"This is a script sent from Hollywood." Yang Wei placed a neatly organized booklet on my desk. "It's the script for Jenny and Lei Xiaohu's new film. Would you like to take a look? It was written by two top-notch Hollywood professionals, and it's been revised by experts. I've read it, and from a commercial film perspective, it should be quite good."
As Yang Wei spoke, she glanced at me and noticed that my expression seemed a little unnatural: "Are you troubled by something?"
“No.” I shook my head. “It’s just a bit of a pity… um. That buck-toothed Zhou guy, he wants to retire.”
Yang Wei showed no surprise and nodded: "Yes, judging from the timing, it's about what I guessed."
"You guessed it all along?" I was somewhat surprised.
“Chen Yang, you know that Bucktooth Zhou is a very complex person,” Yang Wei said slowly. “He’s a veteran of the Big Circle, and his identity is not just that of a lawyer in the Canadian Big Circle… I even suspect that he might be a pawn, a liaison, or something similar, planted in Canada by the Asian Big Circle. That’s why you see, he has survived several changes of leadership in the Canadian Big Circle unscathed, and his position has remained unchanged. He has many connections with the Asian Big Circle, and he seems to be familiar with many things in the Asian Big Circle. All of this speaks volumes. However, in retrospect, he seems to have sided with you. But after all, he is a veteran of the Big Circle, and now that you are going all out against the Big Circle, given his veteran mentality, even if he doesn’t become your enemy, emotionally, he can no longer help you destroy the Big Circle with your own hands. So… his withdrawal now is inevitable.”
I nodded: "I understand what you're saying."
Then I waved my hand and forced a smile: "Alright! If it's going to rain, it's going to rain. If a mother wants to remarry, she wants to remarry. Let's not talk about these unhappy things. Let me see this script... Uh, those guys in Hollywood won't make Jenny do nude scenes, will they?"
Yang smiled slightly, her eyes strange: "Everyone treats her like your woman now, who would dare to treat her like that? Besides... have you forgotten? She's acting opposite Lei Xiaohu! With Lei Xiaohu's current status, even if Jenny were willing to film a bed scene, Lei Xiaohu wouldn't agree!"
I smiled but didn't say anything. I knew Yang Wei was joking, and she also knew very well that there was really nothing between Jenny and me.
I'm not a good person, and I'd even be considered a womanizer. But the reason I've never been interested in Jenny and have handled my feelings for her coldly... isn't because I look down on her past, but because I don't love her.
It's that simple.
However, because of this, I also felt a little guilty towards Jenny, so I paid extra attention to her development.
Right in front of Yang Wei, I quickly flipped through the script in my hand. The script was written in both Chinese and English, making it easy to read. However, after flipping through a few pages, the expression on my face became somewhat strange...
This is a mid-budget commercial action film. The total investment was around forty million US dollars. This isn't considered a big-budget production in Hollywood; at best, it's below average. And the synopsis of the story makes me blush a little.
The story tells of a North American assassin in an Asian country who, while on a mission to assassinate an important figure, is severely wounded after killing his target and is hunted by the local gangsters and police. On the run, he encounters a beautiful and alluring female singer working at a local entertainment venue. The assassin, through a combination of coercion and enticement, stays at the singer's home to evade capture. He hides there for several days, during which time the two gradually develop feelings for each other. The assassin also uses his exceptional skills to help the woman solve some problems, such as dealing with debt collectors… Later in the story, the gangsters and police finally find them. The assassin and the woman flee together. After a fierce battle, they kill the gang leader, evade police pursuit, and then escape together…
The plot is simple, and judging from the script, each scene is tightly arranged. It's a typical commercial action film.
However, what struck me as slightly odd was that this plot was almost a carbon copy of how I met and got to know Jenny in Vietnam!
“Jenny also participated in the scriptwriting. According to what I’ve heard… the company originally planned to tailor a script specifically for Jenny, so they hired two screenwriters. One of them was immediately smitten with Jenny and began pursuing our actress that very day. However, after taking Jenny out to dinner one day, this screenwriter went home looking dejected. A week later, he wrote the first draft of this script. I think many of the stories here were probably dictated to him by Jenny… The script you see here is an adaptation of that.” Yang smiled strangely.
Despite feeling conflicted and touched, I didn't say much: "Okay, let's settle on that then. Besides me, you're the one most familiar with things at the film company. I can't focus my energy on the film company right now, so... Weiwei, please keep an eye on this for me."
