pjbooks Chapter 194 Is that all you've got, you sissy?
Chapter 194 Is that all you've got, you sissy?
Chapter 194 Is that all you've got, you sissy?
Schizoid personality disorder, abbreviated as STPD, has the following specific clinical manifestations.
The idea of involvement: Patients mistakenly believe that unrelated events happening around them are related to themselves.
For example, one might believe that a TV news anchor is subtly conveying a message to them, or feel that a stranger's cough on the street is a criticism of them.
Peculiar beliefs or magical thinking: believing in supernatural forces that are out of step with cultural context, such as believing that one has telepathy, can foresee the future, or can influence others with thoughts.
Unusual sensory experiences: feeling people who are not around you, hearing indistinct whispers, seeing distorted light and shadow, etc.
However, unlike schizophrenia, the bizarre speech and abnormal behavior of STPD patients only occur intermittently, rather than continuously.
They usually also retain the ability to test reality, that is, they know to eat when they are hungry, know to drink when they are hungry, know to wash their clothes when they are dirty, and know to defecate in the toilet when they need to.
To put it simply, this is a transitional stage in the development of mental illness from a normal person. It falls under the category of mental disorders, but is not a mental patient in the strict sense. This can also be seen from the hospital gown that Margaret is wearing, because the hospital has a clear classification system for patients.
For routine patients, men typically wear light blue and women wear light pink. This is suitable for low-risk patients in general wards. These two colors are visually soft and can calm people down, making them less likely to cause anxiety.
Patients at risk of escaping will be dressed in bright yellow to make them easier for doctors and nurses to identify from a distance.
Above that is dark blue, used to identify patients who have a history of self-harm and suicide, and who are under close surveillance.
Finally, there's the most conspicuous deep red. If you see a patient wearing this kind of gown in a mental hospital, don't hesitate to get away from them immediately, because it means that the patient has a tendency to be violent and can get away with anything.
Faced with a near-mentally ill person who mistakes a stranger for her son's mother, all Ma Jieke can do is play along.
Because all your explanations will only aggravate her condition, making her think that you've grown up and no longer recognize your mother.
With no other option, before the "enemy" arrived, Majad had to drag Jimmy under the cramped bed and quietly watch Daenerys Targaryen perform.
Faced with Jimmy's complicated gaze, Ma Jie sighed and said, "Alright kid, I know what you want to say, but I have to make one thing clear: I don't mean to take your mom away. But what can you do in this situation? The doctor told you that she's a patient now, so we have to treat her the way she likes. At least she still remembers your name, Jimmy."
"But how long will this situation last?"
"I don't know." Ma Jie shook his head. "Because as far as I know, this is a mental illness that is beyond the current level of human understanding. There is no specific medicine. The cause of the illness is different for each person, but it is always caused by stimulation. But what I want to tell you is that an illness that can be cured is an illness, and an illness that cannot be cured is just fate. So from now on, you need to be mentally prepared to get along with your aunt in a new way, because no matter what she becomes, she will always be your mother and care about everything about you at all times."
At this moment, the "enemy" seemed to have already broken in. In Margaret's fantasy world, she also transformed into a female fire dragon covered in scales and engaged in a fierce battle with the enemy.
She draped a blanket over herself as a dragon armor, put a trash can on her head as a dragon's head, and lifted a chair as a dragon's claws, silently protecting the hungry "baby dragon" behind her.
Looking at his crazy mother, Jimmy felt as if a knife was stabbing into his heart.
In the end, the valiant Mother of Dragons defeated the villains. Margaret knelt on the ground, tilted her head, and looked at the two little ones under the bed: "Hey children, come out now, you cowardly rats, I have slaughtered you all."
"Mommy, you looked so cool fighting just now." Ma Jie crawled out from under the bed, earnestly playing his role.
Jimmy stood by, looking worried, listening to the incoherent conversation between the "mother" and "son".
The two talked about the rise and fall of the Dragon Family, the birth of the universe, and then about ancient sages and modern science.
