Chapter Forty-One: Confrontation at the Hospital

In the few seconds that Zhao Fan was speaking with Fan Hong, Yang Qingqing rushed up to him, followed closely by a group of Yang family members, all glaring at him like hungry wolves.

Father Yang demanded angrily, “Who is that man behind you?”

Zhao Fan chuckled lightly. “Isn't it obvious? He's the new bone marrow donor. What's the matter, is there a problem?”

Father Yang’s eyes widened. “Of course there’s a problem! Didn’t we already agree that Qingqing would do it?”

His booming voice quickly drew the attention of passersby. More and more people began to gather, forming a crowd.

Feeling emboldened, Father Yang raised his voice even more, recounting the story of Zhao Yun’er’s illness and need for a bone marrow transplant. Throughout, he painted Zhao Fan as a faithless, ungrateful villain.

As the crowd’s murmurs of criticism grew louder, Zhao Fan scoffed, “Before you criticize me, have you ever considered who you are to the child?”

He swept his gaze around, mocking, “A bunch of brainless fools. He’s the child’s grandfather, she’s the child’s biological mother, my elder brother married into their family. When the child was diagnosed with leukemia, they refused any treatment. My brother, unwilling to give up, brought the child back home…”

As he spoke, Zhao Fan moved closer to the crowd. Wherever he walked, people immediately stepped aside, leaving a clear space.

“This so-called biological mother demanded five million before she’d agree to donate her bone marrow—not to mention later nursing costs. And you accuse me of being ungrateful? Fine, who’s going to pay this sum? You? Or you?”

The onlookers shrank back, not daring to meet Zhao Fan’s gaze, their eyes now filled with contempt as they looked at the Yang family.

The biological mother, they thought, while the uncle was willing to pay for treatment, she demanded a fortune to give her own child a bit of bone marrow, caring nothing for her daughter’s life—what kind of mother is that?

“Shameless—daring to ask for five million! Disgraceful!”

“Trash, sickening!”

“Ha, a nest of snakes and rats. Quick, remember their faces. If they’re here making trouble, they must live nearby. Better not end up in-laws with them someday.”

“Yes, yes, remember them, never let them become in-laws.”

“……”

The crowd’s anger was now directed squarely at the Yang family. Zhao Fan calmly stepped back a few paces, letting public opinion take its course—now, it was up to the Yang family to deal with it.

Judging by their selfishness and greed, he thought, things were likely to turn out just as he hoped.

“What are you people saying? That’s my daughter, how could I not care? I was just upset, I spoke without thinking…”

“Bah, you know exactly whether you meant it or not.”

“Exactly, you know.”

The outraged crowd surrounded the Yang family. Most of those at the hospital entrance were relatives of patients, big or small illnesses alike, each weighed down by their own worries.

Money was everyone’s headache.

Someone was willing to pay for treatment, yet the mother demanded extra, asking for five million at that—how could anyone swallow that?

With the accusations growing louder, Yang Qingqing couldn’t take it and hid behind her parents.

The Yang family, mindful of the earlier warning to remember their faces, hesitated. For a while, not a single one of them spoke.

“Feeling guilty, aren’t you? That’s definitely guilt.”

“Yes, that’s guilt.”

“Bah, get out!”

“Get out!”

At last, the hospital security arrived, separating the two sides.

“What’s going on here? This isn’t a place for causing trouble. Disperse, now, hurry up.”

As the crowd began to break up, Yang Qingqing grew anxious. She couldn’t bear to be seen as someone who didn’t care about her daughter’s life.

“Zhao Fan, you say I’m greedy, but you found a stranger—are they really better than me?”

Those who hadn’t left turned back, thinking how shameless this woman was, still refusing to give up.

Zhao Fan smiled. “In fact, he is better. He’s donating for free, no charge.”

“Wow—”

An uproar swept the crowd. Their fiery gazes now turned on Yang Qingqing—how could a mother be worse than a stranger?

Yang Qingqing shrieked, “Impossible!”

“For you, it certainly is. But others aren’t like you.”

As he spoke, Zhao Fan leaned close to Yang Qingqing’s ear and whispered, so only the two could hear, “So, I gave the five million to him.”

Yang Qingqing’s pupils contracted sharply. “Zhao Fan!”

Her shrill voice cut through the noise, silencing everything.

“You—you can’t…”

Zhao Fan stepped back. “Are you planning to attack me?”

The word “attack” seemed to remind Yang Qingqing of something. Her gaze sharpened, and the next moment, she lunged at Zhao Fan, fingers clawed.

But she didn’t succeed.

Her fingers were just a knuckle’s width from Zhao Fan’s face when Father Yang grabbed her.

“Qingqing, let’s go.”

Father Yang, older and more perceptive, saw the situation more clearly than his daughter.

“Dad, I don’t want to leave, I…”

“No more tantrums. We’re leaving.”

In the midst of the crowd’s scorn, the Yang family left, each hanging their head and covering their face in utter embarrassment.

Watching them leave, Zhao Fan caught hold of Fan Hong. His plan needed to change.

Originally, he’d intended to use Fan Hong to provoke Yang Qingqing, pushing her to accept a few thousand for the operation. He hadn’t expected to go too far, causing Yang Qingqing to bring her family to confront him at the hospital entrance, even setting the stage for his scheme.

By midday at most, the Yang family’s story would spread throughout the hospital—but that wasn’t enough.

“Fan Hong, go find Chen Jianyu and bring everyone here. Here’s five hundred, more than enough to cover their expenses.”

Fan Hong was still dazed, but quickly recovered, turning to sprint away.

Two hours later, Zhao Fan and Chen Jianyu, along with their group, squatted by the roadside, behind a stone inscribed with “Sunshine Garden,” beside the entrance to the neighborhood.

Glancing at the gate, Chen Jianyu curled his lip. “Hey, you’re really just having me bring all these people to squat here with you?”

“Do I look like I’m joking with money?”

Zhao Fan shot him a look and beckoned him closer.

“In a moment…”

He spoke in a low voice, and Chen Jianyu’s eyes lit up, though he still wondered, “Why are you targeting this family?”

“To save a life. Ask Fan Hong for details—he knows. Just remember what I said: make sure everyone nearby hears. Once it’s done, I’ll give you thirty thousand.”

Chen Jianyu grinned. “No problem.”

Yang family home.

Father Yang paced the living room with his hands behind his back. Mother Yang sat beside Yang Qingqing, silent.

After a while, Yang Qingqing couldn’t hold back. “Dad, why did you make us leave earlier? All those relatives watching, it was so humiliating.”

“Staying would have been even worse. What did Zhao Fan say to you?”

“He said he gave the five million to that man behind him. Bah, always siding against us.”

Father Yang shook his head. “Impossible. He’s lying.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“He wouldn’t give you five million, so why would he give it to a stranger?”

“Then why did he…”

Suddenly, there was a loud banging at the door. The three exchanged glances, and Father Yang went to open it.