"Hey, Mom, yes, I have something going on, I won’t be coming home to stay tonight, you guys just go to bed, don’t worry about me."
At the hospital, Su Qing was standing at the corner of the stairs making a phone call.
There was no choice; although he couldn’t really help with anything at the hospital, he wasn’t at ease seeing Da Qiang like this.
It was imaginable how much pressure Ding Qiang was enduring lately to be tortured into such a drastic change in appearance.
Luckily, he was already an adult now and had graduated college over a year ago. As long as he informed his family, it was standard procedure not to come home overnight. After all, he was a man, not a young girl like Su He, so his family wouldn’t worry too much.
Because of this, his mother, Zhou Hui, didn’t think much of it. After all, her son was grown now, not to mention having a girlfriend and earning big money. Nowadays, he’s busy with his own business and the parents can’t control him anymore.
When he finished the call, he realized Ding Qiang was standing not far behind, watching him.
"Qing... Qingzi, thanks for the trouble."
Su Qing glared at him upon hearing this: "What, been out wandering a bit, and now you’re being polite with me?"
"No... no, just feeling really embarrassed!" Ding Qiang said solemnly, giving off a sense of inadequacy.
There was no choice; during this time, he had gone through major changes in life and faced many setbacks.
Even relatives and friends who usually have very good relations with his family were somewhat distant, especially when money was mentioned, even more so.
But his dad still needed money to keep his life tethered, so every time he accompanied his mom to borrow money from relatives and friends, there was almost always some overt or covert refusal.
For example, when they asked for 2000, people would end up giving only 500 and mention how their own family currently also faces difficulties, lacking money, etc.
Some even directly said they didn’t have money on hand at the moment. Regardless of whether they borrowed it or not, he and his mom had to express gratitude.
People not lending money or only lending a few hundred, was it fair to blame them? Ding Qiang knew he couldn’t; after all, his dad’s situation was obviously a bottomless pit.
Most likely, the final result would be the family owing huge debts, the person not being saved, and there’s no telling when the borrowed money would be repaid.
So everyone just meant well, good relations would lend less, and at worst, when the person was gone, they could give a little, making things easier for his mom and him, better than just pouring money out like water. After all, in this state, people are not calm.
Those with poor relations, thinking the family lost labor force and had no savings, would politely refuse to avoid losses.
This was human nature; one shouldn’t resent someone for not lending them money. Clearly, Ding Qiang’s family understood this logic, especially Ding Qiang, the only man in the family now, seemed to have grown up overnight, creating a huge gap with Su Qing and others.
So facing Su Qing, he would speak in such a tone, causing Su Qing to feel somewhat uncomfortable. After all, this was very different from the Da Qiang he used to know.
Understanding these, Su Qing sighed, patted Ding Qiang’s shoulder, telling him that his brothers were still there.
Just then, the elevator next door dinged open.
"Da Qiang, Qingzi?"
"Where are they, make a call quickly!"
The voices of Wang Xing and Skinny Dog Qin Wei came through. Upon hearing them, Su Qing waved his hand: "Here!"
Before coming here, in the car, he had made calls to the two under Ding Qiang’s opposition; the conversation was straightforward.
"Something happened to Da Qiang’s dad at Jiang City First Hospital, hurry up!"
Upon receiving his call, the two rushed over without saying a word. Wang Xing was fine, his home was in Jiangcheng City, but Qin Wei’s was different; he lived in the suburbs, having spent a large amount to call a black car to come over.
The two didn’t bother asking further, hearing about Da Qiang’s incident, they rushed over right away.
Back when Three left, they were all students, some were out of town, utterly unable to help, unlike now when something happened to another friend, they couldn’t just stand by.
The feelings among them didn’t need mention, especially after Three’s departure, they cherished the friendship even more. There were already few people, losing one was tough enough, losing another meant not even having enough for a game of mahjong.
Wang Xing and Qin Wei turned at the sound of his voice and saw the emaciated Da Qiang, the two froze for a moment, then they both went forward and kicked Da Qiang.
"Damn, you’re really unreasonable, such a big thing happened at home, and you didn’t tell us anything at all?" Wang Xing pointed at Ding Qiang and spat, expressions not looking good.
And Qin Wei, being small and thin, sighed at this moment, "Da Qiang, all the brothers have been quite worried about you. We kept trying to reach you before, if something happens you should let us know, right? If not for Qingzi calling me this time, we wouldn’t know what’s happening."
Listening to the two, Ding Qiang opened his mouth but couldn’t say anything; the negative emotions faced with family and friends finally eased at this moment.
Because there was no holding back among them; they spoke openly, expressing concern most directly.
"Alright, since everyone is here, Da Qiang, you said 300,000, surely it’s not all? But don’t worry, the money issue is solvable; tell me what’s going on now." Su Qing asked.
The two rushed over anxiously; he only knew Da Qiang’s father needed 300,000 for surgery, but the specifics were unclear.
Besides, just 300,000 for surgery, it certainly wasn’t a minor surgery. Post-surgery care, hospitalization, recovery after discharge—these all cost money. Initial estimates would be at least over 400,000.
While everyone was present, Du Qiang briefly explained his father’s situation. He’s currently lying in the ICU, and the expenses are tens of thousands per day—no family can withstand that.
"The doctor told me to arrange the surgery as soon as possible, but... the probability of success... is less than ten percent."
Upon hearing these words, Su Qing and the others fell silent. This... is going to be tough. Before arriving, he thought money could solve everything once it was in place.
The three exchanged glances. After a long pause, Su Qing took a deep breath and said, "So you’re saying, if we don’t do the surgery, we lose even that ten percent chance?"
Ding Qiang was momentarily stunned, but after meeting his gaze, he couldn’t help but nod.
"Then what are you hesitating about? I’ve told you, don’t worry about the money. Isn’t this why you came to me? When can the surgery happen?" Su Qing spoke, clarifying the situation for him.
There are only two choices now: spend three hundred thousand to take a gamble with less than a ten percent chance. If you win, your loved one lives; apart from the surgery cost, you’ll end up with more debt. If you lose, without further treatment, the three hundred thousand will be lost, and you’ll gain nothing.
Of course, you can choose to forgo treatment, but the reason Ding Qiang sought him out was to take a chance. If there’s hope, who would want to lose their father?
Wang Xing’s current dilemma is simply that the probability is too low. In the past, he would have unquestionably chosen to save his father, but having matured over time, he started considering his family. The main issue is his mother. If they accrue this debt, the elderly will definitely suffer later.
"Exactly, Da Qiang, what are you hesitating for? I may not be as wealthy as Qingzi, but I can contribute eighty to a hundred thousand. Let’s get past this." Wang Xing spoke up.