Inside the ward. A man in a black military uniform frowned deeply. Not far away, in the emergency pod, was unmistakably Chu Ran's face. The repair fluid covered the top of her head, her hair spread out. Her pale face was immersed in the light blue repair fluid, like a sleeping water ghost. The emergency pod was connected to a spiritual power detector. The lines on the screen were almost a straight line, comparable to a dead person's heartbeat.
"Still no sign of waking up?"
Dr. Sun looked helpless and explained, "It's already a medical miracle that she survived."
"She hasn't eaten for three days, and the wounds caused by the Zerg are trivial. This child's biggest problem is two consecutive instances of Spiritual Power Destruction," Dr. Sun sighed. "Spiritual Power Destruction is still a difficult problem, let alone two destructions."
"Professor Hu gave her a detailed examination. Previously, due to the effects of drugs, a large amount of her Spiritual Power had been sealed. So the first Spiritual Power Destruction seemed severe, but it was actually only partial damage. However, the second Spiritual Power Destruction was complete. Simply put, not a single neuron in her brain is intact now."
Dr. Sun looked at the emergency pod with sympathy. "She has a 30% chance of death, a 60% chance of becoming a vegetable, and the remaining 10% is mental disability. For her to fully recover, it would take a divine miracle."
"Oh, right," Dr. Sun remembered something and touched his nose. "Yesterday, her Light Brain received an email. Because she didn't pay within the specified time, the Third Training Institute revoked her admission spot."
Chang Han's face darkened.
"I know you don't lack the money," Dr. Sun explained, "but she's no longer suitable for the training institute."
Although the Third Training Institute wasn't very strong, its students all had Spiritual Power. As for Chu Ran, forget Spiritual Power, even waking up would be a blessing from heaven.
Chang Han remained silent upon hearing this. From the day Chu Ran was sent to the medical center, her background had been thoroughly investigated. Her father, Chu Heng, was Old Master Chu's second son, in charge of most of the Chu Family's businesses. Her mother, He Yi, was once an idol to many military academy students. An orphan, she became the reserve captain of an elite squad at a young age. But heaven was jealous of geniuses, and she died in a secret mission. He Yi and Chu Heng were in a free love marriage, and they were deeply in love after marriage. Who would have thought that less than a year after He Yi's sacrifice, Chu Heng would marry someone else. Even more unexpected was that Chu Ran ended up in the Garbage Dump. The Chu Family clearly had no place for Chu Ran. In these two months, her Light Brain hadn't even received a single inquiry message from the Chu Family.
Thinking of this, Chang Han's expression was complicated. When He Yi was alive, how could the Chu Family have treated Chu Ran like this? Even if Chu Ran's Spiritual Power was only E-rank, at that time, the entire Chu Family doted on her as if they were afraid she would melt in their mouths. The little princess who once lived in luxury and fine clothes was now on the verge of death, with no one caring. The Chu Family was truly heartless.
Chang Han walked to the front of the emergency pod, looked at the face that was fifty percent similar to He Yi's, and after a long while, said, "Use Chang He's Divine Fruit."
"What?!" Dr. Sun was dumbfounded, unable to believe it. For a moment, he couldn't control his hand and waved it in front of the man. "Have you lost your mind? Chu Ran is pitiful, but you can't give your own nephew's Divine Fruit to her because of that! There are less than fifty Divine Fruits left in the entire galaxy! One Divine Fruit can awaken S-rank Spiritual Power in a person without Spiritual Power. The difference between genius and waste is just a single thought! Most importantly, the Divine Fruit cannot cure Spiritual Power Destruction! Isn't this a waste of a treasure!"
"This is Chang He's request. He wants to gamble on this sliver of hope," Chang Han rubbed his forehead, looking irritated. "That kid has been nagging me for a month! From the time he woke up until he could walk, his mouth never stopped."
"When a child acts foolish, you have to give them a beating," Dr. Sun said immediately upon hearing this. "In another half a year, Chang He will meet the physical requirements for taking the Divine Fruit."
Chang Han's eyes darkened a few shades at this. "The Divine Fruit won't last half a year."
Dr. Sun was momentarily stunned. "Is someone causing you trouble?"
"During the Zerg hunt, I was less than ten kilometers from the Garbage Dump, but it took a full half hour before I received news of the Zerg invasion," Chang Han's lips curled into a sarcastic smile. "Do you think I'm a failure as the director of the Public Security Administration?"
"Who made the move?" Dr. Sun frowned deeply. "Is it trouble from Yu Mei's side?"
Thinking of the mess with the Andrew Family, Chang Han felt irritated and said vaguely, "Chang He still needs half a year to recover. If the Divine Fruit remains in his hands, it will only make him a target. Using it under the pretext of a life-saving favor is justifiable on the surface."
"But," Dr. Sun hesitated, "won't this child be targeted?"
Behind Yu Mei was the Andrew Family. And the current Federal Speaker was a member of the Andrew Family. If even the Andrew Family couldn't suppress it, wouldn't Chu Ran be at their mercy?
