Chapter 330: Chapter 330: Could It Really Be Him?
Translator: 549690339
Returning to the ward where his father was staying, both his father on the sickbed and his mother on the makeshift caregiverâs bed had already fallen asleep.
After checking on his parents, Xiang Kun quietly stepped out into the hallway again.
He attempted to co-manifest a piece of cake with a flick of his hand but did not succeed, so he looked up at the surveillance camera hanging in the corridor.
Before he âco-manifestedâ, he knew the surveillance was there. With his various super sensory abilities, it was nearly impossible for him not to detect electronic devices like surveillance cameras; they were the type of thing he instinctively noticed, and paid special attention to, having developed it as an instinctive habit.
Xiang Kun was simply trying to âpretend not to know,â fooling himself as he attempted to co-manifest.
He moved a few steps to a blind spot under the surveillance camera and successfully co-manifested this time. But as he held the co-manifested cake and attempted to move slowly away, the cake immediately disappeared.
Based on some phenomena he had observed before, Xiang Kun still believed that the main reason for this was not that the co-manifested items could not be photographed, but that his own subconscious was rejecting the situation of being photographed.
Perhaps, if someone attacked him with a sudden covert snapshot before he could react, or if there were surveillance equipment he could not detect, there may be a chance to photograph the items he co-manifested.
Unfortunately, with his sensory abilities, it was difficult to find equipment or people who could surprise him when he was unprepared. Surely, they wouldnât resort to a satellite to capture images of him.
Fortunately, from his experiments today, Xiang Kun could infer that while his and Old Xiaâs âIllusion Realityâ were both calling on his abilities from the same root, whether or not Old Xiaâs co-manifested items disappeared would have a direct relationship with Old Xiaâs own subconscious.
Therefore, he could try to surprise Old Xia and take photographs while she was unprepared.
If successful, it could indirectly demonstrate that the subconscious of the person co-manifesting the item is resisting the capturing or recording of co-manifested items by electronic devices.
As for why, Xiang Kun had a vague guess in his heart.
He thought back to the phenomenon he observed when examining his own blood under a microscope â when he observed in real-time, the rate of blood decomposition and transformation accelerated.
He couldnât understand why at that time, but thinking back now, was it his subconscious âcommandingâ the blood and other body tissues to transform into that gray powder quicker?
Normally, when body tissues leave his body, his subconscious can only âcommandâ those disjointed body tissues as a whole. But when he observed at a cellular-level through a microscope, his subconscious gathered more detailed tissue information through vision and was able to âcommandâ a lower level of tissue, hence the efficiency of decomposition and transformation greatly increased?
As for why his subconscious would do such a thing, Xiang Kun speculated that it might be instinctively âseeking benefits and avoiding harmâ. Just like how normal people reflexively dodge when pricked with a needle, or want to run away when encountering terrifying creatures or dangerous situations.
Perhaps the longer the disembodied blood and other body tissues existed outside, or the slower they transformed, the more harmful it was to him.
Of course, it could also be said that the faster they transformed, the more beneficial it was.
So when he could observe cellular-level changes, his subconscious would âissue commandsâ for them to accelerate transformation.
Since he could establish a âsuper sensory contactâ with some simple structured, simple composition items and achieve âSuper-Distance Sensing,â it was not unreasonable for his subconscious to execute âcommandsâ over distances.
Of course, these were all Xiang Kunâs speculations for now and further experiments and observations were still needed to corroborate them.
If he were alone, conducting certain tests would be more difficult. However, with Old Xiaâs assistance, especially since Old Xia had developed the âIllusion Realityââa method that allows him to establish special connections with his âSuper-connected Objectsâ and âEmotion Infused Objectsââmany things were going to be a lot more convenient and easier.
The next morning, before his parents woke up, Xiang Kun went home and cooked breakfast to bring it back to the hospital.
On his way back to the ward, he ran into a familiar face.
âBrother Xiang, what are you doing here?â
The person Xiang Kun had encountered at the ward was Brother Chu, Chu Xiuwen, whom he had become acquainted with in Tongshi Town to intermediate for Liu Feibao, and with whom Liu Caifu was familiar with.
âMy family is staying in the hospital here. Brother Chu, what brings you here? Are you visiting a friend?â Xiang Kun looked at the fruit basket Chu Xiuwen was carrying and asked.
