Chapter 78
The Awakener forum was indeed in a state of chaos. Wu Sen was a veteran of the forum, and many people knew the address of his restaurant. His post stating that he had actually been cured of pollution carried a different level of credibility.
[The speed was incredible. It only took about ten minutes. The moment the silver needles were inserted, I felt a sense of relief. I find it hard to believe myselfāthe pollution that followed me for so long was cleared just like that.]
[I’m incredibly grateful to Doctor Zhen. Not only did he clear my pollution, but he also cleared my partner’s. My partner is an ordinary person; having his pollution cleared is equivalent to having his life saved. To express my gratitude, I wanted to give the doctor shares in my hotel, but he refused everything, saying the consultation fee had already been paid and anything else was unnecessary.]
Wu Sen essentially posted a guide, clearly explaining the address of the Zhen Family Clinic, how to get there, and the treatment process. However, perhaps because he had just started his relationship, his words were filled with a sappy tone that made readers’ teeth ache.
[If Boss Sen says so, then it must be true.]
[I still find it hard to believe. TCM curing pollution? What kind of fantasy world is this?]
[Poster above, hasn’t our world been fantasy ever since the Anomalies descended?]
[But TCM and pollution… how can those two be connected?]
[Am I the only one who noticed Boss Sen mentioned his ‘partner’ seventeen times and his ‘boyfriend’ thirteen times in the guide? Is this a guide or just public displays of affection?]
Regardless, with Wu Sen using his real identity as a guarantee, most people believed it. Those chatting heatedly and discussing passionately were Awakeners whose pollution wasn’t very serious. Those with truly serious pollutionāunless they had extraordinary self-control and pain toleranceāhad basically disconnected from the internet due to a lack of energy. It followed the same logic as an ordinary person losing the desire to chat when sick; the pain simply prevented them from focusing on anything else. This was why the private Awakener forum never had many members; even if there were peaks, the originally active veterans would gradually disappear.
āInside a modest rental apartment in the neighboring Wangyun City, a man with three heads and six arms finished his work. He retracted his ability, returning to a normal state with one head and two arms, and planned to check the forum for any new news.
The Awakener forum wasn’t just for bragging and chatting; for Awakeners who were more prone to pollution, it could also map out safe routes. For example, if an Awakener went to a food stall and found their pollution worsened afterward, they could share the full route so other Awakeners could avoid it.
This Awakener planned to check the safety of the surrounding roads as usual before going out. However, the moment he opened the forum, it was covered in redāalmost all the posts had massive threads.
He: “??”
Whatās going on? Has this small forum been linked to Awakeners nationwide?
Looking closer: Zhen Family Clinic? What is this? TCM treating pollution? Are they trying to fool an idiot? Wait, an idiot actually went to try it? And it worked??!!!
The Awakener jumped up, carefully scrolled through all the relevant posts, and then grabbed his keys and ran out. He sprinted to a nearby building, went upstairs, and opened the door. The room was pitch black with all the curtains drawn, creating an atmosphere of deep gloom.
“Brother!! Brother! Get up! There’s a way to treat the pollution on your body! Hurry!! We’re going to Luoxia City immediately!!”
Awakeners had good night vision. He precisely scooped up the man on the ground, who looked like a corpse, and carried him out on his shoulder. The man was stunned and struggled slightly. “What are you saying? A way?”
“Yes! There’s a TCM doctor who can treat your illness! We’re going now!”
Hearing “TCM,” the hope that had flared in the man’s eyes died down again.
“Are you being scammed? TCM treating pollution? You might as well say you found some leeches to suck the pollution out of me.”
“I’m serious! Iām not talking to you anymore. Anyway, you can’t beat me, so Iām leaving whether you like it or not!”
Carrying his brother, his eyes were full of excitement. “You’ve endured for so long; you’re finally going to make it out!”
āIn Ziyan City, a middle-aged Awakener looked at the news on his phone, his eyes shining. He quickly opened QQ and sent a message to the contact labeled [Darling Daughter].
“Qianqian, look at this forum. Thereās a TCM doctor who can treat pollution. Dad is going to ask about it now. I think thereās a lot of hope.”
In Zhengya City, a girl about sixteen or seventeen years old held her phone and replied helplessly:
“Dad, stop falling for clickbait. I’m already on the waitlist for Eternal Day’s Energy-users. I’ll get treated in six months. Don’t worry, my situation isn’t serious. Plenty of Awakeners are worse off than me.”
“I’ve only heard of Energy-users treating pollution. I’ve never heard of a TCM treatment method. This sounds fake.”
The middle-aged man quickly explained, “It’s not fake, it’s real. Look closely. And that doctor is an ordinary person. I’ll go find him right away and pay him extra to see if he can come over to your side.”
Awakeners were divided into three hundred and thirty cities by gender. They only went to the opposite gender’s cities for special missions. A young girl like her, who had just joined Eternal Day and didn’t have strong self-control, wasn’t allowed to go to a city with male Awakeners; she could easily lose control on the spot.
However, ordinary people had no such restrictions. The middle-aged man planned to spend a fortune to invite this Doctor Zhen to his daughter’s city for treatment. Seeing his daughter still advising him not to rush as she was already on the list, he sighed:
“Sigh, you’re still young and don’t understand how dangerous pollution is. I’ll go talk to your mom.”
Young people weren’t afraid of death, but as parents, knowing their daughter was polluted kept them awake night after night. He then called the number labeled [Wife].
