CH 172

Lin Chen’s face was pale. His eyes were shut tightly. One hand was hung down on the stretcher, and the other was placed by his side.

Xing Conglian’s heart tightened when he saw the blood spattered on his shirt. It could be blood from the hostage-taker, but it also could be from him being injured.

The stretcher flashed past the camera for a short time. Wang Chao quickly took a screenshot and zoomed in on the image. They coincidentally carefully observed the shapes of the bloodstains on Lin Chen’s shirt and finally confirmed that it was stained later and Lin Chen wasn’t attacked in the office.

Xing Conglian calmed himself a little, but words such as overworked and illness flashed in his mind again, and the heart that had just relaxed tightened again.

“Check the case and see what’s going on.”

Perhaps it was because Xing Conglian’s tone was too cold that the guide sitting in the front passenger seat noticed the abnormality. The bald bar owner turned around and asked, “My distinguished guests, why are you so flustered?”

The words of the clan relative who left the bar were full of a strong pseudo-aristocratic accent, which might have some connection to the fact that the Angodo Republic was once a French colony. At this time, Xing Conglian felt that Kang An, the bald head in front, or even the woman who was driving frantically were all extremely irritating. He simply didn’t know why he had to run to this shithole and left Lin Chen alone in Yongchuan. Not only did he leave the case follow-up, but the emotional matters were also unclear. Now, Lin Chen was being carried out on a stretcher.

He glanced at the nosy bald head faintly. The bar owner turned around bitterly, not daring to say a word.

Lin Chen’s case quickly appeared on the screen.

Words such as “neurasthenia*” and “insufficient blood supply to the brain” were shown.

*Medical condition characterized by lassitude, fatigue, headache, and irritability, associated chiefly with emotional disturbance.

The diagnosis was clearly stated: The patient fainted due to being overworked.

Xing Conglian looked at the doctor’s prescription. In addition to “mannitol1” and “betahistine2“, the doctor also prescribed a large dose of tranquilizing drugs, which showed just how bad Lin Chen’s mental state was.

1Medication that helps enhance the flow of water from tissues, including the brain and cerebrospinal fluid, into the interstitial fluid and plasma. || In this case, it’s to alleviate Lin Chen’s brain swelling.

2Anti-vertigo medication commonly used to alleviate vertigo symptoms.

The only thing that satisfied him was the doctor issuing a one-week hospitalization order. He thought that with Jiang Chao’s ability, Lin Chen wouldn’t be discharged from the hospital within this week.

The ward number was marked on the hospitalization form, so Wang Chao adjusted the surveillance video of the corresponding floor without him giving further instructions.

Unfortunately, when the scene appeared, no matter how Wang Chao adjusted the monitoring angle, they could only see the door plate on Lin Chen’s ward and a small area of the beige tile inside the ward. The white wall blocked their sight, with the visitor rules hanging on them as if they were mocking him.

At first, they could still see medical staff entering and leaving the ward; soon, they couldn’t see any staff members, which indicated that Lin Chen’s condition should have stabilized.

But this was just “should”.

Lin Chen “should” be on an IV drip. Lin Chen “should” have his wound on his hand sewn up. Lin Chen “should” be sleeping. Lin Chen “should” have a calm expression…

All these “should” were just speculations. There was no substitute for the fact that Lin Chen was lying on the other side of the wall and he couldn’t see him.

In fact, he knew Lin Chen was probably lying on the other side receiving treatment, and he was also comforted by the fact that Mrs. Jiang was working at Second People’s Hospital. The ward arranged for Lin Chen by the medical staff shouldn’t be bad. However, he suddenly discovered that a wall was more like a rift in a valley that was separating him and Lin Chen by 180,000 miles. In short, it was annoying as hell.

Emotions were blocked in his chest, making it difficult to relieve.

“Smoke.” He stretched out his hand to Kang An. The other party carefully put the cigarette pack in his hand with a lighter.

Xing Conglian pulled out a cigarette and was about to ignite it when he crumpled it up irritably and threw it out of the car.

Wang Chao turned his head and asked him eagerly, “Will it be boring for A’Chen Gege to be lying alone?”

“Turn it off,” Xing Conglian said as he gave one final glance at the surveillance screen.

Just as they were peeping at Lin Chen, the surrounding sand was no longer grayish-brown. The Jeep gradually drove into a green pasture. They were about to reach the last stop in the Dana Region—Rival, a border city of the Angodo Republic.

