Chapter 1916

After finishing lunch, Shiler was untied from the fixed bed, which made him sigh deeply once again. The other party didn't even seem to want to wait for the 48-hour observation period, eager to have these people do something in the hospital.

That's right, Shiler thought; the purpose of this so-called mental patient scam from beginning to end was not to make them believe they were mental patients, but to make them prove they were not.

But proving someone is not a mental patient is even more difficult than proving they are. And if proving it is difficult, then perhaps escaping is also a way to solve the problem.

Since regaining consciousness in this hospital, it seemed that everyone's actions were guiding the contestants to escape, and they were given ample opportunities to do so.

For example, the best way to make someone believe they are mentally ill is to make them truly mentally deranged. Never mind brain surgery; a triple dose of sedatives plus tranquilizers, combined with forced feeding, would at least keep them quiet for three days. After repeating this a few times, even the most active grasshopper wouldn't be able to jump anymore.

Although Shiler didn't look at the medication in his pill tray, when he ate it, he knew the name and dosage of the drugs based on his rich experience. Not only was it not much, but it could even be said to be very little.

And that doctor would act surprised that he took his medicine obediently, as if saying, "Don't eat so fast; at least give me a chance to turn my head and pretend I didn't see you hiding the pills."

Shiler guessed that this so-called mental patient scam was only the first layer of the trap, or rather, this scam was the layer of fallen leaves over the deep pit. The purpose was to guide the few to explore the hospital and find a way to escape, while the real spikes were buried in some corner of the hospital.

That was why Shiler proposed that he wanted to give the Bat-Man a psychological examination in a formal consultation room. This would not only solve the problem of Thomas and Martha but also allow Batman to take the opportunity to explore the hospital.

It wasn't that Shiler wanted Batman to take risks; it was just that the Batman of the main universe had a very special nature. Almost all events would revolve around him—after all, he was the protagonist. If there were anything bizarre in the hospital, it would certainly erupt when he went out.

As dinner time approached, Shiler perfected the process for the Bat-Man's psychological examination in his mind. A Batman willing to accept a psychological examination was already a miracle; one couldn't expect them to blurt out all their thoughts at once, so some skillful guidance was still needed.

At dinner, Shiler saw a small note left by Natasha under his dinner tray, the gist of which was asking Shiler what was going on with this game and how they should act next.

Shiler put the note aside and continued to think about the Bat-Man's examination plan while eating. Considering Batman's special nature, Shiler prepared four sets of plans to prevent Batman's suspicion from flaring up and causing resistance.

When it got dark, Batman threw a note in with the room number of the consultation room written on it. Shiler saw at a glance that it was the same consultation room where he had woken up during the day.

After a moment of thought, Shiler understood. This was probably because the previous hospital bed had jammed the door, and this consultation room was under repair, so no one was there. He really wondered if Batman would feel a sense of absurd amusement because a hospital bed had jammed the door.

He didn't know if the Batman of the main universe would, but the Bat-Man certainly would.

When he was called over at night, he looked at the marks jammed into the door frame for a long time, fascinated. He said, "The person who set the building standards for the door and the person who set the size standards for the hospital bed must be kindred spirits. Perhaps they are twin brothers."

Then he walked into the consultation room, sat opposite Shiler, and said, "Why did you suddenly want to give me a psychological examination? Doctor, is something wrong?"

"Nothing, this just fits the theme of this game level, doesn't it?" Shiler said while writing something.

"I'll emphasize again, I don't have a mental illness," the Bat-Man sighed and said. "My private doctor and my psychological consultant are the most professional in the world. It is impossible for me to suffer from schizophrenia or delusions."

"I didn't say you had... wait, you have a psychological consultant?" Shiler looked up at the Bat-Man with some surprise and said, "You undergo regular psychological examinations?"

"Of course. Besides needing to use it to shut the board of directors up, I also need to ensure that my emotions and personality are stable. Otherwise, how can I ensure that I won't lead the entire Wayne Group into the abyss with a crazy decision when I lose control?"

"Who is your psychological consultant?"

"That is confidential," the Bat-Man looked at Shiler and said. "Because he holds my private information, for security reasons, no one who knows can reveal his name."

"Very good, it seems it really is Batman, not some strange creature in disguise," Shiler lowered his head to continue writing and said. "I didn't intend to give you a comprehensive psychological examination, nor is it necessary. However, I am also here to ensure that you won't lead the entire team into a ditch because of a crazy decision."

The Bat-Man immediately turned his head to look at Batman standing at the door of the room. He said loudly, "I said long ago I'm not crazy... alright, if you all think so."

