Chapter Forty-Nine: A Temporary Reprieve?

“Mr. Yang…” Pan Anguo still wanted to persuade Yang Meng, but Yang Meng simply swung open the door to the sterile room and strode right in.

Seeing Yang Meng enter, Hu Erbeng and the others were first overcome with excitement, but soon their faces filled with worry. “Mengmeng, why did you come in? It’s too dangerous here!”

Yang Meng paused. “Dangerous? Dangerous how? Do you even know what’s happening to you?”

Hu Erbeng exchanged a glance with the others and shook his head. Qi Kun said, “We woke up here and no one told us what’s going on, but we recognize this place. It’s an isolation ward for infectious diseases, right? They took our phones and won’t let us contact anyone. This must be serious!”

Ling Feng added, “My supervisor from the precinct came to see me but said nothing, just told me to cooperate with treatment. I have no idea what’s happened. But clearly, it’s something big. Did I catch some terrible disease? I know why you’re here—you’ve been in contact with us, so you have to be quarantined too, right?”

Yang Meng almost laughed out of exasperation. “Are you all idiots? Why are you making up stories in your heads? I don’t even feel like scolding you! If contact alone meant quarantine, what about the medical staff who cared for you? Why aren’t they isolated?”

“Ah?” Hu Erbeng and the others looked at each other. “Yeah! Why only us?”

Yang Meng reached out and yanked the closest wires from Hu Erbeng’s body. “You lot are so gullible you’d help count the money for the people selling you. Come with me, you’re perfectly fine! They’re using you as lab rats!”

At this point, Pan Anguo and the others followed Yang Meng in. “Mr. Yang, you can’t do this.”

“Why not?” Yang Meng glared at him. “This is illegal detention! Lobster! Maniac! Why are you all hesitating? Change clothes and get out, now!”

Qi Kun looked around and gave a wry smile. “Mengmeng, our clothes are gone. You’re not really going to make us leave in patient gowns, are you?”

Yang Meng looked at Pan Anguo and Di Shouye. “Director Pan, Director Di, you’ve really gone all out—even hid their clothes?”

Pan Anguo replied with some embarrassment, “Mr. Yang, this discovery will shock the world. Of course, we have to do everything possible, and secrecy is essential.”

“Long Teng, lend a hand—have someone bring over some clothes. We’ll leave first and talk later!” Yang Meng said to Long Teng.

Long Teng was momentarily stunned—was he being ordered around? Well, you’re the boss here. He quickly pulled out his phone to call Duan Bowen, telling him to buy several sets of clothes, and even reminded him to make sure to buy one in a large size for Qi Kun, otherwise, he’d have nothing to wear.

Pan Anguo and Di Shouye, realizing Yang Meng was determined to leave, grew anxious. “Mr. Yang, you can’t just walk out. This is a Nobel Prize-level discovery!”

Yang Meng snorted. “What’s that got to do with me? Don’t talk big to me—I’m just a small-timer, never seen the world! Yes, we drank the wine you mentioned! I bought a wine gourd at the flea market, and it had a little inside. It’s all gone now—there’s nothing left!”

Pan Anguo hurriedly asked, “Could you at least let us study the wine gourd?”

“No!” Yang Meng replied angrily. “Forget it. Long Teng, you drive, right? Forget about the clothes—you lot get to the car! Where are their phones? Bring them over, now!”

“But…” Pan Anguo began, but Yang Meng simply picked up a nearby medical device and threatened to smash it. He didn’t know what it was, but its size made it look impressive.

Sure enough, Pan Anguo tensed up immediately, but it wasn’t Yang Meng’s strength that worried him—it was the machine. “Mr. Yang, please! That’s a fully automated chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzer! The most advanced equipment we have. Just one blood sample and it can test over ninety items! There’s only one in the city—it’s incredibly expensive!”

Di Shouye was also nervous. “Mr. Yang, please be careful. That machine is rare and can help so many patients!”

Yang Meng sneered. “Who knows how much you skimmed off on it! Nobody gets in our way or I’ll smash it! What, think I can’t afford to pay for it?”

He wasn’t without reason. If hospitals wanted to make money on the side, it was usually through medical equipment and drugs.

In theory, medical treatment in this country shouldn’t be so expensive. After all, most medical resources are concentrated in public hospitals, whose fees are monitored by the government. Every charge—registration, surgery, everything—must be reported and is subject to government allocation and oversight.

