Chapter 119 - 118: Is It Worth It?

Chapter 119: Chapter 118: Is It Worth It?

The weekend was supposed to be Yu Zhiming’s only chance to get some proper rest at home all week.

But this weekend, Teacher Qi had urged him to come to Huashan Hospital early in the morning, then personally escorted him to the psychological counseling center for a session.

The psychologist Yu Zhiming met this time wasn’t the kind older sister from before. Instead, it was a slightly plump man in his fifties or sixties named Chi Yan.

As soon as they met, Yu Zhiming was asked to complete a psychological test with dozens of questions...

After "escorting" Yu Zhiming into the counseling room as if he were a prisoner, Qi Yue didn’t leave.

He went to the center director’s office, sat down on the sofa in the reception area, and took out the paper on extracorporeal bypass surgery that Yu Zhiming had given him this morning to read.

Qi Yue only managed a few paragraphs before he became too agitated to continue reading.

It wasn’t because the paper was poorly written. He was just so worried that the kid’s mental state was genuinely deteriorating that he couldn’t calm his mind.

Historically, there has always been a thin line between genius and madness.

Besides, the way that fellow Yu Zhiming studied and mastered the structure of pathological organs was truly shocking.

And then there was Yu Zhiming’s history of blindness...

’This is just a screening to rule things out,’ Qi Yue thought, trying to reassure himself. ’Zhiming has always been polite and sensible. He’s never shown the slightest sign of mental instability.’

But this self-reassurance did little to calm his nerves.

He cared far too much about Yu Zhiming.

Just in case, Qi Yue had specifically instructed his old friend, Chi Yan, that if he did discover any mental issues with Yu Zhiming, he was to keep it confidential for the time being.

He would find an excuse to take Yu Zhiming abroad for treatment, preventing any leaks that could affect his career...

Pacing restlessly, Qi Yue waited from nine in the morning until eleven-thirty, when Chi Yan finally returned to the office.

Qi Yue’s heart sank. His old friend Chi Yan’s expression was grim and terribly serious.

He hurried over to him. "Lao Chi, is there a problem?"

Chi Yan could clearly see that every pore on Qi Yue’s face was radiating tension and worry.

It was obvious he was genuinely invested in the kid.

Chi Yan didn’t try to scare Qi Yue deliberately. He got straight to the point. "My assessment is that he’s perfectly healthy. No issues."

"I also found that Yu the Kid’s mental fortitude and resilience are far beyond that of an ordinary person. We’d lose our minds before he ever had a problem."

"I’ve already sent Yu the Kid home."

Qi Yue heaved a huge sigh of relief, but a sliver of doubt remained.

"Lao Chi, if he’s mentally fine, why did you talk with him for so long?"

"And your expression is so grim. You’re not hiding something from me, are you?"

Chi Yan poured himself a glass of warm water, downed half of it in one go, and shot Qi Yue a sidelong glance.

"I just found Yu the Kid interesting and wanted to chat a little longer. Is that a crime?"

Seeing Qi Yue’s dissatisfied expression, Chi Yan switched to a more serious tone and explained, "I was mostly asking about his feelings and his perception of the outside world from when he was blind."

"His experience is quite rare. I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of a blind person’s world from him."

"I happen to have a patient who is blind."

Qi Yue said, "Oh," then asked, "Since his mental state is normal and healthy, what’s your take on his way of handling pathological organs?"

Chi Yan spread his hands. "Old Qi, you can think of it as one of Yu the Kid’s fanatical study methods."

"Or even a personal quirk."

"It’s like how many people love clocks and watches, but everyone shows their affection differently."

"Some people like to take them apart piece by piece and then reassemble them, sometimes even making improvements."

"Yu the Kid is just so passionate that he wants to commit every single detail of a pathological organ to memory."

Chi Yan added with a sigh, "After our talk today, I finally understand why Yu the Kid possesses such advanced medical skills at such a young age."

"Beyond his natural talent for medicine, it’s his passion and focus, which come from deep within."

"Old Qi, you’ve really found a rare treasure."

"Even if Yu the Kid had no talent, his passion and focus alone would guarantee he becomes a renowned doctor in the future."

Hearing this, Qi Yue was overjoyed, his delight written all over his face.

"Lao Chi, you couldn’t even rest properly on your weekend because of the kid. To make it up to you, where would you like to eat for lunch?"

Qi Yue added magnanimously, "Name any place you want. Don’t worry about saving me money."

But Chi Yan didn’t look happy in the slightest.

"Old Qi, how could I possibly be in the mood to eat right now?"

