Chapter 39

Lin's mother opened the door. Lu Ao nodded in greeting and ran upstairs.

The moment Lin Gongshang saw Lu Ao, he turned to him in a panic. "Lu Ao, I checked. They really seem to have been infected with marine bacteria!"

Lu Ao hurried over, carrying the cool scent of shower gel. "Let me take a look first."

He rushed into the room.

A moment later, he confirmed it. "It really should be Vibrio vulnificus."

The mortality rate for Vibrio vulnificus infection was as high as fifty percent.

"What do we do now?" Lin Gongshang's voice trembled, cold sweat beading on his forehead. "Should I call an ambulance?"

"The ambulance may not make it in time."

They were too far from the county seat. An ambulance would take two or three hours to arrive.

Listening from the side, Yan Zhengning could not help but cut in. "If the ambulance won't make it in time, what do we do? Drive them to the hospital ourselves?"

Lu Ao spoke quickly. "That probably won't work either. The medical standards in a small county town are average, and they may not have all the necessary medicines. Vibrio vulnificus infection is a rare condition. They may never have seen it before, much less know how to treat it."

The worry and anger Yan Zhengning had been building up since the afternoon were ignited all at once. "That won't work, and this won't work either. We came here perfectly fine as your guests, and now we came standing up but will be going back lying down?!"

Lin Gongshang hunched his neck and did not dare say anything. He deeply regretted taking this job.

"Mr. Lin, don't panic yet." Lu Ao remained fairly calm. After thinking for a moment, he turned to Lin Gongshang. "Is there anything on your threshing ground?"

Lin Family Village had a large threshing ground, connected into one flat, spacious stretch of three to four thousand square meters.

Lin Gongshang answered frantically, "Probably not. It's not rice-harvesting season yet, so nothing's being dried there."

Lu Ao made a prompt decision. "Then I'll call for a medical helicopter and send them directly to the provincial capital. It's not at its most dangerous stage yet, so there shouldn't be any major problem."

Hearing that Lu Ao had come up with a solution, Lin Gongshang felt somewhat reassured. He nodded like a pecking chick. "Okay."

Lu Ao immediately called the helicopter center to ask about dispatching a helicopter.

After learning the details, the other party gave him a definite answer. "We can send someone over and should arrive in about an hour. However, our fees are relatively high. If we're picking up patients from your location, it will cost around twenty thousand per patient, with medical expenses charged separately."

Lu Ao did not hesitate. "No problem. Please send the doctors and helicopter over as soon as possible."

They quickly signed an electronic contract. Lu Ao paid in advance and sent over the location.

After filing the flight report, the other party immediately dispatched doctors and a helicopter. They told them to wait at the threshing ground and said they would arrive within an hour.

Hearing the commotion, Lin Gongshang's parents, older brother, and sister-in-law all came out.

Once they heard the patients were being sent to the provincial capital, the whole family noisily helped Liu Qiming and Shi Chen get dressed and supported them into the living room.

Lin Gongshang's older brother wiped away his sweat and volunteered, "I'll go to the threshing ground to receive the helicopter."

Lu Ao nodded. "If there are lights over there, turn them all on. Bring a clearly visible piece of red or white cloth with you. We'll come over shortly."

Lin Gongshang's older brother hurriedly agreed, ran into a room to grab a bedsheet, and rushed out.

Yan Zhengning had already contacted his private doctor and Shi Chen's and Liu Qiming's families, briefly explaining the situation.

When he returned and saw how orderly Lu Ao was, and that he had truly called in a helicopter, he could not describe how he felt. Still, he was finally somewhat relieved and no longer as furious.

When Lu Ao saw him, he asked, "Mr. Yan, we'll send Mr. Shi and Mr. Liu to the provincial capital shortly. Is there a hospital you usually go to?"

"No. Any of the major hospitals in the provincial capital will do."

Lu Ao nodded. As he typed information into WeChat, he said, "Then I'll have them sent to the First Affiliated Hospital. They're the most familiar with this kind of bacterial infection."

After saying that, he asked Yan Zhengning again, "Mr. Yan, can you contact Mr. Shi's and Mr. Liu's families? It would be best if they get to the First Affiliated Hospital in advance, so they can sign the treatment consent forms later."

Yan Zhengning hurriedly nodded. "All right. I'll contact them now."

The Provincial First Affiliated Hospital was an extremely renowned major hospital in their province, and Yan Zhengning immediately contacted both men's families.

Both families were shocked by the news and agreed to rush to the hospital right away.

A moment later, Yan Zhengning came back. "What do we need to do now?"

Lin Gongshang also looked eagerly at Lu Ao, waiting for his instructions.

Lu Ao said, "Use stools to carry the two of them to the threshing ground first. When the helicopter arrives, they can board immediately."

Their side was in an uproar. Thinking something had happened, the neighbors all hurried over to help.

When they heard that the patients needed to be carried to the threshing ground, one neighbor immediately said, "I have rattan chairs at home. We can use mine."

Lu Ao nodded. "That'll work. Carry them over first, and remember to cover them with a quilt."

Everyone hurriedly agreed and went to call more people. Men from half the village came over to help.

Before long, Shi Chen and Liu Qiming had been carried to the threshing ground.

The helicopter had not arrived yet, so everyone waited there.

Lu Ao remained calm the whole time. He looked confident, and simply standing there was enough to put everyone at ease.

Soon, the helicopter arrived amid the roar of the wind.

The massive helicopter landed on the threshing ground. Many people from Lin Family Village stood there with their mouths open, staring at the enormous machine before them.

The accompanying medical staff hurried down to examine Shi Chen and Liu Qiming. Afterward, they told them, "Their condition is relatively stable. It won't be a problem to send them to the First Affiliated Hospital now."

"Okay, thank you for the trouble."

The accompanying medical staff quickly used stretchers to carry the two men onto the helicopter.

After settling them in, they said, "One person in charge needs to accompany them. Which one of you will go?"

"I will," Lu Ao said.

As he spoke, Lu Ao took out his keys and handed them to Lin Gongshang. In a low voice, he said, "I just started raising geese at home. Help me feed them over the next couple of days."