Chapter 89: Illness

Chapter 89: Illness

The bespectacled man, holding his head high with a smug look, spoke in a way that was far removed from his boastful tone. It was like using the proudest tone to speak the most cowardly words, almost causing the over a hundred onlookers eager for drama to run out of breath.

Seriously, are you actually sick?!

"Listen to what you're saying, does it match what you were accusing and shouting about?!"

After the bespectacled man finished speaking, it took several seconds for him to realize what he had said. So, Chen Sijin saw his face turn from red to white, then from white to blue, and finally to a purplish-gray, liver-like color.

He stammered, then his whole body suddenly shivered: "What did I just say?!"

Chen Sijin looked at him with a smile: "Ah, you said you're just jealous of me, and that you're the one who's actually sick."

"Impossible! How could I? How could I have said something like that? It's clear you're not the one who's ill, even if I really were sick, I couldn't possibly have admitted it myself! Even if I wanted to slander you, I couldn't have made it so blatantly clear!"

The bespectacled man roared again, in a burst of startling honesty.

After speaking, his complexion had turned into a palette of colors.

His gaze towards Chen Sijin once again was as if he was looking at a terrifying monster!

How is it possible! Why does he blurt out the truth the moment he's near him?!

Chen Sijin looked at his color-changing face and smiled slightly, "Ah, I forgot to mention to everyone. Since I was young, I've always hated lies, so, I worked hard to develop a pair of sincere eyes."

"As long as my eyes sincerely gaze upon someone, they find it hard to lie under the influence of my sincerity. So, when you look into my eyes, be sincere and never falsely accuse good people."

The old man itching to accuse Chen Sijin of being sick: !!

Other liars who wanted to drag someone down with them: …

Chen Sijin suddenly turned his gaze to the doctor wearing the gas mask and white protective suit.

"Doctor, our temperature and blood tests can truly detect sick individuals, right?"

The doctor in the gas mask coldly responded with a snort.

Then, looking at the others, "Continue with the accusations."

"Think carefully, if you don't accuse properly now, tonight the sick might roam about, and who knows who will end up dead."

Instantly, many who had relaxed their vigilance picked it back up.

Indeed, setting aside personal vendettas, it's crucial to call out the problematic ones! Otherwise, the night could turn disastrous.

Thus, everyone once again looked around suspiciously, seriously pondering if there were any signs of illness among them.

Half an hour passed with everyone scrutinizing each other in suspicion, yet no one dared to make an accusation lightly.

The doctors in protective suits weren't in a hurry either, seemingly to reassure the residents, they had retreated to their rest area.

But the residents were not allowed to go back to their homes.

"The entire city is under martial law now, and all work and studies are temporarily suspended. Staying home means being cooped up with nowhere to go, so instead of that, why not watch each other, think if someone might be sick?"

The community's elder cheerfully said, "We've been neighbors for over a decade, familiar with one another. Even if we can't identify any sick culprits, having a chat and shooting the breeze is also good. After all, we should cherish the present."

Being unable to leave meant everyone had to stay in the square.

Fortunately, the temperature wasn't too cold.

This division made it clear to Chen Shijin the difference between the world's natives and the refugees.

But his feelings were somewhat mixed—

Watching the community residents chat with vigilance and seriousness, the refugees standing numbly looked even more like NPCs than actual NPCs.

This is what happens to those who've stayed too long in Baiyue City, desensitized from too much tribute.

Now, they hardly seemed human at all.

So, the refugees standing there numbly and spaced out quickly caught the attention of the community residents. Chen Shijin noticed their gaze changing, and some even started to whisper and point, seemingly about to do something.

Chen Shijin frowned and took a step forward.

But he was quickly stopped.

"Are you out of your mind? Let those who want to die, die! For those who've lost even the courage to live, left only with numbness, no amount of hinting will help!"

Chen Shijin turned to see a young man with a head full of braids.

He looked rather outrageous.

Not because of the braids, but because he was unhealthily thin, like a skeleton.

This immediately reminded Chen Shijin of the beauty standards in the City of Beauty, where thinness was idolized to the skeletal.

Chen Shijin: "……"

After a long silence, Chen Shijin repeated, "I should be saying that to you. You’re so thin, are you disregarding your life?"

Anyone could see that this guy must be sick?!

So, the skeletal braided youth smiled at Chen Shijin, "Sigh, I don’t want to be like this either. But isn’t it all for the sake of living?"

After saying this, he suddenly shouted loudly, drawing everyone's attention, "Ladies and gentlemen, grandpas and grandmas! I want to confess something about my past!"

