Ten minutes later, He Junwen caught up with Li Yu, who had slipped away.

Bringing Li Yu to the hospital room, He Junwen took a step inside but stopped right at the doorway.

Because he saw Lu Yao stripped down to nothing but his boxers.

He Junwen took a deep breath: “…What are you doing?” 

Li Yu asked, “What’s wrong?”

He Junwen: “…You’re practically naked.”

Lu Yao heard an unfamiliar voice—a deep voice carrying the warmth of embers after a fire had died down. It wasn’t particularly hot, but it made one unconsciously sit up straight.

Lu Yao looked up—wow, a handsome guy. He was very tall, almost half a head taller than He Junwen.

Although he was indeed good-looking, “handsome guy” didn’t quite do him justice. Just standing there, he exuded a powerful presence; even though the other person looked lazy at that moment, for some reason, he sensed a strong sense of aggression.

His shoulder-length red hair was slightly curled and slightly singed at the ends, as if scorched by flames. Strands of hair fell across his forehead, obscuring his eyes, and there were two light brown scars at the corners of his eyes and along his cheekbones.

Notably, his eyes were a murky golden-gray, lacking any focus.

Lu Yao blinked, coming to terms with the fact that the Torch Dragon’s leader was blind.

Since his first encounter with the Torch Dragon leader happened while he was wearing only shorts, Lu Yao felt a bit self-conscious about being so scantily clad.

Fortunately, the other party couldn’t see him…

Jiang Xingrui grabbed a piece of clothing and walked over, intending to drape it over Lu Yao, but before he could, Lu Yao spoke up: “Da Li, nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.” 

Jiang Xingrui froze in his tracks. He clenched the garment tightly as he recalled some terrible memories.

Li Yu was silent for a few seconds, then turned his head toward the voice: “You… are you calling me?” His voice was low and tinged with confusion.

Lu Yao nodded: “Yeah, Jiang Xingrui told me to call you that.” Jiang Xingrui’s escape attempt froze once again.

Li Yu’s unfocused gaze fell on Jiang Xing: “Is that so?”

Jiang Xingrui didn’t know how to respond. His eyelashes fluttered slightly; he opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. For a moment, the atmosphere grew a bit eerie.

Acting as the group’s mediator, He Junwen stepped in to smooth things over: “Let’s put that aside for now. Lu Yao, how are you feeling right now?”

Lu Yao: “I feel like I’m on fire.”

He Junwen said patiently, “Everyone knows that. What I mean is, are you feeling any discomfort?”

Lu Yao explained clearly: “I mean the virus is getting a little out of control—I’m feeling really hot right now.”

He Junwen: “Uh.”

Lu Yao was truly at a loss.

Taking off his clothes in public was against the rules, and He Junwen hadn’t let him do it in the counseling room, so he’d been holding it in the whole time—until he finally let loose once he was back in the ward.

After all, it’s normal for patients to take off their clothes in a hospital room.

He Junwen wanted to apologize, but figured it wasn’t necessary if the other person was Lu Yao. So he stepped forward, grabbed Lu Yao’s wrist, and activated their life-force resonance.

Invisible ripples invaded Lu Yao’s body—heart rate, blood oxygen levels, body temperature… these numbers each emitted their own distinct sounds in He Junwen’s mind. The next second, he raised an eyebrow slightly, and a faint flush appeared at the corners of his eyes.

Lu Yao stared at He Junwen’s face: “Why are you blushing? Could it be that you’re shy in the face of my voluptuous physique?” 

To prevent Lu Yao from making up any more nonsense, He Junwen cut him off: “My ability allows me to experience your sensations in real time.” Lu Yao wanted to ask a slightly inappropriate question, but was afraid he’d get beaten to death.

After all, that Torch Dragon leader really did look quite fierce.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xingrui, sensing that no one was paying attention to him, tried to sneak out.

“Xingrui, this is a bit of a tricky situation—you’ll need to stay here too,” He Junwen said without turning around.

Jiang Xingrui froze again. He exhaled heavily: “O-okay…” He felt like crying but had no tears to shed.

Isn’t this, in a way, a public execution?

The healing principles of the Torch Dragon’s three greatest masters are quite simple.

Why does a person’s body temperature rise when they get sick?

