Chapter 244 - 211: Nourishing the Body

Chapter 244: Chapter 211: Nourishing the Body

Zhou Qian furrowed his brows as he looked at Huai Yu. He had likely thought of this as well and wanted her to get a checkup too, but considering her many secrets, he hesitated to ask.

Finally, he could only ask, "I heard that traditional tonics like donkey-hide gelatin and bird’s nest are good for nourishing the body. Does the hospital pharmacy have them?"

The hospital actually did.

During the years following the catastrophe, no one had the luxury to take nutritional supplements, and all salvaged medical supplies had been channeled directly to the hospitals. As a result, the pharmacy’s current inventory had no downsides—other than being extremely expensive.

But—

The nurse laughed. "She’s so young, why would she need that? It’s way too rich for her. Just making sure she eats well and stays full is enough."

Zhou Qian, however, couldn’t be more direct: "So you’re saying that stuff works, right? Then I’ll go buy it."

With that, he headed straight for the pharmacy.

Huai Yu was baffled. "Huh?"

She quickly shouted after him, "Don’t forget the follow-up checkup later!" Then she smiled sweetly at the nurse. "I’m going to visit a friend."

Truthfully, having not been here for several days, she didn’t know if Chen Xing had been discharged yet. But based on what the doctor had initially said about her needing a long time to recover—presumably, the medical cabin could heal her physical body but couldn’t nourish her vitality. Thus, she figured she would just drop by to check on her since it was on the way.

To her surprise, Chen Xing really hadn’t been discharged!

Huai Yu was both pleasantly surprised and a bit nervous. "Sister Chen Xing, are your injuries that severe?"

If she had known earlier, she would have brought more food.

Chen Xing’s eyes, however, lit up. "Severe? Not at all! It’s just that I overused my Superpower. To prevent my Mutant Value from spiking while my Superpower recovers, I’ve stayed in the hospital for conservative treatment."

Overdrawing a Superpower to the point of depleting one’s physical potential was actually a terrifying thing. Because of that, injections had to be administered at strict, regular intervals and dosages during the subsequent recovery period.

But since Chen Xing didn’t mention this, Huai Yu wasn’t fully aware and quickly felt relieved. Instead, she asked curiously, "Does the hospital reimburse this expense?"

Speaking of this, Chen Xing’s expression turned pained. "Everyone has a strict quota for Superpower recovery potions. If it exceeds the limit, you have to sign a personal application, and it can’t be reimbursed!"

Because these potions were strictly prohibited from being sold to individuals or organizations, the hospital couldn’t cook the books for a private transaction. Moreover, Chen Xing felt that the virus she had contracted wasn’t worth the hassle of pulling strings to make a trade with the hospital, so she had simply accepted her fate.

She was currently 3,750 points in debt!

Dammit!

This trip to the Wilderness had truly cost her dearly on all fronts.

Huai Yu sympathized with her. "Do you want to borrow some? I have points."

"No need, no need," Chen Xing shook her head. "The hospital kept my information on file and felt quite bad about the situation. They originally promised to cover all expenses, but due to policy restrictions, they couldn’t.

"So, they gave me an interest-free loan for two years."

"Then how long will it take for you to fully recover? Will you still go to the Wilderness then?" Huai Yu was a bit worried.

Chen Xing paused. "Recovery will be quick, and I will definitely go to the Wilderness again—after all, fortune favors the bold."

She hesitated for a moment before deciding to share her thoughts with Huai Yu. "However, I contacted Zhao Feiyan a few days ago—the boss of Hundred Zhao Subsidy.

"I’ll hand over thirty percent of my profits. Next time, I’ll drive my own vehicle and follow his team into the Wilderness."

Huai Yu didn’t quite understand the income model of the Wilderness, but she was curious. "Are Fen Da and the others willing to do that?"

Chen Xing paused again. "Fen Da isn’t going.

"They are all unwanted kids. They were abandoned during the catastrophe, and I took them in.

