Chapter 193: Li Laifu's Masterpiece

Huatian Hospital.

Beep beep!

A small electric scooter sped in, both tires flat, clearly overloaded. If a traffic officer saw it, they'd definitely pull the driver over for a lengthy lecture on traffic regulations.

Huang Guan, head of security, was no longer the naive young man he once was. Through hard work and talent, he'd earned the director's attention, rising from an ordinary ambulance driver to his current position.

He could proudly tell anyone, "I, Huang Guan, got here through my own abilities. I'm a thoroughbred horse, and Director Li Laifu is my Bole. I wasn't appreciated before because there weren't enough Bolas around." ( Note: Bole is a figure from Chinese idiom, referring to someone who recognizes and promotes talent.)

"Brother Huang, how's this cigarette?" A young man respectfully lit Huang Guan's cigarette, his face full of flattery.

Knowing how to suck up at such a young age, his future prospects were limitless. Honest and upright people achieving great wealth and status only happened in TV dramas. No one dared to promote such people, fearing they might expose corruption within the organization.

"Mmm, not bad. Xiaoyong, keep up the good work, I'm very optimistic about you." Huang Guan puffed on his cigarette, patting the young man's shoulder. He saw in Xiaoyong a reflection of his younger self, but back then, he wasn't as adept at navigating the social landscape. If he'd had Xiaoyong's skills, his wife and children wouldn't have suffered so much.

Suddenly, Huang Guan saw Lin Fan and his expression changed slightly. He hurried towards Lin Fan. Two mental patients arriving at the hospital wasn't a good sign.

"Why are you here?" Huang Guan asked amicably.

"We're bringing him to the hospital. He's badly injured, looks like he's dying," Lin Fan replied.

Huang Guan looked at Gao Xiong, cradled in Lin Fan's arms, and pondered for a moment. "Come with me, I'll take you to the admissions desk."

These two mental patients were the kind that even the director personally drove back home in an ambulance. They definitely warranted special treatment.

"Brother Huang, I can handle it," Xiaoyong volunteered. This small matter should be left to him; it didn't require Brother Huang's personal attention.

He hadn't been at the hospital long. He didn't yet know about the legendary figures of Huatian Hospital, the patients countless doctors eagerly awaited, the two men who held a special place in the director's heart.

"No need," Huang Guan said, "You go about your business. I'll tell you about them later."

The hospital staff knew Huang Guan was the director's favorite. No one would refuse him. The admission procedures were handled swiftly without any issues, and a doctor was immediately assigned to treat the injured man.

As for payment upfront? Trying to discuss money with a mental patient was like discussing the value of life with a dying man.

Gao Xiong had extensive bone fractures throughout his body, all caused by the furious beating from the evil entity. He was alive thanks to his inherent strength and Old Zhang's efforts. The "Universe Operation Method" was effective, but the side effects were severe, and the results weren't entirely stable.

In the director's office, Li Laifu enjoyed chatting in a group chat. Back when he was still the deputy director, his status in the group wasn't high. When he saw the big shots chatting, he would pretend to be lurking, silently reading the messages. People would flatter the influential members with extravagant language, as refreshing as a cool spring on a summer day.

A traditional writer in the group posted a poem. This writer, a retired big shot, spent his days posting random things in the group.

Sky

Blue blue sky

White white clouds

I look at the sky's clouds

Discover my heart is as white as the clouds

There was a brief silence in the group. Then:

"Good, well written!"

"Extraordinary imagery, Teacher He's heart is as pure as the white clouds."

"Thumbs up!"

"Learned something new."

Li Laifu, reading these comments, felt embarrassed for them. This was considered poetry? He could write hundreds of these a day.

The righteous Director Li was prepared to teach these sycophants a lesson. His fingers flew across the phone screen. In less than a minute, a poem was finished and sent.

Counting

One four five six seven

Seven six five four three two one

Missing eight missing nine missing ten also missing zero

Missing four missing five missing six also missing zero

The group fell silent again. Then:

Teacher He: Director Li, well written! Even more evocative than the poem I just wrote.

Good, truly excellent, another masterpiece from Director Li.

Envious of Director Li's talent.

Saving Director Li's masterpiece, to be read every night before bed.

Li Laifu, satisfied, read the chat, his mood brightened. He then opened the red envelope function, entered one yuan, and set the quantity to one hundred. Click send.

An average of one cent per person, whoever grabbed one lost money.

Various "thank you boss" emojis flooded the group chat.

"Hmph, vulgar. You, who can be bought with money, are a disgrace to the writing world."

Li Laifu didn't want to waste another word on these庸俗 (vulgar) people.

Just as he was about to put his phone away, someone privately messaged him a red envelope. It was from a group member.

"Director Li, your recent masterpiece is truly brilliant. I'd like to share it on my public account. I hope you'll permit me. This small red envelope is a token of my appreciation."

