A doctor in protective gear emerged from the emergency room. After surveying the surroundings, he spotted the driver, Xiao Li, and hurried over.
Seeing the doctor, Xiao Li rushed forward and asked, "Doctor, how is our town mayor?"
The doctor shook his head and replied, "The mayor is not doing well. We've just examined her and found some abnormalities in her vital signs. Especially her gastrointestinal system, we preliminarily suspect acute gastric perforation!"
"What? How could it be gastric perforation? Our mayor never complained of stomach pain!" Xiao Li exclaimed in disbelief. He knew the mayor well. He was usually the one picking up her food deliveries, so he was very familiar with what she ate.
"It's not that the mayor has a history of stomach problems, but that we suspect acute gastric perforation. We hope you understand," the doctor explained, sweating profusely. This patient was different; she was the town mayor. If anything happened to her at their hospital, they would be held responsible.
"How is she?" Suddenly, a commotion was heard, and a commanding voice descended from upstairs. Looking up, Xiao Li saw an elderly doctor in a white coat coming down.
"Dean, you're here!" Upon hearing the younger doctor's voice, Li Qingfeng realized it was the hospital's dean.
"What's the mayor's condition?" The dean nodded and immediately began inquiring about Zong Shuyun's situation.
"The mayor has stabilized and is out of danger, but we preliminarily suspect acute gastric perforation. We are unsure if there's a risk of major bleeding, so we are hesitant to operate immediately!"
"Where are the family members?" After hearing the doctor's reply, the dean nodded and asked for Zong Shuyun's family.
The doctor directed his gaze to Xiao Li. "It's not me, it's not me! I'm just a driver. The family member is here!" Xiao Li quickly refused and explained, "The family member is here, he's the mayor's boyfriend, Li Qingfeng!" He pushed Li Qingfeng forward and introduced him to the dean.
The dean squinted and observed Li Qingfeng carefully. After a moment, he said, "Hello, Mr. Li. I am Miao Fenghua, the dean of this hospital."
"Hello, Dean Miao!" They shook hands and were formally introduced.
Dean Miao Fenghua, being a sensible person, immediately began explaining acute gastric perforation. "Gastric perforation is a serious condition that can manifest as abdominal pain and symptoms of the primary disease, leading to nausea, vomiting, and bleeding. Acute gastric perforation is even more formidable, easily leading to shock and, in severe cases, life-threatening situations."
"Do you understand my explanation?" Dean Miao Fenghua asked, turning his gaze to Li Qingfeng and Xiao Li. Xiao Li's face had turned pale. He had never realized that gastric perforation could be so severe. And from what the young doctor had said, the mayor's condition was not optimistic, with a risk of major bleeding.
"Then our mayor...?" Xiao Li's question trailed off, too afraid to continue.
Seeing Xiao Li's distress, Miao Fenghua quickly reassured him, "Don't worry. Our hospital is quite experienced with acute gastric perforation and has performed many such surgeries. While we cannot guarantee 100% success, there's a high probability we can save the patient..." Perhaps due to hospital regulations, Dean Miao Fenghua did not state a specific success rate, only mentioning that the surgery was feasible with a high chance of success, though not without risk. This was the gist of it.
Li Qingfeng nodded upon hearing this. "When can Zong Shuyun be taken to the operating room?" Li Qingfeng asked a crucial question. Since she was already out of the emergency room, she would need surgery soon, right?
Hearing his question, Miao Fenghua looked at him more closely. He was surprised that the young family member had gotten straight to the most critical point. "Mr. Li, please allow me to confirm!" Miao Fenghua said, turning to the young doctor and leading him back into the emergency room.
Watching them go, Li Qingfeng activated his x-ray vision again. Unfortunately, it only allowed him to see the interior, not hear their conversation. He saw Miao Fenghua approach Zong Shuyun, who was in the center of the ER, and check her vital signs.
"He seems to have breathed a sigh of relief!" Li Qingfeng remarked, observing Dean Miao Fenghua relaxing slightly.
"Mr. Li, what did you say?"
"Huh? I didn't say anything. I'm just worried about my senior schoolmate," Li Qingfeng replied. Xiao Li fell silent, having forgotten about his earlier thoughts.
"I hope our mayor will be alright. If something happens to her, our Liberation Town will be in even more trouble..." Xiao Li said with a sigh.
Li Qingfeng, now curious, turned to him. "Does my senior schoolmate have high prestige in our town?" Zong Shuyun had only been the town mayor for a short time, so Li Qingfeng wasn't very familiar with her influence. For the villagers, whoever was the mayor made little difference as long as their lives weren't disrupted.
"Alas!" Xiao Li sighed again. "Mr. Li, you have no idea! Actually, our town is known as a poverty-stricken area even within the entire prefecture. Therefore, no one is willing to come here as mayor, not even for a year!" He continued, "People say that while the city mayor is a solid rock, the Liberation Town mayor is a revolving door!"
Li Qingfeng understood from his words how difficult it was to be the mayor in this town. It was truly commendable that his senior schoolmate, Zong Shuyun, had managed to persevere as mayor here until now.