Chapter 137 Saving Lives and Healing the Wounded (Unedited) "What do you want to say?...
Two small tables, neatly arranged, were placed in ward 602. Various kinds of self-heating hot pots had taken over the entire space, creating a colorful and vibrant scene.
Steam mingled with the aroma of food wafted from the ventilation holes, while the steamed buns gurgled and rumbled, successfully masking the loud stomach rumbling of the people at the table.
Gu Keke's mouth was watering. She wiped the drool from her mouth with her sleeve and looked at Xin Sang expectantly, "Sister Xin, how much longer do we have to wait?"
Xin Sang glanced at the time displayed on her phone. "Let's wait a little longer, we'll eat once everyone's here."
As soon as she finished speaking, Liang Jun came out of the bathroom in ward 602.
In that instant, everyone else was immersed in the joy of "being able to enjoy self-heating hot pot," completely unaware of Liang Jun's ever-present furrowed brow.
She was still wondering what could have caused all her rewards from the fourth level to be wiped out.
Just now, while looking in the mirror in the restroom, at this somewhat unfamiliar face, Liang Jun somehow remembered what had happened not long ago when she walked out of the outpatient building.
She clearly remembered that after the system broadcast the abnormal warning, it thoughtfully showed Liang Jun her current points balance—which had indeed remained unchanged.
Just as Liang Xun was wondering if there was a system error, this strange thing seemed to know what she was thinking and, for the first time ever, repeated the abnormal warning from before.
Only at this moment was Liang Jun forced to accept this fate.
To put it nicely, it's called "no reward"; but in layman's terms, it's called "imposing punishment".
In this rule-based world where "points are the only hard currency," players risk their lives, even their entire lives, for the points reward after clearing a level.
But now, their points for clearing the level have all been wiped out, so they should be heartbroken—at least not laughing like Ge Lin in front of them, looking like they've lost all their value.
Ge Lin seemed to have noticed Liang Xuan's unusual behavior and quickly put away his fantasy of "being about to have a feast".
"What's wrong, Sister Jun?" The man with the blue buzz cut leaned in front of her. "You don't seem very happy."
A few pixels unconsciously appeared on Liang Jun's lips as she probed, "You seem incredibly excited... Let me guess, did you earn a lot of points this time?"
She thought the other person's expression would change instantly upon hearing this topic, but to her surprise, Ge Lin's smile became even more uncontrollable.
"Amazing! How did you know!" Ge Lin's face, usually full of collagen, even broke into wrinkles with a smile. "This time, the points I've ever earned from clearing a dungeon are the highest I've ever received! I even have to thank this dungeon for being projected into reality, otherwise I would never have been able to achieve 100% rule deciphering in my entire life!"
The few pixels at the corners of her mouth remained frozen in place.
Everyone else's points rewards are normal.
Only Leung Yau was different.
She did not inform Ge Lin about the "abnormal warning," nor did she inform any other player in the team.
With this huge secret in her heart, Liang Jun sat down at the modified dining table amidst the laughter and chatter of the crowd.
Right in front of her was a steaming bowl of spicy beef hot pot. The intense spiciness went straight to the top of her head. Liang Jun was caught off guard when she arrived and was completely overwhelmed by the aroma, causing her to cough.
Those gathered around the table were not spared. The spicy aroma was simply irresistible; everyone took a greedy sniff and then coughed violently, while Jiang Zhiling's large, watery eyes welled up with tears again.
"Sister Jun, do you eat spicy food?"
Gu Keke stared longingly at the fragrant bowl of spicy beef hot pot again. "If you don't eat spicy food, I can help you solve this tricky problem."
How could Liang Jun not understand the implication in her words?
She turned around and subconsciously wiped away the tears that had welled up in her eyes. "It's such a shame, I love spicy food."
If Gu Keke were a cute little Pomeranian, her fluffy little ears and tail would all droop down at this moment.
Liang Jun couldn't help but chuckle, "But I probably can't eat this much by myself, we can take turns eating it."
The little Pomeranian's tail wagged as fast as a propeller.
Xin Sang, sitting opposite Liang Jun, tapped her phone again. Seeing that it was the best time to enjoy the self-heating hot pot, everyone followed her instructions and reverently lifted the top black lid.
In an instant, ward 602 was transformed into a paradise of delicious food.
Jiang Zhiling, Qi Zhixia, and Geng Qing all had identical tomato and beef brisket hot pots in front of them. The orange-red broth was thick, and even the glass noodles inside were soaked in the rich, sweet and sour flavor of tomatoes.
Luo Chuange and Ge Lin were assigned different brands of Maoxuewang hot pot. This one wasn't as spicy as Liang Yan's, but it had more of the numbing and refreshing sensation brought by fresh Sichuan peppercorns.
Xin Sang and Gu Keke both received a double-flavor hot pot. The advantage of this type of hot pot is that you can enjoy two different flavors at the same time, but the only downside is that the amount of each flavor is not very large, and you may not feel full.
With the external environment already so harsh, people don't expect to be able to sit around a stove and enjoy a hot pot meal with fresh meat and vegetables.
They all used the black lids they removed as plates, and then pushed their respective self-heating hot pots to the center, just like having a meal together in a restaurant, where everyone could share and try different flavors.
The lingering aroma of hot pot lingered in the ward until Liang Jun got up and opened the window, and the cool evening breeze gradually diluted the fragrance.
Instead of rushing back to the dining table, she leaned against the windowsill and asked, "Director Geng, what are your plans for the future?"
Ge Lin and Luo Chuange were responsible for cleaning up the mess left after their feast, while the others sat cross-legged on the bed, picked up their phones, and started playing games after the meal.
