Crazy Nezha

Xincheng, spring.

The Sixth Mental Hospital, Psychological Counseling Room.

The doctor said, "Li Tianbao, I will determine whether hospitalization is necessary based on your answers, okay?"

"OK."

"Li Tianbao, male, 24 years old, with no history of mental illness. Last Tuesday, in the seafood section of Baijiafu Supermarket, he heard a sea bass talking. He was initially diagnosed with secondary delusional disorder."

The doctor pointed to the washbasin on the table, in which there was a sea bass.

"This is the sea bass from the supermarket. Now, tell me, what is it saying?"

Li Tianbao looked at the bass in the washbasin.

The bass blew a bubble, opened and closed its mouth to drink water, and shouted, "Third Prince! We meet again!"

Li Tianbao remained calm, saying, "It didn't say anything, I couldn't hear it."

Sea bass: "Third Prince, don't you recognize me? I'm Leopard Head! That year, you were bathing in the East Sea, and I even scrubbed your back... Me, Leopard Head! Remember me?"

Li Tianbao ignored him, looking at the doctor, but actually asking the fish, "Dr. Wang, sea bass are freshwater fish and can't live in the sea, right?"

"Yes. What did it say?"

"I was just asking casually."

The bass explained, "In my past life, I was an electric eel, and I was reincarnated as a bass, so I live in freshwater... You were Nezha, the Third Prince, and were reincarnated as a mortal, so it makes sense that you don't recognize me, right?"

Li Tianbao smiled faintly, "Reasonable my ass!"

The doctor observed, "Xiao Li, are you experiencing auditory hallucinations?"

Li Tianbao replied decisively, "No."

The doctor frowned: "Why are you laughing?"

Li Tianbao: "I remembered something happy."

Bass: "Third Prince, please save me! At the Peach Banquet that year, you, Sun Wukong, and Yang Jian were sitting at the same table, and I was the one who poured the wine for you!"

Does a fish spirit even have the right to attend the Peach Banquet?

Li Tianbao asked, "Dr. Wang, is this sea bass wild or farmed?"

Dr. Wang: "It should be farmed, right? You don't buy wild fish in supermarkets."

Bass: "That day you drank two jin of baijiu (Chinese liquor), and Sun Wukong insisted you mix it with beer, and Yang Jian made you mix it with red wine. The liquor was brewed by Shen Gongbao! It's very strong! In the end, all three of you got drunk!"

Will the Peach Banquet feature beer and red wine?

"You're drunk, you have grievances against the Heavenly Court, and you're feeling wronged! Sun Wukong and Yang Jian are stirring things up again! You overturned the table and tried to burn the Jade Emperor with Samadhi Fire, but failed and were banished to the mortal realm to be reborn. Third Prince, do you remember now?"

Li Tianbao remained expressionless, calmly watching the fish and listening to it speak. He continued his deception.

The doctor observed Li Tianbao for nearly five minutes and found his unusual calmness suspicious.

Next, the doctor asked a few more questions, which Li Tianbao answered in a seemingly normal manner.

Finally, the doctor capped the pen and concluded:

"You can observe at home for a period of time and see."

Li Tianbao asked, "Then I don't need to be hospitalized?"

"Of course." The doctor pinched his brow, looking tired.

"Could you prescribe some medicine for me?"

"In your case, taking medicine won't be very effective. When I was studying at medical school, your mother was my senior. Wow, it's been over 20 years. Xiao Li, your mother just called me. She's very concerned about your situation."

Li Tianbao majored in art design in college, and his work "Nezha: Three Oxen and Six Arms" won an award during his studies.

With the rise of AI technology in the past two years, the design company where Li Tianbao worked went bankrupt! The boss switched to making short dramas, and Li Tianbao took on a part-time job as a short drama actor.

Filming during the day and working overtime on design at night, my body couldn't take it anymore, I was so exhausted that I started hallucinating, and I just couldn't keep going.

Li Tianbao nodded. "Thank you, Dr. Wang. Where is my second uncle?"

"Your second uncle is waiting for you at the door."

As the two went outside, they saw a middle-aged man in the corridor, about fifty years old, who was Li Tianbao's second uncle.

"Second Uncle, I passed the psychological test. Dr. Wang said I don't need to be hospitalized," Li Tianbao said happily.

"I know, let's go home."

The second uncle and the doctor exchanged a glance, and the latter nodded, handing him the thick file folder.

Dr. Wang pulled the second uncle aside and instructed him, "Here are the medical records and Li Tianbao's identification documents. He's still experiencing auditory hallucinations. Go home and gently guide him, just go along with him for now."

The second uncle nodded, opened the file folder, which contained information about Li Tianbao.

[Paranoiac disorder: Imbalance in auditory nerve conduction in the temporal lobe of the brain, causing auditory hallucinations in patients... (875 words omitted)]

There was also a dark red certificate—the "Certificate for Patients with Acute Transient Mental Disorder"

The doctor said, "After you get home, keep a close eye on them. If they experience hallucinations or anything like that, bring them in immediately."

