C23 Drug Theft

After several hours of nutritional replenishment (hospitals are always stocked with glucose), the trio had regained some strength. They were Han Yuyao, Huang Xiaopeng, and Wang Yongmei, the sole survivors on the third floor. Their survival was a stroke of luck, as Wang Yongmei had been reporting the morning's medical examination results when disaster struck.

Lee Yuanhong assessed their condition and realized they wouldn't be able to leave that day. He relayed their situation to Wang Jingrong via walkie-talkie to ease any concerns.

For safety's sake, Lee Yuanhong enlisted the help of two armed guards to barricade the stairwells with hospital beds and secure every room on the third floor. They worked tirelessly until three in the afternoon.

Once the safety measures were in place, Lee Yuanhong sat down across from Han Yuyao and inquired, "Dr. Han, in addition to rescuing you, I intend to visit the hospital's pharmacy to gather some medications. Given the current state of the world, getting to a hospital if someone falls ill will be challenging. Do you have any shortcuts or advice?"

Dr. Han paused to consider before responding in a still-weakened voice, "There's no need for formality. The pharmacy is located on the west side of the main building, with a back door that leads directly there. That's the route typically used for loading and unloading medications. And, if it's not too much trouble, could you also bring back some surgical tools and labware for me?"

Lee Yuanhong gave Dr. Han a puzzled look. She explained, "I'm a general practitioner, capable of performing surgeries if necessary. However, without the proper surgical instruments, my skills are useless. Additionally, having labware would enable me to study the virus responsible for the zombie mutation, potentially aiding in future vaccine development."

Admiration shone in Lee Yuanhong's eyes as he silently commended the doctor's dedication. He then asked, "Regarding the medications, do you have any specific requests?"

After a brief moment, Dr. Han replied, "Stock up on antibiotics and hemostatics. I'll compile a list for you shortly. Please try to gather as much as you can from it."

Dr. Han meticulously prepared a list, tucked it into his pocket, and then led two archers, Lu Yi, and Lee Luoxia back downstairs using the rope.

Hospitals, by nature, are bustling with people, and now, overrun with zombies, the sheer number of them underscored the usual crowds and presented significant challenges for Lee Yuanhong. Thankfully, with Wang Jingrong's rudimentary map and Dr. Han's directions, Yuanhong navigated along the western wall, opting for paths less dense with zombies, until he cautiously arrived at the main building's west gate.

This gate, typically used for unloading goods or admitting emergency ambulances, was ordinarily sparsely populated, which meant only a handful of zombies lurked there. Yuanhong dispatched them with ease and proceeded towards the pharmacy. The power outage had plunged the first-floor corridor into darkness, forcing Yuanhong to proceed with utmost caution. At each corner, he crouched down and deployed his homemade "corner checker"—a mirror affixed to a telescoping rod that allowed him to peer around corners and avoid stumbling into a horde of zombies.

Upon reaching the pharmacy, Yuanhong was dismayed to find the entrance obstructed by a mass of zombies, with the doorway further barricaded by an overturned cabinet. The risk of entering through the main door was too great, especially with the high likelihood of a zombie ambush in the dim light. He began to scout the perimeter of the pharmacy for alternatives.

Positioned to the right of the main building's entrance, the pharmacy was cordoned off into a separate space adjacent to the west wall, with the billing area acting as a divider. A few zombies meandered within both rooms. Using his Truth Eye, Yuanhong assessed the zombies inside the pharmacy—all were Level Zero, except for one nearing Level One, indicating a direct confrontation might be problematic. At an impasse, he glanced upwards and noticed a series of pipes running overhead. These appeared to be part of the heating system, with one set extending directly over the pharmacy. The space was not entirely sealed off; there was a half-meter gap between the pipes and the ceiling, ample room for someone to crawl through. It looked like Yuanhong would have to channel his inner acrobat and navigate the pipes above.

Lee Yuanhong instructed Lee Luoxia and the gunner to keep watch below while he and an archer ascended the pipes. Although Lee Luoxia was eager to join them, Yuanhong declined, citing the pipes' inability to support additional weight. His true intention was to use a spatial ability to transport the medicine without revealing his secret prematurely, so Luoxia had to wait outside.

Scaling the pipes proved more challenging than anticipated. Every few meters, a horizontal break obstructed their path, forcing Yuanhong to devise a way over each hurdle. A fall would be minor, given the roof was just over three meters from the ground—not fatal, but the relentless zombies below were a different story. A tumble into their midst meant certain death.

After a strenuous half-hour, Yuanhong reached the pharmacy's roof, by now caked in a mix of sweat and accumulated pipe grime. From his vantage point, he commanded the archer to eliminate the zombies below, then they both made their way into the pharmacy via the pipe.

To avoid alerting the roaming zombies, Yuanhong kept the noise of their scavenging to a bare minimum. Still, the zombies became restless, converging on the pharmacy's main door, which groaned and creaked under their assault. Had it not been for an overturned cabinet blocking their entry, the horde would have broken through in minutes.

Yuanhong and the archer worked swiftly to pile up the medicine and then secured it within the spatial storage. The whole operation took a mere ten minutes, but by then, the pharmacy's door was already teetering from the zombies' jostling. Recognizing the urgency, Yuanhong made the call to evacuate immediately—valuables were worthless without life to enjoy them.

As Yuanhong and the archer climbed back onto the pipe, a loud crash echoed behind them—the pharmacy door had given way, and the barricading cabinet was shoved aside. Had Yuanhong lingered a minute more, escape would have been near impossible.

Having successfully secured the medicine, Lee Yuanhong was invigorated, basking in the triumph of his heist. To mark the occasion, he resolved to bestow a grand parting gift upon the zombies. Lee Yuanhong retrieved a previously prepared incendiary bottle from his space, ignited it, and hurled it into the throng of undead. The resulting explosion bathed the hall in brilliant light, and using the fiery glow to his advantage, Lee Yuanhong made a swift exit.