Geng Qing withdrew his gaze from watching the four of them play mahjong, met Liang Xun's gaze, and asked, "What do you want to say?"
Liang Jun didn't mince words, "The game dungeons will definitely continue, but the system's settings for us are getting weirder and weirder—would you like to join us?"
Instead of waiting for Geng Qing's answer, she first explained her own thoughts.
“Besides the fact that ‘the dungeon will be projected into the real environment,’ the injuries players suffer in the dungeon will not worsen,” Liang Xun tilted her head slightly, stretching her neck so that Geng Qing could see the already scabbed scars. “For example, the cut Zhang Weiming made on me.”
This action lasted only a few seconds before Liang Xun returned to her original position. "In addition... the system also issued an extra 'abnormal warning,' which caused all my points rewards for the fourth level to be zero."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the ward froze instantly.
Ge Lin suddenly loosened her grip on the garbage bag, spilling soup and water onto the PVC floor, leaving oil stains. Xin Sang stared at Liang Jun in complete shock, not noticing the game notification popping up on her phone until a loud "self-draw" sound came out after the countdown ended, bringing her back to her senses.
"What's the meaning?"
Even Geng Qing, who is usually very stable, found it hard to believe directly. "Could you say it again in plain language?"
I knew it would turn out this way.
Liang Jun sighed softly, and then repeated the system's original message to her teammates.
Afterwards, she calmly asked, "So, apart from me, your points rewards are all normal, right?"
Although everyone was still looking at each other blankly, after a long silence, they all gave Liang Jun a positive response.
Liang Jun had long anticipated this outcome, so she wasn't particularly troubled.
She also knew that, apart from Geng Qing, everyone else would be going to the next stage with her, so Liang Xun brought the topic back to this, "Director Geng, are you still going to come with us?"
Geng Qing faced the wide-open window, the starlight reflected on her polished glasses and also in her strikingly handsome phoenix eyes.
Instead of answering directly, she asked, "When do you plan to leave?"
Over time, people's understanding of the implied meaning has deepened.
Qi Zhixia, completely bewildered from playing mahjong, looked at Geng Qing with the same puzzled expression, "Director Geng, are you going to stay here?"
"This is still a hospital, and I am still a doctor."
Geng Qing turned slightly to the side, his gold-rimmed glasses flashing for a moment. "Since the system is intentionally targeting us players, the danger level of future levels will definitely increase exponentially. As a result, there will be more and more wounded in the hospital."
“I am a doctor, and saving lives is an oath I have taken,” Geng Qing said, putting his hands back into the pockets of his white coat, just as he had when they first met. “That has never changed.”
-
Liang Jun and the others spent another day and two nights in the hospital before preparing to leave.
Before they left, they went to say goodbye to Geng Qing. It happened to be her break time, and Geng Qing was squatting next to the operating room, wolfing down her boxed lunch.
Because there were so many new patients with severe injuries, the operating room was basically full. Even the usually elegant and refined Geng Qing couldn't bear the pressure of time and had to rush to deal with her own stomach problems in the shortest possible time.
“I won’t see you off myself,” Geng Qing said, taking the tissue Qi Zhixia handed him and wiping his mouth. “The next surgery is in a few minutes, so I need to prepare in advance.”
Slightly reluctant, Gu Keke and Jiang Zhiling puffed out their cheeks. Seeing that the two girls were about to give him a big hug, Geng Qing quickly took several steps back.
The familiar sound of high heels rang out again, "Stop with all this pretense, let's get going."
She waved her hand dismissively, "Don't let me see you in the hospital again."
Geng Qing's mouth was a thousand times harder than her heart, so Gu Keke sulked and didn't say anything until she followed the group to the parking lot, at which point she finally couldn't hold it in anymore.
"You know, this might be the last time we see Director Geng..." Gu Keke's tone became extremely tragic, as if her mischievous little mind had come up with something else.
"What nonsense are you thinking!" Qi Zhixia found it amusing and flicked Gu Keke on the forehead. "It's not like she's no longer in our group chat. If you want to see her, just call her on WeChat when she's not busy, right?"
Gu Keke winced and clutched her forehead, "Well, I didn't really want to see you that much..."
But after this reminder, Liang Jun now remembered that Ren E was a person in their group chat.
Without saying a word, she opened WeChat and kicked Ren'e out of the "Never Die" group chat.
There are currently seven people left standing here, and the team as a whole owns a total of four cars: Ge Lin's Lamborghini, Luo Chuange's Wuling Mini, Xin Sang's Touareg, and Liang Jun's Highlander.
Since Luo Chuange's chopped pepper fish head and Ge Lin's supercar were not suitable for carrying passengers, only the two of them were driving alone; Liang Jun was not very familiar with the Highlander, so Gu Keke drove again this time, while Qi Zhixia sat steadily in the back seat; Xin Sang drove with Jiang Zhiling, just like when they first arrived.
When discussing their destination, Xin Sang said that they didn't have many supplies left and suggested that they go to a large supermarket nearby to do some shopping first, which everyone agreed to.
After the vehicle was started and ready, Liang Xun entered the address into her phone's navigation app.
Telecom Member Store.
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Author's Note: The Medical Student Oath
Health is at stake, life is entrusted to us.
As I step into this sacred medical academy, I solemnly swear:
I volunteer to dedicate myself to medicine, love my country, be loyal to the people, uphold medical ethics, respect my teachers and abide by discipline, study diligently, persevere tirelessly, strive for excellence, and develop in all aspects.
I am determined to do my utmost to alleviate human suffering, promote perfect health, uphold the sanctity and honor of medicine, heal the wounded and save lives, persevere through hardships, and dedicate my life to the development of the nation's medical and health undertakings and the physical and mental health of humankind.
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