"No," Chang Han replied directly. "It's an internal conflict within the Andrew Family. Andrew won't just sit idly by. Besides, the military isn't idle. He Yi was posthumously awarded a second-class martyr. If the military stands by while the daughter of a second-class martyr ends up in such a miserable state, it would be too disheartening."
Dr. Sun looked at the emergency pod and sighed. "Fine, then. We'll try anything, even if it's a hopeless case."
"I'll send the Divine Fruit over shortly." Chang Han took one last look at the emergency pod, then turned and left.
Back home, Chang He quickly ran downstairs. "Uncle, how is Chu Ran? Is she awake?"
Chang He had been at death's door when he was sent to the hospital. Fortunately, the Chang family had a top-tier emergency pod, and he eventually turned the corner. His right leg stump was severely contaminated and couldn't be sutured. After multiple consultations, he ended up with a mechanical prosthetic.
"No, but I've already had Dr. Sun use the Divine Fruit on her," Chang Han frowned slightly, steadying Chang He. "Careless. Didn't Professor Hu tell you to take care of your body this whole year?"
Chang He scratched the back of his head. "Uncle, don't be so nervous. What Professor Hu meant was that I need to be careful during training. Right now, my body isn't much different from a normal person's."
Mentioning training, Chang Han's frown deepened. "Have you really thought this through? The Explorer Boot Camp is no easy place. You've been to the training institute with me. If the training institute's difficulty is level one, then the boot camp's difficulty is at least level ten! For someone without Spiritual Power to achieve anything, they must have the resolve to risk their life." Chang Han didn't want Chang He to take the path of an Explorer.
Without the Divine Fruit, it would be difficult for Chang He to awaken Spiritual Power, but the Chang family and the Andrew Family had the ability to arrange a stable and worry-free path for Chang He. Chang He had been diagnosed with genetic collapse at age three, and nearly died at age six. If not for using the Andrew Family's influence to bring in Professor Hu, he probably wouldn't have lived to eighteen. Now his constitution barely reached the passing line for an ordinary person, and he had been so severely injured in the Garbage Dump.
Chang Han's gaze fell on Chang He's prosthetic right leg, and his heart ached. It was all his fault for being soft-hearted. If he had firmly stopped him from going to the Garbage Dump, he wouldn't have lost that leg! He had sworn before his elder brother's grave that he would protect him and see him grow up safely... but he had broken his promise twice!
Seeing this, Chang He pretended to be relaxed and kicked his prosthetic. "Uncle, it's not all bad. The damage I can do kicking someone with my right leg now is much greater than before. If I get a heavier prosthetic, I'll definitely be able to kick someone ten meters away!"
"Stop being a smartass here," Chang Han said irritably. "You've been corrupted by that bastard Wang Facai. The moment he entered the dorm back then, I knew he wasn't a good guy. No one could have predicted the Zerg invasion, but if that guy Wang Facai hadn't said he needed someone to help watch his shop, I would never have let Chang He go." Thinking of this, Chang Han ground his molars. "I'll have to meet up with that guy tomorrow for a sparring session."
Chang He sighed. "Uncle, do you have to be so fickle? Last month when you invited Brother Facai for a drink, you said he was your lifelong good brother."
Chang Han rolled his eyes at him, handed his coat to the robot, and walked into the bathroom. Chang He followed him like a little tail. "Uncle, will Chu Ran wake up?"
Chang Han washed his hands as he answered, "Just the fact that the two of you survived is already lucky enough. When I learned it was a Zerg invasion, my heart stopped for a few seconds. The people in the Garbage Dump could still put up a fight against Zerg Beasts, but against the Zerg themselves, they could only wait for death. When I rushed in, I had already made up my mind: even if I was sentenced to death, I would kill the one behind this! Maybe my elder brother was watching over me. When I knelt beside Chang He and felt his faint heartbeat, at that moment, the iron-blooded soldier who had never cried wept loudly."
"So it's still possible she won't wake up..." Chang He fell silent.
After drying his hands, Chang Han patted Chang He on the shoulder. "Her mother will watch over her."
Chu Ran felt a woman gently stroking her cheek, singing a lullaby over and over. It was warm and comforting. After an unknown time, the warm touch on her cheek disappeared. She heard urgent shouts from outside the door, and the woman turned and left. No, don't go! Don't leave me! Panic surged instantly. Darkness wrapped around her like spider silk tightly binding its prey, hard to break free. Chu Ran struggled to open her eyes, but it was futile.
Soon, voices sounded in her ears again. "You unfilial daughter! How dare you shut your parents out! If not for your father and me, you would have died on the streets long ago! I'm going to find your boss and let everyone around you know what an ungrateful wretch you are!" "Ranran, your father really has no other choice. Help me this time, I promise..." The voices sounded like thousands of ducks quacking coldly. Chu Ran frowned deeply, wanting to shut the ducks up, but she couldn't open her mouth. She could only endure as the quacking grew louder and louder.
The curves on the spiritual power detector screen began to fluctuate violently, and the alarm let out a sharp scream.
"Dr. Sun!" the nurse called out excitedly.
When Chu Ran opened her eyes, she saw five or six huge faces pressed against the emergency pod door, a pair of eyes wide open. What the heck? The ducks were gone, and Shrek appeared?