Although Margaret's logic was chaotic and she often made mistakes in her descriptions, such as saying that Einstein was a contemporary of Shakespeare, and that Jesus, Allah, and Yahweh were actually three incarnations of the same god, just to cause humans to fight because of their different religious beliefs.
But Ma Jieke could sense that before she fell ill, she was a very learned woman who had read many books, received higher education, was a medical doctor, and had a happy and wonderful little family.
If things had gone smoothly, Jimmy wouldn't be homeless on the streets now, but would be studying AP courses at one of the top 30 private high schools in the US, preparing to get into an Ivy League school.
During this time, Ma Jie also talked a lot. In his description, Jimmy has now become the second largest shareholder of a resource recycling company through hard work. He lives in an upscale community instead of sleeping on the streets, and has also made many good friends who care about him.
The morning passed quickly. After having lunch with "Mom," the two were told that it was time to visit.
After all, this is a mental health treatment center, not a regular hospital. Both family members and patients must strictly abide by the hospital's rules and regulations.
"Mommy, I'll miss you." Held tightly in Margaret's arms, Majab put on a great performance, imitating Jimmy's usual tone of voice.
Jimmy, whose identity had been switched, could only politely give his mother a light hug.
After he left the hospital like a walking corpse, the pain and resentment that had been suppressed in his heart completely erupted. He roared and rushed towards the green belt by the roadside, punching and kicking a big tree.
"Hey, calm down, bro, what are you doing?" Ma Jie jumped in after him and grabbed his arm, but unexpectedly, the kid had a lot of explosive power and swung it hard, hitting someone's forehead.
"Okay, you want to play, huh? I'll play with you!" Ma Jie rubbed his cheeks and assumed a fighting stance: "Come on, didn't you want to vent? What kind of skill is it to bully a plant that can't fight back? If you've got the guts, take me down."
"Come on, let's fight! If you're even a man, then!"
Faced with Jack's provocation, Jimmy's blood rushed to his head. He shoved Jack away, his face contorted with rage as he brandished his fist: "Don't bother me, Jack! I don't have a mother anymore! My mother doesn't want me anymore, you know that? What kind of world is this? It's not enough that it ruined my life, it also has to take away my last remaining family member! Fuck! Fuck Fuck Fuck!"
"Is that all you've got, you sissy?" Seeing him gesticulating wildly at the air, Ma Jie sneered, "I'll let you fight me. Can't you understand human language? Or were you born with a shorter penis? I've figured it out now. You should just stay in the greenhouse and be a flower, a coward who can't face reality!"
Before he could finish speaking, an enraged Jimmy threw a punch at him. Faced with his haphazard attack, MaJack deliberately neither dodged nor evaded, letting the punch land on his face.
The punch was quite powerful, directly triggering the passive effect of [Explosive Shield], reducing damage by 90%.
"That's it?" Looking at his furious expression, Ma Jieke said with full sarcasm, "You can't even hit people hard, no wonder even girls laugh at you."
As he spoke, Jimmy charged forward again, unleashing a flurry of wild punches.
Ma Jieke used the principles of Wing Chun to intercept and neutralize his attacks, so that even if Ma Jieke managed to hit him, the damage would be greatly reduced.
When his stamina was almost depleted, she took a quick step and grabbed his waist, throwing him to the ground like a human punching bag.
Of course, he didn't dare to use his full strength, otherwise, with his small physique, he would have suffered a comminuted fracture from the start.
The latter lay on his back, panting heavily, his forehead and cheeks covered in sweat, but his eyes, which had been filled with pain and despair, gradually regained some vitality.
Ma Jie knelt down in front of him, a smirk playing on his lips. "Not bad, kid. If you could face any difficulty with the same tenacity you showed just now, tell me, what obstacle in this world can't you overcome? Your mother is just sick, but you've interpreted it as her abandoning you. Didn't you realize that you're the one she truly cares about? She keeps calling him 'Jimmy,' is she calling someone else?"
"Anyway, I have a hypothesis, which may not be accurate, but I think it makes some sense."
