Task 3

Zone 5 is hot and dry during the day, but exceptionally cool and comfortable at night.

While Tuya Town's central street wasn't as advanced and luxurious as the association's base, it was still clean and tidy, and even had cement pavement, a rare sight compared to some remote villages. It had recently rained for a while, and the bright moonlight filtered down, filling the small puddles on the uneven road.

Two dark shadows appeared from the corner at the end of the road, swaying one after the other. Occasionally, they were cut off by puddles halfway through their progress, and then the puddles were immediately left behind by the connected shadows.

Xiao Wei nimbly leaped over another half-meter-long puddle, tiptoed on the ground, and made a semicircle. She turned around and walked backwards, asking the person beside her in confusion, "Sir, why didn't you help that old man heal his knee injury just now?"

Shi Youchen grabbed Xiaowei's arm, who was about to step into the next puddle, and supported her shoulders, turning her around. He said, "Because I'm just an ordinary doctor who makes house calls." Xiaowei suddenly realized: "Oh, so you're afraid his family will notice something at the scene and your identity will be exposed!"

"But in this case he will still suffer, right?" Thinking of the haggard face of the bedridden old man, she felt a little sorry.

Shi Youchen couldn't see the expression on Xiaowei's face, but he could hear the change in her tone, so he comforted her: "I have cured his underlying injury, and the surface ulcer will also heal, it just takes some time." So far, except for neglecting this detail in the case of Korra, who was first treated in Aiha Village, Shi Youchen covered up the details of all the other patients he had treated to ensure that the patients' families would not become suspicious, and the three families that had just been treated were naturally no exception.

Xiaowei was still cheering and praising him, "Mr., you're amazing!" But Shi Youchen suddenly felt like he was being watched strangely. He quietly stepped aside, and through the reflection of the water on the ground, he saw a strange figure flash by.

However, the two of them walked all the way to the hotel where they were staying, and the peeper did not show up until they entered the door. Shi Youchen looked at Xiaowei who was checking the room for him, and finally remained silent. "After all, we will leave here tomorrow." He thought so.

The next morning, Shi Youchen, as previously agreed, visited the homes of the remaining patients. He healed some of their injuries to the best of his ability, but there were also cases where he was unable to treat them. He could only express his regret to the families. Fortunately, the town's residents were generally gentle and tolerant, and no unpleasantness arose.

After leaving the last house, Xiao Wei asked, "Sir, it's almost noon. Do you want to stay here for lunch?" Shi Youchen wiped the sweat from his forehead without thinking: "Let's go to the next place first." He spent too much time in Tuya Town. Leaving earlier would allow him to complete the mission and return to the base earlier. Besides, he always felt uncomfortable here.

So the two of them got on the car that came to pick them up and headed towards the next mission location - Neilidu Town.

A crowd surged outside Nierlidu Town. The Zhao flag, hung from the previous day's farewell ceremony, had not yet been removed. A corner of the turquoise flag, lifted by the wind, revealed a hint of its intricate embroidery. A large group gathered around the flag, craning their necks to gaze northeast.

"Here we go!" "Is that it?" "Hey, don't push!" The moment the silver-white car appeared on the road, a crowd of people rushed in. Tuya Town wasn't too far from Nierlidu Town, and it was even faster than going from the association base to Aiha Village the day before. However, the road between the two towns was too bumpy, and the bumpy ride was a bit dizzying.

Shi Youchen slowly woke up to Xiaowei's puzzled voice.

"Why are there so many people? What are they doing?" Xiaowei noticed something was wrong at the doorway when the car had already reached the crowd. To her surprise, the crowd didn't shy away from the scene. Instead, they rushed forward, blocking the road like they were fearless. The driver had no choice but to slow down and stop. As soon as he stopped, people surrounded him, banging on the windows, and some even grabbed the door handles.

The driver hurriedly pressed the alarm several times, and a sharp siren blared. The crowd pressed against the car body was frightened and retreated, instantly clearing a small space in the middle. Two veiled men in the front seat quickly got out and mingled with the crowd. Shi Youchen couldn't hear their conversation from the car, but he could only see the crowd dancing and gesticulating, seemingly in great excitement.

