Chapter 155

Chapter 155

A battered sedan rumbled down the dirt road, kicking up a plume of dust that billowed skyward behind it. The landscape was desolate, with weeds encroaching upon dilapidated houses.

A century ago, this world was ravaged by incessant natural disasters, leading to the collapse of civilization.

It was only about twenty years prior that these calamities finally ceased. After two decades of development, most survivors had coalesced into communities, pooling resources or devising new methods of cultivation, gradually forming various factions. Some sought only peaceful survival, while others engaged in ruthless power struggles, vying for territory and resources.

This was an era of chaos, no less turbulent than the time of the natural disasters themselves.

Chen Zui: "Human desire is a more intricate disaster."

He stood concealed behind a gnarled tree, his attention first drawn to the dust cloud stirred by the approaching vehicle.

Ao Tian: "A profound insight, duly noted."

He’d tuck that away for future dramatic effect.

As the car drew near, Chen Zui darted out from behind the tree.

The sudden appearance of a figure startled the driver, who instinctively swerved the steering wheel. A harsh screech of tires against gravel ensued, and the car lurched to a halt, almost entirely engulfed in a cloud of dust.

The driver gripped the steering wheel, his forehead beaded with sweat. His ragged breaths exhaled a mixture of relief and lingering fear. Realizing no accident had occurred, a surge of anger toward the reckless individual quickly replaced his apprehension.

He released the steering wheel and pushed open the car door. As the dust dissipated, a pair of long legs clad in black trousers emerged. Thin-soled leather shoes met the gravel, raising a fleeting concern about discomfort.

The driver paused mid-action, his gaze tracing upward along the long legs. A lean, taut waist beneath a shirt arched backward, bringing the well-defined chest muscles straining against the fabric closer as an arm casually draped over the car roof.

For a fleeting moment, the driver felt an unsettling illusion, as if a wild beast had blocked his car door.

His eyes met a handsome face. Thin lips curved into a faint smile, parting to reveal a flash of gleaming white teeth. A low voice drifted into his ears: "Excuse me, are you Doctor Chen Zui, bound for the Invincible Gang?"

Just uttering the gang's name brought a faint blush of embarrassment to Chen Zui's face. He observed the minor character before him, who, in this book, shared his name.

Ao Tian had explained that to avoid drawing the attention of the Transmigration Bureau and prevent any interference during the binding process, the Dark Transmigration Bureau always selected the most inconsequential background characters for their assignments.

For instance, his current identity was introduced in the book as follows: On his way to the Invincible Gang, Chen Zui spotted a man unconscious by the roadside but paid him no mind—death was a common occurrence in this world.

The target he was bound to was that very unconscious man, a character so minor he didn't even have a name.

The driver was taken aback that the man before him knew his identity: "Are you from the Invincible Gang? Are you here to pick me up?"

Chen Zui confirmed the other's identity: "I am about to become a member of the Invincible Gang, but I am not here to pick you up."

The hand resting on the car roof withdrew. Ignoring the rising wariness on the man's face, Chen Zui lunged forward with the swiftness of a leopard.

"I'm here to take your place."

—

Five minutes later, the battered car had righted its course and continued its journey.

In the nearby grass lay a man, unconscious and pale with terror, occasionally twitching in fright. A tell-tale wet stain on his pants confirmed his extreme fear.

Chen Zui's slender fingers danced casually across the steering wheel.

The car was driven with reckless abandon, almost airborne.

Ao Tian: "Our book is titled 'The Thousand Schemes of the Impotent Straight Male Lead,' so our mission target is this impotent straight man, Shen Que."

Chen Zui found himself speechless regarding the implications of that title.

Impotent, straight, yet the male lead in a BL novel—a BL novel's male lead, no less.

The peculiar preferences of this world were beyond Chen Zui's comprehension.

Ao Tian: "Shen Que is secretly in love with his archenemy, Liang Yingzhang. Their territories bordered each other, leading to constant friction. Later, when a larger force attacked, the two groups united to fight. Liang Yingzhang discovered Shen Que’s feelings for him, and their relationship evolved through their interactions. Shen Que’s impotence was also cured thanks to Liang Yingzhang."

Ao Tian: "Overall, it’s a sweet romance disguised as a fierce rivalry."

Ao Tian: "Now for the absolute most crucial part."

Chen Zui: "I'm all ears."

"I'm giving you a newbie gift pack!" Ao Tian exclaimed, his voice quickening with excitement. "Ha! After so many worlds, I finally have control over the newbie gift pack this time!"

Ao Tian: "Hell yeah!"

