Chapter 61: Yan Shining

The doctor nodded at Xia Yu and the others, not saying much, and immediately took over to examine the child. After a quick observation, the doctor addressed the middle-aged man, who seemed to be the one in charge: "The child has drowned. Although he has been resuscitated, he remains unconscious due to his weakened condition. Immediate treatment is necessary."

Without waiting for a response, the doctor directed the nurses to lift the child and move him to a specific location. Xia Yu and the others hurriedly followed.

They watched as the boy was taken into an isolation room, where several nurses and a doctor began treating him.

Through the glass, the middle-aged man looked at his son lying on the white hospital bed with a hopeful and anxious expression.

"Don't worry. The doctor said your son drowned. He's in a coma because of his weakness," Xia Yu went over and repeated the doctor's words to the middle-aged man to prevent unnecessary worry.

Upon hearing Xia Yu, the middle-aged man finally looked away from his son and, to Xia Yu's surprise, knelt down in front of him, saying gratefully, "Thank you, benefactor. Thank you for bringing my son to the hospital. Thank you!"

Xia Yu quickly regained his composure, reached out to help him up, and said, "Get up. There's no need for that. Your son's treatment is the priority. We can talk about the rest later."

The middle-aged man, showing gratitude, nodded repeatedly before standing up and looking hopefully towards the ward.

Given the circumstances and the man's focus on his son, Xia Yu and Xia Lei sat on a bench in the corridor, waiting.

After about half an hour, the doctor came out, and the three of them quickly approached him.

"Doctor, how is my son?" The middle-aged man urgently grabbed the doctor's hand, his eyes filled with hope.

The doctor frowned slightly, struggling to understand the middle-aged man's heavily accented Mandarin, but still said, "He's out of immediate danger now. The child's condition has stabilized. We just need to wait for him to wake up."

The middle-aged man didn't understand the doctor's Cantonese and looked helplessly at Xia Yu, seeking his assistance.

Xia Yu nodded and started communicating with the doctor in Cantonese.

"Alright, doctor. Please transfer him to a private intensive care unit. I'll pay the fees right away," Xia Yu said to the doctor.

The doctor assessed Xia Yu and found him to be trustworthy, nodding in agreement. "Okay."

Afterward, the doctor went back into the ward.

Once the doctor left, Xia Yu turned to the anxious middle-aged man and said, "Your son's condition is stable. He's still unconscious because of his weakened state. We'll need to wait for him to wake up for a detailed examination. I'll go take care of the payment now."

"Thank you! Thank you!" The middle-aged man sighed in relief, showing a joyful smile as he thanked Xia Yu.

Xia Yu went to handle the payment and returned shortly. He happened to see the doctor pushing the boy out and, after informing the doctor that the payment had been made, followed him as they transferred the boy to the intensive care unit.

As they entered the room, Xia Lei signaled Xia Yu, and they stepped outside.

"Xia Yu, I noticed something earlier. That middle-aged man has calluses all over his hands, indicating he's used to handling guns. His posture is also like that of a soldier. He's probably a military man from across the sea, and he's very skilled and dangerous," Xia Lei said, his expression serious.

Hearing this, Xia Yu raised an eyebrow and began to ponder.

Firstly, Xia Lei's observation about the man's fighting skills was evident from their earlier encounter. Xia Yu had noticed the man's impressive hand-to-hand combat skills, which were on par with top bodyguards of the future.

Additionally, if the man was indeed a soldier from the mainland, his skills made sense.

However, the question arose: if the man was a soldier, why was he in Hong Kong with his son? Had he committed a crime?

After pondering for a while and finding no clear answers, Xia Yu decided to ask the man directly. Given that the man had saved his son, Xia Yu felt he should be able to explain if there were no pressing secrets.

"Let's go ask him," Xia Yu said to Xia Lei.

Xia Lei nodded and followed Xia Yu back into the ward.

Seeing Xia Yu and Xia Lei return, the middle-aged man stood up again, repeatedly thanking them.

"By the way, how did your son end up like this, and why were you being chased?" Xia Yu asked.

The middle-aged man's expression slowly became more serious, his fists clenched unconsciously. He looked at his son lying in the bed and sighed before speaking to Xia Yu. "Benefactor, I only have one child, Hong'er. You saved his life, so I have no secrets to keep."

Seeing the middle-aged man was ready to share his situation, Xia Yu and Xia Lei exchanged glances and then sat down to listen.

"My name is Yan Shining—'Yan' as in the swan, and 'Shining' meaning peace in the world. As you might have guessed, I was previously a soldier," the middle-aged man, Yan Shining, said, opening his hands to show them.

Xia Yu's eyes twitched, while Xia Lei felt a bit awkward, realizing that his attempts to observe discreetly had been noticed, making him somewhat embarrassed.

Yan Shining continued, "I was in the military for a long time and rarely went home. I was unaware of my family's situation. My wife didn't inform me of her condition, but recently I received a letter saying she was critically ill."

As Yan Shining spoke of his wife, his eyes reddened, and his expression became sorrowful. His genuine grief moved Xia Yu.

"But I was too late. My wife passed away from her illness, leaving only Hong'er, my son Yan Hong. After handling my wife's affairs, Hong'er fell ill as well. I tried everything but couldn't find a cure. A friend told me that Hong Kong might have better conditions to save him. Desperate, after retiring from the military, I brought my son here."

"I found a smuggling boat, but it turned out to be a black boat intending to sell us as laborers. I managed to escape with Hong'er, and the people chasing us were from that black boat."

"Then, as you saw, things went from bad to worse."

Yan Shining looked at Xia Yu with sincere eyes and pleaded, "Benefactor, my son is very ill. The previous doctor said it might be lung cancer. You're a good person. Please save my son. My life is worthless, but he's the only heir of my family. He can't die. Please, save him. I can't offer money, but my life can be a bargain."

Saying this, Yan Shining knelt down again, tears in his eyes, his gaze full of pleading.

Seeing Yan Shining kneeling once more and his desperate look, Xia Yu was deeply shaken.

In such a short time, Yan Shining had knelt twice. Xia Yu didn't see him as weak but rather as a great father. For his son, he cared more about saving him than his own dignity. Seeing a glimmer of hope from Xia Yu, he was willing to do anything.

If possible, Xia Yu would definitely help. However, hearing that Yan Shining's son had lung cancer made him uncertain.

Lung cancer was a challenging disease to treat even in the future, with low success rates. Moreover, with the medical conditions in 1978 being far inferior to the future, Xia Yu wasn't sure if Yan Hong could be saved.

Looking at Yan Shining still kneeling with a pleading look and then at the pale, unconscious Yan Hong, Xia Yu solemnly nodded and said, "I will help with this. Get up now. Once your son wakes up, I will consult the doctor about the next steps."

Xia Yu chose not to disclose what he knew about lung cancer to Yan Shining, to avoid adding to his distress. He hoped there might still be a chance.

"Thank you, benefactor! Thank you!" Hearing that Xia Yu would help, Yan Shining was overjoyed and continuously expressed his gratitude. As long as someone was willing to help, there was still hope for his family.