Something seemed to be amiss in the negotiations; some townspeople reached out to grab the two men's veils, and the situation immediately descended into chaos. Shi Youchen tried to open the car door, but Xiaowei held him tightly. "Sir, you can't get out! If they can't handle this, we'll have no choice but to return to base." She was always mindful of the importance of protecting Shi Youchen's safety.

Shi Youchen understood that she was right, but he didn't want to see innocent people implicated.

The crowded and noisy crowd suddenly quieted down. A man squeezed out and said something with his back to the car window. The townspeople actually dispersed doubtfully, making way for the car to enter the town. The man turned around and, sweating, gestured to the driver, indicating that he could start the car.

...

In a low house on a street west of Nilidu Town, Apsu brought in tea. He smiled apologetically and said, "I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I've caused you trouble." According to what he said just now, he hurriedly returned home from Aiha Village the day before yesterday and accidentally said that he was rescued by someone near the temple. His parents panicked and took him to see a doctor in town.

Because of the oracle that was previously circulated in District 5, they still dare not approach the temple easily, for fear that they will be infected with the plague and be bedridden like those people.

Apsu's safety gradually evolved into a story that he had met a miracle doctor, and this matter spread as a rumor in the town. The townspeople asked around and learned that a new doctor had appeared in the neighboring town of Tuya. Only then did they gather at the town gate eagerly expecting the arrival of the "miracle doctor".

"I didn't expect their rumors to get so outrageous. I must have scared you just now. I'm really sorry." Apsu held the cup in both hands, as if offering tea instead of wine, and solemnly toasted Shi Youchen and Xiaowei. He drank it all in one gulp and said, "I've already explained to them and asked everyone not to interfere with your work. I hope you can forgive my mistake!"

Xiaowei had never been treated so respectfully before, especially since this person was someone she had previously lashed out at. She was at a loss as to what to do. She didn't know whether to drink from the cup or not. Shi Youchen, on the other hand, was holding the rim of the cup, deep in thought, not giving her a clear answer. Just then, a hungry "gulp" broke the silence. Xiaowei blushed slightly and said, "Sir, it's time for dinner. You have plans for the afternoon."

Shi Youchen then gave the stubborn Nizi an amused look, nodded, and made to stand. Apsu quickly said, "If you don't mind, stay for dinner at my house! It'll be my way of thanking you for saving my life!" The young man's handsome features were filled with anxiety, while the aroma of cooking outside wafted in. "Aipu! Let the guests stay for dinner before leaving! It'll be ready soon!" Apsu's mother shouted.

Apsu said with a conflicted look, "Look, if I can't keep you here, I'll get scolded again." Shi Youchen remembered the woman's impetuous look when she entered the room just now. He glanced at Xiaowei and nodded.

The meal was quite pleasant. Apsu's mother smiled as she helped Xiaowei with food, saying it wasn't good for a girl to be too thin and asking her to eat more. She also asked if her work was hard. "You're such a good child, finding a job as soon as you became an adult! Unlike our son, who's almost seventeen and still idles around all day, not even helping his dad with some work!" The woman said, glancing at her son as he devoured his food. She kicked him under the table in anger. "Why are you eating so fast? Are you in a hurry to be reincarnated?"

Apsu choked, thrashing his chest and stamping his feet. Xiaowei, already embarrassed, quickly offered him the unfinished water she had. Apsu grabbed the cup as if it were a treasure and emptied it, thanking her with red eyes. "Mom, I'm full. I'm leaving now!" He quickly gathered his food and placed the dishes in the kitchen sink before trotting out the door.

"I don't know what this kid's been up to lately, running around all day," the woman muttered, turning back to pick up some food for Xiaowei. Shi Youchen ate quietly the entire time, saying nothing. Only when Xiaowei glanced at him awkwardly would he nod or wink, telling her to eat without worry.

"Speaking of which, Miss Xiaowei, do you have a partner? If not, how about this guy of mine? Although he is a bit useless, fortunately he is good-looking and has a strong body..." As expected, marriage and love are always the topics of conversation at the table. The woman's attentive look reflected in Shi Youchen's eyes made him miss her particularly.