Compared to the Dana Region, the Angodo Republic was relatively peaceful. Although the former president of the Angodo Republic was a powerful man with 18 wives, his son, the current president, was still a good president who was ambitious and dedicated to the welfare of his people. He wasn’t only committed to reselling oil but also promoted universal health care and free education and paid more attention to consolidating the border defense, which had effectively prevented invasion of the country by crazy warlords who suddenly wanted to expand their territory in the Dana Region.

Looking at the rich pastures that gradually appeared around him and the old French wooden houses dotted among the cattle and sheep, Xing Conglian didn’t even know how a killer who drank human blood could give birth to such a good son.

Suddenly, the Jeep accelerated for some unknown reason, and the woman’s crazy laughter came from the front seat.

The female bodyguard who was driving the car became extremely excited when she entered the pasture. Xing Conglian had found a person whose driving skills were comparable to Wang Chao’s.

The speed was so fast that Wang Chao became nervous and stuffed his laptop back into his backpack.

“Drive slowly and pay attention to safety,” Xing Conglian instructed in Gaomengnese.

Perhaps it was because the noise was so loud that the driver didn’t hear him.

At this moment, Xing Conglian keenly noticed a herd of horses running towards them from the side and rear. The sound of nearly a hundred horses’ hooves was as powerful as thunder in a rainstorm.

The sound of the horses stimulated the driver’s wildness even more. “Wow~~” the female bodyguard shouted and continued to slam on the gas.

“Distinguished guests, don’t worry. Rival’s cattle and horses never hurt people.” The bald head laughed and looked back to comfort them.

“What’s on the right side!” Xing Conglian pointed to the front of his right and shouted. A bison had appeared and was rushing towards them.

“Brake quickly!” The bar owner’s face changed drastically. The female bodyguard finally noticed the abnormality, but there were galloping horses from behind and a bison in the front. She slammed on the steering wheel in desperation, barely managing to avoid the horses, but the front passenger seat was swiped by the bison.

The Jeep bumped violently. Xing Conglian slammed into the car window. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kang An flying out while Wang Chao bumped into the front seat.

After a while, the sound of horseshoes gradually dissipated, and the surrounding area finally returned to quiet.

Xing Conglian rubbed his neck and opened his eyes. He looked to his sides and found Wang Chao’s eyes were closed, and he had lost consciousness.

Xing Conglian hurriedly checked his vitals and found he had a slight concussion, but he was generally fine.

Kang An had rough skin and thick flesh. He rolled a few laps on the grass, then got up by himself and walked towards the Jeep.

On the front passenger seat, the bald bar owner’s hand that was close to the car door hung limply. His arm was profusely bleeding, and he was groaning at the moment. It was obvious that he had been hit by the wild bison just now.

The most seriously injured person was the female bodyguard who was driving. Kanachal had slammed her head against the windshield. Xing Conglian laid Wang Chao flat on the seat and got out of the car to check on the female bodyguard. Her pulse was weak, and her face was covered with blood.

“Where’s the nearest hospital?” Xing Conglian asked the bar owner.

“There is no hospital, but I seem to remember… MSC Doctors Without Borders has set up a medical station that’s not far from here.”

Xing Conglian made a simple fix on the female bodyguard and Wang Chao, then sat in the driver’s seat. The car swung around and set off in the direction directed by the bar owner.

……

Lin Chen didn’t know how he fainted. To be precise, before opening his eyes, he had no impression of fainting at all.

He only remembered that he seemed to have said he wanted to go home, and then his eyes turned dark. It turned out that this kind of thing as mindfulness only had a reverse effect on him.

The cold sensation of the IV entering his vein came from the back of his hand. He opened his eyes slightly and looked around. Sure enough, he was now lying in a hospital bed and had changed into a hospital gown. Although the smell of disinfectant was pungent, it was far better than the smell of blood.

Honestly, it was embarrassing to say that he fainted because he killed a suspect.

Lin Chen moved his other hand. When he raised it, he realized that he was wrapped in thick gauze, making it difficult to move.

He really didn’t want to lie down anymore. He stretched out his hand with difficulty and touched the help bell at the head of the bed.

Soon, a little nurse rushed in.

“What’s wrong? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?” the nurse checked nervously.

“When can I be discharged from the hospital?” Lin Chen asked.

The nurse was stunned. She opened her mouth and wanted to chide him, but she suddenly remembered something and gave him a look, then she ran away.

Not long after, a beautiful lady in a white coat stepped into the ward.

Mrs. Jiang sat down at the head of the bed.

“Sorry to trouble you,” Lin Chen said as he tried to get up, “but I really want to go home.”