âIndeed, the father of an old friend of mine is also hospitalized at First Affiliated Hospital.â
After exchanging pleasantries, Chu Xiuwen learned that Xiang Kunâs father was the one hospitalized. He insisted on going to pay a visit. Xiang Kun didnât object, as his impression of Chu was good. They went back to his fatherâs ward together. However, Xiang Kun asked Chu in advance not to mention how they had met in Tongshi Town, or their collaboration with Liu Caifu and You Meng in front of his parents.
Since Xiang Kunâs father had worked in Tongshi Town for quite a long time, Chu Xiuwen, a local, was able to converse about many events that had occurred ten or twenty years ago. Therefore, they quickly found common ground and chatted easily.
Despite having a mild concussion and requiring two days of hospital observation, Xiang Kunâs father was actually free of any concussion symptoms. Apart from having fallen on his buttocks and needing to rest, his overall spirits were high. So when someone brought up stories about his younger days in Tongshi Town, he was lively and spirited.
As such, Chu Xiuwen stayed in Xiang Kunâs fatherâs ward for nearly an hour before he excused himself. However, before leaving, he firmly left behind the fruit basket.
Chu Xiuwen had come to the hospital ward to visit Mr. Guo, the father of his good friend Guo Lin. On the evening of the 29th day of the last lunar month, Mr. Guo had a sudden heart attack on his way home on the bullet train. Although he was rescued, he needed to stay in the hospital for observation over the New Year.
Chu had accompanied Guo Lin to the hospital on the 29th, after which he had returned to Tongshi Town. It was not until today that he had a chance to come back to visit Mr. Guo. But he certainly hadnât expected to meet Xiang Kun here.
Reflecting on his recent conversations with Xiang Kunâs parents, Chu Xiuwen was puzzled. They seemed like normal, lovely people, showing no signs of any special backgrounds.
From what Xiang Kunâs parents mentioned about the people and events related to Tongshi Town, he could basically confirm everything as true. In addition, Xiang Kunâs old classmate relationship with You Meng was also easy to verify. This meant that, regardless of what Xiang Kun did after he graduated from college, his family and social relationships in Citong and Tongshi Town were indeed plain and ordinary.
Ji Hang had claimed with certainty that Xiang Kun had a special official background. So the only possibility was that he had come into contact with some secret official departments during his university or working years and had started working for them. However, Xiang Kunâs university and work records were also very clear.
Could it be, that⊠Ji Hang got it wrong?
Could it be a misunderstanding if Liu Feibao, Qi Haoguo, and others, like Ji Hang, misidentified Xiang Kun to be someone rather powerful?
After all, Chu Xiuwen himself, as well as his family and friends, many of whom were within the system or had direct and frequent contact with it, didnât notice any signs that the government intended to secretly intervene in the development of Tongshi Town through any special or secret departments. Moreover, it wouldnât even be necessary. If some bigwig had privately asked Xiang Kun for a favor, it wouldnât have been possible for Chu to find no clues at all. Liu Feibaoâs, Qi Haoguoâs, and even Liu Caifuâs reactions all seemed a bit irrational to Chu, especially Qi Haoguoâs recent series of strange actions. frŃewebnoŃ”el.Æoàč
As he was thinking, Chu Xiuwen had already arrived at Guo Linâs fatherâs ward.
He had often seen Guo Linâs father before, so they were familiar with each other. Upon entering, he started chatting with Mr. Guo, who seemed in good spirits.
Guo Linâs wife and son were also in the ward, while Guo Lin was on the phone by the window.
Mr. Guo, lying in his hospital bed, looked at his son who had just finished a phone call and said, âDid you get in touch with Dr. Zhou? We must thank him properly for saving my life. As soon as Iâm discharged, weâll go see him together.â
It was clear that the person on the other end of the call was Dr. Zhou Yiqing, who had saved Mr. Guoâs life at the train station. Dr. Zhou had left his phone number and name when he handed Mr. Guo over to the ambulance, which is how they managed to contact him.
