After interrogating the fake "Father" Guo Zheng, Jiang Baimian drove back to the central square via North Bridge with Shang Jianyao.
A glance revealed patches of white in her vision.
Besides the unmelted snow, there were also white bedsheets hanging from different windows, chalk marks smeared on the walls, and plain white strips of cloth tied high on the doors.
In Weed City, all these signified that a family had lost a relative.
Even though Weed City's supplies were more plentiful than most wilderness wanderer gathering points, ordinary families, except for the nobles, were unwilling to use their precious cloth to make mourning clothes and white banners. They could only adopt various alternatives, thus giving rise to similar customs.
The biting, bone-chilling wind blew, causing a large amount of white to flutter in the air, filling the entire city.
Jiang Baimian wanted to sigh a few words, but when she opened her mouth, she couldn't say anything.
After a moment of silence, she said to Shang Jianyao in the passenger seat:
"Let's drive around the city."
"Okay." Shang Jianyao looked outside without objecting.
Jiang Baimian then turned the steering wheel, guiding the military-green armored SUV into West Street.
Along the way, many people were busily working, some sweeping snow on the roadside, some patching up damaged ground, and some repairing the shops on both sides.
This was a relief plan implemented by the Weed City Hall in conjunction with the Hunter's Guild: everyone could receive the most basic supplies, but to obtain more and eat their fill, they had to exchange it for labor.
This effectively prevented those who didn't lack food from occupying a large amount of resources and taking the opportunity to complete the post-riot reconstruction.
Those busy people breathed out puffs of white air, seemingly indistinguishable, but they naturally formed two distinct groups.
Jiang Baimian was not surprised by this at all. It was an inevitable consequence of the great riot:
How could the original residents of Weed City easily accept the outsiders, the wilderness wanderers?
Although those who caused the deaths of their relatives and friends had either been executed or transferred to various places as slaves, in their eyes, it was ultimately this group of outsiders who caused everything.
Therefore, when they looked at the hardworking wilderness wanderers, their eyes showed obvious rejection and subtle hatred.
"This cannot be resolved in a short period of time. The bloodstains on the road can be washed away quickly, but the congestion in the heart is not so easy to dissipate." Jiang Baimian withdrew her gaze and sighed.
"It would be good if everyone became brothers and sisters." Shang Jianyao echoed with a sigh.
Jiang Baimian glanced at him:
"Is your ideal of saving all of humanity going to be achieved by turning everyone into brothers and sisters?"
"One direction." Shang Jianyao indicated that he had really thought about it.
"But even real brothers will settle accounts clearly." Jiang Baimian pointed out the biggest problem.
Shang Jianyao's attention had already shifted, and he looked out the window, saying:
"This place hasn't been damaged much."
He was referring to the bar and nightclub area, including Wolf Alley.
"The bosses here have thugs, weapons, and are familiar with the terrain. It's not a problem for them to block the unorganized wilderness wanderers for a while." Jiang Baimian "hmm"-ed. "Moreover, this area was not the first to be impacted. They had enough time to gather manpower and make initial preparations."
Speaking of this, Jiang Baimian said meaningfully:
"West Street is a mixed bag. Who knows how many cults and how many Awakened are hidden here."
"For example, the Awakened of the Long Night Order who can influence other people's hearts." Shang Jianyao still remembered the information provided by Meng Xia's husband, Zhang Lei.
His friend encountered a Long Night Order Awakened in a Weed City bar.
"That's right." Jiang Baimian suddenly laughed. "You haven't even had the chance to join the cults here and taste their Eucharist. Speaking of which, your 'Rootless' brother left two days early. Otherwise, you might have witnessed how the Awakened of the 'Holy Eye' cult dealt with a large number of wilderness wanderers."
Shang Jianyao watched the vehicle slowly turn around and said with certainty:
"He sensed that those wilderness wanderers might bring about a great riot, so he left early."
"When did you see him again?" Jiang Baimian was quite surprised.
In fact, she also believed that with the "Rootless" Fielin's knowledge of the world, he would definitely be able to see the hidden dangers of the wilderness wanderer gathering.
"Brothers are of one heart." Shang Jianyao spoke as if he understood him very well.
Jiang Baimian chuckled and drove the armored SUV towards East Street, saying:
"I'll take you to a place."
Shang Jianyao didn't ask where it was, he just touched his stomach and made a hint.
Entering East Street and approaching the end, the armored SUV stopped next to a building with its own parking lot and courtyard.
On top of this building were two lines of text written in Ashlands language and Red River language respectively:
"Weed City Second Hospital"
After parking the car, Jiang Baimian led Shang Jianyao inside.
Streams of painful moans came from all directions, making one feel uncomfortable all over.
The entire lobby was filled with hospital beds and mats on the floor, on which lay people injured in the riot.
They had only received simple bandaging and were taking conventional medication. Those who were lucky could get surgery, while those who were unlucky could only see if they could make it through.
There was a shortage not only of supplies but also of doctors.
