Divine Oracle [Transmigration] (ORACLE)
Song Si: "?"
Outside, Chief Yang immediately tensed up and activated the intercom: "Xiao Zhang, they've been engaged for years already!"
Zhang Qi pressed on unwillingly: "Can I get your contact info? I might need to trouble you again later..."
Knowing about Song Si's engagement status, Chief Yang cut in: "No. Dr. Song is very busy. I'll invite him over when treatment is needed."
Zhang Qi seemed to forget he was still handcuffed and tried to stand up from the chair, only to be yanked back mid-motion by the cuffs, his face paling from the pain: "Dr. Song, I want to talk to you about the war."
Song Si's heart stirred slightly. Zhang Qi added: "I can definitely help you. Believe me, we'll meet again soon."
Studying Zhang Qi's earnest expression, Song Si took out a pen and wrote his phone number on the medication record sheet hanging on the wall.
Zhang Qi exhaled in relief and gave him a faint smile.
Song Si waved and left the room. Chief Yang glanced at his hair color, hesitated awkwardly for a moment, then coughed lightly: "Don't worry, I'll keep it confidential."
Song Si: "No, you've misunderstood."
Chief Yang: "Ah, I know, I understand."
Song Si: "...Understand what?"
Chief Yang looked around conspiratorially, wearing an all-knowing expression as he whispered: "Director Chu is after all a bit older, and you're so young. I get it."
Song Si: "..."
Since when did Special Investigation Bureau Chief's gossip like this?
Chief Yang laughed heartily to smooth things over and told Song Si to change clothes. Song Si said: "No need. Buy me an ice cream, then let's head straight to the next patient."
The ice cream arrived quickly—strawberry yogurt flavor, not as good as vanilla.
Clutching his helmet, Song Si sat on the lab steps eating his treat. Busy colleagues rushed past, nearly jogging, but every single one slowed down curiously when passing him, smiling and greeting him. Some female coworkers even ran over for selfies.
Song Si had no choice but to wolf down the ice cream in a few bites, feeling like some sort of mascot—the kind that brings joy to colleagues' hectic, stressful workdays.
He licked cream from the corner of his mouth and followed Chief Yang to the next ward.
The second patient was a middle-aged woman. Unlike Zhang Qi, she was acutely aware of her illness and gripped by intense terror. The moment the doctors entered, she began weeping, choking out repeatedly: "Save me, save me, save me..."
The instant Song Si stepped inside, he detected a faint, unpleasant odor—like rotting food.
He studied the patient discreetly and said gently: "Don't be afraid. You're just sick. Tell us where it hurts?"
The woman jerked upright in bed with herd hands clamping over her ears as she moaned in agony: "There's something in my brain—it's sprouting, growing, it—"
The woman suddenly screamed.
Song Si took half a step back, glancing at his colleagues outside. Chief Yang's voice came through the earpiece: "The brain CT shows everything is normal. She suffers from severe auditory hallucinations—reportedly, the voice has been threatening her, making it impossible for her to sleep."
The screaming woman abruptly stopped again and the terror on her face vanishing as if she had become a different person. Calm yet eerie, she stared at Song Si and nodded politely at him. "My apologies, I hope I didn't scare you?"
Pretending not to notice the strangeness, Song Si replied naturally, "It's fine. I heard you can hear things others can't."
The woman smiled unnervingly before standing up from the bed and pointing at her ear. "Yes, it's grown very large now. I often can't control it. Would you like to come closer and listen? If it's you, it would be very willing..."
Song Si took another step back while unzipping his protective suit.
Her energy wave was much weaker than Zhang Qi's, and the treatment process was quick—less than ten seconds. As he zipped back up, a faint ache pulsed at his temples.
The woman sat dazedly on the bed and murmuring as she stared at him, "It's gone..."
Song Si said to Chief Yang, "Her condition isn't too severe. Have a psychologist evaluate her further."
Chief Yang asked, "Got it. Any mutations?"
"Yes, likely in the brain as well. I suspect—"
Song Si was suddenly grabbed around the waist, startling him into silence. He turned defensively, only to see the woman clutching him tightly with her face buried in his protective suit as she sobbed uncontrollably.
Song Si froze, his hands hovering midair—unsure whether to return the embrace or not.
