I Am Diagnosed as a Medical Titan

Chapter 46: Chapter 46: A Pact That Could Influence the Nation’s Medical Progress

Wang Kuan walked over.

Lu Xiaolin spoke up. ”Boss Wang, how are things in the ward?”

”Old Li just fell asleep. The caregiver is watching him.”

She gave Lu Xiaolin a nod, then fixed her gaze on Jiang He and extended her right hand.

”You must be Dr. Jiang, right? I’m Wang Kuan.”

Jiang He stood up. ”Hello, Boss Wang. You can just call me Jiang He.”

Wang Kuan sat down with an air of authority and cut straight to the chase.

”Dr. Jiang, I had someone ask around yesterday.”

”Old Li’s health has been poor for the past two years. If he had really gone under the knife according to their original plan, even if he didn’t die, he would have spent the rest of his life as an invalid, stuck in bed.”

”So, I came all this way today to thank you. Thank you for saving Old Li’s health.”

After speaking, Wang Kuan unzipped the black leather bag she was carrying, pulled out a China Merchants Bank Golden Sunflower debit card, and pushed it across the table to Jiang He.

”The PIN is written on the back. There’s two hundred thousand in there. It’s just a small token of my appreciation. Take it.”

The thin card slid across the table, coming to a stop by Jiang He’s hand.

Two hundred thousand yuan in 2008.

In this day and age, that was enough to buy a nice studio apartment near Southern Medical University outright.

Lu Xiaolin glanced at Jiang He instinctively, worried his young junior would be too proud to accept and say something foolish like, ”A doctor’s duty is to heal, not take money.”

But Jiang He didn’t hesitate. ’Only a fool would turn down free money.’

Besides, he really was short on cash right now. He couldn’t keep mooching off Chen Hao forever.

So he took the bank card and said, ”Thank you.”

Seeing Jiang He slip the two hundred thousand into his pocket, a flash of approval appeared in Wang Kuan’s eyes.

’Straightforward, not pretentious. Not at all like a typical third-year student.’

Wang Kuan nodded. ”Dr. Jiang, you’re a straightforward man. You saved Old Li’s life, and I won’t forget this debt. For someone so young to have such incredible medical skills... If you run into any trouble in the future, whether at the university or in a clinical setting, if there’s anything I, Wang Kuan, can do to help, you just have to ask.”

This was the exact sentence Jiang He had been waiting for.

He looked at Wang Kuan and said, ”Since you’ve offered, Boss Wang, I do have a project I’d like to discuss with you.”

Wang Kuan leaned back in her chair. ”Let’s hear it.”

Jiang He said, ”I’m currently on Professor Yang Xu’s team at Southern Medical University, focusing on early molecular diagnosis and targeted mechanisms for pancreatic cancer. The main difficulty right now is that the research hardware in the country can’t keep up. The project I want to work on requires a top-of-the-line laser-scanning confocal microscope, a fully automated flow cytometer, and the establishment of a standardized nude mouse model library. To get all this equipment set up, it’ll take about two million to start.”

Wang Kuan stared at Jiang He, not responding immediately.

A boss who ran coal mines in Jin City was never short on cash.

But a woman who could fight her way to the top in the circle of coal bosses was no spendthrift.

After a moment, she spoke. ”Dr. Jiang, you saved Old Li, so me giving you two hundred thousand is what’s right. But you asking for two million to build a lab... that’s business.”

Jiang He nodded. ”Go on.”

”You’re a student. No matter how good the ideas in your head are, they’re still just ideas. I can’t just throw two million at something based on your word alone.”

Jiang He had expected this. He asked, ”What do you need?”

”Preliminary results. You have to first prove that your approach is viable.”

”If you succeed, I can consider registering an independent medical R&D center for you in the High-Tech Zone. We’ll purchase a full set of imported equipment under the company’s name, and you can be the technical partner and lab director.”

Wang Kuan continued, ”When that time comes, the technology, patents, and publication rights will all belong to you. But I have two conditions. First, if my family or I have any health problems in the future, you have to take care of it. Second, when your results are ready for the market, I will be the sole, exclusive business partner. I’ll cover the costs of building the factory, starting production, and establishing distribution channels. We’ll split the profits according to standard business practices. How does that sound?”

Jiang He didn’t hesitate much. He knew that for now, Wang Kuan was just talking; this was more about social graces than a firm commitment.

’I’ll just get the conversation started for now,’ he thought. ’I can prove myself to her slowly in the future.’

So he said, ”Deal. I’ll contact you again once I have preliminary experimental data and a paper.”

”Good. I’ll be waiting for your call.” Wang Kuan glanced at the ladies’ Cartier watch on her wrist and stood up.

Before leaving, she leaned in and added, ”About that Vice Dean Zhao, I’ve already paid him a visit. After all, Old Li still needs to stay in the hospital to recover. I gave him what he wanted, so don’t go spreading the word about what we discussed.”

Jiang He understood immediately.

’Wang Kuan was clearing away potential obstacles for him, spending money to ensure peace and make sure Zhao Licheng wouldn’t try to trip him up behind his back for some perceived loss of profit.’

