Chapter 347: Chapter 347 Helping Director Xiao
He quickly walked over to the area where the mushrooms were picked and took a look, sure enough, there were still a few mushrooms scattered around. Moreover, based on this situation, practically all the mushrooms had been harvested by them.
He took out a mushroom and carefully peeled away the wood debris layer by layer. However, Liu Zheng discovered that inside, he could not see the black substance he had observed before.
In other words, if there had been no human interference, then the mushrooms that grew would still be edible. It just so happened that the mushrooms that time had been tampered with.
He had not intended to kill anyone, but he had introduced a very special toxin here to disrupt the villagers’ affairs, to prevent them from consuming mushrooms. Could it be that he wanted to monopolize the mushrooms for himself?
That seemed unlikely, though. To poison people just for a few mushrooms, creating a state of panic so that no one dared come here? Liu Zheng felt that the perpetrator’s actions were probably a bit too exaggerated.
Naturally, he couldn’t figure out the matter in the heat of the moment. While he struggled to recall, his phone began to ring. He looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Hospital Director Xiao calling him.
There was already a rough conclusion to the matter, and it seemed that Director Xiao also wanted to follow up on the current condition of the two individuals. Liu Zheng blamed himself for the oversight; after rushing back yesterday and arranging emergency treatment, he had not had the chance to update Director Xiao about the situation.
Throughout the days Liu Zheng had interacted with Director Xiao, he could tell he was a down-to-earth and very honest person. Even if he were told, Director Xiao probably wouldn’t spread the word, as doing so wouldn’t be good for anyone involved.
"Hello, Director Xiao, I was just about to call you to update you about the situation here."
"What, have you found out what’s wrong with the two individuals? Okay, we can’t get into the details over the phone. I have an emergency here and I need your assistance. Can you come over? If it’s convenient for you, I can arrange for a car to pick you up."
"Oh, that’s no problem, I’m quite free right now. Moreover, there’s no need for a car; I can come over myself. You wait in your office and we’ll discuss the details once I get there."
Although Director Xiao hadn’t explicitly stated his true intentions for calling him in the phone conversation, the astute Liu Zheng surmised that it had to do with a patient in their hospital, and it was urgent enough to warrant a car to bring him to the hospital, definitely relating to one of their patients.
In a hurry, Liu Zheng reached the hospital and, upon opening the door, saw two people sitting inside: Director Xiao naturally, and another stylishly dressed young woman.
Whether it was her attire, her demeanor, or even her skin and stature, she was truly impeccable.
As Liu Zheng entered, the woman slowly stood up from her seat, but by the way she held herself, she clearly didn’t view Liu Zheng as someone significant.
Liu Zheng couldn’t help but take a second look. Such a mature woman was honestly not something one would see in their village. Yet, he was puzzled about how such a person had appeared in Director Xiao’s office in the hospital.
"Xiao Ling, let me introduce you. This is Doctor Liu, the one I mentioned earlier. Doctor Liu, this is my cousin Xiao Ling."
So, her name was Xiao Ling, but that name didn’t seem to match her current aura. She appeared to be about 30 years old.
But why did she exude the sort of mature feminine quality typically found in older women?
"Oh, Doctor Liu, hello. Sorry to trouble you to make the trip personally. I was thinking, maybe we could bring the patient to you, which would make the diagnosis more convenient for you."
As Liu Zheng had guessed, he was summoned to assist with a patient’s case, and it was highly likely that the patient was either Xiao Ling herself or someone closely related to her.
"Director Xiao, tell me, what exactly is going on?"
"The one who’s ill is my cousin’s child. They came here initially due to a stomachache and diarrhea, so we gave them some antibiotics, suspecting it was just a cold stomach. However, after taking the medication for two days with no improvement, they were brought back to the hospital. They have been on IV fluids for two days, but so far, there seems to be no significant change in their condition."
"Oh, no other changes? Did you do a complete blood count? Does it show any bacterial or viral infections?"
"We’ve already checked, including an ultrasound; there’s nothing in the abdominal cavity, all clean. The complete blood count only shows a slight increase in white blood cells, but nothing serious, nothing that would make a difference. Take a look at these test results."
As he spoke, he laid out the medical reports in front of Liu Zheng, who began carefully examining them one by one. However, Director Xiao could already make a rough judgment: apart from the white blood cells being slightly elevated, all other indicators were quite normal.
"So, the main symptoms right now are diarrhea and stomach issues, is that correct?"
"Yes, that’s the main issue, but when I saw her this morning, she didn’t seem to be in good spirits. She was already not great yesterday, but it seemed worse today. That’s why I’m worried and didn’t have the heart to let the child travel back and forth. So, there was no choice but to request your presence at the hospital."
"Where is the patient now? I need to see them right away."
"Sure, come with me. I have already arranged a private room."
After finishing speaking, he stood up and Liu Zheng followed him and another person to the 5th floor ward.
Upon opening the door, he saw a young girl around fifteen or sixteen years of age lying in the bed, with her eyes gently closed and her face pale, her lips almost devoid of color.