Yang Wei didn't say anything, just nodded. She thought for a moment, "There's one more thing... um. Jenny wants to bring her younger sister YOYO to the United States and wants the company to help her sister with her studies abroad."
"What, is she worried that we can't take good care of her sister?" I laughed.
“It’s not that I don’t trust us, it’s that I don’t trust the education system in China.” Yang Wei shook her head: “On this point, I’m actually quite worried too. I’ve seen the information about your female apprentice, the girl named Xiao Xiao Wu, and I don’t recommend that you bring her back to China… To be very objective, the education system in China is rubbish.”
Then Yang Wei said calmly, "The correct education: exams are for testing the results of education. But in China... humph. All education aims at passing exams! It's putting the cart before the horse. This system makes the quality of education in China lag far behind that of the West, so..."
"Let's do it this way. Let the little girl and YOYO find a school in America together." I waved my hand, thought for a moment, and then suddenly laughed, "The little girl I adopted is quite the little genius... I think she's a lot like you. Why don't you take her on as your apprentice?"
Yang smiled slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, but brought up another topic: "Regarding YOYO's study abroad, you... should probably discuss it with Dr. Mu."
"wood?"
Yang Wei sighed: "You've been too careless. Didn't you notice, Dr. Mu, that his concern for YOYO has gone beyond the norm? From what I've observed, he seems to take great care of YOYO, almost like a father to her! So, if you decide to send YOYO to study in the United States, you'd better talk to Dr. Mu."
I found Mu Tou and his team in the squash court at the clubhouse.
Qiaoqiao is playing squash with Aze. Without even asking, just by looking at Qiaoqiao's smug and arrogant expression and Aze's gloomy look, you can tell who won and who lost.
Wood sat outside the squash court, wiping away sweat.
I walked over to him and patted him on the shoulder: "Wooden head."
Wood turned around and smiled at me: "What's up?"
Seeing my startled expression, Mu Tou said calmly, "You must have something to say if you contacted us during the day. Speak."
Actually, Mu Tou had already resigned from his small clinic in Nanjing because he had agreed to become a doctor at the charity clinic I opened. That charity clinic, which houses a nursing home and an orphanage, naturally needs a doctor, and Mu Tou was invited by me to help out.
Xiao Xuan is currently in charge of the charity, while Xiao Caimi (a penny-pincher) handles the finances (she's quite a suitable candidate given her shrewdness). She also occasionally takes on nursing duties. As for medical resources, we naturally need some professional medical staff. Not only did I invite Mu Tou, but he also agreed to bring several of his classmates who graduated from medical school—a few young doctors who don't like currying favor with superiors and aren't doing well in hospitals. Apparently, one of them was even assigned to manage the pharmacy.
I sat down and sighed, "Why did you stop playing?"
Wood shook his head, then hesitated slightly: "We don't have enough people."
These three simple words immediately made me feel guilty.
We don't have enough people!
Actually, when we were together before, we often played ball, but four people is a very delicate number. Whether it's playing cards, chess, or ball, four people is just right!
But ever since I became the busy "Little Fifth Brother," the four wolves are now down to three. Three people is an awkward number... playing mahjong, one less; playing chess, one more. As for playing billiards or squash... it's the same; if two people play, the last one can only sit alone on the sidelines, watching helplessly.
As for the newly recruited Amei, she filled a vacancy among the Four Wolves… Actually, it was just that Mutou and the others helped me out! They sensed Amei's feelings for me, but also realized I wasn't interested. To avoid awkwardness, they simply included Amei in the category of "friends," using friendship to extinguish the budding romance. In reality, Amei has been busy with the charity work lately and has rarely appeared. It's just that Mutou is a doctor, and with the charity's preparatory work, there's no need for a doctor to be running around, which is why he's so free.
Regardless, I've been neglecting my good friend lately, and hearing what Mu Tou said still makes me feel a little guilty.
Seeing that I didn't speak, Mu Tou chuckled: "Speak, Xiao Wu, what's the matter?"
“I’m planning to… send YOYO to study in the US. This is also Jenny’s idea. She’s going to develop her career in the US now, so she hopes to take YOYO with her.” I said, while carefully watching Mu Tou’s expression.
