This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

Gong Daoyang took a deep breath. ”Alright, you come out now, and I’ll transfer it to you.”

”Don’t try to trick me. I don’t want a transfer; I want cash. If you transfer it, you’ll just freeze the account, and I’ll end up with nothing.”

Hearing Du Da’s clear-headed words, Gong Daoyang’s heart tightened again. ”Du Da, this is a rural area. You should know better than I do—where am I supposed to find 100,000 yuan in cash around here? Listen to me, you guys come out first, and I’ll have someone prepare the money. How about that?”

”Cut the crap! You think I’m stupid? If I come out, you have guns; you’ll just shoot me dead. Enough talk. Money, and I release her. No money, then stop yelling. If I don’t see cash in three minutes, I’m lighting this place up.”

Gong Daoyang took another deep breath. ”Then how about this: I’ll swap places with your Mother. Let her come out, and I’ll stay in here with you and wait. Your Mother is old. This gas smell is overwhelming; she won’t last until we get the money.”

Silence fell inside. Just when Gong Daoyang thought everyone in there might have passed out, Du Da suddenly spoke again. ”Fine. You come in.”

Hearing this, Gong Daoyang took a step towards the house. The village director hurriedly stopped him, whispering, ”Director Gong, Du Da is completely unhinged right now! It’s too dangerous for you to go in.”

Gong Daoyang glanced at the village director. ”Then what do you suggest we do? Just stand here and watch Du Da take his Mother with him?”

The village director’s outstretched hand froze in mid-air.

Gong Daoyang paid him no mind, merely lowering his voice to say, ”I’ll go in and assess the situation first. If it isn’t too dangerous, I’ll call you in to help me subdue him.”

With that, Gong Daoyang walked towards the house.

”Du Da, I’m coming in.”

As he spoke, Gong Daoyang pushed open the door to the room.

The moment he did, an overpowering smell of coal gas assaulted his nostrils, making it difficult to breathe.

Du Da was sitting on a stool in the middle of the main room, his Mother prostrate at his feet, her condition unclear—alive or dead.

Beside them stood a large, cyan-green gas cylinder—the biggest kind available.

Seeing Gong Daoyang enter, Du Da raised his hand, a lighter clutched within it. ”Close the door, or I’ll flick it.”

”Alright, alright.” Gong Daoyang quickly complied, but the overpowering smell of coal gas made it difficult for him to speak.

”Take everything out of your pockets and put it on the ground,” Du Da commanded, his hand still raised, thumb poised over the lighter’s ignition.

Gong Daoyang slowly squatted, and instantly, breathing became a little easier; he felt slightly more comfortable.

Watching Du Da, he slowly took out his police-issue equipment, whispering, ”Can I get your Mother out first? She doesn’t look good.”

Staring intently at Gong Daoyang, Du Da retorted, ”Cut the crap.” Then, his eyes fell on the pile of police tools with a hint of disappointment. ”You didn’t bring a gun?”

The slight relief Gong Daoyang had felt from squatting quickly faded, and he began to feel unwell again. Still observing Du Da carefully, he explained, ”There are regulations for officers carrying firearms. I came alone, so I couldn’t bring a gun.”

”No gun, fine. Cuff yourself with those handcuffs.”

Gong Daoyang quickly calculated the distance between himself and Du Da. He felt there was little chance of subduing Du Da, and even less of snatching the lighter. So, he offered, ”How about I take your Mother out first, and then I’ll put on the handcuffs?”

Du Da swayed, then slid off the stool, landing on his butt on the ground. But he still looked at Gong Daoyang and laughed. ”How about this: I light it first, then you drag this burden out. What do you think? Huh? Speak up!”

Seeing Du Da’s hand tremble violently, Gong Daoyang quickly grabbed the handcuffs beside him. ”Don’t get agitated, don’t get agitated! I’ll cuff myself.”

At that moment, he saw clearly: although Du Da spoke with clarity and force, his eyes were completely bloodshot, and the veins on his neck bulged prominently.

After cuffing himself, Gong Daoyang held up his hands for Du Da to see. ”Look, I’m cuffed now. Can I drag your Mother out now?”

As he spoke, Gong Daoyang, still squatting, shuffled a few small steps closer to Du Da and his Mother.

