Global Film Emperor

Chapter 234 "Living" (Chapter 2)

Five days later, Er Mao was discharged from the hospital because he didn't have the money to stay any longer, and also because staying in the hospital would be pointless. According to Er Mao's wishes, it was better to die at the Ping An Hotel than in the hospital, at least he would die at home.
"Brother, my stomach hurts."

"My stomach hurts, my stomach hurts! What should I do? Oh, right! Mengxi, quickly bring me a hot water bottle, but don't make it too hot. Does it feel better? Does it still hurt?"

"It hurts, but it's much better. Brother, don't cry. We've already let go of the past, haven't we? Dying won't mean suffering anymore. It's not a big deal. Should I say something like my last words?"

"Don't talk to me like that, we don't like hearing it. Just tell me what you want to do, and I'll take care of it for you."

"I...I miss my mom and dad."

This usually strong child finally cried. He missed home. He had chosen to run away because he didn't want to drag his family down, but he truly missed his parents every moment.

"Okay, what's your home phone number? I'll call your parents."

"Hello, the number you dialed is not in service. Please confirm before dialing again. Sorry."

Lin Qin dialed the number repeatedly in the corridor, but his phone kept reminding him that the number was not in service. His mind went blank, and all he knew was that Er Mao's last wish probably wouldn't be fulfilled. He returned to his room, but still told a lie.

"Your parents are coming soon, but they'll have to take the train, which will take several days."

"I don't think I can last more than a few days."

"Stop saying such useless things. Wait, your parents will be here soon."

"Then I'll wait for you, brother. Don't you think I'm being unfilial? I ran away on my own, and now I have to wait for them to take me home?"

The final days of Er Mao were also agonizing for Lin Qin and Shen Mengxi. The two constantly posted messages online, shared Er Mao's photos in various patient support groups, and even contacted the media in hopes of reaching Er Mao's parents, but in the end...
On the night of October 23, he vomited blood again, and his pants were soaked with blood. He also began to lose consciousness.

"Bro, bring me my photo. Am I handsome?"

"He's way more handsome than your brother."

Lin Qin squatted on the ground, not daring to look at Er Mao's face, because he was afraid that his tear-streaked face would make Er Mao clearly know that he was going to die.

"Brother, you're much more handsome than me. Actually, I don't want to call her Sister Xi. Although I've never had a boyfriend, I can tell you like Sister Xi, so I'd like to call her sister-in-law."

Shen Mengxi hid by the door, concealing herself behind the other guests. She was terrified, but upon hearing Er Mao's words, she quickly got up, wiped away her tears, and forced a smile.

"Listen to your sister-in-law."

"Hehe. Sister-in-law, that's all I can do for you. I'm sleepy. When are my parents coming? Mom, I want to go home."

Lin Qin wiped away her tears with the palms of her hands, took out her phone and glanced at the time: 10:23. She gently picked up the portrait that Er Mao was holding and told Shen Mengxi to change Er Mao into the clothes he had bought himself.

Afterwards, the farewell ceremony at Ping An Inn began again, but at Er Mao's age, no one could wear his mourning clothes. According to Old Wang, Er Mao died far from home, not knowing the way home, and no relatives came to pick him up. He was just a lonely ghost who would never find peace.

It wasn't until noon the next day that a middle-aged couple rushed over and wept bitterly in Er Mao's room. Er Mao's relatives saw the news online and contacted his parents. They rushed over, but ultimately they were unable to see him one last time.

There will be many regrets in a person's life, but only this kind is the most painful. Compared to life and death, everything else is just a passing cloud.

Lin Qin and Shen Mengxi were happy, or rather, everyone was happy. At least Er Mao wouldn't be a wandering ghost anymore; he was home.

Both of them felt something was missing. The bald boy was no longer in front of the computer, and the only two of them were watching pirated movies without contributing to the box office. They were also always two players short of one for playing Dou Dizhu (a card game).

Humans are social animals, so they need companionship, especially when life is coming to an end.

So on the night Er Mao was picked up by his parents, Shen Mengxi knocked on Lin Qin's door.

"It's so late, aren't you going to sleep yet?"

"Stomach ache, can't sleep"

"What should we do? Go to the hospital now?"

"Lin Qin."