Mu Tou was silent for a while, his face not changing much, but then he nodded and thought for a moment: "Well... Chen Yang, can you make some arrangements for me? I also want to go to America."
"……What?!"
“Yes,” Mu Tou said calmly. “I’ve asked a few of my classmates for doctors at the charity clinic, that should be enough. As for me… I want to take care of YOYO.” He paused, then slowly added, “If possible, or if Jenny doesn’t object, I’d even like to be YOYO’s adoptive father.”
I was genuinely surprised: "Wooden head...you, you wouldn't be"
Wood smiled, his smile as calm as ever: "I'm not a pedophile, nor do I have any feelings for Jenny... I just want to take care of YOYO."
But I still find it hard to believe... Why is he so concerned about YOYO?
"Want to hear a story? Chen Yang? My story." Mu Tou sighed, then reached into my pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it himself... I remember, Mu Tou doesn't smoke anymore!
Part Three: The Pinnacle, Chapter 128: Doctor Mu
This is the first time I've heard the story of the wooden man. He used to be a man who didn't like to talk much, and he especially didn't like to talk about himself.
Actually, it seems that the four of us, the "Four Wolves," are quite a strange group. Each of us seems to have our own unique experiences, and these experiences have brought these four oddballs together. However, although we have a very close relationship, we rarely ask each other about our pasts… We're not gossips. And we all know that if you respect your friend, you respect their secrets!
Sometimes I wonder if my wooden personality was developed from a young age.
"I graduated from XX Medical University." Mu Tou's soft words interrupted my reverie: "From a young age, I've always hoped to become a highly skilled doctor. You might not believe it, but when I was little, many people my age had idols. Some liked Chow Yun-fat, some liked Michael Jackson. Oh, guess who my idol was back then?"
"who?"
Norman Bethune.
This answer was so outrageous! I had already taken a cigarette out of the pack, but upon hearing this, my hand trembled, and the cigarette fell to the ground. I stared wide-eyed at Wood: "What?!"
"It's true." The wooden figure's expression remained unchanged.
The wood continued its story:
He then studied diligently and was admitted to medical school a few years later. However, his intense studying during high school made him a bookworm in the eyes of his peers, a quiet and eccentric person. But these blockheads didn't care.
After entering medical school, his talent and intelligence quickly made him stand out and become an outstanding student. In his first year, he attracted the attention of many professors with his excellent grades in all subjects.
“At the time, I firmly believed that I would become the best young surgeon.” Mu Tou said calmly, “And it seems that I was born to do this job. The first time I took a cadaver dissection class, all thirty-odd of my classmates vomited bile, but I remained calm and even helped the professor clean the operating table. At that time, I couldn’t help but think that I was very cold-blooded.”
“Uh…” I remembered the scene back in Canada when Wood used human dissection to intimidate two prisoners and force them to confess, and I smiled: “You are indeed quite cold-blooded.”
Mu Tou smiled and said, "Later, the second academic year passed. Because of my excellent grades, several professors appreciated me. Three professors even told me directly that I could take their graduate entrance exam. All my classmates regarded me as a genius... although at the same time they also saw me as a monster."
"Before, I considered doctors to be the noblest profession in the world... Doctors eliminate diseases, relieve people's pain, save patients from illness, and restore their health... This was the noblest profession in my mind, but..." Mu Tou sighed and said softly, "I was wrong. After the second year, because of my excellent grades, I was recommended by several professors to do my internship at a large hospital in the city a year early, along with several graduating students. The professors valued me because of my excellent grades, and they wanted me to experience the real atmosphere of a hospital two years early. They believed this would be beneficial to my growth. As a result... I did grow, and I realized how naive and ridiculous I had been before."
Wood looked into my eyes, a hint of sadness in them, and slowly said, "Being a doctor is indeed a noble profession... but in China, it's one of the most despicable and hypocritical professions!"
“During my internship, I was assigned to the outpatient department of that hospital. Two other classmates and I sat with that doctor, seeing patients. As a result… I really learned a lot…” Mu Tou said, looking at me with a smile, “Chen Yang, what do you think is the most ‘snobbish’ profession in the world?”
"You mean...the doctor?" I couldn't help but ask.
"Yes, he's a doctor." Mu Tou said calmly, "He is a doctor. You may not know, but I can tell you that at least in China, many doctors in large hospitals have a special skill... that is, when a patient comes for treatment, they can tell at a glance whether the patient is rich or poor, and whether their income level is high or low, just from the patient's clothes, appearance, and behavior! And... this is very important."