"The psychological examination is not to determine whether you are crazy or not; its main purpose is..."

"To ensure my emotions and mental state are stable and my mind is still clear. Alright, alright, I know, Doctor, let's start quickly."

A Batman who would urge a psychological examination to start? That was truly rare, Shiler thought. So he coughed twice, and Batman, who was standing by the door, turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. His figure disappeared outside.

"If you have rich experience in dealing with psychological examinations, then I won't beat around the bush with you." Shiler pulled a sheet from under several others; it was the simplest process he had prepared. He got straight to the point: "What do you think about the disaster that happened to your parents back then?"

"Here we go again," the Bat-Man pursed his lips and said. "Every psychiatrist is worried that I will lose control because of this, or rather, everyone is worried about this."

"Yes, because from a professional point of view, this is the factor most likely to make you lose control. But please don't feel pressured; I don't have a group of shareholders who act like repeaters behind me."

Shiler smiled, and the Bat-Man was also amused by him. He thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps this is exactly why I can speak freely. The only purpose of those people staring at my scars is to find my weaknesses, but you won't, right?"

"I am looking for your strengths."

"Then you will get it, though I don't know if you will be satisfied with it," the Bat-Man replied.

"I don't know if you can understand what I mean, Doctor," the Bat-Man put his hands on the table, tilted his head, and stared at the blank space on the desktop as he spoke.

"When you survive a disaster that you absolutely cannot push through, you become another you—a you that can push through this disaster."

"Or you still can't, but you survived, and that disaster became the past, which can only affect you through memory. And if you are not affected by it, it has no power to fight back."

The Bat-Man tilted his head and stared at Shiler, saying, "If I cannot push through a disaster, then I become a new me who can push through it. If I am affected by the memory of the disaster, then I become a me who is not affected by it."

"All the 'me's that I abandoned—those who couldn't push through the disaster or would be affected by it—are not worthy of being me. Only the current me is worthy of being me."

Shiler watched the Bat-Man in silence, feeling a genuine shock as their eyes met.

He suddenly understood why the Joker played by Heath Ledger had such a vivid and deep vitality. Because his Batman, this Batman, was the true Dark Knight who had cast off the past—so arrogant, so powerful.

He had completely cast off his past, rather than overcoming his shadows. There is a difference between the two. He did not struggle with those dark memories; he abandoned them, and along with them, he abandoned the 'me' that wanted to fight them.

This couldn't be called a hero cutting off his own arm; it was more like a miracle of life-like evolution.

"But this doesn't mean I don't care," the Bat-Man shook his head again and said. "I can objectively realize that this was a human tragedy. I know how much damage such criminal acts caused to my parents and me, so I am still full of anger—toward the murderer who killed my parents, and toward all criminals."

"It's just that that disaster is no longer your weakness," Shiler looked at the Bat-Man and said. "Because you abandoned it along with the 'you' who would hesitate because of it."

The Bat-Man nodded.

Shiler let out a long sigh.

"I think I need to let you know how shocking this is," Shiler put his hands on the table and looked at the Bat-Man seriously, saying, "You have achieved what the vast majority of Batmen in all universes cannot."

"What happened to him?" the Bat-Man asked about the Batman of the main universe.

"He has been stumbling forward with that disaster and that 'self' that never grew up, until he completely integrated them into his own bones and blood, making them a part of his personality, and then using this as motivation to completely merge into the darkness."

The Bat-Man seemed to be shocked as well. He said, "Why?"

"Perhaps because Batman doesn't want to abandon any child."

"Crack!"

The lights in the room suddenly went out completely. Shiler and the Bat-Man looked up at the same time toward the ceiling lights that had been on.

The chandelier in this room had fallen to the ground due to Shiler's previous destruction and hadn't been reinstalled yet, but there were still ceiling lights maintaining the brightness of the entire room. Now, however, they all went out at the same time.

Suddenly, Shiler and the Bat-Man turned their heads toward the door at the same time. A black shadow flashed past the door quickly.

The Bat-Man stood up immediately, pushed his chair back, and said, "Who's there?!"

Shiler also stood up, but he just stood quietly in place. Then he tapped the table lightly and said to the Bat-Man, "Look at the window."

The Bat-Man turned his head abruptly to look at the window behind him. Another black shadow flashed by and disappeared. This time, it stayed a bit longer, and it could be seen that it was a human figure.

"What did you just say? If you can't bear something, then get a 'you' that can bear it."

The Bat-Man looked back at Shiler and heard Shiler say:

"Then you'd better hurry up and get a 'you' that can bear paranormal events."

"What?"

"If nothing goes wrong, this hospital is haunted."