NABC Chapter 64 is also a kind of rebirth.
Chapter 64 is also a kind of rebirth.
The atmosphere in the backyard of Renxin Pharmacy was so solemn it was almost eerie.
Guan Shan is extremely efficient at digging pits; in less than half an hour, a rectangular pit is formed.
The soil was turned over, revealing a dark brown layer underneath, which emitted a strange aroma that was a mixture of mint and humus.
That's the unique smell of the system's medicinal fields.
Zhou Yi lay on a simple cot, covered with a white sheet, and even had makeup on his face by Su Qing.
Su Qing, as expected of a former forensic doctor, has an almost obsessive obsession with "dead body makeup".
She used foundation to cover Zhou Yi's original skin tone, and then used contour powder to deepen the hollows of his eye sockets and cheeks, creating a perfect "corpse spot" effect.
"The muscle relaxation is good, and there's no rigor mortis." Su Qing commented as she drew, her brush sweeping across Zhou Yi's face. "It's a pity we can't dissect him, otherwise we could see if his internal organs are really rotten."
Zhou Yi lay there, listening to these words, and instead of being afraid, he showed a peaceful expression.
This is what real professionals do; they're much better than those doctors at the Second Hospital who only know how to measure heart rate.
"The auspicious time has arrived." Wang Minyu, dressed in a black Zhongshan suit, stood by the pit, holding a megaphone.
Zhao Na and Li Siyuan were forced to act as family members and guests. The two of them held a few white chrysanthemums they had picked from the roadside green belt, and their expressions were so awkward that they looked like they could dig out a three-bedroom apartment with their toes.
"Play the music." Wang Minyu waved his hand.
Li Siyuan took out his phone, connected it to the Bluetooth speaker, and the mournful suona melody of "The Grand Funeral Procession" echoed through the backyard.
"Comrade Zhou Yi, male, 42 years old." Wang Minyu's voice was deep and magnetic. If you didn't listen to the content, you would think he was reciting poetry. "Born into the fierce competition, died from KPIs. His life was a life of 996, a life of blessings. Although his heart was still beating, his soul had long since withered away in countless late nights of overtime."
As Zhou Yi lay in bed, a single, cloudy tear slid down his cheek.
That really hit the nail on the head.
"Now, he is finally free." Wang Minyu's tone shifted, becoming impassioned. "Dust to dust, ashes to ashes. Since he cannot be kept in the mortal world, let him rest in peace! Rise of the spirit!"
Guan Shan walked over, picked up the cot with one hand, and placed Zhou Yi steadily into the pit as if he were carrying a plate of food.
The bottom of the pit was covered with a thick layer of mutated mugwort, which emitted a warm aroma.
"Fill in the soil!"
As the first shovelful of soil fell, covering Zhou Yi's legs, a heavy, oppressive, and dark feeling instantly washed over him.
Zhou Yi closed his eyes, awaiting the final outcome.
However, as the soil piled up higher and higher, covering his chest and neck, things started to go wrong.
This soil is scalding hot.
The soil in the system's medicinal field contains a high concentration of spiritual energy and bioactive substances.
For plants, this is a growth promoter; for living people, it's a super-potent "pepper spray".
Countless tiny bio-currents burrowed into Zhou Yi's skin through his pores, stimulating his long-numbed nerve endings.
The feeling wasn't like being buried, but rather like being thrown into a frying pan, or like having ten thousand ants crawling in the cracks of your bones.
Itchy. Intensely itchy.
Pain. Burning pain.
There is also an indescribable heat, originating from the very source of life.
"Hmm..." Zhou Yi frowned.
Dead people shouldn't feel anything.
Why is it so hot? Why is my heart pounding like a drum?
The soil had already reached his chin.
Wang Minyu stood at the edge of the pit, looking down at him, holding a bottle of green liquid in his hand—it was a highly concentrated mutated mint juice.
"Want to know what hell tastes like?" Wang Minyu unscrewed the bottle cap.
"Wh...what?" Zhou Yi opened his mouth with difficulty.
"Gulp."
Wang Minyu poured the entire bottle of mint juice into his mouth.
This systematically improved mint juice is a hundred times cooler than regular mint.
It slid down the esophagus and exploded in the stomach.
Hot on the outside, cold on the inside.
Outside, the soil of the medicinal herb field was intensely scorching; inside, the mint juice brought extreme cold.
This extreme contrast of hot and cold instantly shattered the cognitive barrier in Zhou Yi's mind that "I am already dead."
"ah--!!!"
Zhou Yi suddenly opened his eyes and let out a blood-curdling scream.
He was like a fish thrown ashore, struggling frantically in the ditch, trying to shake off the dirt.
"It's come back to life!" Guan Shan shouted in agreement, taking a step back.
"I...I'm so hot! I'm so cold! I'm going to explode!" Zhou Yi sat up from the pit, his face covered in mud and "corpse spots," looking extremely ferocious.
He was panting heavily, greedily inhaling the air.
The stinging sensation from the expansion of his lungs made him acutely aware that his body was still alive.
"How are you feeling?" Wang Minyu squatted down and looked at him.
"Hungry..." Zhou Yi clutched his stomach, a loud rumble coming from within. "I'm so hungry! I want braised pork! I want hot pot! I want a Coke!"
Dead people don't get hungry.
Only living people get so hungry that they want to eat others.
"Come out if you want to eat." Wang Minyu stretched out his hand.
Zhou Yi grasped that hand; it was a warm and powerful hand.
He used the ditch to climb out, not bothering to brush the dirt off himself, and knelt on the ground, wailing loudly.
Her sobs were heart-wrenching, releasing all the grievances, pressure, and despair that had been building up inside her over the past few years.
"It's good that you cried." Wang Minyu tossed the stack of ghost money back to him. "Keep this money for burning for your ancestors during Qingming Festival. Today's consultation fee is 2,800 yuan. In addition, the funeral service fee is 500 yuan, the makeup fee is 300 yuan, and the burial fee is 200 yuan."
Zhou Yi nodded between sobs, snot bubbles coming out of his nose: "Give...I'll give it all...I'm not dead, I have money..."
Half an hour later, Zhou Yi sat on the steps in front of the pharmacy, holding a bowl of freshly cooked noodles from Guanshan, with two poached eggs on top.
He ate ravenously, even drinking every last drop of soup.
"It's good to be alive." Zhou Yi burped, looked at the sunset, and a long-lost silly smile appeared on his face.
A system notification sounded:
[Harvesting "Survivor" Emotional Values: 5000.]
[One case of healing Cortázar syndrome, reward skill: psychological suggestion (intermediate).]
[Soil activity in the medicinal herb field increased by 10%.]
Wang Minyu put his phone away with satisfaction.
Just then, a loud "boom" came from next door.
That used to be Wu Defa's "Kangning Pharmacy," but it's now vacant.
After buying Renxin Pharmacy, Wang Minyu also took over the adjacent store, planning to expand it by combining the two spaces.
Old Zhang from the renovation team came running over, looking disheveled: "Dr. Wang, we've broken through the wall! But..."
"But what?"
"There seems to be something hidden in that wall cavity," Old Zhang said with a strange expression. "You'd better go take a look."