115: Chapter 115 Chief Instructor
Five hundred and thirty thousand.
That was one hundred and thirty thousand more than the four hundred thousand Lu Zheng said he was short of.
The bit of money he had saved from hauling steel these past few days wasn't even enough to cover the change.
Jiang Chen took the bill, his gaze sweeping over the numbers. Without saying much, he asked directly, "Which floor is the payment window on?"
"The first-floor lobby, Inpatient Settlement Center."
"Alright."
Jiang Chen turned to walk out, with Lu Zheng following closely behind him.
There was a queue of six or seven people at the Inpatient Settlement Center in the lobby. Jiang Chen didn't wait in line; he walked straight to the window labeled "Large Payments / Green Channel" and handed the bill inside.
"ICU Bed 6, Zhang Guifang. Clear the arrears first, then pre-pay three hundred and fifty thousand."
The cashier inside took the bill, tapped on the keyboard a few times, then looked up to confirm, "Arrears of 184,600, pre-payment of 350,000. That's a total of 534,600 yuan."
"Correct."
The cashier printed the POS slip.
Jiang Chen took out his bank card, swiped it on the POS machine, and entered his PIN.
The transaction receipt slowly spat out of the machine.
The whole process took less than two minutes.
Standing to the side, Lu Zheng watched in silence as the receipt slid out of the machine bit by bit.
His fists were clenched tight, his knuckles white, and the veins on the back of his hands were clearly visible.
This man, who hadn't even blinked in a hail of bullets, now had eyes so red they looked ready to bleed.
Five hundred and thirty thousand.
Jiang Chen hadn't even flicked an eyebrow.
He hadn't even given him a choice; he had simply booked the best specialist.
Jiang Chen folded the payment voucher and the pre-payment receipt, handing them to Lu Zheng. His tone was as casual as if he were handing over a bottle of water. "Take these and go upstairs to find Dr. Meng."
Lu Zheng took the thin slips of paper, his fingers trembling slightly.
He looked down at the numbers, his Adam's apple bobbing sharply. Then, he looked up, took a deep breath, and gripped the papers in his palm.
"Let's go."
He turned and strode toward the elevator, his pace twice as fast as when he arrived.
Sixth floor.
After Meng Xianglin received the payment voucher, his attitude changed noticeably.
He immediately picked up the landline on his desk and dialed an internal extension. "Anesthesiology? This is Meng Xianglin. ICU Bed 6, Zhang Guifang, acute pancreatitis with organ damage. Adding an emergency surgery this afternoon."
"Yes, the fees have been paid in full. The family has requested Director Chen Zhengsheng to perform the surgery. Right, please coordinate that."
Hanging up, he dialed another number. "Operating Room? Squeeze an emergency surgery in for me between the second and third cases this afternoon."
"ICU Bed 6, Director Chen Zhengsheng performing. Okay, 2:30 PM. Got it."
Finally, he dialed a third number. "Director Chen, I've looked at your surgery schedule for this afternoon. Could you personally handle the 2:30 PM case?"
"It's that acute pancreatitis case with organ damage from before. The family has specifically paid all the fees and requested you by name to perform the surgery. Great, thank you so much."
After finishing the three calls, Meng Xianglin put down the receiver and said to Lu Zheng and Jiang Chen, "It's arranged. Director Chen Zhengsheng will personally perform the surgery at 2:30 PM today."
Lu Zheng's lips quivered as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just nodded heavily.
Jiang Chen spoke up at the right moment, his tone flat. "Dr. Meng, use the best for all subsequent medication and care. Don't worry about the cost."
"Also, please help arrange a private room. Once Lu Zheng's mother leaves the ICU after surgery, transfer her there directly."
"I can do that."
Meng Xianglin nodded, pulled a private room application form from his drawer, and filled it out with a few quick strokes. "For a private room, I suggest the VIP area on the eighth floor. It's quiet, and the level of nursing care is higher."
Jiang Chen nodded.
Meng Xianglin said no more and signed the application form.
