Chapter 50: Is the Solution Really That Simple?! No Affair at All!

Chapter 50: Is the Solution Really This Simple?! Definitely No Affair!

With so many people becoming overweight, it's obvious they've already been parasitized.

When Sheng Qingquan realized that the parasites might be intelligent beings, he actually thought about plunging all these parasites into nightmares using his dream ability.

Never to awaken again.

He might just manage to kill them all if this continued.

He'd eliminate the enemy and gain dream power—a double win. Just the thought of it made him feel pretty pleased.

But setting aside whether this is doable or not, Sheng Qingquan is well aware that doing so would bring many hidden dangers.

The most important point is:

"After using his dream ability to lull them to death, how would these microorganism corpses be expelled from the body?"

"Medicine is definitely out of the question. If medicine could expel them, humans in the story wouldn't have been tormented so badly."

"Especially since they don't just appear in human organs; blood vessels, muscles, fat, fascia... they've taken over almost every part."

"Even though the density of parasites in the human body is probably not that high yet, surgically removing the dead parasites would still be very difficult."

"Surgery can open up the body, but can surgery thoroughly clean a person from the inside out?"

"To clean thoroughly, at least the skin would have to be peeled open and turned over, the tiny corpses mixed in the muscle fibers picked out, those wrapped in the fat layer, those adsorbed inside and outside the blood vessel walls... every part would have to be carefully disassembled and cleaned of corpses."

"This isn't surgery—it's a full-blown autopsy!"

Hearing Sheng Qingquan's words, Mu Lei expressed his agreement when he got home.

A forensic pathologist dissecting a body probably wouldn't cut it up this finely.

The more he listened, the more his hair stood on end.

Mu Lei suddenly remembered a set of online images he had seen before, which were meant to discourage people from eating exotic meats.

In the pictures, after the skin of a snake was peeled off, the inner surface of the skin was covered with a dense layer of parasites.

It was truly horrifying to look at.

From then on, not only did he avoid exotic meats, but he also kept away from snakes from regular farms.

"Am I going to turn out like that too?" Mu Lei looked at his still slender fingers, which were no longer as clearly jointed as before.

He even felt an urge to take a small knife and cut open his fingers to see if there were any parasites inside.

If Sheng Qingquan hadn't already mentioned that parasites were invisible to the naked eye while they were alive, he might have lost control by now.

The thought of countless parasites living inside his body made Mu Lei feel extremely uncomfortable.

Nausea and vomiting.

He wished he could make a hole in his head, attach a hose, and rinse his body from the inside out, cleansing himself thoroughly.

This was worse than being bitten by a zombie.

Only at this moment did Mu Lei realize how much better it would have been if he had just gained weight. At least he would still be clean, even if he was fat.

Mu Lei was no exception, and the staff weren’t faring much better.

Except for the medical workers who could still keep it together, everyone else was on the verge of breaking down.

Just imagining those parasites greedily feasting on their flesh and blood, throwing parties, and multiplying inside their bodies—who could handle that?

Modern people can’t even stand the thought of lice on their skin, let alone these parasites inside their bodies.

It’s absolutely revolting!

The parasites are disgusting enough alive, but it’s even worse if they die and stay inside the body.

Getting rid of them is a nightmare.

Everyone obviously thought the same as Sheng Qingquan.

"After going through this, a person would be completely torn apart. By then, the main concern isn’t whether the parasite corpses are removed, but whether the person can even make it off the operating table alive."

"Leaving the parasite corpses inside isn’t a viable option either. Having all that foreign matter in the body is like a ticking time bomb. Inflammation would be the least of their worries; cancer would be inevitable."

"So unless there’s no other option, letting the parasites die off naturally isn’t a good plan."

After Sheng Qingquan abandoned the idea, even those who knew they were probably infected felt a wave of relief, like they’d dodged a bullet.

Honestly, being meticulously taken apart on the operating table or being killed by the parasites—it’s hard to say which is worse.

Both options are equally horrifying.

So when Sheng Qingquan mentioned a solution from the novel, everyone felt like they’d been thrown a lifeline.

With everyone hanging on his every word, Sheng Qingquan's inner voice sounded again.

"While the authorities were scrambling for a solution, they stumbled onto something."

"They found that the level of obesity varied from person to person."

"While everyone was overweight, some were massive, while others were just slightly larger."

"Apart from infection timing, researchers noticed a key pattern: weight gain speed seemed tied to location."

