Chapter 127: The Cost of Treatment

After departing from Huang Caixing’s residence, Lin Xiao immediately cashed the check he had won in the previous car race and deposited the money into his bank account. Then, he headed back to Yuan Yu’s home.

Yuan Yu had just gotten back from school and was sitting on the living room couch.

The moment she saw Lin Xiao enter, she rushed into his arms, her eyes filled with urgency. “Big Brother Lin, are you alright?”

Caught off guard for a second, Lin Xiao quickly regained his composure. “So Caixing filled you in on everything?”

“Yes, Big Brother Lin, please promise me you won’t act recklessly again,” Yuan Yu responded, her tone tinged with worry.

After Huang Caixing had informed her about the incident at the shopping mall via a phone call, Yuan Yu was unable to shake off her anxiety, even though she knew Lin Xiao was unharmed.

It wasn’t until she saw Lin Xiao walk through the door that she finally let out a sigh of relief.

“Don’t fret. I would never gamble with my life,” Lin Xiao reassured her, patting her head gently.

“I know you’re capable, Big Brother Lin, but I can’t stop myself from worrying about you,” Yuan Yu admitted, her eyes welling up with tears.

Somewhere along the line, Lin Xiao had joined the ranks of the most important people in her life, right alongside her mother.

“Right, we should head to the hospital now for Aunt’s next treatment session,” Lin Xiao said, his heart softening at Yuan Yu’s emotional display. He quickly changed the subject, “Little Yu, we’re financially stable now. Is there anything you wish for?”

“Nothing, really. But if I had to choose…” Yuan Yu hesitated for a moment, her focus clearly shifted. She spoke softly, “Will you always be there beside me, Big Brother Lin?”

As she asked the question, her heart pounded in her chest, fearing that she might receive a disheartening answer.

Oblivious to Yuan Yu’s emotional turmoil, Lin Xiao affectionately ruffled her hair and said without any hesitation, “Of course, I’ll always be by your side, I’m your brother, after all.”

‘If only he had left off that last part,’ Yuan Yu thought wistfully, keeping her innermost feelings unspoken.

Lin Xiao had no inkling of Yuan Yu’s inner thoughts. Once he saw that she had regained her emotional equilibrium, he escorted her to Jinghai’s First Hospital to visit her mother. Upon their arrival, Yuan’s mother was visibly pleased. After spending some quality time with her, Lin Xiao exited the ward and made his way to Dr. Li’s office, the physician overseeing Yuan’s mother’s treatment.

“Hello, Dr. Li,” Lin Xiao greeted.

“Oh, it’s you,” Dr. Li recognized him.

Though initially skeptical about Lin Xiao’s ability to amass the hefty sum of five million, Dr. Li had grown increasingly impressed by the young man through their previous encounters. His esteem for Lin Xiao rose further when he discovered that the patient wasn’t even a blood relative, but rather the mother of Lin Xiao’s comrade-in-arms.

This wasn’t a trivial ailment but a severe medical condition requiring an expenditure of upwards of a hundred thousand per month. Dr. Li, a seasoned medical practitioner, was well aware that even close relatives might hesitate to front such an amount, let alone for a friend’s parent.

“Your aunt’s condition remains relatively stable, so there’s no need for immediate concern. While there’s no miracle cure and her condition is subject to relapses, she should be fine for several years based on her current situation,” Dr. Li offered, assuming Lin Xiao had come to ask about the state of Yuan’s mother’s health.

“No, Dr. Li, I’m here to make the payment for her specialized treatment,” Lin Xiao corrected him.

“What?” Dr. Li was taken aback. “You’ve managed to gather five million?”

“Yes, the full amount has been collected,” Lin Xiao confirmed. “When can my aunt start her treatment?”

For a moment, Dr. Li looked at Lin Xiao in stunned disbelief. Though Lin Xiao had often asserted that he would acquire the five million, Dr. Li hadn’t held out much hope. He admired Lin Xiao’s integrity, but he also knew that five million was no trivial sum. Lin Xiao didn’t present himself as especially affluent, making this made his achievement all the more extraordinary.

Dr. Li pondered on his own willingness to part with such an amount. For a blood relative, perhaps he might muster the courage, but for a friend’s mother? That seemed less likely.

Yet here was Lin Xiao, who had not only raised the staggering sum but was also willing to use it to treat his friend’s ailing mother.

In today’s society, countless people bicker and fight over money, leading to familial discord and even fratricidal conflicts. In stark contrast, the integrity of Lin Xiao was nothing short of commendable.

“Rest assured, I will do my utmost to cure the patient,” Dr. Li assured, looking at Lin Xiao with a sense of deep admiration.

“Thank you, Dr. Li,” replied Lin Xiao. He wasn’t sure what was going through Dr. Li’s mind, but he felt reassured by the doctor’s confident tone.

Guided by Dr. Li, Lin Xiao then settled the medical expenses for Yuan’s mother. After paying the bills, he, along with Yuan Yu, spent some more time conversing with Yuan’s mother. Around nine in the evening, he took Yuan Yu back home.

***

Meanwhile, at Jinghai’s Third Hospital, Yang Tao, the Chief of the Security Team for the Logistics Department, was lying in a hospital bed, his expression twisted in discomfort. Despite several days of recovery, the agonizing pain in his abdomen continued to remind him that his wounds were far from healed.

As he lay there, thoughts of Lin Xiao filled his mind. Specifically, Lin Xiao’s emotionless face and ruthless actions at the Brilliant Tower. This made Yang Tao’s blood boil with fury.

“Damned bastard!”

What Yang Tao failed to recognize was that had he not been the first to act maliciously, aiming to injure Lin Xiao, overthrow the Director of the Logistics Department, and even secure a position as the President’s personal bodyguard, he wouldn’t be in this dire situation. Lin Xiao had merely given him a taste of his own medicine.

Naturally, Yang Tao was the type of person who would never admit his own faults, opting instead to blame others for his misfortunes.

Just then, the door to his ward burst open, snapping him back to reality. A man adorned with gold-rimmed glasses swiftly entered the room.

“Secretary Wang?” Yang Tao questioned, his voice tinged with both confusion and apprehension.

Yang Tao recognized the man as Secretary Wang, the trusted aide to the company’s Vice President, Lu Pengbo. However, as a low-ranking security chief, he was far removed from the echelons of power within the company and did not know the conflicts occurring between upper management figures like Wan Caixuan and Lu Pengbo.

Seeing Secretary Wang, Yang Tao immediately assumed that Lin Xiao had decided not to let him off the hook and had sent Secretary Wang to settle scores. This thought immediately darkened his expression.