Task 3
"If we just leave it like this, he will definitely die." Shi Youchen said to the woman.
It’s not that Shi Youchen hasn’t thought of other treatment options, but any one he could think of was too unrealistic for Aiha Village and Burti itself.
Xiao Wei tactfully relayed Shi Youchen's intentions to the woman, then turned her head away with a hint of reluctance. The boy lying there was the same age as her. If it were her, she wouldn't feel good facing a future of either cripple or death, even though everything hadn't even begun.
Everyone was waiting for the woman to make a decision. The heat in the room was rising, and Shi Youchen's eyes felt like they were burning with smoke. Just when he couldn't help but wipe the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, he heard the woman's trembling voice.
"Everything we have was given by the gods, and it is only natural that something should be taken back. However, we absolutely do not have the right to destroy it without permission. My son has been chosen, and this is the suffering he should endure."
"Please let him stay like this until the end." Those eyes were filled with fanatical piety and a determination that others could not understand.
Ultimately, Burti was taken away. After leaving the house, the woman knelt and kowtowed seven times toward the temple. She stood, gathered her long veil around her head, and followed Burti's stretcher toward their home. Shi Youchen stood there, not seeing him off. He opened his palm, palm facing up, clenched his fingers, and asked Xiaowei, who was looking somewhat dejected, "Do you also believe in the existence of God?"
Xiaowei's face paled with shock when she heard this. "Sir, please don't say such disrespectful words." Then she realized the person before her wasn't from District 5, and relaxed a little. "We've been protected and guided by the Samba Tribe since ancient times. They are the messengers connecting this land to the gods. Temples across the land enshrine the Samba Tribe's patron saint. For over a hundred years, District 5 has never suffered a major disaster. This is thanks to the guardian saint's blessing."
"No one in District 5 dares to disbelieve and revere it. Please, sir, at least don't... say such things out loud," Xiao Wei pleaded awkwardly. In the young woman's mind, Samba's patron saint was sacred and inviolable. Even Shi Youchen's ability to save lives was far from comparable.
Shi Youchen seemed to be interested when he heard her say this and asked, "I'm sorry, I don't know much about the customs in your area. Can you tell me more about it? About... the Samba tribe?" He pried open the eyelids of the young man who was still in a coma on the hospital bed and took a look, confirming once again that there was nothing unusual except a slight overheating of the lungs.
Xiaowei then launched into a conversation about the ancient tribal civilizations of Area 5, how divine mandates were bestowed upon tribal leaders, guiding their progress. "The Samba Tribe is the oldest tribe in our area. For over a hundred years, the Samba leader has prayed to the gods, enabling us to survive several disasters."
"But as messengers of God, they must abide by their destiny. Therefore, they cannot set foot in the filthy lands of the world at will. They can only live in a fixed plain, which we call 'Baal'." Xiao Wei's eyes brightened a lot at this point. She waved her arms excitedly and described Baal to Shi Youchen, "It is the most sacred place. Legend has it that it lies at the feet of the gods! Every six months, Baal sends out an envoy to guide the new batch of messengers to enter. This is the 'ritual' since ancient times. Oh, and the new batch of messengers was just summoned yesterday!"
Shi Youchen interrupted her chatter: "Who is the Divine Messenger?"
Xiao Wei suddenly became a little lonely again. "Chief Samba will receive instructions from the gods. The chosen ones will be summoned in dreams three days before the ceremony, and then follow the messenger into Baal on the day of the ceremony. The people of District 5 are proud to be chosen as the gods' messengers. I wish I could be chosen..."
At this point, Youchen had a little understanding of the local customs. Every region has some inherent concepts and behaviors, so even if he didn't understand the meaning, he still chose to respect them.
"Ahem!" the man in the bed suddenly coughed, signaling he was about to wake up. Xiaowei stopped chatting to pour a glass of water, while Shi Youchen raised the top of the bed slightly. The young man slowly opened his eyes, his gaze not quite clear.
He rolled his eyes blankly, as if realizing he was in an unfamiliar place. When his gaze shifted to Shi Youchen's face, he flinched. "Have a drink of water first," Xiaowei said, handing the boy a glass of water. Perhaps it was her approachable appearance, but the boy simply glanced at her twice before grabbing the glass and gulping it down, as if he'd been thirsty for a long time.
