Chapter 14

"Brother Wu, would you like to cooperate?" Chen Ke said casually, then couldn't help yawning again.

Wu Xingchen thought over what Chen Ke had said, but found nothing wrong with it. Making and selling medicine indeed required the help of brothers on the streets. Wu Xingchen wasn't worried about Chen Ke pulling any tricks. Moreover, Chen Ke was right; Wu Xingchen had been involved from the beginning, and the future profits were indeed substantial. If things went wrong, Wu Xingchen could simply back out.

However, in this world, such a reasonable arrangement was itself unreasonable. This wasn't a rational judgment by Wu Xingchen, but a completely emotional one. Wu Xingchen was very clear about how dark the current world was. Chen Ke must have some hidden tricks. Thinking this, Wu Xingchen asked, "What exactly does Brother Chen want me to do?"

"First, please find a few prostitutes with syphilis. I will personally take the pus from the sores on their faces. This task doesn't require your direct involvement," Chen Ke said seriously.

Wu Xingchen nodded; this was indeed something Chen Ke, who looked like a young master, couldn't do.

"Second, after I make the medicine, I will treat these prostitutes for free. The effectiveness of the medicine will be evident. This medicine is highly toxic; it will either cure or kill. At that time, a life-and-death agreement will need to be signed. This matter will require your help."

So that's it! Wu Xingchen's mind brightened. Without the help of street brothers, Chen Ke couldn't do this. The death of a few prostitutes with syphilis wasn't a big deal. However, if he had no background, it could be a serious matter. "How likely is it that your medicine will kill people?"

"Out of a hundred people, at most five or six."

"Uh?!" Wu Xingchen had thought that out of ten people, three or four would die. In this era, syphilis was treated with mercury compounds, which were highly toxic. The mortality rate was about 30%. Even if the disease was cured, many people would become mentally impaired due to mercury poisoning. Compared to this, Chen Ke's medicine was really impressive.

"What about the third thing?" Wu Xingchen asked, finding Chen Ke's previous requests not too troublesome.

"Third, I definitely can't go around selling this stuff on the streets. After the medicine is made, I want you to handle contacting patients and selling the medicine in Shanghai. You will also collect the money after the patients are cured, and then give me my share according to our agreement."

"Is there anything else you need me to do?" Wu Xingchen asked.

"No."

Wu Xingchen looked at Chen Ke but couldn't detect any ill intent. Although he didn't know what Chen Ke was up to, so far, he seemed trustworthy. Wu Xingchen didn't think there was anything wrong with what Chen Ke said and was prepared to cooperate. Not only for the future money, but also because among the high-ranking members of the Heaven and Earth Society he knew, some had syphilis, and even more in the lower ranks. If he could cure them, his status in the Heaven and Earth Society would naturally rise.

Chen Ke left a bad impression on Wu Xingchen. The failure of their first conflict was still fresh in his mind. Moreover, Chen Ke seemed completely unconcerned about it and instead wanted to befriend Wu Xingchen. This pragmatic attitude was terrifying. But reality was reality, and driven by the interests of the future and the present, Wu Xingchen made up his mind.

"Then I'll help Brother Chen with this."

The street was crowded. Chen Ke wore light yellow pants and a white shirt similar to a lab coat, with a white lab coat over it. This strange white outfit, paired with black cloth shoes, made him stand out even more. Shanghai, being a major city in the East, had citizens who knew that Western doctors wore white coats. With Chen Ke's short hair, it wasn't unusual.

Wu Xingchen occasionally glanced at Chen Ke, whose "funeral" attire made him uncomfortable. Chen Ke not only had no complaints but even seemed quite pleased. Wu Xingchen couldn't help but ask, "Does Brother Chen really like white clothes?"

"For our line of work, the white coat is our uniform. Wearing it makes me feel at ease. When I dye fabric, I wear a blue work uniform."

