Chapter 8

In the afternoon, the park was filled with lush trees, green lawns, and a path paved with pebbles. A gentle breeze blew, lifting a few fallen leaves, caressing the green grass, and slowly drifting across the lake, creating ripples. A few birds, startled by the sudden breeze, suddenly took flight, dropping a few feathers into the water. Zhou Jiasi, sitting on a park bench, watched for a while and felt a slight sense of regret, "What a pity, I never appreciated such scenery before. I preferred to surf the internet rather than sit here and daydream."

"But now, being reborn, it feels like a favor from heaven. With the space, I even wonder if I have some connection with the god of luck. Oh, I'm getting carried away... Haha... I need to be low-key, very low-key." Zhou Jiasi, who had some thoughts, quickly stopped himself from having darker ideas.

It had been a long time since Zhou Jiasi had properly admired the sky. Now, he lay leisurely in the park, gazing at the sky in a daze. Perhaps due to the space, his five senses had become much sharper. Even with his eyes closed, he could hear some subtle sounds.

Zhou Jiasi felt a sound coming from a distance, gradually growing louder. Two people approached and sat on the bench next to him. Zhou Jiasi didn't open his eyes and continued lying on the bench. Although he wasn't a peeping tom, he couldn't help but overhear their whispers.

Zhou Jiasi found their conversation annoying, thinking they were just idle. But they were indeed idle. They lamented the passage of time, regretting their past, and how they had only focused on making money in their youth, neglecting to enjoy life. Now, in their old age, they regretted it, but their youth and health were long gone.

Both had been diagnosed with terminal illnesses, and with their advanced age, treatment would only add to their suffering, so they decided not to seek treatment. The elderly man wanted to return to his hometown and see his old home. They had come to this place. Zhou Jiasi pieced together their conversation and guessed their situation, which was not far from the truth. However, one thing the old man said caught Zhou Jiasi's attention: they had no children, and if they could buy more time, they would be willing to pay any amount of money.

Unfortunately, the doctors had already given them a death sentence, with only a couple of weeks left. With little time, they didn't want to waste any more. The security and health personnel who usually accompanied them were now far away. They just wanted to enjoy the last moments of their lives.

Zhou Jiasi didn't know how much money they had, but he thought, "If, just if, I could give them a little more time, wouldn't that be... Saving people might not have that effect, but extending their time a bit might be possible. Zhou Jiasi couldn't help but think about using leaves and vitality water to slow down death and enhance vitality."

Thinking about this, Zhou Jiasi laughed at himself. "What am I thinking? It's a bit shameless, and I'm treating it like a novel. I'm not going to meet high officials who will protect me in the future." He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

Zhou Jiasi glanced at the two elderly people. One was leaning on the other's shoulder, looking at the lake and slowly closing his eyes. "Hmm, she's a foreigner, not bad for this old man," Zhou Jiasi thought to himself.

Suddenly, "Maria, Maria." The old man softly called out a few times, tears streaming down his face. He wanted to say something but couldn't, as if he didn't want to disturb her. His eyes were filled with regret and sorrow, making it hard for anyone to bear. Zhou Jiasi's heart ached, thinking that perhaps the old man had one last wish unfulfilled, just a little bit, but time wouldn't allow it. Could they not have a peaceful and happy end?

For this, Zhou Jiasi's expression seemed to make a decision, and he slowly walked over. Looking at the grieving old man, he said sincerely, "I don't know what illness you have, but I might be able to help you extend your time a little."

The old man looked at the young man, and his heart stirred. Although he didn't know the young man's intentions, he knew they didn't have much time left. If they could gain a little more time, they would be willing to do anything. The old man immediately said, "Thank you, thank you."

"Don't mention it. I just want to ease my conscience," Zhou Jiasi said. He took a pill from his pocket. Actually, he had asked the little sprite to pick a leaf, crush it, add some vitality water, and use its green light to form two round pills, which he then teleported to his hand.

If it weren't for the crops in the space, the leaves he had picked would have slowly regrown, and Zhou Jiasi wouldn't have been willing to give the old man a leaf. But it still pained him to hand over the pill. As he was picking the leaf, Zhou Jiasi felt a heartache, which the old man noticed. With decades of experience and business acumen, the old man could tell that Zhou Jiasi was genuinely pained. Knowing this was important to Zhou Jiasi, the old man felt more confident.

