Rebirth 08: Equipment God

Chapter 391 Teacher, Wait for Me

Nine hours ago, in northern Beijing, at three in the morning.

"Cough! Cough! Cough!"

A violent cough shattered the tranquility of the old house.

When the coughing started for the second time, it woke up the caregiver/nanny in the next room. The caregiver got up and listened at the door for a moment. After confirming that Mr. Qian's coughing was severe and persistent, she pushed the door open and went in without disturbing his rest.

Old Qian straightened up, his whole body trembling violently. The caregiver went over and gently patted his back: "Did you choke on phlegm?"

My wife was also startled awake and walked in, trembling.

Mr. Qian wanted to wave them back to rest, but he couldn't control his cough and couldn't utter a word until...
A sound like a broken bellows came from his chest.

The old man's wife and the caregiver exchanged a glance, their faces both showing some displeasure.

Not to mention the multi-skilled caregivers who take care of Mr. Qian's health here, even Mrs. Qian possesses considerable medical knowledge.

Such sounds are usually caused by asthma, infection, or allergies, but Mr. Qian had no history of asthma or allergies.
infection
The worst-case scenario is a lung infection.

It is also the gate to hell for countless people who are bedridden for a long time.

A dozen minutes later, the ambulance stopped downstairs, and the security guards and caregivers worked together to put Mr. Qian into the ambulance.

Old Qian's face showed some helplessness. His spirits seemed to have recovered a bit. Lying on the bed, he said, "Making a mountain out of a molehill. It was just a few coughs... cough cough cough!"

The woman pressed him back onto the stretcher: "If you were 48, I would only find you noisy if you coughed all night, but you're 98. You should go to the hospital."

Mr. Qian was aware of his wife's worries; at her age, any upheaval could mean the difference between life and death.

Every conversation could be the last sentence.

Looking at his lover, with whom he had known and relied on each other for nearly a century, Old Qian forced a smile and said in a relaxed manner, "Don't worry, it's just a hospital check-up and some injections. By the way, Xiao Zhai seems to have arrived today and said he wanted to come see me. Tell him to go back first, so he doesn't make a wasted trip, cough cough!"

"I'll let him know. Don't worry about it. Once you get to the hospital, don't be impatient. Just listen to the doctor."

As the ambulance pulled away, Mrs. Qian breathed a sigh of relief. In any case, getting into the ambulance made her feel a little more at ease.

Because of her advanced age, she was unable to travel with the ambulance, so she went back inside to pack some personal items to take to the hospital.

But when she arrived at the military hospital in the guard platoon's vehicle, she heard some devastating news.

Following a consultation...
Due to a severe lung infection, several of Mr. Qian's conditions deteriorated rapidly, and he was immediately admitted to the ICU.

----------

Beijing time, October 19th, 12 noon.

Zhai Da, who had just landed, knew something was wrong when he saw a series of text messages. Before he finished gliding, he called back.

Unfortunately, three calls went unanswered. His teacher's wife was probably too busy to answer the phone. Zhai Da rummaged through his contacts for a while and finally found a number.

The room across from the teacher's, that's where "Little Liu" lives.

The reason this person's number was saved was because once the compound's access control system broke down, and Zhai Da tried to reason with the young man who was nominally a security guard but was actually just a sentry, but they couldn't reach an agreement. In the end, it was this young man, Xiao Liu, who came to retrieve the person.

The two exchanged contact information to make things easier in the future.

"Brother Liu, this is Zhai Da. I just landed and saw a few missed calls from my teacher's wife."

On the other end of the phone, Xiao Liu's tone was also somewhat serious. He obviously knew what Zhai Da wanted to ask, and said directly, "Old Qian is in the ICU now, and we are at the General Hospital of the Army."

Zhai Da was horrified: "What? He's already in the ICU? How long has he been there?"

He tried to obtain more information, but unfortunately, after Qian Lao entered the ICU, communication with the outside world became less smooth. Occasionally, a doctor would come out and explain a lot of medical information, but overall...
Not very optimistic.

