Chapter 1198: Separation
Once Bohemia became old, it seemed likely that she would transform into the type of elderly woman known for her fiery temper, often seen scolding her neighbors' children in a loud manner. Just by observing the expression on her face when she handed over the room key, it was easy for Lin Sanjiu to envision what her future demeanor might entail.
Ya Jiang cautiously took the key, as if afraid that she might bite him during the handover. He received the key but hesitated for a moment. After all, it was equivalent to openly declaring, "You struggle while I go rest in your room."
"I need your help," Lin Sanjiu reassured him kindly. "We don't need the room right now, so you can borrow it temporarily." In order to divert Bohemia's attention, she asked her, "You earned quite a few points, didn't you?"
Bohemia's displeasure diminished slightly when this topic came up. "What 'quite a few'? It's barely enough. Oh, here, fix your ugly broken branch with this."
Lin Sanjiu's reaper belonged to Wushi Fan, so naturally, the things she reaped were attributed to the deceased. However, her penchant for causing trouble everywhere and not focusing on the main tasks came into play at this moment—besides Wushi Ming's organs and a little bit of bone marrow, she hadn't reaped much. With Bohemia's timely reminder, most of the bone marrow became points under her name, turning into much-needed resources.
Lin Sanjiu took the Lava Wound Recovery Ointment, smiled at Bohemia, and unscrewed the cap, squeezing some onto her elbow. "One is not enough," Bohemia said with a stern face. "I exchanged for three. If three are still not enough, you might as well chop off your whole arm."
She was good at talking tough.
"What were you shouting at the NPCs before?"
"Do you know how many points it takes to buy a kidney?" Bohemia's ears seemed to be smoking as she brought up the topic. "Ten points! And that's not counting the cost of the organ transplant surgery. This damn hospital is nothing but a den of thieves!"
When you have many lice, you don't fear itching. Lin Sanjiu couldn't help but think about the astronomical amount Puppeteer owed right now, making her feel like she was leaving no trace behind when it came to not having money to buy organs. After squeezing out all three tubes of the repair cream, her left arm had grown to the wrist, and only a whole palm was missing. She patted Bohemia's shoulder with her right hand, smiling. "It's okay, take your time."
"Are you making a career out of this?"
Lin Sanjiu ignored her and took out Gong Daoyi's candy, tilting her head back and swallowing one. Seeing Bohemia hesitate for half a second, she took the candy back—Gong Daoyi was not trustworthy, so his things weren't either. She looked at Ya Jiang and he smiled, asking, "Are you two leaving?"
"Yes," she said, glancing at "Sesame Cake." "I'll leave this guy to you."
The real challenge wasn't how to approach the payment counter—she had already covered her face with cloth, revealing only her eyes; the real challenge was how to skip past the four guards, go through the side door, and enter the hospital's basement.
"I need to get in," Lin Sanjiu whispered when the two walked towards the payment counter. After the thick walls nearby, she couldn't hear any sound; it was already late at night, and perhaps other posthumans were all asleep in their rooms.
"What?" Bohemia suddenly stopped in her tracks.
"We need to jump into the payment counter and enter the hospital's basement through the side door," Lin Sanjiu said, sighing softly and looking into her eyes. "I know you don't want to... but it's a matter of life and death for someone. If I don't go to save him, no one will, and no one knows he's lying in the basement waiting to die. I can't do this alone... I need your help. Besides you, I don't have anyone else I can trust."
Bohemia didn't say anything.
"I'm asking you to take a big risk for someone you don't even know," Lin Sanjiu said, lowering her head. "I'm sorry... I really need you."
"What if I refuse?" Bohemia said after a few seconds. She looked at the payment counter, her gaze resting on the four guards—two standing like bodyguards behind the NPCs, and two sitting behind the payment counter. The side door was right between the two rows of guards. "If I refuse, what will you do?"
Lin Sanjiu thought for a moment and said earnestly, "I don't know."
As she carried Hei Zeji towards the utility room, she had once thought about whether she could take Hei Zeji out of the hospital basement and ask Bohemia for help. However, apart from her inability to directly touch Hei Zeji, which made all actions extremely difficult, there was an even greater danger.
What would happen to posthumans who hadn't completed their guard transformation if they left the hospital basement?
Bohemia sighed.
As she watched the expression gradually appearing on Bohemia's face, Lin Sanjiu bit her lip and felt her heart beat a little faster—it was the expression that appeared when a person made a firm decision.
"We've been through many crises together," Bohemia said, averting her gaze without looking at her. "Most of those crises were caused by you. This time, I'll give you credit for telling me in advance; it shows that you have a little conscience."
Lin Sanjiu waited in silence for her to continue.
"However, I won't go in," Bohemia said, her tone firm. "You became a fugitive because you went in, right? And once you become a fugitive, you can't revert to being a patient, exchange for points, or leave the hospital. I don't think you fully considered my situation before asking me for help. If I agree to help you, what will I do in the future? Stay in this hospital, fighting for my life until I'm teleported out? I heard a rumor that no one who has entered here in recent years has been teleported out. I don't want to spend my last few years of life in this hospital."
Lin Sanjiu lowered her head and let out a faint sigh. She indeed hadn't thoroughly considered what to do after Bohemia also became a fugitive. She only knew that she would get them both out—Hei Zeji and Puppeteer too.
"I understand," she said, her throat feeling dry. She wanted to say more, like telling Bohemia that she didn't blame her, that she would find a way on her own, or to ask Bohemia to take care of herself. But in this situation, it seemed that nothing was quite appropriate. She could almost feel that the air between them had become sluggish, heavy like a swamp. The empty feeling under her left wrist suddenly became more pronounced, almost unbearable.
"Sorry," Bohemia said with some stiffness, as if it were the first time she had apologized to Lin Sanjiu.
"It's okay, I'll come find you after I get out," Lin Sanjiu said, smiling at her. "I've thought about it, and it's better if I go in alone. It will be more convenient."
"You still want to go in?" Bohemia asked, glancing at the payment counter. "Do you have a plan?"
"I do," Lin Sanjiu lied. "It's okay. You should do what you need to do. Weren't you going to inject nutrient fluid in the patient room?"
When Bohemia nodded, her golden-brown curls lightly bounced in the air. "Then, I'll go now."
Lin Sanjiu watched Bohemia's figure gradually move away before taking a deep breath and looking towards the payment counter. After this period of time, her Higher Consciousness had slightly recovered. Although it wasn't to the extent of bringing Mrs. Manas back, it allowed her to use it once or twice. The hospital took away her most powerful card, but she still had many items. Her strength, physical fitness, agility, and combat awareness had all grown far beyond her previous capabilities, even surpassing most posthumans. It was precisely because of this that she would do things that other posthumans wouldn't even think of doing: raiding the payment counter and breaking into the hospital's basement.
Even though she lacked her left hand and her combat ability hadn't fully recovered, she knew she could definitely do it.
"Exchanging anything?" the NPC lazily asked the approaching masked person.
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