Chapter 23 Medical Room...
A faint smell lingered in the air, a mixture of the cold disinfectant and the unpleasant odor that lingered on Kulen's body.
Even though he was already sitting on the other side of the table, Shen Mi still felt that his aura was clinging to her skin, lingering and like a sticky layer wrapped around her throat, making her feel nauseous with every breath.
It felt like being squeezed tightly, or like something was churning inside her; waves of nausea washed over her, making it almost impossible for her not to frown.
Shen Mi tensed up, subtly adjusting his breathing, trying to appear calm, at least outwardly pretending that nothing was wrong.
She knew she couldn't show any sign of discomfort, even though all she wanted right now was to rush out of the room, vomit violently, and expel all the discomfort from her body.
Her fingers curled slightly, her nails pressed against her palms, and the slight pain at her fingertips somewhat distracted her from the nausea.
Shen Mi lowered his head and quietly swallowed a few mouthfuls of saliva, trying to suppress the malice churning in his stomach, but he still couldn't stop the feeling of being suffocated by the cramped space.
The sounds in the conference room seemed to be isolated into a buzzing sound. She heard Cullen continue speaking, his tone gentle, even with a slightly relaxing smile.
But Shen Mi knew that it was just a carefully crafted illusion—a predator in the guise of benevolence, patiently waiting for the moment when its prey would lower its guard.
The churning in her stomach finally reached its limit, and before Chen Mi even realized it, her body had already reacted. She abruptly pushed back her chair, stood up, and before she could even come up with an excuse, she vomited violently under everyone's gaze.
The conversation in the conference room abruptly stopped, and the air froze instantly. The sound of vomiting was particularly jarring in the silence, and saliva mixed with stomach acid dripped onto the cold floor, emitting a sour smell.
Shen Mi, leaning on the edge of the table, knelt and panted, his stomach still convulsing as if trying to release all his discomfort, unease, and suppressed emotions.
Kulen's voice rang in her ear, still unhurried, even with an overly affectionate concern: "6013, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Shen Mi clenched her teeth so tightly that her nails almost dug into her palms. She could feel the gazes around her, some filled with confusion, some with inquiry, and even some with a hint of impatience. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to steady her breathing. Although her stomach still felt like it was being churned by knives, she couldn't collapse here, and she couldn't let herself appear too vulnerable.
“…I’m sorry.” She managed to squeeze out those two words in a hoarse voice, and when she looked up, her face was as pale as paper.
Cullen narrowed his eyes slightly, seemingly sizing her up, or perhaps he had already anticipated her reaction. After a moment, he chuckled softly and said cryptically, "Is the work too strenuous? Or... is the environment here making you uncomfortable?"
Shen Mi pursed her lips and didn't answer. She knew she had completely lost her composure this time.
After a moment of silence, Kulen sighed softly, his tone as gentle as if he were comforting a frail child, and answered for her, "It seems she might be suffering from acclimatization issues."
As he finished speaking, those around him nodded in agreement, and the atmosphere at the conference table seemed to ease somewhat. No one showed the slightest discomfort; after all, even the manager didn't seem to care, as if this were just a routine, unexpected situation.
But Shen Mi knew that this was not a case of being unaccustomed to the environment—she had never felt her body so clearly resisting an environment, a person, or even an entire atmosphere.
Her stomach was still churning, and her throat was burning with the lingering sour taste, but Cullen's gaze remained steady, even carrying a hint of gentle smile, as if he were concerned about her health.
"Would you like to take a break?" Cullen asked, his tone perfectly considerate, like an elder who cares for his subordinates.
Shen Mi took a deep breath, barely suppressing the churning in her stomach, shook her head, and said in a low but firm voice, "No need, I can continue."
Kulen gave her a cryptic look, his smile unchanged, as if he appreciated her persistence, or perhaps he was waiting for something—waiting for her to collapse on her own, or waiting for some more interesting reaction?
"Why don't you go and get it checked out?" he said. "Young man, although work is important, you can't neglect your health."
Shen Mi lowered his eyes, clenched his fists, and dug his nails into his palms.
“Sang Li”.
Kulen spoke slowly, his tone carrying an undeniable concern, "Take 6013 to the medical room for a checkup."
Shen Mi's heart tightened, and her fingertips clenched slightly. She knew that she was not in a good state, but being arranged by Kulen to go to the medical room meant that she would be leaving the meeting, which was not in her plan.
“Okay.” Sang Li replied, standing up and glancing at Chen Mi.
Shen Mi raised her head and met Kulun's unfathomable eyes. His gaze was gentle yet held an unsettling scrutiny, as if he were watching her every move.
"I'm fine," Shen Mi said, forcing herself to speak, trying to make her voice sound as steady as possible.
