Collecting Rent From All Realms, Even Empresses Must Pay Tribute
Ch. 82 - The Broadcasting Club

City Hospital, Inpatient Department.

"Doctor, how's my grandfather?" Outside a private VIP ward, a sophisticated-looking woman asked a doctor in a white coat.

"Miss Qiao, Mr. Qiao's condition isn't very optimistic. His vital signs are all outside the normal range," the doctor said, shaking his head slightly, looking at the report in his hand.

"You're an expert in this field, is there really nothing you can do?" Qiao Xin's face was filled with anxiety.

"Are there any other hospitals, or perhaps institutions abroad, with more advanced technology?"

"Based on my experience, there are currently no mature treatments for your grandfather's condition, either domestically or internationally. We can only try to prevent it from worsening." The doctor hesitated, as if remembering something, but didn't say anything.

"What is it, doctor? Do you know something?" Qiao Xin noticed the flicker of hesitation on the doctor's face. She immediately said,

"Any method is fine, please tell me."

Hearing Qiao Xin's desperation, the doctor sighed and explained, "A few days ago, I had a female patient with the same condition as your grandfather, but slightly less severe… Her indicators suddenly returned to normal recently. I asked her family about it, and they said she took some ancestral medicine."

Ancestral… medicine?

Qiao Xin was surprised. What kind of ancestral medicine could treat such a condition?

"Do you have that patient's contact information?" she quickly asked.

"I do, but I can't guarantee that it was the ancestral medicine that caused the improvement," the doctor said, shaking his head.

"It's fine, any glimmer of hope is good."

"I'll send you the contact information later. You'll have to contact them yourself," the doctor said.

"Okay."

After the doctor left, Qiao Xin took a deep breath and entered the ward.

A seventy-year-old man lay on the hospital bed, connected to a respirator, his eyes closed. 

A caregiver sat beside him. Perhaps hearing the commotion outside, the old man opened his eyes and looked at Qiao Xin.

"Xin… it's fine, Grandpa is old… useless…" His voice was hoarse and weak.

"It's okay, Grandpa, the doctor just told me your condition has improved, and there's a special medicine that might help, it just needs some time,"

Qiao Xin said, forcing a smile and holding her grandfather's hand gently.

But the exhaustion and worry on her face couldn't be hidden from him.

The old man patted Qiao Xin's hand. "No need to lie to Grandpa… I know my own body…"

"Your father… and your uncles are useless… the company depends on you…"

Qiao Xin assured him, "Grandpa, don't worry, I'll take care of the company."

"Good…"

Watching her grandfather fall asleep again, Qiao Xin looked at the respirator with concern, then sighed deeply.

Just then, the doctor sent her the patient's contact information. She stood up and walked out of the ward.

She hoped the medicine would work.

Qiao Xin thought to herself, and for some reason, the image of the young man who saved her last night flashed through her mind.

She shook her head, dismissing the thought.

…

Afternoon, Silver Mountain Academy.

After school, Luo Xi went to her club activities. Ye Chuan glanced at the time and decided to stay at school and wait for her.

It was Luo Xi's birthday today, and he was going to her house for dinner, so there was no point in going home just to come back later.

Ye Chuan ordered a birthday cake online, then sat down and played on his phone, quickly becoming bored.

It was a bit dull.

If Luo Xi were here, he could rest his head on her lap. Sitting alone and playing on his phone was boring.

Ye Chuan decided to go to the broadcasting club.

But he didn't know where it was. He looked around, then stopped a long-haired girl. 

"Excuse me, do you know where the broadcasting club is?"

The girl, wearing a mask, had beautiful eyes and long hair. She looked around, then turned and walked in a certain direction.

"Are you taking me there? Thanks." Seeing the girl leading the way, Ye Chuan followed.

After a few minutes, the girl led Ye Chuan to an office, then turned around and stood there quietly.

She didn't say anything, but it was as if she had.

"This isn't the broadcasting club's activity room, is it?" Ye Chuan looked at the sign that read "Faculty Office" and froze.

The girl mumbled, "I don't know how to get there… The teachers… can help you."

Ye Chuan: "..."

So she didn't know where it was either?

"Thank you," Ye Chuan said, twitching his lips.

"You're welcome…" The girl turned and left, leaving Ye Chuan shaking his head.

"Whatever."

Ye Chuan went inside and asked a teacher for directions to the broadcasting club's activity room.

Although it was a bit of a hassle, at least he knew where to go now.

About ten minutes later, Ye Chuan finally arrived at the broadcasting club's activity room. 

The door was open—he peeked inside and saw Luo Xi chatting and laughing with a few other students.

"Ah," Luo Xi saw Ye Chuan at the door and immediately got up and hurried over. "Chuan Chuan, what are you doing here?"

"I was bored, so I came to wait for you," Ye Chuan said. "Is there a family waiting area?"

"No," Luo Xi's face flushed slightly at the word "family." "We're almost done, just need to clean up a bit."

"Then I'll wait outside."

"Okay."

After Luo Xi returned to the activity room, Ye Chuan played on his phone by the railing. Soon, the broadcasting club members started cleaning up.

As Luo Xi wiped a table, and Ye Chuan waited, playing on his phone, a voice called out, "Since you're waiting for Luo Xi, why don't you help out?"

The voice sounded familiar. Ye Chuan looked up and saw Luo Hao holding a mop. "Help us mop the activity room."

"..." Ye Chuan was taken aback.

What did this have to do with him?

"I don't want to work."

"So lazy. I don't know why Luo Xi is even friends with you, you won't even mop the floor," Luo Hao said, his voice raising slightly. 

The other people in the activity room looked over.

Hearing this, Ye Chuan just smiled and said, "Do you know what a hairdresser's mom is called?"

Luo Hao was puzzled. "What does a hairdresser's mom have to do with anything?"

"Tony's ma." (TL: This is a pun and a Chinese internet slang. "Tony" is often used humorously to refer to hairdressers, and "ma" means "mother." It sounds like "拖泥马 (tuō ní mǎ)," which is a curse word.)

Luo Hao finally realized that Ye Chuan was insulting him.