Chapter 27: Hanging by a Thread

Until Xu Chen left the hospital, the image of that deformed photograph lingered in his mind, its morbid distortion haunting his thoughts.

Eventually, however, he did his best to put it out of his mind; it was, after all, just unsightly. Such a deformity, at worst, would only result in the loss of leg function. Looking at it purely from an aesthetic standpoint, the skin remained lustrous and showed no signs of blackening, suggesting that blood supply was still quite sufficient. There was no need to worry about limb necrosis. The doctor's primary task was simply to save Old Song’s life; if he survived, there would always be a way to deal with the leg.

Back in the dormitory, Xu Chen sat in silence for a long time, surrounded by empty beds. Song Tian had accompanied his father, leaving the room deserted and intensifying the sense of loneliness. With nothing else to do, Xu Chen picked up the newly issued textbooks from his desk and began to read.

Because a typhoon from the coast had moved inland, radioactive materials were potentially spread across much of the country, causing the risk of cancer to soar. Consequently, the Health Bureau had increased investment in cancer education, placing a heavy academic burden on medical students.

...

Three days later, the sun was still shining brightly. Xu Chen was intently watching the professor’s slideshow, which covered the mechanisms of cancer development. The professor stood at the podium, lecturing the class.

"Among the various carcinogens: tobacco, alcohol, aflatoxin, nitrites, radiation, and so on, all contribute to the onset of cancer..."

Hearing this, an idea suddenly struck Xu Chen, and he made a note of it.

Just then, there was a knock on the classroom door. A student sitting near the entrance opened it at the professor’s gesture, and the entire class looked toward the doorway in surprise. Standing outside were two non-commissioned officers in military uniform. The habits of their recent military training still fresh, the student who opened the door immediately gave a salute. The officers returned the salute and began asking the student something.

It was rare for military personnel to show up in class, and whispers broke out as students speculated on what was happening. The professor walked over to negotiate, and eventually, the students near the door—along with the professor—all turned to look at Xu Chen.

Xu Chen, still reading the text on the screen, noticed the countless gazes fixed upon him and looked up, bewildered.

"Xu Chen, I’ll take care of your leave paperwork later. You should go with them."

Xu Chen had no room to refuse. He nodded and said, "Alright."

Once he stepped outside, he discovered that in addition to the two officers, there were six other soldiers standing by with rifles. The scene felt like a prisoner being escorted to an execution, as if they were terrified that Xu Chen might try to run. Xu Chen was rattled by the display of force.

"Comrade, have I done something wrong?"

The officer paused, then patted Xu Chen on the shoulder. "Don’t overthink it. My orders were simply to bring you to see someone."

"Then why are you all carrying guns? Isn't that a bit much? I’m just a student."

"It is, of course, a bit much. But these orders came down suddenly while we were in the middle of a drill. As for the reason, you could say we were pulled in on short notice—whoever was most convenient got the job..."

Xu Chen didn't fully grasp what the officer meant until he was hurried in front of a Type 08 infantry fighting vehicle parked in front of the teaching building. The massive vehicle looked far cooler than any off-road jeep, especially with its array of mounted weaponry. Before he could take a closer look, two soldiers deftly flipped open the rear ramp, and Xu Chen was ushered inside.

The vehicle started, and Xu Chen was left to exchange awkward glances with the soldiers, who sat in tense, combat-ready silence. A short while later, he heard the sound of sirens clearing the way. If his guess was right, this was a special escort vehicle. Judging by the speed, they weren't even stopping for red lights in the busy city center. Xu Chen felt flattered yet confused; what had he done to deserve such treatment?

Escorted through traffic without a single delay, Xu Chen experienced the fastest way to leave the city. However, the observation ports in the vehicle were tiny compared to civilian windows, so he could only tell they had left the city; as for where they were going, he had no idea.

Eventually, the wailing of the sirens faded—they must have reached the end of the police escort zone—leaving the armored vehicle to continue on its own. Soon after, the vehicle came to a stop. The soldier nearest the hatch fumbled with it for a moment, and as if by magic, it swung open. The soldiers poured out, pulling and dragging Xu Chen along with them.

Looking around, Xu Chen saw the Red Cross emblem and realized it was a hospital. He looked up at the building, which bore no name—a surefire sign of an obscure military hospital. He glanced around and saw a line of infantry fighting vehicles parked in the distance, one of which was maneuvering as if in training.