"For instance, people infected around the same time in Lujie Province gained weight more slowly than those elsewhere."

"Meanwhile, people in Niaoguan Province had it worse, packing on pounds faster than most."

"The differences weren’t huge, but they were noticeable if you looked closely."

"Locals and long-term residents were more impacted, while newcomers stayed unaffected, just like typical parasitized individuals."

"What was behind this?"

"Was it the climate, the geography, or something entirely different?"

"The researchers knew they were onto something big, and by following this lead, they might find a solution."

"After some observation and experimentation, everyone finally discovered that it all seemed to be related to dietary habits."

"Long-term residents, having adopted local diets, were similarly more affected."

What are the differences in dietary habits between Lujie Province and Niaoguan Province?

Hearing this, the staff immediately thought of one thing.

"Lujie Province is near the sea, and people there eat a lot of seafood. Could that be a factor?"

"Does seafood have a suppressive effect on the parasites?"

Tao Qingmiao shook her head in disagreement: "There are more than just Lujie Province near the sea on Tianlanxing. It doesn’t make sense that only Lujie Province is affected while other coastal areas aren’t."

"Could it be because of eating spicy food? People from Lujie Province seem to handle spicy food really well," someone suggested a new possibility.

"Maybe it’s the capsaicin in chili peppers or some other ingredient that’s doing the trick? It could also be vinegar. I remember people there even drink vinegar straight."

"Meanwhile, people in Niaoguan Province have always preferred the natural flavor of ingredients, not particularly fond of adding chili peppers or dipping in vinegar."

"People in Pingtan Province also like to dip in vinegar, but their situation isn’t any better than others’."

Unable to figure out why people in Lujie Province are faring better than others, everyone couldn’t help but think from a different angle.

"Could it be because people in Niaoguan Province love wild vegetables? Every year, we see people from Niaoguan Province digging wild vegetables everywhere. It’s been trending a lot. So, could certain wild vegetables exacerbate the parasitism?"

"It could also be alcohol. I remember the place with the highest sales of alcoholic products nationwide is Niaoguan Province."

"The alcohol culture there is developed, even young girls drink quite fiercely. Maybe alcohol even helps the parasites thrive?"

The staff proposed various possibilities. Before they could reach a conclusion, Sheng Qingquan had already found the reason from the plot.

"It’s salt, of all things!"

"Who would’ve thought the answer would be so simple?"

"Modern people focus on healthy eating—light, low-salt, and not too heavy on flavors. Especially in Niaoguan Province, they have always advocated for the natural flavor of ingredients. They avoid seasonings whenever possible, and salt is no exception."

"In contrast, Lujie Province has always had a heavier taste. Spicy, oily, and salty."

"They practically use enough salt to kill the salt seller when cooking. They can’t get enough of pickled veggies, fish, and meat."

"What’s usually unhealthy eating habits turned out to be life-saving this time."

"Even though the amount of salt used as seasoning isn’t huge, it still has a certain inhibitory effect. Plus, people in Lujie Province have the habit of scrubbing in bathhouses, where locals love salt scrubs. Being near the sea, they often soak in seawater, which has a high salt content."

"A combination of these factors makes people in Lujie Province gain weight more slowly."

Everyone was stunned.

Salt, of all things, turned out to be the solution to the parasite problem that has left everyone on Tianlanxing, from top medical experts, parasitologists, scientists, to ordinary people, helpless.

If it weren’t Sheng Qingquan saying this, everyone would’ve called him a fraud.

But precisely because it was Sheng Qingquan, everyone felt like they had hit the jackpot.

Shocked, yet skeptical.

The solution was so simple, no need for high-tech, no complex diagnostic process, not even much money.

A bag of affordable salt on the market now costs only one yuan.

Even if a lot of salt is needed for treatment, one hundred yuan is enough to buy one hundred bags. If it’s not refined salt, coarse salt is even cheaper. The amount of salt you can buy for a hundred yuan is enough to pickle a whole person.

Even if the entire population buys salt, the price of salt may rise somewhat, but it won't become unaffordable.

This is a treatment cost that even ordinary people can bear.

"In the plot, Tianlan Star's discovery was actually quite swift. But it was still too late. Those parasites had already absorbed enough nutrients and started evolving further."

"At this stage, salt still had some effect, but it couldn’t kill them anymore."

"Instead, those who tried to kill them with salt enraged the parasites and suffered backlash. They died horrific deaths, with holes drilled by parasites even in their bones. One can imagine the pain."