"The reason your mother is like this is because she knows that her poor son is homeless on the streets and is in danger at any time. This uncontrollable association makes her afraid to face reality, so she imagines me, who looks a little stronger, as you who has grown taller, in order to seek a little peace of mind for herself."
Upon hearing this unexpected explanation, Jimmy suddenly sat up from the ground, because what Ma Jie said made sense. Otherwise, how could a perfectly healthy person suddenly not recognize their own child? This was a self-protective mechanism in a semi-mad state, which precisely showed that there was a logic to it, rather than a true mental breakdown.
"Then what should I do to change her mind?" Jimmy excitedly grabbed someone's arm. "Jack, I know you must have a way."
"It's simple, just exercise properly, at least so that you don't look so weak and frail anymore."
Ma Jie didn't know if this would work, but he understood that exercise, like reading, was one of the most rewarding things in the world.
Just like before, ordinary venting behaviors are no longer enough to satisfy his threshold. Only a satisfying game of Mortal Kombat can completely release all the negative emotions in his heart.
"Okay, I'll listen to you. I'll definitely make myself stronger!"
Under Ma Jieke's guidance, the boy finally regained his former vigor and no longer wore a mournful expression on his face.
On the helicopter ride back to Los Angeles, Ma Jie asked, "Okay, now let's get down to business. How are you planning to pay for your mother's overdue medical bills?"
Jimmy hesitated for a moment before replying, "I'd like to sublet the attic where I live. That way, I can recoup five months' rent. If that's not enough, I'll sell some of my shares. There are plenty of people in the camp who want them. After all, the junkyard is very profitable. Those who didn't invest back then are now regretting it terribly."
"And then what? You go and live in a tent at the campsite?" Ma Jie couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Can you stop disgusting me? You brought in an illegal subletter without even considering how everyone else feels?"
"So what do you suggest we do?" Jimmy turned his gaze from the cabin window. "I can't just stand by and watch my mom get sent to a shelter, can I?"
"So, are you trying to kill yourself by asking me for money?"
Hearing Jack's solution, Jimmy rubbed his hair helplessly: "I know you'll help me if I ask, but I really don't want to trouble you because I already owe you so much. Before I met you, I never thought I could start a business and move into a house to live a normal life..."
"Stop, don't give me that nonsense." Ma Jieke looked ahead, carefully piloting the helicopter. "If you feel guilty, wait for me in the room tonight after you've showered."
"Get lost!" Hearing someone's crude joke, Jimmy immediately raised his middle finger: "Fine, I'll lend it to you, but let's make it clear beforehand that I'll calculate interest. You can't just borrow for free. The repayment method will be deducted from my income. I'll tell Ms. Nancy to transfer my share of the profits directly to your bank account."
"Whatever." Ma Jie was too lazy to argue with him anymore and focused on driving.
The two returned to Los Angeles, and Jimmy immediately went to the poor streets, trying to numb himself with work so he wouldn't have time to overthink.
Ma Jieke sat alone by the roadside, ordered a coffee, and opened the task panel to check his rewards.
There's not much to say about the main quest; as usual, it gives you three basic skills. I chose [Car Driving Iv1] without hesitation, since we're using vehicles more and more frequently these days, so its priority is unquestionable.
I thought the side quests would be a pleasant surprise, but they turned out to be all life skills, which would only make me a blue-collar worker.
Reluctantly, I used the [Golden Ticket] twice and got another [Car Driving Iv3] ticket.
After thinking about it, I decided to take it directly. This would mean a four-level jump, and combined with the previous one, I would reach Iv5, second only to the current highest skill level, [American Iaijutsu Iv6].
I glanced at the time; it was just past 3 p.m. I was about to go to the front line to inspect the work when I suddenly received a message on my phone.
Upon opening it, I discovered it was a notification from the previously registered Account Executive (AE) platform, reminding me of an pending task assignment.
According to Sandy's explanation, after registering, new users will be forcibly assigned newbie tasks by the system, which are euphemistically called newbie trials. Only by passing two trials can they officially become bounty hunters.