Chapter 22: Trouble Brews

Just after finishing their meal, Zhao Kuo received a message from Gu Shan.

"Got the locomotive. Also found an intermediate treasure chest. But instead of bugs, I ran into two goblin monsters. Luckily, they weren't too hard to deal with."

Reading Gu Shan's message, Zhao Kuo was momentarily stunned.

Did everyone encounter different monsters? Were they randomly spawned, or was there some other pattern?

Shaking his head, Zhao Kuo replied, "Glad you're okay. Do you have any healing items?"

Gu Shan's skills were all defensive, so dealing with two goblins likely meant he'd taken some damage.

Gu Shan: "Used a healing item. I'm fine. I gave the locomotive to Ping'an. Hopefully, he can catch up to us this time."

Zhao Kuo: "Haha, Ping'an messaged me too. More and more people should be able to get locomotives soon. We still have the advantage for now."

The subway world didn't leave people in complete despair.

Locomotives in the stations would likely become accessible to more people, but the expensive wooden planks or charcoal needed to fuel them wouldn't be affordable for everyone.

However, many had already died at the hands of monsters, forever buried in the snow.

As the snow grew heavier, the frequency of encountering monsters during the journey had decreased significantly, which was a good thing.

While monsters could drop valuable items, fighting them also carried risks.

Zhao Kuo wasn't short on resources or food, so there was no need to take such risks.

After ending the conversation with Gu Shan, Zhao Kuo glanced at Tang Yingying, who had wrapped herself tightly in wool and was sleeping by the stove.

The temperature outside was dropping rapidly. Without a thermometer, he could only estimate it was around -3 to -4 degrees Celsius.

Or maybe even lower.

This wasn't a good sign. It was only a little past 1 PM. If it was this cold now, Zhao Kuo didn't dare imagine how low the temperature would drop at night.

Would the sheepskin and stove really be enough to withstand such extreme cold? Zhao Kuo frowned slightly.

Tang Yingying was an optimist and didn't overthink things, but Zhao Kuo was more cautious.

Maybe they could build a heated bed? But that would require red bricks, which weren't available on the market yet. However, if they created a smaller enclosed space inside the car, it might improve insulation.

Without hesitation, Zhao Kuo took the initiative.

As it turned out, you could build things even without blueprints—they just ended up looking a bit ugly.

Zhao Kuo used a few wooden planks to construct a roughly 2.5-square-meter structure, then reinforced it with parts and iron sheets.

The sound of hammering woke Tang Yingying, who mumbled sleepily, "What are you doing…?"

"Nothing, just building a small room for better insulation," Zhao Kuo replied, focused on his work and not noticing anything unusual about the girl.

Tang Yingying wrapped herself tightly and fell back asleep.

About two hours later, Zhao Kuo looked at the sturdy little room he'd built and nodded in satisfaction.

He then made a bed frame for himself, sprinkled some rice on the wooden planks to prevent moisture, and laid sheepskin on top as a mattress.

With that, a small, cozy bedroom was complete.

"Get up, get up. I'll make a bed for you too," Zhao Kuo said, feeling a sense of accomplishment after finishing his own bed. He nudged the still-sleeping Tang Yingying.

But Tang Yingying only mumbled in response and didn't move.

"So lazy," Zhao Kuo frowned. "Come on, it's almost time for dinner."

He nudged her again, but this time, Tang Yingying didn't respond at all.

Zhao Kuo's frown deepened as he sensed something was wrong. He slowly pulled back the sheepskin covering Tang Yingying, revealing a flushed face.

Was she running a fever? Zhao Kuo's heart skipped a beat as he touched her forehead.

It was burning hot!

He then felt her neck, which was also red and hot. Her temperature was likely around 39 degrees Celsius!

This was no joke. At 39 degrees, her brain could fry if it went on too long!

How could a second-tier professional have such poor physical resilience?

Zhao Kuo quickly opened the trading market but found no medicine available.

Of course, at this stage, very few people had access to medicine, and those who did would never sell it—it was a lifesaving resource.

But with Tang Yingying's fever this high, external cooling methods wouldn't be enough.

However, as Zhao Kuo scrolled through the trading platform, his eyes suddenly lit up.

That's right! If there's no Western medicine, traditional Chinese herbs could work. He had taken a course on Chinese herbs in college. For treating colds, there were…

Soon, Zhao Kuo spent over 10 subway coins to purchase herbs like ephedra, cinnamon twigs, schizonepeta, and isatis root.

First, he soaked a cloth in cold water and placed it on Tang Yingying's forehead. Then, recalling what he'd learned in class, he crushed the herbs. Without a grinder, he chewed them himself and spat the pulp into a container.

It tasted awful, and the undiluted juice made his tongue go numb.

As the saying goes, all medicine is somewhat toxic, even traditional herbs.

Zhao Kuo carefully boiled the herbs in the container for about an hour before removing it from the fire and filtering the liquid through a clean cloth.

He didn't waste the leftover herb residue either. While it was still warm, he gently rubbed it against the blood vessels on Tang Yingying's neck.

This would help improve blood circulation, and the herbal components could enter her body through the capillaries, providing some relief.

After finishing all this, Zhao Kuo slowly helped Tang Yingying sit up.

"Here, take your medicine," Zhao Kuo said, feeling a bit helpless. Illness strikes like a landslide—it's no joke.

Tang Yingying opened her eyes groggily. She felt like she was floating in midair, but as the pungent smell hit her nose, tears immediately welled up.

"Wuwuwu, what is this…?"

"Herbal medicine. You have a fever, probably from the cold. These herbs can help treat it," Zhao Kuo explained patiently.

He knew that people with high fevers weren't exactly thinking clearly.

"It's so bitter…" Tang Yingying took a small sip and immediately curled up.

It was unbearably bitter, worse than her own miserable life. She couldn't drink even a little.

Seeing this, Zhao Kuo sighed. "If you don't drink it, you won't get better. You don't want to die here, do you?"

"No, no, no," Tang Yingying protested, then reached up to touch her flushed face. "It's so hot…"

Seizing the opportunity, Zhao Kuo brought the bowl to her lips and forced her to take another sip.

Caught off guard, Tang Yingying swallowed it and felt her entire body go numb from the bitterness.

From there, it was easier. Zhao Kuo held Tang Yingying down and forced the medicine into her. By now, the girl had regained some clarity and began to cooperate.

After finishing the medicine, Zhao Kuo carried Tang Yingying to the wooden bed he'd just made and finally felt at ease.

It seemed that the dangers of the subway world weren't just external monsters or the climate—one's physical health was also a critical factor.

Looking at Tang Yingying wrapped in sheepskin, Zhao Kuo shook his head helplessly.