Chapter 107: Settlement on the Twenty-Third Day |
Qin Ziwen said, "Just tell them I have a cold and am not feeling well. We'll talk about it another time."
Qin Ziwu replied, "Alright, I'll go tell Doctor Zhao."
"Wait, hold on. Take some food to Building 5, Unit 2, Apartment 301 and deliver it to Li Yue. We don't want him starving to death."
"Got it."
Half an hour later, at Building 2, Unit 1, Apartment 202.
"He has a cold?"
Zou Jianghe leaned back in his chair, a nail clipper in his hand.
"Yes, Qin... Ziwen started coughing a bit yesterday. He's been resting at home all day today. Mr. Zou, should we still proceed with the meeting?"
Hearing this, Zou Jianghe couldn't help but lean back further in his chair. "No need. Let's wait until he feels better."
"It could be true. Our people kept an eye on him the entire day today. He didn't leave his home at all, probably resting and recuperating inside."
Zou Jianghe sighed with a hint of regret. "What a shame."
From the bedroom behind him, Huang Tao paced out. "I suspect he might have discovered the location of a hidden altar."
Zou Jianghe nodded. "Hmm."
"Aren't you tempted?"
Zou Jianghe gave a light chuckle. "Tempted? Of course I'm tempted. Who would ever say no to more cards? So, do you know where the altar is?"
Huang Tao's face darkened. "He's keeping the information locked down tight. Probably only those core members around him know about that altar. I'm afraid of alerting him prematurely."
Zou Jianghe said flippantly, "That doesn't sound like your usual style."
Huang Tao replied, "He's different from ordinary people. He's not some soft pushover. If pushed too far, he's truly capable of killing."
"So you came to me, hoping to use my hand to eliminate him." Zou Jianghe closed his eyes.
Huang Tao said, "I just think we've been cooperating quite comfortably. How could you think of me like that?"
Zou Jianghe chuckled. "The Alliance is an organization dedicated to uniting all homeowners within the residential complex. I would never take action against someone without reason. That goes against the very principles of our Alliance.
Furthermore, here's a piece of information I'll give you for free. After a person dies, all the cards they used in their Home vanish. So, trying to plunder someone else's cards through murder is pointless. All you get is mutual destruction. I actually hope he can pull through this illness. That way, we might gain another cooperative partner.
Right now, the proportion of households in the complex that have awakened their Homes has reached 13%. People are dying every day. No one knows what kind of environment we'll be transported to next."
"Where exactly is that altar..." Huang Tao muttered to himself. Ever since he saw someone using a wheelbarrow in the complex that day, he had started paying closer attention.
And he had indeed found some clues.
He had once obtained an Expansion Card through certain means, so he was very familiar with the state of the exterior wall after using one.
He originally thought that with the three cards he had obtained, he was among the top tier in the complex.
Then he learned that one household had all its windows completely disappear!
He thought it was an outlandish tale, until he witnessed it with his own eyes and had no choice but to admit there was a true mastermind.
After discreet inquiries, he found out the owner of that apartment was surnamed Qin. He had actually seen him a few times before.
For a moment, it was hard to tell if what he felt was envy or jealousy.
So he approached Zou Jianghe, only to find that Zou Jianghe had already been keeping an eye on that Qin fellow.
Huang Tao looked at Zou Jianghe. "Aren't you worried he'll threaten your position?"
Zou Jianghe waved his hand dismissively, completely unconcerned. "As long as he wants to acquire resources, he can't bypass my Alliance. The real core is still people. Without people, even more buildings are just lifeless objects. A person's energy is limited anyway. Why should I worry about him?
Take your Carpenter's Hut, for example. The tools inside are complete, but isn't the true core still that old carpenter? Without the carpenter, your hut is just a decoration. Doesn't that prove that talent is the real core?"
Huang Tao frowned. "But there are Recruitment Cards."
Zou Jianghe laughed heartily. "How many people can a Recruitment Card even summon? With the abysmal drop rate of those cards, you're really worrying over nothing. Besides, what gets summoned might not even be human." Having said that, Zou Jianghe picked up the teapot from the table and poured Huang Tao a cup of tea. "By the way, what about what we discussed last time? Have you considered having that old carpenter take on apprentices? If he's willing, the line of potential apprentices could stretch from your doorstep all the way to the south gate of the complex!"
Huang Tao shook his head. "He doesn't agree. He's only willing to pass on his skills to his own son. For now, he has no plans to take on other apprentices."
Zou Jianghe sighed lightly. "Ah, these people..."
...
After dozing off a bit more, Qin Ziwen woke up feeling refreshed and clear-headed. The itchy, irritating sensation in his chest and throat had completely vanished. No more coughing, no phlegm, and breathing caused no discomfort at all.
Qin Ziwen fetched the mercury thermometer to take his temperature.
36.9°C.
Am I cured?
He asked his younger brother to go inquire with Doctor Zhao.
Soon, his brother returned with Doctor Zhao's message. "Brother, Doctor Zhao says your body is recovering very quickly. Most of the germs inside you have been killed. You're now in the 'recovery phase,' and you mustn't stop the medicine.
Otherwise, the illness might flare up again. If the germs develop drug resistance, it'll be even harder to treat."
"How many more days do I need to take it?"
"Take it for two more days. Once your coughing stops completely, you don't feel chest tightness or shortness of breath when climbing stairs, and you have absolutely no phlegm, then you're pretty much there."
Qin Ziwen assessed his own condition. The latter three criteria were basically met. But to consolidate the treatment's effectiveness, he decided to wait one more day, just to avoid potentially infecting others later.
In the evening, he took the prepared meat porridge, ate it, and then took a slow walk on the ground floor, letting his body rest.
He had to admit, today was the most relaxed day of rest he'd had since transmigrating.
No worries, letting his body relax naturally.
As for his mental state, although he tried to give himself positive suggestions, worries about the future made it difficult to fully relax.
Listening to the lively noises from outside as people salted the meat, Qin Ziwen closed his eyes and slowly drifted into sleep.
The night passed without incident.
"You have successfully survived safely in the wilderness for the twenty-third day. Your subordinate hunted a black deer and forged a powerful animal trap... Comprehensive score: 40 points"
"Rewards obtained: [Recruitment Card] Ordinary·Human Skilled Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner1, [Building Card] Level 1 Steel Door1, [Resource Card] Level 1 Blacksmith*1"
Waking up in the morning, he felt refreshed and clear-headed. What made his spirit even brighter was yesterday's reward—it actually included a skilled physician.
The old Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor he had been longing for had finally arrived.
He used the Recruitment Card to summon him directly.
Jet-black hair was neatly combed and gathered under a small dark blue cloth cap. A few strands of hair fell by his temples. His complexion was ruddy, his eyes bright and clear.
Upon seeing Qin Ziwen, he clasped his hands together in a respectful salute and gave a slight bow.
"This old man is Qian Muzhen. I pay my respects to you, sir."
Qin Ziwen took two steps back and then said, "Elder Qian, please keep some distance. I was infected with an illness a few days ago and am not yet certain if I'm fully recovered."
Qian Muzhen looked him up and down, gently stroking his long beard. "Oh? But from observing your vitality and facial complexion, sir, you do not appear to be ill."
...
Comments 1