Ch 170: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

Shen Yunxuan was highly efficient. Once she decided to turn herself in, she immediately started researching the best way to do it. With the 1st approaching fast, she had to act quickly while also staying on guard against Zhang Yang.

She carefully recalled her past life memories and thought of an elderly man she had encountered before.

Back then, she had gone to the hospital for a check-up on her stomach issues. Feeling down, she took a walk on the hospital lawn and saw an old man suddenly collapse from his chair. She rushed over to help, administering first aid and calling a nurse. Unfortunately, the old man still passed away.

At the time, Shen Yunxuan had been taken in for questioning twice. Only after confirming that she was not a suspect was she released. It was then that she learned the old man’s surname was Xu. He had once held a high-ranking government position and was a retired senior leader who had made significant contributions to the country.

Elder Xu had been visiting an old friend in the hospital, a fellow townsman who was critically ill. Afterward, feeling deeply saddened, he had gone to sit alone on the lawn to clear his mind, only to suffer a sudden heart attack.

Shen Yunxuan carefully checked the timeline and realized that this event was supposed to happen within the next two days. In her previous life, decades had already passed since then, but this time, she had been too focused on her own survival to remember it until now.

She quickly opened the system store and searched for medicine that could treat Elder Xu’s condition, letting the system filter the options for her. The next day, she went to the hospital for a series of medical tests, staying there for several hours to wait for her blood test results. Afterward, she made herself a cup of instant noodles and ate them on a bench in the lawn before leaving.

The following day, she returned to collect her MRI results, which, of course, showed nothing unusual. The doctor was puzzled and asked, “Are you feeling unwell?”

Shen Yunxuan replied, “I used to have frequent stomach pains. Last month, I had an episode where I slept for an unusually long time and couldn’t wake up, so I got a little worried about my health.”

The doctor reviewed the results again. “There’s nothing wrong. It could be stress-related. If you’re still concerned, you might consider seeing a psychiatrist, or just exercise more and try to relax. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.”

Shen Yunxuan nodded quickly. “Got it. As long as the results are clear, I feel at ease. Thank you, doctor.”

Estimating that the timing was just right, she picked up her report and headed outside. She made another cup of instant noodles and went to the hospital lawn. Soon, she saw Elder Xu sitting on a bench, looking unwell. She quietly sat on another bench nearby, eating her noodles while pretending to browse her phone.

In reality, she was reviewing the system store’s virtual screen, checking the medicine options that the system had filtered for her.

She only had this one chance. The treatment had to be effective enough to make an immediate impact and gain recognition. With that in mind, she decided to spend a large sum of her accumulated system currency on medicine to cure Elder Xu.

From her last trip to the post-apocalyptic world, she had looted three stores. The items she took were all ordinary by modern standards, meaning they didn’t exceed her home world’s technological level. Because of this, the system had only awarded her 10 points per item. However, she had taken a massive haul—just the gold rings alone had earned her 3,000 system points. In total, she had amassed 36,000 system points.

Additionally, since she had learned the basic knowledge of that post-apocalyptic world, including information about its survivor bases and their regulations, the system had rewarded her with another 500 points. Combined with her first-time travel rewards and the newbie package, she now had nearly 38,000 system points.

It still wasn’t enough to buy a space pocket or other overpowered items, but it was more than enough to buy medicine. The treatment for heart attacks wasn’t cheap—it cost 30,000 system points. If she hadn’t looted those stores, who knew how long it would have taken to accumulate that much?

Shen Yunxuan felt a pang of pain in her heart. These were points she had been saving for a life-saving artifact! But sacrifices had to be made—if she wanted to make a strong impression, she had to go all in.

She quickly finished her noodles. Elder Xu glanced at her but didn’t pay much attention. He was overwhelmed with grief, mourning his old friend who was nearing death. Over the years, he had lost contact with many people, and now that he was older, it felt as if everyone he once knew was passing away, one after another. He couldn’t help but feel melancholy. His own health wasn’t great, either—perhaps one day, he too would go just like this.

These heavy thoughts made him feel increasingly unwell. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He tried to call for help, but no sound came out. Clutching his chest, he collapsed to the ground.

Shen Yunxuan immediately dropped everything and ran over to support him. “Someone, help! Call for a doctor!”

