Driving Out Despair

Wu Miaomiao coughed. "One more thing: for rich people, it's a chronic illness. But if you don't have money, it's terminal."

Then she said dejectedly, "One shot costs fifteen million, so two shots cost thirty million. Turns out this disease is terminal for me too..."

Zhuang Hong: "..."

Zhuang Hong first exchanged all the gold for Ji Ling Coins, then went to register at the largest hospital in Sha Ting City.

Of course, Wu Miaomiao led the way. Zhuang Hong was completely at a loss in this world's supercities.

The outpatient doctor took the two bottles Zhuang Hong handed over, wearing an expression that said, Are you kidding me? "You dug two chunks of flesh off the patient and rushed over here? Where's the patient?"

The doctor looked Zhuang Hong up and down. Seeing his haggard complexion, he said, "Don't tell me you're the patient! Looking at you, you seem like you've got cancer."

"Not me. I'm just sleep-deprived. My friend is the one who's sick."

Zhuang Hong said awkwardly, "My friend is very special. He can't come."

The doctor handed the bottles back to Zhuang Hong. "Then there's nothing I can do. Bring the person here first."

At that moment, Wu Miaomiao said quietly, "Doctor, please help us. We'll give you a hundred thousand as thanks afterward!"

The doctor stroked his chin and hesitated. "It's not about the money. I'm worried about the patient's condition."

Wu Miaomiao said, "Five hundred thousand!"

"It's not impossible, but it'll be rather troublesome."

"One million. I'll transfer half as a deposit first."

"No problem. As long as you bring fresh normal flesh and tumor flesh, this disease can still be treated. Leave it to me."

Zhuang Hong secretly gave Wu Miaomiao a thumbs-up.

After leaving the hospital, Wu Miaomiao was still worried. "Do you have enough money? Don't let it all go down the drain in the end. If it's not enough, I'll help you think of something. Maybe we can scrape some together."

"Don't worry, I have my own way. I'm heading back first. I'll have to trouble you again next time I come to Sha Ting City."

Wu Miaomiao asked with concern, "Zhuang Hong, haven't you been sleeping well? Why not come to my place and get some sleep?"

Zhuang Hong said, "No need. I'm afraid I'll tear your house apart after I fall asleep."

After saying goodbye to Wu Miaomiao, Zhuang Hong left Ji Ling Star. Half-dozing, he made his way toward Xu Kaidong's world.

When he saw Xu Kaidong, there was a pile of random junk spread out before him. He was squeezing the items one by one with his hands. Anything he couldn't crush, he smashed with a small hammer pulled from his waist, then continued squeezing.

Zhuang Hong asked, "What are you doing, Mister Xu?"

"Training!"

Xu Kaidong answered instinctively, but quickly came to his senses.

"Mister Zhuang?"

He became excited. He had thought he would never see Zhuang Hong again. Just as he was about to lay out a grand feast, Zhuang Hong stopped him.

"Mister Xu, I'm making a trip back to Earth. I happened to pass through here, and I also happen to be short on money. Is there any ordinary item you want? I can bring it over for you. One price: one hundred taels of gold per item, two items at most."

Xu Kaidong was overwhelmed with surprise and delight. He held his hand in a claw shape and flexed it. "Can I learn the superpower of crushing objects with my hand from you?"

Zhuang Hong shook his head. "I was born with it. It can't be learned."

Xu Kaidong said helplessly, "Looks like I'm fated to miss out on cultivating immortality. So be it... Then I'll trouble you, Mister Zhuang. For the first item, could you bring a computer loaded with all kinds of information on physics, chemistry, and industry? For the second, could you bring a standard first-aid kit?"

"Yes."

Together, those things would be rather heavy, which would slow his speed through space.

But it was Not a Big Problem.

Xu Kaidong trembled all over with excitement.

If he truly had those things, he would become a sage whose name would endure forever in this world.

While Zhuang Hong was running all over the place, in Panyang City on Earth.

Chen Yuanfei stared tensely at Doctor He before him, waiting for Doctor He's verdict.

Doctor He, meanwhile, held several scans with a face full of astonishment, checking them over and over.

He muttered, "Impossible, absolutely impossible. How could a perfectly good tumor just vanish? There must be something wrong with the machine! But how could the machine be wrong? Hmm... Then it must be the technician who operated it. Why not take another scan..."

"Doctor He?" Chen Yuanfei called softly, afraid of disturbing Doctor He, who had fallen into self-doubt.

Doctor He came back to his senses. "Well, Chen Yuanfei, right? There may have been some problem with this scan. You might have to go back and get another one."

Chen Yuanfei pointed at the scan. "Doesn't it show that the large tumor is gone?"

Doctor He said, "That's right. The tumor wasn't captured in the scan."

Chen Yuanfei was stunned. Zhuang Hong's words from that night echoed in his head, leaving his mind foggy.

At the same time, a ray of brilliant light shone upon him, scattering the despair in the depths of his heart. The wild joy of surviving a calamity flooded his chest.

What Ah Hong said was true, but how did he do it? Just what kind of immortal is he...!

When he thought of Zhuang Hong now, all he could see was a bank of mist.

And the figure within that mist was so towering, so mysterious.

After Chen Yuanfei stumbled out of the hospital in a daze, he impatiently called Zhuang Hong.

"Sorry, the number you have dialed is outside the service area. Please try again later..."

Chen Yuanfei muttered, "Still can't get through. What backwater hole has Ah Hong run off to? The signal should basically cover everywhere by now, shouldn't it?"

The moment he finished speaking, his phone rang.

He picked it up and saw that it was Zhuang Hong calling. He immediately answered.

"Hello, Ah Hong, where did you go? Why couldn't I get through to you just now?"

"I went to find medicine for you. There might not have been any signal. Where are you now? I need to get two chunks of flesh from you."

"Get flesh from me? Pork or beef? I don't have any meat. Just tell me what you want to eat, and I'll go buy it right away."

"I don't need that. I want two chunks of flesh from your body."

Chen Yuanfei: "???"

Not long after, Zhuang Hong met up with a thoroughly uneasy Chen Yuanfei.

Chen Yuanfei swallowed hard. "Ah Hong, you don't really want flesh from my body, do you? From where?"

"Don't worry, it won't be a big problem. It might just hurt a little."

"Hurt?"

Before Chen Yuanfei could react, two clumps of bloody flesh appeared in the preservative test tubes beside Zhuang Hong's hand.

"Ow!"

Chen Yuanfei clutched his chest and butt, springing up with a pained cry.

After obtaining Chen Yuanfei's flesh, Zhuang Hong did not hurry to Ji Ling Star. Instead, he first went to the market to buy Xu Kaidong a laptop and a first-aid kit, then began downloading the information Xu Kaidong needed.

The estimated download time was one day.

Zhuang Hong was in no rush. The two reagents the doctor had given him could preserve flesh for a full month, so he did not need to worry about it spoiling.

And he could take this chance to rest for a while.

Zhuang Hong traveled through space away from Earth and arrived at a primitive Life World not far from it. He found a large, shady tree and lay down beneath it to rest.

He silently prayed, Natural enemies, stay away. Please!

Perhaps Zhuang Hong's prayer came true. He dozed for a full five hours without being attacked by any natural enemy.

Zhuang Hong got up and said regretfully, "If I'd known there wouldn't be any natural enemy attacks, I would've slept myself dead."

After thinking for a moment, he started walking in Earth's direction.

"It feels like I haven't gone back to the orphanage in a long time. The information probably isn't done downloading yet, so I might as well go see the children at the orphanage."

That tiny orphanage held all of Zhuang Hong's childhood memories.