Chapter 384: Chapter 383: A Timed Hereditary Disease
After lunch, Yan Feifan went to Director Qee Sheng’s office in the Diagnostics Department and began quickly flipping through a stack of assorted medical records that was a good twenty centimeters thick.
A number of the reports were in English.
"The patient is from Jingcheng, and he’ll be turning fifty-five in four months."
Qee Sheng began to explain in a measured tone, "The patient says that three years ago, he was drinking with his brother, who was fifty-five at the time."
"His brother joked that their grandfather and father had both passed away in their sleep at around the same age."
"Perhaps he, too, would pass away peacefully this year."
"Unexpectedly, his brother’s words became a terrible premonition. Less than a month later, he also died in his sleep."
"The patient was terrified and became convinced it was a hereditary family disease."
"Over the past few years, he’s been examined at Jingcheng Union Medical College Hospital, Baining Hospital, and several renowned medical institutions in Japan and the United States."
"But they found nothing."
In the time it took Qee Sheng to say all this, Yan Feifan had already RUSTLED through nearly ten more reports.
He just glanced at each one, looking as if he were merely counting the pages.
Qee Sheng already knew about Yan Feifan’s photographic memory, so he didn’t question or scold him, continuing, "Besides a full-body workup, the main focus was on genetic testing."
"Dying in one’s sleep points to either a problem with the heart or the brain."
"We also ran multiple tests on the patient’s heart and brain."
"But whether we’re looking at his genetics, his heart, or his brain, we haven’t found anything suspicious."
Yan Feifan spoke up, asking, "Mr. Qi, is there a detailed autopsy report for the patient’s brother?"
Qee Sheng shook his head with regret. "No."
"The patient said he was out of town at the time. By the time he got back, his brother’s body had already been cremated."
Yan Feifan couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh. "This is one of the downsides of cremation, I suppose. A single fire and it’s all burned away."
"With a traditional burial, if a hereditary family disease is discovered later, you can still exhume the body for an autopsy and run the necessary tests."
Qee Sheng chuckled. "Everything is a double-edged sword, with pros and cons. Cremation is no different, so there’s no use complaining."
"Now that you’ve seen all the files, have you found anything?"
Yan Feifan tapped his forehead with his index finger. "Mr. Qi, you’re being too hasty."
"I’ve only just read through it once and memorized everything."
"Synthesizing and deeply analyzing all the different reports and data points takes time."
Yan Feifan added, "However, my initial impression of the data is that there’s nothing that particularly stands out or raises any red flags."
"Mr. Qi, do you think it’s possible that his grandfather, father, and brother all dying around the same age and in the same way is just a coincidence?"
Qee Sheng said thoughtfully, "For now, we can’t rule out that possibility."
"However, there are over six thousand known genetic diseases, and the medical community discovers new ones every year."
"It’s possible the patient has a new type of hereditary disease, and that’s something we can’t rule out right now."
Yan Feifan’s voice was tinged with excitement. "If that’s true, then it’s a hereditary disease with a timer. That’s fascinating."
Qee Sheng chuckled, then his voice grew serious. "The patient’s son came to see me privately. He said he’s spent the last few years taking his father to countless famous hospitals at home and abroad for all sorts of tests."
"Every time, it cost a fortune, but they learned nothing."
"He’s now convinced that the deaths of his great-grandfather, grandfather, and uncle were just a coincidence, and that his father is becoming dangerously obsessed."
"He begged me to just make up some complicated-sounding disease, give his father some kind of placebo treatment, and convince him to stop putting himself through all this."
Yan Feifan chimed in, "That’s certainly one way to handle it."
Qee Sheng shot him a glare and huffed, "How could we do that? If the patient actually dies in his sleep next year, we’d become a complete laughingstock."
"As doctors, we have to be scientific and rigorous!"
Yan Feifan gave an awkward laugh.
At that moment, the numerous test reports, imaging files, and analytical data he had just reviewed began to converge in his mind, forming a three-dimensional figure of a man.
The heart and brain of this holographic figure were the most distinct parts.
Inside his own mind, Yan Feifan studied the three-dimensional figure as its heart beat—THUMP, THUMP—and as it sat, lay down, and walked, but for the moment, he couldn’t see anything abnormal about it.
"Mr. Qi, could it be possible that..."
"Possible what?" Qee Sheng pressed.
Yan Feifan mused, "The patient does, in fact, have a rare and fatal hereditary disease with a built-in timer."
"It’s just that this disease is extremely latent and only has a rapid onset at a specific trigger point, say, age fifty-five."
Qee Sheng nodded slightly. "Feifan, that’s a very plausible theory."
"In that case..."
He looked down, pondering for a moment before saying, "I’ll share this theory with the patient. I’ll ask him to return to the hospital in a few months—around the time his father and brother died—for a more detailed examination and twenty-four-hour monitoring."
"Come on, let’s go see the patient and send him home for the time being."
"Over the next few days, I want you to study his case files more closely..."
Yan Feifan followed Director Qee Sheng to a monitored room on the fifth floor and met the patient.
He was a man who looked to be in his sixties, his short hair completely white.
’His aged appearance must be the result of years of constant worry and mental stress.’
Standing beside him was another man, who appeared to be in his late twenties.
As the father and son watched with expectant eyes, Qee Sheng said gravely, "Mr. Wei, the conclusion from our specialists’ consultation is..."
"Your physical condition at present is quite healthy."
Qee Sheng noticed the look of disappointment on both the father’s and the son’s faces and quickly added, "However, we do have a theory."
Before they could ask, Qee Sheng went on, "Mr. Wei, you may have a very latent hereditary disease lying dormant in your system. This type of disease only has a rapid onset at a specific time."
"When it isn’t active, it’s impossible for us to detect."
"My recommendation is that you return to the hospital at that specific time for another examination and to undergo round-the-clock physical monitoring."
Mr. Wei fell silent for a moment before nodding. "Mr. Qi, you’re absolutely right. That would explain why so many hospitals haven’t been able to find anything wrong."
"I’ll return in a few months, then."
"If, in the meantime, I end up like my father and brother..."
Mr. Wei looked at his son and said with grave finality, "Then you will donate my body to this hospital. Let them perform a detailed autopsy and find the cause of this illness."
"This mysterious family disease must end with me."
Hearing this, the son’s eyes grew red, and he cried out, choked with emotion, "Dad..."
Yan Feifan left the Diagnostics Department. On his way back to Qin Ying’s research office, he found himself thinking about Tan Xiao’s phone call.
’As a psychology expert, she must have sensed something was off with Song Yi’s physical and mental state. That’s why she specifically told me over the phone to find a way to help Song Yi relax.’
With that thought, Yan Feifan pulled out his phone and called Song Yi.
"Feifan, what’s up?"
Hearing her direct question, Yan Feifan quickly came up with an excuse. "I’ve been in touch with a few potential investors lately."
"Some of them are getting eager and want to see more detailed materials."
Yan Feifan thought, ’I should probably observe her up close first,’ and then extended an invitation. "Song Yi, are you free tonight? Let’s grab dinner—my treat!"
"Are we meeting with those investors?"
Yan Feifan explained, "No, just the two of us. No outsiders. We’ll just eat and chat."
"Oh, okay. You can decide on the time and place..."
