"Weak Breath Disease..."
Shen Heng murmured under his breath, comparing Xu Yuqin's physical condition with the description of the disease in his mind.
"She's already taking bronchodilators. Does that mean it's in the late stage?"
"I don't know exactly how long it's been in the late stage, but judging by her condition, she probably only entered it recently!"
"But the most important thing is..."
"No treatment currently available... no treatment currently available..."
Shen Heng's brows knitted tightly. He couldn't help raising a hand to gently rub between his brows, trying to think of another treatment.
But how could he come up with a treatment that even the doctors couldn't?
After a long while, having failed to think of anything, he slowly opened his eyes, only for his gaze to settle on the left hand rubbing between his brows.
His eyes gradually brightened. If someone in the Supervision Bureau could heal his left hand, then surely they could cure this disease too?
At that thought, Shen Heng quickly picked up his phone, opened Micro Q, and tapped Wang Hai's profile picture.
Antarctic Bear: Hello, Director Wang. Have you heard of Weak Breath Disease?
A while after he sent the message, a series of beeps sounded, and Wang Hai replied.
Wang Hai: Yes
Shen Heng was just about to keep typing when another message came in.
Wang Hai: You want to ask about your mother's illness, right?
Shen Heng froze slightly and instinctively typed, "How did you know?" But before sending it, he deleted it.
His mother must have gone to the hospital for her illness. Since she'd been to the hospital, there had to be relevant records. With those records there, it wasn't strange at all that Wang Hai knew.
He began typing on his phone again.
Antarctic Bear: Yes. I'd like to ask the person who treated my arm to treat my mother. Just name the price, and I'll do everything I can to get the money
Wang Hai: She can't treat this disease
Shen Heng's grip on his phone tightened instinctively. He took a deep breath and began typing again.
Antarctic Bear: Does that mean there's no way to treat this disease?
Wang Hai didn't answer the question directly. Instead, he sent a seemingly unrelated question.
Wang Hai: Do you remember when this disease first appeared?
Shen Heng's fingers paused briefly. He knew Wang Hai wouldn't ask something like that for no reason. In other words, there was something very significant about when the disease had appeared.
He quickly opened his browser and checked the information on the disease again.
[Disease name] Weak Breath Disease [Disease background] Weak Breath Disease is a rare, chronically progressive respiratory disease that has emerged within the last seven years...
Shen Heng's gaze settled on the timeframe given in the disease background.
"Seven years, seven years... if Wang Hai specifically asked about it... the overlap between the two worlds began ten years ago!"
Shen Heng's brows abruptly furrowed. He reopened his chat with Wang Hai.
Antarctic Bear: Is Weak Breath Disease an illness caused by the overlap between the two worlds?
Wang Hai: That's right. Not everyone can adapt to Origin Power. Some people are naturally incompatible with it. After prolonged exposure to Origin Power, these people can easily develop this disease once their bodies weaken. That's why I told you it can't be treated
It can't be treated because it isn't a disease?... Shen Heng frowned deeply, his fingers tapping the screen again.
Antarctic Bear: Is there really no way to cure it, then?
Wang Hai: There is. A type of Calamity Beast called the Firmament Breath Beast appeared before. If its Lung Crystal is implanted into a patient's body, the Origin Power the patient can't adapt to will be absorbed by the Lung Crystal, then slowly expelled through breathing
Antarctic Bear: Can someone outside the Supervision Bureau like me buy one?
Wang Hai: No. Supervision Bureau personnel get priority for all these supplies
Wang Hai: Also, ever since people discovered that Firmament Breath Beast Lung Crystals could treat Weak Breath Disease, they've basically been redeemed immediately whenever one becomes available.
Wang Hai: So our Supervision Bureau currently has no Firmament Breath Beast Lung Crystals in stock either
Shen Heng stared silently at the words on the screen for a while, then raised his hand to type again:
Antarctic Bear: Are there any other ways?
Wang Hai: If you really want to cure this disease, there are only three ways
One, join the Supervision Bureau, carry out missions, accumulate points, and redeem a Firmament Breath Beast Lung Crystal
Two, join the Supervision Bureau, find leads on a Firmament Breath Beast, and hunt it yourself
Three, wait for the country to develop a cure for Weak Breath Disease
Shen Heng's fingers stopped on the screen. This time, he neither asked another question nor replied. He simply looked silently at the three options on his phone.
The third option was definitely out.
Leaving aside whether the country could develop a treatment, even if it did, how many years would it take? Three? Five? Or ten? Could Xu Yuqin hold on until then? How was that any different from sitting and waiting to die?
As for the first and second options...
Shen Heng quietly looked at the messages on the screen, hesitating over whether he should join the Supervision Bureau.
Perhaps, as Wang Hai had said, the country would develop a treatment in another two years, and he wouldn't need to risk sacrificing his life for a possible treatment, but...
What if it was too late?
Shen Heng stared quietly at the messages on the screen, and different images seemed to suddenly appear before his eyes.
A figure bowing and apologizing to debt collectors over and over, promising repeatedly that she would repay the money; a figure secretly bringing home some of the rare treats from her staff meals without the hotel's knowledge; a figure who hadn't bought a single new piece of clothing in years; a figure using the original owner's takeout bags as a handbag; that weeping figure in the living room just now...
A bitter smile suddenly appeared on Shen Heng's face.
"If this were my previous life, I'd have to say, 'Don't you have any other plot devices?' But now..."
"Ah, let's just say I owe you!"
Shen Heng heaved a heavy sigh. He raised his hand and tapped the screen, soon sending a message.
Antarctic Bear: I want to join the Supervision Bureau!
Wang Hai: Come to Building 9, No. 3 Dongxing Road, Kaiping District, before ten tomorrow
Antarctic Bear: Okay!
After sending the message, Shen Heng slowly put down his phone.
Having finally decided on something he'd been agonizing over, he seemed to feel a brief moment of relief, only for a faint melancholy to rise in its place.
After all, even if he joined the Supervision Bureau, whether he could ultimately find a Firmament Breath Beast Lung Crystal that could treat it was still unknown.
"Weak Breath Disease... late stage... one to two years..."
Shen Heng murmured softly. He shook his head, stopped thinking about it, turned off the light, and lay down.
The moment his head touched the pillow, all sorts of sounds surged madly toward him, as though they'd found their chance.
The hum of electricity in the ceiling, the wind outside the window, insects chirping downstairs...
The next day.
"I once lost myself in the vastness of the world, and also sank into..."
Still half asleep, Shen Heng slowly reached a hand out from under the covers, picked up his phone, and answered the call.
"Hello-"
"Hello, am I speaking to Mr. Shen Heng?"
"Mm-"
"Hello, we're calling from the Every Term Joy platform. On our platform, you..."
"Beep-"
After deftly blocking the number through muscle memory, Shen Heng slowly withdrew his hand and continued lying comfortably under the covers. Dimly, he seemed to hear all sorts of sounds by his ears again.
"I'm heading out..."
"Meow..."
"Zheng Yufeng, hurry up and get out here to eat! Look at the time! If you don't get up, I'll take all this and..."
"Hey! Wang, hold this for me..."
"Beep beep..."
As all sorts of sounds reached him, Shen Heng's brows gradually furrowed beneath the covers, and his expression slowly twisted.
Two minutes later, he climbed stiffly out of bed.
"Damn it, this blasted ability is going to give me a sudden death one day!"
Shen Heng held his aching head and looked at the alarm clock.
The hour hand pointed to 7, and the minute hand to 2.
07:02 a.m.!