Chapter 54

In Camp 21, Shi Yi went alone to the door of the separate isolation ward and raised her hand to push the door open gently.

At this moment, Chen Mo was lying quietly on the bed, his eyes closed without any awareness. He had been in a coma for 5 full days, and there were still no signs of waking up. But the vital signs monitor showed that all the indicators of his body were within the normal range, and his condition had basically stabilized.

Shi Yi thought that Doctor Chen must be too tired to have slept for so long. For more than a year, the entire medical team basically only had Doctor Chen as the attending physician, and Wang Yang was just his assistant. Chen Mo was also the captain, bearing too many responsibilities.

Shi Yi walked lightly to Chen Mo's bedside and sat down, looking at his pale face, a surge of soreness welling up in her heart. However, she still deliberately used a relaxed, complaining tone to say:

"I said, Captain Chen, I told you not to push yourself, not to stay up late, but you just wouldn't listen. Look, you've exhausted yourself, and you've been asleep for 5 days! Heh, I said it long ago, if you don't listen to Xiao Yi, you'll suffer the consequences."

The person on the bed had their eyes closed tightly and naturally wouldn't respond to her. Thinking that when Doctor Chen woke up again, he would never see Xiao Manjie and Lao Jiu again, Shi Yi felt incredibly heartbroken.

Doctor Chen had always been Xiao Manjie's best partner and treated Lao Jiu like his own uncle; how sad he would be when he learned the truth... But for now, she couldn't tell him this news.

"Don't worry, the days you were gone... the team... was doing quite well."

Shi Yi suppressed the surging emotions in her heart and forced a smile:

"Doctor Wang is very capable now; he can complete the treatment of over 100 people all by himself. Of course, I also helped him a lot. Yu Tongjie and Xiao Manjie... they... are also doing quite well... busy taking care of patients every day... not idle at all... and Lao Jiu... he makes us lots and lots of delicious food every day... to replenish our nutrition..."

As she spoke, tears gradually blurred her vision. Shi Yi gritted her teeth, forcibly swallowing the sob that rose to her throat, and managed to pull out a shallow smile:

"Doctor Chen, get some good rest, don't worry about us. I'm leaving..."

Shi Yi knew that once she left, it would be a final farewell to Doctor Chen.

In this life, being able to meet Doctor Chen, meet Xiao Manjie, and meet all the comrades of the medical team... was the luckiest thing in her short life.

"I hope in the next life, I will meet you all again..."

Shi Yi couldn't help but whisper, then turned around reluctantly and walked out of the isolation ward.

Just as she reached the door, her arm was suddenly grabbed by a great force, and she was pulled to the corner of the wall behind the room.

"Shi Xiao Yi, explain yourself! What do you mean by meeting us in the next life? What on earth are you going to do?!"

Wang Yang held Shi Yi's shoulders with both hands, his fingers trembling and his eyes scarlet.

Seeing Wang Yang's excited expression, Shi Yi knew she couldn't hide this from him. However, this should also be the last time she and Wang Yang met, and she should give him an explanation.

"Wang Yang... I'm going to find Yu Tongjie. Don't worry, I will definitely bring her back safely." Shi Yi looked into Wang Yang's eyes and said earnestly.

Wang Yang only felt his heart shake.

"What did you say? You're going to save Yutong? Shi Xiao Yi, what kind of joke are you making? You're alone, unarmed, how are you going to save her?!"

"I... I have already discussed it with Sozali's Minister of Military Asante. Tonight, I will take the serum and vaccines Kuba requested and go to his military camp. At that time, I will propose that Yu Tongjie and the 19 child hostages be released first before I enter the camp to deliver the medicine. Countless soldiers in Kuba's camp are infected with the virus now; he has no other choice and will definitely agree to my request." Shi Yi said calmly, as if she were talking about going to the vegetable market to buy groceries, her tone relaxed and indifferent.

Wang Yang trembled all over and roared.

"You're not going to deliver medicine, you're going to your death!"

"Don't worry, I... after I deliver the medicine, the Sozali government army will immediately launch an assault and rescue me." Shi Yi added quickly.

She knew that if she told the truth—that she had no intention of coming back alive—Wang Yang would definitely not accept it.

"I'm not worried!"

Wang Yang gritted his teeth, flames burning in his eyes, and said with determination:

"Shi Yi, I won't agree to this. If anyone goes, it should be me! I admit, I am greedy for life and afraid of death, I am a coward... but I, Wang Yang, am a grown man after all, a son of China; how could I let a girl like you take the risk!"

The more Wang Yang spoke, the more excited he became, and finally, he punched the wall hard.

"I also want to avenge Xiao Manjie and Lao Jiu myself! I want to bring Yutong back safely... our team... only has... only has us few left..."

Wang Yang lowered his head and couldn't stop sobbing. Tears fell on the back of his hand, mixed with bright red blood, and slid slowly down the wall.

Seeing Wang Yang's appearance, Shi Yi felt she couldn't breathe from the heartache. Yes, two weeks ago, the five of them were sitting together happily celebrating her birthday, playing the guitar and singing, but now they had become like this.

"Wang Yang, don't be excited..."

Shi Yi took a deep breath, patted Wang Yang's shoulder, and comforted him softly:

"You just said it yourself, our team only has us few left, and Doctor Chen is still lying in the hospital bed, unconscious. We still have dozens of patients in the camp waiting for treatment and care! The lives of those patients were bought with the lives of Xiao Manjie and Lao Jiu! Don't forget, Xiao Manjie was... was... killed protecting the serum... Sigh, we can't leave them behind. You are a doctor, and you are the only doctor left in our camp. Saving lives and holding the line is your responsibility; this matter is more important than delivering medicine."

Shi Yi spoke with reason, and Wang Yang couldn't refute it, nor could he make a choice, so he could only let his tears continue to blur his vision.

Then, Shi Yi lowered her head.

She suddenly untied a red hand rope she had been wearing on her wrist and pulled Wang Yang's wrist over.

"This is the red hand rope Yu Tongjie gave me; she braided it herself and said it could bless one with peace... Doctor Wang, let me put it on you..."

Hearing the words "bless one with peace," Wang Yang took a step back as if electrocuted:

"What are you doing? I don't want this, you wear it yourself!"

"I can't wear it; when I go in, they will definitely search me." Shi Yi said calmly.

Hearing Shi Yi's words, Wang Yang's tears burst their banks in an instant, and he sobbed uncontrollably:

"Xiao Yi, have you really... really decided to go? Why... why didn't you tell me in advance? I... I could have helped you..."

"You stay here, take good care of Doctor Chen and the patients for me, and wait for me to come back. Don't worry, with the protection of Asante's army, I won't have any trouble..."

Shi Yi lied calmly while carefully tying the red hand rope onto Wang Yang's wrist.

Then, she raised her head, looked into Wang Yang's eyes, and smiled slightly. Her amber eyes were as bright as gems washed by rain.

"This hand rope is very effective; I wouldn't bear to give it to you otherwise."

"You must keep it safe for me; when I bring Yu Tongjie back safely, you can return it to me!"