It’s because the human immune system raises body temperature in an attempt to kill the virus. However, a person can’t survive for long at 40 degrees. Immune System: I admit there’s an element of gambling involved, but today, either you or the virus must die.

Although the zombie virus is very unique, its structure is similar to that of a typical virus—it’s encased in a protein shell.

He Junwen continued, “So Brother Li is going to use fire to destroy the virus’s armor and kill it.”

Lu Yao stared in disbelief: “Inside my body? Won’t I get roasted? Am I going to become a ‘scorching hot’ guy today?”

“That’s where I come in,” He Junwen replied. “I’ll immediately use my superpower to repair your damaged areas. Xingrui’s micro-frequency perception will provide even more precise assistance, keeping the damage to your body within a reversible range.”

Lu Yao remained dumbfounded: “That must really hurt.”

He Junwen: “It’s not just pain—it’s both itchy and painful.”

Lu Yao covered his face and thought for a moment, then suddenly realized something: “I remember you said you’d synchronize with my senses?”

He Junwen nodded. “Yes.”

Lu Yao couldn’t help but click his tongue.

He Junwen misinterpreted his silence: “Don’t worry that I’ll make a mistake during the surgery because of this. I’m a professional—rest assured.”

“It’s not that…” Lu Yao lowered his hand from his face. “Since you’re paying such a high price, what should I offer in return for your help with the treatment?”

He Junwen: “Very well. Next, we’ll discuss the matter of compensation. As you can see, the cost of this treatment is very high. Regardless of whether you join Torch Dragon, this must be made clear. What can you offer to convince us?”

Lu Yao: “Negotiating terms before the surgery—that’s certainly bold. How about I offer a suggestion regarding the treatment strategy? You can judge for yourselves whether its value justifies this surgery.”

He was trying to get a free ride with his words.

He Junwen glanced at Li Yu, who said, “Go ahead.”

Lu Yao: “Next time, don’t negotiate terms before the surgery. Stop suddenly in the middle of the procedure and negotiate with the patient—they’ll definitely agree to anything.”

Silence reigned in the ward today.

He Junwen’s mouth twitched slightly. Jiang Xingrui’s shoulders shook.

Li Yu: “……”

Li Yu turned to look at Jiang Xingrui and said, “As I recall, the criterion I set was that the Torch Dragon would accept human survivors.”

Jiang Xingrui wiped the sweat from his brow: “Um, Brother Li, Lu Yao isn’t usually like this… it’s just…” He couldn’t find the right words; he was at a loss.

He Junwen looked at Lu Yao: “Your proposal is good, but there’s one problem—are you willing to be the first to put your suggestion into practice?”

“Fine,” Lu Yao said grudgingly. “Rejecting my suggestion is still a personal attack. Alright, I don’t have much of value on hand right now, but I do have half an hour’s worth of zombie potion. After drinking it, you can disguise yourself as a zombie for 30 minutes.”

After saying that, he felt it wasn’t enough, so he added, “But I’m about to get a lot of good stuff.”

Lu Yao was referring to the Labor Day rewards he hadn’t received yet.

He Junwen looked at Li Yu, who gave a noncommittal expression.

Lu Yao followed that line of sight and said, “Da Li’s eyes are probably a side effect of his superpower.”

Lu Yao had once mentioned the side effects of Li Yu’s flame ability to Jiang Xingrui, and Jiang Xingrui’s expression had turned grim. This meant that Li Yu had already been severely affected by the side effects.

Those words made the invisible tension in the air grow even more palpable.

He Junwen frowned imperceptibly.

Jiang Xingrui opened his mouth again; he felt like a soulless machine that had been spouting “blah blah” all day. Li Yu, however, didn’t seem to mind; he nodded indifferently: “Yes.”

There was no pretense, nor any hint of pity.

Since the Torch Dragon already had someone like He Junwen to repair superpowers, the fact that Li Yu’s eyes still couldn’t be cured meant that his superpower took higher priority. But…

Lu Yao said, “I can heal your eyes in the future.”

—The System’s priority is definitely the absolute highest.

He wasn’t just making this up out of thin air; he had actually seen the Full-Body Repair Solution in the System’s monthly prize wheel. When he said this, everyone present—except Li Yu—was visibly moved.

He Junwen’s expression rarely wavered, but ever since Mo met Lu Yao, one turmoil had barely subsided before another arose. Jiang Xingrui, on the other hand, couldn’t hide his delight: “Really?”

