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Chapter 426

Chapter 426: 50 Grams

After the meeting, the medical team and the command central decided on a clinical experiment . 10 patients would be chosen to be given normal soil to see if it would lessen the addiction effect . They would also observe the change to the patient’s mind and body . Temporarily they were not going to touch the abnormal soil with the parasitic eggs .

The 10 patients were soon selected, there were 5 teachers and 5 students, 5 males and 5 females . Their age ranged from 17 to 45 . They all volunteered . The patients suffered from the same conditions . Their mental state was close to delirium . The psychologists’ intervention proved ineffective . They simply demanded for soil . Once the clinical experiment was brought up, they fought to be a part of it .

The 10 patients were escorted into isolated quarantine sickrooms . Cameras would take down the whole process . Inside the room was also the electrocardiogram, stomach pump, cleansing stone and other devices . The head discipline teacher, Wang Jinbo was one of the volunteers .

Everyone had nothing bad to say about the head discipline teacher . Mr . Wang was currently 40 plus . He was strict but that was because he cared about the students . He distanced himself from office politics and since he became the head discipline teacher, the school’s performance improved . The man was partly responsible for the rising reputation of Mo Bei Gao Ji High School . Normally Mr . Wang would be dressed in a casual suit and his hair would be properly set . He had that old professor vibe to him . Whenever the students saw him, they would show him great respect even though they’d also gossip about the amount of hair gel he would have gone through in a month .

But now, after 30 hours of torment, Mr . Wang lost so much worse for wear . His hair was rumpled and two heavy eye bags sat on his face . There was a strange and suppressed desire in his eyes . He was like a relapsed addict who was dragged back to rehab .

“What is going on, what is going on…” Wang Jinbo sat by the bed and mumbled . He’d pull on his hair and scratch his throat . He felt like he had not eaten anything for 10 days already . His stomach was rumbling . He desperately needed to eat but he would only put one thing into his mouth . Before entering this room, Wang Jinbo was arranged to do some physical inspection and now the nurse connected the electrocardiogram to his body . The cameras recorded everything .

At that moment, the door opened . Several medical workers in heavy suits walked in . Their tag identified them as doctors and nurses . They pushed along a stainless-steel cart . The cart contained syringes, drugs and a covered plate .

“Ah…” Wang Jinbo could smell the barely discernible scent of soil in the air . It required everything he had to not jump up from the bed to grab at the plate .

Si Kouxian and Wang Ruoxiang were part of the team . They were there for clinical observation . Not only the data collected from the devices, they wanted to observe the psychological changes in the patients in person .

“Mr . Wang . ” Si Kouxian addressed the patient, “We’ve brought you 50 grams of soil . ” 50 grams is about the weight of one egg . Ingesting 50 grams of soil would not be fatal, although it might cause indigestion, diarrhea or so on . However, those with a strong stomach might not be affected at all . In any case, this was a safe amount . The soil was transferred from the south, it was not dug up from around Mo Bei . They had been examined . The soil contained no parasite, virus or bacteria . The soil provided was worked and clean loose soil .

“50 grams?!” Wang Jinbo gasped in disappointment . He instantly became more agitated . How much was 50 grams? One mouthful or two?

“Yes, 50 grams . This is just for us to observe the changes . ” Si Kouxian said . With the patient’s condition, allowing them a free buffet would cause clogging in their intestinal tracts .

“Okay… where is it?” Wang Jinbo demanded . He saw the nurse pull back the plate cover and a patch of brown soil sat on the plate . Once the nurse pushed the cart over, Wang Jinbo reached hungrily for the soil and shoved it into his mouth . His cheeks were stuffed immediately . He masticated madly before he wolfed down the whole soil . Gluttony and greed were plain in his action . Wang Jinbo did not lose his rationality, he was quite ashamed and pained by how he was acting . However, he was too weak to control his urge…

At the same time, the doctors kept their eyes close on Wang Jinbo . The result of this clinical experiment was very important . If the patients could get some mental satisfaction and some relief from these with no bad influence to their bodies, then this could be a valid cure . The small bit of soil could be used to accompany other normal food and that would ensure the patient’s nutrition needs . Daily ingestion of 50 grams of soil was not too bad on the human body . There was precedent in the world where someone had survived on such an amount for 10 years and their bodies were perfectly fine .

If this could be settled, Phecda could turn their focus to epidemic control, to prevent more people from falling under the influence of Locust Sickness .

“Urgh, urgh…” Wang Jinbo issued a strange swallowing sound . He licked his fingers that had grabbed the soil clean . Then he even grabbed the plate which had carried the soil and licked that clean . Wang Ruoxiang watched the electrocardiogram . The patient’s blood pressure and heart rate were rising . Even though the cleansing stone and opaline stone showed no response, Wang Ruoxiang saw… an increased fanaticism in Mr . Wang’s eyes…

“Is there more? Please, give me more!” Wang Jinbo’s middle-aged face flushed . The desire in his eyes did not dissipate . “This is not enough, it is really not enough… And the taste is not right, even though I have not had the real thing before but it tastes different from what I expected…” The patients were not informed of the origin of the soul . They would assume the soil sample came from Mo Bei . At that moment, the doctors shared a look . The patients appeared to be able to differentiate the soil variants even though they had not tasted the actual abnormal soil before . The question was, would normal soil be effective? Could it alleviate the patient’s symptoms?

“Mr . Wang, we will only provide 50 grams per day . ” Si Kouxian explained, “Do you feel like eating something else? We can get them for you . ”

“No…” Wang Jinbo’s face reddened before it blanched . Suddenly cold sweat broke out on his forehead and he gripped his stomach . “Ergh, the ache…”

Seeing as the patient’s heart rate rose to 145 times per minute, Si Kouxian ordered, “Prepare for gastric lavage now!” The team moved into action . The doctors’ heart sank despite already being prepared for this . It was why the stomach pump was moved into the room . Even apomorphine was prepared for emetics . Even though the drug would take effect 5 minutes after injection, it had too many side effects . It would cause mental disturbances, in serious cases, it might lead to loss of consciousness so it would only be used in extreme situations .

However, before the nurse even had the chance to connect the lavage tube, Wang Jinbo suddenly bent over and vomited into the wastebasket next to the bed . The stench instantly filled up the room . The ingested soil mixed with stomach acid and fresh blood splattered into the basket .