Take heart stent surgery, for example: it takes around ten medical staff a whole day, and the operation costs about fifty to sixty thousand, but only five or six thousand ends up with the staff. Averaged out, they really don’t make much. If there weren’t subsidies, overtime, quarterly or research bonuses, honestly, eighty percent of the country’s medical staff would change careers.

So where do hospitals get the money for those bonuses? Of all the items hospitals charge for, drugs and equipment are the least regulated and most flexible—what drug, what dose, it’s all up to the doctor. And the price of medical equipment ranges from tens of thousands to tens of millions, even over a hundred million per item, and higher authorities struggle to manage it.

The result? For hospital revenue, it’s all about selling drugs and importing expensive equipment—a not-so-secret secret in the medical field.

Pan Anguo replied seriously, “Mr. Yang, what you said isn’t entirely wrong. As a public hospital, we’re strictly supervised but also have to be self-sufficient, which makes management difficult. Otherwise, the Long family wouldn’t have been able to rent an entire inpatient floor. We need funds to support our staff and serve more patients. But I can assure you—we’ve never manipulated equipment purchases! That device is truly vital to our hospital and our patients. If it breaks, it’ll take at least half a year to replace!”

Yang Meng snorted again. “How is that my problem? You’ve got my friends detained and think you’re in the right? Are you letting them go or not? Say the word, or I’ll really smash this thing! What’s it cost, anyway? You think I can’t afford it?”

Di Shouye replied, “Mr. Yang, please don’t be rash. That machine costs eight million!”

Yang Meng blinked and tilted his head toward Long Teng. “Long Teng, if I smash this, you pay for it!”

Long Teng pointed at his own nose in disbelief—why should he pay if you smash something? But he didn’t dare say no, swallowing his complaints.

He wanted to slap himself—why did he come here? Do I look like a sucker? Am I just here to be fleeced?

Still, he nodded reluctantly. “Fine, I understand.”

He figured his father would agree to Yang Meng’s demand if he were here. Probably.

Hearing Long Teng’s answer, Pan Anguo glanced at the machine in Yang Meng’s hands and gritted his teeth. “All right, I agree. Put the machine down. You may leave. Old Di, go get their clothes and phones so they can go!”

Di Shouye shook his head vigorously. “Old Pan, what are you doing? Don’t you realize how huge this discovery is?”

Pan Anguo replied, “Of course I do. But if you think about it, if this machine is actually smashed, how many patients will go without treatment in the next six months? Old Di, we weren’t exactly acting properly here, so listen to me! I’m the director.”

Di Shouye scrutinized Pan Anguo, saw he wasn’t joking, and sighed deeply. “All right, we’ll do it your way. Go get these gentlemen’s clothes and phones.”

Yang Meng looked at Pan Anguo with new respect. The old man had some principles. For that alone, Yang Meng couldn’t bring himself to smash the machine and set it back where it belonged.

At first, he worried Pan Anguo would stall, but instead, Pan Anguo didn’t play any tricks—their things were brought over, and they were allowed to leave.

So they left.

As Yang Meng and his group departed, Di Shouye couldn’t help but ask, “Old Pan, what are you thinking? How could you let them go? That Yang fellow is definitely hiding something!”

At that moment, another doctor in a white coat rushed in—it was Xuan Shiying.

Xuan Shiying looked exhausted, her hair a mess, dark circles under her eyes. She marched in and confronted Pan Anguo angrily. “Old Pan, what’s going on? How could you let them go? We were finally making progress in the lab, and you let them leave? How am I supposed to continue my research? The whole microbiology team’s work is now at a standstill!”

Pan Anguo gave a bitter smile. “Don’t worry. I wanted to keep them, but how could I? Force them to stay? Long family’s young master Long Teng was here—can you imagine the uproar?”

“So you just let them go? Do you realize what a medical breakthrough this is?” Xuan Shiying was furious. “My team and I have been working around the clock on their samples, and you let them go! Are you even fit to be director? Is this just over?”

Pan Anguo’s eyes widened. “How could it be over? Just because we can’t do anything doesn’t mean others can’t. Old Xuan, compile all the test results! Tomorrow, I’ll report everything to the Ministry of Health! Let’s see if the higher-ups aren’t interested!”