Those who had watched the live stream were still unsure of the outcomes of Zeno’s actions. People flooded Sigmoid with their queries.
– Maybe, that was part of the scene of the movie.
– It’s on national news that they made a mistake with the fire setting.
– Oh.
– Is the guy alive?
– We don’t know. The doctors haven’t arrived in the city yet.
Finally, it was time to satiate the public’s curiosity. The boat filled with doctors arrived, and an ambulance, as well as various media sites, flocked the area.
Dr. Song frowned when she saw the unfolding situation. However, she also tucked her hair behind her ears to look as presentable as possible before she faced them.
“Please leave the patient alone,” she said as she got off the boat. “He will be transported immediately.”
“To the morgue?” one reporter asked.
Dr. Song couldn’t help but chuckle. She shook her head. “No, he is alive. He’ll be brought to the nearest private hospital.”
Gasps of surprise were heard throughout the venue. Those online also voiced their relief.
– Zeno Han is one lucky man. That guy actually lived after the monstrosity he did.
– How is it a monstrosity?
– You saw what he did! He stabbed him in the neck.
– People with no background in the medical field should not talk.
“What can you say about the procedure done on him before you arrived?”
Dr. Song smiled, confusing the viewers. “I’m very thankful for the first aid Mr. Kwong had received when we arrived. It was the first time I had seen the procedure done with a pen tube. It was definitely risky.”
They held their breaths, ready for the juicy news.
“However, it worked.”
“Without it, Mr. Kwong would be dead by now.”
With those words, the public’s opinion began to shift. The reporters also took note of the revelations.
“What’s going to happen with the film now?” another reporter asked.
Dr. Song pursed her lips. “Well, I don’t know the details of their filming schedule. We were only called in case an emergency happened. However, it seemed everything was taken care of when we arrived.”
“For now, half of our doctors stayed on the island, treating those injured during the filming.”
“How bad is it?”
“Not too bad,” Dr. Song answered. “Although, I am quite worried about Zeno Han. He was the one who saved them from the fire, and that kind of strain on the body wouldn’t be easy.”
***
Zeno smiled.
The air he breathed in smelled of the cotton candy available in Avalis for 24 hours. The cloud he was lying on wasn’t as soft as he had remembered, but that wasn’t a problem.
In the end, he was still lying down, and that was the most important.
The sweet scent was then mixed with the strong aroma of coffee, making his smile widen.
Ah, rest.
The greatest thing invented.
“I think he’s awake,” an unfamiliar voice said.
“He’s smiling by himself.”
Zeno’s smile dropped when he heard new voices. He had been in Avalis the longest, so he was familiar with those around him. He was sure these people weren’t Rennis.
So, he slowly opened his eyes.
“He’s awake!”
There, he was greeted by a white ceiling and the scent of antiseptic. He pursed his lips when he realized he wasn’t back in Avalis, nor was he resting.
He just passed out.
He sighed and shook his head.
However, he beamed when he received a notification.
[-2 Public Perception. Regarded as a murderer by a few.]
But then again, happiness for him was short-lived.
That was a notification from an hour ago. He had a new one that made him wish he stayed in the fire instead.
[+4 Public Perception. Regarded as a lifesaver by many.]
[Notable Meter: 19%]
“Excuse me, Mr. Zeno?” the doctor said, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Zeno looked up at them with raised eyebrows.
“Are you feeling okay now?”
Zeno slowly nodded.
The doctor sighed in relief. “That’s good. It would be horrific if you saved their lives, but you ended up in demise. Your body must be in a lot of fatigue.”
Zeno shook his head. This body was just weak!
During his firefighter days, he could stay inside a burning building for around half an hour!
“If you think about it, you’re like the real-life version of Dr. Black!” she exclaimed.
Meanwhile, the actors and the staff, who had gone to their respective hotel rooms for the night, couldn’t help but talk about what had happened.
The main characters, in particular, gathered in the VIP dining area, appearing stressed as they discussed the mishap that had happened.
“Is your arm okay now?” Hyunbin asked.
Ian glanced at his wrapped skin and nodded. “It’s still a bit sore, but it’s nothing I can handle. Mr. Kwong and Zeno suffered worse injuries than I did.”
Risa perked up. “Can you believe what happened though? How can a single man go inside a burning mansion and rescue four people? He even performed that cricotomy—crico–cricket—ah, whatever! That life-saving thing. Does he have any medical background?”
“Not that I know of,” Chaewon PD muttered, making them even more amazed by what had happened.
Hyunbin, who still wasn’t fond of Zeno, couldn’t say anything because he also found it pretty cool.
He wasn’t going to admit it out loud, though.
Jiho, on the other hand, felt at fault. He should have listened to Zeno from the very beginning!
“Does he have any social media accounts?” Risa asked, appearing intrigued.
Ian pursed his lips. “I’m curious about that, too.”
“He doesn’t,” Jiho sighed. “That’s why the company had a hard time contacting him until he arrived at the casting calls.”
“Aww,” Risa muttered. “I would have made a Sigmoid account if he had one.”
Ian turned to her with wide eyes, but she didn’t pay him any attention.
“What is going to happen now?” Hyunbin chimed, asking the important question. “We have violated the safety of the filming set, and the production is also facing backlash. We’re nearing the end of filming the movie, but with these unprecedented happenings, what could we do?”
“Fortunately, Moonrise Media has taken care of the issues regarding its ethicality. No one was significantly injured except for Mr. Kwong, too. Selina seemed to want to continue with the filming, and Ian also agreed,” Chaewon PD started off.
“We will continue to receive backlash, but I believe that will die down within the next week and will only be a small issue during the premiere. So, in the end, we only have one person to convince… or possibly replace, but I’m afraid the latter would cause more backlash.”
Although Chaewon PD did not mention a name, they knew exactly who she was talking about.
Just then, before anyone could give their input, the door burst open with a hotel staff.
“He’s awake.”