American Zombie Detective

Morton, accompanied by Logan, immediately sprang into action.

Over the next few hours, Morton demonstrated the remarkable efficiency and energy that the Treasurer could mobilize in a crisis. He and Logan were stationed in Chinatown, while their subordinates split up and began to take action.

The best medicinal herbs were acquired quickly and at high prices, and the people who prepared the medicine were directly assigned to the kitchen of the pharmacy in Chinatown.

Finding aged incense ash took some effort, but it wasn't too difficult.

Ultimately, his men found incense ash from a privately worshipped Mazu statue, which had been passed down for at least a hundred years. As for the black sesame oil, it was extracted on the spot.

When the thick, dark medicinal liquid and the strangely odorous incense ash and oil were brought to Jack's bedside, the hospital experts' faces were filled with absurdity and disapproval, but they were then forcefully driven out by Deputy Director Logan.

Morton personally took action, using a cotton swab dipped in a thick paste of sesame oil and ash, and carefully applied it to his son's cold forehead, chest, and lower abdomen.

Time ticked by, and the ward was deathly silent except for the ticking of the monitor.

In just ten minutes, Jack's sunken eyeballs began to move under his eyelids, his breathing became rapid, and he uttered incoherent murmurs, as if struggling in a nightmare!

"Jack! Son!" Morton's wife rushed to the bedside.

Two or three minutes later, under the watchful eyes of Morton, Mrs. Morton, and Logan, Jack slowly and with great difficulty opened his eyes!

At first, her eyes were empty and confused, filled with extreme exhaustion and fear, but gradually, they focused on her father's tear-streaked face.

"Dad...?" A faint, almost inaudible voice rang out.

"Jack! My son!" Morton hugged his son with overwhelming joy, tears streaming down his face.

Although Jack was still extremely weak and didn't even have the strength to speak, the sense of deathly stillness from being lost in the endless illusion had disappeared!

Then, Mrs. Morton carefully fed Jack the dark liquid, spoonful by spoonful. His breathing gradually became steady, his heartbeat regained some strength, and even a little color seemed to return to his face...

That kind of spraying, which happened every few hours, has completely disappeared!

Morton, holding his son whom he had lost and found, trembled with excitement. In his ecstasy, a remarkably clear thought instantly occupied his mind:

Qin Jin! That Chinese detective who was suspended by Simone actually pulled his son back from the brink of death with such an unbelievable yet immediately effective folk remedy!

He glanced at the hospital executives waiting for the results outside the ward, then thought of the overwhelmed mayor in the city hall, and Simone, who looked like a walking corpse.

A glint of shrewd political wisdom flashed in Morton's eyes!

He refused any requests from doctors to enter and, after consulting with Logan, immediately sealed off the ward.

As long as Jack can gradually recover with the help of this black potion, he must resolutely refuse to let the hospital doctors touch him, or even see him!

Moreover, once Jack was out of danger, he was immediately arranged to return home to recuperate, and all news of him was kept out of the public eye.

In short: he prevented the news of his son's rescue from leaking out!

Morton was very clear:

Qin Jin saved his son's life, and he had to acknowledge and repay that favor.

The conflict between Simone and Qin Jin is now a bottomless quagmire. If the news leaks out and Simone comes to ask for help, will he tell or not?

If he doesn't speak up, he'll offend many people by stubbornly resisting the pressure from the public and even the mayor; if he does speak up, he'll not only offend Qin Jin, but also his old friend Logan.

Amidst the storm, he chose to stand by Qin Jin's side, coldly observing... the dead end of certain people!

………………

Deep in the Flint Hills, on a desolate mountain road on the edge of Carbondale County, the Dodge finally arrived at this desolate place after several days of bumpy driving.

Qin Jin drove his car over a path that had been completely overgrown with weeds, and continued for more than ten kilometers before finally stopping next to a huge, protruding rock.

"arrive."

Qin Jin got out of the car, walked halfway around the rock, squatted down at a certain spot, and reached out to feel around—

A moment later, as dirt and rotten wood fell down, he pulled the heavy bundle buried in the ground from the soil by a rusty iron chain.

