Chapter 23

 Chapter Twenty-Three: Advanced Wheelchair Techniques

【Exchange Successful!】

As expected, the price was the same as when he exchanged for an artistic work; each draw increased by 10 points, becoming 40 points.

Lu Zhixing was mentally prepared for this, and he took it in stride. What he was more concerned about at the moment was what kind of life skill he would obtain.

【Life Skill: Advanced Nursing Knowledge】

"Hmm? That's a valuable one!"

Lu Zhixing could feel a rush of nursing-related knowledge quickly flooding his mind. These were specialized skills that nurses in hospitals must master, including things like the "Three Short Six Clean," "Four Measurements for Blood Pressure," "Five Steps to Maintain Emergency Supplies," and "Ten Things to Know About a Patient's Condition." These were knowledge areas that nursing students typically spent several years learning, and it all entered Lu Zhixing's mind in an instant, as if he'd been enlightened.

At his current level, Lu Zhixing was no different from a regular nurse responsible for patient care in a hospital.

"At least it's a professional skill. Not bad at all! It's worth the points spent!"

"I'll look into home nursing jobs later on. Doing some part-time work there should significantly boost my progress in role-playing."

While Lu Zhixing had acquired professional skills, he didn't hold an official nursing qualification, nor did he intend to actually work as a nurse. After all, he was just playing a role and needed to be able to step away at any time.

With a successful start in both artistic works and life skills, Lu Zhixing felt he had good luck and decided to draw again.

【Exchange Successful!】

【Life Skill: Advanced Wheelchair Usage Techniques】

【Exchange Successful!】

【Life Skill: Barrier-Free Travel Knowledge】

"Huh? Is this specialized for wheelchair users?"

A vast amount of knowledge and muscle memory flooded into Lu Zhixing's mind. Among them, the wheelchair usage techniques allowed him to skillfully and effortlessly use a wheelchair, whether it was turning, going up and down slopes, or crossing obstacles.

This level of physical control could even rival that of many Paralympic athletes or acrobats, although he still lacked in physical fitness.

As for the barrier-free travel knowledge, it was equivalent to implanting an entire map into Lu Zhixing's mind.

Whenever Lu Zhixing wished, he could instantly know all the nearby barrier-free information.

For example, which location at the subway station had barrier-free elevators, which nearby mall had accessible restrooms, which bus routes allowed wheelchairs, and which roads had inadequate barrier-free facilities to avoid, and so on.

With this barrier-free travel knowledge, combined with his adept wheelchair usage skills, Lu Zhixing had transformed into a wheelchair user without any blind spots, achieving a state of perfect harmony between himself and the wheelchair.

"Darn it, if only I knew I could get such skills, I would have drawn earlier!"

Lu Zhixing recalled the painful experiences of using a wheelchair for travel in the past, and it was almost tear-inducing.

It was like when playing a game, spending three days painstakingly defeating a boss with a small knife, only to discover after defeating it that there was a special weapon hidden behind the boss's throne specifically for dealing with it.

"But getting this skill now isn't too late. After all, I haven't completed the role-play of a paraplegic patient yet. With these skills, it should be much easier."

After acquiring these skills, Lu Zhixing was full of confidence.

He even began to look forward to wheelchair travel, of course, only when fully equipped and preventing social isolation.

However, after some consideration, Lu Zhixing took out his phone and searched for the keyword "nursing" on a local platform.

Now, for him, playing the role of a paraplegic patient should go smoothly. Afterward, all he needed to do was spend time wheeling around in a wheelchair, visiting places he hadn't been to before, and he should be able to complete the role-play.

The role of a campus superstar was also going well. As long as he continued to advance with the welcome party, this role's completion was just a matter of time.

The only role he needed to accelerate progress in was that of a part-time worker. Now that he had obtained nursing skills, he could make a quick push to speed up his progress.

After searching on the local platform for a while, Lu Zhixing didn't find anything suitable.

Most of the listings were for elderly care or newborn care, jobs that Lu Zhixing could technically do, but typical employers preferred older female candidates for such roles, and positions related to newborn care required various professional certifications.

Moreover, these jobs were mostly long-term commitments, lasting at least a month. Lu Zhixing was only role-playing and didn't have the time to actually work as a caregiver.

After searching for a while and feeling like giving up, suddenly his eyes lit up as he came across a very suitable job posting.

"Seeking caregiver, male candidates only, no other requirements!"

As for the care recipient, it was a second-grade boy in elementary school who had leg disabilities due to a car accident. His father had to go on a business trip for three days, so he needed a responsible caregiver to help take care of the child.

"But why specify male candidates?"

"Never mind, I'll inquire about it later."

Finding a caregiver who met these conditions was quite challenging. Firstly, the time frame was too short, and many caregivers were unwilling to take on such a short-term job. Secondly, the requirement for a male caregiver was unusual. But it happened to fit Lu Zhixing's criteria perfectly.

Lu Zhixing immediately dialed the phone number provided in the listing and introduced himself briefly.

"Are you Lu? Great, I was worried no one would be willing to do this job. You're a top student at Jinghai University? Well, that's even better, but won't it be a bit of overkill for this job? My salary isn't that high..."