"Ok?"

"I'm not asking you to pay for my medical treatment, but if one day I really can't take it anymore and need someone to take care of me, can you stay by my side and keep me company instead of leaving?"

Lin Qin was stunned for a long time. She was wearing a wig tonight, which made her look even more charming in the dim light, so to be precise, he was staring at her intently. Finally, he nodded subconsciously.

"can"

It was quite strange that a dilapidated hotel full of cancer patients was filled with moaning sounds late at night. Everyone knew what was going on, so they didn't get up to stop them. They just listened to the two people's panting and the creaking of the old bed, smiled knowingly, and closed their eyes to sleep.

"Wash me."

"No need, go away."

After the initial awkwardness was revealed, their conversation didn't become overly sweet or mushy; instead, it became even more bland. If it weren't for the fact that Shen Mengxi was washing a pair of men's underwear, everyone would probably think they had a fight.

She didn't look good without hair, so she wore a wig, tied her hair in a ponytail, and wore Lin Qin's T-shirt and athletic shorts, which made her look simple yet charming.

"Want to play two rounds?"

"You? I won't play chess with you."

Lin Qin didn't care whether Old Wang was willing or not. He sat down, took out the chessboard, and started setting up the pieces, including the red pieces. Old Wang glanced at it, tilted his head, and moved his rook.
"Tch, still can't you agree? I'll take you on!"

"I already told you she's been married and has had a man. Even if you don't think about yourself, you have to think about her. You'll be going to hell if you do this."

Lin Qin took out a cigarette case from the old man's shirt, lit one, and casually held the cigarette in his mouth. He glanced at Old Wang and chuckled.

"Hell? Where is it? It's right here. Look how blue the sky is in hell, how fragrant the flowers are. Damn, I forgot it's autumn. Look how yellow the leaves are. Doesn't it feel cool when the breeze blows? Hell? I'm right in there."

"I'm not going to stay with you anymore. Pack it up and put it inside."

"Do you know what happened to her? She started dating at seventeen, got married two years after graduating from university, and just a year and a half into her marriage, she got a checkup and was diagnosed with stomach cancer! And then what? Do you know what that bastard did? He ran away while she was in the hospital for surgery~ The property deed is in that bastard's name, her in-laws cut off all contact with her, and her parents never agreed to her marrying that bastard, so she never even told them she was sick. A woman, pretty enough, right? No money for treatment, she came here with her tattered suitcase to stay in this ten-yuan-a-night dead man's hotel, and what about her husband? That bastard should be in hell, they should try everything, like pulling out his tongue or rolling on a mountain of knives. And look at me, I can spit on a magnet and it'll be caught. I said I'd take care of her, and as long as I don't die before her, I really will. Your Highness, who do you think is more of a man, me or her bastard husband?"

"I can't argue with you, can I? You have no manners, Dumbo."

A fair, delicate hand grabbed the half-burnt cigarette from Lin Qin's mouth, threw it on the ground, stomped on it twice, pinched his arm, and then picked up the laundry tub to hang up the clothes.

"Even if I'm a wild man, I'll be a proper wild man. General! Bye-bye, I'm not playing with you anymore. Whoever loses has to clean up the mess. I'm going to help her hang up the laundry."

He walked over, picked up a piece of clothing, shook it, and hung it on the clothes rack, giving her a fawning smile, only to be met with a glare. Lin Qin then bent down to pick up another piece of clothing, but as soon as he stood up, his mind went blank for a moment.

His lips were a little wet. He reached up and touched them, then looked down and saw that his hand was covered in blood. Slowly, his eyes also began to bloodshot, turning completely red.

His legs gave way, and he sat down on the ground with a thud. Water dripping from his clothes mixed with mud and soaked his pants. He tried to get up, but instead just lay flat on the ground.

He barely opened his eyes. Shen Mengxi was calling out something, but he couldn't hear her. He only felt water droplets, completely different from the water droplets falling on his clothes, landing on his face. They were warm, and then turned cool.
He entered the accelerated phase and was diagnosed, which meant that he would die if he didn't get a bone marrow transplant. Sitting on the edge of his hospital bed, he looked at the pathology report with a somewhat bewildered expression.

