Chapter 34: Paying for Trouble

"What exactly are you trying to ask, kid? Just spit it out."

Knowing that Li Guotai was not easily fooled, Wu Bin stammered, "Dean, I mean, if I were to accidentally break a bone while at school, could I be prioritized for admission to the Second Hospital?"

"I don't mean anything else by it; I'm just thinking that as a patient, one should naturally choose the best treatment when sick, right?"

Li Guotai was so frustrated by Wu Bin that he couldn't help but laugh.

"What kind of nonsense is this? How do you know you're going to break a bone..."

Li Guotai stopped mid-sentence. Given Wu Bin's physical condition, a bone fracture didn't seem entirely out of the question. In fact, it seemed like a highly probable occurrence!

Li Guotai’s expression turned serious, and he began to explain patiently.

"I told you before that your medical card is valid nationwide, so the Second Hospital is also an option. Although you have signed a contract with our hospital, you don't need to receive all your treatment here. Since you've signed the contract, we have the right to access all your medical records regardless of where you go."

"The only issue is that the Second Hospital is quite far from your school. If something really happens, I'm afraid you would still be rushed to us first."

Wu Bin said "Oh" and didn't press the matter. He had only asked out of curiosity. After all, just as he had been lying there, the system mission had refreshed, and he had chosen "Bone Fracture" for his next illness without hesitation. He was simply planning ahead, wanting to know which hospital had the best orthopedics department so he wouldn't be caught off guard when the injury occurred.

"Alright, don't overthink it. Just rest well."

Li Guotai told Wu Bin to get some rest and left the ward with his team of doctors. Shortly after, He Bingbing and the others arrived. Seeing that Wu Bin was sleeping with his eyes closed, He Bingbing didn't disturb him; she simply sat quietly at the side, working on her phone.

After the events of the past two days, "Crispy Shark" had become Wu Bin's exclusive nickname. Just moments ago, the station's leadership had informed He Bingbing that they were coming to the hospital to visit Wu Bin and discuss a potential partnership. If the deal went through, He Bingbing would be responsible for documenting Wu Bin's daily life.

Looking at the terms offered by the management, He Bingbing still felt a bit dazed. Her base salary would double, her commission rate would double, and her year-end bonuses would be calculated according to the standards of a top-tier show host. It felt surreal. She hadn't been working for long and was still renting an apartment, with no hope of buying a home in sight. But if the station could secure this partnership with Wu Bin, her income would see an explosive increase.

Perhaps, with a year or two of hard work, she could even afford her own little nest in Shanghai.

While He Bingbing envisioned her future, Wu Bin lay on his hospital bed, using his Life Coins to exchange for items. Since he had already determined his next illness would be a fracture, he decided to buy something related to it. He scrolled down, and one item caught his eye:

[Chain Reaction: After use, the effects of the illness will spread throughout the body for the next hour. Exchange price: 100 Life Coins.]

What the hell? There’s a skill this outrageous? Does this mean it’s not enough to be sick in one place, but I have to suffer everywhere at once? Even funnier, this self-torture skill costs 100 Life Coins? Insane! Absolutely insane! Only a fool would exchange for this!

Wu Bin gave a disdainful laugh and swiped past it. But soon, he felt something wasn't quite right. Wait—he had the "Emergence from the Cocoon" skill. If he combined "Emergence from the Cocoon" with this "Chain Reaction," though he would suffer during the onset, wouldn't he be incredibly powerful after the recovery?

Wu Bin turned his attention back to the "Chain Reaction" skill, feeling torn. Spending 100 Life Coins on this felt like being a complete idiot. But if his hypothesis was correct, this skill would be a godsend for him.

Gritting his teeth, he decided: To hell with it, buy it! He had "Death Contempt" anyway; surely he couldn't actually torture himself to death?

*Ding.*

[Congratulations, Host, purchase successful.]
[Thank you for your patronage.]

After the purchase, Wu Bin let out a long breath. Everything was set; now he just had to wait for the illness to strike.

Wu Bin took a short nap. A while later, the door to the ward was pushed open. A man in a brown jacket walked in with a group of people, smiling.

"Oh my, student Wu Bin, I’ve finally met you in person! A pleasure, a real pleasure!"

Wu Bin was confused by the sudden influx of people. "Who are you?"

He Bingbing quickly stood up to introduce them: "Wu Bin, let me introduce you. This is Zheng He, the station director of our television network."

Upon hearing this, Wu Bin perked up. "Ah, Director Zheng, a pleasure to meet you."

Zheng He waved his hand, and the group placed various gifts on Wu Bin’s bedside table: bone-strengthening powder, bird's nest, protein powder—a whole mountain of them. After that, Zheng He gave a gesture. The cameraman, quite savvy, carried his camera and left, saying he wanted to take the livestream audience on a tour of the hospital environment.

Once the extras had left, Zheng He smiled and said, "Wu Bin, are you getting along well with our Bingbing?"

Wu Bin nodded. "Sister Bingbing has been very kind to me; she is an excellent host."

"Good, that's good." Zheng He chose his words carefully. "Actually, I came here today to represent our station and discuss a partnership with you. You must be aware of your current popularity online. Netizens affectionately call you 'Crispy Shark,' and everyone likes you very much and wants to see more of your daily life. Have you ever thought about monetizing this traffic to earn money for your tuition and medical expenses?"

Look at that—that is the art of conversation! Zheng He could only be a station director because he had real talent. Regardless of whether Wu Bin wanted to be an influencer, Zheng He had already provided him with a justification. Other influencers monetized traffic for vanity, but for Wu Bin, it was for tuition and medical bills—how righteous!

Wu Bin liked talking to clever people like Zheng He, so he spoke frankly: "Director Zheng, you probably know my situation. I'm an orphan, and my circumstances are indeed difficult. So, I have thought about monetizing the traffic, but I was still considering which platform would be most helpful to me, so I haven't made a decision yet."

Zheng He understood immediately. This kid was waiting for him to make an offer!