After hearing his fatherâs words, Guo Lin hesitated slightly before saying, âDad, when Dr. Zhou learned that we were at the First Affiliated Hospital, he said that he was coming to the hospital today and would take the opportunity to come and visit youâŠâ
At this, not only was Mr. Guo taken aback, but also Chu Xiuwen who was chatting with him, as well as Mrs. Guo, who was peeling an apple, all looked somewhat surprised.
Dr. Zhou was so proactive?
He was rushing over to visit Mr. GuoâŠ
Inevitably, Chu Xiuwen speculated whether Dr. Zhou had discovered Mr. Guoâs status and wanted to personally make a good impression and establish connections?
Although Mr. Guo had retired long ago and wasnât involved in any affairs, spending his days traveling and reminiscing with old comrades, he still held considerable influence locally.
After a moment of stunned silence, Mr. Guo frowned and scolded his son, âGuo Lin, are you suggesting that you donât want me to leave the hospital early, that you implied as much to Dr. Zhou and thatâs why heâs coming?â
Guo Lin quickly denied this, âNo, not at all. As soon as I told Dr. Zhou I was your son, he immediately asked about your health status. Once he knew we were at the First Affiliated Hospital, he offered to come over. We exchanged only a couple of sentences in total, and you must have heard it.â
And so, as they waited for Dr. Zhou to arrive, everyone in the ward couldnât help but feel that Dr. Zhou Yiqing seemed a bit overzealous, although no one voiced their thoughts.
However, an hour later, when the handsome and tall Dr. Zhou Yiqing arrived in the ward, they all greeted him warmly. After all, regardless of anything else, he was the life-saving benefactor of Mr. Guo. Without him, Mr. Guo certainly wouldnât have survived long enough to be taken to the hospital by the ambulance.
But to their surprise, after asking about Mr. Guoâs condition, Dr. Zhou directly said, âActually, it wasnât me who saved Mr. Guo. It was a doctor from the Cardiothoracic Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital. However, the doctor left in a hurry and didnât leave his name. I came over because I wanted to meet him and ask about some things.â
That certainly surprised everyone in the ward. Therefore, Guo Lin, who knew many people and had a lot of connections in the hospital, accompanied Zhou Yiqing to the Cardiothoracic Surgery department to find the âtrue life-saving benefactorâ. Out of curiosity, Chu Xiuwen naturally followed along.
Of course, it was the second day of the lunar new year, so the doctor might not be at work. But as long as they reached the Cardiothoracic Surgery department and described the doctorâs appearance, they should be able to identify him. Once they knew his identity, they could contact him and visit whenever.
According to Zhou Yiqingâs description, the doctor was tall and seemed robust, and his voice and demeanor suggested he was not very old. Such physical characteristics should be easy to distinguish among the few male doctors in the Cardiothoracic Surgery department.
But to their surprise, the only doctor who matched the height description was Dr. Zhao, who was in his fifties. And Dr. Zhao was on duty that day. He told Zhou Yiqing directly that he was not the person they were looking forâjudging from his thin and frail figure, Dr. Zhao couldnât possibly be the figure Zhou Yiqing had seen.
After failing to find the person in the Cardiothoracic Surgery, Zhou Yiqing, still not convinced, went with Guo Lin and Chu Xiuwen to meet with the hospital administration to ask about the doctor who might have helped at the train station that afternoon.
Such a good deed demonstrating medical ethics was something the hospital administration would certainly want to acknowledge, so they helped in the search. However, no one matched the physical description or the timingâeither they didnât fit the physical description, or they werenât at the train station at the time, or they simply werenât in Citong.
So after all that fuss, Zhou Yiqing could only conclude that the person who had actually stepped in to save a life was likely a doctor from the âCardiothoracic Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospitalâ in another place. After all, the name âFirst Affiliated Hospitalâ is quite common across many cities. Itâs possible that the doctor, like him, worked elsewhere and was only in Citong for the New Year.
Guo Lin had just finished watching the unedited video footage of the incident, which was filmed by a passenger standing nearby. The video showed the man who claimed to be a doctor from the âFirst Affiliated Hospital Cardiothoracic Surgeryâ department.
But honestly, from the process he saw in the video, it seemed like the man had simply placed his hand on his fatherâs chest momentarily after appearing, and then immediately stood up without saying a word and left quickly. It looked as if he was thinking, âthe person is beyond saving, I should get out of hereâ. Even if he had managed to save a life, there was no need to dart off as if he was afraid of being accosted.
