Chapter 40 - This Isn't Just a Pimple

Lu Shenghua’s unconventional idea left Lu Ming completely astonished. Was he seriously considering having Shen Ruicong “give birth” to the two extra hearts in his body, somewhat similar to having a child? This was incredibly unconventional and difficult to assess.

“Maybe you should create a specialized task force for this?” Lu Shenghua proposed.

Lu Ming agreed. He had already started reaching out to various experts in the field of cardiology in China. Lu Ming had an extensive network, and with his reputation as a talented medical student from a traditional Chinese medicine family, many people were eager to connect with him. Even some medical experts held him in high regard.

“Then be sure to reserve a spot for me. I want to be a part of it,” Lu Shenghua added. “I’ll go back and consider how to handle this situation.”

With that, Lu Shenghua turned and departed, leaving Lu Ming slightly dazed.

“This old man…”

Lu Ming shook his head with a smile.

“Alright, thank you very much!”

“There are still many benevolent individuals in society!”

At that moment, the conversation outside the door caught Lu Ming’s attention. Luo Sanmei and Li Xuejing had likely concluded their negotiations.

“Doctor, elder brother…”

Shen Ruicong, lying in the hospital bed, suddenly spoke to Lu Ming.

“Yes?” Lu Ming responded.

Lu Ming looked at Shen Ruicong, whose face had paled.

“How much will it cost to treat my illness?” Shen Ruicong asked.

“My mom doesn’t have money. Can I skip the treatment?”

Lu Ming felt a pang of heartache. Sometimes, when children were too understanding, it wasn’t necessarily a positive thing. It could leave them with deep childhood traumas, which they might overcome if they were fortunate or carry with them for a lifetime if they were not.

For example, in families with average financial conditions, parents often instilled phrases like, “Don’t get into trouble outside, or else we won’t be able to afford the consequences,” or “We’re not well-off, so you should be sensible,” or “Your parents work so hard to earn money, all for your sake,” and so on. Such long-term indoctrination could lead to a timid character in children.

Of course, in Shen Ruicong’s case, he was aware of his family’s limited financial situation, and it wasn’t something his parents had imposed on him. Such individuals often possessed a strong will to change their destiny and, as they grew up, seized suitable opportunities to excel.

“Ruicong, dear, you don’t need to worry about the money,” Lu Ming reassured. “Some kind-hearted individuals will take care of it for you. What you need to do is get better as soon as possible. When you grow up, just like these kind people, you can help those in need.”

“Okay, I understand,” Shen Ruicong replied, nodding as if he grasped the idea.

“Dr. Lu,”

At this moment, Luo Sanmei and her group entered.

“Is everything settled?” Lu Ming asked.

“Don’t worry, it’s all sorted!”

“Now, let’s see my performance!”

“How about we raise a million or two for them?”

Li Xuejing patted her chest and fervently assured.

Lu Ming smiled, not doubting Li Xuejing’s commitment. It wasn’t that he had confidence in Li Xuejing. Rather, he had faith in society. He believed that many people, upon seeing this situation, would be willing to contribute a bit of their resources. Ten or a hundred dollars wasn’t too much, and a penny or two wasn’t too little. Ultimately, all these acts of kindness, big and small, would accumulate and create a vast pool of support.

“Dr. Lu, I’m so thankful for your assistance,” Luo Sanmei said, almost ready to kneel and express her gratitude to Lu Ming and his team.

Seeing this, Lu Ming quickly reached out to support her.

“Take good care of the child, and don’t worry too much about the other things,” Lu Ming reassured.

Luo Sanmei clasped her hands and expressed her gratitude to the three of them once more.

Leaving the hospital room.

“I’m heading back now. I need to plan this matter carefully,” Li Xuejing hurriedly took her leave.

It was clear that she was deeply committed to this cause, as it held significant importance both publicly and personally.

“Of course, thank you for your efforts,” Lu Ming replied.

There was no need to feel particularly grateful. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement driven by shared interests.

“Then I’ll return to my clinic,” Wang Jieqiong resumed her apprenticeship.

Lu Ming returned to his office and began reaching out to prominent figures in the medical field. He also conducted a more comprehensive evaluation of Shen Ruicong’s condition. Unconsciously, he worked until past two in the morning. Lu Ming was tired, so he decided to sleep and adjust his schedule to work in the evening.

The next day, Lu Ming, who had slept until 1 p.m., felt refreshed. When he checked his phone, he found numerous messages awaiting his attention. Individuals like Lu Ming often received over a thousand private messages and tens of thousands of group messages in a day.

On average, he received messages from hundreds of people daily seeking assistance with various issues. There were also interns seeking his advice on medical matters.

Lu Ming wasn’t a machine and didn’t have the energy to respond to every message. He selectively replied to the most critical ones, and in truly urgent situations, people would call him repeatedly.

After a quick shower, Lu Ming ensured that Shen Ruicong’s condition was stable. Once that was confirmed, he went to the hospital cafeteria for a meal. Mingren Hospital had a 24-hour section in the cafeteria specifically for medical staff, a smaller cafeteria. Here, fresh and delectable food was available for medical staff around the clock. For those unable to leave their posts, they could use Mingren Hospital’s in-house app to order food online, which would then be delivered by dedicated staff. This was one of the perks of Mingren Hospital, which was one reason some medical professionals chose to work there.

After finishing his meal, Lu Ming returned to his office to continue working on Shen Ruicong’s treatment plan. He worked until 4 p.m. and then went online for his evening shift.

“Recently, there’s been a surge in patients arriving at the emergency room with nighttime coughing,” Lu Ming overheard a conversation among the nurses at the nurse’s station as soon as he began his shift.

“An increase in nighttime coughing patients? What’s going on?” Lu Ming had been so engrossed in Shen Ruicong’s case that he had overlooked some of the events in the emergency room.

“Dr. Lu.”

“Dr. Lu.”

The two nurses on duty greeted Lu Ming and then briefed him on the situation. Around five days ago, the number of coughing patients in the emergency room started rising. The peak was after 8 p.m., with patients of all ages ranging from as young as three to as old as eighty, and no specific demographic appeared to be affected.

After getting the details, Lu Ming went to the records room to review the cases of coughing patients who had visited the emergency room in the past five days.@@novelbin@@

“Coughing patients from three to eighty, affecting people of all ages?”

“No specific demographic for coughing?”

“The time of visits is mainly concentrated between 8 pm and 1 am,” the nurse reported.

Lu Ming sensed that there was something unusual about this situation. Could it be some sort of outbreak? He decided to visit the outpatient department to see if there was an increase in coughing patients.

But just as he left, a patient arrived and disrupted his plans. The other two doctors on duty were currently with patients, leaving Lu Ming with some free time. So, a nurse found him, and he had to see the patient in front of him first. In the examination room, Lu Ming encountered a young female patient who appeared to be in her twenties.

“Is there something wrong?” Lu Ming asked as he took a seat.

“Doctor, I’ve had this pimple on my face for several weeks now, and it just won’t go away,” the patient explained. “Sometimes, it even oozes pus, and it’s painful in a way I can’t describe. Right now, it’s become unbearable, so I rushed to see a doctor.”

Zhou Yulian pointed to a pimple near her jawline.

“Hmm?” Lu Ming took a look, then another, and finally, after the third glance, he was certain.

“This isn’t a pimple,” he said.

Zhou Yulian appeared puzzled. “Huh? It’s not a pimple? Then what is it?”