Many people couldn't bear the physical pain and lay there, either curled up in a ball, moaning softly, or tossing and turning, shouting loudly.
From time to time, someone lost their breath and was carried away amidst the cries of their relatives.
Shang Jianyao watched these scenes without speaking for a long time.
"There are too many injured people..." Jiang Baimian withdrew her gaze and looked at Shang Jianyao beside her. "This is simply like hell."
In her lament, she added:
"Although the angels are busy saving people, there are too few of them, and they may not be able to save them.
"Let's go, let's go upstairs and take a look."
On the second, third, and fourth floors, all they saw were the injured. The original patients, as long as they were not seriously ill, had been sent home.
It wasn't until the fifth floor that Jiang Baimian discovered some seriously ill people.
They lay under white sheets, on hospital beds in the rooms or in the corridors. Most of them were in a coma, and the thin tubes connected to the IV drips seemed to be their last lifeline.
"These are considered to have some savings, but when they get sick, they can only get this level of treatment." Jiang Baimian slowly scanned the area. "This is still in Weed City. If it were a wilderness wanderer settlement outside, the good ones like Shuiwei Town at least have doctors who can prescribe medicine, and occasionally have injections to give. The ordinary ones follow folk remedies and eat something casually. Whether they live or die depends entirely on fate. The worse ones don't even have folk remedies..."
Shang Jianyao didn't respond, looking at the patients covered in white sheets, not knowing what he was thinking.
Jiang Baimian then said:
"Compared to them, the hospitals within the company are much better. Not only are there enough doctors and nurses, but there are also enough medicines, equipment, and complete medical inheritance. There are even many laboratories doing research in related fields.
"If you get a serious illness, you will most likely die in Weed City or in a wilderness wanderer settlement, but within the company, there is an 80 to 90 percent chance of survival."
As she spoke, her expression gradually became serious:
"Disease is terrible. It is a terrifying enemy that everyone needs to face, but we are by no means alone in the battle.
"In this matter, as long as we can help each other and form a strong whole, disease is not insurmountable.
"A strong whole can mobilize enough resources, produce enough medicines and equipment, and at the same time, organize schools and various laboratories to complete knowledge inheritance, talent training, and exploration of cutting-edge fields, just like the company.
"I think if you want to overcome your inner fear of disease, you may have to start from this aspect. Purely relying on willpower, relying on real illness and healing, I don't think it's that reliable."
After the main mission ended and things came to an end, Jiang Baimian's focus shifted back to helping Shang Jianyao challenge the "Island," so she specifically brought him to the Weed City Hospital to take a look, hoping to find some inspiration by comparing it with the internal hospital of "Pangu Biology."
After all, the easiest words to think of when it comes to humans overcoming disease are "hospital," "doctor," and "medicine."
After listening carefully, Shang Jianyao slowly looked around and said:
"That makes sense."
After saying that, he clenched his right fist with a look of frustration and slapped his left palm:
"My thinking is still not broad enough!"
Jiang Baimian looked at him suspiciously, always feeling that this guy had twisted her meaning in a strange direction.
Back on the second floor of "Afu Gun Shop," Shang Jianyao immediately leaned back on the bed, pinched his temples, and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
…………
Beside the island with only rocks, Shang Jianyao's figure emerged in the flowing, shimmering, illusory sea.
He didn't rush to challenge the island. He looked down at himself in the illusory water light, and his eyes gradually darkened:
"I am a member of 'Pangu Biology';
"The main body of 'Pangu Biology' is human;
"Therefore..."
After pausing for a moment, Shang Jianyao said in a deep voice:
"I am equal to 'Pangu Biology'."
After drawing the conclusion, he quickly climbed onto the island.
Almost at the same time, figures grew out of the cracks in the rocks.
They were draped in white sheets, their faces and bodies completely hidden in the shadows.
Shang Jianyao looked at them without any panic, smiling and saying:
"You have so many people, and so do I.
"Because I am 'Pangu Biology'."
As soon as he finished speaking, his body became illusory and split into countless figures.
Some of the figures were miraculously combined to form a building with the words "Hospital" written on it.
The other Shang Jianyaos either put on white coats or carried stretchers, rushing into the crowd of people wearing white sheets, pressing them down one by one, putting them on stretchers, tying them back to the hospital, and injecting them with medicine.
The "Hospital" suddenly became busy and lively.
During this process, those figures draped in white sheets, symbolizing disease, seemed to be a little stunned.
Gradually, the Shang Jianyao "doctors" were also infected and became seriously ill.
He constantly divided and constantly created new "doctors," new "medicines," and new "hospital wards" to fill the lost power.
After a long and fierce battle, Shang Jianyao was exhausted and still defeated.
Huff... He woke up, panting.
"How is it?" Jiang Baimian, sitting on a square stool, asked with concern.
Shang Jianyao said with slightly shining eyes:
"Lost.
"But the direction seems to be okay, it's worth further exploration."
ps: Today's update is here, I wish you all good luck in the Year of the Ox~