When Jiang Qin issued the statement, she found the whole thing rather ridiculous.

It reminded her of the people who wanted to learn Martial Arts, and those who wanted to see ghosts.

’They’re probably the same group of people as this current bunch trying to raise zombies.’

She felt completely helpless.

’Does everyone misunderstand me this badly?’

’How could they take a TV show so seriously, time and time again, and even try to copy it?’

In any case, she had already issued her statement and given the necessary warnings.

However, she never expected that when the statement came out, everyone would completely overlook the "Purely Fictional" part and instead start flooding the comments with questions.

For example:

[Miss Jiang Qing, after my friend’s body was left in the moonlight for two days, it seems to have started smelling strange. Is this a sign that he’s turning into a zombie?]

Jiang Qin replied, "No, your friend is probably just starting to stink."

[Miss Jiang Qing, are you denying the existence of zombies because you’re afraid we’ll all become immortal once we succeed in raising them?]

Jiang Qin: ’...There’s no talking sense into people who are determined to die.’

[But I feel like my father, whom I’ve been "raising," seems to have changed a little.]

Jiang Qin: "It’s your imagination!"

[Turns out there are this many idiots in the world. I suddenly feel pretty smart by comparison.]

[Hahaha, who actually takes a TV show seriously? They must be crazy for immortality.]

[But some of the content in this TV series perfectly matches ancient texts. How do you explain that?]

The netizen who left this comment also posted a picture of an ancient text from their family’s collection.

In the photo, the ancient text was sealed in a Jade Box. It was so tattered that its original form was completely unrecognizable, and the writing was blurry.

Only a few scattered words could be vaguely made out.

Words like "zombie," "Talisman Paper," and "fortune-telling" were visible.

Jiang Qin confirmed with a single glance that it was just another novel from her era.

In truth, she could understand it.

People usually bring a few books with them when they travel by car or plane to pass the time.

So it wasn’t strange at all that these people’s ancestors brought a few novels with them when they traveled on starships back in the day.

That was likely the origin of these so-called "ancient texts."

The books that had been officially brought along and stored in warehouses were all lost for various reasons.

But these personal reading materials, kept close at hand, had survived instead.

But... some of them had ended up being treated by the Interstellar People as windows into history.

It was like how people from her era couldn’t understand: if dragons don’t exist, why are they in the zodiac?

The Interstellar People also didn’t understand: if these things never existed, how could they be in books?

Even fiction—many novels, after all—was derived from reality.

The bottom line was... even after she issued a statement emphasizing the word "fictional," many people still refused to believe it.

They still insisted on trying to raise zombies.

In the end, the Law Enforcement Team had to step in, forcibly confiscate the bodies, and send them for cremation to finally end the farce.

After all, everyone knew that corpses carried a lot of germs.

But there was no guarantee that someone wasn’t still secretly hiding a body.

This whole mess made Jiang Qin wonder if she should even film the sequel. ’If an Immortal Hero Drama comes out, won’t they all go completely nuts?’

***

By the time she saw Mo Chen again, it was early August.

The first season of *My Date with a Vampire* had already finished airing.

Walking through the hospital, she could see many people sporting sets of Zombie Teeth.

Jiang Qin was suddenly reminded of the classic trope: ’I wonder if there’s a real one mixed in with the fakes?’

Although it was a bit awkward, she tried her best to remain unfazed.

’Trends like this come and go quickly.’

"Miss Jiang!"

When someone called her name, Jiang Qin finally recognized the pale, gaunt man in front of her. It was Mo Chen.

"Admiral Mo? Long time no see."

Mo Chen smiled back. "Long time no see. I’ve been at a rehabilitation center. I was just transferred here yesterday."

"I’ve been wanting to pay a formal visit to thank Mr. Yun and the other gentlemen for saving my life, but I haven’t had the strength."

"You’re too kind, Admiral. You defend the front lines to protect ordinary people like us."

Mo Chen didn’t say anything more, but he committed the debt to memory.

If Cang Hong and the others hadn’t taken him away back then, he most likely would have been devoured by an Alien Beast.

"Are you here for a soothing performance today, Miss Jiang?"

Jiang Qin nodded. "Yes, I have an arrangement with the hospital."

"Then I won’t keep you. I wish you all the best."

Many other people greeted her along the way.

Both medical staff and patients.

Although word hadn’t spread to the general public, the long-term staff and inpatients all knew that she came to the hospital every month to perform her soothing sessions.

Most importantly, her soothing could awaken those "special" patients.

Every male Beastman worried about the day their Riot Value might spiral out of control.

Now that they knew the hospital could treat it, they all secretly hoped no one else would find out, lest the rich and powerful come to snatch away their chance at survival.

...

The hospital director had arranged for the weakened Mo Chen to sit in the front row near the stage.

Besides him, there were many other conscious patients.

Behind them were rows upon rows of Medical Pods, arranged like coffins.

Jiang Qin hadn’t dressed up specially today either; she walked onto the stage wearing a simple red plaid skirt.

Without much preamble, the backing track began to play.

For her first song today, she chose *Tangible Wings*.

Since she was singing for patients, it wasn’t appropriate to perform sad or particularly "emo" songs.

A song like this, whose low tones spoke of resilience, was a perfect fit.

Especially the chorus, with its rising key, was filled with power.

It was a power that surged from the depths of the heart.

The patients in the front row, who had trouble even sitting up straight, were now completely engrossed.

This wasn’t the first time Mo Chen had heard Jiang Qin sing live.

The memory of him once suspecting the bar of spraying illegal drugs now seemed ridiculous.

Watching the bright red figure on stage, he could feel his heart pound in his chest.

His personality was reserved, his mind always occupied with battle.

But ever since his visit to Moonlight, in his rare moments of leisure, his mind was no longer occupied solely by battle. It was also filled with images of her.

Her in a white shirt and jeans.

Her in a white dress.

Her in a cheongsam...

And song after song that could seemingly clutch his heart from across a distance, and the dazzling light that enveloped her on stage.

A few months ago, he hadn’t understood this feeling.

But now, he did.

But... when he thought of his current physical condition, and of that transfer order, he hesitated.

...

The audience was captivated, as was the performer on stage.

Standing high on the stage, Jiang Qin could clearly see the expressions of everyone in the audience.

At times like these, the audience’s rapt expressions were her greatest adrenaline rush.

’I love the stage. I love each and every beautiful note.’

’To find fulfillment while also saving people... there’s nothing better than this.’