"Thus, humanity became extinct, and Tianlan Star fell under new control."

In the plot, people worldwide raced against time to save themselves, desperately trying to find the parasites' weakness, only to fall short.

The solution was so simple—just salt.

Sheng Qingquan couldn't help but feel disheartened.

In the novel, it was too late, but in reality, everything was just starting.

At least now, there’s a huge difference in body size between us and the people in the book.

People haven't become extremely overweight. Most are just slightly overweight. A few are obese, but not too exaggerated.

This suggests that the parasites have only recently started invading Tianlan Star.

Sheng Qingquan quickly contacted the leader.

This novel clearly writes the method of self-rescue, just follow it.

"This is how novels should be written! Earlier novels always kept the clues well-hidden. It was as if revealing more information would be deadly. How good it is now!"

Just two days later, the leader had also gained some weight. The wrinkles on his face had smoothed out, making him look a dozen years younger.

Normally, Sheng Qingquan would be thrilled to see the leader like this.

But now, knowing it wasn’t fat but parasites stretching the skin, Sheng Qingquan was too terrified to feel happy.

After hearing Sheng Qingquan’s explanation, Xu Tianan remained calm. Not just because he already knew, but because there was a solution, so there was no need to fear.

It’s just parasites in the body.

In the past, many people suffered from parasitic diseases. Not just in the past, even now, those who love raw food and suffer from liver flukes are everywhere.

Besides, if we treat parasites like bacteria, the human body has always been full of bacteria.

What concerned Xu Tianan more was: "How do we use this salt?"

"Is it for oral intake or external application? What is the specific dosage?"

"Is there a requirement for the type of salt?"

You should know, there are many types of salt: sea salt, well salt, lake salt, rock salt...

Besides, there are distinctions like bamboo salt, iodized salt, low-sodium salt, seaweed salt.

"Is saline effective? If so, would an IV be more effective?"

"Saline solution doesn't work." Sheng Qingquan still needs to look up other details in the book, but he is quite certain about this point. Because saline didn’t work, no one realized salt was the key.

Later, when looking into dietary habits, salt was mistakenly ruled out too.

At that time, researchers suspected it might be vinegar;

Or perhaps the meat of a small breed of pig raised in Lujie Province;

Or a purple mushroom that outsiders might think is poisonous, but locals love and serve at every banquet and cook at home...

In short, they suspected everything about diet except salt. After all, saline solution didn't work.

Sheng Qingquan read the novel carefully and found that any kind of salt would work, no matter the type.

But direct infusion didn’t work; it had to be taken by mouth or used on the skin.

"In the story, people in Lujie Province didn’t pick their salt. Locals ate all kinds of salt, and all worked. Some used rose salt on steak, while others used cheap coarse salt for pickling. Both methods worked."

That’s good news.

This way, the salt supply wouldn’t be so tight.

But they still need to produce more.

Otherwise, even if there’s enough for medicine, there might not be enough for everyday use later.

Also, they need to balance prices to keep salt from getting more expensive. They need to make sure everyone can afford and use salt.

As Xu Tianan got people to handle this, he listened to Sheng Qingquan explain more about using salt.

"If eaten alone, you’d need to eat at least three 250-gram packs of salt a day for two days straight." This could easily make you sick, and your taste buds would probably quit.

Sheng Qingquan doesn’t recommend this.

"It’s better to do both. In 24 hours, drink over three liters of strong saltwater, eat three meals, but make the food very salty, almost bitter."

"After eating, lie in a bathtub full of salt. Only leave a hole for your nose; cover everything else. Stay buried in the salt for at least four hours."

"It’s kind of like making salt-baked chicken. But in the story, this is what the authorities did, wishing they’d acted sooner. If they’d done this earlier, the parasites would’ve been wiped out."

"If you don’t have a bathtub, you can buy a large plastic water storage barrel or a foldable bathtub online. You can't just apply salt directly to the body; the amount would be insufficient and easily fall off."

"Although you can wrap the body with cling film to prevent the salt from falling off, wrapping too tightly would also limit the amount of salt that can be held."

Sheng Qingquan reminded, "There must be enough salt, and there must be enough space."

"After ingesting enough salt, the parasites inside the body become somewhat paralyzed and less active. At this time, proceed with the salt bath. During the salt bath, these parasites will gradually be corroded by the salt, softened into a watery state, and expelled from the pores."

"These parasites, once turned into water, are still active."

"If expelled and the external salt is insufficient, with only a thin layer of salt, they might escape and parasitize others again."

