Chapter 88: Illness (Part 2)

Chen Sijin spent the entire night in his room, holding his golden axe.

Amidst the screams and chaos outside, he even managed to brew a cup of tea and take out a matcha-flavored cake, specially provided by his troublesome cousin, from his ring. Sipping tea, he waited for anyone foolish enough to try opening his door.

Surprisingly, the sick ones running outside suddenly became quite perceptive, and not a single one dared to approach him all night.

Chen Sijin: "Heh."

When the clock inside the room pointed to six in the morning, it was as if a silent command had spread throughout the city. The varied and mentally unstable patients, like Cinderella at midnight, abandoned their screaming pursuits and fled as fast as they could.

Barely making it through the night, Chen Sijin rubbed his sore brows and stretched his body before opening the door and stepping outside.

Then, he saw the panicked heads poking out from the neighboring doors on either side and the door across slowly opening.

"Is it over?" stammered the neighbor on the left.

"It should be over, right…" the neighbor on the right was even more hesitant.

"It's over. Those patients can't come out during the day." The glasses-wearing man across the way pushed his glasses up, looking somewhat grim: "There are patrol teams roaming the city during the day. No sick person can escape their pursuit."

Still, the expressions of all three were far from reassuring.

The female student next door nearly cried out, "What exactly is going on? Why are there so many sick people that they seem endless?"

"Just yesterday during the day we identified seven patients, I thought for sure we'd be safe, but then last night, running through the hallways, there were at least five or six terrifying patients, right?"

The middle-aged office worker next door sighed, "I've said it before, these guys are hard to catch and hard to screen, otherwise, they wouldn't be such a burden and nuisance to our disease-free city."

"After last night's disturbance, who knows how many died, and it looks like we're in for more checks today."

"And the criteria for detecting the illness will be even stricter."

With that comment, the expressions on the faces of the others froze, and the female student even shuddered involuntarily from fright.

At that moment, the last resident of this floor also came out of her apartment. She was very tall, especially in her red high heels, which made her appear even taller.

Upon seeing her, Chen Sijin raised his eyebrows. Considering her towering figure, it was hard to imagine her as a graceful and attractive woman, much less to imagine this high-heeled woman was wielding an axe at her doorstep last night intending to kill him.

So, what illness does this high-heeled neighbor have?

"I hate being stared at. Especially by men." The woman's voice was cold, her lips a fiery red, yet her demeanor was utterly frigid.

The office worker and the guy with glasses quickly averted their gazes.

Just then, the neighborhood broadcast and their cell phones rang out simultaneously.

[Dear residents of Peaceful Community! Please gather quickly in the community square! The virus inspection team has arrived, and we will be conducting stricter virus checks this time. We aim to catch all the despicable, evil patients hiding among us! We will not allow them to continue their killing spree tonight!]

Chen Sijin took out his gold gemstone phone and saw that the message matched the broadcast he had heard.

The five of them exchanged glances and headed for the elevator. However, the elevator was out of service, likely sabotaged by a patient last night as a means of escape.

Consequently, the five began to take the stairs, thankfully living on the third floor, which didn’t require much effort to descend.

Chen Sijin walked at the rear of the group.

On the way down, he carefully observed the four people ahead of him.

The tall, glamorous beauty walked stably in her high heels, her red heels stomping as if they were boots designed to crush men.

Moreover, this tall beauty walked at the front, mindful of the safety distance from the men behind her. Whenever the man with glasses behind her got slightly closer, her body would tense up, and she’d speed up her pace, even turning to glare at him on one occasion, scaring him into retreating several steps.

Chen Sijin was sure, this tall beauty had a deep aversion to men, her ailment must be related to “misandry.”

That’s why she was the first to don a black robe, grab an axe, and attempt to split him, a handsome man, in two last night.

Although he was certain he did not know this tall beauty, he could understand her, miss!

For such a grand beauty to remember such a scoundrel, he must be rather attractive.

Thus, the tall beauty from apartment 302 is sick.

But the glasses-wearing man from 301 isn’t quite normal either—

Even knowing the beauty from 302 detests men, having been warned as such, the man with glasses still follows her too closely from time to time, resembling nothing so much as a lecherous stalker.