"Don't push yourself." Cullen smiled, seemingly offering considerate advice. "The medical facilities in Zone C are quite good. Go get checked if you need to, so as not to delay your work."
Shen Mi's fingers, hanging under the table, curled up. She knew she had no choice.
“…Okay.” she replied softly, and slowly stood up.
Sang Li was already waiting to the side, and made a "please" gesture, indicating that she should follow.
Shen Mi lowered her eyelashes, took a deep breath, and finally took a step out of the conference room.
Shen Mi followed behind Sang Li. The lights in the corridor were a bit glaring, casting two shadows, one long and one short.
After a long pause, Sang Li spoke first, her tone devoid of emotion: "You're really careless, getting sick from the change in environment after only a few days here?"
Shen Mi pursed his lips but did not answer.
Sang Li glanced at her sideways, a faint smile playing on her lips: "Or are you doing this on purpose?"
Shen Mi paused almost imperceptibly, forcing himself to remain calm, and said indifferently, "What on purpose?"
"It's nothing." Sang Li chuckled softly, her gaze sweeping over the girl's face as if re-examining something. "Your skin is indeed very fair."
Chen Mi: ?
Why bring up skin color all of a sudden?
Shen Mi didn't respond; in fact, she didn't know what to say.
Sang Li looked away and changed the subject, asking with concern, "Besides the change in environment, do you have any other discomfort?"
"That's all, isn't it?" Actually, Shen Mi's nausea symptoms had already started to improve after leaving the office.
She stopped and turned to look at Chen Mi, her smile neither deep nor shallow: "I guessed so. You look... quite different from the natives here."
“They toil year-round, suffer from malnutrition, and are all so thin they look like they could be blown away by a gust of wind, with very rough skin.” Sang Li shook her head slightly, her tone lazy, as if she were just casually chatting about some unimportant topic. “But what about you? There are no signs of sun and wind on your body, your skin is very fair, and you are not as thin as the others.”
Shen Mi raised his eyes to look at her, his tone calm: "What do you want to say?"
Sang Li shrugged and said casually, "It's nothing, just chatting with you. You know how boring life is in the labor camp, these are the kinds of topics we women can talk about."
She pushed open the door to the medical room, gesturing for Shen Mi to go in, and added meaningfully before parting, "Chief Steward Kulun has high expectations for you; don't let him down."
Shen Mi frowned slightly, her vigilance rising again. There was an unspoken implication in Sang Li's words, but Shen Mi didn't reply, simply walking silently into the medical room.
Shen Mi entered the medical room, and the doorbell beeped. The room was quiet and tidy, with white walls and desks exuding a calm atmosphere. Medical records were piled on the medical staff's worktable, and sunlight streaming in from the window cast a soft band of light into the room.
The doctor looked up at her, his gaze gentle: "Come in. Are you employee 6013? I've already been notified. Besides vomiting, do you have any other symptoms?"
Shen Mi entered the medical room, gently closed the door, and sat down on the examination bed somewhat awkwardly. She was silent for a moment, then said softly, "I just feel nauseous and want to vomit; it might be due to a change in environment."
The doctor nodded, his tone still calm: "Such symptoms are quite common when changing environments. Dizziness, nausea, and especially stomach discomfort may be the body adapting to the new environment. However, since you're here, you might as well get a full check-up to see if there are any other underlying problems."
Shen Mi hesitated, still harboring doubts: "A physical examination... is that necessary?"
The doctor smiled slightly, his tone still calm: "It's always good to have a routine check-up, after all, a person's physical condition is not always fully reflected by just the surface symptoms."
He paused, met her gaze calmly, and advised, "Moreover, as a new employee, a medical check-up is a necessary step to ensure there are no other potential problems, which will also make you feel more at ease in your future work."
Shen Mi was silent for a while. Since it was a rule, she decided to check it: "Okay, let's do it then."
The doctor nodded, signaling her to get ready, and then began arranging the examinations one by one. Shen Mi followed the instructions, took off her coat, and sat on the examination bed. Medical staff entered with some basic equipment. The doctor smiled and said, "Let's start with the routine examinations."
First, the doctor took the patient's temperature and blood pressure. The doctor's movements were skillful and the basic examination was completed quickly.
Next came the blood draw. The doctor first examined both of her arms, eventually choosing a vein in her left arm. After gently disinfecting it, the needle was inserted, and Chen Mi felt a slight sting. Although she was somewhat resistant to the needle, she endured it, silently telling herself not to show too much tension. The blood draw was quick, and the doctor gently reassured her as he performed the procedure, "It'll be over soon, relax."
A note from the author:
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Let's check the list the day after tomorrow! If you're on the list, I'll update it accordingly! [doge][doge][doge][doge]
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