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Lin Youyuan looked at the darkening sky outside. The shareholders in the conference room had dispersed, and the secretary was tidying up the reports and documents on the table.
He lightly tapped his fingertips on the desktop, then suddenly paused. The secretary understood and said, “President Lin—”
“Please ask Professor Wang to take a look.”
The secretary was taken aback, still not fully comprehending the situation, when Lin Youyuan had already wheeled himself away. It was only then that she slapped her forehead and followed him.
Professor Wang Xing, the director and president of a top-tier Grade A hospital’s neurology department in the country, had a very close personal relationship with President Lin.
Once outside the conference room door, the secretary arranged for a driver to pick up Lin Youyuan and rushed to make the necessary phone calls.
Professor Wang Xing, who was attending a meeting in Beijing, received the notification and immediately flew to Jiangcheng City overnight.
The surgery had just concluded, and the monitor beside the bed beeped continuously. Fresh plasma flowed out from her body, passing through a centrifuge for filtration before being transfused back.
Lin Yan’s entire blood supply had been replaced, but she was still not out of danger.
The doctor used a penlight to examine her pupils and listened to her heartbeat. He carefully studied her brain CT scan and chest X-ray, with a thick stack of examination reports by his side.
After a while, Wang Xing shook his head. “It’s troublesome. Guillain-BarrĂ© Syndrome has caused her immune system to be extremely weak throughout her body. Additionally, due to the gunshot wound, she has a widespread infection and multiple organ failures. She also has pleural and abdominal effusion. It’s precisely when the immune system needs to work, but unfortunately, her entire immune system is almost paralyzed.”
“It’s a vicious cycle,” he tried to explain in plain language that an ordinary person could understand. Lin Youyuan sat in his wheelchair, his facial muscles trembling slightly, showing little expression.
“What are the chances of survival?”
“Less than 20%.”
Wang Xing replied after a brief pause. At this point, there was no need to hide anything. “And even if she survives, the prognosis is extremely poor. Her physical fitness will greatly decline, and she will inevitably have to take medication for the rest of her life.”
He handed back the examination report to Lin Youyuan and took off his glasses. “Old Lin, you still need to prepare yourself early.”
Three days later, Song Yuhang woke up from a deep sleep. Her vital signs were stable, and she was transferred back to a regular ward. She struggled to get out of bed but was pushed back by someone.
Ji Jingxing and Mother Song were both looking at her, their eyes reddened. Mother Song remained silent, but Ji Jingxing spoke up.
“After narrowly escaping death, why are you causing trouble again?” Her tone was harsher than ever before. Song Yuhang was taken aback, her voice still hoarse. “I… I want to go and see Lin Yan… Has her surgery finished? How is she? Is she out of danger?”
A barrage of questions came pouring out. Ji Jingxing trembled, her lips quivering as she looked at Song Yuhang, who was covered in wounds and bandages. Despite her own miserable state, she still cared about others. Unable to hold back her anger, Ji Jingxing exclaimed, “Song Yuhang, it was the same when we were in the provincial capital, and it’s the same now. Can’t you take care of yourself first?!”
“I…” Song Yuhang tried to speak, but it was interrupted by a series of coughs. Mother Song stepped in to help her out.
“If you want to go, then go. Nurse, please bring a wheelchair,” Mother Song said.
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When they reached the entrance of the ICU, visiting hours had already passed. Song Yuhang grabbed hold of a passing medical staff member.
“Doctor, please, can you find out how the patient named Lin Yan is doing inside?”
The doctor flipped through the medical records in their hands. “Lin Yan… Let me see. She has already been transferred to another hospital.”
Song Yuhang felt as if she had been struck by lightning. “Transferred… How is that possible… She was injured so severely…”
“It’s true,” the doctor replied patiently, recognizing her as a patient who had been specially informed and taken care of by the police. “Her condition is quite complicated… Our hospital has limited medical capabilities, so she was transferred to a higher-level hospital.”
Song Yuhang’s heart sank into her throat. “Complicated? What does that mean? Has she not yet escaped danger? Or is it…”
“I’m sorry, but that’s the patient’s privacy, and we cannot disclose it,” the doctor interrupted.
“Hey, doctor, doctor!” Song Yuhang tried to chase after him as he walked away, but her limbs were too weak, and she couldn’t maneuver the wheelchair. In a sudden impulse, she lunged forward and fell to the ground.
Mother Song exclaimed in shock, her face pale. “Yuhang, Yuhang…”
Song Yuhang struggled to climb up on her own but inadvertently touched her wound, causing intense pain that made her grimace. While comforting her mother, she forced a smile and said, “It’s okay, it’s okay, I’m fine…”
As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes, falling drop by drop onto the floor.
A pair of shoes stopped in front of her. She looked up along the neatly pressed trouser legs and saw Director Feng.
Feng Jianguo reached out and helped her up. “Do you have some time? Let’s talk.”
Song Yuhang nodded dazedly, and the group escorted her back to the ward. Mother Song and Ji Jingxing settled her in before stepping out.
“I know you want to ask about Lin Yan,” Feng Jianguo preempted her, not waiting for her to speak.
“It was the Lin Family who arranged for her transfer. After all, they are her relatives, and we cannot interfere in that.”
Song Yuhang nodded. She was afraid, afraid that the people from the Lin Family would treat her as they had before, afraid of enduring hardships in the Lin Family .