Chen Zui: "Thank you."

The "newbie gift pack" was something Ao Tian had to badger his superior for. This time, he not only requested it but also insisted on a custom-tailored one.

"He's impersonating a doctor, so he needs to be able to diagnose and treat illnesses. Otherwise, he'll be exposed in a heartbeat. The newbie gift pack should turn him into a medical genius, capable of curing anything."

Ao Tian, in his baby octopus form, draped two tentacles over each other like crossed legs, swaying them playfully.

Quite audacious.

The superior was about to interject.

Ao Tian: "This is for the success of our mission, for the good of the Dark Transmigration Bureau. If he's exposed and people mistake him for a spy, causing trouble, and if Chen Zui loses his temper and starts killing again, won't you, Superior, have to arrange for someone to clean up the mess?"

Ao Tian: "Superior, you're so wise, you surely know I'm right. I refuse to believe otherwise. Having been in your position for so long, you understand better than anyone what the correct course of action is."

Superior: "Give him the gift pack he wants."

Subordinate: "Understood."

Ao Tian: "Superior, you are truly wise. It's my good fortune to have a leader like you."

Ao Tian happily departed with the gift pack. The superior shook his head with a wry smile. It wasn't entirely that he'd picked up bad habits from Chen Zui—there was some growth too. He'd never possessed such flattering skills before.

—

Ao Tian: "Chen Zui, let's open the gift pack."

Chen Zui: "Alright, thank you for your trouble."

He had initially expected the system to be mechanical and rigid, but this system felt remarkably alive—energetic, warm, and friendly, like a lively younger brother. It fostered an odd sense of closeness, which was peculiar. He rarely felt such an affinity even for humans, yet he felt it for a system.

Ao Tian: "Wow! It's a medical genius skill package! And there's a bonus: any medicine you handle will restore its potency!"

The superior truly delivered!

Chen Zui realized this was truly a godsend; this gift pack was incredibly practical for his current situation.

"Your luck is truly remarkable. I'm benefiting from it."

"Hehehe~ Let me install it for you."

—

Just before dark, Chen Zui arrived at the Invincible Gang's territory. They had seized a sizable town, establishing roots and aiming to expand their influence from this central location.

Their primary adversary was a rival group led by Liang Yingzhang, based in another town not far away. Liang Yingzhang's crew lacked an official name, so people simply referred to them as East Town.

Two sentries stood guard at the town entrance. As soon as they spotted the approaching car, they raised their slung rifles and advanced.

Chen Zui brought the car to a halt. Gun barrels were already aimed at him from outside. One guard at the front of the car gestured for him to exit, while the other took aim at the car door.

Chen Zui raised his hands in a gesture of surrender toward the man at the front of the car, then opened the door and stepped out.

"Who are you?"

"Why are you here?"

"I'm here to apply for the doctor's position. My name is Chen Zui."

Hearing he was applying to be a doctor, the two guards' expressions shifted, and they scrutinized him more closely. They knew how scarce and vital doctors were in this world.

"You're a doctor?"

The questioner sounded skeptical. The man before them looked very young, and most young people their age were illiterate. Learning to shoot and hunt was easy, but learning to diagnose and treat illnesses was incredibly difficult—where would one even learn? From whom?

It was said that in the world before, there were schools where people could acquire all sorts of knowledge.

There was a doctor in the neighboring town, an old man whose teeth were almost gone, but he was still a precious asset.

Chen Zui nodded.

This was a significant matter. The two immediately escorted Chen Zui into town, though they maintained their guard, allowing him to bring nothing with him.

The town was quite lively. The summer heat was oppressive, and it didn't cool down until after sunset. After dinner, everyone who had worked all day was out and about.

Some played chess, some danced, others fanned themselves and chatted. Young couples, blushing, were on dates, and children happily ran around with pinwheels.

Chen Zui's unfamiliar face drew the attention of almost everyone he passed.

Someone even asked the man beside Chen Zui, "Xiao Xu, who is he?"

Xiao Xu replied, "Let me report to the boss first, then I'll tell you."

The two led Chen Zui to a building at the town's center.

It had once been the town government office.

They typically held meetings and training sessions here, with the infirmary located next door.

As Chen Zui entered, he heard the rhythmic thud of blows and saw four pairs of individuals engaged in sparring, sweating profusely in the summer night.

His gaze settled on the tallest figure—shirtless, wearing only black athletic shorts, his tanned muscles glistening with sweat under the lights. A tattoo of a tiger descending a mountain, entwined with roses, adorned his back.