Even now, he still believes he can live. He had asked a doctor before, and there were quite a few people who had stabilized their condition in the chronic phase by taking imatinib. He felt that he should be among the majority. Who the hell would have thought that he would be so different?

Shen Mengxi massaged his legs. She had cried enough during this time and learned to be strong. Even though she had only been with this man for a day, since he had made a promise to her, she would keep her promise to him and stay with him until the day she died.

"Stop watching, go to sleep if you're sleepy."

"Sleep. How can I sleep? As soon as I close my eyes, I dream that I'm dead. Where do people go when they die? Is there really a Yama's Palace? Or do I just lose consciousness and just fall asleep, not knowing anything? During the time I was unconscious, I saw Lao Zhao and Er Mao. They said they came to pick me up, but I didn't go. I struggled and woke up."

"Why think so much? You're still alive now. We'll talk about it when the time comes. Besides, I'll be with you when you die. You know my infection has spread to my lymph nodes."

Lin Qin looked up at her, wondering why she was so calm. Death! It's death! Eyes closed, legs kicked, and the person's gone! They'll stink in a couple of days!
"You are not afraid?"

"What am I afraid of? With you by my side, I might as well die. You said you'd stay with me, so I'm not afraid of anything anymore."

She took the pathology paper from Lin Qin's hand, held his hand, massaged the web between his thumb and forefinger, smiled, and placed it on her cheek. Her face was a little cool, but it gave Lin Qin a warm feeling. No, perhaps it wasn't a feeling.

But the more she acted this way, the less Lin Qin wanted to die; he really wanted to live.

What followed was endless suffering from illness and chemotherapy, accompanied by vomiting day and night, and occasional fainting. Gradually, I began to enjoy reporting in the patient support group every day and telling everyone.

"I'm alive."

He then searched randomly online and found a fellow patient who said there was an old man in Hebei who knew some folk remedies that could cure leukemia and various cancers.

He endured relentless torment, watching his dwindling bank account balance and the exorbitant cost of surgery. Shen Mengxi, too, began chemotherapy, a process equally painful. After several days of internal struggle, the two discussed it and resolutely set off for Hebei, beginning their life-saving journey. Upon arrival, they met the old man selling medicine. He was indeed a respectable-looking man with a long, thick white beard, a haughty demeanor, and an air of indifference. He immediately demanded payment for the medicine without even offering to let them try it to see its effects.

But in order to survive, they had no other choice. They paid tens of thousands of yuan for the medicine, and after taking it, they felt much better. In addition, the old man brainwashed them, which made Lin Qin even more convinced that the medicine could cure their illness.

After their physical pain subsided, the two admired the old man who knew folk remedies even more, and had no doubt that they had encountered a miracle doctor. With the old man's subtle hints and out of good intentions, the two introduced this "miracle doctor" to more fellow patients, until one of the patients' family members became suspicious and reported Lin Qin and Shen Mengxi for engaging in pyramid schemes. In the end, the two were arrested by the police and taken to the police station.

"Bang! You two are so foolish! You two are supposed to have received higher education, but you wasted your time! Have you even looked at the drug test results? Did you feel particularly relaxed after taking it? Look! It contains a huge amount of morphine, such a large dose, anyone who takes it will feel dizzy! I know you mean well, but you're just aiding and abetting evil! Helping that quack doctor swindle people who have had the same experience as you!"

Yang slammed his fist on the table, actually feeling sympathy for the two men's plight and anger at their lack of self-respect. However, having a terminal illness was not a reason for them to help promote the "miracle doctor." Eating this stuff wouldn't actually restore health; it would only hasten death. But no matter how loudly he spoke, the two men looked at him calmly until he shut his mouth, waiting for their response.

"How could we not know?"

Lin Qin's answer froze Director Yang, who just kept squeezing the thermos tightly.

Yes, did they really not know it was fake? Anyone with a modicum of intelligence would believe in unorthodox remedies. But they truly couldn't survive; conventional medical treatments couldn't save them anymore. What could they do? They just wanted to live! What else could they do but find their own way out? Even if they knew it was fake, they needed something to cling to, to deceive themselves, to believe that the miracle doctor's medicine could help them live!
Looking at these two young people who were about the same age as his children, or even a little younger, he couldn't bring himself to utter a single word of criticism, because to do so would be to stab himself in the heart, causing him excruciating pain.