Only then did he understand the officer's comment about being "pulled in on short notice." They were just using whatever was closest. It was a shame it wasn't a tank, or he might have witnessed one driving through the city streets, provided the roads could take the weight.

The two officers led him into the building at a hurried pace. Thanks to their brisk efficiency, Xu Chen was still dazed when, moments later, he was ushered into a room.

"Alright, Xu Chen, we’ve brought you here. Our mission is complete; just go on in." With that, the officer saluted and turned to leave.

Still unable to comprehend the situation, Xu Chen pulled the door open. Before he could fully open it, someone from inside grabbed his arm and yanked him in. The room was dominated by a large conference table packed with over a dozen people. Among them were the deputy regimental commander and the political commissar he had met before. There seemed to be a mix of everyone present, with nearly half of them in white medical coats. The person who had pulled him inside was Captain Chu.

The atmosphere in the room was stiflingly tense. Many people were not sitting; they paced back and forth, brows furrowed. The tension eased slightly when they saw Xu Chen enter.

Before Xu Chen could ask a single question, Captain Chu stared at him, his eyes bloodshot. "Xu Chen, there isn't much time, so I’ll be brief. Old Ge is in critical condition. He specifically requested to speak with you alone; no one else is permitted to listen. However, given the gravity of this conversation, we must take precautions. Just place this digital recorder by Old Ge’s pillow while you talk."

Xu Chen met Captain Chu’s frantic, predatory gaze. Despite having a thousand questions, he kept them to himself and nodded. What he wanted to know most was why Old Ge was in critical condition and why he had been called here.

"Do you understand what I just said?" Captain Chu raised his voice.

"I understand, I understand."

"My apologies, the situation is urgent, my demeanor was a bit... come with me, I’ll take you there."

With that, Captain Chu hurried him out of the conference room.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, why is Old Ge in critical condition?" Xu Chen asked cautiously as he jogged to keep up.

Captain Chu led him to a ward guarded by two soldiers. Ignoring their salute, he said quickly, "It’s multi-organ failure. The doctors can't explain it. Old Ge is a pillar of our nation; you must listen very carefully to what he has to say."

"I understand."

"Good. If you have other questions, we can discuss them when you come out. For now, just follow Old Ge’s instructions. He’s in here." Captain Chu opened the door and pointed to the single bed in the room.

A doctor and two nurses were monitoring Old Ge’s condition. They quickly tidied up, and the doctor gave Captain Chu a helpless look before squeezing past them and leaving. Once the nurses had finished their quick tasks and stepped out, Captain Chu glanced at Old Ge’s bed and closed the door.

Xu Chen didn't dare to delay. He pressed the button on the recorder, saw the indicator light turn on, and walked to the bedside.

Only then did he realize how dire Old Ge’s condition truly was. Even to the naked eye, it was clear that Old Ge had grown significantly frailer and weaker since their last meeting. The life-support machinery beside the bed alone must have cost millions, and there was even an unused ECMO machine. Tubes of all kinds disappeared under the blankets, and Xu Chen couldn't bring himself to imagine what lay beneath. Every machine was straining to keep Old Ge alive; if any one of them lost power, his life would flicker out like a candle in the wind.

The vital sign monitors were displaying data that could only be described as a desperate search for normalcy among abnormal readings; it was barely better than monitoring a corpse.

Old Ge’s eyes were half-closed, as if he were sleeping, but to Xu Chen, it looked more like a coma. His condition seemed so severe that he lacked the strength even to control his eyelids. Unable to do anything else, Xu Chen placed the recorder on the pillow.

"Hello? Old Ge? It’s Xu Chen. You asked for me?" Xu Chen tried to rouse him.

Old Ge’s eyeballs seemed to move.

"Old Ge, I’m here. Is there something you wanted to tell me?"

Old Ge opened his eyes weakly. He looked at Xu Chen, his mouth parted slightly, and his parched lips moved.

"Your mouth looks very dry. Should I get you some water?" Xu Chen scanned the room but saw no teapot or cups.

"No... no need."

Xu Chen turned back in surprise, realizing it was indeed Old Ge. He spoke with great effort, his eyes unfocused as he looked toward Xu Chen.

"Come... come closer."