Chapter 50.1 – Tongwan Hospital (4)
◎ Coolies, come quickly ◎
Tongwan, in a specialized drug transport route.
The towering figure of nearly 1.9 meters moved through it, clad in a plain black vest, camouflage pants, and combat boots. Occasionally, he would bend down to clear the road debris, and when a zombie jumped out, he would ruthlessly take them down without expression.
The task he was undertaking was one of the most tedious within the C-level — checking the conditions of the lifeline checkpoints, clearing blocked roads. After clearing each segment, he had to pass through the outposts for confirmation to ensure unobstructed drug transport into Tongwan.
Though it was a C-level mission with a good reward, few people took it due to its dirty and tiring nature, consuming a lot of time.
V587 had come, not only that but completed it quite comfortably—after all, they even got two free coolies!
Song Ke and Xu Xing were acting like old bosses. Despite the cold weather, they had set up a pergola and were squatting side by side on the curb, sipping juice, and supervising Su Cha’s work.
They would occasionally provide some feedback.
As Su Cha kicked a zombie away, the two clapped in unison.
Su Cha’s muscles bulged as he threw a steel bar to the side, and the two compared their wrists, regretfully realizing they both had thin arms.
Their appearances seemed lacking no matter how one looked at them.
Amidst the sounds of “clap,” “wow,” and “ah”, Lin Youyou gradually lost herself.
Once again, she asked that classic question: Why was I kidnapped by people like this?
Su Cha, covered in sweat, stopped in front of her.
The former big star now had a bare face due to helping clear the roadblocks, with dust on her face and body.
“Don’t do this,” Su Cha took the gravel from her hand and gestured for her to rest.
“I’m willing to admit defeat.” Lin Youyou gritted her teeth.
“Not following the rules is fine,” Su Cha’s gaze turned cold. “I’ll go kill them.”
Lin Youyou quickly stopped him, afraid he would actually do it. “You don’t have to. It’s my debt to them in the first place.
“Zhuang Qingyan was right, betrayal isn’t worth forgiving.”
Su Cha looked at Lin Youyou. Her long lashes drooped, and when she said these words, her expression was both lost and resigned.
Su Cha remained silent for a long time, and in the end, he only said two words, “Soft-hearted.”
How could Lin Youyou not be soft-hearted?After all, she did deceive Song Ke, but she never thought of actively harming her. In the environment of Mirror Lake, survival for oneself was paramount, and she willingly accepted punishment for a mistake.
“Move your bricks. Why do you talk so much?” Lin Youyou scolded.
Su Cha snorted lightly, using one hand to pull off his vest and continued to work shirtless. The black snake tattoo on the back of his neck appeared more menacing in the sunlight, and the scars on his exposed back were numerous and horrifying, all old scars from years past.
…
The two people under the pergola were also talking.
“Sister, are you coming this afternoon?” Xu Xing asked Song Ke with a pained expression. He couldn’t take it anymore, his stomach was bloated. He had drunk three bottles of juice in the morning, and he didn’t expect supervising would be this tough.
Song Ke bit the straw and shook her head, “Not coming, got some-something to do.”
She had an appointment with Lu Ning in the afternoon to visit the 119 Hospital.
It wasn’t safe for Xu Xing to stare at these two alone. Anyway, their dose of happiness for the day had already exceeded the limit, so Song Ke had given their two coolies a break.
…
At the 119 Hospital, Song Ke went around to the back window of the archives room and knocked on the wall.
After a while, a slender finger opened a gap, revealing half of Zhuang Qingyan’s handsome profile in gray uniform.
She didn’t know why he was so dedicated to the archivist’s job, leaving early and returning late for several days, spending all his time here looking up information.
Song Ke had her hands behind her back, “Yesterday, it was agreed.”
Zhuang Qingyan sighed, “I’ve also said that an ordinary doctor can’t cure my leg.”
Song Ke persisted, “The, the doctors in Tongwan are very ca-capable.”
Zhuang Qingyan locked eyes with her persistent gaze for a long time and finally compromised, “Okay, I’ll listen to you.”
Song Ke pushed him to the 13th floor and found Lu Ning’s office, knocking on the door in a proper manner.
“Come in,” a cold voice came from inside.
During this period, whenever she had free time, she would come to work as a zombie cleaner, and Lu Ning felt that it wasn’t easy for her to support her family at such a young age. He would often take special care of her. Over time, they grew closer.
After learning that she had a companion with a leg injury who could only move in a wheelchair, Lu Ning suggested that Song Ke bring him over for an examination whenever she had the time.
After Zhuang Qingyan’s blanket was pulled back, Lu Ning was momentarily stunned.
