Chapter 52: A Headache

"You aren't actually here to see a doctor, are you?"

Looking at the brand-new medical record booklet and registration ticket in Su Xiaotong's hand, Li Yancheng asked with a hint of curiosity.

"I'm literally here for you to examine me. Look, I just registered and got a brand-new medical record."

"Why did you run all the way to a civilian hospital instead of going to your military hospital? Don't tell me the doctors at the military hospital are incompetent. I'm in this profession myself; I know very well how good those military hospitals in Beijing actually are."

"Hahaha..." Su Xiaotong burst out laughing as soon as he heard that.

"Going to the military hospital costs money just like coming to you. Since it's going to cost money either way, and I already know your medical skills are pretty decent, I might as well come to you."

"Don't try to fool me. How could it possibly cost you money to see a doctor at a military hospital? I came out of the military myself, you know." Li Yancheng didn't believe a word of his nonsense.

"I'm really not trying to fool you." Su Xiaotong smiled and shook his head, then lowered his gaze and tugged at the hem of his tunic as he explained.

"Don't let this military uniform fool you. Our unit just had us wear these for now; we'll exchange them for unified uniforms later when they're issued. Our unit isn't actually under military establishment right now."

Hearing this, Li Yancheng raised an eyebrow. A certain department instantly came to his mind—one that had historically belonged to the military administration and, not long after liberation, had gradually broken away from the military just like the public security organs.

However, unlike the public security sector, which was reassigned to local civilian administration after leaving the military, this particular department had always remained under direct central jurisdiction.

No wonder this guy had mentioned the last time they met at home that the nature of his work was rather special and that he could even take official business trips to Hong Kong. So that was why.

With this realization, Li Yancheng tossed his cigarette to the ground, crushed it out with the sole of his shoe, and then turned to lift the curtain. "Since you're here to see a doctor, I don't care which unit you're from. As long as you've registered, please come in."

Su Xiaotong cast an amused glance at Li Yancheng and stepped into the consultation room.

Luo Yang had told him that this man seemed rather indifferent to everything—he possessed a certain curiosity, but not an overwhelming one, and he never proactively pried into things. His lips were also tightly sealed. This was the primary reason why Su Xiaotong had come today.

Otherwise, given his connections and influence, he had access to plenty of excellent doctors. Although those top-tier physicians might not necessarily be able to cure that specific illness, they should theoretically be far more capable than a minor doctor.

However, those established physicians had their own intricate little circles, and he could not let outsiders know about this matter just yet. He had no choice but to find someone whose background was transparent and relatively straightforward.

"Have a seat. What's wrong?"

***

Taking the medical record and registration ticket from Su Xiaotong's hand, Li Yancheng pinned the ticket to the board on his desk and pointed to the stool beside it.

"I'm fine. I didn't come here today to have you examine me."

Instead of sitting down, Su Xiaotong turned around, closed the door of the consultation room, and even slid the bolt into place before walking over to take a seat.

This series of actions left Li Yancheng completely dumbfounded.

What on earth is going on? He had just sent away someone who hadn't brought a patient, and now here came another one without a patient. Were people just coming here to mess with him today?

"What? Did you get someone pregnant and are too afraid to let others know, so you want me to secretly prescribe some medicine for you?"

"Huh?" Su Xiaotong was clearly baffled by the question. It took him a long time to react, and then he shook his head with a bitter smile. "What on earth are you talking about? How could I possibly get anyone pregnant? But what do you mean by that? Who else are you talking about?"

"Even if I told you, you wouldn't know them. Out with it then: who do you want me to treat, and what is the illness? Where is the patient? Let's get this straight first—I won't make any diagnosis or prescribe any medicine without seeing the patient."

"Since I came to you, I will definitely let you see the patient. But there is one thing I must make clear to you beforehand."

"Please go ahead."

"I only want medical treatment, and I'll pay you whatever fee is required. As for anything else: don't ask, don't talk about it, and don't pry."

Li Yancheng looked at Su Xiaotong with a hint of surprise.

"Su—"

"Just call me Xiaotong."

"Uh... alright." Li Yancheng nodded. "Xiaotong, I can roughly guess what kind of unit you work for. What I want to say is that I can't afford to provoke your unit—to be precise, I can't afford to provoke anyone at all.

I'm just an orphan who was raised by adoptive parents, got lucky enough to test into a specialized secondary school to study medicine, and then spent a few years in the military.

Right now, I have no one to rely on and I'm entirely on my own. If someone hadn't tried to make a move on my house last time, I wouldn't even have had to ask my patients to step in and help me out.

Now you suddenly show up asking me to treat an unidentified person. To be honest, Xiaotong, might this person be involved in some kind of case, or worse, could they simply be a criminal? I have no desire to get dragged into something like that."

***

Li Yancheng genuinely wanted no part in these messy affairs. The unit Su Xiaotong belonged to never dealt with simple matters.

There were plenty of other doctors they could find; they could even invite physicians from the medical healthcare panel if they wanted to. He certainly didn't believe he was superior to those experts before fully digesting the inherited memories in his mind.

Passing up such capable doctors to come find him—an obscure, unknown junior physician—meant there was a high likelihood that something shady was going on behind the scenes. He wanted to stay as far away from it as possible; there was no way he would willingly jump right into the fire.

"Hahaha... You certainly think a lot. But thinking things through isn't a bad thing; when it comes to certain matters, one can never be too cautious."

Su Xiaotong was extremely satisfied with Li Yancheng's reaction. Caution was precisely what he wanted. If Li Yancheng had simply agreed carelessly without a second thought, he would have grown hesitant instead.

"I have an official letter of introduction with me, but I can only show it to you. This cannot go through official public channels, and you must never mention this to a single soul."

With a headache coming on, Li Yancheng raised his arm, rested his elbow on the desk, and gently massaged his temples with both hands.

A letter of introduction? He could only laugh bitterly to himself. He had no way of verifying whether that document was genuine or forged; what if it was stamped with a fake seal?

Even if it was authentic, if something went wrong in the future, since they hadn't followed official bureaucratic channels, he would still be the one forced to take the blame.

However, he could also tell that Su Xiaotong's sole purpose in coming today was to get him to examine someone. A flat-out refusal wouldn't deter him.

With that thought in mind, Li Yancheng let out a soft sigh, lowered his hands, and looked up at Su Xiaotong.

"Xiaotong, I don't know why you want me to treat that person. You must have your reasons, but what baffles me is: why me? To be honest, while my medical skills have some unique aspects, they aren't that remarkable.

Logically speaking, given your status, you should be able to secure a much better doctor. Can you explain this to me?"

Facing Li Yancheng's skepticism, Su Xiaotong remained silent for a moment before replying, "Because you are safe enough. By safe, I mean your background is simple, and you don't have those complicated webs of relationships.

The patient I need you to treat right now is of vital importance to a case I'm handling. This case has vast ramifications, and I cannot entrust it to anyone I don't completely trust."