For the next few days, Zhou Tianming drowned himself in studies to forget the pain caused by financial woes.
He memorized the entire thick "Complete Compendium of Traditional Chinese Medicine" in just over a day, then spent two more days mastering its concepts. His theoretical knowledge now rivaled that of a college student who'd studied the subject for months.
With newfound confidence, Zhou Tianming strode into Zhou Hanxiang and Ogsha's temporary office, where the two women were playing with Lacus. After a month, the baby girl had grown noticeably chubbier.
He slammed the medical tome onto the desk with a loud BANG.
"I've finished. Test me."
The room fell silent for several seconds—until Lacus began wailing loudly.
Zhou Tianming froze, turning toward the sound.
Ogsha promptly shoved the crying infant into his arms before expertly donning noise-canceling earmuffs.
When he looked pleadingly at Zhou Hanxiang, she sighed and quietly put on her own ear protection.
Left holding the screaming Lacus, Zhou Tianming had no choice but to attempt soothing her.
After what felt like an eternity, the cries finally subsided, replaced by bell-like giggles.
Exhaling in relief, Zhou Tianming hastily returned Lacus to Ogsha and dragged Zhou Hanxiang out by the arm.
Once outside, he patted his chest dramatically. "That kid's lungs could shatter glass."
"You brought it on yourself, slamming books around for no reason."
Zhou Tianming scratched his head awkwardly.
In his previous life as an ordinary person, he'd never experienced the thrill of academic prowess. Now with an Ultimate Coordinator's brain, mastering in days what might have taken months before had gone slightly to his head.
Quickly changing the subject: "I've finished the medical compendium. Quiz me—and no going back on our deal if I pass."
Zhou Hanxiang ruffled his hair. "Of course not, sweetheart. Let's go to your room."
Back in his quarters, she conducted a rigorous examination without going easy. The Ultimate Coordinator's phenomenal memory and comprehension made it effortless for Zhou Tianming.
When it ended, Zhou Hanxiang sighed. After hesitating, she met his eyes. "You've passed."
Zhou Tianming pumped his fist.
"Now tell me your plans. If you say you just want to play..." She raised a warning hand.
Sitting upright on the bed, Zhou Tianming explained his intention to become a Junk Dealer and remain neutral in the coming conflicts.
"Neutrality sounds noble, but means pleasing no one. Why not choose East Asia? I'm from there too, and our family could offer support."
Zhou Tianming's face twisted in frustration. Many of his reasons stemmed from future knowledge he couldn't possibly explain.
In the end, he could only come up with a forced excuse: "The atmosphere on Earth is pretty hostile toward Coordinators right now. If I go to East Asia, I might get bullied. And PLANT is full of Coordinators—wouldn't you feel uncomfortable living here, Mom?"
"Nonsense."
Zhou Tianming put on an innocent, silly grin, and Zhou Hanxiang sighed at the sight.
"I can't argue with you. Stop reading all that nonsense—I never mentioned any of this while you were unconscious."
He kept up the act, leaning in for an affectionate nudge.
Zhou Hanxiang finally relented: "Your treatment will be over in a few days. I'll look into the Junk Dealers' information."
Zhou Tianming beamed and gave her a hug.
Time passed. October 20, C.E. 55.
After researching the Junk Dealers, Zhou Hanxiang rubbed her temples in frustration.
Trash scavengers, pests, dens of scoundrels, mercenaries, black markets…
Not a single positive description. She couldn't sit still anymore.
Before leaving, she shot Zhou Tianming a glare and went ahead to scout the Junk Dealers' hub—the Junk Guild.
Zhou Tianming hadn't expected the Junk Dealers to be such a mess either, so he just grinned sheepishly to play it off.
Not long after Zhou Hanxiang left, Ogsha—who had stayed behind to wrap up Zhou Tianming's treatment—received a phone call.
"What?! How could you let this happen?! Lenore's due date is right around the corner, and you let her go out?!"
Ogsha slammed the table as she spoke: "Patrick! Stay away from Lenore. I'm coming back right now."
With that, she rushed to Zhou Tianming's hospital room.
Zhou Tianming was idly doing calisthenics in his black casual wear—"The Era Beckons."
"Tianming, I have an emergency and need to leave. I'll have someone take you to the Spaceport later to join your mother at the Junk Guild."
Zhou Tianming shrugged it off. "No worries, I can take care of myself. Be safe on the road."
After saying their goodbyes, Ogsha left with Lacus in a car.
A few minutes later, a black sedan pulled up at the hospital entrance. A man in a black suit stepped out and entered Zhou Tianming's room.
"Hello, are you Zhou Tianming? Mrs. Ogsha asked me to take you to the Spaceport."
Zhou Tianming, still mid-exercise, blinked. "Already?"
"Huh? Not now? Mrs. Ogsha sounded urgent, so I thought we were leaving immediately."
Considering he had no luggage or belongings to pack, leaving sooner meant reuniting with his mother sooner.
"Alright, let's go."
Zhou Tianming followed the driver out of the hospital and into the sedan.
The moment the car door shut, the interior dimmed. He turned to the window—the glass was tinted dark gray.
"Is this one-way glass?"
"Yes. Safety first, as you know."
Thinking of Siegel's status, Zhou Tianming nodded and didn't question it further.
The car started and slowly left the hospital. At the gate, it passed an identical black sedan heading the opposite way.
The two vehicles brushed past each other.
The other black sedan stopped at the hospital entrance. The suited driver stepped out, only to find Zhou Tianming's room empty.
At the front desk, the nurse said, "Oh, that kid? He mentioned wanting to visit the shopping center before leaving."
She pulled out a note from under the counter—scribbled in childish handwriting were a few lines:
"Gone out to play. Don't worry."
"Alright," the driver returned to the car and, after a moment's thought, decided to contact Ogsha to brief her on the situation.
"Then just wait for a bit. After all, he's still a child. Without supervision, he'll disappear in no time."
"Shouldn't we go look for him?"
"No need. That little one is quite capable. It'd be more troublesome if you went out and missed him."
"Understood."
...
Meanwhile, Zhou Tianming sat in the back seat playing with his phone when he suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion.
He involuntarily yawned and tilted his head in confusion.
Not wanting to sleep, Zhou Tianming pressed the window button on the door to let in some fresh air.
The window didn't budge.
"Is your car window broken?"
He tried the other side, but there was still no response.
Zhou Tianming narrowed his eyes, sensing something was off.
After a careful look around, he noticed a partition between the back and front seats, turning the rear into a sealed compartment.
Just then, the driver's voice came from the front: "It's a design feature—for safety, to prevent accidental window openings that could expose you."
"Professional."
Though he praised aloud, Zhou Tianming grew increasingly uneasy, his heart pounding rapidly.
His body swayed slightly as drowsiness deepened.
Realizing this sleepiness was unnatural, he pinched his thigh hard.
The sharp pain jolted him awake. Through the rearview mirror's angle, he stole a glance at the driver.
Confirming the driver wasn't looking back, Zhou Tianming took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and forced his body into a calm state.
A sealed space, sudden drowsiness—his first thought was some kind of hypnotic gas.
By holding his breath, he avoided inhaling more of the gas while pretending to be asleep, buying time to think.
Noticing the lack of movement behind him, the driver glanced at the rearview mirror. Seeing Zhou Tianming motionless with closed eyes, he smirked.