"But I don’t have many skills myself, nor do I know how to teach kids. They’ve been with me since they were twelve or thirteen, and now they’re seventeen or eighteen. The education and foundation they’re lacking isn’t just a small amount.

"The military academy opens for enrollment in August. Fen Da, Qixi, and Xue Bao are all Superpower Users, so they all meet the requirements."

Speaking of this, a deep sense of reluctance washed over Chen Xing’s face. "From now on, they’ll have to go to school. By learning more skills at the military academy, they’ll at least have a better chance of survival the next time they face a situation like this."

Ah, studying.

As a poor student, Huai Yu didn’t have much room to speak on the topic. But since there was a proper school, gaining more knowledge could never be a bad thing.

She nodded enthusiastically. "Sister Chen Xing, I think that’s a great idea!"

But... were Fen Da and the others willing?

Chen Xing couldn’t help but rub her temples. "They’re not willing."

They still had childish tempers and felt that leaving Chen Xing to go to school after everything they’d been through would be a betrayal. What’s more, Chen Xing had gone into debt to save their lives, and now she would have to rely on the Hundred Zhao Subsidy company just to take missions in the Wilderness...

How could three young men swallow that?

They had been angry about it for a long time, to the point where they weren’t even willing to visit and keep her company much during her recuperation.

However, Chen Xing thought about it and smiled again. "They have always been very obedient. I told them that they would earn a lot more after studying at the military academy. They’ll listen sooner or later."

"It’s true," Huai Yu nodded in agreement. "I know Ms. Liang Zhu from the Department of Construction. She joined the department right after graduating from the military academy. She can earn 500 points just by throwing together a foundation, and she also knows how to dig wells. She makes a lot of extra money on the side."

"Really?!" Chen Xing’s mood immediately brightened. "I was just making that up to coax those silly boys. I didn’t expect it to actually be true!

"Sigh, I was so foolish. In the past, I only focused on what was right in front of me. Why didn’t I think of this earlier? We wasted several years for nothing."

The prospect of successful employment after graduation seemed to give Chen Xing immense confidence. She was suddenly brimming with energy, her conviction growing even stronger.

Meanwhile, Huai Yu hesitated for a moment before suddenly asking, "Sister Chen Xing, in the future—I mean in the future, if you go to the Wilderness again, can you take someone along for a fee?

"About how many points would it cost to bring someone?"

Chen Xing looked at her, her expression turning serious. "Little Yu, don’t even think about going into the Wilderness.

"Explorers won’t take ordinary people like you along."

Once upon a time, Explorer teams did take people along for a fee. However, in the Wilderness, failing to follow orders meant certain death—and it often dragged the rest of the team down to their deaths as well. Over time, they simply stopped taking passengers.

If they still took people, Uncle Zaozi and his wife would have rushed into the Wilderness long ago.

Huai Yu paused. She wasn’t frustrated by the answer, only asking, "Then... do normal Explorer convoys have a fixed return time?"

They really didn’t. At most, a team might establish an internal, approximate time frame for their return journey.

Seeing her quickly gloss over the dangerous topic, Chen Xing breathed a sigh of relief and asked curiously, "What? Are you looking to join a team?"

"No, no, no." Huai Yu shook her head. "I don’t want to do that. I just want to buy some fruits, meat, and things with high Mutant Values that can’t be eaten.

"But I don’t have the time to stake out the highway entrance every day."

Chen Xing burst into laughter. "Silly girl. What do you think all those scalpers staking out the highway entrance every day are doing?

"As long as you’re willing to pay points, what can’t they source for you?

"For junk that nobody else wants, if you just offer a few extra points and cover the delivery fee, plenty of people will be fighting to take your business."

After she finished speaking, she remembered that Huai Yu lived in the Rose Corridor, so she added, "Though it’s best if you make the delivery fee slightly higher."

Huai Yu’s eyes lit up.