Wang Guan sighed, feeling that the time spent waiting for a ride here was long enough for him to have walked halfway to his destination.

However, regret was useless now. Originally, he had relied solely on sheer willpower to persevere after leaving the mountains. Now that he had stopped to rest, that tenacity had completely drained away.

At this moment, the exhaustion from hours of rushing, combined with the lingering effects of the poison still in his system, left Wang Guan parched, exceptionally weak and feeble, his mind wandering, and his consciousness blurred.

Just as Wang Guan was considering whether to dial 110 or 120 for help, a sleek, all-black Mercedes-Benz, radiating a metallic sheen, pulled up directly in front of him.

"Krr-click..."

The Benz stopped deftly, and the rear window slowly lowered by a sliver.

Wang Guan started, directing his gaze toward the opening. He saw a woman sitting inside. The shadow of the window obscured her face, but her exquisitely graceful contours and her perfectly sculpted figure suggested she must be a beauty.

"Sir, do you need assistance?"

The beauty spoke then, her voice gentle and warm, a standard Mandarin but tinged with the subtle regional flavor of Shu Du. It was indescribably soft and sweet, the lingering resonance filling the air, wonderfully drawn out.

"Uh..."

Wang Guan was taken aback. He looked again, and his eyes met the gaze of the woman in the car. It was a look of genuine sincerity and closeness, seemingly holding a tender, almost syrupy smile that conveyed her kindness and goodwill.

Snapping back to reality, Wang Guan quickly nodded: "Could you possibly take me to Yanting County seat?"

"Yanting..."

The woman’s voice held a slight hesitation, but her soft gaze shifted, noticing Wang Guan’s clothes smeared with dirt and grime, and the patches of dried blood on his trouser cuffs. She recognized that his condition was likely not good.

Immediately, the woman called out, "Uncle Li, open the door, take him back to Yanting."

"Click!"

In an instant, the front passenger door opened. The driver was a middle-aged man who was powerfully built and possessed a somewhat imposing presence. His eyes were sharp as he swept over Wang Guan. Fortunately, Wang Guan’s appearance as a wayfarer prevented any serious misinterpretation; at most, they suspected he had accidentally fallen and injured himself while climbing the mountain.

Seeing the bloodstains on Wang Guan’s cuffs, the driver frowned slightly, nodded, and gestured: "Get in."

"Thank you."

Wang Guan’s face lit up with joy. He brushed the dust from his clothes before squeezing into the vehicle.

This particular Benz was somewhat akin to a minivan; the interior space was vast. Wang Guan sat in the front passenger seat, holding his iron box and backpack, and felt no sense of crowding—there was even excess room.

"Hold tight," the driver cautioned, casting a wary look at Wang Guan. Seeing that he made no further abrupt movements after entering, the driver engaged the accelerator, maneuvering the car to turn around and head toward the county seat.

Simultaneously, Wang Guan realized they were heading from the direction of the county seat and were now turning back solely to help him. Such an action could only be described as public-spirited and genuinely warm-hearted, like a contemporary living Lei Feng.

"Uncle, I’m sorry to trouble you both," Wang Guan expressed his gratitude, forcing a strained smile. It wasn't for lack of energy to smile more brightly, but simply because he lacked the strength.

Now seated on the comfortable upholstery, Wang Guan’s tension eased, and waves of aching softness and numbness, like ocean swells, continuously washed over him, making him dazed and his senses grow foggy.

Subsequently, Wang Guan felt his soul beginning to float, ascending higher and higher, flying farther and farther away, until finally, he knew nothing more.

When he woke again, Wang Guan blinked his eyes hazily. His eyeballs moved aimlessly for a moment before his consciousness slowly began to clear.

Only then did Wang Guan realize he was lying in a room. The room's decor was exceedingly stark: the walls were white, the mosquito net was white, and the bedsheets were white as well. Moreover, there was a cacophony of background noise, and the sharp, stinging odor of disinfectant permeated the air.

Seeing the scene, Wang Guan knew without needing to ponder that he was in a hospital.

"How did I get to the hospital? I have absolutely no memory of it," Wang Guan muttered, bewildered. He struggled to sit up, only to feel a stinging pain in his left hand. He turned his head and saw that he was still hooked up to an IV drip.

Looking around anxiously, he spotted his backpack and the iron box resting securely on the bedside cabinet.

They appeared untouched, and Wang Guan felt a measure of relief. Simultaneously, his gradually clearing mind began to recall fragments of events.

It seemed he had been waiting for transport on the road, encountered some kind-hearted people willing to take him back to the county seat. But after getting into the car, he must have passed out...

He had no memory of what happened next, but he could deduce it: the kind strangers must have seen the task through to the end and brought him directly to the hospital.

He wondered if the good Samaritans had already left; he absolutely had to thank them properly.

Just as Wang Guan was thinking this and preparing to call a nurse to inquire, he heard a muffled, buzzing vibration. He paused, realizing it was his phone ringing.

It seemed he had set his phone to vibrate mode due to the excessive number of nuisance calls he had received over the past couple of days.

"Hello..."

He fumbled for his phone and saw the incoming call was from Yu Feibai, so he answered sleepily.