His behavior causes the female student walking behind him to show a look of melancholy and disgust, making it all too apparent.

However, Chen Sijin doesn’t think this man is a lecherous stalker.

He seems to want to stay close to the tall beauty, but his body stiffens unnaturally when he gets too close to her.

If he were a sexual predator, he would likely show more enjoyment, leaning forward unconsciously, even making motions as if to touch with his hands.

Yet... that doesn’t happen.

The man with glasses from 301 stiffens whether too far or too close.

He’s uncomfortable at any distance, relaxing only at that just-right space where his body language visibly eases.

So, while the man with glasses looks like a sexual stalker, Chen Sijin actually thinks he’s more like—

Chen Sijin suddenly corners his mouth, strides forward a few steps past the female student and the middle-aged office worker, and directly grabs the man with glasses by the back of his collar.

"Buddy, haven't you noticed the sister thinks you're too close? Acting like this really annoys people. How about you switch places with this miss and me?"

The man with glasses became visibly uncomfortable when grabbed, and his complexion turned extremely ugly upon hearing Chen Sijin’s words.

"Let go! Who said you can just switch places like that?! I'll stand right here! This is my spot! Nobody can change that!!"

As he finished his statement, the eyes beneath his glasses started to redden, staring fixedly at Chen Sijin, radiating an ominous aura as if he might explode at any second.

"I said, let me go!!!"

Chen Sijin swiftly released his hold, "Oh, alright, if it matters so much to you, buddy, I won't insist."

"However," Chen Sijin's tone took on a teasing edge, unintentionally or not, "Bro with glasses, your agitated demeanor makes me think something's not quite right with you."

"Are you ill?"

Are you ill?

In any other world, these five words might simply signify a casual greeting among friends or acquaintances, positive and without malice.

But uttered here, in this world, to the ears of four people in the stairwell, it sounded like the whisper of a demon, like the most dreadful assault.

The man with glasses stiffened, shouting at the top of his lungs, "I am not sick!!"

"Don't falsely accuse me, I'm not sick!!!"

"Accusations of illness need evidence, if you accuse me without any, I will stand against you with all I have."

Chen Sijin and the glasses guy locked eyes, then Chen offered an apologetic smile. "Perhaps I was too sensitive. After all, glasses guy, you know how terrifying last night was, it's easy to become paranoid."

"Bro, don't mind it."

The beauty ahead let out a cold laugh.

Pfft, cunning scoundrel, brandishing an axe taller than you, as if that's going to scare anyone!

At that moment, as Chen Sijin apologized to the guy with glasses, he moved ahead towards the beauty, "We're almost there, to show my apology, I'll lead the way for everyone!"

As he passed the guy with glasses, it seemed like he had a hard time controlling himself from reaching out to grab Chen Sijin.

But due to the previous conversation and question, he ultimately resisted the urge.

He squeezed a few words through clenched teeth, "…Thank you, then."

Chen Sijin turned around to give him a brilliantly radiant smile: "It's what I should do as the newcomer!"

As he turned, his gaze lingered on the guy with glasses, who was sweating profusely and trembling slightly, then glanced at the two people behind him.

The female student still looked at the guy with glasses with dissatisfaction and disdain, but she shyly smiled at Chen Sijin when she caught him turning around.

The entire face of the middle-aged office worker was hidden in shadows, giving off a sense that he might lose control and erupt at any moment.

When he saw Chen Sijin, the office worker hurriedly offered a simple smile, "Then I'll leave it to you, brother."

Chen Sijin smiled back, but his smile vanished in an instant.

Indeed, there are sick people everywhere, every year!

One misandrist, one with OCD, and two others… The more normal they seem, the heavier their illness might be!

Chen Sijin inwardly cursed, mentally tagging these four floor-mates as sick, then briskly pushed open the door blocking the way.

He pushed so quickly and with such force that the door slammed open, emitting a piercing scream from behind it, startling the five of them.

"Who's there?!"

"Ah!"

"Who?!"