He didn’t dare stand up, afraid the concentrated gas higher in the room would make him pass out instantly.

Du Da, however, just sneered. ”Moron, do you really think I want money?”

Gong Daoyang was stunned. ”What do you mean?”

”I have bladder cancer. I’m wearing adult diapers right now. So, money or no money, I’m going to die. And I *want* to die,” Du Da said with a grim smile.

****! ****! ****! Gong Daoyang mentally cursed the people at the Detoxification Center up and down. No wonder they released this kid; turns out he’s about to die! Damn it, they should have given me a heads-up! Those sons of bitches didn’t even mention this when I called earlier. Lacking this crucial piece of intelligence, all my judgments had been wrong.

Looking at Du Da’s grin, Gong Daoyang’s heart hammered in his chest, but he still tried his best to pacify him. ”Don’t give up. Medical science is very advanced now; we can definitely find a way to treat you.

Let’s go outside. I’ll help you find the best doctor, how about that?

By the way, you know Du Heng, right?”

Du Da grinned. ”Yeah, I know him. That wimp we used to bully all the time in school.”

”Good, you know him! He can treat Cancer! I’ll go find him, get him to treat you,” Gong Daoyang said urgently.

”HEH HEH. HEH HEH HEH. I wasn’t finished. I also have kidney failure. The Doctor said there’s no other way besides a kidney transplant,” Du Da said, then let out a series of HEH HEHs. ”I originally planned to take this old hag with me, to save her from suffering alone after I’m gone.”

Suddenly, Du Da’s body swayed, and the hand holding the lighter drooped weakly. Gong Daoyang sensed an opportunity and was about to lunge, but Du Da abruptly steadied his hand again.

”HEH HEH. What, thinking of grabbing the lighter?”

Du Da slumped down further, pulling the lighter close to his side and gripping it with both hands. ”Originally, I wanted to bring that old man Du Chengguo along too, but that old geezer ran too fast; I didn’t catch him. HEH HEH HEH. Who’d have thought, you damn idiot, you’d deliver yourself right to my door! A two-for-one deal, and he’s even a Clinic Director—I’m not losing out on this one.”

Panic seized Gong Daoyang. He had inhaled too much coal gas; his head was swimming, his vision blurred, and his temples throbbed violently—POUND, POUND, POUND.

Du Da’s Mother lay at his feet, her state—alive or dead—still unknown. Gong Daoyang felt a strong urge to retreat, but the moment he shifted, Du Da warned, ”Don’t move! If you move an inch, I’ll flick it. Let’s see what’s faster, this lighter or your legs!”

Gong Daoyang glanced at the door two meters behind him, then at Du Da, only a meter away, and abandoned the idea of escape. ”Du Da, what I’m telling you is true! Du Heng really can treat Cancer. He even won an award for it; it was on the News today!

If you don’t believe me, take out your phone and search for it. You’ll see it right there. I’m not lying to you.”

Du Da’s head drooped forward, but he immediately snapped it back up. ”Don’t try to trick me! You want me to get out my phone so you can snatch my lighter or try to run! Impossible. That’s impossible! I’m not falling for your tricks. I... I just want to talk to you.”

Gong Daoyang shook his own head, trying to clear it, and quickly said, ”Go on, I’m listening.”

Du Da let out another series of HEH HEHs. ”Last time, I told you to get on your knees and beg me. Because I had my Mother, you acted all tough, didn’t you? You wouldn’t kneel.

Now, I’m telling you to kneel. Beg me.

You just get on your knees and beg me, and I’ll let you go.

Kneel! Kneel, and I’ll let you walk out of here.

HEH HEH. HEH HEH HEH.”

Gong Daoyang felt a painful pressure behind his eyes, and his hands and feet were beginning to go numb.

He knew these were signs of inhaling too much coal gas. If his own hands and feet were starting to go numb, then Du Da, who had been right next to the gas cylinder for so long, must be suffering more severe effects than he was. In that case...

”Alright, I’ll kneel.”

Gong Daoyang, his eyes bloodshot, glared at Du Da. He slowly pushed himself to his feet, adopting a posture as if he were about to kneel.

Just as Du Da let out another cackling laugh, Gong Daoyang lunged.