Xiaowei was startled and quickly shook her head, "No, no, I'm still young and haven't thought about these things!" The woman was not disappointed or angry, and still looked at her beautiful face with a smile, "It's okay, it's okay, you can think about it. It's fate that you two know each other." The topic continued, but some people's thoughts gradually drifted away.

An hour later, Shi Youchen and Xiaowei encountered the most unexpected situation in the past few days in the treatment room.

Apsu lay in agony on the hospital bed, groaning softly. His shirt had been lifted, revealing large patches of blue marks on his waist and abdomen. "Sir, what's wrong with him..." Xiaowei's face was mostly covered by a mask, and the small patch of skin that was exposed was pale.

Shi Youchen's fingertips, through his thin gloves, touched the cyan skin. As soon as they touched the surface, Apsu howled. "What does it feel like?" Shi Youchen asked.

Apsu gasped, tears welling in his eyes. He said weakly, "It hurts. It hurts." A trace of energy was gently injected into him, and Shi Youchen felt the burning and cramping in his stomach. "When did it start? Where did you go after lunch?"

"I went to the temple in the north of the town... and soon after drinking the water from the well, it started hurting." Apsu's lips faded from pain, and his legs trembled unconsciously. Shi Youchen tried to wrap his entire stomach with energy while saying to Xiaowei, "Go get someone to fetch some water from there. Remember, don't drink it. Take precautions."

Xiaowei's voice was a little trembling: "I'll go with them." Before leaving, she looked back at Shi Youchen worriedly and said, "Sir, please be careful." By the bedside, Shi Youchen put his palm on Apsu's belly and responded softly with "Hmm".

A few minutes after Xiao Wei left, Apsu's pain seemed to ease a lot, and his lips had some color. He weakly opened his eyes and looked at Shi Youchen: "I'm sorry, Mr. Shi."

...

At the same time, in the management hall of the District 5 Association Base.

Lan came hurriedly from the laboratory. She looked tired as she had not rested since the late night before. She casually tied her hair up on the way and did not notice that a strand of hair had fallen down.

She quickly approached the person at the testing room door and asked, "What's going on?" Pei Chanbai's expression was blank, his emotions flat. "The management center just detected a naturally awakened individual from Aiha Village. I heard they just woke up from a coma."

Lan rubbed his brows and asked, "Is he a patient with the plague?"

Pei Chanbai raised his head slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "To be precise, he is a former patient of the epidemic."

Half an hour ago, Lan met her personal contact outside the lab. The young man had run all the way here, beads of sweat on his gaunt face, and his rapid breathing showed a lack of exercise. He reported breathlessly, "Doctor, one of the registered pre-experimental subjects has awakened."

This was the reason why Lan sent a message to Pei Chanbai while sorting out the things at hand and rushing to the management department.

"How long have you been in there?"

"It'll only be a few minutes. Looks like we have to wait a while longer." Pei Chanbai leaned against the wall and played a single-player game. He knew that these new psychics would generally take a long time to complete their initial ability tests due to excitement or timidity, but protecting and monitoring Lan's every move in Area 5 was his mission this time, so he couldn't leave until Lan left.

The two of them chatted casually outside the testing room. "How's your experiment going? When will the results be out?" Pei Chanbai asked without even looking up, still working with his hands. Lan had no idea he was just curious about when he'd get his reward, and assumed he was interested in the experiment itself, so she explained earnestly, "Following the last anomaly detected in a young test subject, several similar cases have appeared. Last night, we discovered another unusual data anomaly... We've already got a rough idea."

"Oh." Pei Chanbai looked at the 'Game Over' icon on the screen and calmly clicked 'Continue' to start over. "It's almost done, I guess." Lan then realized that he wasn't listening to him carefully at all, and he kept silent in silence.

After a long wait, the door to the testing room finally opened. The young man emerged, his face flushed with excitement, his eyes gleaming brightly. He didn't flinch at the sight of the two strangers outside.

Pei Chanbai paused the game and stretched. Lan approached him anxiously and asked, "Are you the Nature Awakener from Aiha Village?" The boy grinned and said cheerfully, "My name is Korra!"