Chapter 129 - 128: I Owe You an Apology

Chapter 129: Chapter 128: I Owe You an Apology

"It’s... it’s... it’s really not lung cancer?"

The young man in the tennis cap grew so anxious that he started to stutter. After blurting out the question, he thought of something else.

"Are you a doctor too? A really good one?"

Yu Zhiming glanced at the young man in the tennis cap, then at the red-haired man who had shot up to a sitting position on the bench and was now staring at him with wide, hopeful eyes.

He didn’t reveal his identity, only chuckling lightly. "You’re already in a hospital. As for whether I’m telling the truth, all you have to do is go back to the outpatient or emergency department and get it confirmed."

"Remember to mention a faint mediastinal tumor in the right chest."

After giving this instruction, Yu Zhiming added with a mock-joking tone, "Besides, you’ve already gotten a lung cancer diagnosis. What’s one more checkup? Things can’t get any worse, can they?"

"You can afford a few hundred yuan for the tests, right?"

The young man in the cap felt that what this person with the extraordinary demeanor said made sense.

’Besides, what if he’s telling the truth?’

He didn’t have time for more questions. He and his other companion immediately propped up the red-haired man and ran toward the outpatient and emergency department.

After just a few steps, the man in the tennis cap turned and shouted back.

"Friend, if what you said is true, we’ll definitely come back and treat you to a huge feast! A real feast...!"

Watching them run so fast while carrying a grown man, Zhou Mo couldn’t help but chuckle.

"Dr. Yu, this reminds me of a news story I saw a while back..."

Zhou Mo recounted the tale, "It was about a man who was diagnosed with cancer. He quit his job, sold his house, gave away a lot of his possessions, and then went to travel the world."

"After he spent all his money, he realized he was still alive and kicking, so he went back to the hospital for a checkup."

"And he found out it wasn’t cancer after all."

"Dr. Yu, what do you think? When that man found out it was a misdiagnosis, was he happy or sad?"

Yu Zhiming smiled faintly and said, "Probably still happy. No one wants to die."

"Besides, as for the money he spent, he could sue the hospital that misdiagnosed him for compensation."

He paused for a moment, then said with a serious expression, "Zhou Mo, thank you for stepping up to protect me just now."

Zhou Mo blushed, a little embarrassed. "I was just thinking that since I’m a girl, they probably wouldn’t get physical with me if a real conflict broke out."

"As it turns out, I was just being naive."

Yu Zhiming chuckled. "Even if they had, it would have been fine. Nowadays, a few punches and slaps can get you tens of thousands of yuan in compensation."

"That’s a pretty good deal, if you ask me."

"Although we didn’t get to make that deal today, I still have to thank you for your protection."

Zhou Mo giggled. "Dr. Yu, there’s really no need to thank me. Just as long as you don’t secretly blame me for making you lose face, we’re good."

Yu Zhiming laughed out loud. "I’d never think that. I was protected by my four older sisters my whole life growing up. I’m used to it."

"There’s nothing shameful about being protected by a woman..."

Chatting casually, the two of them arrived at the hospital’s bicycle shelter.

Yu Zhiming wheeled out his bicycle. Seeing that Zhou Mo was still waiting for him, he asked directly, "Zhou Mo, is there something else you want to say to me?"

Zhou Mo hesitated for a moment before saying, "Dr. Yu, I owe you an apology. I shouldn’t have tattled on you to Director Xiang."

Yu Zhiming waved his hand. "No need to apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong. As Teacher Qi’s assistant, it’s your responsibility to report any issues you find, big or small."

He then added a bit sheepishly, "Actually, I thought about it later from another person’s perspective..."

"My dissection techniques and learning methods... they are, admittedly, a little unconventional."

Zhou Mo pursed her lips in a smile and offered a compliment, "You’re a genius. You’re supposed to be different and take the road less traveled."

"It’s my own ignorance for making a big deal out of it..."

The two of them walked out of the hospital’s main gate.

As they were about to part ways, Zhou Mo asked shyly, "Dr. Yu, those sweet potato strips... do you have any more?"

"They’re not very sweet and they’re really chewy, but they taste so good when you chew them. Plus, it’s a good workout for my jaw and teeth."

"I think I’m getting addicted."

Yu Zhiming said, "Oh. They’re all gone."

