Chapter 42: Volunteer

Jiang Hai City Second Hospital, Outpatient Building.

In the Corridor, people come and go, the scent of disinfectant mingling with the anxious whispers of patients' families.

Inside the Examination Room, a middle‑aged man grips his hand excitedly, his eyes reddened.

"Dr. Chu, I can't thank you enough! If it weren't for you, my old life would have ended here today!"

Chu Che wears a gentle, perfect smile; he gently withdraws his hand, adjusts the gold‑rimmed glasses on his nose, and in a steady, reassuring tone says, "You're welcome, Mr. Wang. It's my duty as a doctor. However, you still need to be careful—remember to take your medicine on time and have regular follow‑ups."

Every movement, every word of his exudes convincing professionalism and elegance.

After seeing the patient out, the Examination Room finally quiets down.

Chu Che lifts the water glass on the table, about to drink, when his pocket phone suddenly vibrates.

He answers, holding it to his ear, his tone still gentle: "Hello?"

After a few seconds of silence, a cool, crisp voice—female, with a hint of forced hesitation—comes through.

"Dr. Chu, it's me, Qin Zhixia."

A barely perceptible curve lifts Chu Che's mouth.

He leans back in his chair, gazing at the gray‑hazy sky outside.

"Good afternoon, Officer Qin. What is it?"

Qin Zhixia's voice sounds a bit strained: "I'd like... to see you again."

She seems about to explain something, but swallows the words, finally adding stiffly, "To apologize for certain matters, and also... to discuss further."

"Of course."

Chu Che's reply shows no hesitation, elegant as if heading to a long‑awaited date.

"How about this weekend? You pick the place."

"Fine."

The call is hung up quickly; listening to the busy tone, Chu Che slowly puts the phone down.

He can imagine the dashing Criminal Investigation Captain on the other end, his face now a mix of annoyance and relief.

Interesting.

At dusk, Chu Che changes out of his Doctor's Lab Coat and walks out the hospital gates.

The setting sun stretches his Shadow long.

Just as he heads toward the parking lot, a figure suddenly blocks his path.

"Dr. Chu, please wait!"

It's a young man in his early twenties, wearing a plain white T‑shirt and jeans, his hair cut short and neat, eyes startlingly bright, brimming with unabashed vigor and passion.

Chu Che stops, looking at him: "Hello, may I help you?"

The youth inhales deeply, a hint of nervousness, yet summons courage, his gaze burning into Chu Che.

"Dr. Chu, I am Xu Zhengzhi, a volunteer blogger dedicated to exposing social injustice."

He pulls a tablet from his canvas bag, opens a page, and hands it to Chu Che.

"I received a tip from my followers: Jiang Hai Second Hospital has long harbored an illegal organ trafficking network! They exploit their authority, selling ordinary patients' organs at high prices to the elite!"

Xu Zhengzhi's voice trembles slightly with excitement.

"Dr. Chu, all my followers in Jiang Hai City say you are the most reputable, cleanest doctor here! I earnestly ask you, as an insider, could you... could you help me gather evidence, expose these tumors of the hospital, these scum of society, and bring them to legal justice!"

The flame in his eyes burns so fiercely, so pure.

It mirrors... the self he was many years ago.

The naive self who still believed "studying medicine can save the nation," that justice might be delayed but never absent.

Chu Che watches him quietly, his gentle expression unchanged.

He doesn't answer immediately; instead, he pushes up his glasses and asks the first question.

"Suppose what you say actually exists..."

"Then what about the evidence?"

His voice is light, yet it strikes clearly in Xu Zhengzhi's ears.

"Evidence of the trafficking chain usually includes transfer records, internal surgery schedules, and forged donation agreements. These are stored on the encrypted server under the hospital's Highest Authorization, while physical files reside in the director's private safe. How do you plan to obtain them?"

Xu Zhengzhi is stunned.

Chu Che continues, his steady, gentle tone delivering the coldest, harshest reality.

"Even if you obtain it, how will you prove its legality? A forged signature can be contested in court for years. Meanwhile, they'll sue you for defamation and theft of trade secrets. Your life, your family, will be crushed by endless lawsuits."

"Finally, the most crucial point."

Chu Che steps forward, staring directly at Xu Zhengzhi's now wavering eyes.

"Do you know who stands behind this profit chain? Do you know what happens when you threaten the interests of those who can make you 'legally disappear'?"

"I've seen the fire in your eyes," Chu Che says softly, "many years ago, in my own eyes. It was beautiful, but unfortunately... it cannot burn through this wall."

His words are not mockery nor deterrence, but resemble a gruesome autopsy report from hell.

Each word is flesh and blood he had to cut away while walking that path.

It is a thorough, dimensional‑reduction strike.

The flame in Xu Zhengzhi's eyes dims, inch by inch, at a visibly perceptible rate.

He opens his mouth but no sound emerges.

He had expected to gain a fellow‑in‑arms ally, or a cowardly, evasive excuse.

But what he receives is a... wreck, long since burnt out of all hope.

The bottomless fatigue and indifference in Chu Che's eyes send chills through his whole body.

He suddenly realizes that the man before him, warm as jade, is not cold‑blooded; he simply... had long since died in the war he was about to plunge into.

"I... I understand."

Xu Zhengzhi's shoulders slumped, he withdrew the tablet, and bowed deeply to Chu Che.

"Thank you, Dr. Chu. Sorry for the disturbance."

Having said that, he left listlessly, his back filled with dejection.

Chu Che stood where he was, quietly watching that back disappear into the crowd.

The pity and gentleness on his face receded like a tide, replaced by an almost void-like calm.

Perfect.

Before becoming the 'God' of the New World, he needed a perfect, flawless human disguise.

A gentle, kind, professional, respected 'good person' image, yet powerless because he had seen through the darkness.

This would let him avoid most unnecessary trouble.

Even...... he himself was almost being deceived.

He turned, walked toward the parking lot, and got into his own car.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

After walking far from the hospital, Xu Zhengzhi's dejected expression also disappeared.

He leaned against the roadside wall, let out a long breath, and his face showed a complex expression unbefitting his age.

He opened his phone, opened a folder named 'Jiang Hai Second Hospital Black Curtain', and at the end of the document typed a line: '【No breakthrough found for now】'.

Exposing the hospital's dark side was merely a secondary goal he happened to pursue on this trip.

His main task for this trip had already been completed: gathering evidence based on fans' reports to crack down on a surrogacy gang in Jiang Hai City.

It had just been finished not long ago.

Now, it's time to head to the next battlefield.

He closed the document and opened another encrypted folder.

The folder's name was——

【Dong Lin City-Infant Trafficking】

Xu Zhengzhi's gaze turned sharp again.

He no longer lingered, striding toward the not‑far‑away long‑distance bus station.