Mountains and Seas

In the corridor, the father and son stood in silence, neither knowing what to say.

Just then, the door to the hospital room behind them swung open. Three doctors in white coats emerged, accompanied by a group of nurses. Shen Liang and Shen Qian quickly stepped forward to meet them.

Through the small gap in the doorway, Shen Qian caught a glimpse of Wang Xiaojun lying quietly on the hospital bed, her eyes tightly shut, her complexion ashen.

"Director Qian, how is she?" Shen Liang forced himself to sound calm as he looked at the elderly doctor leading the group.

"For now, she's not in any immediate danger," Dr. Qian stated.

Both Shen Liang and Shen Qian exhaled in relief.

"But it's still complicated," the doctor added, shaking his head. "The medication she's been taking for the past two weeks not only failed to help but has actually worsened her condition. It's not just her kidneys—other organs are also beginning to fail to varying degrees."

"What should we do?" Shen Liang's anxiety returned.

"Our collective recommendation is to transfer her to a hospital where a Mountain and Sea Warrior is stationed. If a warrior intervenes and uses their essence force, they could cleanse the toxins from her body," Dr. Qian exchanged glances with his colleagues before continuing, "The toxins from outside the restricted zones are highly complex. With current medical technology, completely purging them is nearly impossible. Even if we risked surgery, the chances of success would be low."

Shen Liang fell silent, and Shen Qian felt a heavy weight pressing down on his chest.

They both knew that if a Mountain and Sea Warrior were to take action, Wang Xiaojun could be completely cured. But warriors at the Mountain and Sea level were legendary figures in Jing City.

Only two hospitals in the entire city had a Mountain and Sea Warrior on staff.

And requesting their help? The cost started at seven figures, not to mention the long waiting list...

"Is there any other way to keep her stable for now?" Shen Liang asked hoarsely.

"I've used the latest equipment to temporarily stabilize her condition, but she'll need to stay in the hospital for a while longer. Once discharged, if you want to slow the spread of toxins, you'll have to increase the dosage of specialized medication," Dr. Qian paused before adding, "But I must warn you—this will only increase your financial burden. And in the end, it's just a temporary fix, not a cure. At most, it will buy you another two or three years..."

Dr. Qian didn't finish his sentence, but both Shen Liang and Shen Qian understood the implications.

"For now, let's go with that. Here's the bill—please make the payment as soon as possible." Dr. Qian handed a slip of paper to Shen Liang before leaving with his team.

Shen Liang gripped the payment slip, standing in silence for a moment. Then, suddenly, he turned to Shen Qian with a smile.

"It's fine. We still have time. At least your mother's condition is stable for now. Xiao Qian, wait here for a moment. I'll go withdraw some money."

"Dad, it's nearly 30,000 yuan. Who are you planning to borrow from?" Shen Qian had already caught a glimpse of the number on the bill and sighed.

Shen Liang's steps faltered for a brief moment before he forced a casual tone. "Don't worry. It's just 30,000. Your old man will figure something out."

"With our family full of broke relatives? Forget it. As for your coworker, Uncle Sun, I've met him before. Dad, no offense, but even if he has some money, he's got the same personality as you—clearly not the one in charge at home."

Shen Liang was about to speak when Shen Qian placed a thick envelope into his hand.

"Here—40,000 yuan. Use it as needed. If it's not enough, just let me know." Shen Qian waved dismissively, imitating Shen Liang's usual tone.

Shen Liang froze. Ignoring his son's teasing, he opened the envelope and peeked inside. Then, his expression changed to one of shock.

"Where did you get this much money?"

"Relax, it's clean."

"No, Xiao Qian, you need to tell me exactly where this money came from." Shen Liang's voice turned serious.

Right. A seventeen-year-old boy carrying around a large sum of money—of course, his father wouldn't trust him...

Shen Qian massaged his temples, sighing. "Do you remember Ding Yi? You met her at a parent-teacher conference before. She's the prettiest girl in our class."

"The prettiest?"

Shen Liang thought for a moment before nodding. "The tall girl with a ponytail? The one you claimed had a crush on you?"

"Yeah, that's her. And to be honest, we've already made a lifelong promise to each other—"

"Don't glare at me, Dad! Fine, maybe not a lifelong promise, but at the very least, we're childhood sweethearts..."

Seeing Shen Liang roll his eyes, Shen Qian quickly changed the subject. "Ahem. Anyway, her family is loaded. I figured I'd need money for the hospital, so I borrowed some from her. I'll pay her back later."

Shen Liang was speechless for a moment.

"Relax! She's seriously rich—her monthly allowance is in the hundreds of thousands. This is nothing to her. And besides, it's not like we won't pay her back. Dad, don't overthink it."

"I..." Shen Liang looked at his son, who was winking and grinning mischievously. Eventually, he sighed. "I'm useless as a father... Alright. Find a chance to invite her over for dinner so I can thank her properly."

"And listen—no matter how rich she is, that has nothing to do with us. We still have to pay her back. I'll check the current interest rates later—we'll at least add some interest when we return the money."

Shen Liang was firm. Shen Qian could only nod repeatedly in agreement.

Seeing that his father had finally accepted his explanation, Shen Qian watched as Shen Liang hurried downstairs to pay the bill. The smile on his face gradually faded, and his fists clenched tightly.

"Mountain and Sea level..."

He whispered the words softly, his determination echoing in the quiet corridor.

---

With his temporary "Ten-Thousand-Yuan Club Membership" running out, Shen Qian glanced at his now much thinner envelope and abandoned his plan to visit Kyushu Martial Hall.

The effects of the medication in his body still lingered. Even without the hall's training equipment, his progress wouldn't slow down too much.

After ensuring Wang Xiaojun's condition was stable, Shen Liang had practically kicked him out of the hospital. And honestly, there wasn't much he could do by just sitting at her bedside. After some thought, Shen Qian decided to go home and lift weights.

His priority was to become a Beginner Martial Artist as soon as possible. That way, he'd have a stable monthly income of 10,000 yuan, making future financial interrogations from his parents much easier to handle.

Unfortunately, his plan to sell medicine formulas was still premature. Since it involved the system, he had to be extremely cautious.

Under the moonlight, the "Happy Neighborhood" complex, with its peeling paint, glowed under the pale, flickering lights.

It was already 10 PM, and the usually bustling front gate of the community was eerily quiet. Given that most of the residents were elderly, this wasn't surprising.

As he passed the security booth, Shen Qian glanced inside—and felt a wave of disdain.

The booth's door was shut tight, with only a faint light shining through the window.

"This old man is already slacking off? Typical vocational school security guard—completely unreliable..."

After walking a few steps, Shen Qian suddenly stopped. Then, he turned back.

His enhanced physique had made his senses sharper. And right now, he was sure he smelled hot pot—along with the fresh scent of vegetables...

Still hungry from missing dinner, Shen Qian knocked on the booth's door.

"Who is it?" After a brief silence, the old security guard's voice came through, wary and alert.

"Security Enforcement. Room check!" Shen Qian lowered his voice and spoke sternly. "We received reports of unauthorized slacking off inside. Open up immediately!"