Chapter 87: Chapter 79: Let’s Start with 400,000!_1 "Little Tang, what can you, a student, do to help? Please don’t ask for money from your family and don’t mention this to your uncle, ok?" Han Leng said without hesitation. He didn’t believe that Tang Qing could come up with much money. Even if Tang Qing had some pocket money saved up, it would only be a drop in the bucket. He knew about Tang Qing’s family, just a clothing-selling family without any wealthy relatives. He heard that a few years ago they had spent all their savings to treat an elder’s illness, leaving little money left. Even if they could provide some, he wouldn’t ask this newly acquainted apprentice for it. As for Qin Yugang, Han Leng believed that the couple’s wages, which they used to support their two daughters, were under great pressure, even more pressure than him. After all, he had his shop, his wife had a job, and their child was only eight years old. Given Qin Yugang’s character, which Han Leng was familiar with, he understood that Qin Yugang was neither greedy nor overbearing. His social expenses were quite high. It would not cause too much trouble for Qin Yugang to chip in twenty to thirty thousand, but anything more than that would simply add to the burden. Though Qin Yugang would certainly help if he knew about it, it would not solve the fundamental problem. As for borrowing money from other friends, the idea crossed his mind for a moment before being dismissed. Truthfully, many of them were struggling just like him and he didn’t want to add to their burdens. This was who he was as a person. He’d rather be the one to shoulder trouble by mortgaging his family’s shop than bring trouble to others. "Don’t worry, Uncle Han, I have quite a bit of money on my own, not from my family. I won’t mention this to my uncle," Tang Qing said, deep admiration for Han Leng in his heart. All things considered, to carry such burdens on his own and to mortgage his own family’s shop to help a friend, all while not wanting to burden others, showed true backbone, he thought. How could he not respect that? "Little Tang, thank you for your kindness, but the amount needed is significant. It won’t do much good to have a few tens of millions of dollars, so let’s forget about it. I’ll find a way," Han Leng said, moved. He didn’t expect this newly-met Tang Qing to be so thoughtful and willing to use his own pocket money. He was touched, even if Tang Qing’s money wouldn’t be of much help. That act showed him a heart that moved him deeply, as did Sun Chao, who looked at Tang Qing with gratitude from the side. "Uncle Han, while I may not have much money, it shouldn’t be a problem to pay for some medical treatment," said Tang Qing modestly, feeling no need to boast about his entire savings in front of his master. That was pointless. He was taking charge of this situation. "What?" "Huh?" Both men exclaimed in surprise at the sound of Tang Qing’s words. Despite their strong hearts, the news was too shocking. What did they hear? Covering medical treatment... is no problem? He has hundreds of thousands? Han Leng looked at Tang Qing incredulously, while Sun Chao’s eyes showed a glimmer of hope. Seeing their astounded faces, Tang Qing, admittedly, felt a little smug. He couldn’t help marveling at why so many people loved to show off. "Little Tang, are you serious? This is three hundred thousand we are talking about. How could you possibly have that much money?" Han Leng asked, his voice trembling slightly. He did not doubt his ears or his understanding, nor Tang Qing’s sincerity. Although they had not known each other long, he knew Tang Qing was a cautious person who would not make careless remarks. However, this news was incredibly extraordinary. Hundreds of thousands was not a small sum; it was equivalent to a hundred-square-meter house in the center of Qingyan City. "Haha, yes, I do have the money. I earned it myself. It’s completely legal. But don’t ask how I got it. Rest assured, if Uncle Han is willing to mortgage his shop for someone else, I respect that. It’s just three hundred thousand RMB. I’ll cover that," Tang Qing said with a smile. In a way, this was accurate. He was taking risks trading currency at risk of being silenced. It was fair to say he earned that money. As for legality, he had increased the country’s foreign exchange reserves to some extent. Therefore, he felt fully justified in saying the money was legal. "This..." Han Leng was entirely convinced at this point. But, he was a little hesitant. Firstly, he questioned the legality of the money. How could a high school student have hundreds of thousands? How could that ever sit well with him? But seeing Sun Chao’s tired face and thinking about his own shop, he was in a mess. He didn’t know whether to accept or refuse. He thought of Sun Chao’s mother lying in the hospital bed and gritted his teeth in resolve. Damn it all, the priority is to get treatment. They’d worry about the money later. If the source of the money was not legitimate... he truly didn’t know what to do. Just as Han Leng was agonizing over this decision, Tang Qing walked over, took his hand and started walking out: "Uncle Han, life is of the utmost importance. Let’s not dilly-dally. Let’s head to the hospital." When he was pulled into motion by Tang Qing, Han Leng snapped back to reality. Being a decisive person, he stopped waiting: "Xiao Sun, let’s go. We’re going to the hospital." Still in a daze, Sun Chao immediately followed. Han Leng believed Tang Qing wouldn’t make empty promises or deceive them, and Sun Chao trusted Han Leng. Even though the situation was somewhat abrupt, with a stranger offering to pay for his mother’s treatment, Sun Chao, who was only left with his mother as a relative, couldn’t find words to refuse. On the way, Han Leng introduced Tang Qing to Sun Chao. Hearing of Sun Chao’s experiences and current situation, Tang Qing couldn’t help but feel emotional. He was glad he was there today, and that his uncle had introduced Han Leng to teach him to fight, or else Han Leng would really have to sell his shop. Moreover, with the elder’s age and the illness likely to drain their money, Sun Chao would not be able to repay it for a