After hanging up the phone, Zhai Da looked at the plane's wings shaking as it taxied.

The long track seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see.

Gan!
Although there is a corresponding backup in the [Spellbook], the necessary items to cast the spell are in your checked luggage!

According to the normal procedure, it may take half an hour or longer to get your luggage!
Zhai Da frowned, trying to calm himself down. After a moment, he hid his hand under the blanket and discreetly took out the [Pure Gold Secret Staff], tapping it discreetly with his fingernail.

Finally, the plane stopped at the designated location, but unfortunately it wasn't a jet bridge but a shuttle bus.

Passengers began to disembark one by one.

Zhai Da was sitting in business class, near the front. After getting off the plane, he immediately looked towards the belly of the aircraft and saw a baggage truck that was about to open the cabin door.

They subtly moved towards that area, bringing it under their control.

As soon as the staff inserted the special key to open the door, a box fell out, catching them off guard.

The rather expensive-looking box crashed to the ground from a considerable height, damaging one corner. Even more surprisingly, the box seemed to be unlocked at all, opening on the spot, and some of the miscellaneous items inside were blown away by the wind!

The staff picked up the trash along the way, thinking to themselves how unlucky they were.

Zhai Da took a few steps in that direction and, as if by chance, intercepted the debris being blown by the wind and helped pick it up one by one.

"Hey! You can't pick that up! Let me do it."

Zhai Da was prepared. He waved his boarding pass, which had a baggage claim tag on it, and said, "This is my luggage."

Upon recognizing the person in question, the man paused, "Sorry. It must have been something wrong with the loading at the departure point."

Zhai Da glanced at the small shuttle bus prepared for first class and business class passengers, waved his hand and said, "Garlic bird, garlic bird, you don't have swimsuits, so please help me put them away."

The staff member breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that this person was really easy to talk to.
Zhai Da turned and walked towards the shuttle bus, but in reality, there was already an extra item in his pocket.

A very ugly woolen doll, with eyes replaced by buttons and no clothes on its body; its appearance alone is very unpleasant.

【Self-Inflicted Witch Doll】, an equipment that Zhai Da obtained a long time ago but has never used.

In the process of searching for solutions to extend the lifespan of teachers, Zhai Da also did not forget to prepare an emergency plan, especially since it was packed in his luggage during his trip abroad for more than half a month.

Through a series of subtle actions, he managed to get the item at least half an hour earlier than planned.

The reason for not using the "backup" from the [Magic Book] directly is that the necessary item for triggering the ability is also with the doll, which is a dozen or so strands of hair that Zhai Da collected when he combed and activated the meridians in Teacher's head before leaving.

As he strode towards the shuttle bus, Zhai Da had already begun operating the equipment.

For a 98-year-old, life is like a candle flickering in the wind, easily extinguished, especially since he only received the news seven or eight hours late.

Everything is a race against time.

His arms hung naturally at his sides, seemingly walking normally, but if the view zoomed in and peered into the coat, one would discover nine short needles tied to the back of the doll. A small strand of silver hair slipped into the doll's body from the opaque pocket.

Three short needles flew up on their own and pierced his chest together.

"Equipment effect: Put the opponent's personal belongings into the doll, then prick it with three needles. This will make the opponent feel happy for three hours (does not affect the user). This effect can be accumulated."

--------

Almost simultaneously, dozens of kilometers away in the ICU of the General Hospital of the Army, Mr. Qian, who had been frowning and enduring pain in a semi-comatose state, slowly relaxed his brows.

His health condition undoubtedly affected a great deal of people; his bedside was surrounded by experts from various departments, including four academicians.

"If the infection symptoms don't come down and the heart rate is too fast, should the amiodarone dosage be increased?"

"I'm afraid he won't be able to afford any more money; he's 98 years old."

"If a person can't be saved, what's the point of considering their organs?"

"A disordered compensatory mechanism, with a rapid heart rate coupled with a drop in blood pressure, is a very dangerous sign."