Li Yu remained as noncommittal as ever.

Lu Yao played it off: “I may not always tell the truth, but have I ever lied to anyone?”

Jiang Xingrui: “Um…” That statement of yours leaves a lot to be desired…

He Junwen nodded, putting aside his earlier surprise: “I hope you’ll keep your word.”

Lu Yao: “Don’t worry. …Oh, do I still need to be tied up?”

He Junwen pushed Lu Yao down onto the hospital bed, pulled out the restraints and chains, and secured Lu Yao’s wrists, ankles, and torso to the bed.

The metal buckles clinked against the leather straps, sending a shiver down Lu Yao’s spine. “This is exactly like that thing…”

The point was that Lu Yao was currently wearing nothing but a pair of briefs.

He had a great physique—typically lean and muscular. His scorching body heat had brought a thin sheen of sweat to his skin, trickling down along his collarbones, sternum, and abs, with flecks of light dancing on the beads of sweat—it really did look quite alluring.

Jiang Xingrui couldn’t help but look away at the sight.

As a doctor, He Junwen viewed patients as nothing more than pieces of meat on a cutting board, so his expression returned to its usual cold detachment. As for Li Yu, needless to say, he was completely blind to the situation.

Lu Yao struggled a couple of times, his body half-exposed, while the handsome guys around him were all impeccably dressed. He said with great seriousness, “This scene sounds like the title of a novel.”

Jiang Xingrui couldn’t help but ask, “What’s the title?”

Lu Yao: “*The Little O Shared by the Post-Apocalyptic Organization*. Titles like that were all the rage when the apocalypse hit.”

The next second, He Junwen’s scalpel skimmed past Lu Yao’s face and plunged into the pillow.

He Junwen said calmly, “We’ll take a 5-minute break every 20 minutes. If you really can’t stand it, you can choose a safe word—just shout it, and we’ll stop.”

Lu Yao was taken aback: “You’ve even brought up a safe word—and yet you say this isn’t…”

He Junwen slipped on white gloves, hooked his fingertips around the scalpel handle, and pulled it out right next to Lu Yao’s face. With his other hand, he pushed up his glasses and said coldly,

“The operation begins.”

Lu Yao: “…I’d like to be under general anesthesia.”

The next second.

“Aaah, aaaah, ooooh, ooooh, it hurts, it hurts, it’s boiling, it’s boiling, wuuu, wuuu…”

It was like a fire had been lit.

“I…”

【The host must not use profanity; using profanity makes the host seem rude】

Lu Yao: “Eek!!!”

The temperature in the room rose rapidly, and a fine sheen of sweat appeared on everyone’s skin.

Jiang Xingrui seemed to be sweating the most; beads of sweat kept rolling down the teenager’s sharply defined jawline, falling onto the sheets and shattering into tiny specks.

Li Yu’s fiery golden glow danced within his blind eyes. From Lu Yao’s angle, he could see Li Yu’s massive pectoral muscles—and he had to admit, this offered him a little comfort.

He Junwen placed his palm over the burned area, his dark eyes contracting sharply behind his glasses. The excruciating pain caused by empathic resonance turned his fingertips white, but his movements remained remarkably precise.

Lu Yao stared blankly at the three people present… mostly at Li Yu’s chest, with the rest of his gaze divided between He Junwen and Jiang Xingrui. Lu Yao couldn’t fathom how He Junwen managed to endure such excruciating pain while continuing to mercilessly insert his fingers into his own body to perform the precise surgery. Meanwhile, Li Yu was also frowning; the continuous use of his superpower made him look terrifying, his entire aura completely frenzied.

Only then did Lu Yao realize that Li Yu’s lazy demeanor was the result of him forcibly suppressing his abilities.

The surgery paused every twenty minutes.

The reason for not administering anesthesia was simple: if Lu Yao were anesthetized, He Junwen would also become drowsy and be unable to perform the precise repairs.

Lu Yao lay on the hospital bed like a tattered rag doll, his body covered in a thick layer of sweat and an unknown liquid.

System… I think I’m ready to check in and enter the raffle……

【Host, it’s not tomorrow yet.】

A moment ago, time felt like an eternity—those twenty minutes of pain felt like half my life had passed, so what’s wrong with checking in?!

