After waving goodbye to the hunters, everyone returned to Starfire Town without any incidents.
The small town at dusk remained as it was, most people were lifeless and devoid of any vitality.
It was still the curry-scented slum, still the same listless, zombie-like crowd.
It was not the first time seeing this scene, but Ren Zhong still instinctively felt uncomfortable.
Even though he had learned a lot more about this world, and knew the threat that the Ruined Beasts posed to humankind, he still couldn't understand why such a bleak social atmosphere existed in an era of highly advanced technology.
From Ren Zhong's worldview, based on the foundation of 21st-century Chinese society, even just through political insights, he believed that there were actually many ways to slightly improve the atmosphere of the town.
At the corner of the street, a haggard old man suddenly collapsed silently on the ground.
The passing crowd merely glanced at the old man and then continued walking on without caring whether he lived or died.
Last time, Ren Zhong had also seen this scene.
He felt a stir in his heart again, his lips quivered, instinctively wanting to say something but eventually closed his mouth.
If one cannot clean their own house, how can they govern the world?
Right now, he hadn't lived on this planet for more than twenty-four hours in total, less significant than an ant, just a mere mayfly. Where did he get the qualifications to criticize and point fingers at general societal problems?
...
At the intersection of the white inner circle wall and the slum, Ren Zhong stood with his hands behind his back outside the door of Miracle Clinic.
Compared to last time, he arrived here half an hour earlier.
According to his previous plan, he intended to head straight to the clinic upon entering the city, but there was a little deviation.
He initially wanted Zheng Tian to help sell off the Crystal Winged Dragonfly Corpse and just transfer the money to him later.
Unexpectedly, Zheng Tian awkwardly explained that it was not worthwhile.
Zheng Tian said that if there were any money transfers between individual desolates' accounts, it would be considered a transaction and would incur a 10% tax.
When she transferred money to the other team members, it was because the whole team was affiliated with the professional team, and the reason for the transfer was marked as a share of the hunting spoils.
Usually, if other team members needed to borrow money from her, they would have to pay taxes when transferring.
Zheng Tian understood that Ren Zhong, as an "undercover" high-ranking Pu Cha officer, had never experienced these down-and-out days when private transfers were taxed and was not very familiar with the baseline public sentiments of the desolates. He should be reminded.
Ren Zhong understood that he was originally penniless, and even 0.08 Contribution Points were money worth saving.
Eventually, Ren Zhong followed to the Starfire Resource Recycling Company, finished his business there, and then rushed to the clinic, saving half an hour of inquiry time.
Stepping inside, Ren Zhong saw Sun Miao lying on a wicker chair, his back to the door, with his legs crossed on the table.
In the corner of the wall, a projector shaped like a flashlight was casting at an angle, projecting fast-rotating images on the wall.
At a glance, the content seemed like a TV drama about immortals.
A pair resembling immortal companions were interacting in traditional costumes, exchanging blows.
In the room, the speaker spewed out mostly white noise alongside horrible sound effects and bad dialogues that weren't fitting for the low, medium, or high frequencies.
"Hong Xia, I've crossed the Heavenly River and slain the Devourer Whale for you, how can you leave without saying goodbye..."
"Hai Chen, just go. Stop following me. I have decided to join the Beast Taming Sect, to be with beasts for life, you and I are fated but not destined."
"Impossible! I won't listen, I won't listen..."
Ren Zhong felt goosebumps all over, stepped forward, and interrupted Sun Miao's bad taste, "Dr. Sun, hello, I'm here for a consultation."
Sun Miao didn't even turn around, "Find a cool place to hang around; I'm off duty today."
Ren Zhong's mouth twitched slightly; this doctor's temperament was quite something.
Can't it be that he has to be faint and dying before he would take action?
"Dr. Sun..."
Sun Miao suddenly turned his head, fiercely glaring, "Did I not say I'm off duty? Aren't you annoying? Can't you see I'm busy? Fine, if you insist on treatment, then pay extra. The treatment fee is three times the normal charge, will you take it?"
Ren Zhong was caught off guard on the spot.
He began to replay last time's process in his mind.
Two seconds later, Ren Zhong decided to honestly admit, "Sorry, I only have 0.8 Contribution Points."
"No money, what kind of treatment are you looking for, get lost."
Sun Miao waved his hands, making a shooing gesture.
Ren Zhong tried one last time, "Dr. Sun, please help me out, I'm in the late stage of lymphoma, I don't have many days to live."
Sun Miao's movements halted instantly.
"Hm?"
He thought he misheard.
After a moment, Sun Miao suspiciously asked, "Truly late-stage cancer?"
Ren Zhong nodded, "It might not be considered late stage, perhaps terminal."
Sun Miao snapped off the projector, no longer watching the drama, rubbed his chin in a difficult manner, "Let me think, ponder a bit. Well, since you're indeed in hardship, I'll be benevolent as a doctor, lie down on that chair first, I'll do a full-body scan for you."