She urgently spoke to the system. “Scan him quickly! Pick the right medicine—don’t make a mistake!”

System: “Rest assured, the appropriate medicine has been matched. Purchase successful. 30,000 system points deducted. The medicine has been placed in your system inventory and can be retrieved anytime.”

A nurse was already rushing over. Shen Yunxuan turned to Elder Xu. “Are you having a heart attack?”

Elder Xu was too weak to speak but barely nodded.

Without hesitation, Shen Yunxuan retrieved the medicine from the system inventory and placed the pill in his mouth. “This should help! Swallow it quickly!”

Elder Xu’s fading consciousness sharpened slightly. He instinctively became wary, but the pill melted instantly in his mouth before he could spit it out.

By then, the nurse had arrived. Shen Yunxuan handed him over to them and ran alongside them to the emergency room.

A few minutes later, a security officer rushed to the emergency room entrance in a panic. Holding up a photo of Elder Xu, he anxiously asked Shen Yunxuan, “Excuse me, is the man inside this one?”

She nodded. “Yes, that’s him. It looks like he had a heart attack.”

The security officer’s legs gave out, and he collapsed onto a chair, trembling as he pulled out his phone to make a call. He quickly informed Elder Xu’s family. Even from a distance, Shen Yunxuan could hear the shocked and angry voice on the other end, demanding to know what had happened.

The officer, ashamed, admitted, “I… I stepped away to use the restroom. When I returned to his hospital room, he was gone. I searched everywhere for him, and then I heard someone say an elderly man had been taken into the emergency room. That’s how I found him…”

Half an hour later, Elder Xu’s children arrived, accompanied by the police. The officers approached Shen Yunxuan to inquire about what had happened and intended to take her in for an official statement.

Shen Yunxuan grew wary and stepped back against the wall. “I saved someone, I’m not a criminal. Why do I have to go with you? I want to stay here and wait for the old man to come out.”

Elder Xu’s children, full of anxiety, gestured to the police to hold off. “Let’s wait for the results first, there’s no rush.” Then they turned to Shen Yunxuan and said, “Please don’t leave for now. We still need to understand the situation.”

Shen Yunxuan nodded and sat on a chair to wait. She observed them, listening to their phone conversations, and quickly realized that they were all government officials with significant ranks. That meant her plan was likely going to work.

Ten minutes later, the doors of the emergency room opened. Elder Xu’s children hurried forward, wanting to ask the doctor about his condition, but before they could, Elder Xu himself walked out first.

Looking energetic and in high spirits.

Everyone froze in their tracks.

“Father? Are you okay?”

Elder Xu nodded slightly, his eyes locking onto Shen Yunxuan. He walked toward her with a serious expression and asked, “Young lady, what kind of medicine did you give me just now?”

Shen Yunxuan stood up and asked, “Is your illness cured?”

Elder Xu replied, “More than cured. This medicine… is extraordinary.”

His children exchanged bewildered glances and turned to the doctor for answers. The doctors and nurses were equally puzzled, and one of them explained, “This elderly gentleman suffered a sudden heart attack. His condition was extremely critical. When he was first brought in, all his vital signs were rapidly declining. But just as we were about to administer emergency treatment, his vitals suddenly stabilized.”

The doctor still sounded as if he was in disbelief, like he was describing something out of a dream. “Then, his consciousness became increasingly clear, and his stats returned to normal. We thought something was wrong—this kind of situation is impossible. Fearing he might have some hidden condition causing drastic fluctuations, we conducted a more thorough examination. But the results showed no issues. The signs of a heart attack were gone, and his body was completely healthy.”

“What?” Elder Xu’s children were utterly shocked. They hurriedly supported him, checking him over in disbelief.

From their perspective, this was simply impossible. Elder Xu’s regular medical checkups and treatments were handled by chief physicians from the military hospital, who had all concluded that his condition was incurable. The best they could do was manage it carefully. How could he suddenly recover just like that?

They were more inclined to believe that this hospital had made a mistake in its examination and wanted to take Elder Xu to the military hospital for another checkup.

They also recalled Elder Xu’s earlier question and frowned at Shen Yunxuan. “What medicine did you give my father? Hand it over, we need to test it.”