Chen Sijin's actions were quicker than the others' cries; not only did he not retract his kick but intensified it, launching the old man hiding behind the door flying out.

The old man clutched his nose and eyes, wailing as he lay on the ground, cursing, "Which family's brat doesn't know to respect the elderly and love the young?! How can you open a door with such force?! Are you trying to kill me?! Ah, I can't take it; I'll need at least ten thousand for a physical examination!"

Lying on the ground, the old man glared at Chen Sijin, the first to emerge.

It seemed he was awaiting the young man's flustered apology and compensation of ten thousand.

But the young man's response was a critical hit: "Oh, old sir! How did you suddenly appear outside the stairwell door? There was a crack in the door, and I saw something small and shiny flickering there, thought someone was peeping."

"Good heavens! Peeping is a serious illness! Could it be, old sir, that you…?"

Instantly, the old man on the ground flipped up like a carp.

His agile form belied the fragility just displayed as if his frame had scattered.

The malicious glint in the old man's eyes: "How could I be sick? I'm in excellent health, eat well and live well, all you youngsters will die before me! And I won't be sick!"

"Humph, I was just passing by the stairwell entrance, paused because I heard some noise, and then this brat hit me with the door. What will you compensate me with?"

Chen Sijin performed a deep bow of 160 degrees on the spot.

"Grandpa, I'm sorry! Next time I'll push the door more gently!"

Which means he dares to do it again.

The old man, baffled by the profound bow, was left speechless: "...money,"

"Grandpa, you're in good health, enjoying your life. Do you want me to take you to the hospital for a check-up?"

The old man shut up on the spot.

Moments later, he stared at Chen Sijin with a forced smile for a while: "What a good young man. Grandpa will remember you. Which floor of building three are you, kid?"

Who would answer such an obviously dangerous question?

Pretending not to hear, Chen Sijin turned and walked away, only for the female student to say with a shy smile: "Chen is the new neighbor in 303, right next to me."

"Ah, grandpa, I live in 304."

The old man smiled contentedly, while Chen Sijin looked at the shyly smiling female student with an indescribable feeling. How could he forget that everyone around him is unwell?!

It might not necessarily aid in passing the test, but it will definitely hold one back.

The six of them walked together, quickly reaching the community square where over a hundred people had already gathered.

The crowd seemed quite large at a glance.

But compared to the daytime yesterday, the number of people had clearly decreased by a third.

Moreover, compared to yesterday, the residents standing in the square today appeared in worse condition and more like unhealthy patients.

"Everyone, due to the oversight in yesterday's inspection that missed some deeply hidden individuals, we feel deeply ashamed and are more concerned for everyone's safety.

Therefore, after today's inspection, we will add a manual check. Rest assured, this check will not harm anyone physically; it only requires you to speak a few words."

The speaking doctor was clad in a tightly sealed white protective suit from head to toe, his gas mask making him look like a giant fly.

Chen Sijin instinctively felt there was a significant issue with the additional manual check, but under the current circumstances, refusal to undergo inspection would surely label one as sick.

Thus, Chen Sijin obediently queued up.

It seemed everyone was queuing according to their residential unit and room number, so the tall beauty ahead of him and the man with glasses and the student girl behind him remained unchanged.

The method of testing remained the same: measuring temperature and testing blood.

After being pricked on the finger by a device resembling a glucometer, Chen Sijin once again saw the rapid rush of tiny black dots into his bloodstream, invisible to the naked eye.

This time, Chen Sijin didn’t press on the black dot, feeling the gaze of the white-coated individual who pricked his finger was dangerously intense.

If he had pressed it, he feared his blood would immediately show abnormalities, or his temperature would be off.

Soon, the remaining one hundred and twelve individuals had completed the testing, leading to mixed feelings of relief and concern as not a single person out of the one hundred and twelve showed any issues.

But everyone knew that among these individuals without issues, there must be patients who engaged in last night's frenzied killings!!

Tension rose among everyone, and they began to distance themselves from each other.

People eyed each other warily, feeling that everyone could be dangerous, possibly carrying a disease.

It was at this moment that the several individuals in white protective suits spoke up.

