Chapter 242: Chuck: She's Made Her Move, Now It's Our Turn!
"Alicia, what's wrong?"
Professor John Harper looked at his wife lying on the ground, laughing hysterically. He tried to go to her, but she pushed him away forcefully. He asked helplessly,
"What's wrong with me? Hahaha! That's hilarious! I never knew you were so funny..."
Professor Alicia Harper lay there, tears streaming down her face from laughing. She twisted and turned, saying a few words, then bursting into laughter again. In her agitation, she even banged the back of her head on the ground. Her appearance was so disturbing that no one could possibly laugh.
"Are you okay?"
Professor John Harper was utterly terrified by his wife's behavior, his eyes filled with panic.
"Am I okay?"
Professor Alicia Harper laughed wildly. "Do you even care? Or should I put it another way—am I the one in trouble, or are you? Are you still my husband?"
"I'm sorry..."
Professor John Harper knew he hadn't fulfilled his responsibilities as a husband, and apologized with a somber expression.
But there was nothing he could do.
Like the genius mathematician who was scared to death by his wife dressed as a clown, he also had similar issues to some extent.
When he was completely immersed in mathematical research, his body was utterly unable to respond to anything else.
Even in his most clear-headed state, he had no interest in anything romantic and strongly resisted it.
The responsibilities of a husband... were just too difficult for him.
"I'm sorry—you still know how to apologize!"
Professor Alicia Harper continued to laugh wildly, "But this apology should be from me! I'm sorry to you! I always thought I loved you, so I pursued you, even though I knew from the beginning that you weren't capable of being a good husband.
Now I realize that I was wrong—I didn't love you at all!
From beginning to end, we not only had very little passion, but the love I thought we had never existed!
What attracted me was just a flawed genius who wasn't understood by the outside world.
Because I also couldn't face the truth in my heart—just like you, I was also not understood or recognized by the outside world.
What love was there between us!
In the end, we were just two broken people who weren't understood by the outside world, instinctively huddling together for warmth!
And yet we actually mistook it for love—that's the funniest part!
Oh no.
You've always been the most clear-headed. Every time I talked about our feelings and love, you just smiled. So you've always known!
Hahaha!
No wonder you were once the math prodigy, a super genius!
You're right!
And I was just deceiving myself!
Isn't that ridiculous?
Why aren't you laughing?!
Laugh!!!"
The frenzied Professor Alicia Harper sat up, grabbed her husband who was standing there frozen, and shook him violently. Seeing that he couldn't laugh, she grabbed his cheeks and pulled them apart, laughing maniacally to force him to laugh too.
"Alicia..."
Professor John Harper couldn't take it anymore; his face contorted painfully, and his eyes pleaded for mercy.
"Funny, isn't it?"
Professor Alicia Harper laughed maniacally, tearing at her husband's face, giving him a thorough beating, before shoving him aside and lying back down, continuing her self-deprecating laughter: "I never loved you, I should have known, hahaha..."
Professor John Harper touched his aching face, glanced at his wife in fear, slowly backed away, then got up to grab the phone and dialed 911 for help.
The ambulance arrived, gave Professor Alicia Harper a sedative, and rushed her to the hospital.
They weren't sure if Professor Alicia Harper was having a psychotic episode or experiencing some kind of mental breakdown.
Professor John Harper silently went along, and after the hospital doctors examined her, they were still unsure of the situation and decided to keep her under observation.
"Dr. Wolfe, could you come over?"
Professor John Harper stood at the door of the ward, looking through the glass window. After hearing the doctor's explanation and waiting for the doctor to leave, he thought for a moment and called Chuck.
"What is it?"
Chuck asked.
Professor John Harper explained the situation.
Chuck paused for a moment, then agreed.
Professor John Harper breathed a sigh of relief, even a hint of joy in his eyes.
Indeed!
While he was worried about his wife's condition and relieved that Chuck could come to help, the thought that Chuck's arrival would give him the opportunity to discuss the complex problem of P=NP with him was genuinely exciting and delightful.
At the hillside villa,
Chuck hung up the phone, adjusted his decorative glasses, and muttered to himself, "She made her move. She shouldn't have... Now it's our turn."
Professor Alicia Harper's sudden breakdown was, given Chuck's intelligence, no coincidence; it must have been Anna's sister, Eileen.
Clearly, Chuck's intimidating presence wasn't enough to deter a crime queen with a global criminal network.
Or perhaps it could be said that the girl in white, Anna, was indeed too important to Eileen—important enough that she was willing to confront the obviously formidable Chuck head-on.
His watch vibrated almost imperceptibly.
Chuck drove away from the hillside villa toward the hospital, where he met an anxious Professor John Harper.
"Dr. Wolfe, you're here?"
Professor Harper looked at Chuck with obvious relief.
"Detective Chuck?"
The attending physician in a white coat recognized Chuck and exclaimed in surprise, "You two know each other?"
"The patient is my physics professor,"
Chuck explained simply, then said, "Run a full toxicology screen immediately."
"You suspect she's been poisoned?"
the attending physician asked, then, noticing Chuck's expression, said somewhat defensively, "I'm a doctor—I know what to do! The toxicology screen has already been ordered."
"So what's your diagnosis right now?"
Chuck countered.
"..."
The attending physician paused, then said somewhat sarcastically, "Treating illness isn't like detective work solving a case; it can't be done overnight. Comprehensive toxicology testing takes time..."
Before he could finish, Chuck stopped looking at him and directly said to Professor John Harper, "Sign the transfer papers!"
"What do you mean?"
the attending physician retorted indignantly, "You don't think I'm competent?"
"Correct,"
Chuck nodded honestly.
"Why?"
the attending physician asked angrily.
"Because of what you just said!"
Chuck replied, "Treating illness isn't like detective work solving a case? That's wrong! For common illnesses, perhaps it doesn't need to be compared to detective work, but for difficult and complicated cases, treating illness and solving crimes are similar in principle, and I happen to know a doctor who treats patients exactly like a detective solving a case."
"Where to?"
Professor John Harper, though puzzled, had already made up his mind after hearing Chuck's words and asked directly.
As the attending physician suddenly seemed to realize something, Chuck slowly stated the hospital's name: "Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital!"
(End of Chapter)