"Alright, alright, as long as you don't mind. When can you come over? I have to go on a business trip the day after tomorrow, and we need some time to get to know each other. This child has a bit of a peculiar temperament now, and if you don't get along, it could be troublesome."

Lu Zhixing asked, "May I ask why you're specifically looking for a male caregiver?"

On the other end of the phone, the father sighed, "Well, it's like this. Some time ago, his mother and he had a car accident. His mother didn't make it, and his legs were left disabled."

"Ever since then, he can't get past this mental barrier. He refuses to use a wheelchair, doesn't want to go to school, and is even reluctant to have a caregiver. Especially older caregivers, he reacts strongly, shouting and screaming."

"I work during the day and have to leave him home alone, but luckily, my work hours are relatively stable, so I can manage his meals. But this time, I have an important business trip that I can't postpone, so I had to see if there's a caregiver who can help take care of him."

Lu Zhixing remained silent for a moment and then said, "I understand, Uncle. Please accept my condolences. Let's do this: it's quite late today, so I'll come over tomorrow morning."

After a brief conversation and confirming the time and address, Lu Zhixing hung up the phone.

Then, he looked at his wheelchair, lost in thought.

...

...

The next morning, Lu Zhixing, fully equipped and sitting in a wheelchair, arrived at the home of his employer, Mr. Cheng.

On the way, Lu Zhixing tried out the two skills he had acquired.

His adept wheelchair techniques meant he no longer had to worry about any obstacles or ramps, and he could even pick up some speed on flat, deserted stretches of road.

The barrier-free travel knowledge allowed him to clearly know where all the nearby accessible facilities were.

On this journey, he primarily relied on the subway because subway stations had more comprehensive accessibility features compared to buses.

Although some subway stations had slightly inconveniently located accessible elevators, leading to some extra detours, he still arrived safely without any major issues.

Lu Zhixing wore a mask and occasionally used the "I am a tree" skill. However, with more travel experience, he had gradually adapted and no longer felt the initial embarrassment of being naked.

This trip also provided Lu Zhixing with some progress in his role-play and earned him some points. It wasn't much, but every bit counted, and he had to make every second count to complete the role-play as quickly as possible.

This was a proper residential area in the northwest of Jinghai, and before entering, he had to register as a visitor with the security guard. The lobby of the residential complex was nicely decorated.

Living in a place like this, it seemed that Mr. Cheng's financial situation was quite good.

"Unit 1002, Block 3, hmm, this is it."

Lu Zhixing pressed the doorbell, and after a moment, a slightly chubby middle-aged man opened the door. This was Mr. Cheng, the employer.

"Are you Lu? Please come in. Huh? What's this..."

He looked down at Lu Zhixing sitting in the wheelchair and was momentarily speechless.

His expression seemed to say, "You didn't mention that you have a disability!"

"How can a person with a disability work as a caregiver?"

However, the next moment, he witnessed a medical miracle unfolding right before his eyes.

Lu Zhixing actually stood up from the wheelchair!

Seeing the shocked expression on Mr. Cheng's face, Lu Zhixing cleared his throat and said, "Uncle, about this wheelchair, just trust me, don't ask anything for now."

Mr. Cheng nodded and, after leading Lu Zhixing into the living room, called out to the adjacent bedroom, "Xiaoting, as I told you yesterday, Uncle is here. Come out and say hello."

However, a voice filled with impatience came from the bedroom, "I've said it so many times, I don't need anyone to take care of me!"

Mr. Cheng felt a bit embarrassed and said to Lu Zhixing, "It's alright; this child has this temper. Let me go talk to him."

Lu Zhixing raised his hand to stop him. "It's okay, Uncle. Let me handle it."

With that, Lu Zhixing and Mr. Cheng went to the bedroom together. There, they saw a young boy named Cheng Ting, who had his back turned to them while playing a video game. His pants hung empty below his knees from the knee down, and a wheelchair was placed nearby.

In theory, he could have played the game while sitting in the wheelchair, but he didn't. This seemed to indicate a strong aversion to using a wheelchair.

Lu Zhixing then shifted his gaze to the computer screen.

It was a survival-themed first-person shooter (FPS) game, and Cheng Ting was skillfully exploring the map and scavenging resources while holding a gun.

Mr. Cheng shook his head slightly, feeling somewhat helpless.

As Cheng Ting skillfully scavenged the map, he complained, "I've been telling you for ages to buy me the latest fifth-generation VR headset, but you won't. Now I have to play these outdated computer games. If you have the money to hire a caregiver, why not buy me the headset?"

Mr. Cheng didn't say anything, but Lu Zhixing could guess the reason.

Clearly, Mr. Cheng was deeply concerned about his son's condition. Although Cheng Ting's legs were disabled, his life was just beginning, and Mr. Cheng still hoped that he could attend school, work normally, and have a skill to rely on. But if he bought Cheng Ting a VR headset now, he might truly get lost in that all-encompassing virtual world and never want to come out.

For a mentally mature adult, escaping to a virtual world for a while was understandable, but for a child whose body and mind were still developing and who had suddenly experienced a major change in his life, the risk was significant, and parents naturally had concerns.

Lu Zhixing silently watched and then suddenly spoke, "There's someone at your ten o'clock direction."