Is this what a zombie is?

16. Light the incense for reviving the spirit.

The box was immediately taken over by a surgeon.

"The patient's vital signs are weak, hemorrhagic shock, and the kidney has been removed from the body for over three hours..." The doctor glanced at his watch. "Prepare for an autologous kidney transplant immediately! Execute all procedures as per A-1!"

A group of doctors in white coats surrounded the small refrigerated box and rushed into the operating room elevator, leaving behind a series of hurried and determined footsteps.

On the other side, Jiang Chen, the "carbonized corpse" being carefully carried out of the police car, caused an even bigger commotion.

"What... is going on?"

The dean stared at the charred humanoid object, his eyes twitching.

He had practiced medicine for forty years and had seen all sorts of horrific car accident scenes and fire survivors, but such thorough and uniform carbonization was like a movie special effect.

"Burns, electric shock?"

A doctor with a forensic background stepped forward, wanting to examine the patient.

"Don't touch him!" Ai Yi pushed him away. "He's just asleep, don't wake him."

The doctor looked at him with a "Are you kidding me?" expression.

You call this "asleep," not "well-rested."

Thanks to Edward, Ai Yi's father, and the hospital's top management's emergency efforts, Jiang Chen's "corpse," which was legally considered "key evidence," was ultimately not sent to the cold, impersonal forensic autopsy room.

It was placed in a separate low-temperature cold storage room in the hospital, which is usually used to preserve precious transplant organs and important biological samples.

Now, however, it has become Jiang Chen's temporary "bedroom".

Ai stood outside the thick observation window of the cold storage room, where the cold blue and white light made Jiang Chen's charred figure look even more eerie.

Lifeless.

Dead silence.

He recalled the scene a few hours earlier, when Jiang Chen resolutely took off the pendant from his chest and put it around Qiu Ziting's neck in the basement.

"Our lives are in your hands."

"If something happens to me... after Ziting has passed the critical period, you should place this pendant on my body."

"Perhaps... it can save me one more time."

Upon realizing this, Ai felt a lump in her throat, and tears involuntarily streamed down her face.

What followed was a long wait, and waiting is always agonizing.

"Squeak—"

The operating room door opened.

The red light that had been on for hours finally went out.

"The surgery...was successful?"

The surgeon removed his mask and nodded with a sigh of relief.

"The surgery was very successful, even unbelievably smooth."

"The kidney was successfully replanted, all bleeding points have been brought under control, and vital signs... have miraculously stabilized."

The doctor adjusted his glasses, his tone filled with unspoken confusion.

"To be honest, this is simply a miracle in medical history. A kidney that has been removed from the body for more than three hours can still maintain such a high level of activity. Moreover, the patient's body's self-healing ability during the operation is beyond our comprehension. Young Master Ai..."

The surgeon originally wanted to ask if Ai Yi had used any special medicine on the injured person.

There is no specific cure.

Ai Yi knew there was some mysterious power at play, but he wouldn't tell him. Right now, he only cared about one thing.

When will she be out of danger?

"The patient will be transferred to the ICU for 24-hour monitoring. Whether he can pull through the critical period depends on the next few days. Family members can make preparations, but visits are not allowed for the time being."

"A few days... how long will it take? Give me a definite answer."

"Given her situation, it could take anywhere from three to five days. If things don't go smoothly... well, that's hard to say."

Three to five days!

Ai Yi and Cat Master exchanged a glance, their eyes asking, "Can Jiang Chen last that long?"

Cat replied telepathically.

"It should be possible, but to avoid any unforeseen complications, we'll need to use some special methods."

"What special methods do you have? Can I see them?"

"Arrange a private room for her, one where she won't be disturbed."

Understand!

Ai Yi gave an OK sign, ignoring the surgeon's expression as if he were looking at a patient.

At four o'clock in the morning, outside the ICU VIP room of Renxin Hospital, the on-duty doctor and head nurse stood side by side like two gatekeepers, their faces full of resistance that read "I'm sorry, I can't comply."

"Young Master Ai, I understand your feelings, but rules are rules. The first 24 hours after surgery are a critical monitoring period for patients, and professional medical staff must be present. We cannot..."

Ai Yi leaned against the wall, displaying the demeanor of a spoiled rich second-generation.

"Don't give me rules. I was disgusted by the rules I were given today. This hospital is my family's property. Don't I even have special privileges if I want to do something?"

"I'm going to do something shady right now, so please leave this room and lock it from the outside. Don't let even a fly in without my permission. Don't bother me, you can all just get out of here, and don't bother coming to work tomorrow."

The doctor and head nurse were stunned. "You're going to do something shady, and then you say it out loud so openly? Is that really okay?"

Damn rich kids, they don't even bother to keep a low profile these days. Just because your family owns a hospital doesn't mean you're all that great.

However, for the sake of their livelihood, they chose to comply.

With a "bang," Ai locked the door from the inside.

Inside the ward, only he, Cat Grandpa who was squatting on the monitor, and Qiu Ziting who was unconscious on the hospital bed remained.

"What's the next step?"

Ai Yi lowered his voice furtively.

Cat Master gave him a disdainful look.

"Weren't you so smug at the door? Now you're acting all sneaky, lighting the incense to revive your spirit."

Ai Yi wondered if she had misheard, so she turned around to confirm.

"Does 'lit' mean to light the incense sticks with a lighter?"

Yes, you understood correctly.

Ai Yi immediately exploded, "Are you crazy? If this thing burns out, what will happen to the one lying in the cold storage? Will you just send it to the incinerator?"

"Ordinary people."

Cat rolled his eyes lazily, the disdain in his eyes almost tangible.

"The Resurrection Incense is a rare treasure of heaven and earth. Breaking off a piece and lighting it will only weaken its current effectiveness, and it will naturally recover slowly in the future. Lighting it is an extreme way to stimulate its power."

"If it weren't for that kid Jiang Chen, who might not be able to wait three to five days, I wouldn't want to use this method either."

Ai Yi roughly understood, "Is this method risky?"

Cat Master nodded, his tone very serious.

"Yes, so before you start, you need to use medical tape to seal all the vents and door gaps in this room. Not a single gap can be left."

Why?

"Because if the smoke accidentally drifts into the morgue in the basement of this hospital, those corpses might very well come back to life and give you a surprise party."

Ai Yi immediately pictured the bloody scenes from zombie movies, where zombies resurrect and relentlessly attack the living, and couldn't help but shudder.

A surprise party, hehe, it is indeed a surprise, but he doesn't like things with a scary or bloody theme, so he'd better not go for it.