"Is that Wang Guan? It’s really you... That’s a relief."

Confirming his identity, Yu Feibai began to vent his frustration: "I couldn't get through to you for the past two days, and when I did connect, you never picked up. I honestly thought you’d lost your phone."

"I was in the mountains for the last two or three days; the signal was poor, so I didn't receive any notifications," Wang Guan explained.

"What were you doing running around in the mountains? You didn't actually go looking for treasure, did you?"

Yu Feibai made a lighthearted joke, then followed up: "Get back to Shu Du quickly. Zhao Qian has the contract ready and has been waiting for you for two days. If you don't return soon, even Tang Qinghua will start suspecting you plan to back out."

"I’d love to leave immediately, but I can’t get away right now," Wang Guan replied with a wry smile, his voice weak and frail. "I’m stuck here in the hospital, still on an IV drip."

"What? You're hospitalized? What happened?" Yu Feibai asked with sudden alarm.

Wang Guan sighed: "I was bitten by a poisonous snake while climbing and exploring a cave. Luckily, I administered first aid quickly, and I met some kind people on the road, or I wouldn't have made it."

"That serious?" Yu Feibai pressed anxiously. "Which hospital are you in right now?"

"Some hospital in Yanting, I'm not sure of the exact name. I lost consciousness on the way to the hospital after being brought in," Wang Guan said slowly, his voice hoarse.

"Alright, just wait there. I'll come over immediately," Yu Feibai said, hanging up abruptly.

"No..."

Wang Guan had just intended to politely tell Yu Feibai not to bother coming over specifically, but he heard the dial tone on the phone.

Shaking his head gently, Wang Guan unlocked his phone screen and discovered dozens of missed calls and text messages. The majority were from Yu Feibai, but there were also several calls from Zhao Qian, Tang Qinghua, and Gao Dequan.

Wang Guan promptly replied to each, briefly explaining his situation while downplaying the severity.

Each person reacted to Wang Guan’s callback in a distinctly different way.

Zhao Qian first showed joy, then concern, repeatedly reassuring Wang Guan, yet his tone carried an underlying note of relief. Clearly, once Zhao Qian was certain Wang Guan wasn't planning to default, he felt completely secure.

As for Tang Qinghua, she was remarkably composed. When she received Wang Guan's call, she didn't mention the Ink Bamboo Scroll at all; instead, she chatted with him casually. Upon learning he was hospitalized, she offered sincere condolences. Throughout the call, Tang Qinghua never once brought up the contract. In fact, a few days later, she even arranged for some health supplements to be air-freighted to Shu Du for Wang Guan.

At that point, Wang Guan felt a touch of gratitude, sensing that Tang Qinghua was very adept at interpersonal relations.

However, calling back Gao Dequan yielded an entirely different result. After learning about Wang Guan’s condition, for the next half hour, Gao Dequan offered no comfort but instead berated him mercilessly.

"I’ll teach you a lesson properly when we get back to Ci Du."

After a long while, Gao Dequan finally hung up, clearly not yet satisfied.

Wang Guan then grimaced as he put his phone away, but he also felt a sense of warmth inside. After all, without any prior connection, if someone didn't truly worry about you and feel anxious for your sake, they likely wouldn't even spare you a glance, much less curse you out.

Meanwhile, perhaps due to the medication taking effect, Wang Guan felt intensely weary, unable to keep his eyes open, and drifted back to sleep.

When Wang Guan woke up once more, he was confused for a dozen seconds before suddenly realizing the surroundings seemed different. This room was several times larger than the one he had seen upon waking previously. Furthermore, there were vibrant fresh flowers and lush potted plants placed beside the headboard and in the corners.

Wang Guan sensed his environment slightly and found the air clean, devoid of any disinfectant odor. It was also remarkably quiet and peaceful, lacking the noisy, chaotic bustle he had heard in the hospital last time.

"What is going on?"

Wang Guan felt a surge of bewilderment, starting to doubt his own memory.

Looking around, he noticed the IV line was gone from the back of his hand. His body still felt terribly sore and weak, so he managed to roll himself up, put on the slippers placed by the bed, and slowly walked toward the window.

He gently pulled open the blinds on the expansive window and froze instantly. Looking down, the scene below bore no resemblance to a hospital; rather, it looked like a vast, verdant park.

Within the park lay a massive lake, featuring a pavilion in the middle and rows of trees planted along the shore. These trees towered high, their foliage dense and vividly green.

A light breeze swept through, causing the leaves to rustle with a shh-shh sound, carrying with it the dampness of the clear lake water, the vibrant energy of the thriving greenery, and a hint of sweet fragrance—a sight that instantly refreshed the spirit.

At this moment, Wang Guan was certain this was absolutely not a hospital in the county seat. If the hospitals in the county reached such an advanced standard, everyone would wake up laughing in their dreams.

"Wang Guan, you’re finally awake."

Just then, the room door opened, and Yu Feibai stepped inside, his face etched with profound relief.

........................ Thanks to readers ", 5, Angelainxa" for their contributions. Two days left of the strong recommendation push; please collect and give recommendation votes! Your support is needed. C