"Seeing how thin I am, you can tell I was unwell. I honestly tell you all! I had a disease! A severe case of anorexia! Ah, it was incurable, and I even thought of dying."

"But! I thought of the beauty in the world! I thought of the people who love me and whom I love! So, I made an effort to recover and pursued treatment actively! Now, my anorexia is cured!!"

"Dear grandpas, grandmas, uncles, and aunts, watch me perform a feat by wolfing down three big burgers in one go!"

The braided skeleton man actually took out three big burgers and stuffed them into his mouth, genuinely consuming all three with relish.

After finishing, he belched contentedly, showing off his bony smile, "Uncles, aunts, grandpas, grandmas! Did you see? I am healthy now! I will continue to get healthier!"

His convincing performance softened the residents who had been somewhat skeptical, prompting them to smile kindly at him and look away.

Now, everyone's attention turned towards the dozen or so refugees with vacant and numb expressions.

Chen Shijin, for his part, gained a new respect for the braided man.

The young man was tough on himself.

And quite astute.

But those people couldn't just be ignored...

Chen Shijin wanted to see if they could still be helped when his gaze settled on a man dressed in a white shirt and black trousers.

Even without a tailcoat, the man exuded a polite, capable, distant, yet mildly critical demeanor.

Wasn't this his future all-around worker?

At that moment, this all-around worker was approaching with a reserved smile, pushing a cart filled with food and water.

"Everyone, it's almost noon, and it seems we can't leave in a short time, so I've brought some bread and mineral water for you all. Please, help yourselves."

"Oh dear, troubling Xiaoyao again. You're always so thoughtful and considerate, Auntie won't stand on ceremony then!"

"Hey, when have you ever been ceremonious with Xiaoyao! But Xiaoyao is recognized by our community as a kid with both prospects and good character. Tsk tsk, even if everyone in our community were sick, Xiaoyao would never fall ill!"

"Haha, exactly, Xiaoyao is the most reliable person in our neighborhood."

Chen Shijin watched as "Xiaoyao" received praise and pats from the residents, his eyebrows slightly raised; that's quite a bold flag to set.

The more someone is praised like this, the less likely they are to be straightforward.

Chen Shijin's gaze followed Xiaoyao until he appeared before him with a smile.

"You're the new friend who moved into Building 3, right? Your self-defense just now was... quite surprising. Yet, exceedingly effective."

Xiaoyao looked at him with a smile, "Are your eyes really that powerful?"

Chen Shijin met Xiaoyao's gaze directly, "Of course, people looked at by my sincere eyes won't lie. So Xiaoyao, are you sick?"

Xiaoyao paused, then nodded slightly and bowed, "No. I am very healthy."

After saying this, he took the bread and water to the braided young man and quickly engaged in a friendly exchange with him.

Not a single flaw.

Chen Shijin clicked his tongue, what a frustrating world!

With patients who go mad at night everywhere, a designated butler who seems to have even bigger problems to watch out for and save, and the task of finding the one absolutely healthy person among so many sick ones...

Chen Shijin pressed his brow, feeling an indescribable irritation spreading within him.

Suddenly, two people started accusing each other, "You're the sick one! If you're not sick, why do you have such a mournful expression? And look like you want to die?"

"…Right, I am sick. I don't want to live anymore, but if I die, what gives you the right to live? You're sick too, seriously sick. Might as well die with me."

Chen Shijin felt his irritation grow as the two arguing were clearly refugees, who just moments ago were merely standing there, now one agitated and the other looking ready to die.

As if struck by some serious illness.

Yu—

Xi—

……

The thought barely formed when Chen Shijin’s expression subtly changed.

Before he could figure out what this change meant, suddenly he felt something furry rubbing against his leg, and then… his butt hurt like hell!!!

He reflexively kicked out!

But the large dog with white fur and blue eyes deftly dodged with a wag of its tail.

"Ao~"

Sweet Gold! The flamboyant love-struck dog is back online, surprise or delight, haha!

Chen Shijin: "… Damn."

Watching the big white dog showing a brilliant smile and wagging its tail madly at him, Chen Shijin was reminded of various things from his first world.

"So, it really is you."

Giving thumbs up to dancing tough guys, biting butts, playing the big surprise package... what a joker!

"Ao ao~" Cheers!

Chen Shijin, watching the tail-wagging big dog, suddenly felt his inexplicable irritability vanish completely.

Then, it all transformed and escalated into a different kind of irritability, one that wanted to smack the dog's head.

This world really is full of serious illnesses!