That very night, Mercy Hospital's gas explosion shot up the trending searches across media platforms throughout Yacheng and all of Haizhou, sparking heated discussions.
A full half of the outpatient building had collapsed, and the other structures had sustained varying degrees of damage.
The public safety hazards and negligence prompted collective reflection among the populace.
The matter was temporarily put to rest when officials from the municipal administration held a press conference, deeply bowing in apology.
Yet, contrary to everyone's expectations, such a catastrophic disaster at a hospital had claimed the life of only a single doctor.
Reportedly, the deceased, Dr. Lawrence, had served Mercy Hospital for seven years. Dedicated and skilled, a man of profound benevolence, his abrupt and tragic misfortune was truly a lamentable loss.
In response, Tianmen University's renowned grindset hound, obscure social critic, direct victim of the incident, and anonymous gentleman, Mr. Ji Jue, declared:
"Good riddance, pop the champagne!"
Regrettably, while it was indeed a satisfying death, there was no champagne to pop.
Having suffered such severe damage, Mercy Hospital was forced to suspend operations for maintenance.
Fortunately, City Hall—which normally knew how to do nothing except bow—proved surprisingly helpful for once. They transferred the hospitalized patients elsewhere and paid a share of the medical fees, an amount utterly trivial to the bureaucrats. Even if there were not many patients to begin with, it still felt as if the sun had risen from the west.
Lying in a clean private room, Ji Jue felt almost overwhelmed by the hospitality. Without hesitation, he downed four luxury nutritional meals in a single day!
Two days later, Wen Wen suddenly paid him a visit, asking, "Repairing the half of the outpatient building that I accidentally punched down only costs around eight million. But for some reason, all the electric scooters and cars in two entire parking lots were completely totaled, running up losses of over twenty million. Do you happen to have any clue why?"
Ji Jue replied, "I'm just a victim here. I took a hit to the head! I have amnesia! How the hell am I supposed to know?
"Even the nth-hand, 'barely-used-by-a-college-girl,' ninety-nine-percent-new scooter I bought from Lu Feng last year is gone!
"Did you hear me complaining?!"
Admitting it was out of the question. He had bled for the Federation and taken a bullet for Yacheng—how could he endure such slander? That dog Lawrence must have done it!
Besides, his actions had stemmed from a burning sense of justice. Seeing Wen Wen facing wicked forces all on her own, hadn't he stepped in out of sheer chivalry?
Had he known earlier that she was badass enough to blast eighteen dragons from her bare palms, Ji Jue would have… well, he probably would have done it anyway.
Fighting felt awesome!
Nonstop fighting felt awesome all the way!
Still, since the matter had escalated to such proportions, Ji Jue could not help but ask with a hint of concern, "You didn't catch any flak for this, did you?"
"Flak? Why would I catch flak?"
Wen Wen gave a cold sneer and flicked her cigarette ash out the window. "Do you really think that money's coming out of my pocket? Believe me, if blowing up half an outpatient building can crush a Shepherd of the Dragon Cult, the Security Bureau would bulldoze every single hospital in Yacheng tomorrow without blinking!
"On top of that, we overturned a terrorist plot, spared hundreds of thousands in Beishan District, and blew off a Shepherd's dog head, all with barely a scratch in collateral damage. The governor is probably laughing in his sleep.
"With this under our belts, nobody in the Yacheng Security Bureau has to worry about hitting their KPIs for the rest of the year. If they weren't on bad terms with me, those bastards would be dropping to their knees to kowtow!
"The ones who stood around watching the show are probably green with regret right now. If they'd lent even half a hand, a massive achievement like this wouldn't have landed squarely in my lap."
"An achievement? What achievement? Is there a bonus?"
Ji Jue's eyes lit up. He squirmed up on the bed, leaning in with the fawning smile of a total suck-up. "I'm not asking for a fifty-fifty split, but Raid Leader, I did DPS! I have DKP—you can't leave me out of the loot roll!"
"Nothing left."
Wen Wen gave a regretful shrug, turning out her empty pockets. "You can't use the gear issued to me, and you're not eligible for internal Bureau perks anyway. But…"
She paused, a smirk curling on her lips. "There was a bounty on Lawrence's head."
"How much?"
Ji Jue's eyes gleamed even brighter. "To be honest, I just love vulgar worldly possessions!"
"Let's see. The Federation Security Bureau put up over ten million—not a whole lot. The Empire offered over forty million, and those lunatics at the hospital put up a hefty sum too, though they wanted him alive… Anyway, all of it combined is right here."
With that, she drew a slip of paper from her breast pocket.
The figure on it—over fifty-three million—nearly blinded Ji Jue's dog eyes on the spot!
Too bad it was not a check.
It was a donation receipt.
Issued by the Beishan District Security Bureau Office to the Chongguang Charity Fund, which had always operated Mercy Hospital, earmarked specifically for the hospital's repairs and reconstruction.
Ji Jue stared blankly for a long time, then decided that this was not a bad outcome either.
Though Lawrence had committed countless atrocities over the years, that did not make Mercy Hospital a den of demons. For impoverished patients with nowhere else to turn, a charitable hospital like this was their final lifeline. In moments of desperation, even the thinnest straw could save a life!
Besides, fifty-odd million sounded like a fortune—more than enough for Ji Jue to squander on a lifetime of debauchery—but for a hospital, it was a drop in the bucket. Constructing a new wing and purchasing a couple of new medical machines would swallow it whole in the blink of an eye.