’When it came to navigating the ways of the world, she was a true master.’

Jiang He stood up and said solemnly, ”That’s a valuable lesson. Thank you.”

”Don’t mention it.” Wang Kuan turned to leave.

After taking two steps, she stopped again.

She turned her head, her expression growing complex in that instant.

”Dr. Jiang.”

”I’ve spent half my life grubbing around in the mines.”

”The people around me... they go down into the pits and get black lung, they sit at the table and drink their livers away, they smoke until their lungs are full of holes. I’ve watched the partners who built this business with me get sent to the hospital one by one, only to be wheeled out under a white sheet...”

”Cancer is a bottomless pit. I hate this disease with a passion.”

”If you can show me you have what it takes to beat this thing, forget two million. If you need ten million, or even twenty million in the future, I, Wang Kuan, won’t even blink.”

With that said, Wang Kuan turned and left without a backward glance.

At the surrounding tables, several drunken patrons were bragging loudly about the Olympics and housing prices, completely unaware that an agreement had just been made at this small, greasy table—an agreement that could one day influence the course of medicine in the country.

Jiang He sat back down and looked at Shen Yu, who had been sitting quietly beside him the whole time.

Shen Yu just sat there silently, blinking from time to time, her face a perfect picture of intense observation.

For an ordinary second-year university student like her, everything that had just happened was like watching a movie.

”What’s wrong?” Seeing her staring at him, Jiang He couldn’t help but smile. ”What are you spacing out for? Not going to eat?”

Shen Yu snapped back to reality and said in a small voice, ”Dr. Jiang, the way you were talking business with that woman just now... you didn’t seem like a third-year student at all. Two million... weren’t you nervous?”

”What’s there to be nervous about? I haven’t even gotten the money yet. It’s not too late to get nervous once it’s actually in my hands.”

”You’re amazing, Dr. Jiang.”

”Not really. I think you’re more amazing. You’re not afraid of pain.”

”Since when am I not afraid of pain?”

”You sprained your ankle and still delivered food to the hospital. If that’s not being unafraid of pain, what is?”

”Hey! You... you’re being a little sarcastic, you know!”

Lu Xiaolin couldn’t watch anymore. He raised his drink and started a toast. ”Junior, come on. Here’s to you. To your success.”

”Alright.” Jiang He clinked glasses with him.

After drinking, Lu Xiaolin said with a face full of anticipation:

”I can’t even imagine what will happen if this really works out and you go back to the university with an investment of several million. The whole school would go crazy, wouldn’t it?”

When he finished, there was a long silence.

Confused, Lu Xiaolin looked at Jiang He.

Only to find him whispering and smiling with Shen Yu, having paid no attention to what he had just said.

Lu Xiaolin: ”...”

’Suddenly, he felt completely superfluous. Really, he shouldn’t have even been here.’

’Damn it, is being good at romance also related to your academic level?’

”Oh, right,” Shen Yu blinked and suddenly asked, ”Southern Medical University... you’re from Southern Medical University?”

Jiang He nodded. ”I am.”

Shen Yu tilted her head. ”Huh? But didn’t you say you were from the Medical School next door to me?”

Jiang He’s expression didn’t change. ”Nanshan Medical University is only a little over two thousand kilometers from the Capital City. That’s just one overnight train ride. On a global scale, you could say it’s practically next door, right?”

”Eh, really? That counts as next door? Then how did you find my meal card?”

”I found it when I came to the Normal University to take care of some business.”

”Oh, right.

After speaking, Shen Yu suddenly made a gun with her hands and aimed it at Jiang He. ”Fess up. Is there anything else you’re hiding from me?”

Jiang He shook his head. ”Nope, nothing.”

”Is that so...”

Shen Yu lowered her hands, her voice suddenly growing softer.

Because she had just realized something.

If Jiang He was at Southern Medical University, that meant that after the National Day holiday, he would be going back to Southern China...

In other words, the countdown on their time together had begun.

There’s a saying that goes:

—You should enjoy being apart, because when you’re apart, you’re counting down to when you’ll meet; but when you’re together, you’re counting down to when you’ll part.

She suddenly felt like crying.

Shen Yu quickly pretended to drink her congee.

As she drank, she thought of something else and had a sudden realization. ”No wonder!”

Jiang He asked, ”No wonder what?”

Shen Yu: ”No wonder you said back then that you were definitely going for the exchange student program! Dr. Jiang, hey! You just wanted me to go to Southern China to visit you, didn’t you!”

Jiang He was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. ”You figured it out? Teacher Shen really does have a good memory.”

Shen Yu ”fired her gun,” poking him sharply in the shoulder. ”You’re so scheming!”

Jiang He chuckled. ”I’m not, I didn’t.”

Lu Xiaolin sighed deeply, looking up at the night sky and thinking to himself as he drank alone:

’The moonlight is beautiful tonight, perfect for drinking and dining alone. But this wine is a bit bland, isn’t it? ...Damn, it’s really bland!’