"But my oldest sister said she and my mom are making more. They’ll be sending them by delivery in a few days."

"When they arrive, I’ll give you a few jars. They’re not worth anything, anyway. Back where I’m from, we used to use them as pig feed."

Zhou Mo’s mouth couldn’t help but twitch...

When Yu Zhiming returned to his apartment in the Zijin Garden District, he wasn’t greeted by the familiar sight of his Fourth Sister getting up to welcome him.

He didn’t smell any food cooking, either.

Yu Zhiming entered the living room and saw Yu Xiangwan slumped on the sofa in a classic slacker pose, while Gu Qingning was lying with her head pillowed on Yu Xiangwan’s lap.

Both of them looked completely listless.

"What’s wrong with you two? Are you tired?"

"You bet we’re tired!"

Yu Xiangwan boasted about her accomplishments, "I visited five car dealerships and two auto sales companies today and got firsthand information on a ton of different models."

Gu Qingning lazily sat up. "And I ran around with your older nephew to at least thirty or forty building material and home furnishing stores to buy supplies."

"My calves have been run off, and my feet are killing me."

Yu Zhiming asked in confusion, "Gu Qingning, didn’t you have to work at Ning’an Hospital today?"

"How did you end up hanging out with Xiaobo again?"

Gu Qingning put on a pitiful expression. "To make me submit, my family had Gu Qingran fire me."

"So now I have no choice but to hang around with your older nephew. He pays me three hundred yuan a day."

"I’m earning a little pocket money and supervising his work at the same time. After all, I’m a major shareholder who invested three hundred thousand."

Yu Zhiming said with a hint of disdain, "Just stop causing trouble for Xiaobo. He doesn’t have time to play around with you."

"You should go find a real job!"

Gu Qingning put her hands on her hips. "How am I causing trouble?"

"Go ask your precious older nephew! I helped him bargain down a ton of prices and negotiated a lot of great deals."

Right there in front of Gu Qingning, Yu Zhiming actually called Fu Xiaobo to verify her claim.

"Uncle, no joke, Sister Qingning really has a talent for haggling and negotiating. She saved me several thousand yuan in procurement costs just today."

"Most importantly, Sister Qingning’s experience and taste are far superior to mine."

"Uncle, we’re renovating a villa. When it comes to choosing a lot of the high-end materials, I’m a bit out of my depth."

"But for several products that Sister Qingning recommended, the client approved them on the spot."

"Sister Qingning is a huge help in covering my weaknesses..."

When Yu Zhiming ended the call with Fu Xiaobo, he saw Gu Qingning with her chin held high in pride.

"This young lady happens to be very worldly and experienced, you know."

"In terms of taste and style alone, I’m probably a good seven or eight levels above that nephew of yours."

Yu Zhiming couldn’t stand her smug look and really wanted to fire back a retort or two at this girl.

However, he knew one thing for certain: when it came to aesthetics and style, his older nephew really did need her help.

Yu Zhiming had no choice but to soften his tone. "Since you don’t have a job right now, you might as well help Xiaobo out for the time being."

"If his company takes off, you’ll profit handsomely too."

Yu Zhiming then turned and asked, "Sis, what about dinner...?"

"We already ordered takeout. It should be here soon..."

Less than five minutes later, two delivery drivers arrived one after the other, bringing their food to the door.

During dinner, Yu Zhiming brought up the topic of a parking space.

Yu Xiangwan said that she had already contacted three households in the complex who were looking to rent out their parking spaces.

Their asking prices were around seven or eight hundred a month, and she was still negotiating...

After dinner, Yu Zhiming returned to his bedroom and continued to study the medical records of the nine-year-old patient.

The nine-year-old boy was 123 centimeters tall, which was barely acceptable.

But his weight was only 19.5 kilograms, which was far too emaciated!

Yu Zhiming reviewed the boy’s physical examination data, as well as the diagnoses given by several senior traditional Chinese medicine practitioners.

His eyes were met with a barrage of terms like "blood and qi deficiency," "weakness of the spleen and stomach," "liver and kidney insufficiency," and "invasion by damp-heat," along with descriptions such as "heaviness and weakness," "muscle wasting," and "lethargic fatigue."

In short, between all the lines, there was just one word.

Weak.

His body, his organs—not a single part of him wasn’t weak...