Chapter 406: The Pieces are in Place

“You’re one to talk.”

“You’re the one who was incredibly lucky to have survived.”

“Do you have any idea? That piece of metal shrapnel in your chest… if it had been the tiniest bit larger, or if the angle or depth had been off by the slightest fraction, you wouldn’t have made it to me. You would have died on the way.”

Jiang Man felt a chill just thinking about it.

“Momo told me a little while ago. This was a really close call.”

Given the circumstances, if he had the choice to do it all over again, Gu Heng probably wouldn’t have the courage to take that gamble a second time.

To put it bluntly, Gu Heng was practically dancing on the razor’s edge of life and death. Whether it was the scenario Jiang Man just mentioned, or if he had been just ten-odd seconds slower at the scene of the accident, the result would have been certain death.

“Sigh…”

“You have no idea what it was like back then.”

“While you were in emergency surgery, the hallway outside your operating room was packed with people. There were no less than five leaders at Tang Jinghui’s level alone. It’s because you needed a very difficult open-heart procedure, and the risks were incredibly high.”

“Qi Guowei, Tang Jinghui, and Qiu Yanfeng were on site, burning up the phone lines. Not only did they have the best cardiac surgery team in the entire province transferred over from Jilin University Seventh Hospital for you, but Qiu Yanfeng also contacted Academician Chen Qiweng, the head of Jilin University’s Bethune Medical Department, to urgently assemble a host of general and cardiac surgeons for a joint remote video consultation.”

“Eventually, there were even police officers guarding the end of the hallway. No unauthorized personnel could get anywhere near.”

The memory of that day was still vivid for Jiang Man.

Forget the ordinary medical staff—even for her, after so many years as a doctor and in a leadership position, it was the first time she had ever witnessed such a scene.

“And the people I just mentioned? That’s just them, as individuals.”

Jiang Man continued slowly, “But you have to realize, people like Qi Guowei and Qiu Yanfeng are all basically between fifty and sixty years old. Given modern life expectancy and medical care, there’s likely still a generation above them—their parents.”

“Think about it. For them to have risen through the ranks so smoothly to the positions they hold today—no matter how capable they are as individuals, it would have been nearly impossible without powerful backing. So, it’s highly likely their parents aren’t ordinary people, either.”

As the two were talking, the sound of footsteps approached from outside the room.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK…

The knock was soft, yet deliberate.

“Come in.”

Jiang Man called toward the door.

With permission granted, the door swung open.

The visitors were none other than Qi Guowei, Tang Jinghui, Qiu Yanfeng, and the others, who had rushed over from work or home the moment they heard Gu Heng had woken up.

Gu Heng looked at the group before him. The only familiar faces were Qiu Yuexin, Yao Qinyu, and the child in Qiu Yuexin’s arms. Everyone else was a complete stranger to him.

However, thanks to Jiang Man’s earlier explanation, Gu Heng could make some educated guesses as he looked at the group.

For instance, the broad-shouldered, middle-aged man with a natural air of authority had to be Vice-Governor Qi Guowei. And the plainly dressed, gentle, and scholarly-looking man was most likely the renowned Academician Qiu Yanfeng.

As Gu Heng was studying Qi Guowei and the others, they were studying him in turn.

Their eyes fell on Gu Heng’s handsome face, still pale and drawn, and then to the white bandages wrapped around his torso. As they took in the sight, the gazes of these great men—figures of immense standing in the province and even the nation—gradually softened.

THUD!

Just as their eyes met, Qi Jiaseng, who had been standing beside Qi Guowei, suddenly took two steps forward and dropped to his knees right in front of Gu Heng.

“Brother Gu!”

“Please, accept my deepest respects!”

Qi Jiaseng looked at Gu Heng, his eyes rimmed with red. Without a moment’s hesitation, he finished speaking and kowtowed, his forehead striking the marble floor with a dull thud.

Neither Qi Guowei nor any of the others standing behind Qi Jiaseng made a move to stop him. They simply watched in silence as he kowtowed to Gu Heng.

“Hey…”

“Brother, don’t do this…”

Seeing this, Gu Heng instinctively tried to get up and stop him, but he forgot about his injuries. The slight movement made him grimace in pain.

“Young man, you’re injured. Don’t you dare move,”

Qi Guowei said gently to Gu Heng, “The five people you saved that day were his mother, his wife, his two children, and his best friend from childhood.”

“For him to kowtow to you is only right and proper.”

“This gesture represents his feelings, and it also represents the feelings of both our families.”

“From this day forward, let’s treat each other as family.”

“In the future, if you need anything at all, you just have to ask. If it’s something our two families can do, we will never refuse. We no longer see you as an outsider. You’re welcome to join us for meals and holidays anytime.”

As Qi Guowei spoke in his warm voice, Qi Jiaseng continued to kowtow solemnly.

Five lives, five kowtows.

By the time he was finished, Qi Jiaseng’s forehead was already bright red.

“This is Qi Province.”

“This is Qi Province’s son, Qi Jiaseng.”

“This is Tang Hall.”

“This is Academician Qiu.”

Jiang Man took the opportunity to briefly introduce everyone to Gu Heng.