"That's too risky, you're taking a huge gamble doing that."
Gu Zhaobei was frantic upon hearing this.
He had thought his daughter was sneaking out for a secret romance, and that their prize cabbage had been snatched by some pig along with its pot. He hadn't expected it to be such serious business. While relieved, a chill ran down his spine.
They were just ordinary folk. If they clashed directly with Prince Xia's regular army, they could easily get hurt.
"It's fine. Fortune favors the bold, and the iron collection mission is complete."
Gu Qingcheng said cheerfully, completely unfazed.
"The 10 tons of iron mission is actually complete?"
Gu Zhaobei still couldn't believe it.
"Of course. My risks were worth it. You have no idea how heavy those iron armors were, and the shields were even more incredible," Gu Qingcheng said. "I need to upgrade the yacht quickly."
Gu Qingcheng realized she had stopped after collecting enough iron, precisely 10 tons.
"Alright, let's see what it turns into after you upgrade it."
Gu Qingcheng clicked upgrade.
Instantly, the yacht, which had three rooms, expanded in both area and volume, becoming like a small warship.
The upgraded yacht had two levels, with more private rooms, totaling eight. It also gained a medical room, a gym, and even defensive equipment, including weaponry capable of firing projectiles.
The yacht's materials were also comprehensively upgraded. Ordinary glass was replaced with bulletproof glass, and the hull was made of a more impact-resistant material.
Gu Qingcheng looked at the beautiful yacht, a sense of joy welling up within her. She placed her hand on the hull, and information about the yacht immediately appeared in her mind. The yacht was 42.4 meters long, 8.25 meters wide, with a maximum draft of 1.88 meters.
Passenger capacity: 100 people.
Speed: Maximum speed of 70 knots, or 100 kilometers per hour.
Special note: With another 10 tons of iron, it can be upgraded to auto-repair. Unless the core engine is hit, it can achieve infinite self-repair.
Gu Qingcheng was overjoyed and told her father about the yacht's upgrade.
Gu Zhaobei breathed a sigh of relief and said,
"With this, our chances of survival in the flood have greatly increased.
However, the infinite repair function still requires a lot of iron. You mustn't take any more risks. There's still plenty of time, and we can find it slowly. There will always be opportunities."
Gu Zhaobei didn't want his daughter to take risks again.
Gu Qingcheng was indifferent. She felt she could relax for a while.
After all, in these times, it wouldn't be easy to damage her yacht. Her yacht was fast and had offensive weapons, so the infinite repair function could wait for now.
Gu Zhaobei looked at his daughter, who appeared frail on the outside but was capable of shouldering great responsibilities on the inside, and a genuine sense of pride welled up in his heart as a father.
"Qingcheng, don't be so reckless in the future. If you have to go, bring Dad with you."
Gu Qingcheng knew she had been a bit rash tonight, but truthfully, she didn't want her father to go precisely because of the danger. Hearing him say that, she nodded obediently.
Knowing when to correct a mistake and simply nodding was the best way for children to handle their parents' worries.
Indeed, seeing her so obedient, Gu Zhaobei softened first and said,
"Have you eaten?"
"Dad, I have, sea cucumber and abalone! What about you? Have you eaten?"
"Of course, I have," Gu Zhaobei said, touching his nose somewhat guiltily.
Had he eaten?
He had completely forgotten!
He had to save people and didn't have time to eat.
Most importantly, after eating the black chocolate, he was full of energy for the day and didn't feel hungry, naturally willing to dedicate his energy to treating the sick and saving lives.
"Dad, it looks like you'll be busy treating the injured down the mountain for the next few days?"
Gu Zhaobei nodded and said, "Yes. How can I stand by and watch people suffer? You should go home tomorrow and tell your mother about what's happening here, so she doesn't worry unnecessarily. Coincidentally, Steward Zheng said he'd be sending people up the mountain with supplies tomorrow, so you can go back with them."
"Okay."
Gu Qingcheng also knew her mother would worry, so she readily agreed.
Gu Qingcheng pretended she wanted a late-night snack and made herself a small self-serve hot pot, enjoying a meal with her father.
The next morning, before either of them had woken up, they were startled awake by a series of knocks on the door. It sounded like an orderly from the medical clinic.
Gu Zhaobei opened the door, still groggy, and asked,
"What is it?"
Only a matter of life and death would prompt someone to knock during a doctor's rest time, so Gu Zhaobei wasn't angry.
"Divine Doctor Gu, it's Young Master Huo. He's been rescued, but his left hand is severely frostbitten. We need you to operate."
Gu Zhaobei nodded.
He knew that no matter how many common people he saved, to the powerful, it would only highlight his excellent medical skills.
However, what truly gave him weight in the eyes of the powerful was this moment: treating the family members of high officials and noble families.
Gu Qingcheng held no ill feelings towards this Young Master Huo. Seeing her father rushing off to save him, she secretly asked with concern,
"Dad, if the rescue fails, will Commander Huo vent his anger on us?"
"It's hard to say," Gu Zhaobei replied, full of worry.
As danger loomed, Gu Qingcheng's heart also grew tense.
Suddenly, she slapped her forehead and said, "Dad, I wonder if the Vigour Pill is effective for treating external injuries?"
"Hmm, that's a good idea! How did I not think of it? We can try dissolving it in water and test it on Young Master Huo first. If it works, we can use it for the frostbitten commoners too."
"Okay."
Gu Qingcheng's heart eased. She had a feeling the Vigour Pill was a life-saving elixir. Since it could visibly improve physical condition, it should at least promote faster wound healing.
Although the Vigour Pill was only effective once per person, as long as it worked when lives were at stake, that was enough.
Gu Qingcheng bought 10 Vigour Pills and stored them. She couldn't afford more; they were too expensive. Each Vigour Pill cost 500 satisfaction points, and after this purchase, she had less than 100 left. If needed later, she would buy more once she accumulated enough points.
Gu Zhaobei quickly changed his clothes and hurried to the medical clinic.
After breakfast, Gu Qingcheng accompanied Steward Zheng's supply carts back to Cliff Mountain.
Upon arriving at the clinic, Gu Zhaobei saw Young Master Huo lying on the examination bed, showing signs of severe frostbite all over his body. Blisters had formed on his legs, his face was blackened, and the situation was dire.
It turned out that when the extreme cold struck, he was out hunting in the wilderness. His subordinates had immediately noticed the advancing snowline.
In a moment of desperation, Young Master Huo's guards killed a horse and let him crawl into its abdomen. This allowed him to survive the fatal extreme cold.
Young Master Huo was trapped in the horse's abdomen, while his accompanying guards froze to death. Meanwhile, the city was in chaos. Commander Huo sent people out to search for several days before finally finding him.
Gu Zhaobei saw that the extent of his frostbite had reached level three. The situation was grim, and even with antibiotics, it wasn't certain he could be saved.
As he was contemplating, Commander Huo heard that Gu Zhaobei had arrived and quickly came to see him. Upon entering, Commander Huo performed a deep bow to Gu Zhaobei and said,
"Divine Doctor Gu, our Huo family's future rests on him. Please save him. I am eternally grateful."
Gu Zhaobei quickly stepped aside to avoid the bow and said,
"Lord Huo, I, Gu, will do my utmost. However, Young Master Huo's frostbite is severe, and the situation is perilous. I do not have a ten-tenths certainty of saving him."