"Dad—"
Song Wanliang's eyes were quick, and as he shouted, he quickly supported Song Kaichao, who was about to fall to the ground.
Song Xiangyu nervously pleaded with Chen Xiao:
"Oh no! The old man seems to have fallen ill again. Dr. Chen, please, please save him..."
But before Song Xiangyu could finish speaking, Song Kaichao said sternly:
"Wanliang, Xiangyu, Chen Xiao definitely has an antidote for the snake, because even dozens of renowned doctors and medical masters from home and abroad, like Lin Huichun and Nangong Yi, were helpless against my illness. Yet, he easily pulled me back from the brink of death not long ago. If you still recognize me as your adoptive father, hurry up and force him to hand over the antidote!"
As his words fell, the dozen or so personal bodyguards present glared at Chen Xiao with vigilance. The two leading them even erupted with terrifying aura, no weaker than Leng Shan and Ya Ye.
"Heh."
Chen Xiao clearly didn't expect Song Kaichao to be so unreasonable, his mind filled with paranoid delusions. He couldn't help but laugh in anger and said coldly:
"Old man, have you gone senile from your illness? The poison you were afflicted with has long been neutralized by me. The reason you've fallen ill again is that your internal organs, damaged by the poison, haven't received corresponding treatment. What good is demanding an antidote from me? Moreover, since you yourself said I pulled you back from the brink of death, you should treat me like an ancestor and worship me, not act tough. Do I really need to teach you such a simple principle?"
"I..."
Song Kaichao was speechless, almost spitting out blood from anger.
The dozen or so personal bodyguards, hesitant to act, scrambled to retreat.
Chen Xiao sneered and added:
"But given your atrocious attitude towards me, even if you treated me like an ancestor and doted on me, I wouldn't lift a finger to save you again, heh."
"You..."
Song Kaichao's eyes widened even further, veins bulging on his forehead. Yet, he dared not retaliate. In just this short while, he not only felt an unbearable dizziness but also experienced severe pain all over his body, making it increasingly difficult to breathe.
After all, this wasn't the first time he had fallen ill, and he knew that any further delay would land him in the ICU.
In an instant, all his suspicions and prejudices against Chen Xiao were replaced by an intense will to survive.
But he also knew that in his current state, even if he humbled himself and begged Chen Xiao, it might not be effective. So, he grabbed onto a lifeline, holding Song Wanliang with one hand and Song Xiangyu with the other, casting pleading glances at them.
Song Xiangyu was in a state of panic. She quickly choked out to Chen Xiao:
"Dr. Chen, for the sake of others, if not for yourself. Yan Yan almost fell out with the old man for you. And Nuannuan, despite the old man's strong objections, goes to Jishitang every day to take care of your mother. For the sake of these two sisters, please, put aside your grudges and save the old man!"
Because of Song Kaichao's instigation, Song Wanliang had indeed seriously suspected Chen Xiao of being the mastermind behind poisoning Song Kaichao. But that was before he knew Chen Xiao was the important figure he was ordered to protect in secret. After all, such an arrangement from the superior authorities was equivalent to a military and national endorsement of Chen Xiao. Moreover, the immediate priority was to secure Chen Xiao's treatment for Song Kaichao.
Therefore, as soon as Song Xiangyu finished speaking, Song Wanliang eagerly said:
"Dr. Chen... Dr. Chen, please don't take my father's words to heart, because I absolutely believe you are innocent! Lives are at stake, I hope you can save him first, I beg you."
As he spoke, he made a move as if to kneel before Chen Xiao, but unfortunately, he was too busy supporting the teetering Song Kaichao to do so.
Chen Xiao completely ignored the siblings, Song Wanliang and Song Xiangyu, and said to Song Kaichao unceremoniously:
"Old man, the illness is in your body. What good is it for others to beg me on your behalf? If you're truly afraid of dying, then immediately get up and roll to the most crowded waiting hall outside, and kneel there to repent. How long you need to kneel will depend on my mood. Considering your age, I might, just might, reluctantly save your old life!"
"..."
Song Wanliang, Song Xiangyu, and the personal bodyguards present exchanged bewildered glances. They were all stunned. If they hadn't witnessed it themselves, no one would have believed that Chen Xiao dared to speak to Song Kaichao in such a manner.
"Pfft—"
Song Kaichao clearly hadn't expected the seemingly frail Chen Xiao to be so sharp-tongued. He immediately coughed up a mouthful of blood in anger, and his illness worsened, nearly sending him to his demise.
Even so, he had no intention of compromising with Chen Xiao. Gritting his teeth, he said:
"Chen Xiao, don't dream. I, Song Kaichao, would rather die of illness than kneel in public, let alone kneel to you!"
With that, he forcefully pushed away Song Wanliang and Song Xiangyu who were supporting him. Then, in a fit of pique, he dragged his ailing body and walked out alone with difficulty. However, he barely made it to the doorway before feeling like he would collapse at any moment. In a panic, he quickly leaned against the wall and turned to glare furiously at his personal bodyguards, roaring in exasperation:
"What are you all standing around for? Hurry up and support me!"