"Where...is this?" His voice was still slightly hoarse. Shi Youchen only needed to glance at her, and Xiaowei cleverly replied, "This is the village clinic in Aiha Village. Do you still remember your name?"
"My...my name is Apsu, and I came here...here..." Xiaowei reminded him as he tried to recall the past. "You fainted outside the temple at the edge of the village, remember?" Apsu suddenly shuddered and tried to get out of bed, but Shi Youchen pressed his shoulder and pushed him back. "Are you feeling unwell?"
Shi Youchen's words were relayed by Xiaowei. Apsu seemed surprised that he was from outside the district. He stared at him with wide eyes, and it took him a long time to come back to his senses and say, "No... I'm not feeling unwell. Aren't you a doctor here?" Although his subconscious told him at the first sight that Shi Youchen was definitely not a local, because it was impossible for him to have such a good-looking face living here.
Xiaowei was a little unhappy with Apsu's rather impolite behavior. "This is the doctor sent by the higher-ups to help. He was the one who found you outside the temple. So, do you remember what you were doing here?" Apsu suddenly panicked. "I-I'm from Nilidu. I lost a bet with...a friend, so I came here to explore."
Xiaowei was furious when she heard that: "Are you sick? Don't you know that this is the peak season for epidemics? I don't think the person who allows you to do such a thing is your friend. I think he is bullying you!" Apsu was frightened by her momentum and lowered his head in shame.
Shi Youchen patted Xiaowei's shoulder and comforted her, "Okay, it's good that he's okay. Now that he's awake, we can leave here." Xiaowei still curled her lips in anger, and sneered at Apsu's behavior of playing with his life. There were so many people suffering from illness and struggling on the verge of life and death, and people like the 8-year-old girl who should have been treated here. They must all cherish their lives, but the guy in front of him didn't care about his own safety at all because of a frivolous bet.
"Hmph, forget it. Sir, let's go. I've already contacted the driver and he's waiting at the village entrance." Xiao Wei had just finished speaking when Apsu suddenly grabbed the corner of her clothes and pleaded, "Are you going to leave here? Can you take me with you?"
"?" Xiaowei was already dissatisfied, and the tug she felt as she turned around nearly caused her to trip and fall. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to suppress her anger. She turned back to glare at Apsu and asked with a hint of amusement, "We saved your life by picking you up, but you don't take your life seriously and aren't grateful, but now you're making such a request. Don't you think it's a bit too much?"
Apsu probably realized that his behavior was a bit abrupt. He hesitated and let go of his hand. He glanced at Shi Youchen hesitantly and said, "I...I won't get in your way. Just...just take me halfway back to Nierlidu."
"No!" Xiaowei was afraid that Shi Youchen would agree out of weakness, so she objected loudly, "Neillidu is not far from Aiha Village, and it's not even noon yet. Since you can come here by yourself, can't you go back by yourself?" As she spoke, she shook her head at Shi Youchen worriedly, expressing her opposition with all her strength.
Shi Youchen was no dull-witted person; he naturally understood what she meant. Since the Association had to disguise the dispatch of psychics as government aid, it was impossible for an ordinary villager to know the true nature of the matter. Therefore, Apsu's request could not be granted.
"You're not injured, so walking on your own won't be a problem." Shi Youchen gestured for Xiaowei to relay his words to Apsu, and said to her, "Leave him some money for the journey. Let's go."
"Here." Xiao Wei took out two coins and threw them on the bed. "There's a bus to Nielidu here. If you don't know the stop, you can ask the villagers. We'll leave first."
After the two left, Apsu somehow covered his face with his hands and sobbed in pain. His tears fell on the coin left by Xiaowei and were trapped in the uneven lines.
In the car, Shi Youchen checked his messaging screen. He still hadn't received a reply to the message he'd sent to Ying Yungui. He leaned back in his chair, tilted his head to look out the window, and asked absentmindedly, "What are your plans for this afternoon?" Xiaowei also looked a little sullen. "After we return to base and have dinner, you can take a nap. I'll wake you up. This afternoon, we're going to Tuya Town. It's closer to the district center, and the situation there is a little worse than in Aiha Village."
"Yeah." This meant that the effort required this afternoon would only be greater than before. Shi Youchen was pondering something when he suddenly saw a long queue on the opposite road about a hundred meters away. The green color stood out against the khaki background. "Who's that over there?"
Xiao Wei glanced in the direction he pointed and pouted, "That's the farewell team for the ceremony I told you about earlier. They're responsible for delivering the envoys of God to Lake Eridu before the ceremony. Judging by their green clothes, they must be from Nilridu."
