Although Yan Feifan was tempted by Zhao Dongsheng's offer of freelance surgery, and as much as he wanted a new apartment closer to the hospital, he still politely declined.
Yan Feifan knew how to prioritize.
He estimated that in pursuit of his grand goal of becoming a general physician, he wouldn't have much free time for the next few years.
Besides, accepting freelance work right after becoming the apprentice of the notoriously strict Mr. Qin was a bad idea.
Yan Feifan could well imagine the consequences.
After parting ways with a deeply disappointed Zhao Dongsheng, Yan Feifan returned to the Diagnostics Building. He first visited Sun Wei's room to check on him, then went to Mr. Qi's office.
"Mr. Qi, Sun Wei gained nearly a pound since yesterday. I've checked all his vitals, and nothing is abnormal. His complexion and mood are also quite good."
After his brief report, Yan Feifan asked, "Should we tell him and his family the truth about his treatment?"
Qee Sheng replied with the caution of a seasoned veteran, "Although the current situation seems to confirm your theory, it's only been three or four days. We need more time for verification."
"Besides, the more conclusive our evidence, the better Sun Wei will be able to psychologically accept the truth when we tell him. It'll reduce the chance of any setbacks."
"Also…"
Qee Sheng added, "Tell Wei Xin and the others to have the nutritionist and physical therapist adjust Sun Wei's diet and exercise regimen accordingly."
"We need to prevent a sharp rebound in his weight."
Yan Feifan nodded, then suddenly noticed Mr. Qi staring at him intently.
He couldn't help but touch his face. "Mr. Qi, is there something on my face?" he asked, puzzled.
Qee Sheng pulled his gaze away and sighed softly. "Xiaoyan, I've been selfish. It's a shame, you becoming a surgeon."
"With your talent, you should have stayed with me in internal medicine, become a diagnostician, conduct medical research, and delve into rare and complex cases."
"I believe that if you'd stayed on this path, you could have produced research that would have stunned the global medical community."
Yan Feifan said quietly, "Mr. Qi, thank you for your confidence in me. Surgeons can conduct medical research too."
Qee Sheng smiled. "That's true. You can make significant contributions by reaching the pinnacle of any medical field."
"Xiaoyan, since you've made your choice, aim for your goal and give it your all…"
Yan Feifan went to the large office next door, relayed Mr. Qi's instructions, and said a brief farewell to his colleagues.
Then, he gathered his few personal belongings and left the General Diagnostics Building.
On his way to the General Administration Building, Yan Feifan suddenly heard a man's suppressed sobs and a girl's loud wails.
He looked up and saw a man sitting on the curb not far ahead, his face buried in his hands, weeping.
A wailing girl with a ponytail knelt to the man's left.
To his right, a nurse stood with a wheelchair.
In the wheelchair sat a frail woman, her head wrapped in a bandage.
As Yan Feifan drew closer, he heard the girl with the ponytail pleading through her tears, "Dad, I'm begging you."
"Mom wants to live! I don't want to be a kid without a mom."
"Dad, please…"
The desperate pleas made Yan Feifan's heart ache.
He knew that similar scenes played out in the hospital almost every day and that it was best not to get involved.
But Yan Feifan couldn't help but stop.
He glanced first at the woman in the wheelchair. Her expression was wooden, as if her will to live had died. Then he turned to the sympathetic-looking nurse standing behind her and asked, "What's going on?"
The nurse whispered, "Breast cancer. It's spread and metastasized."
Yan Feifan understood immediately.
Breast cancer that had spread and metastasized was essentially a death sentence. No amount of money could do more than prolong the suffering for a little while. In the end, they would lose both her and their money.
'This father and husband must understand that,' Yan Feifan thought. 'That's why he's made the decision to stop treatment.'
'It's just that his wife doesn't want to die, and his daughter wants her mother to live.'
There was nothing Yan Feifan could do in a situation like this.
Cheap sympathy and platitudes were of no real use.
He started to walk away, but someone suddenly tugged on his white coat.
Yan Feifan looked down to see the girl with the ponytail clutching the hem of his lab coat.
The girl, who looked to be only twelve or thirteen, shuffled forward on her knees, getting closer to Yan Feifan.
She lifted her delicate, tear-streaked face and pleaded, "Doctor, please, save my mom! Please save my mom!"
"I'll repay you. I promise I'll repay you."
Yan Feifan crouched down, his voice full of sympathy and helplessness. "With your mother's condition, there's truly nothing I can do."
"Go home and take good care of your mother. Just try to make her comfortable."
The girl clutched his lab coat tightly, as if it were a life-saving rope.
She pleaded through her sobs again, "Doctor, I heard your hospital has several kinds of... experimental therapies for cancer."
"I heard they can help people live a lot longer."
"Doctor, please, I don't want to be a kid without a mom! Kids without moms have it so hard."
"Waaaaah…"
Her heart-wrenching sobs made Yan Feifan's own eyes sting.
But he steeled himself and explained, "Those experimental therapies have extremely strict screening criteria for both the patient and the type of cancer. You can't get in just because you want to."
"And I'm just a resident. I have no say in the matter at all."
Yan Feifan noticed the color drain from the girl's face, turning a deathly pale. Her body went limp, and she collapsed back onto her heels, her hands falling away from his coat.
As he moved to help her up, he heard her mutter, "Money… money… In the end, it's all about money!"
"Because we don't have money, Dad is giving up. If we had money, we could save Mom's life!"
Suddenly, the girl straightened up on her knees again and shouted, "Whoever pays for my mom's treatment, I'll spend my whole life repaying them! I'll do anything!"
Yan Feifan was stunned.
Frankly, Yan Feifan had seen stories online about young women selling themselves for hundreds of thousands to pay for a family member's medical bills.
But this was the first time he'd encountered it in real life, and from a girl so young.
The girl's shouts began to draw a crowd.
For a moment, Yan Feifan didn't know what to do. He looked at the nurse, who just shook her head helplessly.
Just then, a high-roofed Mercedes-Benz business van slowly drove out from the hospital grounds.
The onlookers parted to let the van pass through slowly.
Unexpectedly, the kneeling girl scrambled in front of the van, pounding on its side and crying out, "Please, save my mom! I'll spend my whole life repaying you!"
"I'll do anything! I really, really will!"
The Mercedes stopped, and its side door slid open.
A tall young man stepped out. He looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties, with a long face, a pale complexion, and slightly puffy eyes.
Yan Feifan recognized him instantly.
It was Song Yan, one of Binhai's "Top Ten Outstanding Youths." He was a tech genius, rumored to hold dozens of patents in fields like communications and smart technology.
The company he founded, Rock Information Technology Co., Ltd., was one of Binhai's famous unicorn companies.
The reason Yan Feifan recognized him was because his sister had told him something.
If Yan Feifan had woken up just half an hour later, his own heart would have been transplanted into this very man.
But it seemed fate hadn't been ready for Song Yan to die, either.
That night, with his life already hanging by a thread and without Yan Feifan's heart, he had been incredibly lucky to find another suitable match.
The heart donor had been a rideshare driver in his forties or fifties who had reportedly died of carbon monoxide poisoning, unable to be revived.
Song Yan must have sensed Yan Feifan's gaze, because he turned, met his eyes, and gave him a faint smile.
Just then, a beautiful, fashionably dressed woman also stepped out of the van and thoughtfully draped a trench coat over Song Yan's shoulders.
After getting a quick sense of the situation, Song Yan turned to the kneeling girl and gave her a smile as warm as a spring breeze.
"I'll take care of your mother's medical expenses…"