangzhi, and a boy from Guangdong named Li Yuanbin. The room number also changed from 313 to 406.

Liao Guangzhi's home was in rural Hunan, and he was the oldest of the four. He wasn't tall, with narrow, elongated eyes, dark, shiny skin, and thick lips—he looked like an honest man who had endured hardship. He was also the most diligent in cleaning the dormitory. He won all four votes in the dormitory head election. He even voted for himself! After the election results came out, Shen Zihan patted Liao Guangzhi on the shoulder meaningfully and said, "Boss, the new era of environmental protection and labor protection in our 406 dormitory depends on you to pioneer it."

Lee Won-bin was universally acknowledged as the handsome guy of the entire department. He was also the image ambassador for dormitory 406. He was the fourth oldest in the dorm. He looked somewhat like the Korean star Won Bin from "Autumn in My Heart," which made many girls swoon over him. He started receiving notes and phone calls on the very first day of freshman orientation. Actually, Lee Won-bin had absolutely no entertainment value. His singing was terrible, going from 1 to 7, and his dancing was even worse than doing the eighth set of broadcast gymnastics. During late-night talks in the dorm, many criticized him, saying that making him the image ambassador was purely for show.

This handsome guy from Guangdong had a quick temper, and when he got angry, he'd argue with them in Cantonese. His nonsensical chatter left Yan Hao and the others completely bewildered—hence the nickname "Alien Boy." But Li Yuanbin's grades were outstanding; he ranked first in the entire dormitory in the college entrance exam. This made Shen Zihan often sigh, "It's such a waste of resources to have someone like Alien Boy wearing a white coat." According to his logic, Li Yuanbin could live comfortably just based on his looks. Since he was going to be a doctor, why did he need to be so handsome? It would only make female patients fantasize.

After military training, we had another holiday in October. By the time classes officially started, it was already early October.

The course Yan Hao and his classmates were most curious about, *Systemic Anatomy*, began in the first semester. Their seniors had already warned them: this course was worth 18 credits, and if you dared to score below 50, you'd have to retake it. Each retake cost 80 RMB, totaling over 1400 RMB. Think about it, asking your parents for that money is like trying to kill yourself by banging your head against a wall.