31: Chapter 31 Qingqiu Mental Hospital

After that, Chen Moxuan sat back in the position where he had first woken up. The surroundings were deathly silent, with only the wind whistling through the damaged, drafty walls.

Not long after, a large helicopter hovered beside the outer wall of the classroom. The airflow stirred up by the propellers surged wildly, sweeping dust and debris from the ground into the air.

A group of fully armed individuals wearing protective masks quickly filed out of the helicopter. Upon spotting Chen Moxuan, they immediately surrounded him.

Under the gaze of over a dozen pitch-black gun barrels, Chen Moxuan sat there with an indifferent expression, unmoved.

He decided to first follow the advice Song Xin gave before she disappeared: say nothing, do nothing.

One of them held an instrument resembling a small camera in one hand, aiming it steadily at Chen Moxuan.

The instrument emitted a faint humming sound. A few seconds later, he looked down at the information flickering on the device and reported into his headset:

"Name: Chen Moxuan. Status: ordinary citizen. Attends C City No. 3 Middle School. Confirmed as a survivor."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the headset before the order was given: "Take the survivor into custody for a Soul contamination level test."

"Understood."

The man put away the instrument and walked up to Chen Moxuan. His voice, filtered through the protective mask, carried a somewhat heavy texture:

"We are staff from the Hero Association's Post-Disaster Processing Department. To ensure your safety, please cooperate and come with us."

After saying this, he reached out and pulled Chen Moxuan up.

Chen Moxuan did not struggle, allowing the staff member to lead him as he walked heavily toward the helicopter.

After confirming that Chen Moxuan had no intention of resisting, the people around him put away their weapons and began the on-site cleanup work.

The helicopter slowly started up, emitting a deafening roar as its fuselage gradually lifted off the ground and rose into the high sky.

Chen Moxuan sat in the cabin with his lips pressed tight, his gaze firmly locked on the direction of the classroom.

Over there, corpses were being placed into black body bags. Once the zippers were sealed, they would never see the sunlight again.

...

The helicopter landed at a building surrounded by high-voltage electric fences. The sign at the top of the building read "Qingqiu Psychiatric Hospital."

Several staff members led Chen Moxuan through a long corridor and brought him to a sealed room, after which they all left, leaving Chen Moxuan alone.

Under the illumination of the dim incandescent light, Chen Moxuan sat alone on a chair, waiting quietly.

The Soul of an ordinary person is fragile. Survivors who have been in close proximity to a high-Rank Transcendent using their Special Ability often find their Soul easily contaminated.

Once contaminated, some people lose emotional control, falling into inexplicable mania or depression, while others frequently experience hallucinations, unable to distinguish reality from illusion.

Those with severe contamination might even lose their sanity and commit extreme acts that endanger society.

And this so-called Soul contamination level test is precisely the method the Hero Association uses to screen the degree of Soul contamination in survivors.

Through this test, if a survivor's contamination index is within a controllable range, they can return to their normal life as it was before.

Not only that, if their property suffered damage during the Hero's mission, they could even receive corresponding compensation from the Hero Association.

However, if the contamination index unfortunately exceeds the critical value... these survivors might be placed under strict surveillance or sent directly to a psychiatric hospital for long-term treatment.

Only when the contamination index drops below the critical value is there a possibility of regaining freedom.

However, this is the official statement released by the Hero Association, and Chen Moxuan now has some doubts about this claim.

After what happened today, he completely understood that for Transcendents, ordinary people in this world are nothing more than background props used to highlight them.

Without ordinary people, there would be no way to demonstrate the transcendence of the Transcendents.

The so-called Hero Association only serves the Transcendents, draping a cloak of justice over that group of monsters who hold extraordinary power, giving them a reasonable opportunity to vent their power.

I am afraid this Soul contamination level test is more of a test to see if ordinary people submit to the authority of the Transcendents.

I don't know how much time passed before the tightly closed door was pushed open, and a doctor wearing a white coat and thin-rimmed glasses walked in.

"Don't be nervous. I'll just ask you a few questions; you just need to answer truthfully."

Just as Chen Moxuan had guessed, the doctor's questions were basically centered around his views on Transcendents and his understanding of society.

Moreover, in his speech, he always intentionally or unintentionally tried to guide Chen Moxuan to recount everything he had witnessed at the scene.

Chen Moxuan understood that even if he told the truth, he would be labeled afterward as having severe Soul contamination and experiencing hallucinations.

Having long ago analyzed books related to psychology, he decided to feign being a patient who had developed acute stress disorder due to suffering a major trauma.

However, after a few questions, Chen Moxuan didn't see the doctor making any records at all, and in an instant, he realized what was happening.

The result of this test had already been decided; now, they were just going through the motions.

Therefore, Chen Moxuan simply answered the questions casually, things like:

"Is it difficult for you to forget the harm caused to you by others?"

"I don't hold grudges."

"Do you often feel lonely, feeling that you don't belong to this world?"

"It's alright, I suppose."

"Have you ever thought about ending your life?"

"Whose are you referring to?"

"..."

Perhaps influenced by Chen Moxuan's perfunctory attitude, the doctor's questioning rhythm became increasingly urgent, and in just a few minutes, he had finished asking all the prepared questions.

"I need to organize the test results. Please sit here for a moment."

After saying this, the doctor picked up the unwritten record book and turned to walk straight out.

Not a few minutes later, the previous staff members appeared again, armed, and the leader took out a document.

Then he flipped directly to the last page and read out in a voice without a trace of warmth:

"Chen Moxuan, your Soul contamination test results are out. The contamination index is 68%, which falls under severe contamination.

At the same time, it has been detected that you suffer from acute stress disorder and possess severe violent tendencies, requiring you to remain here for inpatient treatment. Do you have any objections?"

"Your efficiency is certainly impressive."

Preparing such a thick document in just a few minutes—they aren't even pretending anymore.

"What do you mean?" one of the armed staff members said, his tone somewhat displeased.

"Nothing, no objections," Chen Moxuan shrugged.

Immediately after, the staff member took out a piece of black cloth and, without a word of explanation, covered Chen Moxuan's eyes.

Chen Moxuan's vision instantly plunged into darkness, and he could only allow them to lead him, stumbling forward with uneven steps.

In the process, relying on his subtle perception, he vaguely sensed that the people leading the way had been changed several times.

He didn't know how long they walked before a series of password input sounds came, followed by the dull sound of a metal door slowly opening.

Chen Moxuan understood in his heart that they must have reached the destination.

"Your ward has arrived."

A low male voice came from behind. As soon as the voice fell, the black cloth covering Chen Moxuan's eyes was quickly removed.