As Gu Mian's hand hovered, Liu Ying, still in the green belt, spoke again. With a somewhat shy gesture, she raised a hand to cover her mouth and began in a voice barely a whisper, "I don't have any money to pay you. My illness... it seems quite serious, and I've even developed blisters. This probably won't help me. It would just be a waste..."

She's remarkably conscientious, worrying about money and waste even now.

She must be covering her mouth because she's afraid of infecting others.

Fatty couldn't help but shake his head. He wondered how this girl would react if she'd heard Chu Changge's earlier remarks.

Just then, Chu Changge suddenly asked, "Why did you come out?"

Someone this gravely ill, with no money for medicine... is she planning to drag her sick body into an instance? But those instances aren't just simple game data; a player's real-life condition is carried into the instance as well. If someone enters an instance needing to pee, they'll frantically look for a restroom once inside. Liu Ying's illness, of course, would also be carried in. With her physical state, she obviously can't play the game properly. Entering an instance would just mean losing equipment.

Liu Ying seemed to have regained some strength, though her voice was still very soft. "I came out to buy medicine for others. The only supermarket nearby is in a densely populated residential area where many people have recently frozen to death."

She's not buying for herself, but for others? Probably just because she has no money. Gu Mian recalled the map Chu Changge had drawn. Indeed, the only nearby supermarket was in a heavily infected zone. Since they weren't short on resources, Gu Mian hadn't planned on going there. In fact, Chu Changge had passed by that supermarket while familiarizing himself with the terrain and had brought back a considerable amount of medical supplies. The reagent Gu Mian held in his hand was part of the supplies Chu Changge had procured.

Liu Ying continued softly, "The flu has been spreading badly lately. My neighbors wanted to buy some preventative medicine, so they gave me their game coins."

So, this errand had fallen to Liu Ying. Since she had already contracted the infectious disease, she had no reservations about entering or leaving heavily infected areas.

Gu Mian, however, was quite curious. Why would her neighbors trust someone so gravely ill and in desperate need of medicine herself? Aren't they afraid Liu Ying will take their money, buy medicine for herself, and run off? Perhaps it's because she has such a good reputation... At least, judging by her current behavior, she really is a genuinely good person.

Just then, Liu Ying tried to push herself up from the ground. "You should all stay away from me," she said. "I caught this disease too; it's contagious."

Having regained a little strength, she wanted to continue towards the supermarket. "My neighbors are waiting for me. I'll be going now. Thank you all..."

Although Gu Mian and the others hadn't really done anything—in fact, they'd rather violently tossed her into the green belt—she still thanked them.

Fatty's face turned red with shame. He remembered Gu Mian driving the car back and forth, testing her several times to see if she was a scammer trying to extort them. Gu Mian's original words had been: "Pretend you're going to run her over. If she jumps up and runs, she's definitely a scammer."

Liu Ying managed to get up from the ground. After thanking Gu Mian and the others again, she took a few steps towards the supermarket. But her recovery was short-lived. After only a few seconds, THUD! She collapsed again.

Fatty, who was inwardly exclaiming, This girl is so incredibly kind!, heard a sound and followed it with his gaze. THUD! Liu Ying, who had just struggled to her feet, had crashed to the ground again. She was completely unconscious this time.

Gu Mian, holding the syringe, sighed softly. Looks like she can't avoid getting a shot from me today.

「When Liu Ying woke up again, it was already night.」

The first thing she saw was the pitch-black sky, especially dark tonight, devoid of any trace of the moon or stars. But then, to her surprise, she saw familiar faces.

The white car was still parked nearby. Its window was open, and Fatty was slumped over the sill, asleep, yet his posture was surprisingly composed. As if sensing her movement, Fatty, who had been sleeping so soundly, suddenly opened his eyes.

Just as Liu Ying was about to speak, she saw Fatty's excited expression. He turned and shouted to someone nearby, "Doctor, she's awake!"

A few seconds later, another familiar face appeared at the window. Liu Ying recognized him as the Doctor who had wanted to give her an injection earlier.

Did they stay because they saw me faint and were worried? Wanting to thank them, Liu Ying struggled to sit up.

But as she tried to push herself up from the ground, she realized the itching sensation around her waist was gone. Because of the viral infection, her skin had developed a series of reactions, including many terrifying blisters. They were incredibly itchy, yet she didn't dare scratch them, making her utterly miserable. But now, that feeling had completely vanished.

A little surprised, Liu Ying lifted her clothes. She found that the terrifying blisters had receded significantly, and some areas had even scabbed over. Her headache and fever had also eased; she no longer felt as light-headed as before. It felt as if her illness was about to be completely cured.

Liu Ying wasn't foolish. She knew, of course, that such a severe illness couldn't be cured by just sleeping it off. It was very likely this Doctor had given her an injection while she was unconscious.

She immediately looked up.

She saw that the seemingly aloof young man from before had also leaned in. Three heads were now crowded together in the car window, creating a surprisingly harmonious sight.

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