Chapter 245
Li Chunsheng had been tormented by kidney disease for many years.
As someone with top-tier medical resources, he had obtained a perfectly matched kidney through private channels in his sixties, and the surgery had been highly successful.
However, his sixties were more than thirty years ago. The medical standards back then were far inferior to today's. A few years after the surgery, his body began to show chronic rejection, requiring long-term use of immunosuppressants, which led to a weakened immune system and frequent infections.
Over the years, he had been searching for a kidney donor all over the world.
As his life was nearing its end, he finally found one.
Undergoing surgery at this age was extremely dangerous.
But if he didn't get a younger, higher-quality kidney, he wouldn't live for another three months.
Weighing his options, he decided to lie on the operating table.
The doctor was giving him a final physical examination. Once everything was normal, he would head to the operating room.
Just then, his assistant walked in briskly: "Someone wants to see the chairman."
Li Chunsheng waved his hand: "No."
"But..." The assistant offered a painting with both hands. "This is the painting that lady asked me to pass to the chairman. She said she is an old friend of yours."
"An old friend?"
These two words made Li Chunsheng pause.
When he saw the painting, he was completely stunned. He snatched it over, his eyes fixed on the old woman under the tree in the painting, his eyes suddenly turning red.
This was his grandmother.
"Quick, invite her in."
Li Chunsheng's voice trembled slightly.
Living to this age, people of his generation were long gone, let alone the generation before.
His grandmother had passed away more than seventy years ago. The river of time rolled ever forward, but he never dared to forget her voice and smile.
He had been orphaned at a young age, ignored by his clan, and raised by his grandmother.
Because he had a good memory and excelled in his studies from a young age, his grandmother exhausted her wealth to support his education. Later, due to his outstanding academic performance, he was selected by the government to study abroad.
Although the government covered the tuition and travel expenses, living expenses were a bottomless pit. His grandmother sold their ancestral home and gave him all the money.
But he was careless; the money was stolen by someone on the cruise ship going abroad.
"Miss, please come in."
Li Chunsheng looked up at the person walking in, surprised to see a young girl.
He thought it might be an elderly person from his old village using this painting to identify themselves and seek his help. How could it be such a young child?
He suppressed his emotions and asked, "What is your elder's surname?"
Rong Yu replied calmly: "Surname Rong."
She quietly shielded Ji Yanting behind her.
Ji Yanting was disguised as an old man, stooped and hunched, looking entirely inconspicuous.
No one noticed a tiny camera hidden in his collar.
The great film emperor Yan Ting had focused on acting and releasing albums since his debut, rarely appearing on variety shows, let alone hosting live streams.
The moment his account went live, his fans exploded.
"I can't believe I get to see my idol live-streaming in my lifetime. I'm going to faint from happiness."
"The great film emperor didn't even announce it before going live. And why is the camera angle so weird, shooting the floor?"
"Where are his manager and assistant? Why aren't they helping adjust the camera? We want to see his face, not the floor, okay?"
Just then, a hand suddenly appeared in the frame.
It made a gesture.
"That's the secret signal he uses at concerts to tell fans to be quiet."
"He wants us to watch the live stream quietly."
"This feels like it's going to be interesting."
"..."
In the office, Li Chunsheng continued to ask, "Where did you get this painting?"
Rong Yu stepped forward, appearing in the camera's view.
"Oh my god, isn't that Rong Yu?"
"Excuse me, why is she in our idol's live stream?"
"During the finale of the talent show last time, Yan Ting specially wrote an award speech for her. I thought their relationship was unusual back then."
"Never mind Rong Yu, don't you guys think that old man looks familiar? He looks like the founder of Li's Hospital in Hong Kong?"
"The founder of Li's is about to die, how could he be live-streaming!"
"Have you guys noticed that the camera angle looks like it's secretly filming?"
"..."
"I painted this," Rong Yu said, looking at the painting. "This old lady's surname is Xiao. The villagers called her Granny Xiao. She had three sons and two daughters in her life. All three sons died on the battlefield. One daughter was stolen, and the other died of a hemorrhage during childbirth, leaving only a grandson. Granny Xiao lived frugally her whole life to support her grandson's education..."
Li Chunsheng's eyes were filled with shock.
How did this young girl know that his grandmother's surname was Xiao? Who exactly was she?
The doctor beside him whispered a reminder, "Chairman, it's time to go to the operating room to prepare for surgery."
Li Chunsheng raised his hand: "Let them wait a bit longer."
He didn't know if he would make it off the operating table, so he had to figure this out while he was still alive.
"Granny Xiao's grandson was very promising and was selected by the government to study abroad," Rong Yu said softly. "The grandson returned to his home country after six years of studying abroad. When he arrived home, this was the scene: his grandmother was making shoe soles under the tree, the rooster was crowing in the tree, and she caught the only rooster to make soup to entertain two classmates who were close to her grandson..."
Li Chunsheng was extremely shocked: "Who are you? How do you even know this!"
Rong Yu's lips tightened.
Because she was one of those classmates.
She and Li Chunsheng went abroad in the same batch. Li Chunsheng was young, and his living expenses had been stolen. She had never lacked money since childhood, and the Rong family had always been involved in charity, supporting countless poor students every year. She naturally began to help Li Chunsheng.
She helped Li Chunsheng for six years.
Li Chunsheng always called her sister.
The pure and kind-hearted boy who went abroad with ideals and ambitions had actually turned into a complete villain.
How could she accept this?
It was hard to accept.
Perhaps her gaze was too direct, and the figure of a girl inexplicably appeared in Li Chunsheng's mind.
That was the person who helped him the most when he was studying abroad.
This young girl's surname is Rong. Could she be a descendant of Rong Yu?
His eyes softened considerably.
However.
Rong Yu's gaze was as sharp as a knife.
"Your grandmother exhausted her wealth and poured out her heart's blood just so you could rise from poverty and stand upright in the world!"
"Your classmate lent a helping hand in your time of need, only hoping that you would live up to your education and one day save the world and its people!"
"The country poured its resources into sending you to study abroad, and those martyrs paved the way for you with their blood, only hoping that you would become a pillar of society and serve this great nation of China!"
"But what about you?" Her voice was like a cold blade drawn from its sheath, every word piercing his heart. "How are you repaying them? How can you face your conscience?"
"You are a medical student—your hands were meant to save lives, not to be stained with blood!"
"Your knowledge was meant to heal the world, not to become a butcher's knife!"
"You've done so many things that betray humanity. Who exactly have you done right by?"