As he delivered a punch to his opponent, a silver snake-bone necklace swayed around his neck.

He exuded a wild, fierce aura, with the tattoo and sweat adding to his raw sex appeal.

That punch left Chen Zui genuinely impressed.

Xiao Xu said, "Boss, there's a guy here for the doctor job."

Shen Que halted his attack and spun around abruptly. "A doctor!"

Chen Zui's eyes fixed on his face.

Shen Que had already turned his gaze toward him, his eyes shining. "You're a doctor?"

Chen Zui nodded.

Shen Que eagerly stepped closer, radiating heat as he scrutinized Chen Zui from head to toe. "Come with me."

Shen Que led him to the adjacent room, where Chen Zui saw shelves packed with medicine.

Shen Que picked up a medicine bottle and read from the label: "Jia... a mouth radical with Xiao, a mouth radical with Zuo, Pian. Tell me, what is this medicine for?"

"Metronidazole tablets are a type of nitroimidazole antimicrobial agent."

Shen Que stared at him, his eyes wide with confusion.

"Mainly used to treat anaerobic bacterial infections, such as in the abdominal or pelvic cavities..."

Chen Zui continued to explain fluently.

Shen Que scratched his head as he listened, then glanced again at the few lines of text on the medicine bottle.

What in the world was he saying?

He couldn't understand a word.

So this was called Metronidazole? He even recognized such complicated characters. Impressive.

"Hold on," Shen Que said, setting the bottle down. "Let me ask you—if someone has diarrhea, what medicine should they take?"

Chen Zui rummaged through the medicine shelves, pouring out pills from various bottles and preparing a dose, which he handed to Shen Que.

"Three times a day."

"If it's not severe, they should recover by tomorrow."

Shen Que held the small, paper-wrapped packet of medicine and handed it to Xiao Xu. "Take this to Old Song."

He looked at the composed Chen Zui, thinking that even if he couldn't cure people, he could stay on as a teacher. If that didn't work, given his appearance, they could try using his looks to attract more people to join them.

Not bad, not bad.

No matter what, once you entered his wolf's den, there was no leaving.

Chen Zui was assigned a place to stay.

The night passed without incident. The next day, he was summoned again, this time to meet Shen Que alone in a room. Shen Que sat in an armchair behind a desk, wearing only a tank top. A blooming rose, entwined by a tiger’s tail, was tattooed on his left shoulder.

His presence was commanding.

Shen Que said, "Old Song's diarrhea has stopped."

Chen Zui wasn't surprised: "He took the medicine. That's normal."

Shen Que was now convinced that Chen Zui truly knew how to treat illnesses. This man was a treasure to be protected. He narrowed his eyes, trying to gauge Chen Zui. "Why did you choose to join our Invincible Gang?"

"My body is frail. I cannot survive alone and require the protection of an organization."

"There are only two major organizations nearby—yours and East Town—but East Town already has a doctor."

His dark eyes fixed on Shen Que: "It's not that I chose you; it's that you are my only choice."

The only point Shen Que doubted in this explanation was... his claim of being physically frail?

It really wasn't apparent.

He pulled out a cigarette: "Once you join us, you must put the gang first in everything. Alive, you're gang; dead, you're still gang. Our Invincible Gang won't stand for traitors. Anyone who dares to betray us faces only one fate."

He slowly blew a smoke ring toward Chen Zui: "To be flayed, tendons ripped out, bones ground to dust, and ashes scattered."

The menacing aura was almost palpable.

Chen Zui: "As long as I receive the treatment I deserve here, I don't believe I have any reason to betray you."

Shen Que admired his composed and unyielding attitude—he had backbone, fitting for their Invincible Gang.

Shen Que rose with a smile, walked out from behind the desk, and clapped Chen Zui heartily on the shoulder, with enough force to make Chen Zui sway.

"Don't worry, I always value talent."

"But I have a problem that I need you to treat."

Chen Zui glanced at the hand resting on his shoulder, then at the man standing directly beside him.

Was this what straight guys considered personal space?

"What problem?"

Shen Que took a heavy drag from his cigarette, unable to meet Chen Zui's gaze, but this was an issue he absolutely had to fix.

"I... can't get hard."

Shen Que had no idea why he was like this! He was plenty man enough, yet he couldn't even get hard!

Chen Zui looked over.

Shen Que, sensing his gaze, awkwardly clamped his legs together and took a furious drag from his cigarette.

"If you can cure me, I'll worship you like a damn Bodhisattva from now on."

Chen Zui: "Let's see it then. I'll take a look."