"Wade, Vanessa, long time no see. How have you two been enjoying your cozy little life together?"
Wang Kai said to Wade and Vanessa in front of him. Ever since he got together with Vanessa, Wade had become a good man, rarely going out to mess around. Wang Kai and Wade's contact was only through phone and email. Wade suddenly seeking him out this time made Wang Kai wonder what was wrong.
"Kai, I have something I need to ask you for help with this time."
Wade didn't joke around with Wang Kai, and his words weren't as flippant. This change made Wang Kai a little unaccustomed.
"Wade, you're joking. Whatever I can help you with, just say the word."
Wang Kai said to Wade. Could it be that Wade wanted him to help prepare for a wedding? Was he going to propose to Vanessa?
"I..."
Wade found it a bit difficult to speak; he was hesitating.
"It's like this, Kai. We want to borrow some money. Wade is sick. He has late-stage lung cancer, and I want to take him to find a way to cure it."
Wade was unable to speak for a long time, and Vanessa grew anxious. For the sake of the man she loved, she spoke up.
"What, Wade, you have cancer?"
Only then did Wang Kai remember. Wade would indeed get cancer, but this was also the beginning of his change. If it weren't for the cancer, which made him desperately seek any cure, he wouldn't have participated in that experiment and gained the abilities of Deadpool.
"Yes, just diagnosed, and it has already started to spread. But the reason I'm looking for you isn't to borrow money, Vanessa, don't speak yet. If it were early-stage cancer, maybe I would still try hard to treat it, but it's already late-stage, and I don't have much time left. I want you to help me take care of Vanessa. After I die, if Vanessa ever needs your help, I hope you can lend a hand for my sake."
Wade said. He was still rational. He was already a late-stage patient. The number of people worldwide who could recover from late-stage cancer was negligible, and each case was irreplicable. He didn't hold out any illusions. The only thing he couldn't let go of was Vanessa.
"You can rest assured about that. From now on, no matter what trouble Vanessa has, as long as she comes to me, I will do my best to help. But you shouldn't give up any opportunity either. Tell me about any difficulties. I'm so poor all I have left is money."
Wang Kai said to Wade. He really didn't know if Wade would still meet those people with his appearance, and if Deadpool would still appear.
"I know, I know, but you should also know that money isn't everything, at least not for someone with late-stage cancer that has spread throughout the body. Right now, my liver, my prostate, they're all finished. I'm just a collection of cancer cells, for f*ck's sake. Maybe I should just end it sooner."
The more Wade spoke, the angrier he became. He really couldn't understand how he had gotten this damned cancer.
"Calm down, Wade. There's an old saying in the East, 'Heaven never seals off all the exits.' Maybe things will turn around. Don't give up on yourself; that will make your body collapse even faster."
Wang Kai said to Wade. Wang Kai understood cancer relatively well. In his previous life, some people he knew had cancer. A good mindset was the best medicine against cancer.
"Right now, I just want to go to Sister Margaret's Bar and have a good drink, not sit here drinking this f*cking coffee."
Wade said, looking at the black liquid in front of him. He'd rather drink cheap mixed drinks than the Blue Mountain coffee here.
"Alright then, I support you. Let's go, we'll have a good drink."
Wang Kai said to Wade. For now, it was better to let Wade calm down and numb himself.
"Now that's a good buddy, Vanessa, you go home and wait for me. I'll be back a little later."
Wade said, then spoke to his girlfriend. He didn't want his girlfriend to see him looking so wretched.
"Okay, baby, come back early."
Vanessa said very considerately.
She knew that Wade would be fine going with Wang Kai.
Arriving at Sister Margaret's Bar with Wade again, Wang Kai saw Wade greeting familiar faces and knew he hadn't been here in a while. It seemed Wade had truly changed.
"Hey, Wade, hey, uh..."
Upon reaching the bar, the bartender Mole greeted Wang Kai and Wade, but he had forgotten Wang Kai's name, as Wang Kai hadn't been here in a long time.
"It doesn't matter. Two shots of Patrón tequila for us."
Wang Kai took out a bill and placed it on the bar.
"No problem, coming right up. Wade, you don't look so good. You need to clean yourself up and then really relax."
Although Mole had many flaws, he was indeed Wade's friend.
"Just let me drink myself into oblivion. I didn't come here to listen to you nag."
Wade said listlessly, his whole being radiating a sense of decadent . Sometimes, inner strength isn't shown by how good you are at fighting; sometimes, the first ones to break are those warriors.
"No problem, but maybe you should have some wheatgrass instead. It's good for the immune system."
Mole took out a handful of grass from behind the bar. Wang Kai was speechless. This was a bar. The people who came here, if not downright vicious, were at least here to abuse their bodies. Who would think about eating something nutritious? You're preparing wheatgrass here, who would eat it? What a strange bartender.
"Oh, Jesus, spare me. You talk just like Vanessa. Kai, look at these. These are the clinics Vanessa booked. So many clinics on these colorful brochures, but they must all be approved by the FDA. Look at this one, Chechnya. Won't you be more likely to get cancer if you go there? And Huaxia, your homeland, Central Mexico, do people even live there? Do you know how they say 'cancer' in Spanish? El Cáncer. What the f*ck kind of name is that?"
Wade took out a stack of flyers from his pocket. They were introductions to various clinics, making Wang Kai feel a bit like the small advertisements on utility poles in China, like 'Old Traditional Chinese Doctor,' 'Old Army Doctor.' If Wade believed these, Wang Kai might as well just recommend him to China.
"That is a terrible name. Are these your photos? You should be as happy as you are in the photos. Try to maintain an optimistic mindset."
Wang Kai saw a photo of Wade and Vanessa among the flyers. It must have been taken at Christmas because Wade was wearing a red sweater he would never normally wear.
"Is this Wade? Wade, can I have this photo? I'll hang it here so I can remember you. But at least I won the death pool; after all, you're going to die tragically from cancer."
Mole took the photo and said to Wade.