Chapter Thirteen: Malignant Tumor

Yang Luo sat across from the doctor, numb, clutching the thin diagnosis report, turning the single sheet over and over in his hands. The words on it weren’t the kind of illegible scrawl one might expect, but the neat, cold print of a formal document. Yet, why did the letters seem to blur before his eyes, making him dizzy and unable to focus?

“...Ultrasound shows multiple hyperechoic masses, nodular, with a broad base protruding into the cardiac chamber... Diagnosed as primary cardiac sarcoma... malignant...”

“What... is this?” Yang Luo stared in disbelief at the words before him, each character striking his retina with such force that his thoughts were left utterly frozen.

“Cardiac sarcoma... a malignant tumor... Doctor, this can’t be true, can it?” Yang Luo slowly looked up at the doctor, a silent plea in his eyes.

“The CT scan results are as you see. Of course, our hospital’s diagnosis may not be absolutely accurate—mistakes can happen. You should have more tests done, either here or at other hospitals, to avoid a misdiagnosis.” The masked doctor rested his folded hands on the desk, speaking in a comforting tone. Clearly, patients like Yang Luo were not new to him.

Nodding blankly, Yang Luo picked up the diagnosis and left the hospital lobby. Perhaps it was psychological, or perhaps the hospital’s official stamp had made his condition all too real, but another sharp pain suddenly stabbed through his chest.

He let out a low hiss, trying to calm himself. “No, this can’t be. It’s impossible. How could I be so unlucky? I’m only thirty-one. I just bought a home, my salary goes up every year... The chances are so slim—surely this is a mistake... A misdiagnosis, it must be a misdiagnosis... I’ll get checked at a few more hospitals.” As he repeated these words to himself, his spirits gradually lifted. The heavy reality still loomed above him like a guillotine, but at least there was a sliver of hope.

Yang Luo took out his phone and dialed the team leader. “Hello, Team Leader...”

“Oh, Luo, didn’t you have your check-up today? How did it go?” The team leader sounded casual.

“Well, I still have about ten days of annual leave, right? I’d like to take a few more days off. Could you put in a word for me?”

“A few more days? How many exactly?” The team leader’s tone suddenly grew hesitant. “We’re at a critical stage of the project version update... Taking time off now... Luo, did something come up in your check-up?”

“I... The results look serious, but there’s a chance it’s a misdiagnosis. That’s why I want to take more time off, to visit more hospitals for further checks.”

“I see,” the team leader comforted him. “Alright, Luo, go ahead and get checked. Don’t worry, it’s just a few days—we’ll manage. If it turns out to be something major, you must let us know. The company won’t abandon you if you’re seriously ill.”

Yang Luo thanked him repeatedly, ending the call and setting down his phone. Though shadows lingered in his heart, the team leader’s reassurance wrapped him in a faint warmth.

“It’s a good company, after all... If it turns out to be a misdiagnosis, I’ll work even harder and put in more overtime in the future.” Sniffling, still holding the diagnosis, Yang Luo began searching for other hospitals, half grieving, half comforted, as he left the hospital lobby behind.

...

Five days later.

Yang Luo stood at the entrance of Qingxia Central Oncology Hospital, looking down at the thick stack of medical reports in his hand, his vision swimming. Though the sun blazed overhead, both his mood and his body felt submerged in icy water.

Over the past five days, he’d visited seven or eight hospitals, undergone CT scans again and again, met doctor after doctor. Yet everywhere, the verdict was the same.

“Cardiac sarcoma.” A primary tumor of the heart. Malignant.

Though the surgery itself would cost only tens of thousands, when factoring in pre- and post-operative care and related expenses, the total would reach hundreds of thousands—money he could only raise through loans. Most crucially, even if he could gather the money, the doctors said the location of his tumor was extremely “delicate”—the odds of a successful operation were less than fifty percent. Even if the surgery succeeded, recovery would be extremely difficult, and his life expectancy likely no more than two or three years.

Unacceptable.

Why?

“I’m only thirty-one. I haven’t even held a girlfriend’s hand... I worked hard all the way from a rural school to a big city, finally settled down... How could this happen to me?” Recalling his life’s long struggles, all the years of hardship and effort just to secure his place at a top firm, how could it all come to this?

“And only recently I bought my parents a house, planning to bring them to Qingxia one day... What will I do now?”

He sat, dazed, on the steps outside the hospital, tears streaming down his face without him even realizing it. He didn’t know how long he sat there, until the sun dipped below the horizon and the sky turned to shadow, before he managed to pull himself together, finding a faint glimmer of hope in the gloom.

“That’s right... I still have the company, don’t I? A company as humane as Shengyi would never abandon me—and I’ve been there for eight years. Yes, that’s it... Maybe they’ll even help me contact clinics abroad for treatment!”

Just thinking of Shengyi lifted his spirits slightly. He quickly called his team leader and explained the situation.

“What... Luo, you have a malignant heart tumor? Not much time left? How could this happen...”

“I didn’t see it coming either...” Yang Luo replied with a bitter smile.

On the other end, the team leader hesitated, as if trying to decide what to say. “Luo, I’ll get in touch with HR and see how we can handle this. Come to the office tomorrow afternoon, and we’ll talk it through.”

“Alright, alright...” Yang Luo agreed quickly.

He wanted to keep talking, even though the team leader was much younger than him—for now, he was the only person in the city he could really talk to.

“I...” Yang Luo began, but before he could finish, the dial tone sounded in his ear—“beep... beep...”

Staring at his phone, Yang Luo was stunned for a moment. “Young people, always in a hurry—hung up so quickly to help me contact the company,” he thought, shaking his head, a self-mocking smile on his face.

“Tomorrow afternoon... I wonder what solution the company will come up with to help me through this crisis. In the end, people need a community to truly live...” With this thought, Yang Luo pressed a hand to his aching chest, shivering, and boarded the bus home, his heart full of hope for the day to come.