Shen Yunxuan only looked at Elder Xu and said solemnly, “Can I speak with you about this in private?” Then, in a quieter voice, she added, “In a completely secure location.”

Elder Xu understood his own body—he was indeed healed. He also realized the immense impact a medicine like this could have if made public. Regardless of where Shen Yunxuan had obtained it, this wasn’t something that could be casually revealed. He nodded. “Alright, you saved my life today. Come home with me. I need to properly thank you.”

He then turned to the doctors to express his gratitude and instructed his security officer to settle the medical bills. Then, he took Shen Yunxuan with him. Along the way, his children repeatedly urged him to go to the military hospital for another examination and tried to get the police to interrogate Shen Yunxuan. But Elder Xu refused. Right now, he had to immediately learn about this mysterious medicine. If it was something developed by a foreign entity, he needed to investigate it at once.

Once they entered Elder Xu’s study, and it was just the two of them, Shen Yunxuan finally revealed the truth about her unexpected system binding and the two times she had traveled to different worlds.

“In mid-August, I went to Mount Mi with some classmates to watch a meteor shower. A guy named Zhang Yang drugged me, and I immediately lost consciousness. While I was barely conscious, I heard some kind of voice talking about a binding process.

When I woke up, I was scared, so I went to the hospital for tests, hoping to find evidence of the drug to report to the police. But to my surprise, the results showed that there was no trace of any drug in my body. In fact, I was in perfect health.

I used to suffer from stomach problems, had been to the hospital multiple times, and because I often worked part-time and lived frugally, I had calcium and vitamin D deficiencies. But after that incident, my test results showed that my levels were completely normal. That was unnatural.

Then, I heard a voice in my head and was forcibly sent to an interstellar world…”

Elder Xu sat upright, listening with an extremely serious expression. At first, when he heard the name Zhang Yang, he assumed this was about some kind of illegal drug business and was immediately concerned. He thought he was about to hear something related to international smuggling or corporate espionage.

He even suspected that the drug Zhang Yang gave her was some kind of advanced restorative medicine—something like the one she had just given him—that had miraculously healed her, just like he had been healed.

But then Shen Yunxuan started talking about a voice in her head, about being bound to a “system,” and about being forcibly sent to an “interstellar world.”

Elder Xu furrowed his brows and interrupted, his tone sharp and commanding. “Young lady, do not spout nonsense and try to fool me.”

Shen Yunxuan remained serious and took out her phone, playing the video she had recorded during her time in the interstellar world. “I was originally keeping this hidden, but I revealed myself today to save your life. However, since you’re a high-ranking official, I will be completely honest with you.

You need to believe me. Don’t doubt it.”

“I’m scared too. In three days, on the 1st, I’ll be forced to travel again. I spent all my dimensional coins on you, and I don’t even know if I’ll survive this time. You have to believe me!”

Elder Xu knew that he had almost died and that this young woman had indeed saved his life. He suppressed his emotions and continued listening, his eyes on the video, though it wasn’t easy for him to accept. After all, it looked like something out of a sci-fi movie—wasn’t it possible to fake such footage?

Then Shen Yunxuan described how her mission was to bring back items, and how she had no choice but to compete with cleaning robots for garbage. She explained how she had claimed her outfit and accessories were her own handmade traditional designs to trade with strangers for books.

Everything she said matched the video.

Shen Yunxuan placed both hands on the desk. “Elder Xu, look at my hands.”

Elder Xu instinctively looked over. He saw her empty hands, but suddenly, a bag appeared out of nowhere. Then, she reached inside and pulled out the books from the video, along with the so-called garbage.

Elder Xu’s eyes widened, and he abruptly stood up, circling around Shen Yunxuan two or three times.

She was just one person, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and long pants, without a bag or any place where she could have hidden something. So where did that bag come from?

Shen Yunxuan touched the bag, and it disappeared. Then she waved her hand, and it reappeared.

Elder Xu took in a sharp breath. “How is this possible? Is it like what those two girls in the video had? Did you learn this from them?”

Shen Yunxuan shook her head, looking envious. “Theirs were spatial devices, high-tech items from their world, and they were incredibly expensive. How could I afford one? Mine came from the system’s starter gift pack—it gave me a small backpack. You can think of it as an invisible storage space. As long as an item is a single contained unit, I can store it inside.”