Wu Xingchen hummed but didn't say anything more. The two walked in silence. Chen Ke was tall, and Wu Xingchen was even taller. Two tall men walking side by side naturally attracted attention. Chen Ke's white coat added to the appeal. As they walked down the street, they were bombarded with the gazes of men, women, and children.

Fortunately, neither of them cared about others' gazes, but Chen Ke noticed that the people looking at him had a strange expression, not out of curiosity but something indescribable. Just as he was wondering, Wu Xingchen stopped, "Let's go in."

They were in front of a strange-looking courtyard. People coming and going were dressed decently but not well. These people looked at Chen Ke with a puzzled expression. Chen Ke looked at himself again: light-colored clothes, a slightly wrinkled white coat, a shiny watch on his wrist, and clean cloth shoes. He was clean and simple, and there was no reason for people to dislike him.

Following Wu Xingchen into the courtyard, which looked like a cheap hotel, men and women were coming and going. The men had lecherous expressions, and the women had loose smiles. This was clearly a brothel. Two fierce-looking men at the entrance greeted Wu Xingchen with a smile and said something in Shanghai dialect. Wu Xingchen replied in a Northern accent, "Don't you have some prostitutes with syphilis who are currently suffering from sores?"

"Ah, Mr. Wu, you're joking. We don't have such things here. Don't joke around," the leader said quickly.

"This is a doctor who is making medicine to treat syphilis. He needs to find a few people to test the medicine," Wu Xingchen said in a low voice.

The leader looked Chen Ke up and down, "I didn't realize. You're a Western doctor. But, Mr. Wu, we don't have money to buy medicine. And if you're looking for such people, there are plenty on the streets. Why come here to joke with us?"

Wu Xingchen was already tired of the brothel owner's chatter, "Just take us to see them. I can make the decision, and the treatment will be free."

The brothel owner, seeing that Wu Xingchen was serious, sighed, "Mr. Wu, you really know how to joke." He led Wu Xingchen and Chen Ke out of the courtyard and toward the back.

It was almost evening, and the sun was setting. Shanghai's buildings were not spacious, and the narrow alleys felt cold and dark in the evening. These few people, none of them good, walking in this remote alley made Chen Ke feel very uneasy.

Their destination was a remote and secluded courtyard. "This is it," the brothel owner said.

In front of them was a locked door in the corner of the courtyard. The area was quiet, and Chen Ke, who had just come from the bustling street, suddenly felt as if he had time-traveled. Just a moment ago, it was sunny and crowded, and now it was a desolate courtyard. He couldn't help but look back at Wu Xingchen and the others, seeing the disgust in their eyes.

"Listen up, there's a doctor here to treat you. Get up and listen to the doctor's instructions," the brothel owner shouted harshly. Although his voice was loud, he stood far from the door, not wanting to see the room.

Faint voices came from inside, but no one answered. "Did you hear that?" the brothel owner shouted again.

"We heard," a woman's voice replied.

"The doctor will come in to treat you. Stay inside and don't come out," the brothel owner shouted again, then signaled the thug to open the door. He himself took a few steps back, not wanting to see what was inside.

Chen Ke took out a mask and put it on, waiting for the thug to unlock the door. The thug only unlocked it but didn't push the door. Chen Ke had to push it open himself. As soon as he entered, the thug closed the door and locked it from the outside, which startled Chen Ke. Although he knew these people wouldn't lock him in, the situation was extremely unpleasant.

Before coming, Chen Ke had sprayed some flower water inside his mask. Even so, he was still overwhelmed by the smell. Sweat, urine, mold from poor ventilation, and body odor made Chen Ke frown. The room was dim, and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust. He saw several women with large sores on their faces, lying or sitting weakly on beds with straw mats. The women were disheveled, and with the hot weather, most of them were only wearing outer clothes.

Chen Ke had never felt such disgust at the sight of a naked woman. It was a deep, visceral disgust. The sores on their faces and bodies made him want to run away.

He calmed himself, knowing that his task was to collect the pus, not to lose his composure. Chen Ke said in his poor Shanghai dialect, "Don't move, just sit on the bed." He said this because he was afraid these women might suddenly lose their minds and grab him, which would be dangerous.