The woman wept bitterly for a full ten minutes. Song Si tried to comfort her gently while attempting to extricate himself, but any movement only made her cling to him more desperately. Trapped, he barely managed to reach the tissues on the table, handing her a couple.
She refused to even wipe her face, holding onto Song Si as if afraid someone would snatch him away.
"Ma'am," Song Si said, "a professional psychologist will take over your treatment next. I have other work to attend to."
At this, she suddenly looked up, her tear-streaked face revealing a hint of desperate madness. To his shock, she reached for his helmet, trying to kiss him.
Song Si stumbled backward in alarm. Chief Yang kicked the door open and grabbed the patient, but he was too frail—years in the lab had left him weak. She shoved him to the ground effortlessly. Dazed for a second, he yelled for backup.
Amid the chaos, Song Si met the woman's bloodshot eyes. The intensity sent chills down his spine.
Unwilling to physically confront her, he bolted for the door—only for her to chase after him. Several staff members arrived just in time, forming human barriers between them as the scene descended into pandemonium.
Over half an hour later, order was finally restored.
Chief Yang limped out while clutching his waist. "She used to be a boxer," he said with a sigh. "Honestly, the side effects of your ability are pretty dangerous too. I didn’t plan this well."
Song Si glanced back at the patient—she was still staring straight at him.
"What side effects?" he asked, still shaken.
"You forgot even this?" Chief Yang said. "Your Twin Butterflies have a little quirk—they love making patients hallucinate that they've fallen in love with their doctor for a period of time."
Song Si: "Holy shit!"
Chief Yang: "Director Chu really has it rough, no wonder he were engaged to you."
Song Si didn’t dare look at the patient in the isolation room anymore. He left the hallway, poured himself a large cup of ice water from the dispenser, and gulped it down to calm himself.
Chief Yang asked, "Still checking the next one?"
"Yes," Song Si said. "Her energy wave is very similar to Zhang Qi’s. I suspect they’ve undergone the same mutation due to drug influence."
Chief Yang said, "I’ll arrange someone to go in with you."
Song Si nodded.
After examining five patients in a row, their symptoms were all the same—incomplete Abnormalization, auditory hallucinations, insomnia, anxiety, mild schizophrenia...
During treatment, Song Si could only detect faint energy waves, which shouldn’t have been severe enough to be life-threatening. Yet most had deteriorated to critical stages—some emaciated beyond recognition, some having attempted suicide, others begging for medication like addicts.
Zhang Qi, on the other hand, appeared completely normal before treatment. If not for the discovery of burns on his hands and feet, he might still be working like an ordinary person.
By the time Song Si stepped out of the fifth patient’s room, his mind was on the verge of collapse and still obsessively replaying their clinical symptoms. He had some theories.
He returned to Zhang Qi’s room.
Zhang Qi had already lain back down, with his limbs freshly bandaged, but his wrists and ankles still shackled to prevent further self-harm. Song Si didn’t enter the isolation room, standing at a distance outside instead. He called out, "Mr. Zhang."
Hearing his voice, Zhang Qi tried to sit up but was forced back down by the restraints. He turned his head toward Song Si’s direction. "Dr. Song. You’re back?"
Song Si asked, "What’s your Special ability?"
Zhang Qi smiled but didn’t answer. Instead, he asked, "You went to see the other patients?"
Song Si nodded.
Zhang Qi said, "They’re all mild cases. The truly severe ones aren’t here."
Song Si frowned.
Was he implying that the real severe cases didn’t exhibit abnormalities? That they blended into normal society and indistinguishable from ordinary people?
That even the patients themselves didn’t realize anything was wrong…
"Dr. Song," Zhang Qi continued, "I know a private restaurant about twenty minutes from here. If you don’t mind, we could talk over dinner. There’s so much I want to tell you—things only you would understand..."
"Eat what?" A voice suddenly cut in from behind Song Si.
Still processing Zhang Qi’s words, it took him a couple of seconds to turn around.
Chu Mingyi stood there while holding an ice cream cone, his expression sharp and unapproachable. His piercing eyes swept a warning glance at Zhang Qi before shoving the ice cream into Song Si’s hand and slinging an arm over his shoulders. "Let’s go. Off work."
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