Chapter 17: Academics Come First

"Brother Chuan, are you sure it's a scam? I didn't break any laws, did I?"

Wang Chuan was interrupted by Xiao Rongyue's voice and confirmed again to Xiao Rongyue, "You didn't break any laws."

Xiao Rongyue continued, "Let's sit on that bench over there and talk it through before we go out."

Li Wei took out the remaining five hundred yuan and handed it to Xiao Rongyue. "The two of us are only responsible for getting you to the hospital entrance; after that, do whatever you want."

Having said that, Li Wei turned and went to wait at the hospital gate; he still felt bitter about being caught after Xiao Rongyue called the police.

"Brother, is You Min really not a woman? She told me she's eighteen."

Xiao Rongyue believed that since he was drunk and lost consciousness, it did not constitute a crime. Therefore, if he truly slept with You Min, he hoped she was a woman.

"I'm just guessing blindly. An eighteen-year-old flower-season girl staging a honey trap with her brother. If she slept with you, and as your sister said, your family runs a factory and is super rich, would You Dabin only ask you for thirty thousand yuan?"

"Even if we didn't sleep together, the intimate photos taken on the bed, I feel they're worth more than thirty thousand yuan. You Min is eighteen, only eighteen."

Wang Chuan was actually making a reasonable guess of his own.

"Uh... forget it, never mind whether she's male or female. Brother, you must keep this secret for me. I'll write an IOU for fifty thousand yuan as a confidentiality fee, okay?"

Wang Chuan waved his hand and said, "Don't write it. Even if you do, and later you don't pay, if I make a call saying, 'Xiao Rongyue, you won't pay, I'll spill the beans,' you know that would constitute extortion. You'd be trying to trap me."

"No, Brother, saying that makes things awkward. I'm definitely not that kind of person. You saved me and even helped with the suturing; if I don't give you money, I won't feel at ease."

Xiao Rongyue showed a sincere expression.

Wang Chuan sighed inwardly, 'Xiao Yuchu expresses gratitude with one hundred, Xiao Rongyue expresses gratitude with fifty thousand; both love using money. In that regard, the two are like siblings.'

"Xiao Rongyue, how about this: just write an IOU like this: 'For Wang Chuan's help on May 27, 2004, I, Xiao Rongyue, am deeply grateful and must repay Wang Chuan. I am an honest and trustworthy person.' That's enough."

Xiao Rongyue looked puzzled: "What? Not writing an amount? Then you'd be losing out."

Wang Chuan said, "Not losing out. This repayment is broader; actually, I gain more. You don't want to write it?"

Because Wang Chuan believed that after this incident, Xiao Rongyue would definitely be strictly watched by his father upon returning; repaying fifty thousand yuan, even five thousand would be a stretch. This favor was better left as is; sometimes a favor is worth more than fifty thousand yuan.

Soon Xiao Rongyue finished writing the favor IOU; he was very satisfied, and Wang Chuan was satisfied too. The two got up and walked toward the gate.

Four people walked toward them.

"Brother!" Xiao Yuchu, still wearing Wang Chuan's white shirt, ran over; it seemed she hadn't returned to Wang Chuan's house to change clothes yet.

Xiao Rongyue's face lit up with excitement. "Little Yu!" Tears burst from his eyes; he was filled with endless regret for his actions. Fortunately, his sister Xiao Yuchu was now lively and well.

When Mom passed away, he had personally promised to take good care of his sister.

Officer Yan, who was behind Xiao Yuchu, pointed at Wang Chuan and said with a smile, "You kid, you've got guts. The neighbors on Shuinan Street said a young police officer saved someone."

Wang Chuan's heart skipped a beat; he had just been exposed for impersonating a hospital Intern, and now impersonating a Police Officer was discovered too.

"Sister Yan, Wang Chuan did it to save a life; it counts as acting bravely for a just cause," explained Officer Du beside her.

It turned out that after the scam gang fled from Shuinan Street, they happened to encounter police from another Police Station.

After questioning, Officer Li and the others learned that Xiao Rongyue had sustained minor injuries, so they called various Hospitals to inquire and learned that Xiao Rongyue was in the Emergency Department of Xinzhou People's Hospital.