【……That makes sense】

【Since the Host refrained from swearing even while in excruciating pain, you are rewarded with one painkiller pill.】

【Painkiller pill: Significantly reduces pain upon ingestion; lasts for six hours】 

Lu Yao’s eyes lit up.

Did I really convince the System?

So next time he gets the chance to have sex, he’ll tell the system he was about to hit the seventh heaven—and since “a day in heaven is a year on earth,” wouldn’t that mean he could check in and claim another reward?

【Eavesdropping】

【Overheard the host’s indecent thoughts】

【Recording in progress】

【The next time the Host makes a similar request, this system will refuse】 

Lu Yao: …Whoa!

【Painkiller pill being dispensed…】

Wait, wait, wait—I’m not even dressed yet! Where exactly are you going to administer this?

【Dispensing to a hidden part of the Host’s body where others cannot see it】

What? What did you just say? Lu Yao stared in disbelief.

【Host, please correct your sinful thoughts】

【The host needs to take a painkiller pill, right? Can I just pop the pill right into the host’s mouth?】 No, wait, wait, wait……

Put the painkiller pill in my pocket.

【Painkiller pill dispensed】

Lu Yao began struggling violently on the bed.

Jiang Xingrui, who was drinking water nearby, peered over: “What’s wrong with you? Did you turn into a zombie or something?”

Lu Yao: “Let me go—I need to grab something.”

Jiang Xingrui walked over: “You’re not trying to make a run for it, are you?”

Lu Yao glanced at the interface.

【Zombie Virus Infection in Progress, 10 Days Countdown】

The number had jumped from 2 days to 10 days—the treatment was clearly working, but it was far from over. “I’m not going to gamble with my life,” Lu Yao said.

“I think you’re exactly that kind of person,” Jiang Xingrui said.

Lu Yao thought about it for a moment and realized Jiang Xingrui’s suspicion made sense: “All right, my clothes are over there. Check the pocket of my shirt—there’s a pill in there.”

He Junwen, who was drinking water nearby, looked over: “What kind of pill?”

Lu Yao: “A painkiller.”

He Junwen: “If you’re talking about that kind of ordinary painkiller, it won’t work.”

Lu Yao: “This isn’t just any ordinary thing… Could you use your doctor’s precise hands to cut it in half?” 

“And then?”

“Half for me, half for you.”

Yes, that’s exactly why Lu Yao didn’t let the system shove it directly into his mouth.

Although He Junwen seemed able to endure it, since he had a painkiller pill, he might as well share it.

He Junwen didn’t say thank you, nor did he say he didn’t need it; he simply went about doing it with decisive efficiency.

The painkiller pills rewarded by the system were in a small red box, packaged like those health supplements that scam the elderly. He Junwen cut the pill in half and used tweezers to pick up half of it.

“Open your mouth.”

Lu Yao’s pale lips parted, and the tweezers slipped into his mouth. Lu Yao tilted his head back and gulped down the half-pill.

He Junwen didn’t pull the tweezers out immediately; instead, he pressed down gently, the metal tip lightly touching the back of his tongue, observing the spasms in his throat muscles. Only after confirming that Lu Yao had swallowed the pill did He Junwen eat the remaining half himself. He made no attempt to hide his distrust of Lu Yao. 

“Round two,” He Junwen said.

He Junwen’s hand brushed against the hem of Lu Yao’s shorts.

Lu Yao was surprised: “Shigong, do I have to take this off?”

He Junwen paused to think.

“You actually dare to take off my pants,” Lu Yao said with a cold smile. “Are you guys looking to get yourselves into serious trouble?”

A doctor’s hands are usually very steady.

But for a moment, He Junwen’s fingers trembled.

How could Lu Yao phrase things in such a way—so vulgar and yet so baffling… It is forbidden to sensationalize suffering, and it is also forbidden to romanticize it (Jinjiang)… He pretended to adjust his glasses. “Let’s begin the surgery.”

A painkiller pill split in half would certainly not be as effective as the whole one. But it was still quite effective.

Lu Yao let out a silent scream, followed by moans and groans as if he and He Junwen had become husband and wife.

Then he heard He Junwen say, “The painkiller pills really do work well. Let’s pick up the pace and apply more force, then.”

Lu Yao: “…Can I say no?!”

Sizzle, sizzle—“Eeek!!!”