Second Uncle was stunned: "Visual hallucinations? Didn't you say it was only auditory hallucinations?"

"Based on our experience, there is a possibility of visual hallucinations. Since he is Director Yin's son, I won't keep you in suspense any longer. His auditory hallucinations are caused by too much work pressure."

The doctor came over and said earnestly:

"Xiao Li, I know your generation of young people is facing intense competition. When you get home, you can do things you enjoy. Do you like playing video games?"

Li Tianbao shook his head. "It was alright before, but I haven't had much time to play since I started working."

The doctor smiled and said, "My treatment plan is very simple: no injections, no medicine! Play as much as you want, eat as much as you want, have fun for six months straight, the main thing is to do whatever you want! Once the auditory hallucinations are completely gone, we'll go back to work."

Second Uncle chimed in, "Tianbao, let's lie around for half a year, and Second Uncle will play games with you!"

Don't let my uncle's age fool you, he's very trendy.

Dr. Wang said with a smile, "That's great. It's rare for you, as the uncle, to have this opportunity. Spend more time with him, communicate more, and keep it up."

My second uncle waved his hand, "Dr. Wang, we'll be going now, thank you."

"Wait a minute." The doctor went back into the room and came out with a plastic bag in his hand. Inside was a sea bass, wagging its tail, almost suffocating.

"Take the fish back with you."

My second uncle said, "Here you go."

"I'm so sorry," the doctor said with a smile, seeing his second uncle's sincere expression. "Alright, I'll accept your kind offer. Thank you."

Li Tianbao suddenly took the bag. "Dr. Wang, I'll take this fish back with me and buy you a new one tomorrow."

"..."

Dr. Wang: "No, no, I don't like eating fish."

The uncle and nephew arrived at the elevator. Li Tianbao was filling a plastic bag with water next to the water dispenser at the nurses' station.

My second uncle asked, "Why did you add water when we got back and just steam it?"

Li Tianbao said in a low voice, "Second Uncle, to tell you the truth, I really don't want to be hospitalized. I lied to the doctor earlier; actually, I can hear the fish talking. There's something I need to ask!"

"Asking about the fish?"

"Yes, whether it's a hallucination or not, I feel sorry for this fish."

The second uncle was mentally prepared. He sighed briefly and chose to remain tactically silent, though he was actually speechless.

"The elevator's here, let's go."

The two exited the elevator and walked to the entrance of the inpatient department lobby.

Second Uncle: "Tianbao, I'm going to the bike shed to ride my electric bike. You wait here."

Li Tianbao nodded. After his second uncle had walked away, he went to the flower bed, squatted down, opened the plastic sheeting, and asked in a low voice, "Is he still alive?"

The bass thrashed about a few times, its voice slightly breathless: "I'm not dead, I'm not dead, Third Prince, you remember me?"

Li Tianbao looked around and, finding no one there, asked, "Why did you say I was the Third Prince?"

"You're Nezha, the Third Prince, haven't you forgotten? The news of your disturbance at the Peach Banquet and your banishment to the mortal realm has spread far and wide."

"If I were Nezha, why wouldn't I have magical powers?"

"You must believe you are Nezha to regain your magical powers!"

Li Tianbao frowned and sighed, "In the end, it was just my illusion."

The bass said urgently, "It's not an illusion! Third Prince, you must believe in yourself! Be your true self!"

"Be your true self? Can't you put some logic into that illusion? The Peach Banquet has beer? Wine?"

The perch sighed, "Times have changed, Third Prince, even the Heavenly Court is progressing! If you don't believe me, find the Howling Celestial Dog. He was also banished to the mortal realm. He knows what happened back then, and maybe he can help you regain your magic power."

"Howling Celestial Dog? Where is he?"

"There are vendors selling cats and dogs at the pedestrian street entrance next to the Baijiafu Supermarket," said the sea bass confidently. "I saw Xiaotianquan (the celestial dog) when I was riding in a tricycle earlier!"

"You, a fish, riding in a tricycle?"

"I was in a white, semi-transparent box on a tricycle at the seafood market. As we passed the pedestrian street, I saw Xiaotianquan. He was still the same as before, liking to lick anus."

Li Tianbao sighed, "Damn! All the logic is sound!"

Just then, my second uncle rode over on his electric scooter and raised his eyebrows.

"Tianbao, get in the car. Your mother will be coming over at noon. Your second uncle will make steamed fish for you two."

"Okay." Li Tianbao sat on the back of the electric scooter.

……

At the window of the inpatient department, Dr. Wang was making a phone call to Li Tianbao's mother.

"Director Yin, medications like chlorpromazine and haloperidol wouldn't be very effective for your son's condition. Let him observe at home for a while; please go with his routine for now..."

"Well, in my experience, psychological counseling is the best option."

"Okay, no trouble at all..."

Dr. Wang hung up the phone, looked out the window at the old man and the young man on the electric scooter, and sighed softly.

"Sigh, mental illness is affecting younger and younger people these days."