Chapter 70 I Want the Moon to Come to Me (4)
On Wednesday, Zhou Qishen flew to Hangzhou to attend a forum summit on the real economy, focusing on the development of China's internet. Afterwards, he met with the vice president of a top domestic e-commerce company, attending two dinners in a row. He drank quite a bit of alcohol, and as soon as he went outside and felt the wind, his head started to ache badly again.
With the hotel lights dimmed, he lay half-reclined on the bed, eyes closed, to rest, his work still unfinished. The three company managers accompanying him reported on their work one by one, and Zhou Qishen listened intently, forcing himself to stay focused, without a moment's relaxation.
Secretary Xu answered a phone call and whispered in his ear, "It's from Xi'an."
Zhou Qishen turned his head, his expression extremely cold, "You want money again?"
Secretary Xu nodded. "Your father said he wants to buy New Year's goods."
When the message reached him, it was always brief and to the point. Zhou Qishen naturally knew how much of a tantrum Zhou Boning had thrown when he caused trouble below. Burdened with official business, Zhou Qishen couldn't spare the time to give him any attention. Frustrated, he pinched his brow and said, "Give him as much as he wants."
After the managers left, Zhou Qishen asked again, "How is Xiao west doing?"
"Everything is fine. The schedule is for professional courses, and we strive for excellence. Xiao west is quite busy, and the teachers are very satisfied with her."
Zhou Qishen's brows relaxed slightly. "Where's Teacher Dai?"
"Like you, I attend various events and have a lot of social engagements during the year-end season."
"Have a word with the troupe and ask them to adjust Xiao Xi's class schedule." Zhou Qishen only said half of his sentence before Secretary Xu understood his meaning. "Understood."
He knew Xiaoxi too well; she valued relationships and was very discerning. If Dai Yunxin asked, she would agree to do anything, no matter how much she disliked it. Zhou Qi, fearing she wouldn't be able to refuse, secretly paved the way for her. She couldn't get leave from the troupe, so how could she attend dinner parties? A perfectly legitimate reason.
"Have the visits to several departments been arranged?" Zhou Qishen, concerned about the work, confirmed it again and again.
Secretary Xu smiled and said, "Don't worry."
Zhou Qishen grunted in response, took a box of painkillers from the drawer, and chewed and swallowed two pills.
The next day, after returning to Beijing, his headache worsened. As soon as the driver picked him up, Secretary Xu said, "Go to the hospital."
Zhou Qishen interrupted, "Let's go to Xiao west's house first."
He brought several jars of fine West Lake Longjing tea from Hangzhou, always remembering Zhao Wenchun's love for tea. Upon arriving at his destination, a headache jolted his nerves, so he stopped the car and sat inside for five minutes before getting out.
Secretary Xu was worried about him, "President Zhou?"
Zhou Qishen waved his hand, picked up the tea leaves, and stood with a resolute back.
He went upstairs and knocked on the door, but there was no response after several tries. Zhou Qishen called out to Uncle Zhao through the door, but still no answer. This shouldn't be the case; he had chatted with Zhao Xiyin last night and mentioned that Zhao Wenchun was on sick leave at home with a severe cold.
He knocked a few more times, then gave up. Zhou Qishen was just about to leave when he heard a loud bang from inside the door!
Zhou Qishen reacted quickly, taking three or five steps back before gathering his strength to kick the door hard. The old house had a rather worn-out door, and Zhou Qishen's powerful kick managed to knock the lock off.
The door slammed against the wall with a loud bang. Zhao Wenchun collapsed between the bedroom and the living room, clutching his abdomen, his face pale, his features contorted in pain, and only a low groan escaped his throat.
Zhou Qishen was shocked, "Uncle Zhao?"
Zhao Wenchun was in so much pain that he lost consciousness.
Zhou Qishen carried Zhao Wenchun downstairs. It was a four-story building with no elevator, and Zhao Wenchun, over 1.7 meters tall, was quite heavy. Once outside, Secretary Xu quickly got out of the car to help, but Zhou Qishen snapped, "Get in the car, to the hospital!"
Fortunately, it wasn't too far, and the driver took a shortcut. When they arrived at the emergency room, Secretary Xu and the driver both got out of the car. "Mr. Zhou, let me take over."
Zhao Wenchun shook his head, the pain subsiding slightly. He didn't want to trouble strangers, or perhaps he felt embarrassed. Zhou Qishen said, "Xu Jin, go find Director Qi and smooth things over." Then he hoisted Zhao Wenchun onto his shoulder.
The movement was rough; Zhao Wenchun was hanging upside down with his head facing the ground. He cried out, "You, you put me down!"
Zhou Qishen strode forward, "You can't even speak properly anymore, take a rest."
Staggering along, Zhao Wenchun saw stars. With so many people watching and laughing, Teacher Zhao was concerned about her image. She felt physically uncomfortable, but even more so emotionally.
Zhou Qishen gasped for breath, "Please don't move."
The old man is disobedient.
Boss Zhou wasn't without temper either; he slapped him on the backside with a "smack," saying, "I told you not to move around!"
Zhao Wenchun was furious. "You, you, you, you hit me!!"
Zhou Qishen spoke with conviction, "If you're not good, who else should we hit if not you?"
"You little rascal!"
"I know you'll definitely complain to Xiaoxi. Go ahead and complain, I'm not afraid. At worst, I'll play the victim. She'll feel sorry for you for a while, and then she'll immediately feel sorry for me."
Zhao Wenchun was furious, "Shameless scoundrel!!"
Upon arriving at the emergency room, Zhao Wenchun was suddenly and safely placed on the hospital bed. Zhou Qishen half-squatted on the ground, steadying his shoulders, his eyes half-smiling, and said in a coaxing tone like he was comforting a child, "Alright, be good."
Zhao Wenchun was in so much pain that cold sweat poured out in waves. When he saw Zhou Qishen covered in sweat, he suddenly felt sorry for him.
Upon examination, the doctor diagnosed a gallstone flare-up and immediately arranged for an IV drip to reduce inflammation. An X-ray revealed the stones had been dislodged, allowing for a minimally invasive lithotripsy procedure. It was a minor surgery, and Zhao Wenchun didn't instruct Zhao Xiyin to be informed. She was taken to the operating room and out in half an hour. In the private room, however, only a strange male nurse remained.
Zhao Wenchun's pain had subsided, and her complexion had improved considerably. She glanced towards the door and asked, "Where's Zhou Qishen?"
The male caregiver said, "He also went to get an IV drip; it seems he has a severe headache. Teacher Zhao, please let me know if you need anything."
Zhao Wenchun remained silent, his face expressionless, deep in thought.
Zhou Qishen's migraine started when he was in Hangzhou. After all that, he was drenched in cold sweat several times. He collapsed after Zhao Wenchun was taken to the operating room.
The head of the neurology department rushed over from the inpatient department, going in and out of the ward twice, but Zhou Qishen didn't let anyone in. Secretary Xu stood guard at the door, worried, and went to ask the head of the department privately. The answer he got was that it was an old problem, nervous tension, and migraines.
It's nothing serious, just make sure you get some rest.