Saint Petersburg First State Hospital.
Outside the hospital room.
A gaunt old man clasped his hands over the bridge of his nose and sobbed uncontrollably.
"It's all my fault. I shouldn't have cast that vote. If not for that Fields Medal... if not for that Fields Medal... we wouldn't have lost the kind, brilliant, beautiful, and... brave Ms. Vera Puyuyi."
"Take it easy, buddy." Professor Fefferman patted the old professor in the black coat and sighed. Though he felt just as miserable, he still tried to comfort his friend. "Look at it another way. If it hadn't been awarded to her this time, we might never have had the chance to let her receive the honor that belonged to her. You should be glad you voted for her instead of someone else."
"You're right..."
Sighs and murmurs filled the hallway outside the room.
The atmosphere inside the room was equally sorrowful.
Sitting on a stool by the bed, Lu Zhou watched Vera lying there, unconscious, without saying a word for a long time.
It was not until the doctor standing nearby spoke that the silence in the room was broken.
"Sir, visiting hours are over."
As though waking from deep thought, Lu Zhou raised his head and looked at the doctor. With a calmness that surprised even himself, he said,
"Can you tell me what illness she has?"
The doctor asked, "Are you her family?"
Lu Zhou shook his head.
The doctor said, "Then I'm afraid we can't disclose the patient's private information to you. Those are the rules. We've contacted her immediate family, and he'll be here soon."
Lu Zhou nodded and said nothing.
Looking at her haggard face, painful to behold, he fell silent for a moment before speaking softly.
"I will cure you."
"Believe me."
"So... whether