Chapter 34 - 30: One Dart Seals the Throat

Don’t get the wrong idea; Chen Jue was purely interested in the Rope Dart.

There were so many pretty girls on the streets, in the malls, and all over the internet; it wasn’t like Chen Jue would fall in love with every single one he saw.

However, as a seasoned aficionado of beautiful women—with a favorites folder containing 396 ladies he’d happily spend the rest of his life with—he definitely wouldn’t be so reckless as to just walk up and try to hit on her.

Going up and forcing a conversation like that wasn’t hitting on someone, it was harassment.

He first went to a small stall at the park entrance to buy some soy milk and a savory crepe, then made his way over to the group of old men playing chess to watch.

Chen Jue didn’t ask a single question. He just ate his breakfast and kept his ears open.

Just like the gossip network formed by the aunties sitting at a village entrance, these old men playing chess were also a wellspring of information.

"Old Wu’s granddaughter has really gotten more and more beautiful since she graduated from college."

"My grandson is such a disappointment. He went to study abroad and brought back a foreign doll, otherwise I’d really want to arrange a marriage with Old Wu’s family."

"Give me a break, Liu Er. You think you can marry into Old Wu’s family with those few small two-bedroom apartments you own? You’re not in the same league!" The old rascals chattered on as they played, their landlord statuses on full display.

In less than twenty minutes, they had spilled all the details about the grandfather and granddaughter who were practicing with the Rope Dart.

The white-haired old man’s surname was Wu. He was a retired university professor who enjoyed coming to the park to practice his kung fu and stay fit. The Rope Dart was his specialty.

His granddaughter was also a teacher, but she taught high school P.E. She had been learning Martial Arts from her grandfather since she was a child and had even participated in various Martial Arts competitions.

She was twenty-six, and a whole slew of guys from the nearby residential complexes were pursuing her.

But so far, no one had seen her bring a boyfriend home. Apparently, her standards were very high, and she was extremely picky.

Chen Jue considered his own appearance, then glanced again at the girl’s stunningly curvy figure—so full of charisma and heroic grace. Suddenly, the crepe in his hand lost its flavor.

’First, lose weight!’

’Then, work on my image. After that, I’ll see if fate brings us together.’ Chen Jue made up his mind.

It couldn’t be helped. Looks mattered in any era.

Right now, Chen Jue had no money and no charisma. His exceptional skill with Darts alone wasn’t enough to carry him.

Having been single for so long, a bit of insecurity was starting to gnaw at him.

...

After leaving the park, he took the report from his last physical and drove to a large nearby hospital to book an appointment with a specialist in the gastroenterology department.

Other minor issues, like the frozen shoulder in his left shoulder and the herniated lumbar disc, could be improved with exercise.

As for the hemorrhoids and hair loss, the former was caused by his job. After hearing old rhymes like "long sitting brings hemorrhoids, nine out of ten men have ’em, and ten out of ten women do too," he knew just how common the problem was. He just needed to find the right time to go to the hospital and have them removed.

However, he’d heard it was extremely painful after the surgery and prone to recurrence, making it another problem without a complete cure.

Hair loss was even more common. The worst part was that it had many causes and no universally effective miracle cure. Neither traditional Chinese nor Western medicine had a solution.

Just look at the British royal family—all the princes ended up bald.

As for the handsome and dashing Prince Charming from the fairy tales, the original inspiration was a description of those turban-wearing wealthy sheikhs from the Middle East, not the bald princes of Great Britain.

They were one of the world’s top royal families; what kind of medical resources didn’t they have at their disposal? And they still went bald. There was no cure. One could only imagine the complexities involved.

After waiting for over an hour, it was finally Chen Jue’s turn to go in.

The specialist was a man in his fifties, a Chief Physician. The consultation fee was 300 yuan, a testament to his high level of expertise.

He briefly reviewed Chen Jue’s physical report and case analysis, then pressed a few spots on his upper abdomen and to the right. Chen Jue cried out in pain with each press, and the doctor quickly recommended a conservative treatment plan.

"Appendicitis is usually caused by a fecalith or undigested food blocking the appendiceal lumen. Yours is chronic appendicitis, which is fine when it’s not acting up. However, I still recommend having it removed, because if it becomes acute, you could experience intense pain or even go into shock."

"As for these gallstones, they’re more troublesome! They aren’t like kidney stones, which can be broken up with ultrasound and then slowly passed out of the body through the urinary tract."

"Because the kidney’s ureter points downward, once the stones are broken into small particles, they can travel down it. But the gallbladder is oriented diagonally upward, and your cystic duct is N-shaped, like a paperclip. Even if the stones were broken up, they would remain in the gallbladder, and you’d experience severe pain whenever it flares up." The Chief Physician pointed to an anatomical chart on the wall, patiently explaining the situation to Chen Jue.

"Doctor, is there a way to remove the stones but preserve the gallbladder? I’m still young; I don’t want to have it removed just yet," Chen Jue asked.

He had looked up the consequences of a cholecystectomy online and found a long list of complications and side effects. Naturally, he wasn’t willing to lose his gallbladder at such a young age.