"On the first day we followed that doctor to his clinic, we students were just helping out, handing over medical supplies, or copying medical records or prescriptions. But what struck me was that the doctor… after examining each patient, he would seem to intentionally or unintentionally ask, 'What do you do for a living?' It seemed like just a casual remark, but he asked this question to almost every patient. I was quite surprised at the time. Later I realized: only by knowing a patient's occupation can one more easily determine whether the patient is wealthy or not, whether their economic situation is good or bad. And then…"
Wood shook his head: "Then, for patients with good professions and high incomes, they'll prescribe more expensive medications. For patients with bad professions and low incomes, they'll prescribe cheaper medications. Of course... don't think this is because the doctor is kind and considerate. Rather... regardless of income level, the medications he prescribes will always be within your financial means. I clearly remember my first day of internship. I asked a very stupid question. Because two patients with the same viral cold, in my opinion, had no difference in their pathology. But for the first patient, the doctor prescribed over 700 yuan worth of medication, while for the second patient, the doctor made him spend over 400 yuan." Wood took a deep drag on his cigarette: "Chen Yang, you know, in my opinion, for that kind of cold, spending a hundred or so yuan is already a lot. It's just... hmph, hospitals need profits, doctors need kickbacks... naturally, the more medications they prescribe, the better."
"The next day... I arrived earliest and saw a woman with common bronchitis. She was well-dressed and seemed quite wealthy. Without saying a word, the doctor had her get an X-ray, which cost over a hundred yuan, and then a CT scan, which cost over three hundred yuan... You might not know this, but every prescription has the doctor's stamp on it, recording which doctor ordered it, and then... of course, the money is split according to profit. In the end, that seemingly wealthy woman spent over a thousand yuan to cure her bronchitis... In fact, in my opinion, she only needed to take some medication and keep warm. It was a very simple ailment."
"The third day, the fourth day... every day after that, my previous beliefs, my convictions, even... my faith were overturned! Doctors in those big hospitals, even a chief physician, all have houses and cars at home, but with their salaries, they still wouldn't be able to afford those things even in thirty years! Why is that? Doctors... are one of the highest-paid professions right now. After a month of internship, I returned to school, and from then on, I became taciturn."
"In my fourth year of university, I went to the hospital for my internship again. This time, I wasn't assigned to the outpatient department; instead, I followed the surgeons as an assistant… and then…" Wood said calmly, "You probably know that nowadays, patients secretly give their attending physicians red envelopes before surgery; it's practically an open secret. But there are many reasons for these red envelopes. For example, you have to give one after admission, before surgery! Even on the day you're about to go into surgery… you still have to rush to the doctor's office before they prepare and give them another one! This is called 'three gates.' If…" "If any patient doesn't pass the three checkpoints properly, then..." Wood chuckled twice, "I've seen too many. Almost every hospitalized patient is a doctor's personal cash cow. Those who don't need oxygen, give them oxygen! Oxygen won't harm anyone, and it's a huge sum of money. As for what medications you take or what injections you get during your hospitalization, that's all decided by the attending physician... Patients don't understand, family members don't understand, and even if they did, what could they do? Give up treatment? Transfer to another hospital? Most hospitals are like this. Even if you go to another hospital, it's still the same. Will you complain? Will complaining do any good?"
Wood suddenly became agitated, clenching his fists: "Do you know? This is the career I've been striving for all these years, the career I've always wanted to have!"
"Later, during my internship at the hospital, I met a patient... a little girl." Wood sighed. "Thirteen years old, just starting middle school, probably... about YoYo's age. The girl looked very clean and pretty. She was unfortunate; she'd been in a car accident, her spleen ruptured, causing internal bleeding. After surgery, she was under observation and treatment in the hospital. Her family seemed to be poor; she had no father, only a mother. Doctors don't pay much attention to patients with little money; they just make routine rounds every day and don't focus much energy on them. Because they know her family doesn't have much money, they can't afford large sums of money, and they can't afford expensive medicine. My..." When I was assigned to make my night rounds, I saw the girl lying alone. I asked her how she was feeling, and she was very respectful to me, saying, "Thank you, doctor, thank you for curing me." She was very weak, but optimistic. She only told me that she had some stomach pain, which I assumed was normal after surgery. I checked her over but didn't find anything wrong. I told her attending physician, who also said it was nothing. For the next few days, I would stay and talk to her during my rounds… This girl was very innocent; she had great respect for the white coat I was wearing. Yes… I could see it was a very simple respect. She felt grateful that the doctor had cured her.