"The one that Apsu just mentioned?"
"Yes." Xiaowei yawned, raised her hand to wipe away the tears and said, "But the ceremony is in two days, why did they start so early? And the town of Neillidu is not very far from Lake Eridu?" Even she, a native, couldn't figure out the problem, so how could Shi Youchen, an outsider, know it? So this question had to be put aside.
After returning to the association and having lunch, Shi Youchen did not go to rest as Xiaowei said, but instead wandered around the huge building alone. Before parting, Xiaowei reminded him: "I will apply for a position to you when we are about to leave. You just need to wait for me here!" After that, she skipped away.
The difference between Aiha Village and the Association Base seemed unreal to him for a while. Now, Xiao Wei's words, "The Base is the highest embodiment of technology in District 5," were quite fitting. It's just that it's not just the highest, it seems to be the only one at the moment.
He walked towards a wall, almost reaching the end without turning. Sure enough, the wall split in two, opening up to reveal a passageway. Shi Youchen suddenly thought it would be interesting to test which areas were actually doors, so he quickened his pace and began to move through the corridor.
...
In the silver-white laboratory, Lan's forehead was covered with sweat. The assistant beside her came forward and carefully wiped it off for her. As he stepped back, he glanced worriedly at the experimental subject lying on the shelf.
It was the body of a little girl, which was sent from Aiha Village about two hours ago. According to the person in charge of the transportation, the little girl's mother was smiling happily when she received the money. Some of the villagers around laughed and said, "Oh, sister, now you have money to gamble again!" The woman's face immediately changed and she became angry: "Go away, what gambling? I make money with money, do you understand?" Then she walked away with her hip twisted amid sighs and complaints.
"Detection instrument." Lan's calm voice pulled the assistant back to his senses. "Don't be distracted, it will be over soon." The assistant quickly pushed the instrument forward and handed the detection interface to Lan.
The interface was pressed against the flat surface of the bone, and the three-dimensional data quickly appeared on the instrument's display. Lan held the interface in one hand and slowly moved the test position, tilting his head to carefully observe the changes in the data. The "beep, beep, beep" sound continued, and Lan felt a sense of torment in his heart.
This was already the sixth experimental subject she had handled since she came here. The first five had yielded no results. If there was nothing this time... Just as she was thinking this, a string of data on the display screen suddenly soared rapidly. She immediately steadied her slightly trembling left hand and looked carefully.
Ten minutes later, the laboratory door opened, and a gray-haired elderly woman walked in. "I heard you've made some progress?" she said, looking at the young female researcher kindly. Lan immediately asked the elderly woman to sit down and explained, "We detected traces of energy fluctuations in the radial styloid process of this subject's right hand, but they were deep within the bone. Fortunately, the child is young and their bones are not fully developed, so we didn't miss it."
"What's strange is that since there are traces on the radius, there should be traces on the navicular and rhomboid as well. However, I dissected every phalanx and found no other supporting evidence." Lan frowned, the excitement he had just felt had long since faded.
The old woman closed her eyes and smiled. "Don't worry. Going from 0 to 1 is the most difficult step. You've already succeeded. The rest is just a matter of accumulation." Lan, however, couldn't be happy. "I'm always feeling a little uneasy. You said it's been almost two months since the strange virus appeared in Area 5, but so far, there's only this much progress. I'm afraid..."
"I've heard that you're an expert in this area, Dr. Lan. My health isn't strong enough to perform such delicate operations, but I'll share any theoretical help I can offer." The old woman sighed. "Although this epidemic came suddenly, thankfully, Chief Samba made a prediction three months ago. He told us to avoid temples for that month to avoid the gods' wrath."
"It was this one oracle that saved countless people. Afterward, it was discovered that only those who contracted the disease had secretly visited the temple, while everyone else was safe and sound. Judging from the results, the death toll was not high, and there were no signs of widespread infection. So, could it be that something went wrong with the temple's magnetic field?"
Lan shook his head to indicate that he didn't know. "Like you, I'm not a psychic. I can't offer any help on this point..." Before he could finish his words, the assistant's voice suddenly shouted from outside the door, "Who are you?!"
The two were afraid of something unexpected, so they hurried out to check the situation. As a result, when the door opened, Lan was met with Shi Youchen's eyes that were as dark as night.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