This was far beyond Elder Xu’s understanding. He even touched his forehead to check if he was feverish and pinched himself to see if he was dreaming.

Shen Yunxuan found it amusing. The initial nervousness she had felt upon arriving had completely faded. She continued explaining how afraid she was of being discovered, how carefully she had maintained a normal facade, how pathetic her loan limit was, and how she had spent all her money on survival gear. Then she described how she had been sent to the apocalyptic world on the 1st.

She played the video she had recorded in the apocalypse, this time properly prepared—she had nearly two hours of footage. She had Elder Xu find a room with a projector so they could display the video on a large screen. However, Elder Xu did not immediately start watching; instead, he turned to her and asked, “You’ve been honest with me and have said you’re terrified of this system that forces you to travel. This is an extremely unusual situation. Would you be okay if I brought a few others in to learn about this with me?”

Shen Yunxuan knew that Elder Xu’s sharp instincts had already recognized the enormous implications this dimensional travel could have for the country. If one could bring back beneficial items, it could be a great boon to the nation, but if something like a virus—or worse, the zombies from the apocalypse—were brought back, it could be catastrophic.

She hesitated. “I saved your life, so I dared to tell you. But if you tell others… they won’t try to dissect me for research, will they? I’ve spent over a month studying this. The system is bound to me—if I die, it will just go to another world and bind to someone else. It can’t be removed, and no one can steal it.”

Elder Xu reassured her, “Don’t worry. I still have enough authority to ensure your safety.”

Only then did Shen Yunxuan agree. Not long after, Elder Xu’s children and two of his most trusted subordinates arrived. Together, they watched the video of the apocalyptic world.

Because Shen Yunxuan had first demonstrated the appearance and disappearance of her storage bag, shocking them all, they did not rush to question her. Instead, they watched the footage in silence, listening to her account of her experiences in the apocalypse.

At first, when she described how terrifying it was, they didn’t think much of it. After all, they were all military men—some had even seen real battlefields. How bad could it be?

But when the video showed the base soldiers jumping off the truck and slaughtering zombies, their expressions changed. They felt a chill down their spines, and the hairs on their arms stood up.

Because the enemies they were fighting were no longer human.

Their bodies were covered in rotting flesh, their mouths twisted into grotesque snarls, resembling demons straight out of horror movies. This was just an ordinary scene from the apocalypse. It was horrifying to imagine what the world would look like if such a disaster truly came to their own.

If this was indeed another dimension, their top priority should be finding out how these creatures had come to exist. When Shen Yunxuan later mentioned that she had overheard someone saying that the virus had originated from acidic rain, Elder Xu and the others became even more serious.

Acid rain.

That was something that couldn’t be easily defended against. If their world experienced something similar, wouldn’t they also end up like these zombies?

This made researching a cure and developing countermeasures all the more critical.

As they listened to Shen Yunxuan express her fear, only to then see her looting multiple stores, they were somewhat speechless. This supposedly terrified young woman was remarkably efficient in action.

But judging by how she had covered herself so thoroughly compared to the others, she really had been quite scared.

Still, she had taken the initiative to approach people and extract information from them. That alone was an impressive skill.

Not just anyone could chat so naturally with strangers, never revealing anything about themselves while successfully gathering intelligence. Shen Yunxuan wasn’t just lucky—she was highly capable and exceptionally bold.

Then, they saw the base. With a single glance, they could tell it was a military base, likely repurposed. Its geographical position and security were excellent. However, the outer walls were covered with signs of repair and stained with blood, showing just how terrifying the zombies had been.

The video flickered, and suddenly, they were back in the hotel room—the travel had ended.

Shen Yunxuan turned off the video, and for a long time, no one spoke. The room was filled with silence.

After a while, someone finally asked, “You said… you can bring people with you when you travel? And it happens on the 1st?”

Shen Yunxuan nodded. The group exchanged glances. Elder Xu then said, “Verifying this is simple. Three days from now is the 1st—we’ll travel with the young lady and see for ourselves.”

Shen Yunxuan’s eyes lit up. “Really? Then, can you give me a weapon? And maybe some body armor? If we end up in a battlefield, I need to at least protect myself!”

Those who had initially wanted to object now found this method reasonable. However, none of them wanted Elder Xu to go personally.