But Chen Ke's unusual attire, especially the white coat and light-colored clothes, and the white mask, scared the women. Those who saw him shrank back. Two women who hadn't even gotten up turned around and, seeing Chen Ke, were frightened into sitting up.

Even though they were scared by Chen Ke's appearance, their eyes were still dull, showing the psychological damage from their illness and the prison-like "ward." Their reaction to Chen Ke entering was very slow. Chen Ke was relieved that there was no dramatic scene of desperate women grabbing his legs and pleading.

"Who among you is suffering from this disease for the first time?" Chen Ke asked.

No one answered. The women looked at Chen Ke with confused expressions. He asked again, but still no one answered.

"Can't you understand me?" Chen Ke asked in his poor Shanghai dialect. No one responded, so he tried Mandarin and Henan dialect.

Finally, one woman asked in a Jiang-Zhe dialect that Chen Ke could barely understand, "Are you really a doctor here to treat us?"

Talking to the patients didn't make Chen Ke feel happy; instead, he had to resist the urge to step back. He forced a smile, "I am a doctor. Everyone, stay where you are and speak slowly."

"Doctor, we know this disease is dirty. How could we dare to touch you?" A woman who looked relatively clean slowly sat up and pulled her open shirt closed. She adjusted her clothes and said, "Sisters, sit properly and let the doctor examine you."

Hearing this, Chen Ke felt a sense of respect for this woman. Her attitude made him feel safer as a temporary doctor. The other women obediently sat down.

"Big Sister, can you ask who among you is suffering from this disease for the first time? Those who are, please raise your hands," Chen Ke asked.

The woman spoke in a Southern dialect, and five out of the seven women in the room raised their hands. The woman who spoke to Chen Ke did not raise her hand. Chen Ke took out five test tubes and cotton swabs and collected enough pus from each.

With a hopeful heart, Chen Ke asked the woman who had been talking to him, "Big Sister, are you suffering from this disease for the first time?"

The woman shook her head gently. Chen Ke's heart sank. His medicine could only treat first and second-stage patients. For those who had the disease for the first time, 606 or 914 wouldn't work. Only antibiotics like penicillin could be effective. The woman hadn't had much contact with Chen Ke, but in this terrifying prison-like place, she was reasonable. Chen Ke really wanted to save her, but the reality was that he couldn't.

At this moment, one of the women couldn't help but ask, "Doctor, will you charge us for the treatment?"

Chen Ke looked at the frightening sores and forced a smile, "I won't charge you. Don't worry." The women still didn't fully believe him, "Doctor, we've never heard of this disease being treatable..." Just as she said this, the woman who had spoken earlier interrupted, "Since a doctor is here to treat us, how can you say such things?"

She slowly knelt on the straw mat, "Doctor, I beg you. Please cure us. I will work like a cow or a horse to repay you." The other women, seeing this, also knelt on the straw mat. This wasn't a proper bed; it was just a few broken boards on two stools with a straw mat on top. When the women knelt, the boards creaked. Chen Ke looked around the room. There was a toilet in the corner, and even with the lid closed, the smell of urine was strong. A broken bowl was placed next to each bed, some empty, some with water. The windows were small and high, making the room very dark. After collecting the samples, Chen Ke said, "I'll come back in a week... seven days. Be careful, and it will definitely work." He walked to the door and knocked, "Open the door, I'm leaving."

It seemed like a long wait, and Chen Ke was worried that no one would open the door for him. He wanted to shout at the people outside to open the door and get him out of this hell. Finally, he heard footsteps, the sound of the lock, and the door opened, with light pouring in. Chen Ke took two steps and rushed out into the bright light. The quiet and cold courtyard, which had seemed so peaceful a moment ago, now looked like a bright and peaceful paradise compared to the dark room behind him. A moment later, the sound of the door closing and the lock being hung came from behind. Hearing these sounds, Chen Ke felt a sense of relief. The hell was finally sealed.