"To be honest with you, I may not have found any mental problems with Yu the Kid, but he found a physical problem with me."

"He said my esophagus might..."

Chi Yan trailed off, not daring to continue, as if saying the word would make it a self-fulfilling prophecy.

He took a folded piece of A4 paper from his pocket.

"This is a diagram of the area to be examined that Yu the Kid drew for me. He said he had a bad feeling about it."

"Old Qi, the gastroenterology department—who’s the best specialist? You have to get in touch with them for me, right now."

Well...

Qi Yue hadn’t expected things to turn out this way.

It wasn’t the news he wanted to hear, but an illness doesn’t bend to one’s will.

Still, as fate would have it, he had managed to help his old friend.

Qi Yue took out his phone and began scrolling through his contacts, wondering who would be the most suitable person to ask...

After his counseling session, Yu Zhiming left the psychological counseling center and went to the hospital cafeteria, where he had a quick and simple lunch.

Just as he was wondering whether to go back to his place and be a homebody or use this rare half-day off to wander around, he got a call from his fourth sister.

"I just saw a video online posted by a young couple. They said they ran into a medical-tout scammer while visiting Ning’an Lake Park and were warning everyone to be careful."

Yu Xiangwan chuckled over the phone. "But guess what? The comment section was a complete train wreck for them."

"A few netizens recognized you in the video, revealed that you’re a doctor, and urged the couple to hurry up and take their child to the hospital."

Yu Zhiming laughed as well. "That’s not a bad outcome."

"At least that couple won’t doubt my intentions anymore and should take their child for a detailed check-up."

Yu Zhiming could hear music and the blare of horns through the phone, so he knew his sister wasn’t at home.

"Sis, where are you now?"

"Out shopping. I’m going to see a movie later. Fifth Brother, are you done with your work at the hospital?"

Yu Zhiming hummed in acknowledgment. "Sis, have fun out there. I’m done with my work at the hospital, too."

"I’ll probably head back to the Zijin Garden District later."

After ending the call with his fourth sister, Yu Zhiming found himself in front of the outpatient and emergency building. He saw two firefighters carrying heavy toolboxes hurry inside.

With nothing better to do, a curious Yu Zhiming followed them in and found that a mischievous child had gotten a hex nut stuck on the base of his left pinky finger and couldn’t get it off.

More importantly, the child’s left pinky was already swollen and had turned a pale purple.

Yu Zhiming couldn’t be bothered to watch how the firefighters would use something like an angle grinder to cut the nut open.

Just as he was about to leave, someone grabbed his sleeve.

"Dr. Yu, is it really you?!"

Yu Zhiming turned to see that the person holding him was a haggard-looking stranger in his twenties or thirties.

"And you are?"

The haggard man let go of Yu Zhiming’s sleeve, slightly embarrassed, and explained, "Dr. Yu, you don’t know me. My name is Zhang Bai, but I know you. I learned about you online."

"I know you’re an incredible doctor."

As he spoke, he handed over a thick medical file, his face pleading. "Dr. Yu, this is my mother’s medical file. Could you please take a look for me?"

Yu Zhiming took the file from Zhang Bai and flipped through it. His heart sank.

Stomach cancer. Late-stage.

Yu Zhiming told him the truth. "Zhang Bai, your mother’s diagnosis is very clear. In her current condition, from my perspective, there’s no longer any point in treatment."

The man’s eyes immediately reddened.

"Dr. Yu, I know. I just consulted a specialist, and he said the same thing."

"But... that’s my mother. I can’t just stand by and watch her leave like this."

"As long as my mother is alive, I’m a son who still has his mom."

"When she’s gone, I won’t have a mom anymore."

"Even if she has to go, I want to do everything in my power to make her passing as comfortable as possible."

Tears were already streaming down the man’s face.

"Dr. Yu, please help me. Please admit my mother to the hospital so she can be more comfortable."

Yu Zhiming’s rational mind told him the man’s decision was wrong, but emotionally, he understood him completely.

"Zhang Bai, do you know what this means? In the end, you could lose both your mother and all your money!"

"Is it worth it?"

Zhang Bai wiped his eyes forcefully. "It’s worth it! That’s not just anyone—that’s the mother who gave birth to me and raised me!"

"Dr. Yu, my father was a bastard. He left home when I was eight and never came back. My mother raised me all by herself."

"Now, I finally have the means to give my mother a better life."

"But my mother... she’s..."

"Dr. Yu, if I can have my mother with me for one more day, if I can let her sleep comfortably for one more hour, I’m willing to give up everything."

"Dr. Yu, I’m begging you, please help me..."