The plan went smoothly. That evening, Shao Qingge contacted a friend in the industry who happened to know Gui Yuanzhang's son, Gui Xiujie. Mr. Gui, currently thirty-five, teaches in the History Department of Jiangzhou University; he is a promising young man who has published numerous academic works. Shao Qingge, using the excuse that "I greatly admire Mr. Gui's calligraphy and paintings," asked his friend to arrange a dinner for the weekend.
Furthermore, Tang Ci also discovered that Gui Xiujie has a son and a daughter, twins, currently in the third grade at Xingzhi Primary School in Jiangzhou City. Both children are doing very well academically, and Mr. Gui dotes on his grandchildren. (The text then abruptly shifts
to a WeChat group of eleven people.)
Shao Qingge typed, "If all goes well, I'll give the VIP medical check-up card to Gui Xiujie tomorrow. The day after tomorrow is Sunday, and he should be able to persuade his father to go to the hospital for a check-up. Then I'll leave it to Professor Xiao."
Xiao Lou immediately typed back, "No problem. I've already contacted a specialist in interventional cardiology, and I'll go there myself. My college classmate works in the medical check-up department of the private hospital, so I'll pretend to be a doctor and personally take Mr. Gui for a comprehensive check-up."
Everyone simultaneously posted "clapping" emojis.
A moment later, Yu Hanjiang sent a serious voice message: "Although our intention is to help Old Gui, we shouldn't interfere too much with him. After all, we are all strangers in his eyes. Too many strangers interfering in his life might make him resentful."
Lu Jiuchuan agreed: "Let's cater to his tastes. I remember Old Gui likes fishing and often goes to Nanchuan Lake, where he can sit for an entire afternoon. If any of you are free, come with me to Nanchuan Lake to fish with the old man?"
Tang Ci said: "I'll be on annual leave soon, so I can go with Brother Jiu."
Lu Jiuchuan: "Okay, I'll buy two fishing rods online first."
The group chatted for a while, gradually quieting down around eleven o'clock.
**
The next day, Shao Qingge indeed met Gui Xiujie.
The thirty-five-year-old young talent, dressed in a suit and wearing black-rimmed glasses, had a refined and scholarly air, and had also inherited his father's interest in traditional Chinese painting. Hearing that Shao Qingge liked his father's calligraphy and paintings, the two chatted very congenially.
Shao Qingge gradually steered the conversation towards the health of the elderly, using the example of his good friend's father being diagnosed with late-stage liver cancer during a recent checkup. He then listed many cases where elderly people were diagnosed with late-stage cancer due to their children's negligence.
Gui Xiujie listened with a serious expression and agreed, stating that children should pay more attention to their parents' health.
Shao Qingge then handed him his medical examination card, which Gui Xiujie gladly accepted, and the two even added each other as friends on social media.
After returning home, Gui Xiujie went to persuade Gui Yuanzhang to go for a physical examination the next day. Old Master Gui frowned unhappily: "What kind of examination? Didn't you just have one last year? My old bones are perfectly healthy. Do
n't always worry unnecessarily about what illness your father might have." Gui Xiujie whispered, "Dad, I'm not being unnecessarily worried; I'm just doing this in case. You should get a comprehensive checkup. If nothing is found, that would be best. It'll put your mind at ease, both for yourself and for me, your son, okay?"
Gui Yuanzhang frowned even more: "A comprehensive checkup? That must cost a lot of money, right? Why waste money?"
Gui Xiujie smiled: "It's free. A friend gave me the checkup card."
Gui Yuanzhang asked in confusion: "A friend?"
"Yes, his name is Shao Qingge. You should have heard of him. He's a very famous and promising entrepreneur in Jiangzhou. I met him through a friend. His company happens to cooperate with a private hospital and bought a batch of checkup cards. Knowing that you're almost sixty, he gave me one and suggested I get a checkup too," Gui Xiujie explained.
"Oh, it doesn't cost any money." Gui Yuanzhang grasped the key point, his brow finally relaxing. "Then let's go."
"…" Gui Xiujie smiled helplessly. Many elders have this kind of spending mentality; they always want to save money for their children, and they never want to waste money on things that shouldn't be spent. Although Gui Yuanzhang's income is not low, he actually lives very frugally. His calligraphy and paintings are very popular, but he donates most of the proceeds from selling them to children in impoverished areas because he himself came from deep in the mountains.
Gui Xiujie felt helpless but also proud of his father.