"This result is indeed as we expected, it seems some individuals carrying dangerous viruses, or those with diseases harmful to others, are very well-hidden."

"Being able to fool the detection devices is one thing, but fooling the people you live with, your well-acquainted neighbors, is not so easy, is it?"

Chen Sijin suddenly looked up.

The leader, wearing a gas mask, spoke in a muffled voice: "Therefore, the additional manual check today will be for everyone to find illnesses in each other!"

"If you notice someone around you acting off or looking like they suddenly fell ill, you can report it!"

"True gold is not afraid of fire! A truly healthy person will not fear accusations of illness! With this method, we can surely find the crazed patients who kill at night due to their illness."

"So, what are you waiting for? Let's begin."

"Oh, and don't say we're heartless. Those accused of being ill can prove their innocence in various ways. As long as everyone believes you're not sick, that's enough.

If you can't convince everyone... but you convince most. Then you just need to spend a night in isolation. If you don't turn into a crazed patient, you've passed."

Chen Sijin's internal eye-roll could have flipped heavenward.

What kind of absurd mutual accusation and exposure is this!

Using such a method to find patients, it seems like everyone would end up being considered sick!

Chen Sijin: …

Isn't it that everyone is sick?!

As Chen Sijin was rolling his eyes, people had already started accusing each other of being “sick.”

"Esteemed doctors! I accuse this person of being sick! He's been sneakily looking at mirrors all along the way; he must have narcissistic disorder!"

The handsome young man pointed out shuddered all over: "I'm not! I don't have narcissism! I just thought my mirror was dirty, so I took it out to clean it,"

"Then you have OCD! That's also an illness!"

"I don't! I'm not!" The handsome young man loudly objected but realized he was already being viewed with suspicion by everyone around him.

Despair started to show on his face, but quickly, that expression turned into one of fierce determination not to go down alone.

He pointed back, "You say I have narcissism and OCD! Ha! And what healthy person are you?! Don't think I don't know you were coughing like mad the day before yesterday, so weak you couldn't even stand! Lying in bed for two days, you said you were just catching up on sleep, who would believe that?! You must have contracted some contagious disease?!"

And so, pointing at each other, both men were labeled as [sick].

"Do you want to prove yourselves? No problem, we can test again."

Then, under the desperate and collapsing gazes of the two men, their temperatures and blood tests lit up with the sickly red light.

"Ah, indeed, deeply hidden patients."

The leader in the white suit chuckled, "The sick cannot stay in the city of the healthy, but we can treat you."

He waved his hand.

Four figures in white suits, carrying sprayers, quickly surrounded the two men, and under the watchful eyes of everyone—

They sprayed the two screaming men to death with the sprayers they carried.

What seemed like harmless water droplets turned into the most dreadful corrosive liquid on these two, first corroding their clothes, then their skin, flesh, bones... and finally, their brains and internal organs.

Watching the two men gradually disappear, some of the exiles brought in couldn't help but retch.

But the leader in the white suit smiled satisfactorily.

"Ah. Now, it's clean."

"The city without disease, where indeed everyone is healthy."

Chen Sijin: …

This definition of health is utterly unreasonable yet irrefutably enforced.

If certain organizations on Earth adopted this method of 'cleansing,' the planet would probably be a paradise for flora and fauna by now.

"I accuse! This new neighbor is very strange!"

Suddenly, Chen Sijin heard a somewhat familiar voice, turning around to see the man with glasses glaring at him with schadenfreude.

"He's delusional! He's been suspecting two people of being sick all along! He's the one who's truly sick!"

Chen Sijin: …

Great, how is he supposed to prove he doesn’t have delusions when everyone is looking at him with suspicion?

Chen Sijin took a deep breath.

Then, he smiled.

"Heh."

"Dare you say it again, swear it's the truth."

The bespectacled man laughed heartily:

"I'll say it! Of course, what I say is the truth! Listen up!!!"

"You're not sick! I have OCD, hahaha, huh?!"

Chen Sijin smiled politely.

"No worries, I don't quarrel with the ill."

It's uncertain whether it's fortunate or unfortunate, but no one has ever managed to lie or stay stubborn in front of him.