“I have told you what I know. Now it’s your turn to tell me. What was Lin Yan doing that day? Why did she run off?”
Song Yuhang clenched the bedsheet tightly. Her instinctive response was that she couldn’t speak about it.
In front of Feng Jianguo, a seasoned old fox, not the slightest change in expression on Song Yuhang’s face could escape his eyes.
“I have only one piece of advice. With Lin Yan’s family background and connections, she won’t be able to uncover the things she wants to investigate. Song Yuhang, don’t overestimate yourself.”
Song Yuhang suddenly raised her head, her pupils contracting. “Director Feng, do you know something? And why did the sniper open fire?”
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Feng Jianguo turned away, looking out the window, and sighed deeply. “I don’t know. I just feel that where there’s something unusual, there’s likely something sinister behind it. Although Lin Yan is impulsive, she isn’t a brainless person, and you are not someone who wears their emotions on their face.”
A sudden pang struck Song Yuhang’s heart. Did Duan Cheng and the others see that scene during the rescue of Lin Yan?
There were subtle confessions and undercurrents of emotions during the time when Lin Yan was held hostage.
The people at the police station weren’t fools; they were probably already suspicious of various possibilities.
Feng Jianguo came today to question but also to give a subtle warning.
Smart people know when to speak and when to remain silent, and Song Yuhang chose to keep quiet.
“That sniper is already under investigation, but I doubt there will be any significant findings. In that situation, as you know, firing a gun is standard procedure. Who knows if there were bullets in your gun or not?”
Song Yuhang pressed her lips together. “I just feel a bit regretful.”
Regretful that she couldn’t extract more information from their mouths.
However, Feng Jianguo chuckled lightly, turning to look at her with a trace of sorrow on his face. “Regretful about what? Regretful that the sniper shot and killed a child?”
Song Yuhang looked up.
He continued, “You were unconscious before, and I didn’t have a chance to tell you. Captain Zhang is dead, killed by that child. Throat slit, major artery severed. He didn’t make it to the doctor in time…”
As Feng Jianguo reached the end of his words, he faltered. He pinched his brow with his hand, took a deep breath, and turned back to look outside at the clear autumn sky, where the last leaf had fallen.
Song Yuhang gritted her teeth, her only functioning left hand tightly gripping the bedsheet, the veins on the back of her hand bulging.
It took her a while to calm herself down.
“Your commendation application and Lin Yan’s have been submitted. With Captain Zhang gone, you are the most senior and experienced investigator in the bureau, with numerous remarkable achievements. At this critical moment, don’t do anything that would create sensational news.”
He spoke implicitly, and Song Yuhang suddenly looked up at him, her gaze firm and unflinching.
“Is it wrong to have feelings for someone?”
Feng Jianguo looked at the youthful face before him, realizing that she couldn’t be considered young based on age alone.
Thirty-five years old, middle-aged, the backbone of the Criminal Investigation Division’s Support Team in Jiangcheng City.
When he was her age, he already had a beer belly, his thoughts consumed by climbing the ladder, and his gaze was no longer pure and untainted.
But Song Yuhang’s eyes still had a faint light brown color under the sunlight, her gaze clear and transparent, without a hint of impurity.
Beneath her gentle exterior, there was a kind of youthful spirit, an unwavering courage that would not be broken until Loulan1 is restored.
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She could even express her same-sex affection openly: “Is it wrong to like someone?”
“It’s not wrong, but if you want to protect someone, you need money, power, influence. Which do you possess?”
“You couldn’t even prevent her from being transferred to another hospital, Song Yuhang. Don’t indulge in wishful thinking. It’s simply not allowed within the organization.”
He had already spoken up to this point, fulfilling his duty with benevolence and righteousness.
Feng Jianguo picked up his wide-brimmed hat and placed it on his head, preparing to leave.
From within the evening sun, Song Yuhang lifted her head, dressed in a blue and white patient’s gown, basking in the sunlight. “Lin Yan once said, ‘The brave are angered and draw their swords against the stronger, while the cowardly are angered and draw their swords against the weaker. I may not have many abilities, but I possess unwavering courage. Rules are made by people, and if people obstruct me, I’ll surpass them. If rules hinder me, I’ll break them.'”
“Someday, I will become the one who sets the rules, and someday, I will walk openly on the streets with the person I love.”
Feng Jianguo’s hand, about to open the door, paused momentarily, and he coldly snorted, “Ignorant and naive!”
As he stepped outside, a faint smile gradually appeared on his tightly drawn lips.
Footnotes
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Loulan refers to an ancient city and civilization that existed in the Tarim Basin, located in what is now Xinjiang, China. The name “Loulan” is derived from the Chinese term “é„śç•Ą” (fĹ« luè), which was used to describe a region or city-state in ancient times.
Loulan was an important oasis city along the Silk Road and flourished from around the 2nd century BCE to the 3rd century CE. It served as a vital hub for trade and cultural exchange between China and the West. The city was known for its prosperous economy and abundant water resources.
However, Loulan eventually declined and was abandoned, likely due to environmental changes and shifting trade routes. The remains of the ancient city, including its ruins and artifacts, have been discovered by archaeologists, providing valuable insights into the history and culture of the region. The name “Loulan” has come to symbolize a lost civilization and the passage of time.