Chapter 303: Chapter 302: A Gentleman Does Not Stand Under a Dangerous Wall
Hearing the knocking and shouting, Yan Feifan shot up reflexively, strode to the door, and opened it.
The people outside the door surprised Yan Feifan.
It was the fraternal twins, the siblings Ma Yufeng and Ma Weixia, with whom heād had a conflict over a smashed car some time ago.
Yan Feifan hadnāt seen the two of them since that conflict.
Heād heard their father had put them under strict supervision.
Seeing the panicked and uneasy expressions on their faces, Yan Feifan was about to ask what had happened when Ma Weixia suddenly grabbed his arm.
"Mr. Yan, please, come with us! Itās an emergency!"
Caught off guard, Yan Feifan nearly stumbled. After steadying himself, he asked in a low voice, "An injury?"
"Or an illness?"
"What are the specifics? Be clear so I can bring the right equipment."
The siblings exchanged a glance and said in unison, "An illness, an illness! No injuries."
Hearing this, Yan Feifan went back to his room to grab his medical diagnostic case and two first-aid bags. He and Yu Suye then followed the siblings out.
Their home was in Building 27, a fair distance away.
Along the way, Yan Feifan asked if they had called 911.
They said they had.
Yan Feifan then asked for the specifics of the medical episode.
The siblings just mumbled that the condition was very serious, all while urging him to hurry. "Faster, faster..."
Yan Feifan and Yu Suye followed the twins into Building 27, took the elevator, and went to the top floor.
Yan Feifan then walked into the Ma familyās home, which had a layout similar to his own, and took the stairs up to the loft.
The scene that greeted him made Yan Feifanās expression darken instantly.
The Ma familyās loft had been opened up to connect with the large outdoor terrace, creating a huge, open space.
It was large enough to host a wild party for twenty or thirty people.
All signs indicated that the Ma siblings were in the middle of a barbecue party.
But in Yan Feifanās eyes, this party was more than just wildāit was completely out of control.
Yan Feifan saw five beautiful, provocatively dressed young women.
Each of them had long legs and was caked in heavy makeup. Their revealing outfits offered only slightly more coverage than a swimsuit.
These women were now standing quietly in a corner of the loft.
However, it wasnāt them who drew Yan Feifanās attention, but the two women and four men lying on the floor or slumped in a wicker chair.
Among them, two were laughing foolishly without end.
Two were writhing on the floor like maggots, drool dripping from their mouths.
Another girl was lying on the floor, flailing her arms and legs with an ecstatic look on her face, muttering to herself.
As for the one slumped in the wicker chair, he had a lecherous expression on his face, his hand shoved down his pants, shamelessly groping himself as if no one else was there.
What a scene...
Yan Feifan turned to the Ma siblings and asked coldly, "Are you going to tell me the truth now?"
Ma Yufeng bowed slightly and hastily explained, "Mr. Yan, you have to believe me. Itās really not what you think."
"Itās not what you think, I swear."
Ma Yufeng stressed, then continued, "After that incident, Dad sent my sister and me to the countryside for a while."
"We were on our best behavior and were only allowed to come back last week."
"Dad went abroad today, so we just thought... we just thought weād get together with some close friends!"
"Dad wonāt let us go to bars, so we had to hold this small get-together at home."
"We were just planning on some barbecue and a few drinks."
"We just never expected that, not long after the party started, they would all end up like this..."
Ma Weixia chimed in, "Mr. Yan, itās true."
"We just earned back our dadās forgiveness. If we got mixed up with that stuff again, heād kill us."
Just then, Yu Suye, who had finished a quick examination of the affected individuals, walked over.
She leaned close to Yan Feifan and whispered, "Constricted pupils, excessive sweating, salivation, agitation. My initial assessment is that theyāre in a hallucinogenic state."
"So far, no one appears to be in any life-threatening danger."
Yan Feifan nodded and said coldly, "Call 911."
"And... the police..."
Before the words were even out of his mouth, Ma Yufeng grabbed Yan Feifanās arm, pleading, "Mr. Yan, Iām begging you, you canāt call 911."
"And you definitely canāt call the police."
"I know what this looks likeāa drug party. The moment the police get here, Iāll be arrested."
"Iāll go to jail."