After persuading his father, he immediately sent a WeChat message to Shao Qingge: "Mr. Shao, my father is going for a medical check-up tomorrow. Thank you."
Shao Qingge replied: "You're welcome. I admire Mr. Gui's character very much. I would like to visit him in person sometime and ask for a piece of his calligraphy. I would appreciate your help in introducing me."
Gui Xiujie said: "Of course."
Shao Qingge sent a message to Xiao Lou: "It's your turn. Let's continue."
Xiao Lou sent an OK gesture and also called Yu Hanjiang.
On Sunday, the police force had no special missions, and Yu Hanjiang wasn't on duty, so the two went to the private hospital together. Xiao Lou put on a white coat and went directly to the echocardiography room to find his classmate.
After Gui Lao completed his basic blood tests, he was led to the echocardiography room by a nurse. Xiao Lou whispered in his classmate's ear, "Let's do a coronary angiography for this old gentleman. I'm worried he might have coronary heart disease."
His classmate nodded and asked Gui Lao to prepare. Gui Yuanzhang asked doubtfully, "These items weren't included in previous physical examinations. Isn't a heart check just an electrocardiogram and an echocardiogram?"
Xiao Lou smiled and stepped forward, asking, "Do you have any heart problems? For example, do you sometimes experience chest tightness, shortness of breath, or chest pain when you're emotionally agitated?"
Gui Yuanzhang frowned. He had occasionally felt chest tightness recently, and sometimes experienced chest pain in the middle of the night, but he hadn't told anyone. His son and daughter-in-law were very busy with work, and he didn't want them to worry about him.
Seeing his hesitant expression, Xiao Lou knew that he had concealed his illness and hadn't gone for regular checkups, which led to his sudden cardiac death. However, it's still impossible to determine the specific type of heart disease he has.
Thinking of this, Xiao Lou said softly, "Don't worry, coronary angiography can be considered a minimally invasive procedure. You'll need to stay in the hospital for a day, which is a bit troublesome, but I think it's very necessary. Because some hidden heart conditions can't be diagnosed by electrocardiograms or echocardiograms. Angiography can clearly show all the blood vessels in your heart, and any problems can be detected in time."
Xiao Lou then picked up a diagram and handed it to Gui Yuanzhang: "Look, this is a diagram of the coronary angiography. The blood vessels are like tree branches, and each one is clearly visible. Any problems are immediately apparent."
The diagram was indeed very intuitive, and with Xiao Lou's gentle and patient explanation, Gui Yuanzhang quickly nodded in agreement: "Then let's do it, doctor, it's up to you."
Xiao Lou personally took him to get the contrast agent, then led him to the examination area to queue, get the forms printed, and contact the doctor. Gui Yuanzhang didn't have to worry about anything, following Xiao Lou's "guidance" throughout the entire process.
After the examination, Xiao Lou personally escorted him to his ward and instructed him, "You need to rest in bed after the angiography. I will have the doctor monitor your electrocardiogram at all times. Don't worry, you can stay here for one night and be discharged tomorrow."
Lying in bed, Gui Yuanzhang smiled and nodded at Xiao Lou, "Young man, thank you for your hard work."
Xiao Lou replied earnestly, "Senior, you're welcome. Why don't you add me on WeChat? If you feel unwell in the future, contact me immediately, and I can arrange a suitable doctor for you anytime."
Gui Yuanzhang happily added Xiao Lou on WeChat.
Only then did he notice an expired friend request, the verification name being "Yu Hanjiang." He muttered to himself in confusion, "Yu Hanjiang? Never heard of him..."
Xiao Lou glanced at Captain Yu, who was sitting in the corridor pretending to be a passerby, and quietly explained to Gui Yuanzhang, "I have heard of Yu Hanjiang, he's the new captain of the Jiangzhou City Criminal Investigation Brigade. Could he be adding you as a friend to investigate some case?"
Gui Yuanzhang thoughtfully looked at the expired request; he could only try to add Yu Hanjiang himself. The request was quickly accepted, and he sent a voice message in confusion: "Officer Yu? What can I do for you?"
"Hello, Elder Gui, I've always admired your calligraphy and paintings."
Gui Yuanzhang: "..."
He had thought the police were adding him to investigate some murder case, which startled him, but it turned out to be this reason.
Yu Hanjiang continued, "Adding you as a friend is for personal reasons and has nothing to do with the case. I have collected many of your calligraphy and paintings and have always wanted to visit you in person. This time, after being transferred to Jiangzhou, I found out your WeChat and wanted to try adding you. Please forgive me for disturbing you."