Elder Xu, however, had just regained his health and felt as if he were twenty years younger. How could he possibly miss such a major event? He made the decision on the spot, “That’s settled. Whether or not you all go, I am definitely going. In these three days, prepare sufficient weapons and supplies.”

Then he turned to Shen Yunxuan. “Miss Shen… how long will you travel this time?”

Shen Yunxuan shook her head. “Last time, it was two hours. But since I earned more dimensional coins, I’ve leveled up to Level 1. My stay will be longer. I don’t know if it will be hours or days, but it definitely won’t be too long. The longest stay is one month, but there’s no way I’d be sent for that long at just Level 1.”

“Alright. We’ll prepare supplies for a week. You all make the necessary arrangements, and make sure this stays confidential. Miss Shen, where are you staying?”

Shen Yunxuan hesitated before saying, “I have a request… Can I stay here? It feels safer. Living alone really makes me nervous.”

Elder Xu laughed. “Of course. We’ll set up a room for you.”

The others also chuckled. She clearly valued her life very much.

Shen Yunxuan kept some things to herself—such as the return scroll she possessed and the ability to heal herself with dimensional coins. Those were her secrets. But for the most part, she had been honest with them.

Even so, Elder Xu and the others remained skeptical. The whole situation was simply too bizarre. They weren’t sure if it was some elaborate trick. But the undeniable fact was that Elder Xu had been cured, making the matter impossible to ignore. Of course, they also couldn’t rule out the possibility that Shen Yunxuan was a spy trying to get close to them. Everything still needed investigation.

After Elder Xu’s children arranged a room for Shen Yunxuan, they instructed the guards to monitor her closely and activated the house’s full surveillance system. Then, they took Elder Xu to the military hospital for a comprehensive examination. Meanwhile, one of Elder Xu’s subordinates prepared weapons and supplies, while another investigated Shen Yunxuan’s background.

That night, they received a full report on Shen Yunxuan’s life.

An orphan. Excellent academic performance since childhood. Smart, diligent, and hardworking. She had won multiple scholarships and supported herself through part-time jobs. The only unusual event in her life had been the night she went to watch the meteor shower after graduation.

Traffic camera footage confirmed that, after her classmates had left, she reappeared at around 4 AM, riding her bike and heading to the hospital. Her medical records showed that she suspected her classmates had drugged her, causing her to sleep unnaturally long. However, her test results indicated she was perfectly healthy.

Six months earlier, when she had undergone a company’s pre-employment medical check, several of her health indicators had been poor—including a history of stomach problems. Now, she was completely healthy.

Upon further investigation, they confirmed that Zhang Yang had indeed purchased a sedative, matching Shen Yunxuan’s claims.

Since Zhang Yang seemed suspicious, they placed him under surveillance. They discovered that Shen Yunxuan had moved and changed her phone number to avoid him. Meanwhile, Zhang Yang had hired a private investigator to track her down and had also recruited several people to “record something” on the 1st.

It was clear that Zhang Yang knew something would happen on the 1st. His involvement in the so-called system binding seemed evident. Could Zhang Yang be a foreign agent conducting human experiments with advanced technology?

They intensified their surveillance on Zhang Yang, preparing accordingly and making sure to take leave from work under various pretexts.

The night before the 1st, Shen Yunxuan gathered everyone together. “Let’s all sleep in the same room on makeshift beds. We’ll tie our hands together with a rope, or at least secure our clothes to each other. That way, if I travel while sleeping, you’ll all be taken with me.”

No one objected. In fact, there was a growing sense of nervous excitement. They changed into combat uniforms, tightened their shoelaces, and secured a rope around each of their wrists.

Shen Yunxuan mimicked their methods, placing a gun and a dagger in easily accessible spots on her clothes. Then, she did a final check of the supplies she planned to bring, storing them in her dimensional space before settling onto the floor to sleep.

As they watched her enormous bag of supplies disappear in an instant, they were once again struck with a sense of shock. They exchanged glances but ultimately closed their eyes to rest.

Late into the night, during the time when people were at their most exhausted, they suddenly sensed something was off.

They snapped awake—just in time to hear Shen Yunxuan’s excited voice:

“It worked! I really can bring you all into another world!”

🌸˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧🩷˚⋆