Chapter 15 Fasting Before Surgery

"Your wages." Hubert sat in the rocking chair, watching as Virgil finished his work for the day. Casually, he pulled out a wad of cash and handed it to him. "You already settled my previous wages. Today is my first day back to work." Virgil shook his head. "Oh, how much money have you saved in the past six months?" Hubert seemed to have anticipated Virgil's response. He simply smiled and asked. Virgil hesitated for a few seconds. "I don't have any money left." "Dog from under the bridge had his hands broken. I took him to the doctor and spent 3,000 dollars." "Then I bought wine for Boyd, the storyteller at the teahouse, and spent 600 dollars. Edward from East Street got appendicitis. I also bought candy for Idiot." Virgil kept counting his expenses on his fingers. Hubert quietly listened. After a long silence, Hubert finally asked, "Don't you know that your chemotherapy can't be interrupted?" Virgil didn't respond. He stood there, like a child who had done something wrong, his head slightly lowered, his fingers intertwined. "Virgil, this is Black Street." After a long pause, Hubert suddenly spoke, his tone strange. Virgil nodded blankly. "I know, but Dog often takes me out to play. Every time I listen to Boyd tell stories, it's free. Idiot even lets me sit on his shoulders! They're all really nice people." Clearly, Virgil didn't fully understand Hubert's words. "Nice people, huh? Maybe only you would call them that." Hubert chuckled. The laughter grew louder, tinged with self-mockery, and a bit of madness. "I just checked—most of the medicine in the clinic is expired. Don't sell it to anyone else! I'll go buy some new medicine! Dog will take me, so I won't be in danger! And I'll bring your medicine back too." Virgil, as if used to Hubert's usual behavior, spoke to himself. Concerned that Hubert might forget, Virgil even wrote these things down and posted them on a prominent spot on the wall. "I'm a lunatic! Not an idiot!" Hubert's laughter gradually faded as he looked at Virgil again, debating this five-year-old argument with a serious expression. Virgil guiltily lowered his head. "But I still feel like Idiot is smarter ... Oh! Don't hit me!" Seeing the growing menace in Hubert's expression, Virgil yelped and ran off, laughing as he disappeared from Hubert's sight. "So childish!" Hubert muttered resentfully, dragging the rocking chair back inside before slamming the shop's door shut in a huff. "Just a little more, and I could've rubbed his shiny head!" His tone was filled with frustration. Looking around at the now spotless room, Hubert's mood seemed to lighten. "What's next on the list? Hmm..." He fell into thought for a moment before glancing at the note stuck on the wall. It had practically become a habit by now. "First—take a bath!" The bold words stood out on the paper. "Oh, right. A bath." Realizing it at last, Hubert headed straight for the bathroom. Cold water splashed over Hubert, sending a shiver through him and making him feel oddly exhilarated. "What was I supposed to do after bathing?" "I forgot again." "Oh, right!" "Surgery!" "As long as I complete the experiment, Little Cleaner might not have to die!" Standing beneath the showerhead, Hubert kept mumbling to himself. But suddenly— A sharp, stabbing pain exploded in his brain, as if thousands of needles were piercing through it. It was completely different from the migraines he had suffered before. His usual headaches felt like someone was stirring a needle around inside his skull. But this time, it felt like something was expanding inside his head, ready to burst. "The gate to immortality was before you—why didn't you open it?" "The Celestial Realm descends, bestowing blessings upon the mortal realm!" "Push open the door... Push it open..." "No! Don't push it!" "A calamity! A celestial calamity! Hahahaha!" The whispers echoed endlessly in Hubert's mind, filled with madness. Bracing himself against the wall, he gasped for breath, his vision blurring with crimson streaks. Even the icy water cascading over him couldn't numb the pain in the slightest. At the same time, streaks of blood-red markings began appearing across his back, spreading rapidly. As time passed, the patterns took shape, forming a deep red door. Its edges were bound by countless chains, sealing it shut. But upon closer inspection, a few of those chains had already snapped. "Heh..." "So... you can't wait any longer, huh?" "I can feel your impatience already." Even though Hubert was drenched in sweat, his head throbbing like it was about to split open, he still grinned. But that grin was twisted, nearly deranged. Finally, he slumped against the wall, panting heavily. The whispers in his mind showed no sign of stopping. It was as if countless voices were speaking, wailing, pleading. "So damn noisy!" With a low growl, Hubert suddenly grabbed the toothbrush beside him and snapped it against the wall, leaving behind a sharp edge. His trembling fingers clutched the broken toothbrush tightly. "I don't—I don't know what you all are. But that wooden door—it was your vessel, wasn't it? And now that it's broken, I've become your new vessel. If I die... will you all still exist? If you keep nagging, I'll—I'll just die and take you with me!" His breath came in ragged gasps. Sweat mixed with cold water dripped from his forehead, but his eyes burned with insanity. "Suicide?" "Die, die already!" "You wouldn't dare!" "Foolish mortal!" As Hubert spoke, the whispers in his mind paused for half a second before erupting into even greater madness. "I... Wouldn't dare? Someone actually doubts Lunatic?" Hubert let out a soft chuckle. Without a moment's hesitation, he drove the end of the toothbrush straight into his neck! Blood trickled down the toothbrush. But as if it had struck an invisible wall, the tip couldn't go in any deeper. "Looks like... you're not nearly as crazy as I am. Are you afraid?" Noticing what had just happened, Hubert's smile widened into a brilliant grin. "Even if the Main Gate remains shut, the descent of the Celestial Realm is inevitable." "This is fate." "Sigh..." In an instant, the frenzied whispers in Hubert's mind ceased, leaving behind an eerie silence. In the end, only an ancient voice let out a long, weary sigh. On his back, the blood-red celestial gate dimmed, its glow fading away. Everything returned to normal. The only traces left behind were a few drops of blood on the ground, which quickly vanished down the drain. "That's it? Celestials?" Hubert scoffed, tossing the bloodstained toothbrush into the trash. He shut off the shower, dried himself with a towel, then threw on a bathrobe and stepped out. By now, the sky outside had darkened. A chill lingered in the air. Just as the clinic fell into silence, the door to the patient room cracked open slightly. A small head cautiously poked out. Monkey nervously scanned the room, hesitating for a long moment before finally mustering the courage to speak. "Boss... I haven't eaten in two days and a night. Even if you're gonna kill me, can't you at least let me have one last meal? I don't wanna die on an empty stomach..." His voice trembled, and by the end of his plea, he was on the verge of tears. "This is a hospital, a place to save lives, not take them! If rumors like that spread, how am I supposed to run my business?" Hubert had just finished sticking a bandage onto his neck when he heard Monkey's words. He turned around, looking utterly baffled and annoyed. Monkey stared at Hubert's innocent-looking face, feeling utterly hopeless. Business? What business? What kind of hospital has zero patients?! Wait. I am the only patient here. "You're supposed to fast before surgery! Otherwise, your stomach will be a mess! Oh, the timing is just right. Why don't we start the experiment now?" A sudden thought seemed to strike Hubert, and his expression lit up with excitement. "Huh?" For Monkey, this was all happening way too fast. He just wanted a plate of food. Now this guy wanted to cut him open! "I think... uh... I probably still have... stuff in my stomach. How about we wait a little longer?" Monkey swallowed nervously and instinctively stepped back.