He used his Basmo Armor M machete to cut open the waterproof tarpaulin covering the package, opened the box, and found bundles of old-fashioned US dollars, totaling several dozen, along with a metal box.

The box contained several scattered stone houses. Qin Jin took out a silver chain from it. The pendant was an antique silver cross with intricate runes engraved on its surface.

"Come here." Qin Jin beckoned to Alessa.

Alessa approached, her gaze falling on the cross, and she instinctively felt a sense of resistance.

"Take it." Qin Jin handed her the necklace without further ado.

Aresa hesitated for a moment, but still reached out and took it. The moment her fingertips touched the cold silver chain, a faint but clear sensation, like being stung by static electricity, came through her.

"Put it on." Qin Jin's tone left no room for argument.

Aresa frowned and, as instructed, put the necklace around her neck. The silver cross hung down to the black lace neckline of her gothic dress.

The moment she put it on, the stinging sensation became more pronounced, as if a cold needle was constantly pressing against her skin.

"This is something from the Vatican; it's very old and contains pure holy power."

Qin Jin's voice was exceptionally clear in the wilderness:

"This thing isn't very useful to me, or to you right now; at most, it might cause you a little stinging. But—"

His tone became serious:

"When you use the power of erosion, it will immediately produce a strong reaction, which is a unique property of Western relics. The stinging sensation will turn into a burning sensation! Aresa, at this point, you should know to stop!"

Aresa looked down at the cross on her chest, feeling the continuous, faint stinging pain. Her small face was expressionless, but her eyes revealed a hint of understanding.

She understood Qin Jin's intentions.

"Wear it, get used to it, let it become your alarm!" Qin Jin patted her shoulder:

"This discomfort is better than losing control. Remember my words, Alessa, we all need to learn to control ourselves."

Alessa gave a soft "hmm," then reached out and tucked the cross into her collar, letting it press against her skin; the stinging sensation persisted.

Qin Jin closed the trunk, looked into the distance, and saw the sky gradually darkening:

"It's about to rain! We can walk as far as we can; we're still a few hundred kilometers from Chicago, no need to rush."

The Dodge Ram started up again, exited the side road, and quickly drove onto the county road in the hills. At this time, the leaden-gray clouds pressed down low, and rain clouds had already appeared in the distance.

After driving for twenty or thirty kilometers, the wind began to pick up. At that moment, Qin Jin and his group saw a Ford SUV that had broken down ahead. Four people were standing next to the vehicle, waving their arms anxiously.

They appeared to be two couples, both in their thirties, dressed in outdoor gear like tourists, their faces showing anxiety and distress.

Qin Jin intended to drive straight over, but one of the bearded men suddenly rushed in front of the car and shouted:

"Sir, please help! Our car battery is dead and it won't start! It's about to rain, could you please help us get a jump start? It won't take long."

Another man wearing glasses eagerly added:

"Help me, friend! Look, it's about to rain. I know there's a motel at the fork in the road ahead. We can go there together to take shelter from the rain and spend the night! Please!"

Qin Jin glanced at the increasingly dark sky and the branches and weeds swaying in the wind, then looked at Alessa beside him—

Actually, traveling in the rain wasn't a big deal for them; the main problem was that they needed to eat something for the Lantern Festival, otherwise they would start whining and complaining again.

He pondered for a moment, nodded, and slowly parked the car in front.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" The two couples breathed a sigh of relief and thanked them profusely.

The bearded man introduced himself as George, his wife as Ava, and the man with glasses as Walker, his wife as Bella.

Qin Jin took out a jumper cable and quickly connected their SUV to the power source. The engine soon started roaring normally.

"Great! Quick, follow our car, I know the way, just turn left up ahead!" Walker called out.

The two vehicles, one after the other, struggled to travel for about forty minutes in the strong wind. Sure enough, at an inconspicuous intersection, the lead SUV suddenly turned left and drove onto a narrower, bumpier dirt road.

After another seven or eight minutes, a dim yellow light pierced through the increasingly heavy twilight.