Chapter 106
Chapter 106
The person whose pulse Professor Yao was taking was none other than Liu Ang, who had passed out.
As he felt that rare pulse, even the well-traveled Professor Yao was a little shocked.
A retired soldier?
That could not be right. Even a veteran should not have this many hidden injuries, should he?
Professor Yao stopped taking his pulse and began pressing along Liu Ang’s body with one hand.
With every press, his expression grew a shade more solemn.
Despite all those muscles, his body was riddled with old injuries from his wrists all the way down to his legs.
These wounds were different from ordinary external injuries. They were the accumulated damage of many years.
What on earth did this man do for a living?
Professor Yao sent a cartful of tourists into the Morgue, then held a silver needle in one hand and swiftly inserted it into several acupuncture points.
Before long, Liu Ang woke with a low groan.
“You’re awake?”
Looking at the serious eyes of the man in the white coat before him, sorrow surfaced in Liu Ang’s gaze.
The last thing he remembered was flying into the sky.
And now, he could not feel his legs at all.
Add in the grave expression on the white-coated man’s face, and a perfectly timed misunderstanding was born.
“Go ahead. I can take it!”
Professor Yao silently admired the man’s quick thinking.
He had understood what he meant just from the look in his eyes.
“Your condition is very serious. Once it worsens, you will have one year at best, five years at most. Either way, your life will be in danger.”
Hearing Professor Yao’s words, Liu Ang sighed.
He never expected his first trip to an Amusement Park to end up like this.
But when he thought of all the other tourists on the Giant Swing, worry rose in his heart.
“How was the accident handled?”
“Accident?”
Professor Yao looked at the man in front of him and immediately felt a headache coming on.
He was a famous professor, but he could not treat mental illness!
“Delusions aren’t that hard to treat. I know a few specialists!”
The two of them had been staring at each other the entire time. Liu Ang had only just woken up and had not had the chance to observe his surroundings.
Only now did he finally hear the screams coming from nearby.
He swept his gaze around and saw a child, barefoot, struggling to jump rope on cobblestones.
His previously numb legs were also gradually regaining a bit of strength.
Emmmm.
It seemed like some kind of incredible misunderstanding had occurred?
Wait, that was not the point!
If he had not fallen, then what did the white coat mean by saying he did not have much time left?
Holy crap!
Liu Ang was instantly shocked and hurriedly tried to stand up.
Unfortunately, he had been awakened ahead of time with acupuncture, and his legs had only just recovered a little strength.
The moment he tried to get up, his knees buckled straight toward the floor.
Professor Yao sighed. “I was just introducing you to a doctor. You don’t have to thank me like this!”
Not far away, Cao Jia, who was rubbing his feet, could not help rubbing his knees as well.
That suddenly brought back some unpleasant memories!
Professor Yao was not a doctor with a bizarre train of thought. He quickly helped Liu Ang up from the floor.
Liu Ang had no time to care about anything else and hurriedly asked,
“What terminal illness do I have?”
“It isn’t a terminal illness. It’s hidden injuries in your body. If you don’t control them, you have five years at most.”
The moment Liu Ang heard “hidden injuries,” he understood what Professor Yao meant.
Anyone who performed Peking opera would inevitably pick up some injuries during training.
Most Peking opera actors quit performing once their bodies reached their limit.
Liu Ang scratched his hair. “It’s already that bad?”
Professor Yao nodded. “Stop performing for now and take some time to recover. It can improve a great deal.”
Liu Ang sighed. He did not doubt Professor Yao’s skill in the slightest.
The fact that he could see the hidden injuries in his body already said everything.
But then he thought of how his eldest disciple had already come into his own. Taking some time to recuperate for now would not hurt.
“Thank you.”
Professor Yao waved a hand. “I’m going back to work. Take care of yourself.”
Liu Ang nodded and thanked him again.
Before long, once Liu Ang felt a bit of strength returning to his legs, he could not wait to find Zhang Bei.
“Boss, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”
Zhang Bei was watching Little Cao suffer. Hearing the voice beside him, he turned his head.
“The amusement park isn’t for sale. The Pass Card isn’t for sale. And you can’t beat me.”
That perfect three-hit combo left Liu Ang stunned for a second. “No, that’s not what I wanted to ask!”
“Hm?”
“I’d like to borrow some empty space from Boss Zhang and set up a stage to perform an opera.”
“Perform opera?”
Zhang Bei thought it over for a moment and confirmed that his Amusement Park had absolutely nothing to do with the opera industry.
“What do you mean?”
Only then did Liu Ang remember he had not introduced himself properly.
“I’m in charge of promoting Peking opera in Dingyang City. This time, I wanted to perform here for your visitors as a bit of promotion.”
Zhang Bei considered it carefully. “The Amusement Park has a one-hour break at noon. You can use that time.”
Liu Ang thought about it. It really would not be right to interfere with the boss’s business, and performing a piece during the noon break was actually a good idea.
“Then how should we calculate the venue fee, Boss?”
“No need. It won’t affect business anyway.”
“Then thank you, Boss. I’ll have my disciples come over right away!”
Zhang Bei waved it off. “It’s fine. Just prepare well.”
Although Zhang Bei could not really understand Peking opera, putting on a show for the visitors during the noon break did not sound bad.
Before anyone realized it, the Cao father and son, having accepted their punishment, followed the sect leader home.
The Amusement Park also entered its brief noon break.
Liu Ang directed his disciples to set up a simple stage near Morgue No. 2.
For the first time, he did not change into costume before going onstage. “Today, my disciple will bring everyone a performance of The Case of Chen Shimei. I hope you enjoy it!”
The disciples standing beside him froze on the stage.
“Master, you’re not singing?”
“No. This time, it’s your turn!”
A look of resolve flashed across the eldest disciple’s painted face. “All right!”
As the clapper sounded, the eldest disciple began to sing.
“My honored Prince Consort, listen well and hear the truth; do you still remember the Dragon Boat Festival, when you attended court to pay homage to the emperor…”
The eldest disciple had been by Liu Ang’s side since the age of seven. His skill was absolutely not lacking.
Professor Yao, holding a boxed lunch, unconsciously forgot to eat as he immersed himself in this familiar piece.
Liu Ang nodded in satisfaction as well. But when he looked at his other two disciples, his expression instantly darkened.
“You useless things. When we get back, you’re both practicing extra!”
The two of them stared at their master with heads full of question marks.
What happened?
We haven’t even sung yet, have we?
How did we randomly get extra practice?
A single performance of The Case of Chen Shimei lasted more than ten minutes.
Most of the visitors did not understand Peking opera, but they still found themselves drawn into it.
Seeing the visitors’ reactions, Liu Ang grew a little excited. It worked!
Leaving the little theater was the right choice!
As long as they put on a few more performances like this, they would eventually attract some people to buy tickets and come watch at the little theater.
However, to outsiders, the Amusement Park now looked even more horrifying.
On a simple stage stood actors in opera costumes, while below the stage sat visitors hugging severed hands and gnawing on them.
Worse still, most of those visitors had pale faces and disheveled hair.
Even Gu Chen, who had just walked into the Amusement Park, could barely handle the sight.