Cannon Fodder in an Era Drama — I Survive with Acting-Chapter 204: Just Wait for a Good Show
"Yes, if Old Liu does some work he’s capable of, he’ll feel more at ease. Being cooped up at home all day, letting his mind wander, isn’t good for his health. Getting out to the hospital, breathing some fresh air, will also lift his spirits."
But Old Liu was hesitant, his head lowered and his gaze evasive.
After a long moment, he finally said in a low voice, "I’ve been getting muddled lately, and my memory isn’t so good... I’m afraid I won’t be of any help and will just cause trouble for everyone... I don’t want to be a burden."
"You won’t be any trouble, Uncle Liu."
Song Qingya’s tone was firm.
"All you’ll have to do is sort medicinal herbs, arrange equipment, and register inventory information. It’s all simple, repetitive work that doesn’t require much thought. If you’re willing, how about you come with me after dinner for a look around and to learn the way? We can get you familiar with the environment first, okay?"
Old Liu hesitated for a moment, his fingers still fiddling restlessly.
Finally, he slowly raised his head, his voice still faint.
"Alright, then... I’ll give it a try. If I can’t do it, I can just come back."
After dinner, Song Qingya took him to the hospital.
As night deepened, the hospital lights seemed especially warm in the cool, early autumn breeze.
The corridors were quiet and clean, with a faint scent of disinfectant.
As they walked, she softly introduced the locations of the various departments and their workflows.
Old Liu listened intently, nodding from time to time.
After getting him settled, she went to see Guo Ying and check on her recovery.
She carefully examined the progress of the wound’s healing, looked over the latest lab reports, and asked about Guo Ying’s diet and sleep.
Just as the two were chatting, there were two knocks on the hospital room door.
Ye Yuan poked his head in, his face wreathed in a smile, looking exceptionally enthusiastic.
"Sister-in-law! Sister Guo Ying!"
He strode over as soon as he entered.
"Sister-in-law, you’re here at the hospital. Is there anything you need me to run an errand for? Just say the word, and I’ll get it done right away! I guarantee I’ll be faster than a courier!"
Song Qingya glanced at him and casually placed her stethoscope on the bedside table.
She paused in thought for a moment before speaking. "Actually, there is something. Your Sister Meiling is going to a local clinic tomorrow to deliver a batch of equipment. It’s all still-usable instruments and medicine, and she’s short on help. You should go along to lend a hand. It’ll be good to have someone looking out for her on the road."
"Sure! No problem, Sister-in-law!"
Ye Yuan immediately agreed in a loud voice.
"You can rest assured. Leave it to me. I’ll handle it perfectly, without a single hitch! I guarantee you’ll be satisfied!"
With that, he grinned, revealing a set of straight, white teeth, and cheerfully turned to leave.
As soon as he was gone, the smile on Guo Ying’s face receded like the tide.
"Qingya, you’re letting Ye Yuan go with Yang Meiling?"
She asked in a low voice, her tone tinged with hesitation.
"I just feel like there’s more to that woman than meets the eye. She seems all friendly and agreeable on the surface, but who knows what she’s plotting behind the scenes. I’m a little worried about you getting too involved with her."
Song Qingya sat down on the sofa and casually picked up a rosy apple from the fruit bowl.
"Don’t worry, Sister Guo Ying."
"I know what she’s planning."
She glanced out the window at the deep night.
She gently put the apple down and reached out to pat Guo Ying’s hand, which was resting on her lap.
"You just focus on recovering. Don’t worry too much about other things. As for the rest, just wait for the good show."
A smile played on her lips, a glint of coldness in her eyes.
"’She thinks she can get her way that easily? Hmph. She’ll have to see if I agree to it first.’"
Seeing her calm and composed demeanor, the tension in Guo Ying’s heart finally began to ease.
Night deepened, and the entire hospital had long since fallen silent.
The lights in the corridors were dim yellow, and footsteps were few and far between.
Even the staff on duty at the nurses’ station were dozing at their desks.
But in the most remote corner of the hospital, the warehouse was terrifyingly quiet.
Qi Yuanyuan took advantage of the darkness to slip inside soundlessly.
She was wearing a white coat, tightly clutching several cardboard boxes that were half her height.
Inside were several small, brand-new, and still-sealed diagnostic devices.
They weren’t astronomically expensive, but they weren’t cheap either.
The key was, they weren’t supposed to be here at all.
If this new equipment was mixed in with the old, anyone following procedure to count the inventory and check the books would immediately spot the discrepancy. It would be impossible to hide.
She glanced around, and after confirming no one was there, she carefully crouched down and gently shoved the boxes into the middle of a pile of dust-covered, decommissioned instruments.
She even took a few rags to cover them up.
Then she moved a rusty cart to block the view.
’Phew... No one will notice, right?’
She straightened up and let out a long breath.
Just as she reached the door and her fingers touched the handle, a sudden sound of footsteps came from outside!
Growing closer, they went TAP, TAP, TAP on the concrete floor.
Qi Yuanyuan shuddered, her heart nearly stopping.
She scrambled back a step, pressing her body into the shadows by the door and shrinking into the darkness of the corner.
The footsteps slowly faded away.
It seemed to be just a nurse on duty passing by on their way to patrol another floor.
Only then did she let out a small sigh of relief.
She raised a hand to wipe her forehead. Just as she was about to push the door open and slip out, a woman’s voice, tinged with a smile, sounded from behind her.
"Doctor Qi, what are you so busy with in here?"
Qi Yuanyuan froze, a chill running down her spine.
She whipped her head around, her pupils constricting violently.
From the very back of the warehouse, behind a tall equipment cabinet, a figure slowly emerged.
"Yang Meiling! You... you were hiding here all along? Are you trying to catch me in the act? To report me?!"
Qi Yuanyuan’s voice trembled.
She subconsciously took half a step back, her back hitting the cold wall.
Yang Meiling walked closer step by step, her expression calm and her face composed as ever.
"Keep your voice down, Doctor Qi."
She lowered her voice, her tone gentle.
"If I really wanted to report you, wouldn’t I have just shouted when someone was outside just now? The hallways are full of nurses and security guards on duty. You’d have been caught red-handed by now, so how would you have the chance to stand here questioning me?"
She turned slightly and pulled a small flashlight from her pocket.
She shined it on the boxes in the corner that had been moved.
"Me... I was just a little worried about our plan, so I came to check on the progress."
"And what I found was that Doctor Qi is quite fast. You’ve already swapped two rounds of boxes, haven’t you? You even made sure the serial numbers match. You’ve really gone to great lengths."
She cast a meaningful glance at the swapped boxes.
"Think about it. If this works out, who benefits? You get a share, and I get a share. We split the money we make from the price difference fifty-fifty, so neither of us loses out. If I were to ruin things for you now, wouldn’t I just be cutting off my own source of income? Only a fool would do something so stupid."
Qi Yuanyuan stared at her, her eyes full of suspicion.
But in her heart, she couldn’t help but believe her, at least a little.
If Yang Meiling really wanted to expose her, she wouldn’t have needed to wait until now.
All she had to do was shout while she was moving the boxes, and she would have been instantly ruined, with no chance of ever recovering.
"I hope you’re serious about cooperating."
Qi Yuanyuan finally spoke, her voice dry and hoarse.
She gulped.
