"Little Yi?"
Xu Chongguo, who was sitting in front of the stairs lighting a cigarette, seeing that figure wearing a gray cotton coat return, immediately walked up and asked with a stern face,
"Little Yi, where did you go just now?"
Zhao Yi scratched his head awkwardly, attempting to avoid Xu Chongguo's gaze.
Xu Chongguo's expression slightly congealed. He pulled out Zhao Yi's right hand. A Short Blade still stained with dirt residue was currently being gripped in his hand.
"You went to kill Old Man Ding?"
"I originally... indeed wanted to go..."
"And then?" Xu Chongguo lowered his voice. "He died? Where did you bury the corpse? Was it seen by anyone?"
"Old Man Ding is indeed dead... however it wasn't me who killed him."
"No, it was that reporter surnamed Lin. I saw him shoot Old Man Ding dead in the Alleyway." Recalling Chen Ling's indifferent gaze just now, Zhao Yi's brows unconsciously furrowed. "I keep feeling, this reporter isn't quite right..."
Xu Chongguo's expression instantly became somewhat strange. "How come it's this Lin Yan again..."
"Again?"
"Just before you came back, Chief Han Meng came over once." Xu Chongguo slowly spoke. "He asked us if we had accepted an interview from this reporter called Lin Yan, and also asked if we knew where he lived... But where that reporter lives, how would we know?"
"Chief Han Meng also feels he has a problem?" Zhao Yi frowned deeply, deep in thought.
"No matter how you say it, Chief Han Meng's matters have come to an end... We can also live at ease." Xu Chongguo patted Zhao Yi's shoulder. "Next time this kind of thing like killing for revenge, don't do it again, understand?"
Just as Zhao Yi was about to say something, following Xu Chongguo's palm patting his shoulder, his face instantly turned pale, grimacing in pain.
Seeing this scene, Xu Chongguo immediately retracted his palm. "Your wound still hasn't healed?"
"...No."
"I told you to go to the hospital to take a look earlier, how come you still haven't gone?"
Zhao Yi opened his mouth, speaking bitterly, "We haven't been in Aurora City for long. We finally managed to find a job, and the salary is only barely enough for me and Ling'er to live... Where would the money to go to the hospital come from?"
A wipe of helplessness flashed in Xu Chongguo's eyes. He turned around and returned to the room. A moment later, holding over ten Silver Coins, he stuffed them into Zhao Yi's hands.
"Next time you have difficulties, remember to tell Uncle." Xu Chongguo spoke seriously. "Although Uncle also hasn't found a job yet, when fleeing from District Three, I still brought most of my belongings along... Take it to go see the Doctor. In the future when you earn money, you can pay Uncle back."
"This..."
"Take it. Only when your body is cured will you have the strength to go work and earn money."
Not saying another word, after stuffing the money into Zhao Yi's embrace, Xu Chongguo turned around and left, only leaving Zhao Yi standing alone on the spot, his eyes full of emotion.
Zhao Yi wasn't a person who liked to dawdle. After borrowing Xu Chongguo's money, he immediately went to the hospital. After all, Xu Chongguo wasn't wrong; only by curing his body could he earn money. Right now his hands couldn't lift and his shoulders couldn't carry, how would he live his days in the future?
Zhao Yi's choice was a public hospital within Aurora City. Although there were many people going there, and the equipment was relatively old, the advantage was that the price was relatively cheap. He registered for the last number of the day, pushing the door to enter the consultation room.
"Where are you uncomfortable?" The Doctor closed the medical record book and asked.
"There's an injury on my back, it hasn't healed for so many days."
"Take off your clothes and let me take a look."
As Zhao Yi took off his top, revealing that whip mark that was deep to the bone, the Doctor instantly widened his eyes, his eyes full of astonishment.
"You..." The Doctor gently reached out his hand, touching Zhao Yi's wound. The pain almost made Zhao Yi jump up on the spot. "You are a survivor who came over from District Three a few days ago right?"
"How did you know?"
"Wounds left by a Calamity, we cannot cure."
The Doctor shook his head, starting to write on the medical record book. "Moreover, your wound has already deteriorated to the internal organs, fundamentally unable to be eradicated... Your age doesn't seem large, you shouldn't be married and have children yet right? Have your parents at home come? I'll give them an explanation..."
Zhao Yi stood blankly on the spot.
"Doctor... I can't be cured?"
The Doctor didn't answer directly, but his expression had already explained everything.
Zhao Yi's face was incomparably pale. He had finally managed to borrow money, wanting to cure himself as soon as possible, but didn't expect that in the end he only waited for this result... He seemed to remember something, asking like grasping the last life-saving straw:
"Doctor, do you know if there's a Doctor surnamed Chu? My friend said he is very formidable, how about I go ask him again?"
"Surnamed Chu? You mean that Divine Doctor Chu?" The Doctor sighed heavily. "With your current situation, even that person mostly would lack the power to reverse the desperate situation... Forget it, I'll tell you the location of his medical clinic, go try your luck yourself."
After finishing speaking, the Doctor thought for a bit, taking out a form from the drawer and handing it to Zhao Yi again.
"What is this?"
"Registration form for voluntarily participating in Human Experimentation. If you still have no hope in the end, you can also consider handing yourself over to Aurora City... At least after you leave, your family can still receive a very generous pension."
Zhao Yi stared blankly at this form, his brain already a piece of blankness. Casually stuffing it into his pocket, he then stiffly turned around and left.
Above the ice-cold and pale corridor, a crowd of patients lined up waiting for consultation. Zhao Yi stood like a sculpture amidst the continuous coughing and groaning sounds. Not knowing how much time had passed, he then slowly lowered his head to look at the medical clinic address in his hands...
That was his life's final hope.
...
At dusk.
Chen Ling pushed open the newspaper agency's main doors, getting off work on time.
Although the stipulated time to get off work was this hour, right now the majority of people were still working overtime in the newspaper agency. After all, right now in the entire Aurora City, Aurora Daily's volume was the largest. Wanting to mix here until one stands out among their peers, they could only inwardly roll with each other...
As for Chen Ling, he obviously wouldn't be "rolled" into it.
On one hand, the reporter identity was merely a vest he chose in order to investigate intelligence. He also didn't want to mix until becoming some high executive; there was no need to waste too much time here. On the other hand, as a "rising star reporter" who had produced two big news articles in just a few days of taking office, he also had the capital to refuse inward rolling.
However, what made Chen Ling somewhat surprised was, ever since the Han Meng case ended, Wen Shilin hadn't appeared in the newspaper agency, nor had he brought him to conduct any interview investigations. Unknown what he was busy with all by himself.
Chen Ling walked on the street. His peripheral vision suddenly saw a familiar figure ahead, his eyes narrowing slightly...
Zhao Yi?
He only saw that Zhao Yi was still wearing that gray cotton coat, holding a Note in hand, as if searching for something. However, looking at his expression, he seemed somewhat Soul Out of Body.
Chen Ling pondered for a moment, not just leaving like this. Instead, he trailed far behind Zhao Yi, wanting to see exactly where he was going.