As the old saying went, share and share alike.
Rounded up, did that not mean he had donated over twenty million to charity himself?
He might still be dirt-poor, but he was a bona fide Celestial Chosen now. Was he really worried about making money? He wouldn't even have to fret over his student loans, right? At worst, if pushed to the brink, couldn't he just mask his face and shake down a few ATMs?
Seeing Ji Jue smiling foolishly at the deposit receipt instead of throwing the fit she had expected, Wen Wen felt a bit bored. Shaking her head, she picked up a bag from the side and handed it over.
"Fine, I'm done messing with you," she said. "This is what's actually for you."
"Oh, you shouldn't have! Really, I couldn't possibly… whoa, whoa, whoa…"
Watching the shameless brat feign reluctance while clutching the bag with an iron grip, Wen Wen felt an overwhelming urge to slap him across the face. Couldn't he show a shred of genuine nobility for once?!
"You spent too much, really! Honestly, I don't care about material things. Wen, you know me—I live for selflessness, I abide by devotion…"
Even as his mouth ran on, Ji Jue's hands never slowed. The moment he unzipped the bag, he saw a small box inside. Popping it open, he noted, "A necklace! Pretty unique design!"
After offering his habitual compliment, he suddenly froze, his head snapping up in shock to stare at Wen Wen.
Something was wrong.
Something was ten out of ten—no, a hundred and twenty thousand out of ten—wrong!
They had known each other for less than a week, and she was already gifting him watches and jewelry… What was this about?
Did experienced women out in the world have this many angles?!
He was genuinely terrified that she might pull out a set of car keys next… Mostly because he knew his moral bottom line was far too fragile to survive the test!
He was terrified that once he fell from grace, he would be doomed to wake up every morning in a seaside villa, drowning in fine dining, champagne, and luxury cars.
"What the hell are you thinking?!"
Wen Wen rolled her eyes. Losing her patience, she smacked the back of his head, then smacked it again. "That belonged to the Dragon Cult bastard! I can't use it, so I'm giving it to you. Take it or leave it—if you don't want it, I'm taking it back!"
"Don't, don't, don't! I'm just touched, that's all!"
Ji Jue hurriedly shielded the bag and offered an apologetic grin. "I've felt more warmth from you in two days than in my entire life in Yacheng. My little pearl tears are practically spilling over."
Saying so, he happily examined the pendant in his hand.
Another piece of loot dropped by Lawrence!
As the saying went, when a whale falls, all things rise. Ji Jue had thought Lawrence's death was already wonderful, but who knew it could get even better? He hoped more people like him would drop dead in the future—preferably one every weekday, and two on weekends.
The small pendant was only the size of a pinky joint. Mounted on its base was what appeared to be a golden fragment from a statue, depicting half a face. The only intact feature was the mouth, curved into an enigmatic smile—neither entirely mournful nor purely joyful, mysterious and solemn, like that of a deity.
In the Security Bureau's appraisal files, it was known as the Mouth of the Ancient.
It had originally been unearthed by the Empire from the Mid-Continent as an ancient alchemical relic.
According to scholarly research, its origins could be traced back to before the Cataclysm Era. It was likely a sacred relic crafted in the likeness of the Emperor's majesty during the golden age of the Central Empire, meant for veneration in temples.
Put simply, it was a figurine.
Of course, if so many people had kowtowed and worshipped it, it was no ordinary figurine. Put up for auction, it could probably fetch several hundred million with ease.
It certainly looked impressive!
Unfortunately, the artifact had once been whole, only to be shattered during a struggle, its fragments scattered across the world.
Even as a fragment, it possessed a distinct power.
What it represented was self-healing.
It accelerated wound recovery, purged toxins, and dispelled abnormal conditions.
Equipment of this nature was perpetually in high demand. After all, no one could guarantee they would never suffer bumps and bruises in the field; life-saving gear was something one could never have too much of.
In the hands of a Celestial Chosen like Lawrence, with a compatible matrix and proper usage, regrowing a severed limb would have been child's play. Even without a Vortex matrix, drawing out twenty to thirty percent of its efficacy would be more than enough for Ji Jue.
"Once you infuse it with spiritus, it speeds up wound recovery and stabilizes injuries. But its power works by accelerating cell division. Overusing it will shave years off your life, so don't mess around with it recklessly. Just wearing it still confers passive benefits."
Wen Wen warned him, "As a side effect, you'll get hungry very fast after sustaining injuries, and your appetite will multiply several times over. Keep that in mind."
"No problem. I get hungry fast anyway; eating more just counts as extra snacks."
Ji Jue fastened it around his neck, utterly unbothered. The nutritional meals here were an all-you-can-eat buffet on the house anyway, not on his dime. Before being discharged, he was determined to eat this hospital's cafeteria out of business!
"Take it seriously. That thing is meant to save your life."
Wen Wen's expression grew solemn. "I just received the survey results from the Security Bureau's scene investigation today. The dragon blood contamination has completely cleared—there's practically nothing left, an entirely negligible amount."
"Huh? Isn't that a good thing?" Ji Jue asked, bewildered.
After all, by Wen Wen's own description, ordinary people who so much as caught a whiff of dragon blood could lose their minds and warp into hideous monsters.
Now that it had been cleaned up so thoroughly, wasn't that a win for the environment?
Chapter 24