Hearing what he said, Mrs. Jiang rolled her eyes and acted like a chief doctor reprimanding a patient. “If Lao Jiang hadn’t said you don’t have a girlfriend, I would think you were lovelorn or something.”

Lin Chen was halfway through sitting up when he suddenly stopped. He remembered a sentence from a certain book he read—the best doctor could see a patient’s state of mind at a glance. These words weren’t absolute, but they seemed quite apt to Mrs. Jiang.

“My current emotional state is a little more subtle than lovelorn,” Lin Chen said.

“I don’t care,” Mrs. Jiang said cruelly. She stood up and forcibly pressed him back into bed.

Lin Chen laid down helplessly. “I seemed to have saved your life just now. Can you please be a little gentle?”

“I’m saving lives every day, and I have never had any favors returned.”

Lin Chen sighed and decided to admit defeat.

“Lie down for a week. Don’t make me repeat it again,” Mrs. Jiang warned.

“My current psychological problems are more serious. Lying in a ward is not conducive to recovery.”

“You mean to say that it’s boring to lie alone, right?”

Lin Chen nodded.

“I’ll chat with you,” Mrs. Jiang said bluntly. “Let’s talk about your emotional problems.”

“Don’t you have your own job to do?” Lin Chen finally knew what it meant to not die if you don’t seek death* as he asked this with a wry smile.

*(不作死就不会死) Internet slang referring to looking for trouble (AKA fuck around and find out/play stupid games, win stupid prizes).

“I don’t have a shift today. My operation was completed this morning.” Mrs. Jiang crossed her legs, leaned on the bedside table, and looked at him with gossipy eyes, as if she were looking forward to the “emotional problems” he spoke of.

Lin Chen avoided her gaze and looked out the window, trying to search for a way to change the subject.

“I heard that you served in MSC Doctors Without Borders in the early years?” he asked suddenly.

“Don’t change the subject.”

“It’s really related to the case.”

“Yes, when I was a sophomore in college.”

“Can you talk a little bit more in detail, such as where you went?”

“West Africa.”

Lin Chen looked at the doctor bathed in the sun in front of him with some admiration.

“Isn’t it amazing? I was participating in medical assistance in the Angodo Republic, which is very close to the Dana Region, so sometimes our medical team will go deep into the Dana Rainforest. However, while the Angodo Republic is a complete country, the Dana Region…”

“The legendary unregulated zone?”

Mrs. Jiang smiled. “I participated in medical assistance because I felt that the international community can ignore many people dying of illness every year, but we as doctors can’t.”

Lin Chen nodded.

Mrs. Jiang was a little dissatisfied. “What do you mean by nodding? What I said just now is obviously great, so there should be applause.”

Lin Chen raised his scarred hands, expressing his helplessness.

“Actually, for us doctors, going there was truly an experience.” Mrs. Jiang leaned back in her chair and started reminiscing.

“If you go there for the first time, what you see at the beginning is a vast expanse of sandy soil, followed by a huge mountain range across West Africa. Even the cattle and sheep raised by humans are wild. After crossing the border of the Angodo Republic and entering the Dana Region, there are thin women and children everywhere. Dilapidated vehicles and shabby homes littered the roadside. There’s a lot of reclaimed land under the mountains. Because of the terrain, various anti-government armed forces, drug cartels, and terrorists set up stations from the bottom to the top of the mountains, but these people have a good attitude towards doctors. When you climb over the mountains to the peak, you can see the Dana Rainforest sweeping the world. If you go there, you will find that the rainforest is completely different from what it looks like on the surface. There are not only a large number of hidden militants but also various primitive tribes and legendary man-eating pythons, as well as a large number of poisonous plants. Among them, there is an herbal medicine that is a hundred times more magical than meth. The synthetic stuff isn’t even comparable. There are also some diseases that are extinct in our country but very common there. In short, it’s a very sentimental place.”

The more Mrs. Jiang spoke, the more excited her eyes became. “I really want to go back and have a look.”

Lin Chen suddenly asked, “You liked it so much, why did you come back in the end?”

“Oh, that’s because the handsome guy on our medical team told me that the skills I’ve learned could help more people in big cities that have a complete basic medical facility. There are no such good medical facilities in the Dana Region. I certainly can’t open a patient’s skull under a kerosene lamp. He said it was too wasteful for me to spend all my day in the rainforest treating headaches and brain fever, and it was better if I left quickly.”

“So you went back?”

“Yes.” Mrs. Jiang tucked her hair behind her ear. “What a pity.”

“It must be a very handsome doctor.”

“How do you know?’

“Because you have a girlish look in your eyes right now.” Lin Chen smiled slightly.