Facing such an important patient is a great test of a doctor's courage and boldness.

Not only because after this person entered the ICU, even the top leaders called to inquire about the matter, but also because they had once admired this giant from afar, and had looked up while burying themselves in their studies and seen that warm smile hanging on the classroom wall.

Everyone hoped that this giant could pull through the jaws of death once again.

It's as if his presence gives this land a greater sense of security.

But can it really be done?

Everyone is under tremendous psychological pressure.

During the discussion, the monitor emitted an abnormal sound, and seven or eight experts immediately turned to look.

"What? Heart rate has decreased? It's back to normal?"

"Old Qian's expression seems a bit more relaxed now!"

------

At Beijing North International Airport, Zhai Da was unable to receive real-time feedback, but his operations did not stop.

After inserting three needles, he paused for a second and then took a deep breath.

When in danger, act decisively; when in urgency, make swift and resolute decisions.

Inside the pocket, six more needles floated up on their own and plunged into the little man's chest without hesitation.

"Special effect: After being filled with nine needles, 90% of the negative status of the other party will be transferred to yourself, lasting for 24 hours."

Almost the instant the doll was covered in nine needles, Zhai Da felt as if the needles were piercing his own body.

And the location is also on the chest.

My lungs, which I hadn't felt anything before, suddenly started to show their "presence," becoming thick and gritty, and each breath was uncomfortable.

Zhai Da paused for a moment, then continued forward.

He is young, has been exercising regularly, and has recently undergone high-gravity training. His vitality is undoubtedly several times that of Mr. Qian. He took on 90% of the burden himself, so the teacher should be able to withstand this.
Now, as long as you persevere and go to the hospital, you can get the "longevity lock".
Just as I was thinking this, a violent urge to cough surged up.

"Cough! Cough! Cough!"

The negative state transferred from the system seems to have skipped the development period and manifested itself directly in Zhai Da.

Zhai Da covered his mouth and coughed violently several times, each cough causing a sharp, stabbing pain in his lungs as if pricked by needles.

Lu Siwen, who had been watching Zhai Da's unusual behavior closely, jogged up and asked, "Zhai Da, are you feeling unwell?"

Zhai Da's legs went weak, and he actually collapsed to the ground.

"Zhai Da! Zhai Da!"

Lu Siwen looked anxious; she was perfectly fine when she got off the plane!

This unexpected turn of events attracted a lot of attention, and many members of the production team gathered around.

Zhai Da, head bowed and panting, exclaimed: "Damn it! I was careless!"
The teacher's condition is far more than just a lung infection.
Heart rate, blood pressure, weakness... these may all be considered negative states.

He was not used to such a sudden and complicated situation, and before he knew it, he fell to the ground.

And he can't stand up!

Is this what it feels like to be a teacher?
It's really frustrating that it's not 100% yet.

However, Zhai Da's eyes hardened, and he refused to be helped.

He knew that the most important thing to do now was to get to the hospital as soon as possible, rather than being taken somewhere for emergency treatment, since the root of the problem wasn't with him.

Zhai Da slowly stretched out his arms to support his body.

Then, he mobilized all his "psychic power," working from his knees, back, and spine, until he was able to stand up again.

Even though every breath he took was painful, even though he was weak all over, even though he was pale, even though he could only get up by relying on telekinesis.

But he still stood perfectly straight.

Zhai Da took a black mask out of his pocket, put it on, and calmly said:
"I'm just tired of flying, let's go."

Turning around, everyone seemed unable to understand, looking as if they wanted to say something but couldn't.

Zhai Da's gaze swept over them firmly: "What?"

The director, who was about to offer some advice, hesitated for a moment and then changed his words, saying, "Uh, there's dust on your clothes."

Zhai Da turned his head and patted the corner of his clothes.

"Just a little dirty."

If my 98-year-old body can't handle it, then I'll give it a try.

Teacher, wait for me.

(End of this chapter)