After receiving the pill, the old man felt a decision had been made, as if it would bring him good luck. The pill slid down his throat, and the foreign woman's complexion suddenly turned red. She opened her eyes and saw the old man smiling gently. Just as she was about to speak, she started coughing, unsure if it was due to confidence or the pill.

Zhou Jiasi felt the foreign woman's complexion improve, and the old man, who had been with her for so long, also noticed. The old man was extremely excited, his face turning red. Despite his excitement, he didn't forget to gently pat his wife's back, his actions still gentle.

The old woman stopped coughing, took a deep breath, and said to the old man with surprise, "Honey, I feel much better. It's like a wave of energy is slowly releasing from my stomach, spreading throughout my body. I feel great now."

The old man smiled happily, about to speak, but suddenly started gasping for air, his body trembling. His eyes looked at his wife with regret, unable to speak but deeply gazing at her. "Honey, honey, we haven't completed our promise. You can do it, keep going. I'll call the doctor, where's my phone, my phone?" The foreign woman started frantically searching for her phone, tears streaming down her face.

Zhou Jiasi couldn't help but feel annoyed. "Hey, I'm here, do I have no presence at all? I saved you, you know." He thought to himself. Seeing her in a panic, Zhou Jiasi decided to take the initiative. After all, he was a good person, and he had already made two pills, so giving one more wouldn't hurt.

He said, "Madam, don't worry, let me help. What do you think?"

Hearing Zhou Jiasi's words, Maria slapped her forehead and quickly said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please help us, I'm so worried. I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"Madam, don't worry. Let me help the old man first, okay?" Zhou Jiasi said calmly.

"Okay, okay."

Zhou Jiasi gave the old man another pill and watched his reaction. This time, his face turned red, and the color spread. The old man's eyes gradually cleared. Maria was so excited that she covered her mouth and quickly placed the old man on her lap, looking at him tenderly.

Zhou Jiasi watched, and after a while, the old man gradually recovered. The two of them started talking sweetly, completely forgetting about their savior, Zhou Jiasi. After a few moments, they remembered him and felt embarrassed, quickly apologizing to him.

Zhou Jiasi said magnanimously, "It's fine. You just went through a life-and-death situation. It's normal to cherish the time and talk. The old man's words were comforting, and they kept thanking him. Zhou Jiasi said it was no problem and asked, "Do you want to go to the hospital for a check-up, considering what just happened?"

"No need. I can feel how much time I have left. The medicine you gave us is slowly being consumed in my body. If it continues at this rate, we can live for another one or two months," the old man said gratefully, looking at his wife, who nodded in agreement.

"Can you feel it? What does it feel like?" Zhou Jiasi asked.

"I can't explain it clearly. It's like God gave me a clock, and I can feel when it will stop. That's the general idea," the old man said vaguely.

"It seems the Taoist didn't lie to me. This medicine really can extend life," Zhou Jiasi muttered to himself. He just wanted to use this to mislead them and avoid questions about the origin of the medicine.

The old man's face turned red, and he thought for a moment before asking Zhou Jiasi, "I know this is a lot to ask, but do you have more of this medicine?"

Hearing this, Zhou Jiasi thought, "Here it comes. The desire for life makes anyone unable to remain calm." He showed a difficult expression, looking at the old man, feeling genuinely conflicted.

"I do have more, but I can't keep supplying it. I don't know how long it will last, and there's a risk of exposing myself. I can only give you a little more time, which is already more than I should. I can't risk being experimented on in the future. Besides, there are many more people in the world who need help. I'll help others more in the future."

"Actually, I don't have much of this. The Taoist who gave it to me only gave me five pills. I used one for animal testing and found it effective. The rest I gave to you," Zhou Jiasi said.

The old man looked at his wife, who nodded. He then turned to Zhou Jiasi and asked, "Can you find the Taoist?"

"How could I? I helped him with something, and he said he had nothing to offer, so he gave me a few pills, saying they could extend life in a critical moment, and then he left. Zhou Jiasi recalled, controlling his emotions to make it seem real, substituting the space for the Taoist, as it was all about a fortuitous encounter.

The old man, seeing that Zhou Jiasi didn't seem to be lying, gave up on the idea of finding the Taoist. In ancient China, there were legends of reclusive sages, and one could only meet them by fate, not by force. It was better to cherish the present.