In a difficult position, Doctor Zhao looked at Qi Xia, who was equally at a loss for words.
"Can this be used?" Qi Xia asked quietly.
"It's not a major issue," Doctor Zhao nodded. "Medical suture needles often employ curved needles. As long as they're sharp enough, we can make do."
Qi Xia paused to consider the situation, then addressed the female shop assistant, "Miss, we don't have any money. Could we perhaps arrange a trade instead?"
"Money?" The female shop assistant stared at Qi Xia blankly, seemingly puzzled by the concept of {money}. After a prolonged silence, she finally said, "I don't want money. Let's sleep together."
"Sleep..." Qi Xia's lips moved slightly. "What do you mean?"
"We can eat little piglets after we sleep together!" The female shop assistant's expression turned manic, and she unexpectedly started to drool.
She walked over to the filthy bed, sat down, and patted the spot next to her invitingly.
"Come on, come here quickly."
With unsettling agility, the female shop assistant removed her top, revealing she wore nothing underneath. Her emaciated frame, caked with grime and smeared with bloodstains, resembled a skeleton.
Qiao Jiajin was silent for a moment before nudging Qi Xia with his elbow and saying, "Just take one for the team."
"Why don’t you go?" Qi Xia retorted irritably.
"She invited you specifically." Qiao Jiajin said with a gleeful smirk. "Didn't you hear her? As long as you sleep with her, we can eat the little piglet in her pot. Besides, that writer is waiting for the fishhook to save his life. No matter how we look at it, this would be a noble sacrifice..."
Before Qi Xia could respond, the female shop assistant turned to Qiao Jiajin, her eyes gleaming with a crazed excitement. "You can come too! All four of you can join!"
"Ah?" Qiao Jiajin was stunned, "Me...?"
"What in the world..." Police Officer Li finally couldn't hold himself back any longer. After so many years as a police officer, the situation in front of him was completely beyond his understanding. "Miss, what exactly are you trying to do? We are here to buy supplies. Why are you complicating things ?"
"I..." The female shop assistant widened her eyes and suddenly yelled, "I want to eat little piglets!!"
After shouting, she seemed to remember something, hastily placing the fishhook and fishing line onto the bed. She then ran to the iron cooking pot and peered inside.
"Little piglet... don't get spoiled..."
She lifted a tree branch with a hint of concern and gently swirled the soup in the pot.
Qi Xia took advantage of the opportunity to quietly approach the bed, picking up the fishhook and fishing line. Turning towards Doctor Zhao, he handed them over and calmly instructed, "Go aid him first; we’ll manage things here."
Doctor Zhao took the fishhook and fishing line and stepped outside. He found a few relatively clean stones on the ground and began dealing with the fishhook. Afterwards, he briefed the others outside on what had transpired in the staff room.
Even for a professional like Tian Tian, the shop assistant's behavior remained incomprehensible.
"Don't worry about it. Qi Xia is right. Our priority is to save a life," Lin Qin reassured as she took the fishing line and turned back to check on Han Yimo.
Doctor Zhao used a stone to grind off the rust on the fishhook, meticulously sharpening it as much as possible. Meanwhile, Lin Qin untangled the fishing line.
"It should be good to go..." After ensuring everything was prepared, Doctor Zhao turned back to Han Yimo and said, "I'm going to remove the harpoon and suture the wound."
"Okay..." Han Yimo nodded faintly.
"But there is no anesthetic available," Doctor Zhao admitted with embarrassment. "The pain may be beyond your imagination."
"It's okay... at least I can survive, right?" Han Yimo asked, forcing a smile.
"As long as the wound doesn't get infected, survival shouldn't be an issue."
"That's a relief... let's do it then..."
Inside the staff room, three men stood behind the female shop assistant, observing her as she fiddled with the pot.
Despite her lack of clothing, the three men did not feel swayed; instead, they had the unsettling urge to flee.
"Hey, swindler," Qiao Jiajin asked in a low voice, "You stole her {goods}. What if she gets angry later?"
"I'm not sure," Qi Xia shook his head.
Police Officer Li remained silent for a moment before whispering, "Don't we still have {Dào 道}? Perhaps she would be willing to trade for those?"
"How could that possibly work?!" Qiao Jiajin exclaimed unhappily. "Those {Dào} are something we traded for our lives. Are you really willing to give them to this lunatic?"
"We're also trying to save a life here!"
Their debate continued as the female shop assistant slowly turned around.
She appeared relieved as she calmly approached the bedside. The fish hooks and fishing lines that had been there were now gone.
She hesitated, casting a puzzled glance at the bed as if sensing something amiss. "Huh?"
But she quickly shook her head and muttered, "Oh, right... sleeping together. Who among you four will go first?"
The female shop assistant lifted her head and gazed at the three individuals before her. She seemed to drift into confusion once more, asking, "Weren’t there four men? Has it always been three? Nevermind… three will do."
Qiao Jiajin shook his head and whispered, "See? She's crazier than I thought."
"En..." Qi Xia appeared lost in thought for a while before speaking up, "We do not want to sleep with you, we’re just to make a purchase."
With that, he retrieved a golden {Dào} from his pocket, placing it beside the female shop assistant. He added, "I'm uncertain of its value, but it's all we possess."
In Qi Xia's view, the residents here likely knew about the figures clad in animal masks and had some awareness of {Dào}. These items, exchanged at the risk of one's life, surely held value in their eyes.
The female shop assistant gazed curiously at the orb, then picked it up and gave it a few squeezes.
Then, to the astonishment of the three onlookers, she tossed the orb into her mouth.
With a {crunching} sound, the bead shattered into pieces, was chewed, and swallowed into her stomach.
"It doesn’t taste good..." The female shop assistant shook her head. "Little piglets taste much better."
The three grown men were left dumbfounded by the unexpected turn of events, unable to comprehend that the items they had risked their lives for had been consumed so casually by another person.
"If you don't want to sleep together...then you can leave," the female shop assistant sighed helplessly, her disappointment evident on her face. "Inevitably there will always be someone who will come to sleep together with me."
Though the situation remained baffling for the three men, at least they now had the option to leave.
Resentfully, the three of them exited the room, contemplating how they would explain losing a {Dào} to everyone. However, upon stepping out, they found Doctor Zhao already extracting the harpoon from Han Yimo's body. Blood gushed out, and Han Yimo's forehead was beaded with sweat.
"Come help!" Lin Qin urgently called out to them.
Qiao Jiajin and Police Officer Li hurried over to assist, restraining Han Yimo's hands and feet as he involuntarily squirmed in pain.
"Han Yimo, look at me!" Doctor Zhao spoke earnestly. "Do you still recognize me?!"
"You're Doctor Zhao..." Han Yimo replied through gritted teeth.
"That's right, you need to stay conscious!" Doctor Zhao swiftly threaded the fishhook through the line, causing Han Yimo to emit another stifled groan.
"Keep talking with me," Doctor Zhao said calmly and unhurriedly. "Discuss something that interests you to distract yourself."
"Something that interests me...?" Han Yimo smiled wryly.
"Aren't you a writer?" Doctor Zhao continued. "Why not talk about your work?"