Work Prophet
Chapter 375 - 133: There’s Another Problem

Chapter 375: Chapter 133: There’s Another Problem

Yan Yueliang’s mother looked at Li Yu and Zhang Yanlin with a skeptical gaze.

"Who are you? Are you Liangliang’s friends?"

"Yes, sort of." Li Yu handed the box of Golden Classic to Yan Yueliang’s mother, but she did not accept it and shook her head, saying,

"I appreciate your kindness, but Liangliang no longer needs it. He has been in a coma since yesterday." Yan Yueliang’s mother’s face looked very weary.

"Huh? But I just saw his eyelids twitch," Zhang Yanlin said.

"The doctor said that was just an unconscious physiological reaction, but I believe Liangliang is still awake. He can still hear us speaking; he just can’t open his eyes anymore, so I thank you on his behalf."

"Is that so..." Li Yu gestured for Zhang Yanlin to put away the contract.

He placed the box of Golden Classic beside the bed. "Then keep this milk for yourself to drink. You also need to take care of yourself. Yueliang definitely wouldn’t want you to be too upset," he said.

"No, just looking at him, I can’t help but remember things from his childhood, when he was just born and I held him, his tiny form..." Yan Yueliang’s mother said, wiping away tears.

When leaving the hospital room, Zhang Yanlin also felt a heavy heart.

He even forgot about the work at hand.

The hospital might be the most oppressive place in the world, staging scenes of parting from life and death every day. It’s hard to imagine how resilient the nerves of those doctors and nurses must be to keep working in such an environment.

After stepping outside, Zhang Yanlin took a deep breath, only to run into Liu Hao who was coming out to fetch water.

Seeing the two men, Liu Hao’s expression changed, and he was about to speak, but Li Yu already pulled Zhang Yanlin towards the fire escape.

Behind them, they could still hear Liu Hao cursing loudly, drawing the attention of many nurses and relatives of the patients.

Li Yu didn’t slow down until they reached the lobby on the first floor.

Zhang Yanlin took the opportunity to catch his breath, then asked, "Where’s the next, the next backup candidate?"

"No more," Li Yu replied.

"What?"

"Liu Changjie and Yan Yueliang—they were the ones I had heard about in the corridor, their families on phone calls, and nurses chatting. The rest either have quite a bit longer to live, or they are in the ICU, which we can’t enter.

"Moreover, always coming to the hospital isn’t a solution. Our frequent entries and exits from different wards and conflicts with Liu Hao might have attracted the nurses’ attention already. They’re probably going to call security if we keep this up, so let’s stop here for today and think of another strategy when we get back."

Zhang Yanlin nodded.

Li Yu checked his watch again. It was almost eleven o’clock, and considering the time on the road, they would have spent almost the whole morning, yet recruitment had barely progressed.

But work is like that, with smooth times and, of course, difficulties.

The two headed towards the exit of the inpatient building when they heard someone calling from behind, "Wait... wait, don’t rush off."

Li Yu stopped in his tracks and saw a man in a hospital gown coming out of the elevator.

He looked very weak, coughing while he walked and quickly wrapped up the phlegm he spat out with a tissue, throwing it into a nearby trashcan.

"Are you calling us?" Li Yu asked.

"Yes, it’s you." The man’s walk was a bit awkward.

It took him some time to reach Li Yu and Zhang Yanlin, then he introduced himself, "Niu Xiangui, stage IV melanoma, the primary site is in the anus, so that’s why I walk like this."

"There’s no need to go into such detail," Li Yu said, extending his hand and shaking with Niu Xiangui, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Actually, there is," Niu Xiangui said. "I’m in the bed next to Yan Yueliang, and I just heard what you were discussing with him—I want to sign up."

It was evident that he was very weak; he had barely spoken a few words before he began to cough again.

"Side effects of PD1," Niu Xiangui explained. "Unfortunately, even this expensive imported medicine can’t save me anymore. By the way, could I take a look at the contract?"

"Of course."

Li Yu had Zhang Yanlin take out the printed employment contract and handed it to Niu Xiangui, who took it and read it very carefully several times. He then asked Li Yu a few questions, such as what the precepts of the Double Rest Sect were.

After asking, he was quite straightforward. "Where’s the pen? Give me a pen, and I’ll sign."

"Hold on a moment," Li Yu said, "May I ask, Mr. Niu, what do you do for a living?"

"Full stack."

"Programmer?"

"Yes, I have been overworking since I started working. Although I have earned quite a bit of money, I hardly had time to enjoy it. By the time my melanoma was diagnosed, it was already at an advanced stage," Niu Xiangui grimaced, self-mockingly adding, "Good now, the money I earned can be used for treatment."

"The medicine I am currently taking is called PD1, costing twenty thousand per dose. I went to Singapore to get it from a doctor. I have already completed one treatment course, but unfortunately, I’m not lucky; it hasn’t been effective."

"This disease progresses very fast. I saw a girl in her early twenties, much wealthier than me; from diagnosis to death, it only took a month and a half. I reckon it won’t be long for me either. Since I can’t continue living, it’s better to prepare for after death."

"These days, while lying in bed, I have been thinking about reincarnation. I have no specific demands about my background, status, or even gender; my only request is no more overtime, not even a single day."

"But after thinking hard, I haven’t found any industry without overtime. When I was feeling desperate, you two showed up, and I think it’s a sign from heaven.

"Double Rest Sect, right? The precept of two days off a week sounds great. Why didn’t I join the sect earlier?"

"We strictly comply with the local laws and do not recruit followers here," Li Yu said.

"That’s a pity, such a pity." Niu Xiangui’s face showed his regret, but he quickly regained his spirits, "So, I’m guaranteed two days off if I reincarnate into that other world, right?"

"That’s correct, but just to clarify upfront, the level of civilization there is quite low, around the medieval period of Europe, so you won’t enjoy the conveniences of modern society, and you also won’t be able to come back here."

"Even if I die over there, if I leap from there, I won’t come back to work overtime!" Niu Xiangui was emotional, "The damn leaders only know how to dangle stock options, painting useless dreams. Whoever likes staying up coding can go and do it themselves!"

"Calm down, Mr. Niu, please take it easy," Zhang Yanlin urged.

It took Niu Xiangui a while to calm his emotions, then he looked at Li Yu with hope, "Can we sign now?"

"Mr. Niu, do you really trust us that much?"

"You both said it doesn’t cost money nor do you sell services, so trusting you doesn’t cost me anything. Besides, if I really can be reborn, wouldn’t I have made a huge gain?"

Niu Xiangui reflected, "I never had a religion before; I thought all that stuff was just deceptive. But facing death, I changed my mind. People need to believe in something to fight the fear that death brings, be it the Bodhisattva, The Three Pure Ones, or Jesus, I could believe in any, including your Double Rest Sect."

"But now there’s a problem," Li Yu said.

"What’s the problem?"

"The Bratis Continent doesn’t need programmers."