So he couldnât help but say to Zhou Yiqing, âDr. Zhou, this guy⊠is it possible that heâs just a passerby claiming to be a doctor and causing trouble for fun? You know, nowadays, lots of people would do weird things just to film a short videoâŠâ
Zhou Yiqing shook his head, âI have carefully recalled the situation at the time over the past few days and also thoroughly reviewed the videos recorded by bystanders. So, I am clear about the changes in your fatherâs health before and after this doctor appeared. He certainly did something at that time, but unfortunately, he was turning his back to me and I couldnât see some of his operating details clearly⊠Anyway, I am sure he saved your father, as for how he saved him, I equally want to know.â
Guo Lin had no choice but to say, âRegardless, Dr. Zhou, you are also one of my fatherâs saviors. Itâs getting late, why donât we have lunch together? That will give our family a chance to express our gratitude properlyâŠâ
However, Zhou Yiqing firmly refused, not even going back to Mr. Guoâs ward. He just asked Guo Lin to say goodbye to Mr. Guo for him, then planned to leave the hospital.
Upon learning that Zhou Yiqing had taken a taxi over, Chu Xiuwen gave him a lift home, under the pretext of that he was also about to depart.
Zhou Yiqing didnât refuse and left for the parking lot with Chu Xiuwen and got into his car.
While steering the wheel, Chu Xiuwen chuckled, âDr. Zhou, why do I feel like youâre more eager to find that so-called cardiothoracic surgeon than the Guos?â
Zhou Yiqing thought for a moment, shook his head and smiled, âIndeed, the more I recall what happened, the more curious I become, some unrealistic ideas even popped up in my head. So finding that doctor to confirm, will make me⊠somewhat more settled.â
âOh? Unrealistic ideas, like what?â Chu Xiuwen was puzzled.
âYou must have watched that video on my phone, Mr. Chu. That doctor was wearing a hooded jacket and kept his head down throughoutâŠâ
Chu Xiuwen suddenly realized, âYou mean, he seemed like he didnât want anyone to notice his appearance?â
âThe more I think about it, the stronger I feel about it. Taking into account his peculiar method, and Mr. Guoâs quick recovery⊠I even had this idea in the past few days, that the doctor is a virtuous medical practitioner with superpowers or special equipment. This is the naive idea I came up with when I was confused, Mr. Chu, please donât laugh at me.â Zhou Yiqing said, while also self-deprecatingly laughing at himself. It was evident that he found what he was saying unbelievable.
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Chu Xiuwen of course didnât think there were any superhuman heroes about, but still laughed along and said, âItâs normal for there to be things we donât know or understand in this world.â
After queuing up to leave the hospital, Chu Xiuwen suddenly noticed Xiang Kun standing nearby and rolled down his window to call out to him, âBrother Xiang, where are you headed? Do you need a lift?â
Xiang Kun turned and smiled, âIâm going to meet a friend, taking the bus is very convenient. My bus is here, letâs catch up some other time?â Then he got on a bus that had just pulled into the station.
Chu Xiuwen turned the car in the opposite direction and said casually, âJust a friend I ran into at the hospital this morning, their family member is also here for treatment. What a coincidence.â
He quickly noticed that Zhou Yiqing, who was sitting in the passenger seat, had a strange look on his face and kept glancing back at the spot where Xiang Kun had boarded the bus. He couldnât help but wonder, âDr. Zhou, do you also know my Brother Xiang?â
Zhou Yiqing frowned and said, âHis jacket⊠it looks quite similar to the one worn by the doctor who saved the person at the bus station⊠But that doctor definitely didnât wear glasses. Itâs a shame that the doctor wore a hood the whole time, so I couldnât see if he had any hair.â
It was like a bolt of lightning had struck Chu Xiuwenâs mind. He thought back to a chat he had in Xiang Kunâs fatherâs ward, Mrs. Xiang had mentioned that Xiang Kun returned to Citong just the day before New Yearâs Eve⊠Wasnât that the 29th?!
Thinking back to Zhou Yiqingâs description of that personâs figure, and the figure in the video he had seen, Chu Xiuwen quickly replaced the figure with Xiang Kunâs image.
Could it really be him?!