Li Laifu, quick as lightning, habitually clicked the red envelope.

188 yuan.

Satisfaction.

Li Laifu replied: "Just a casual piece, feel free to share. No need to thank me."

Knock knock!

Huang Guan respectfully entered. "Director, those two mental patients are here."

Li Laifu, who had been idle, perked up upon hearing this. He immediately stood up. "Let's go, take me to see them."

He truly missed those two patients. It had been so long since they last met. He missed them dearly. He used to be annoyed by their frequent visits, disrupting his peace of mind. But recently, seeing them had become a rare occurrence, and he genuinely longed for their presence. His current state of mind was that of someone who never cherishes what they have until they lose it, only then filled with regret.

In the corridor, Director Li, hands clasped behind his back, followed Huang Guan towards Lin Fan.

"Good day, Director."

"Good day, Director."

Passing doctors and nurses greeted the director respectfully, curious to see him in such a hurry, wondering if something had happened.

In the waiting area, Lin Fan and Old Zhang were seated.

Li Laifu approached with a smile. "It's been a while since you've visited. What have you been up to lately?"

He originally wanted to ask why they hadn't come to the hospital for emergency treatment, saying that he was so unused to not seeing them for such a long time.

"Nothing much," Lin Fan replied.

"Bringing a friend in today?" Li Laifu asked.

"No, Old Zhang and I ran into him outside. We saw he was injured and brought him here. We don't actually know him," Lin Fan explained.

Li Laifu smiled. "How very helpful of you."

Lin Fan and Old Zhang were a little embarrassed by Li Laifu's praise. Being complimented like this made them shy.

These two mental patients had indeed caused Li Laifu many headaches. Of course, that was in the past. They used to come at least every three days, always needing emergency treatment. But the reason Huatian Hospital had a good reputation in Yanhai City was undoubtedly due to the high skill of its doctors, honed through countless surgeries and experimental procedures.

Later, when the two mental patients visited less frequently, he felt like something was missing. After careful consideration, he realized it was the absence of these two mental patients.

"I saw you on a live stream platform a while ago. Was that you?" Li Laifu inquired.

Lin Fan looked puzzled. "What live stream? I don't know what you're talking about."

Li Laifu remembered they were mental patients and probably wouldn't understand, so there was no point in elaborating.

"You were very impressive." This touched a nerve.

Lin Fan said calmly, "I am indeed quite impressive, but a large part of that is thanks to Old Zhang. If it weren't for his acupuncture, I wouldn't be so capable."

Li Laifu smiled. Having dealt with these two mental patients for so long, he'd come to understand their situation. Besides electrocution, it was always electrocution. Oh, and there was also the time they had fractured bones from being hit by heavy objects. In any case, all sorts of things could happen, so there was no need to dwell on any one thing.

Nurses passing by saw the director being so close to the mental patients, and they were deeply moved. Some wanted to cry, others secretly wiped away tears. They believed the director, knowing they were mental patients and fearing they might cause trouble, was putting himself at risk to protect them by personally talking to the patients to calm them down. Such selfless courage was admirable.

Someone discreetly took out their phone and captured the director's back, posting it to their Moments with a simple caption: "Our Director!"

Huang Guan stood respectfully beside the director, ready to jump in at any moment. If the mental patients posed a threat to the director, he would throw himself on top of him, shielding him with his own body. The message was clear: if they wanted to harm the director he held in such high esteem, they would have to step over his corpse.

"You're doing a great job," Li Laifu praised, patting Huang Guan's shoulder.

Huang Guan replied sincerely, "It's all thanks to the director's guidance."

He had gone through thick and thin with the director and had long become the director's most loyal follower, ready to follow him to the ends of the earth.

The operating room lights dimmed. A nurse pushed out an emergency gurney. Lying on it was Gao Xiong, his face devoid of emotion, his eyes filled with confusion. He didn't know where he was or what had happened.

"He's out. Looks like the surgery was a success," Li Laifu remarked.

Lin Fan and Old Zhang stood up and approached the gurney. Seeing Gao Xiong wrapped up like a mummy, they could only offer words of comfort: "Don't worry, this is normal. You'll be fine soon."

Gao Xiong, completely bandaged, could only move his eyes, which darted around restlessly. He didn't dare speak, pretending to be mute. His eyes conveyed a clear message: Where am I? My teammates, where have you gone? I'm in a very bad situation. I'm losing my mind.

The doctor, seeing the director, immediately reported: "Director, the patient's condition is relatively stable. The surgery was successful. The blood in his chest cavity has been cleared, the dislocated bones have been reset. There's no life-threatening danger."

"Mmm." Li Laifu maintained a serious demeanor in front of the doctors. After all, he was the director. He needed to maintain a certain level of authority.