Chapter 56: This Is All the Sincerity I Have—If You Need It, I’ll Give It
The two of them went back and forth for nearly half an hour.
Zhuang Wan was so numb from listening that she felt nothing anymore.
Su Tao’s mouth was dry. If Gu Mingchi were in front of her, she’d definitely point at his nose and curse him out for being as stingy as a ruthless landlord, never taking a loss.
On the other end, Gu Mingchi was so worked up he had to stand up. If Su Tao were in front of him, he’d probably take off his glasses and show her what real fear felt like.
Luckily, the internet connection successfully prevented a world war.
Su Tao made a final concession, “A year’s supply of water is fine, but I’m not going to be a sucker. The limit is 50 tons per month. You need to arrange for people to come and pick it up—I’m not offering delivery. Also, you have to let Zhong Gaoyi serve as a doctor for Taoyang for an entire year, available on call!”
Gu Mingchi frowned: “50 tons is too little. I’ve got over 3,000 people to support. Let’s compromise: 80 tons per month, and I’ll have Zhong Gaoyi stay at your place for three days each month.”
Su Tao’s spirits lifted. This way, they could focus on providing medical consultations for three days every month.
This meant they could build a small clinic, have a doctor on site for three consecutive days, and establish the foundation of a real hospital!
But to make it seem like she was still at a disadvantage, she pretended to haggle:
“Three days is too short. Five days—deal at five days.”
Actually, if Gu Mingchi had refused, Su Tao would have accepted three days.
But Gu Mingchi was probably too worn out from the negotiation. He threw out a quick, “It’ll take effect this month. My deputy will inform you of the follow-up details.”
Then he hung up immediately.
Su Tao was genuinely surprised—she hadn’t expected him to agree.
He must have been exhausted from all the arguing.
Zhuang Wan asked worriedly: “80 tons per month—will that put too much strain on Taoyang? If it does, I think we should forget it. Maybe this is just Chen Xi’s fate.”
Su Tao waved her hand: “No pressure at all. Instead, we gain a healing-type ability user for regular consultations. Healing ability users are incredibly rare in Dongyang—we’ve struck a great deal.”
80 tons of water, according to the system’s dirt-cheap price, was only 400 federal credits. It was a steal.
It was practically getting an ability user for free—definitely a huge win.
Zhuang Wan let out a huge sigh of relief: “That’s good, then.”
That very night, Su Tao built a water room and a temporary clinic.
The water room was close to the main gate, making it easier for Gu Mingchi’s people to access.
It was equipped with ten sinks and could accommodate five people at a time.
The temporary clinic was right next to the office building, facing the apartment complex. It was the size of a double room, painted white on the outside, and marked with hospital signage. The interior was divided into zones: the left side was the consultation area, and the right side was the rest area.
Su Tao had a soft spot for healing-type ability users. She set up the consultation area with a water dispenser and a desk. The rest area included a single bathroom, a single bed, and even a TV opposite the bed—allowing the doctor to relax and watch TV after a day of work.
She aimed to make sure that Doctor Zhong would enjoy his time at the clinic, feeling right at home.
She dreamed of the future—when she had the resources to expand this small clinic into a large, three-story hospital, just like the one in Dongyang. She envisioned a bustling first-floor lobby full of consulting doctors, state-of-the-art equipment and machinery, and even a dedicated inpatient department…
The next day, just as Su Tao woke up, her communicator rang.
She opened it to see a photo from Shi Zijin. The picture was of the newly built clinic.
Su Tao took a glance, then tossed the communicator aside, maintaining her silent treatment.
But as soon as she threw it down, it rang again. A new message came in:
“Did you hire a doctor or an ability user?”
She ignored it again.
After lounging in bed for another twenty minutes, Su Tao finally got up, slowly poured water and fed meat to her cat, and was about to wash her face when someone knocked on her door.
When she opened it, Shi Zijin’s handsome face greeted her, with breakfast in hand.
“Since you’re awake, why didn’t you reply to my messages?” He shoved the breakfast into Su Tao’s arms.
Su Tao started lying: “I put my phone on silent before I went to sleep. I didn’t hear it.”
The next second, Shi Zijin dialed her number, and the crisp ringtone echoed in the room.
…
Just let the world end.
Su Tao lifted her foot, ready to slam the door shut.
But Shi Zijin reacted faster and held the door open with his hand:
“You still haven’t answered my question—did you hire a doctor or an ability user?”
Su Tao asked, “Is it that important? You don’t come to Taoyang for treatment anyway.”
Shi Zijin replied, “It’s not important to me, but it is to you. Judging by your expression, it’s probably an ability user—likely the one under Gu Mingchi’s command. How did you get in touch with him?”
There were only two well-known healing ability users in the Eastern District. One was on his side, and the other was with Gu Mingchi. The rest were low-level healers who could only stop bleeding or alleviate pain.
Considering Su Tao had specifically built a clinic and furnished it so well, with an air of hospitality, the only possibility was that it was Gu Mingchi’s subordinate, Zhong Gaoyi.
Su Tao forced out four words: “Business partner.”
Shi Zijin rubbed his forehead: “You’ve got guts. You even managed to strike a deal with Gu Mingchi. I don’t know if you’ve met him in person, but I need to warn you—you’re an ordinary person. His ability only needs a glance, and you could die on the spot, either by self-harm or being brutally killed by others who’ve lost control.”
Su Tao shivered: “What kind of ability would kill me with just one look?”
“It’s called ‘Eye of Fear.’ It can tap into a person’s deepest fears, allowing terror to overtake your mind, strip you of your sanity, and drive you into a state of madness, leading to self-harm or violently hurting others.”
“He once used his ability to cause the tragic deaths of dozens of city defense soldiers. He’s ruthless and heartless. That’s why Pei Dong hates him so much. Pei Dong treats you well, so you need to think carefully about how to handle this.”
Su Tao’s head was spinning:
“I had no idea there was so much backstory. Besides, my cooperation with him isn’t anything wicked. It’s simple: I’ll supply him with water for a year, and he’ll let me use Zhong Gaoyi for a year. I’ll explain it to Sister Pei. If she can’t accept it, I’ll break the contract. Isn’t that enough?”
“Supply water for a year?”
Su Tao nodded: “Yes, the water room right by the front gate. If you saw the clinic, you should’ve seen it too. I’m not stingy—if you or Sister Pei need water, I’ll supply it for free.”
Shi Zijin’s gaze turned complicated: “Do you realize how valuable this water is?”
Su Tao said, “Of course I know. Right now, there’s a water shortage everywhere. In less than a month, water will surpass food as the top survival necessity. By then, you could trade a cup of water for a strong laborer. Do you believe that?”
“I believe it. So why are you giving it away so freely?”
“Because I see you and Sister Pei as friends—important friends. You’re carrying the weight of tens of thousands of lives on your shoulders, bearing the dawn and the future.”
She pointed to her own heart:
“I’m weak. I’m afraid of death. I don’t have your incredible strength and abilities. All I have is this bit of sincerity. If you need it, I’ll give it to you. Consider it my contribution. But I also ask for your understanding—I want a good doctor. I want to build a hospital. I dream about it.
Chen Xi is still a young girl; she shouldn’t have to live her whole life with a scarred face. Old Mei’s leg has been crippled for half his life—I want him to be able to stand up and see Taoyang.
I want the people of Taoyang to have access to treatment when they’re sick and to find help when they need it. That’s all.”