The personal bodyguards, having followed Song Kaichao for many years, knew that he was currently trying to provoke Song Wanliang and Song Xiangyu. None of them dared to move, instead casting panicked, pleading glances at Song Wanliang and Song Xiangyu.
Song Wanliang and Song Xiangyu understood. They both nodded apologetically to Chen Xiao and then supported Song Kaichao, one on each side. The personal bodyguards, relieved, quickly followed, looking sheepish. Although they were all martial arts experts with inch-force or even dark-force, they never dared to look up at Chen Xiao. In their eyes, Chen Xiao was the formidable individual who had completely subdued the richest man, Song.
In the corridor outside the door, Song Kaichao looked at the bustling waiting hall at the end of the corridor, his scalp tingling. He repeatedly told himself:
"I would rather die of illness than kneel in such a place! I would rather die of illness than kneel in such a place! I would rather die of illness than kneel in such a place..."
Song Wanliang noticed Song Kaichao's deteriorating mental state and couldn't help but cautiously persuade him:
"Dad, your health is important. Why don't you... why don't you listen to Dr. Chen? Besides... besides, I can guarantee with my life that he absolutely couldn't be the one who poisoned you..."
"Nonsense!"
Song Kaichao interrupted Song Wanliang with a curse:
"I would rather die on the spot than kneel in front of so many people in the waiting hall!"
Song Xiangyu slightly pouted, her tone a mixture of worry and helplessness:
"Old... Old man, please stop being so stubborn, okay? Ever since Dr. Chen pulled you back from the brink of death, although you haven't missed a single day of treatment, and even Nangong Yi has given you injections and IV drips, none of it has been effective! If... if something unfortunate were to happen to you, my brother and I ending up on the streets would be one thing, but what about Yan Yan and Nuannuan? They haven't found husbands yet. As their grandfather, can you bear to abandon them?"
"I..."
Song Kaichao imagined the scene of Song Yan and Song Nuan being tricked out of their money and virtue by Chen Xiao after his death. He could no longer remain calm. After a moment's hesitation, he gritted his teeth and said:
"Take me to the front, the more people the better!"
Song Wanliang and Song Xiangyu exchanged glances, unsure whether to cry or laugh. They could only nervously comply.
Soon, Song Kaichao found himself in the bustling hall filled with people. He closed his eyes and knelt down without hesitation.
However, as soon as his knees touched the ground, his frail body couldn't take it anymore. His vision went black, and he collapsed on the spot, immediately drawing dozens of astonished glances from those around him.
Song Wanliang and Song Xiangyu's faces turned pale with shock, and they quickly knelt down, desperately supporting him.
At this moment, near the door of examination room number two, following Bao Xinlai, the doctor who had just transferred in yesterday, He Chaochao, was returning from the restroom, accompanied by two nurses flirting with each other.
He Chaochao immediately noticed that Song Kaichao and the three of them were luxuriously dressed and had extraordinary bearing, especially since they were surrounded by bodyguards. What particularly caught He Chaochao's eye was Song Xiangyu, whose graceful and noble demeanor was like that of a court concubine, her voluptuous and delicate figure resembled Song Yan, and her revealing and sexy attire surpassed even Song Nuan's.
"A wealthy magnate! Beautiful women! Isn't this my golden opportunity to make a name for myself at Central Hospital? Heaven truly favors me!"
He Chaochao was both surprised and delighted. He quickly pushed a nearby mobile stretcher forward to help. In a blink of an eye, he had pushed Song Kaichao into the deserted examination room number two. Then, he grandly comforted the sobbing Song Xiangyu:
"Don't worry, family members. My name is He Chaochao. I am a resident doctor in the emergency department of Central Hospital. I graduated from a prestigious university and have worked at the First Affiliated Hospital of Provincial Medical University for five years, with extensive clinical experience. I can definitely cure this elderly gentleman who has suddenly fainted."
As he spoke, He Chaochao did not immediately examine Song Kaichao. Instead, he prepared to reach out and touch Song Xiangyu's smooth and exposed back, his expression revealing his lust for women.
Song Wanliang and Song Xiangyu were too worried about Song Kaichao's condition at the moment to notice He Chaochao's sinister intentions.
However, upon realizing that this was not Chen Xiao's examination room number eight, Song Xiangyu shook her head repeatedly without thinking:
"Brother, the old man's condition is not optimistic. Let's ask Dr. Chen, shall we?"
Song Wanliang, with reddened eyes, nodded firmly:
"I'll go call Dr. Chen now!"
"Which... which Dr. Chen?"
He Chaochao, with his lecherous hand suspended, looked at the two nurses blankly:
"Could it be Chen Xiao from examination room number eight? I think he's the only one named Chen in our emergency hall."
He Chaochao, approaching forty and an experienced professional, had investigated the information of other resident doctors immediately after his arrival yesterday. He knew that Chen Xiao from examination room number eight was also newly transferred. Before the two nurses could speak, he impatiently said to Song Wanliang and Song Xiangyu:
"Two, the Dr. Chen you mentioned has mediocre medical skills. It is said that he got his position through connections and favors. Before this, he was an intern. He definitely doesn't have the ability to handle sudden syncope in the elderly, otherwise, his examination room number eight wouldn't be deserted."