Thus, they sent Officer Yan and Officer Du over.

"Let's go, Wang Chuan, Li Wei. Trouble you two to come back to the Police Station together to give a statement."

Wang Chuan checked the time; it was seven-thirty. Rounds should be over. "Officers, can I come later to give a statement? Li Wei was there too; he knows everything clearly. My grandmother is in the Inpatient Department; I need to go see her."

After receiving the officers' approval, Wang Chuan hurried toward the Orthopedics Department in the Inpatient Department.

Wang Chuan walked to room 905 in the Orthopedics Department and saw Aunt Luo Xiaomei feeding porridge to his grandmother.

"Grandma!" The cry echoed through the ward.

Wang Chuan's grandmother didn't hear it with her ears, but her peripheral vision instinctively swept over. "L-Little... Chuan?"

"Your Nephew said you came yesterday; I didn't believe it," Wang Chuan's grandmother pointed at Xu Yuntao.

"Little Chuan, why did you run back? Weren't you going to start your internship?"

Aunt Luo Xiaomei asked.

"Ah, Little Chuan, you ran back from your internship? Go back quickly; Grandma is fine, my body is very strong."

In his past life, he hadn't had time to see his grandmother one last time. His Nephew said the last words his grandmother murmured were, "Can the King of Hell be kind and let me live a few more days? I want to see our family's Little Chuan again."

When Wang Chuan rushed back, at the crematorium in the suburbs, he saw his grandmother turn into a wisp of green smoke, scattering into the blue sky.

Now, Wang Chuan's tears fell like a breached dam, pattering down from his eyes.

Wang Chuan took his grandmother's left hand, looking at her head full of silver hair and her face marked by the passage of years. He had prepared so many things to say, but they were instantly replaced by choked sobs.

"Chuan-zi, why are you crying so sadly? Did someone bully you at School?" Seeing Wang Chuan's loss of emotional control, his grandmother was very surprised; she had only suffered a fracture.

Aunt Luo Xiaomei and Xu Yuntao nearby felt the same; it was as if the old lady had passed away today.

"Chuan-zi, stop crying! If you keep crying, Grandma will cry too."

His grandmother slightly raised her left hand and wiped the tears from Wang Chuan's face.

"No, Grandma. I'm crying because I'm happy to see you."

Wang Chuan was raised by his grandmother from childhood until he graduated from elementary School.

When he went to Xinzhou to attend middle School, his grandmother didn't go with him, saying the countryside was better.

It wasn't until his Nephew Xie Ping'an got married and moved to Xinzhou that his grandmother came to Xinzhou and lived with Wang Chuan's family of three.

After chatting for nearly half an hour, his grandmother learned that there was a one-week holiday before the internship. Checking the date, she said, "Little Chuan, hurry back to School and rest well. I heard interning at the Hospital is quite tiring."

"Grandma, I'll stay a few more days. I bought a train ticket for the thirty-first."

Wang Chuan stood up and said to Luo Xiaomei again, "Auntie, you've worked hard these past few days. I'll watch over Grandma for the next few days."

"However, I have to go to the Police Station in a moment to give a statement. So I'll trouble you again, Auntie."

"The Police Station? Little Chuan, what happened to you?" Luo Xiaomei was very surprised.

Xu Yuntao and his grandmother were equally surprised.

"Nothing. I'm a witness to a case. I'll be back soon."

Wang Chuan only said that he had eaten breakfast on Shuinan Street that morning and helped a victim; he didn't mention the details.

"I'll go early and return early."

Grandma said, "Yuntao, keep Xiao Chuan company and go with him; he is still a child. You can head straight back later; as Deputy Director, you have a pile of things to attend to."

Thus, Wang Chuan and Xu Yuntao left the Hospital and took a taxi to Sanjialing Police Station.

In the car, Wang Chuan told Xu Yuntao the general situation of the fraud case. "Grandma was present, so I didn't dare to speak too in detail, for fear of worrying her."

"Xiao Chuan, you have truly grown up! However, you must also be careful; you graduate in one year, and your studies come first."

After hearing this, Xu Yuntao said with concern.