After leaving the doctor's office, the two stood in the corridor.
The ICU doors remained tightly shut, but when Lu Zheng looked at them again, the despair in his eyes had been replaced by something new.
He turned to face Jiang Chen.
The fluorescent lights in the corridor shone down from above, outlining his sharp features.
Too many complex emotions swirled in those bloodshot eyes.
Gratitude, solemnity, determination, and a sense of belonging that came from deep within his bones.
"Mr. Jiang."
He spoke, his voice no longer trembling, as steady as tempered steel. "No contract, no IOU, nothing at all. You just trust me like this."
He paused for a moment, his Adam's apple bobbing.
"Five hundred and thirty thousand—you just paid it without a second thought. You even picked the best specialist for me."
"I, Lu Zheng, have no way to repay this kindness. From today on, no matter what you want to do, no matter who is on the other side..."
"I will stand in front of you."
Jiang Chen looked at him. Instead of saying polite platitudes, he simply reached out and patted Lu Zheng on the shoulder with moderate force.
"Go wash your face and get something to eat first. At 2:30, we'll send your mother into the operating room."
Lu Zheng closed his eyes tightly. When he opened them again, the moisture in his eyes had been completely suppressed.
"Alright."
The two took the elevator down and walked out of the hospital gates.
The midday sun shone straight down, making them squint slightly.
Jiang Chen glanced at the street across from the hospital. Diagonally across the road was a home-style restaurant with a sign so old it had faded to white.
A few outdoor tables were set up by the entrance, filled with diners eating and chatting. It felt very lively and down-to-earth.
"Let's go there," Jiang Chen said, tilting his chin.
Lu Zheng looked where he was pointing and hesitated for a moment. "Mr. Jiang, my clothes..."
The black short-sleeved shirt he was wearing was covered in rust and dust, with gray marks on the shoulders from hauling steel.
Without looking back, Jiang Chen walked straight toward the crosswalk. "It's just a meal, not a red carpet."
Lu Zheng said no more and strode to catch up.
The restaurant wasn't large, about sixty or seventy square meters. A menu with yellow characters on a red background was pasted on the wall, and a ceiling fan creaked as it turned overhead.
The proprietress was a plump woman in her fifties with a loud, clear voice. Seeing them enter, she greeted them while wiping a table, "What can I get for you two? The menu is on the wall."
Jiang Chen found a table toward the back and sat down, pushing the menu in front of Lu Zheng. "You order."
Lu Zheng glanced at the menu, then at Jiang Chen, and ordered two of the cheapest rice bowls.
Jiang Chen didn't respond to him and said directly to the proprietress, "Braised pork, sweet and sour pork ribs, pickled cabbage fish, and garlic water spinach. Also, a tomato and egg soup, and two large bowls of rice."
The proprietress quickly noted it down and shouted toward the kitchen.
The food arrived quickly.
The braised pork was stewed until tender, the sweet and sour ribs were coated in a glistening sauce, and the pickled cabbage fish soup was fragrant with Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies.
Lu Zheng picked up his rice bowl, grabbed a mouthful of water spinach with his chopsticks, and began shoveling rice into his mouth.
His movements were fast, a habit likely formed in the military, but he deliberately suppressed his speed, afraid of appearing too eager.
Jiang Chen didn't speak either, eating at a leisurely pace.
Halfway through the meal, Jiang Chen put down his chopsticks, picked up the teapot on the table, and poured a cup for himself and one for Lu Zheng.
"Which unit were you in before?"
Lu Zheng's chopsticks paused. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he swallowed the rice in his mouth before speaking. "Southwest."
He didn't mention a specific unit number.
Jiang Chen didn't press him. He just nodded and took a sip from his teacup. "Can you talk about it?"
"Not much I can say."
Lu Zheng put down his chopsticks and sat up straight, his tone as calm as if he were stating something that had nothing to do with him.
"Special Forces Brigade. I served for eleven years. The first three as a soldier, the next eight leading soldiers. I was the Chief Instructor when I retired."
"Why did you retire?"