while. In the end, they would likely be forced into crime or desperate measures. One could imagine that if he wasn’t present today, then for a long time, both families would face significant difficulties. Qingyan City’s Second People’s Hospital. Third floor. Oncology Department. They didn’t go to pay immediately but instead went to find the attending doctor first. "Doctor Wei, I...I’m here to pay." As soon as he walked into the doctor’s room, Sun Chao said excitedly, glancing at Tang Qing next to him with grateful eyes. Without Tang Qing, even if Han Leng mortgaged his shop, the money would take a while to raise. If the delay worsened the disease, he... "Little Sun, you managed to raise the money so quickly? That’s good. Your mother’s illness cannot be delayed. Surgery must be performed as soon as possible. I know it’s been hard on you, but this is the hospital’s regulation. Without money, nothing can be done. Please stay understanding," said Doctor Wei in a sympathetic tone on seeing Sun Chao’s face. He also knew about Sun Chao’s situation and admired him for it, but rules were rules. As the attending doctor, he didn’t dare go against the hospital’s orders. To others, this group of doctors, though earning a high income, also bear significant pressure. After all, the loss of vibrant lives because of insufficient money for treatment is a tragic sight. The guilt from this situation afflicts all but the least compassionate doctors, making them criticize the existing system. However, they felt helpless as the root cause of it all was money. For any changes to happen, a massive investment from the higher-ups was necessary. But the majority of funds were channeled into economy and infrastructure development, causing indescribable frustration. As doctors, all they could hope for was that the state could improve the reimbursement ratio and coverage of medical insurance, and lower drug prices. As for free healthcare, it was something they dared not even dream about. Only those deeply involved in the field would understand that universal free healthcare was utterly impossible in the domestic scene. If it did exist, many would probably demand exhaustive examinations for just a fever or a cold, and wish to be hospitalized for a month at the first sign of a headache. After all, it would be free, wouldn’t it? If that were the case, even if the number of hospitals nationwide were to increase by a hundredfold, it still wouldn’t be enough. Even the national economy might collapse under such a model. Take the United States, for example. All hospitals are brazenly siphoning funds from the government and insurance companies. For insured patients, even an ordinary scan may cost a few thousand dollars, while it would only cost a few hundred if paid in cash. The United States government is now powerless to change this, given the immense influence of the stakeholders in pharmaceutical companies. "Doctor Wei, I understand," Sun Chao said with a bitter smile. Of course, he knew that changes couldn’t happen overnight. However, he couldn’t help feeling despondent about it. "Alright, I’ll accompany you to settle the payment. Then we will arrange the surgery as soon as possible. Who are these people?" Doctor Wei asked as he rose to his feet. "My comrade, and his... apprentice. They are the ones who have helped me this time," introduced Sun Chao. "Ah, you have a good comrade," Doctor Wei commented. "Yes," Sun Chao agreed, nodding repeatedly. "Come, let’s go," Doctor Wei beckoned as he led the way out. Upon reaching the payment counter, "Doctor Wei, may I ask if this 300,000 yuan covers just the surgery or the post-surgery expenses as well?" Tang Qing couldn’t resist asking. "This includes the surgery and a month’s observation stay in the hospital," Doctor Wei answered. "Does it include nursing care?" Tang Qing asked. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚 "No, it doesn’t," responded Doctor Wei. "By the way, Brother Sun, will Auntie be staying in a single or shared room?" Tang Qing asked. On the journey here, he had learned that Sun Chao was only 28 this year, hence calling him ’Uncle’ seemed inappropriate, so he decided to call him ’Big Brother’ "A single room," Sun Chao replied. "Doctor Wei, are there currently any single rooms available?" Tang Qing quickly inquired. "Yes," Doctor Wei confirmed. "That’s good. Doctor Wei, could you please move Auntie to a single room and arrange for nursing care?" Tang Qing requested. "Tang, there’s no need, I can take care of my mother, we don’t need to waste..." Sun Chao quickly interjected. "This is not a waste. If I am to help you, you need to listen to me," Tang Qing asserted solemnly. Such resoluteness left both Han Leng and Sun Chao stunned. Well, Tang Qing was once again flaunting his wealth. "How much do you wish to pay?" the cashier inquired. "Hmm, let me think... Make it an even number, let’s go with 400,000," Tang Qing suggested as he handed over his bank card nonchalantly. At the same time, he instructed the system to transfer 400,000 yuan to this card. "Tang... 400,000... That’s a bit... too much," Sun Chao said in a daze. Han Leng was similarly stunned. 400,000? The excess 100,000 was casually thrown in just like that. Exactly how rich was Tang Qing? He even seemed indifferent to the amount of 100,000. Of course, Doctor Wei and the cashier were more surprised than shocked. After all, it was a payment, and extra money should be the norm, not something surprising. They were simply amazed at how rich this young man was. "It’s not too much; it’s to ensure Auntie has a better environment for her convalescence." Tang Qing smiled. "Swipe for 400,000 yuan, move her to a single room, arrange for nursing care, and get the best doctor to perform the surgery. Understood?" Tang Qing turned to Doctor Wei and calmly instructed. "Understood, no problem. You can rest assured, we’ll make sure to arrange the best room, nurse and consulting experts, to ensure the success of the surgery," Doctor Wei quickly agreed. At that moment, he finally realized that Tang Qing was the person paying the bills. PS: Sorry for the late update, and a big thanks to readers Guyjia and Can’nian Hē Yy4806 for the recommendation!