Zhu Siqi was in a dilemma. On one hand, he had been in touch with Zhang Mengqin a few times recently, and it seemed she was starting to take an interest in him. Given that he had also cured her grandfather's stomach cancer, she would probably compare this treatment to the last one, which made it likely he would be exposed. On the other hand, if he didn't go, his credibility online would take a hit, and if Zhang Mengqin were to post about him online, it would make future earnings more difficult.
After much thought, he decided to go. He had just completed a business deal and wasn't the type to retreat when things got tough. But he needed a solid plan—he couldn't afford any mistakes.
First, he decided not to use acupuncture again. If he did, Zhang Mengqin would immediately make the connection to his previous treatment. Second, he needed to avoid treating people too early in the morning to minimize the chance of being seen. With the self-study exams coming up, he figured Saturday afternoon after his exam would be perfect. By then, most people would be in the exam hall, and Zhang Mengqin would never suspect him. He also decided to change the location from the park to a hotel and limited the number of accompanying people to two—any more, and he wouldn't treat them.
With everything planned out, he quickly drafted an email to Zhang Mengqin, confirming the treatment for Saturday at 3:30 PM at a hotel. He requested the room number the day before the treatment and reiterated that only two people could accompany her. After sending the email, he shut his computer off and headed to class.
Over the past few days, he had been reading The Complete Guide to Server Operating Systems cover to cover. He had familiarized himself with the material, but without hands-on experience, he couldn't be sure how it would play out in practice. He suspected there might be vulnerabilities in the security aspects of the systems, but he would only know for sure once he had the server running.
His scanner tool was nearly finished, but it still ran slowly on his machine. The poor internet speed meant each scan took an entire night to complete. After class, he headed to Nanjing University's library to pick up a few books on etiquette, social skills, and personal interactions. He even borrowed a book on how men should dress.
When he got back to his room, he checked his email. Zhang Mengqin had replied and agreed to the treatment time. However, she wanted to increase the number of people accompanying her. Zhu Siqi immediately responded, firmly refusing. He emphasized that the room could only accommodate a maximum of three people during treatment—any more, and he would not perform the treatment. He hoped this would deter her from making any more requests.
Soon after, Zhang Mengqin agreed to his terms. With everything settled, Zhu Siqi began preparing for the treatment. He knew he usually dressed casually, so he decided to wear a suit for the occasion. It was a one-time use suit—he wouldn't be wearing it again after the treatment. He spent time practicing his movements in front of the mirror to make sure he could convincingly impersonate a man in his fifties. To add to his disguise, he even bought a few packs of cigarettes and practiced smoking.
Finally, Saturday arrived. The national self-study exams were happening, but Zhu Siqi wasn't worried. The questions weren't difficult, and he only aimed for a score of around 70, as 60 would be a passing grade. He submitted his exam early, feeling confident. Afterward, he changed into his new clothes and headed to the hotel, where the treatment would take place.
At the hotel, he took a moment to smoke a couple of cigarettes to make sure his clothes smelled of smoke. The hotel was luxurious, and he realized it was one of the best in Nanchang. He arrived at room 1808 and found three people inside: Zhang Mengqin, an elderly man sitting in a chair, and an older woman who seemed to be his wife. Zhu Siqi checked his surroundings with his senses and confirmed that the room only contained these three, but there were many people watching from the neighboring rooms—most likely the people accompanying them.
"Are you Miss Zhang Mengqin?" he asked, addressing her.
"Yes, I am. And this is my grandfather," Zhang Mengqin replied, motioning to the elderly man.
"Good. Let's begin then," Zhu Siqi said, turning to the elderly man. He had a feeling the man was no ordinary person, but he didn't want to get involved in formalities. His main goal was to finish the treatment and leave quickly.
Zhu Siqi checked the elderly man's pulse and found that his stomach was severely affected. It wasn't as bad as Zhang Aihua's condition, but it was still worse than Zhang Zhentian's.
"This is likely stomach cancer," Zhu Siqi said bluntly. "It's serious, but not an issue for me."
The elderly man, impressed by Zhu Siqi's accurate diagnosis, asked, "How do you treat it?"
"I use special abilities," Zhu Siqi replied after much consideration.
"Please lie down on the bed," Zhu Siqi instructed. He didn't want to waste time explaining further—his goal was to finish as quickly as possible.
The elderly man complied, and Zhu Siqi stood beside the bed, assuming a stance that looked like he was preparing to perform an energy transfer. However, instead of touching the man, he transferred his true energy through his feet and into the bed, which then entered the elderly man's body. He didn't want the effects to be too dramatic, so he only killed about 30% of the cancer cells before stopping.
"You can get up now. Go to the hospital for a check-up. If the results are good, I'll return tomorrow at the same time," Zhu Siqi said, preparing to leave.
"Wait…" The elderly man called out, looking at Zhang Mengqin.
Zhu Siqi turned around. "What is it?"
"I feel much better already. I can tell you're in urgent need of money. I'll pay you the full treatment fee now," the elderly man said, offering Zhu Siqi three million yuan in cash.
Zhu Siqi had initially planned to delay the payment, but he remembered that he had previously refused Zhang Mengqin's grandfather's offer. Since he had kept his principles, he decided to accept the payment without hesitation. A smile appeared on his face as he took the money.
"Thank you," he said.
Zhang Mengqin's expression darkened as she saw Zhu Siqi so readily accept the payment. Zhu Siqi noticed this but didn't comment. He left the room quickly.
In the room, the elderly man, now revealed to be General Liu, spoke to Zhang Mengqin. "It seems this man is not the same as the one who treated your grandfather. His treatment method is different, and his character is also very different."
Zhang Mengqin responded, "I thought he might be the same person at first, but when I saw his age, I suspected he might be his disciple or someone from the same school. But it seems they are different."
Liu General, who was an old war buddy of Zhang Aihua, had heard about Zhu Siqi's treatment and decided to give it a try. He hadn't expected this man to be so direct and efficient.
As for Zhang Mengqin, she had been skeptical of Zhu Siqi at first but was now beginning to doubt her initial assumptions.
The next day, after three treatments, General Liu's cancer was fully cured. He was in a much better mood, though still not particularly warm toward Zhu Siqi.
Zhu Siqi, however, wanted to maintain his distance. He didn't want any more involvement with them. After treating three more patients, he deleted his forum posts, wiped his registration information, and replied to the emails from other patients, explaining that he would be leaving Nanchang soon and could no longer offer treatments.
Though some patients begged him to treat them, Zhu Siqi's heart softened, and he agreed to help two more people before completely abandoning the email account.
In total, he earned 210,000 yuan over the month. With the money saved up, he finally went to the computer store and haggled over a server. The original price of the IBM server was over 100,000 yuan, but after negotiating, he got it for 85,000 yuan, putting down a 10,000 yuan deposit. He would pick it up in a week.
Walking out of the computer store, Zhu Siqi smiled to himself. Finally, I can start the real work.