Book 4: Chapter 23: Warfarin, Do You Want to Play a Game?
Chen Heng went to the canteen before going to Nightingaleâs room. Why the canteen first? Because he had not gotten a map of Rhodes Island yet, he needed to go to the canteen to verify his position first.
He discovered the canteen was the place he visited the most.
âShining, how is Nightingale now?â
Chen Heng had just arrived outside Nightingaleâs room when he saw Shining walk around the corner.
âHe Who Knows Fate, you are here too! Letâs go in together. Liz vomited another two mouthfuls of black blood this morning. However, she says she feels much more at ease. Furthermore, her sleep improved after eating the Calming Pill you gave her.â Shining reported Nightingaleâs condition to Chen Heng as they entered, treating him as Nightingaleâs attending doctor.
âThatâs good. After all, Nightingale is my first patient. It would be best if I could cure her. That will prove my superb medical skills. In the future, I can tell others I have a 100 percent cure rate.â
ââ¦â Although Shining wanted to say Chen Hengâs curing Nightingaleâs illness relied on his secret medicine, she endured it because he provided the medicine.
However, every time Shining heard Chen Heng say Nightingale was his first patient, she felt he was somewhat unreliable.
âShining, He Who Knows Fate, you are here.â Nightingale greeted the two when they came in.
âNightingale, it looks like you are doing well today. To think you took the initiative to speak to me.â
This was the first time Nightingale called Chen Heng by code name.
âYes. Also, thank you, He Who Knows Fate.â Nightingale appeared rather indifferent, but Chen Heng still felt happy. After all, this was the first time someone thanked him for medical treatment.
âYouâre welcome. Your recovery is the best payment for me. Here, eat this.â
Chen Heng took out a finger-length-tall bottle and tossed it to Nightingale.
âWhat is this? The workmanship is quite exquisite.â This time, it was a jade bottle with a crystalline pill inside. Just the bottle alone was much more expensive than the medicine from yesterday.
âThis is also a secret medicine of my clan, an upgraded version of yesterdayâs. One of these has the same effect as five of those. It will allow you to recover five days faster.â
This was the upgraded version of the Wood Spiritual Pillâthe Wood Divine Pill. Although âdivineâ was part of the name, it still counted as common goods and was very cheap.
âThis medicine is very expensive, right? Let me thank you on Nightingaleâs behalf.â Shining did not expect Chen Heng to take out an even more precious secret medicine to treat Nightingale, so she quickly thanked him.
âItâs fine. I gave it to Nightingale on account of her politeness. As I said before, I need a reason to help others. Nightingale is so cute and obedient. This is my reason for helping her this time. I rarely receive gratitude from others, so I feel very happy today.â
ââ¦â Shining wanted to advise Chen Heng to be not so reckless in the way he did things, but Nightingale had benefited from this, so she swallowed her words.
âIt is almost lunch. Letâs go to the canteen together in a while.â Shining issued an invitation to Chen Heng.
âSure. However, I have to visit the blood bank before that.â
âBlood bankâ¦â At the mention of the blood bank, Shining immediately remembered what she saw in the blood bank yesterday.
âBy the way, this is my communicator numberâ¦.â
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Blood bank, at the door of Warfarinâs office:
Knock-knock-knock!
âWho is it?â Warfarin felt quite surprised. To think someone would seek her out. When she opened the door, she was startled to see Chen Heng.
âYou-why are you here?â
âOf course, I am here to play a game with you.â
âPlay-play a gameâ¦â When Chen Heng said âplay a game,â Warfarin wanted to refuse as she could not accompany him to play games just because he wanted to. However, his blood was too enticing.
âWhy? You donât welcome me?â
âI just want to say, be gentler.â
Warfarin did not refuse. Instead, she took one step back, giving Chen Heng enough space to enter.
âSo, are you going to lie down yourself, or should I do it for you?â Chen Heng gestured to the bed he had chained Warfarin to the previous day. He had left the chains there.
âIâll do it myself, but can you give me more this time?â
âThat will depend on your performance.â
------n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Twenty minutes later, Chen Heng tidied his clothes as he stepped out of Warfarinâs office, leaving a flushed Warfarin.
Donât misunderstand. Chen Heng did not do anything untoward to her.
After attempting to train her and failing yesterday, Chen Heng took Kalâtsitâs suggestion and changed the target to letting Warfarin know she would get rewarded for obedience.
Of course, he did not do anything humiliating. He just wanted Warfarin to know that she could not obtain him by force and would give her a small reward. This is the carrot-and-stick method.
According to Kalâtsit, Warfarin had even laced some tea with sleeping pills to knock operators unconscious before. Furthermore, she had also brought to her laboratory operators who suddenly blacked out while walking.
Right now, Chen Heng did this for peace of mind with Warfarin. Life was difficult enough here. Furthermore, he was here for refuge and relaxation. If Warfarin caused him troubleâ¦
He could not allow that to happen, so he could only make the first move.
âThatâs right, Warfarin, do you want to go to the canteen with us?â Chen Heng was about to close the door when he recalled going to the canteen and extended an invitation to Warfarin.
âNo, Iâm not going. Letâ¦let me catch my breath.â
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After Chen Heng finished eating with Blue Poison, Shining, and Nightingale, he suddenly received a message from Kalâtsit.
Kalâtsit: He Who Knows Fate, get ready. We are departing this afternoon.
He Who Knows Fate: Arenât we starting tomorrow?
He Who Knows Fate: Donât we have to travel?
He Who Knows Fate: Traveling is boring. At worst, I can just fly them over tomorrow.
Kalâtsit: No. Canât you choose a more normal method? While flying over is fast and flexible, what will those operators think?
He Who Knows Fate: Alright, alright. When are we leaving?
Kalâtsit: 3 p.m.
He Who Knows Fate: You are telling me only now?
Kalâtsit: Whatâs wrong with telling you now? Do you have anything to do?
He Who Knows Fate: None.
Kalâtsit: Then thereâs no problem.
Umaru-chan: I want to go to Chernobog too! I also want to see Talulah and FrostNova. He Who Knows Fate, will you livestream?
[TL Note: Talulah and FrostNova are NPCs in Arknights. Here are their profiles: /wiki/Talulah and /wiki/FrostNova.]
He Who Knows Fate: Livestream? You have to ask Kalâtsit first.