Technically, the family was luckyāthey had all awakened abilities. But they were also somewhat unlucky because the mutual repulsion between genders meant the father lived with the son while the mother lived with the daughter. If they hadn’t had children, the marriage likely wouldn’t have lasted, but with two children and a previously harmonious relationship, they remained a family despite the distance.
This time, he indeed received support. As parents, with their daughter polluted and at risk of mutation at any moment, their hearts were set on the same goal. They quickly decided that even if they had to go bankrupt, they would convince this Doctor Zhen to travel to their daughter’s city. If he couldn’t go, they would at least get a recommendation for another doctor who knew the same acupuncture technique.
āOverseas, in a certain country, a young man with black hair and brown eyes packed his luggage. On his legs were anklets that displayed his location and could deliver electric shocks. One of his arms was already deformed, and his hair had become like seaweed, trailing long on the ground.
As he pushed the door open, two heavily armed soldiers outside immediately went on high alert.
“Zhang, are you going out?”
“Yes, I’m going out. I’m going to apply for a passport and return to Xia Country.”
The two soldiers looked surprised. “To Xia Country?”
They knew he was of Asian descent, but he wasn’t born in Xia Country; his family had immigrated here a generation ago. Why would he suddenly want to go to Xia Country?
The young man, already in the process of mutation, nodded. “My mother is coming to pick me up. I won’t have to trouble you anymore.”
He and the two soldiers had a decent relationship; after all, they used to be colleagues. Anomalies were breaking out globally, and Awakeners were the only force capable of fighting them. Therefore, every country recruited its own Awakeners. This young man had been one of those recruited into the military. His combat power wasn’t top-tier, but it was certainly good, so he was highly valued and had once been incredibly successful.
But good times didn’t last. During a battle, he was deeply polluted. Not only could he no longer participate in combat, but he was also in a state where he could mutate at any moment. His former glory was quickly replaced by agony. Besides enduring the inhuman torture of pollution and using his willpower to fight the mutation process, he also had to be monitored twenty-four hours a day because he could mutate at any time.
In fact, some people now suggested euthanizing those like him who were in the process of mutation to avoid larger accidents. But currently, Country X still needed Awakeners to risk their lives, so they couldn’t do something that would alienate Awakeners from the government. Therefore, he was simply kept under house arrest.
But everyone knew he was a dead man walking.
As the two soldiers watched him about to walk out, they hesitantly stopped him.
“Zhang, you might not be able to leave Country X. After all, you are currently mutating. We need to report to the superior.”
The young man didn’t react much. “Report then.”
The report was approved quickly. Toward this kind of Awakener who had served with merit but was now a hot potato due to mutation, Country X was also having a headache. Now that they could dump him on Xia Country, they were more than happy to do so.
A car stopped outside, and a woman with a Xia Country appearance got out. She embraced her child and gently patted his back, just as she had when he was little. The young man, who had been acting numb and dull, finally broke into tears in his mother’s arms.
“Mom, it hurts so much. I don’t want to die.”
He had once been obsessed with being a hero, but he had never thought that being a hero would require such a tragic price.
“Don’t be afraid, my child. Your uncle told me there’s an incredibly skilled TCM doctor in our hometown. He will definitely be able to cure you.”
As the woman comforted her son, she let out a sigh of relief. She had thought Country X wouldn’t let him go; she hadn’t expected it to be so easy. Is it because the highest military officer for Awakeners in Country X is also from Xia Country?
On this day, many Xia Country Awakeners or infected ordinary people in Country X chose to buy tickets back home. Even tickets for the next ten days were completely sold out. The complex organization in Country X that managed Awakeners approved all requests without hindrance.
This quickly drew the government’s attention. An official specifically went to the Awakener organization to request a meeting with the supreme commander.
“Mr. Fu, such a large number of Awakeners are suddenly going to Xia Country. Aren’t you approving this a bit too quickly?”
The youth sitting in a chair with his back to him, looking at the scenery outside, did not respond.
The official raised his voice: “Mr. Fu!”
“If you are truly here to ask me this question, there is no need to bring two invisible Awakeners with you. They are even holding weapons.”
The youth slowly turned around, revealing that he wasn’t sitting in an ordinary chair, but a wheelchair. At the moment he turned, the two invisible Awakeners on both sides suddenly used their abilities, only to be lunged at and instantly killed by two black bears that were five meters tall, which had been crouching nearby.
Seeing this, the official immediately pressed a button, but there was no response in the room. The youth waved his hand, and an eagle dropped a time bomb with a “thump” in front of him.
“Are you looking for this?”
The next moment, the eagle forcefully grabbed the man on the ground and flew into the air. Above was a space specifically prepared for birds. It flew out and dropped him directly.
A scream could be heard faintly from outside. The youth still had no reaction on his face. Only when he looked down and saw an ordinary, even somewhat old blanket on his body did the expression on his face soften slightly.
The secretary nearby was nervous. “Commander, do I need to investigate who wanted to assassinate you?”
“Is there a need for an investigation? Itās always the same few people. Arrange an assassination for them as well; it’s more fun when everyone gives and takes.”
“Yes. Regarding the large-scale return of Xia Country Awakeners, do we still approve all of them?”
“Approve them.”
The youth gently stroked the blanket. Thinking of something, he let out a laugh.
“Xia Country is beautiful. Studying there was very happy. Unfortunately, I only made it to high school.”
Because of the constant touching and stroking, the edges of the blanket were heavily pilled, but he ignored it, continuing to speak slowly in a gentle tone:
“But itās fine. Sooner or later, I will return.”
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