Chapter 698

Matthew didn't expect that this topic would come up. However, since Kingston didn't want to give him the Plague Compendium, there was no point in trying to small talk his way to it. He could only try to look for another way to go about it. Thus, he turned his car around and left. The car was stopped in front of a garden. As the both of them entered the yard, they saw that there were still leftovers on the table inside the house, which reeked of alcohol. Kingston went into the house and plopped immediately onto the couch, exclaiming, "I'm dead tired. I ran around so much my legs are just about to fall off." Matthew was speechless. How could Kingston just leave the table like that without cleaning it up first? He just realized that there were a few alcohol bottles that were still left exposed, uncapped. He walked over, reached out to grab the bottle caps, and was about to close the bottle shut when a brilliant idea flashed in his mind. If Kingston was drunk, he would be able to spill the beans. He could give that a try! He hollered at Kingston, who was on the couch, "Come drink with me!" Kingston didn't move. He whipped his phone out and scrolled on it mindlessly, watching short videos, and replied, "I don't want to move. I just wanna lay down." Bam! Matthew slammed the alcohol bottle in his hand hard on the table. The table shook, and the dishes on the table rattled. Kingston jumped up, surprised. He shifted his gaze from his phone to Matthew, only to hear him grumble impatiently, "I'm so agitated that I'm about to kill someone. Come. Drink with me." Kingston shot up immediately and replied, "Okay. I'll drink with you." Matthew poured two shots out, took one of them, and downed it. Then, he looked pointedly at Kingston. Kingston quickly grabbed the other shot glass and downed it as well. Matthew filled the glasses up once more and down his shot again. Kingston had his hand reached out and was about to grab some fries when he saw what Matthew did. Dejectedly, he had no choice but to forgo his fries and downed his shot as well. The both of them went back and forth like this without uttering a single word. It was like they were in a competition as they downed shots one after another. They were a dozen shots down at that point. Kingston's eyes were bleary, his body was swaying and he started speaking with a slight lisp. "It's… It's so tiring to be alive…" However, Matthew didn't respond. He was waiting for Kingston to continue. Kingston continued in a murmur, "Life is just like a dream. Why are other people's dreams good, but mine are all nightmares? I've finally gotten a woman who wants to marry me, but she lied to me." Matthew could tell that Kingston was really upset that Wendy had lied to him. He suddenly felt the need to comfort Kingston. "Wendy was clearly after your Plague Compendium anyway. Don't overthink this." However, it was like Kingston could not hear what Matthew had said as he continued, "Say, would it all get better if someone had died? Heaven has no suffering, right?" Matthew felt that the alcohol had taken its desired effects, and so he continued Kingston's topic of conversation. "Our tribe and our beliefs told us that people would go straight to hell after they died, and they would be judged for what they did in their life. "Then, according to their merits and demerits, they could get another chance at life." Kingston sighed. "Another chance at life? I think it's better to stay alive then. If not, the sufferings would have to begin all over again." Matthew decided to lead the conversation to something that was related to the Plague Compendium. "Alan said that infectious diseases or plagues could be the cause of humanity's extinction. Do you think that could be possible?" Kingston lifted his drunken eyes to stare blankly at the ceiling. After a while, he replied, "Quite likely. "The human body's immune system is a wonderful thing. It could repair itself and make itself well. If there's a plague or infectious disease that ruins that immune system, that would be devastating. "For example, having AIDS would lower the human body's immunity. If this ailment were to combine with an influenza virus, it would be detrimental." Matthew heard what Kingston had said and was shocked. A combination of AIDS and influenza…what a terrifying thought! He felt a shiver run down his spine. … There was a sign in front of Seraphic Pharmaceuticals in Lambda City that stated, "Free health check for people with AIDS. Basic medical services are provided here, free of charge." There were also a dozen people clad in masks who were lining up by the door. Most of the other people who were walking on the streets made their way to the opposite side of the road the moment they got near to that area. There was no one else on the side of the road where Seraphic Pharmaceuticals was. The Seraphic Pharmaceuticals director's office was an odd-looking office. It didn't have any office chairs in it. Instead, there was only a couch and a tea table. Near the window, there was a glass aquarium with many aquatic creatures swimming freely in it. Beside the aquarium was a clear, glass dome with plants, fields, a miniature faux hill, and a spring in it.