PD -Chapter 152 The Internet Addiction Rehabilitation Center

We quickly gathered information about Yang Yingzhe’s grandson. He was now in his fifties, named Yang Yongkang, and had indeed inherited his grandfather’s legacy by becoming a psychiatrist. There was quite a bit of information about him available online.

Besides details about the positions he had held at local hospitals over the years and the papers he had published, we also stumbled upon some unexpected discoveries.

“The Ecosystem of an Internet Addiction Rehabilitation Center”

“Internet Addiction Expert’s Electroshock Treatment Sparks Controversy”

Li Zi read through the information on the computer screen.

“Good grief. This guy basically took his grandfather’s electroshock therapy methods and started using them to treat internet addiction.”

“Thank goodness there wasn’t someone like him back in my hometown when I was in school. If there had been, my mom probably would’ve sent me to him for electroshock treatment too,” Li Zi said with a shudder.

I looked through the reports and compared them with Professor Yang’s professional background.

To my surprise, he had once served as the deputy director of the psychiatric department at a top-tier local hospital.

Among his published papers were titles such as “A Preliminary Exploration of Personality Reconstruction Through Internet Addiction Treatment” and “A Comparative Study of Electroshock Therapy, Medication, and Comprehensive Intervention in the Treatment of Internet Addiction.” The sheer absurdity of these lengthy academic works was astonishing.

It could be said that Professor Yang had found an entirely new application for his grandfather’s clinical research. He adapted those experimental methods to “help” minors overcome internet addiction, keeping perfectly in step with the times.

According to media reports, after being dismissed from the prestigious hospital where he had worked, Professor Yang established his own Internet Addiction Treatment Hospital. By hiring people to produce promotional videos exaggerating the dangers of internet addiction and boasting about the miraculous effectiveness of his treatment methods, he quickly became a savior figure in the eyes of many local parents.

Parents flocked to him, forcibly sending children addicted to online games into his facility.

Once the children arrived…

Professor Yang’s first step was to make them admit they had an internet addiction, often through the traditional method of “extracting a confession through punishment.” Those who refused to cooperate were subjected to electroshock “therapy.” Restrictions on personal freedom, solitary confinement, and even procedures such as acupuncture and puncture treatments on the head were commonplace.

Before long, however, the practices inside Professor Yang’s rehabilitation center were exposed.

The revelations caused a massive uproar in the media. His facility was labeled a modern-day “concentration camp.” The extreme treatment methods drew widespread criticism and intense scrutiny.

As a result, what had once been a flourishing enterprise gradually declined and was now on the verge of bankruptcy.

“So, what do you think? Shall we go meet this Professor Yang tomorrow?” I asked Li Zi.

Li Zi joked, “Why do I get the feeling this Professor Yang is even scarier than his grandfather? I was exactly the kind of kid he’d want to ‘cure.’ If I go with you tomorrow, do you think he’ll take one look at me, decide I’m addicted to the internet, lock me up, and put me through electroshock therapy?”

“That treatment isn’t charity work. A round of electroshock therapy costs a good chunk of money. If he decides to treat you, you’re paying for it yourself. I’m not bringing any cash,” I replied with a roll of my eyes.

The next day, we didn’t go directly to see Professor Yang.

Using his local connections, Li Zi found a middleman and had him pose as someone interested in investing in the rehabilitation center, claiming he wanted to inspect the project.

The fact that Li Zi had purchased the land where the abandoned psychiatric hospital stood had already become common knowledge in the city. In a place this small, no one dared underestimate President Li’s financial strength, so the excuse sounded perfectly reasonable.

Professor Yang’s rehabilitation center had likely become a liability long ago and was now barely hanging on. Hearing that someone wanted to inject a substantial amount of capital into the project at such a critical time naturally made him ecstatic. He immediately agreed to let us come for an inspection, though he requested that we wait a few days.

Of course, I knew exactly why.

He wanted time to clean things up and put on a show so that the facility would appear successful when we arrived. Unfortunately for him, we didn’t have that kind of time.

I instructed Li Zi to insist on visiting that very afternoon and inform him that if we missed that window, we would be leaving to inspect other projects, and there was no telling when we might return.

Faced with that pressure, Professor Yang backed down. After some hesitation, he agreed.

After having lunch at the hotel with the middleman, Li Zi and I headed to the rehabilitation center together.

The area was small, so the distance wasn’t actually that great. Even so, the facility was located in an extremely remote place.

Fortunately, Li Zi was driving an SUV.

Eventually, the road deteriorated to the point where there wasn’t even any concrete pavement left. After driving roughly five kilometers along dusty gravel roads, we finally arrived at the treatment center.

“Welcome! A warm welcome!”

The moment I stepped out of the car, I nearly froze in surprise.

Professor Yang had really gone all out.

I had no idea where he found them, but a crowd of men and women stood in two neat rows, forming a welcoming corridor. Each person held balloons, making it look as though they were greeting a high-ranking government official on an inspection tour.

“These people don’t look like internet-addicted teenagers at all…” I muttered.

Before I could say more, Li Zi had already noticed the problem.

The entire group wore matching uniforms resembling military training outfits, complete with the treatment center’s logo on the chest. Yet their ages varied wildly, and among them were even several heavily made-up middle-aged women.

“President Li, President Qiu, welcome! Welcome!”

A balding man approached us. He wore a suit underneath a white lab coat and eagerly shook hands with both of us.

“Your visit has truly brought honor to our rehabilitation center!”

As he spoke, he waved his hand, signaling the welcoming “performers” to quickly disperse.

I found the scene amusing, but Li Zi and I pretended not to notice anything unusual and shook his hand.

“Professor Yang, I’ve heard a great deal about you.”

“Oh, you flatter me, you flatter me.”

Professor Yang laughed awkwardly while ushering us through the center’s gates.

Judging by his demeanor, it was obvious he had received countless inspection visits like this before.

“Professor Yang, there’s no need to be modest. I’m a straightforward person,” Li Zi began, immediately laying on the flattery. “I truly admire people like you—someone who sticks to his ideals and dedicates his entire life to rescuing troubled youth. A great medical worker, indeed.”

We followed Professor Yang around the facility, putting on the appearance of serious investors.

The tour, however, only covered superficial areas: the cafeteria, dormitories, supporting facilities, and so on. The rumored instruments of torture and inhumane treatment had apparently been hidden away with great care.

At present, the entire center seemed peaceful and orderly.

Even counting the actors he had hired, the number of residents was pitifully small. There was no way the facility’s income could cover its operating expenses.

Finally, we sat down in Professor Yang’s office.

After catching my eye, Li Zi understood the signal and began steering the conversation toward what we were really here for.

“Professor Yang, I’ve heard that your family has quite a connection to that abandoned psychiatric hospital. From what I understand, your ancestors were among the people who originally initiated and funded its construction?”