Clown Game
Chapter 163 - 163 156 Numbers Ten

Chapter 163: Chapter 156 Numbers Ten Chapter 163: Chapter 156 Numbers Ten Dreams…

Upon reflection, they are rather mischievous things. When people slip into sleep or a relaxed state, dreams quietly evade the scrutiny of the subconscious, manifesting themselves in all sorts of forms.

Some say dreams are a window to the unconscious world, others claim they simply satisfy repressed subconscious desires. In any case, dreams lack traditional logic, linking to the deepest parts of our thinking—absurd, mad, bizarre… And the dreamers? They are almost entirely oblivious to the fact that they are dreaming.

So, what might the conscious world of a mentally ill patient look like? Could it resemble our own experiences within dreams?

Half a century ago, many believed that the mentally ill were just unfortunate individuals whose “subconscious” had exploded and taken over the “surface consciousness.” To put it more simply, these people were trapped in a perpetual dream, unable to distinguish fantasy from reality.

From this perspective, an alternative treatment method emerged—not through medication or external stimuli like acupuncture or electroshock, but by directly addressing the patient’s consciousness, targeting the root of the ailment…

In fact, mental disorders are fundamentally different from other diseases as they often lack any substantial physical damage. Their pathology lies in the intangible aspects of memory, emotions, and thought patterns.

Therefore, theoretically, this approach to treatment is the most direct and effective.

Yet the world of thought is incredibly complex, and to this day, the treatment of most mental disorders still relies on methods like electroshock, sleeping pills, and restraints.

…

But… is that really the case?

…

Now that I’ve mentioned all this, perhaps your minds have begun to form a vague notion, though it’s not quite clear.

Let’s bring our thoughts back to this story.

At this point, Dr. Zhang had acquired three sets of numbers… The first was “8131620,” found by himself; the second, “74123,” found by Liu Yi; and the third, “380,” obtained by the three of them together.

The man known as Jia Renliang, who had a clean-shaven face, had finished introducing his profession and name, so the three people filed out of the small cabin that had been sealed for a century…

They quickly emerged from the entrance of the cave… But as soon as Dr. Zhang stood still, he was surprised to find the mirror on the washbasin intact, unshattered, and hanging on the wall. There was no bloodstain or etched scratches on the door panel of the “toilet cubicle” that was separated by wooden boards. All traces of the numbers had completely vanished, as if it had all been a dream.

Dr. Zhang stood agape, frozen in place, but he soon snapped out of his shock. The strangeness of the night had been so overwhelming that he had grown almost numb to it…

Soon after, Liu Yi also climbed out of the big hole.

“Hey? How did the mirror get restored?” he exclaimed in surprise.

Dr. Zhang didn’t overthink it. He had long realized how bizarre his experiences were, but his long-standing perceptions made him reluctant to admit it. “Maybe, just as you said… we are in a dream…” he said faintly.

Just as his words fell, Jia Renliang also huffed and puffed his way out of the hole: “What happened?”

Dr. Zhang looked at him, hesitated, and said, “Well… if I said, all this was a dream…”

He didn’t continue, instead, he waited to see the other’s reaction.

Sure enough, the man looked at him as if he were looking at a mental patient.

For a moment, Dr. Zhang felt like he was seeing his own reflection from when he had just woken up, when Liu Yi told him it was a dream, and he had looked at him with the same kind of eyes…

Liu Yi—himself—Jia Renliang—one person after another, from confusion to belief, as though it was some kind of legacy.

Perhaps everyone’s experiences are within someone else’s dream.

Perhaps everything now is still within someone’s dream…

Who knows?

With this thought, Dr. Zhang shook his head. He did not bother explaining any further, for he knew that this man named Jia Renliang would soon understand everything.

Just like his current self.

…

Thus, Dr. Zhang ignored the other’s baffled look and walked past the mirror without a second glance, approaching the door of the toilet.

He pressed down on the door handle.

“Click…”

The sound of the lock opening echoed…

“It’s… it’s open!” Dr. Zhang shouted in surprise. He had not expected the door to open, just trying it out of sheer curiosity, and yet, it really opened.

“What’s this about…” Jia Renliang, seeing the astonished looks on the others, asked.

Liu Yi hurriedly explained, “This door was originally locked, but now it can be opened…”

“Locked? Like when I was shut in the ‘resting room’?” Jia Renliang said.

Liu Yi nodded in affirmation, indicating it was roughly the same situation.

By that time, Dr. Zhang had already stepped through the door: “Alright, let’s get out and talk later~” he called out to the two near the big hole, standing in the doorway as if afraid that if the door closed again, it might not reopen.

Upon hearing this, Jia Renliang and Liu Yi quickly ran out the door, as nobody wanted to be truly trapped inside a toilet.