At this moment, a sharp cry came from inside the room, "Doctor, I'm waiting for you to treat me. Please, I beg you." Chen Ke recognized the voice of the woman who had been talking to him. As soon as her voice faded, the sound of knocking on the door and the cries and pleas of the other women followed.

The brothel owner cursed, his voice fast and sharp, and Chen Ke couldn't understand what he was saying. The women ignored the owner and continued to plead, in a Southern dialect that Chen Ke couldn't understand, but he knew what they meant.

"Let's go out first," Wu Xingchen said to Chen Ke. Without waiting for Chen Ke's response, Wu Xingchen frowned and quickly left the courtyard. Clearly, the women's voices were making Wu Xingchen uneasy, and he wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Chen Ke followed Wu Xingchen quickly out of the courtyard. As they left, the women's voices stopped. Chen Ke's medicine couldn't save the reasonable woman. Chen Ke knew he wouldn't let the owner use his medicine on the two third-stage patients. Even if he did, it wouldn't be effective. To improve the success rate of his medicine and let Wu Xingchen see the miraculous effects, Chen Ke would tell Wu Xingchen in advance that these two couldn't be saved.

The owner wouldn't keep first and second-stage patients in separate rooms. Chen Ke had already decided that to avoid trouble, he would give the third-stage patients, including the reasonable woman, a saline injection. If he didn't give the medicine to the two women, they would fight him to the death. The valuable medicine shouldn't be wasted on people who couldn't be saved.

In this era, Chen Ke couldn't develop penicillin. He would only start a pharmaceutical factory to produce penicillin after establishing a base. Even in the best-case scenario, it would take at least three years. The reasonable woman wouldn't live that long. This era wouldn't give her the chance to live until the medicine that could save her was available.

The woman was doomed.

Chen Ke found that his calm and rational thinking, leading to this factual conclusion, didn't stir any emotions. This was the reality of the era; the lives of the weak were so fragile. If getting syphilis made it hard to feel sympathy, then the countless innocent people suffering and dying in this cruel era made it even harder.

Wu Xingchen and Chen Ke didn't stop walking. As they approached the bustling street, the sounds of people grew louder. As they stepped out of the alley, the lively street suddenly appeared before them. It was evening, and people were hurrying home. The street vendors' calls were louder. The whole street was vibrant. Seeing this, Wu Xingchen let out a long breath, and the oppressive mood from the small room was greatly relieved. He turned to see Chen Ke staring at the street, with tears streaming down his face. Seeing this, Wu Xingchen frowned. Treating people and then crying? Was Chen Ke not telling the truth? Wu Xingchen became wary and looked at Chen Ke more cautiously.

Wu Xingchen didn't follow Chen Ke back to the workshop but said goodbye halfway. When Chen Ke returned to the workshop, a bunch of cute rabbits were in cages in the yard.

After retrieving the pus, the next step was to inject a small amount into the rabbits' testicles. Soon, an unhealing sore appeared at the injection site. These rabbits were the first batch of test subjects. Chen Ke didn't make 606 but chose 914 first. 914 was slightly less effective than 606 but much safer.

Unfortunately, the first batch of rabbits all died from the toxicity. Seeing the pile of stiff corpses, no one dared to speak. Chen Ke waved at the rabbit corpses. "The incinerator" was already built. The rabbit corpses were burned to ashes, and the ashes were crushed and thrown into the garbage. The bamboo cages where the sick rabbits had lived were also burned. These items were either toxic or infected with bacteria and had to be completely destroyed. Especially the rabbit corpses, if someone picked them up and ate them, it could lead to fatalities.

The second batch of medicine had no effect. Chen Ke repurposed the rabbits and injected them with the third batch of medicine. Half of the fluffy little creatures recovered, and half died. Chen Ke bought another batch of rabbits and retested the third batch of medicine. Still, 10% of the rabbits died.

"Is this medicine good enough?" Du Zhenghui whispered outside