Chapter 143: Is Medicine Really Such an Inconvenient Thing?

After the atmosphere eased slightly, Ma Ma Zhaodi finally had time to take a brief look at the surrounding environment.

Complex large-scale freezing machines occupied a vast area of the abandoned factory; wires were deliberately bundled to one side, not appearing messy; the hum of the instruments was very faint, so it did not easily attract the attention of passersby; the ice-blue liquid occasionally flowing through the pipes seemed to be highly compressed liquid frozen gas, maintaining Nora's frozen effect through its circulation.

Undoubtedly, a large portion of the vast amount of money robbed in Victor's multiple heists was likely used to build and maintain this large-scale machine running continuously twenty-four hours a day—namely, his wife's life-support device.

The remaining part was perhaps already spent on visiting famous doctors; considering the price of medical services in America, Mr. Freeze robbing banks multiple times seemed very reasonable; his robbery this morning was likely because he was running out of money.

A proper robber was not on the wanted list; Ma Ma Zhaodi grinned, unable to hold back a laugh, then felt the expression was a bit horrifying, so he stopped it.

Mr. Freeze casually hung that gun back on his body; the gun chamber shimmering with ice-blue light was very beautiful, its color somewhat similar to that of the two long thin tubes extending from the tank on his back.

Looking closely, the tubes were actually transparent; inside was originally liquid frozen gas, directly connected into his armor; after processing by the armor, it warmed up to around zero degrees, achieving the cooling effect within the armor.

"The freezing pod device you built for your wife is very beautiful."

"No matter how beautiful a crystal coffin is, it is still a coffin." Mentioning this topic, his expression dimmed: "I only want her to recover, but I have no money; by the time I figure out how to get money, her time will be running out."

"Robbing banks is not the right path; perhaps it would have been better to leave her in Gotham initially? That group said they would continue to perfect the cryotherapy research project; they must have secured sufficient investment, and they would not let Nora die."

Hearing this, a very obvious disdain, disgust, and indignation appeared on Mr. Freeze's face.

"They never wanted to continue the experimental research, nor did they have the ability to perfect this project without me. In fact, three months after I joined Gotham, I had already realized they were merely an empty shell with a fine appearance."

While answering the question, he regretted the decisions he had made in the past in his heart.

His wife's condition worsened further after he joined Gotham; forced into a corner, Victor could only put Nora into the freezing pod, suspending her life, waiting for the medical community to develop an effective treatment plan.

"Victor, after I fall asleep, will you still stay by my side?"

"I will never let go of you in my entire life."

Back then, he gently kissed his wife goodbye and, with tears in his eyes, sealed her into the freezing pod.

However, merely one month later, the project was forcibly shut down.

"Victor, the research on cryotherapy technology is simply too expensive." The boss, named Boyle, who had always spoken to him with a kind face, was the one who had originally lured Victor into this almost useless company with a gentle demeanor. But now, looking at the financial report, his face had changed as if he were a different person; his brows were tightly furrowed, and his tone was low: "Not just me; any company wanting to make a profit would not keep it."

"But, Boyle, this is not what we agreed on. You said the company could definitely provide me with the corresponding budget; you said you trusted me and would support me in carrying out this project; that is why I agreed to hand my research over to the company."

"Victor, you are an adult; in the adult world, only written contracts are trusted." Boyle shook his head disdainfully: "And in the contract between you and me, it only states that this research will belong to Gotham upon completion; it does not state that I must help you complete this project. You failed to complete it and instead wasted the company's first batch of funds; this has already made me very angry. I advise you to listen obediently and cut your losses in time; this is for the good of everyone."

Victor's eyes were filled with bloodshot veins; wearing glasses and a cheap suit, he was almost about to kneel before Boyle; he desperately explained: "It will have high returns later; this project will be very valuable in the future! Please! My wife still needs it to save her life!"

"Enough, enough, Victor; you are just an incompetent bookworm. Leave some dignity for yourself and your wife—Security! Security! Come drag him away! That woman is already dead; no need to hold back. Send a few people to move the equipment."

"No! Don't touch my equipment!"

Amidst the chaos, Victor instinctively grabbed a gun from a security guard; he clutched that gun tightly as if seizing the last straw, waving it at the approaching crowd, looking exactly like a mentally ill person driven to the brink of despair and acting hysterically.

Then, someone came up to snatch the gun; then, the two began to wrestle; then, the gun went off.

The machine storing the frozen gas was shattered by a bullet; a cold current and solid ice quickly swept across the entire laboratory; the security guards and Boyle, seeing the situation was hopeless, immediately fled.

Helpless, Victor tightly embraced Nora's freezing pod in the cold current, just like holding a fragile treasure; this was his promise to his wife.

"Victor, after I fall asleep, will you still stay by my side?"

"I will never let go of you in my entire life."

The cold air spread rapidly; large chunks of solid ice surrounded, submerged, and froze everything inside the laboratory, and invaded outward from the open door; merely ten minutes later, the entire floor where the laboratory was located turned into an ice cave.

Victor, at the very center of the cold current, initially felt extreme cold, then was frozen into an ice pop; but just as he was about to lose consciousness, his body seemed to feel warmth again.

Was it Nora? Did she hug me?

With this doubt, he fell into deep sleep; before collapsing, he could only see Nora's frozen pod slip from his frozen hands, then roll very, very far away—his body was too stiff; he could no longer hold her.

Just like that, Victor was buried in dense solid ice.

"So, when you woke up, you became like this?"

"When I woke up, I just found that I seemed not to fear low temperatures." Victor replied: "But I later realized I had completely turned into a cold-blooded creature and could not survive at normal temperatures at all."

Ma Ma Zhaodi thought for a moment: "Perhaps you could go to Antarctica?"

"Places with few people are too lonely; besides, I still need to cure Nora."

Hearing this, Ma Ma Zhaodi nodded: "In that case, we must defrost her first; my treatment is very fast, probably only needs two or three minutes."

Hearing this, Victor frowned and gave him a look of distrust.

"Why are you looking at me? I never said I was a traditional doctor." Ma Ma Zhaodi took out two candies, one white and one red: "Does not understanding medicine mean one cannot save people? Is medicine really such an inconvenient thing?"

(End of Chapter)