This leg was not simply “injured”; from the appearance… it was grotesquely twisted, resembling being crushed by a truck. Song Ke usually had to take care of her disabled brother, and from what she said, it seemed there was also a younger brother at home. The little girl had it really tough.
Lu Ning’s misplaced affection for Song Ke deepened.
“I’ve scheduled a holographic scan for you. Take your brother to get the imaging done first,” Lu Ning said.
Song Ke had a slight objection to the term “brother”: “Not brother!”
Not a brother? She thought only family would be so devoted and loyal.
Lu Ning’s gaze shifted back and forth between the two, and suddenly she seemed to have a realization, thinking she had figured it all out. “I’m sorry, you seem quite… devoted. So, take your… friend to get the imaging done.”
Song Ke was puzzled, feeling that there was some hidden meaning in Lu Ning’s omission.
Once they left the room, Song Ke asked Zhuang Qingyan, “What, what do you think Dr Lu is thinking?”
Zhuang Qingyan smiled faintly. “You’ve touched her heart, I suppose.”
Song Ke said, “Huh?”
After completing the holographic scan, the two returned to the office, and Lu Ning carefully examined the report. “Your leg has been broken for a long time, and the wound has been repaired twice before. This has led to significant internal bone displacement. With the current level of technology, if I perform the surgery, I won’t be able to achieve the restoration you’re asking for.”
Song Ke’s shoulders slumped in disappointment.
Lu Ning put down the report and contemplated for a moment. “I’ll check with some of my colleagues to see if they have any better solutions.”
She swiftly made inquiries among Tongwan’s elite orthopedic surgeons while Zhuang Qingyan took back those few documents and flipped through them with a cold expression.
After ending the voice calls, Lu Ning paused, then hesitantly spoke, “Ideally, we would insert a rhenium steel plate to externally fix the injured leg. However, reshaping the leg later is difficult. Even if you don’t use a wheelchair, you may still need crutches in the future.”
“Or, have you considered the option of a mechanical prosthetic leg?”
“No, we haven’t.” Zhuang Qingyan coldly rejected the idea.
The more Song Ke heard, the more disheartened she became. Even Lu Ning couldn’t do anything?
“If Senior Fang were here…”
In the heavy silence, Lu Ning sighed.
This was the second time Song Ke had heard her mention “Senior Fang.” Who exactly was this person? Every time Lu Ning felt helpless, she would bring him up, as if having this person around could solve everything.
Song Ke finally voiced her curiosity.
Lu Ning sighed again. “Senior Fang, his name is Fang Zhixu, the former genius surgeon of Tongwan. He was a legend in the medical field.
“Senior Fang liked to take on challenging surgeries. He wouldn’t take on anything unless it was difficult and critical. I know many people criticized him for being arrogant behind his back, but so what? No one doesn’t admire his remarkable skills. For every surgery Senior Fang undertook, the failure rate was zero.
“A doctor who has never failed a high-difficulty surgery, isn’t that already a legend?”
“What about, about him?” Song Ke inquired. With such an amazing doctor, if they could find him, was there hope for Zhuang Qingyan’s leg?
Lu Ning’s gaze darkened. “He disappeared.”
“The last time I saw Senior Fang, he was not in a good state. When the apocalypse arrived, I heard he refused to perform a crucial surgery, then disappeared from the hospital. People spread rumors that he was a deserter, refusing to save lives, devoid of a doctor’s moral line. But I don’t believe it. Senior Fang isn’t that kind of person. He must have his reasons.”
…
After coming out of Lu Ning’s office, Song Ke lowered her head, feeling down.
Zhuang Qingyan turned to comfort her, “It’s alright, the result was within expectations. At least Dr. Lu seems reliable, she didn’t push the bionic material, did she?”
Song Ke didn’t smile. She stared into Zhuang Qingyan’s eyes. “You mentioned that healing-type awakeners can cure, right?”
Zhuang Qingyan fell silent for a moment. “Perhaps.”
To restore his leg, this healing-type awakener not only needed to be at least A-level but also required a solid medical foundation, familiarity with the human skeletal structure. Such a person, even if they truly existed, would undoubtedly be highly regarded by major regions, and it was unlikely they would get to know them.
Song Ke leaned her head against the back of her chair again, thinking despondently.
Where could she find a healing-type awakener?
She looked down, and outside the hospital, there were many people wearing security guard uniforms, chasing away suspicious refugees. Under the bridge, in the park, a large number of homeless people were being driven away from their original spots, leaving in confusion.
“What are they doing?”
Zhuang Qingyan glanced down and quickly recalled recent news in his mind. “The current flow of people in Tongwan is too high. The city hall is strictly checking people coming in and out. Those without permits will be driven to nearby shelters.”
Song Ke stretched her neck. The disheveled homeless people couldn’t be seen clearly. They huddled, shoulders slouched, leaving with unsteady steps.