Gui Yuanzhang smiled and said, "Officer Yu, you're too kind. Come to my house for dinner sometime."
Xiao Lou, who was turning to leave, exchanged a glance with Yu Hanjiang. Although the current Gui Lao didn't remember them, his personality was still as easygoing as the Gui Lao everyone knew, and he didn't reject their approach.
Yu Hanjiang whispered in Xiao Lou's ear, "How were Mr. Gui's test results?"
Xiao Lou shook his head: "Not very optimistic. Although I'm not a radiology specialist, I saw the images after his examination, and there's clearly a problem with his coronary arteries. I'll take it to Professor Sun for a closer look."
Yu Hanjiang said, "Okay, I'll wait for your news."
The coronary artery examination results came out quickly, and Xiao Lou gave them to the expert. After reviewing them, Professor Sun pointed to a shadow on the image and said, "This is an aneurysm, in a very dangerous location. Luckily, it was discovered in time. Otherwise, if the aneurysm had ruptured, even a miracle wouldn't have been able to save him!"
Xiao Lou was shocked: "An aneurysm? Does it require surgery?"
The professor nodded and said, "The patient is only 60 years old, and his blood pressure is normal according to the physical examination results. I suggest arranging surgery as soon as possible, removing the aneurysm while replacing it with an artificial blood vessel. The prognosis will be better. The location of his aneurysm is too dangerous, and the surgery will be quite difficult. I can come to a private hospital and perform the surgery myself."
Xiao Lou finally breathed a slight sigh of relief: "Thank you, Professor Sun."
If they hadn't gone to great lengths to bring Mr. Gui to the hospital for a detailed examination, the aneurysm would definitely have ruptured, causing Mr. Gui's sudden death!
That very evening, Xiao Lou posted the test results in the group chat. Gui Yuanzhang's son naturally found out as well, and everyone was shocked. His son immediately started contacting doctors, and Shao Qingge introduced the specialist Xiao Lou had mentioned.
The surgery was scheduled for a week later.
On that day, Xiao Lou and Shao Qingge also came to the hospital in person. The others had no reason to come and could only anxiously wait for news in the group chat.
Lu Jiuchuan asked worriedly, "Is the surgery risky? What is the success rate?"
Tang Ci calmly said, "Whether we can change Senior Gui's fate depends on today."
Long Sen, Qu Wanyue, Lao Mo, and others all sent prayer emojis.
Even Ye Qi and Liu Qiao secretly checked the group chat messages on their phones while doing their homework. Gui Yuanzhang,
lying on the operating table under anesthesia, had no idea that so many people were paying attention to him and worrying about him.
Everyone was very uneasy during the surgery.
Although they had returned to three years ago, could they really change the fate of Gui Yuanzhang, this "hunter"? What if they rashly interfered with someone else's destiny, causing the surgery to fail and Gui Yuanzhang to die prematurely?
Xiao Lou stood in the corridor, her heart pounding, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. Shao Qingge's brows remained furrowed, his arms crossed, staring intently at the three small red characters that read "Operation in Progress." They
stood there for what seemed like an eternity, their legs nearly numb. Just then, the operating room door suddenly opened, and Professor Sun emerged, smiling, "Gui Yuanzhang's family, the surgery went smoothly."
In that instant, their hearts, which had been pounding in their chests, finally settled.
Those words were like a gatekeeper saying "Congratulations on passing the level!"—a joyous gesture!
Xiao Lou immediately took out her phone and shared the news in the group chat. Instantly, everyone began showering her with virtual flowers, as if celebrating someone's rebirth!
Gui Xiujie gratefully approached Professor Sun, the surgeon. After Professor Sun left, Gui Xiujie turned back and grasped the hands of Shao Qingge and Xiao Lou, his voice trembling with emotion: "Thank you, Mr. Shao! If it weren't for your suggestion to take my father for a checkup, this aneurysm would never have been discovered! And Dr. Xiao, thank you for accompanying my father to the coronary angiography and for finding Professor Sun to personally perform the surgery! You are truly my father's saviors!"
Xiao Lou and Shao Qingge exchanged a glance, thinking, no, actually, it was your father who saved us.
If it weren't for his sacrifice, we would all be dead in another world.
Time rewinds, cause and effect cycle, we have this chance to start over, and Gui Lao must also have a peaceful end—this is all of our greatest wish!