"And then?" I sighed.
"Later..." Mu Tou said softly, "I couldn't help her much. I was just an intern, not even a fully qualified doctor. I could only try my best to take care of her. I would even spend some time with her after get off work. I bought her some food. Kids like to read comics..." Mu Tou smiled, "Now you know why I like reading comics so much, right? She gave me this habit. She said she liked reading comics, but a comic book was expensive, and she couldn't afford it. Usually, her classmates would lend it to her. So one day when I was browsing in a bookstore, I impulsively bought a lot, and then I would bring her one every day."
"And then...what happened next?" I had a bad feeling about this, but that was all I could ask.
"Then..." Wood closed his eyes and thought for a moment, "Oh... I met her mother twice. A pretty woman, dressed simply, in her thirties, but somewhat haggard. This woman didn't know I was just an intern. Seeing me in my white coat, she grabbed my hand and begged me to take good care of her daughter. I really couldn't say a word at the time... until..."
At this point, Mu Tou stubbed out his cigarette sharply, then lit another one, taking several deep drags and almost smoking half of it in one go. He didn't continue, but instead asked me, "Um, you know XX Square in our city, right?"
"...I know." My heart sank!
Of course I know the square that Mu Tou mentioned, and... it's quite famous, and famous in a special way.
On the edge of that square, there are often some "streetwalkers" at night. These are the lowest-class prostitutes, mostly old and faded women. No regular nightclubs are willing to hire such old and faded women, so they can only make a living on the streets.
Wood shook his head and said in a low voice, "One night, I got off work late and passed by that square. I saw that little girl's mother. She was talking to a man on the roadside, acting suspiciously, and then they left." He looked up at me and asked, "Do you understand now?"
"I understand." I felt a bitter taste in my mouth.
"Yeah, I didn't sleep well that night." Wood sighed. "I don't know what I was thinking. I can't even remember what I was thinking, but when I went to the hospital the next day..."
"Something happened to that girl?" I sighed. I had guessed.
"Yes, something happened to her. She said her stomach hurt. I told the attending physician, but he didn't care. As a result, problems arose, the girl developed complications, and the tests showed she needed to have surgery again... Do you know why? During the second surgery, they found a small piece of gauze in the girl's stomach! It was something that damned quack doctor accidentally left in her stomach during the last surgery! That bastard!"
"And then...what happened next?"
"She died later." This time, Mu Tou didn't elaborate. Instead, he stood up, threw away his cigarette butt, and simply said vaguely, "Medical malpractice. The girl's mother caused a scene at the hospital, but to no avail."
He stubbed out his cigarette and told me, “Later, after I graduated, I didn’t choose to stay and pursue a master’s degree. I declined several professors’ kind invitations and became a doctor in a hospital, but I was already disheartened. I was completely disillusioned with this profession. Some of my classmates quickly succumbed to corruption and became incredibly wealthy, while others remained upright but were either relegated or neglected. The worst one was assigned to work at a community health station… Damn it, a top neurosurgeon was put to do those boring jobs like preventing infectious diseases and checking hygiene at a community health station! As for me, I spent two years in the hospital, all alone, and finally…” Wood continued, “Then one day, I met that little girl’s attending physician. That guy had actually become an associate chief physician. I don’t know why, but I couldn’t help but beat him up that day, knocking out a few of his front teeth. As a result… I was kicked out of the hospital and ended up working at a small community clinic, examining retired elderly people… Heh.”
I was speechless... I didn't know what I could say, or what I should say.
“I really like YoYo,” Mu Tou said softly. “After I brought her back to China, when I was treating her leg, I asked a few of my old classmates for help. YoYo knew I was a doctor, and she said to me, ‘Thank you, doctor, thank you.’ Just those words made me…” Mu Tou suddenly shook his head, then turned his face away and whispered, “Chen Yang, do me a favor and arrange for me to go to America. I want to go and take care of YoYo. I can study in America, and maybe I can even get my medical license. After YoYo finishes her studies, I’ll come back and help you with your charity clinic.”