"Of course!"

"One option is taking a special medication, Ursodeoxycholic Acid Capsules, which can dissolve cholesterol gallstones. The other is a gallbladder-preserving stone removal surgery. Our hospital can perform it, but the best technique is at Modu Dongfang Hospital. They have a specialized biliary stone disease department—the only one in the country. You can go check it out."

The Chief Physician probably figured Chen Jue wasn’t short on cash, given that he’d paid for a specialist consultation, so he kindly pointed him toward another option.

"Modu Dongfang Hospital?"

Chen Jue noted the name on his phone, offered a few words of thanks, and picked up some prescription medication, planning to go home and take it for a while to recuperate.

...

’Seeing a doctor really burns through money.’

’Just an appointment and some medicine, and 2,000 yuan is gone.’ Chen Jue couldn’t help but complain.

Since they were imported drugs, they weren’t covered by medical insurance, so he had to buy them at a large pharmacy near the hospital.

But men’s spending habits could be so strange.

He’d spend thousands on a spa treatment at the Jingtang Club without a second thought, but when it came to spending a little money on his own health, he’d fuss and moan.

He had lunch out, drove back to the talent apartment complex, and retrieved a few packages from the delivery lockers downstairs.

The efficiency of the "free-shipping zone" was terrifying. You could often place an order one night and have it delivered the next afternoon.

Most importantly, after living on his own for so long, Chen Jue had picked up quite a few life hacks.

For instance, when shopping online, he almost always bought from sellers shipping from within the province, which meant items were usually delivered within 24 hours. It was incredibly convenient.

He went upstairs and unboxed his things. Two power banks and the Darts had arrived.

He put the power banks on to charge and started playing with his new Martial Arts Darts.

The Darts were shaped like miniature short swords, made of solid stainless steel. The name "Feihong" was stamped onto them.

Though they weren’t sharpened, they glinted silver in the sunlight. The tips had a sharp, imposing aura, and they felt heavy in his hand. They were very eye-catching.

’Traditional Chinese Darts are still the best.’

’The feel is so much better than foreign imports like needle-style darts!’

Chen Jue absolutely loved them. He felt the few hundred yuan he’d spent was well worth it.

He packed them into the storage pouch the seller had included, then took an hour-long nap to recharge.

Chen Jue then got up and headed to the nearby park, planning to test out his new Darts.

He had time this afternoon and wanted to practice with the more difficult Chinese-style Darts to raise his Skill Level and Attributes.

But before he could find a suitable spot in the park, he heard the screams of adults and a child.

He ran over to look and saw, on a large lawn not far away, a huge dog nearly half the size of a full-grown man pouncing on a little boy, mauling him.

The dog was covered in bulging muscles, its fur a dark brown. He couldn’t tell the breed, but one look was enough to know it was a vicious dog. It had clamped down on the boy’s thigh and was thrashing its head, a low growl rumbling in its throat. It was no use how the adults nearby tried to shield the child.

A park sanitation worker was nearby, swinging a broom and slamming it on the dog’s head, but even after a few hits, it didn’t let go.

"Quick, find something to pry it off!"

"Save the kid first!"

"Call the police! Get the police over here now!"

Several old men who had been exercising and strolling in the park were also frantic. Some went searching for rocks and sticks, while others called the police for backup.

But a vicious dog on a rampage was truly terrifying. Most people were too scared to get close.

The child’s cries, the adults’ screams, and the vicious dog’s snarls all mixed together, creating a scene of utter chaos.

Just then, a cold light flashed. The head of a Rope Dart shot out from the hand of a heroic-looking young woman nearby, smashing heavily into the big dog.

"ARF! OOF!" The big dog let out a couple of low yelps of pain.

But it still didn’t let go. In fact, the blow only enraged it, and it bit down even harder.

This was because the head of her Rope Dart was cone-shaped and unsharpened—a practice weapon for Martial Arts, lacking lethal force.

However, the young woman wielding the Rope Dart clearly had a lot of strength. She struck the dog twice more, and the crazed animal finally couldn’t take the pain. It howled and tried to run away.

But it hadn’t gotten more than a few meters when a SWOOSH cut through the air. A sharp-tipped dart buried itself deep in its neck, splattering blood everywhere.

The large dog didn’t get far before it collapsed to the ground with a whimper. It let out a few gurgling gasps, its legs twitched twice, and then it went still.

’A single dart to the throat?’

’Who was that? Who’s so skilled?’

The young woman with the Rope Dart was also stunned. She turned and scanned the crowd, finally spotting the person who had thrown the dart.

It was a slightly pudgy young man with average looks, wearing a tracksuit. He was holding a storage pouch in his right hand and another sword-shaped dart in his left.

Their eyes met, and they nodded to each other.

They didn’t speak, because the chaotic scene wasn’t over yet.

A middle-aged woman dripping with jewels pushed through the crowd. She cradled the dog’s still-warm body and cried out, "My baby! My baby, what’s wrong with you?"

"Why aren’t you moving? Baby!"