"In the novel, this happened during the authorities' experiments."

"The salt must be thick enough to kill the parasites as soon as they flow out."

"After use, the salt can be destroyed. After one treatment, it's generally safe, but if unsure, you can repeat the process after some time to consolidate the effect."

"At the same time, houses and streets can be sprayed with strong saltwater for disinfection, and sewers can be flushed with strong saltwater. After disinfecting the house, you can sprinkle some salt grains at the doors and windows as a precaution..."

Sheng Qingquan explained in great detail, and the chief arranged everything quickly.

After testing it, they found it feasible and rolled it out to the public the same day.

[Watch out for obesity!]

[What makes you fat may not be greasy food, but likely parasites.]

[A new parasitic disease, the culprit behind your ugliness!]

[Starting today, you’ll need to show ID to buy salt...]

Suddenly, trending topics were flooded with related info.

People were terrified and quickly started buying salt to kill parasites as per official guidance.

Who wouldn’t want to look good? And with parasites involved, who wouldn’t be scared of having worms in their body? What if they damage your organs?

And the authorities said, if left untreated, it could become severe and eventually life-threatening!

This needs to be treated right away!

After a week of frantic activity...

This budding parasitic crisis was successfully nipped in the bud.

Sheng Qingquan had been worried about the parasites’ intelligence, fearing they might flee at the mention of salt or drain their hosts and escape.

But since it was early, the parasites couldn’t drain a person instantly, and they weren’t fast enough to escape. Tianlan Star emerged victorious.

Seeing the newly added Qiankun Coins in his account, Sheng Qingquan's lingering worries were completely put to rest.

Maybe because the crisis was resolved so easily.

Just two days later, Sheng Qingquan noticed a new novel popping up.

“There’s actually a protagonist?”

After two consecutive Doomsday novels without a real protagonist, Sheng Qingquan thought the other residents in the building had avoided the spotlight, but it turned out they were waiting here.

“The protagonist’s name is Bai Shengkai?”

“It sounds like the old man from the first-floor couple goes by that name.”

Now it’s our turn to be in the spotlight?!

In the first-floor left apartment, two retirees paused their activities and listened closely.

“Bai Shengkai has been acting mysterious lately, coming and going without warning. It’s not just that he’s often not at home, but he also always has large expenses, and the bulk of his monthly pension disappears as soon as it’s deposited.”

“This made his family suspicious.”

“They suspected Bai Shengkai was seeing a younger woman on the side.”

!!!

“What?!” Ping Yuexiang, who had been listening carefully, suddenly jumped up.

She grabbed her husband’s ear: “You old rascal, you’ve got a wandering eye, huh? You kept it from me—if it weren’t for someone spilling the beans, I’d still be in the dark!”

"What, at your age? What could a young girl possibly see in you? Your age or your health?"

"Use your head and think about it!"

"How could you do this to me? I thought you were just restless after retirement, not used to it, so you went out often to play chess with old friends or something, so I didn't bother you."

"Turns out you had other plans. If you think others are better, go find them. Why stay here?"

"Divorce!" Ping Yuexiang snapped, turning to sit on the sofa. If it weren't for the fact that she still needed to listen to Sheng Qingquan's thoughts, she wouldn't just be verbally kicking him out but physically pushing him out.

Bai Shengkai was dumbfounded by the barrage of accusations: "No, wife, I'm innocent!"

Who cheated?

Not me!

I've lived my life honestly and with integrity. How could I become immoral in my old age?

Just as Bai Shengkai was about to explain, Ping Yuexiang didn't want to hear it. Could the plot be wrong? Since the thoughts appeared, every prediction has been accurate. There have been no exceptions.

Could it be that such a big event as the apocalypse is always accurate, but when it comes to you, there's a mistake? Are you that important?

"So it was a misunderstanding! The Bai family's son followed his dad and found out that Bai Shengkai was sneaking out, not to meet a lover, but to go fishing."

"So the large expenses mentioned earlier were actually for buying various fishing gear, and the late-night disappearances were for night fishing? Sneaking around was because his wife has a temper when woken up and he was afraid of being scolded?"

"Pfft, what a joke! Catching an affair at the pond."

"Ah? So no affair was caught, but the old man's fishing almost wiped out Tianlanxing?"

See, I told you I'm not that kind of person!

Just as Bai Shengkai was about to voice his grievances, he heard his wife speak up in frustration.

"You might as well have cheated!"