With a dark expression, Yan Feifan demanded, "Didnāt you just swear to me that it wasnāt what I was thinking?"
Ma Yufeng was so frantic he could barely form a sentence. "I... I swear I didnāt take anything, but... but..."
He suddenly smacked himself on the head.
"I canāt guarantee *they* wouldnāt!"
"Now Iām in so deep, Iāll never be able to clear my name."
"Mr. Yan, Iām begging you. I canāt go to jail. I really canāt..."
Just then, Ma Weixia also began to plead. "Mr. Yan, please help us. My brother and I really didnāt touch any of that stuff."
"Last time, we only ate that pot candy someone gave us because we didnāt know what it was."
Ma Weixia then tried to entice him. "Mr. Yan, if you help us this one time, my brother and I will give you all of our money."
"I have over a million."
"I have seven or eight hundred thousand, too," Ma Yufeng quickly added.
Yan Feifan was about to refuse in no uncertain terms when Yu Suye suddenly interjected, "Feifan, saving them is the priority right now."
"Everything else can wait!"
Yan Feifan noticed Yu Suye giving him a pointed look. Though he had his doubts, he agreed out loud.
"Right, saving them is the priority. Let me check their conditions first."
Yan Feifan proceeded to examine each of the six individuals.
He found that they were unresponsive to external stimuli, each trapped in a hallucination resembling a self-perception disorder.
Although their heart rates and breathing were somewhat elevated, they were still within an acceptable range.
Their other vital signs were also relatively normal.
Yan Feifanās initial assessment matched Yu Suyeās: their conditions were not severe, and they were not in any immediate danger.
"Feifan, be flexible."
Yu Suye noticed the Ma siblings were standing some distance away from her and Yan Feifan, so she whispered a quick reminder.
"Just agree with them for now."
"If they get desperate, we could be in danger."
Her reminder was a wake-up call for Yan Feifan.
āSheās right. If I push these two too far...ā
āA wise man doesnāt stand under a crumbling wall.ā
Just then, a breeze blew in, carrying with it a burnt smell.
Yan Feifanās nose twitched involuntarily, and he took a sniff.
For some reason, he felt his heart begin to beat a little faster.
āThis smell...ā
Yan Feifan walked toward the terrace, and Yu Suye followed him.
The Ma siblings, who had been watching anxiously from the sidelines, hurried to follow as well.
Out on the terrace, Yan Feifan saw a long barbecue grill laden with beef, lamb, seafood, and some vegetables.
However, it was all burnt to a crisp, and the air on the terrace was thick with the smell.
As he looked at the food on the grill, something clicked for Yan Feifan. He picked up a skewer of charred mushrooms and held it under his nose for a sniff.
As soon as he did, Yan Feifan felt his heart rate quicken even more.
"Did either of you two eat these mushrooms?"
The Ma siblings exchanged a look and shook their heads in unison. "No."
Ma Yufeng added, "I was worried the housekeeper would tell on us, so I gave her the day off."
"My sister and I bought all the ingredients ourselves."
"We were doing the grilling, but it was mostly my friend who..."
At that, Ma Yufengās eyes lit up. "Mr. Yan, are you saying you suspect the mushrooms...?"
With that, Ma Yufeng turned and shouted to the scantily clad women inside the loft, "You all, get over here."
When the women were all there, Ma Yufeng picked up a skewer of charred mushrooms and asked, "Did any of you eat these mushrooms?"
All five shook their heads.
Just then, Yan Feifan picked up a skewer of fresh, sliced mushrooms from a nearby tray. "If Iām not mistaken, these are a type of bolete mushroom."
"Itās a poisonous mushroom that can trigger neuropsychiatric symptoms within fifteen minutes of being eaten."
"The prognosis is generally good, and people usually recover within a few hours."
Yan Feifan looked at the Ma siblings and said, "Go ahead and call 911. The worst youāll get is another severe beating from your father. You wonāt go to jail."
Just then, the sound of heavy footsteps suddenly echoed.
Yan Feifan looked up toward the sound and saw that one of the men had, at some point, emerged from the loft.
He staggered unsteadily, swaying as he reached the terrace railing.
The railing blocked his path. His upper body lurched forward, and he toppled right over...