Chapter Nine: Schemes Upon Schemes

“To be honest with all of you, I am a death row inmate.” Zhong Shenxiu spoke in a calm voice, yet the words left everyone around him utterly stunned.

“Wha… what did you say, you’re on death row?” The intern, Hal, immediately staggered back several steps, eyes fixed on the knife still in Zhong Shenxiu’s hands.

In their minds, death row inmates were all hardened, ruthless criminals. Hal couldn’t help but recall how deftly Zhong Shenxiu had just wielded his blade.

Damn, could this guy be trafficking in organs? If not, why was his hand so steady—almost on par with a chief surgeon at a top hospital.

Zhong Shenxiu glanced at Dr. Jinsha, whose face had grown ashen, and knew it was time to continue.

“Ordinarily, I would already be confined in a death row cell, savoring my last sumptuous meal, and at dawn tomorrow, my head would be shaved and a wet sponge placed over it.”

“After that, at the command of ‘power on!’ I’d be turned to ash under two thousand volts of electricity.”

“But I am not.”

“Because the electric chair broke down. By some miracle, I was granted three more weeks of life.”

“Since learning of the malfunction this morning, I’ve been wondering: is this God’s last gift to me? And if so, what purpose did He intend for me?”

“I believe now I have my answer. I was spared so I could help those in dire need.”

“So, before I die, I want to do what I can. Let me stay and help. This is the last request of a man who will leave this world in three weeks—”

Or so he claimed.

He wasn’t going to die!

Zhong Shenxiu added to himself.

Catching sight of Dr. Jinsha’s reddened eyes, moved by his heartfelt speech, Zhong Shenxiu knew he had all but achieved his goal.

His tactic—wielding moral leverage and the tragic identity of a condemned man—was masterful, even moving himself to tears. No one could resist such a perfect appeal to compassion.

As expected, under his unrelenting barrage—layer upon layer, like a sow donning a bra—Dr. Jinsha stepped forward, extended her right hand solemnly, and introduced herself, “Jinsha Stacey.”

Zhong Shenxiu reached out, grasping her hand in turn, and replied in the local manner, “Shenxiu Zhong.”

—

Afterward, Dr. Jinsha went to see the warden. The process was unexpectedly smooth; the warden immediately decided that until the injured prisoners were taken care of, Zhong Shenxiu would not only be allowed to come and go freely but would also be exempt from labor reform, staying in the infirmary all day.

This outcome was beyond Zhong Shenxiu’s wildest dreams. It was almost too good to be true, and he began to suspect Dr. Jinsha’s identity.

Could she be the warden’s illegitimate daughter?

Stacey…

He was well aware that there was a famous Stacey in New York—George Stacey, the NYPD Commissioner. Perhaps the name didn’t ring a bell, but his daughter, Gwen Stacey, Spider-Man’s ex-girlfriend, certainly did.

Maybe Dr. Jinsha was related to them. Otherwise, the results were simply too remarkable.

At first, Zhong Shenxiu thought being allowed to stay during free time was already a great boon. Time was tight, but it was just enough for him to use his “Healing Spell.”

But now, with the entire day at his disposal, it was even better. He could use the spell more often.

His rule was to use the Healing Spell for one second each time, only when no one was watching. That way, it wouldn’t drastically affect the patients’ injuries and would greatly reduce the risk of discovery.

With mental energy recovery, he could use the spell for about ten seconds a day—sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on his sleep.

Thus, on the eleventh day, Zhong Shenxiu completed Subquest Two.

[2. Use the Healing Spell successfully for 100 seconds. Reward: One random passive ability. Begin drawing?]

He didn’t respond right away but first glanced at his now vastly improved personal status panel.

[Slacker System]

Host Name: Zhong Shenxiu

Combat Power: 13

Mental Energy: 2/18 (Recovers during sleep; current recovery rate: 1 point per hour.)

Passive Abilities: Mastery of Medicine, Firearms Mastery, Street Fighting, Intermediate Boxing, Master Thief

Active Abilities: Mutated Healing Spell Lv.1 (Consumes one point of mental energy per second), Skrull Shapeshifting Lv.1

World Points: 111 (Increased by one every 24 hours in the main world.)

Overall Rating: E

…

Over the past eleven days, Zhong Shenxiu had often marveled at his own luck. Not only had he acquired the coveted “Firearms Mastery” from injured inmates, but he’d also gained “Street Fighting” and “Intermediate Boxing” from a street punk and a burly black man, respectively.

His combat power had soared by eight points, and his overall rating had easily reached the main quest’s requirement, advancing to “E.”

However, the quest reward had yet to be delivered. Zhong Shenxiu guessed it would only be granted when that mysterious “opportunity” arrived on the twelfth day.

Even more delightful was the “Master Thief” skill he’d obtained from a scrawny prisoner. In an instant, practical knowledge—how to pick all kinds of locks with a wire, how to stay silent while stealing—flooded his mind, things he could never have imagined on his own.

And with an unknown passive ability left to be drawn, the past days had been exceedingly fruitful.

—

“Shenxiu, you don’t need to come in tomorrow. Thanks to your help, almost all the patients have been treated. I’ll talk to the warden and get you a day off. You’ve worked hard these past days,” Dr. Jinsha said with a smile to the absent-minded Zhong Shenxiu.

She’d come to think highly of him: diligent, responsible, and not at all the type she’d expected. Yet, the thought that such a person would be executed in just a few days filled her with regret.

“Why don’t you go back for now and take an early break?” she added.

But Zhong Shenxiu shook his head. “I’ll finish bandaging these patients before I go.” With that, he walked toward the prisoners.

He still had two points of mental energy left today; he couldn’t just leave them unused. Patience was the key to making the most of every opportunity. Who knew what he might gain next?

In Dr. Jinsha’s eyes, his actions meant something else entirely. She gazed at him with stars in her eyes, her admiration growing. To think, even on the brink of death, he did not forget to heal others.

A true exemplar of the medical profession!

She even felt an urge to write him into a research paper.

As Zhong Shenxiu approached the prisoners, he said internally, “Begin drawing the passive ability.”

[Passive ability is being drawn…]

[“Magical Mastery” acquired. Learn?]

With a clatter, the needle holder fell from Zhong Shenxiu’s hand and hit the floor.

“Shenxiu? Are you alright?” Dr. Jinsha immediately came over, concerned.

He quickly composed himself, smiled, and picked up the tool. “I’m fine, just a slip of the hand.”

On the surface, that was all. But inwardly, he was burning with excitement. “Learn! Learn! Hurry up and learn it!” He was terrified the system might default to ‘no’ if he hesitated.

[Beep. “Magical Mastery” learned.]

The moment the mechanical voice finished, the world around Zhong Shenxiu changed. Points of light, like fireflies, danced in the air.

And instinctively, he knew their name:

Mana.