In the end, Director Yang simply sighed, got up, and left the interrogation room. As he pushed open the door, he glanced back at the two men, their indifference and despair constantly lashing at his heart. He walked out, closed the door, wiped away his tears, and began a meeting with other leaders in the station to discuss how to resolve the problems these two men had committed.

Ultimately, because the two were merely introducing fellow patients to the clinic, not organizers, and because they were terminally ill, and most importantly, because pyramid schemes are indeed difficult to define, they were released and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Sitting in the police car, the two looked at each other, smiled gently, and touched each other's cheeks.

"Do you still want treatment?"

"I'm not going to treat it anymore. What about you?"

"If you're not going to get treatment, then I won't get treatment either."

That night, the two disappeared from the hospital and appeared at the entrance of Ping An Hotel the next morning. Old Wang was carrying a basin and dumping dirty water out. When he saw the two return, he turned around and went into the house with a bad look on his face.

"what?"

"Stay at the hotel."

"Sorry, we are full and cannot accommodate guests."

"We're not getting treatment."

"Upstairs, room 217."

"Does it look good? Isn't it a bit too tacky? Why not learn from Er Mao and dress more fashionably?"

Wearing a Zhongshan suit and with his hat on, Lin Qin walked up to Shen Mengxi and turned around to show her if the clothes fit. Shen Mengxi, who was also wearing a Zhongshan suit, looked up at Lin Qin.

"How old is Er Mao? How old are you? It's normal for a little boy to dress smartly, after all, he doesn't have a girlfriend. Being handsome makes it easier to find one down there. You already have me, isn't that enough?"

"I already have too many of these, so I'll take this one. How much is it, boss?"

To be honest, the shop owner had never encountered anyone in his life who would come to the funeral clothing store to buy funeral clothes like they were in a shopping mall, and even let him try them on. Moreover, there were two of them at once, which scared him so much that he turned green with fright. He then offered a discount on the clothes that were never on sale.

Carrying the funeral clothes, the two went to a nearby rural area. They had no money left to buy a proper cemetery plot, so they heard about a family selling burial plots and came to take a look.

Goodness, it's called a cemetery, but it's really just a large area fenced off in someone's cornfield. It's not as fancy as a cemetery, but it's really big. It's big enough to bury two people, or even be used as an ancestral grave. And the price isn't expensive. You can use it for 12,000 yuan indefinitely, and there are no management fees. How long two people can lie there depends entirely on when this land is redeveloped.

After discussing it and even studying feng shui, which they knew nothing about, the two finally paid the money and decided to settle down here. They just wondered what expression the man who sold the cemetery plots would have when he saw their names on the tombstone after they were buried.

Back at the hotel, they gave Old Wang money for the fare, joss paper, and food. They didn't need to pay for the money for their godparents, since there was no one younger than them in the hotel now. In any case, they gave all the remaining four thousand yuan to Old Wang and officially stopped taking their medication.

After washing up, Shen Mengxi lay in bed, nestled in Lin Qin's arms, looking at old photos on her phone taken at the Ping An Hotel. Most of the people in the photos were no longer there; some had died at the hotel, while others had been taken away by their families and abandoned for treatment. But the number of patients was endless, and the hotel was soon filled with people again.

The two talked about the past, but didn't think about the future, because there was no future at all. Er Mao was really not photogenic; he looked ugly no matter how he was photographed without Photoshop, which made the two laugh for a long time.

"Lin Qin, my stomach hurts terribly."

"I feel uncomfortable too, just bear with it. Let me rub your tummy to warm it up. Does it still hurt?"

"Do you think your hands can cure all diseases? Of course it hurts. Besides, you've never told me you love me. So, do you love me or not?"

"I love you."

"Then tell me, how exactly do you show love?"

Lin Qin rubbed her stomach and looked out the window for a while, thinking.

"It's just that I think of you in the morning not because I have morning erections, and I think of you at night not because I'm lonely."

"Then I love you too, hehe."

Burying her head in Lin Qin's arms, she laughed happily, with a touch of mischief. This was a ridiculous love story between a scoundrel and a married woman, perhaps despicable, but...
who cares.

When he woke up, he touched the person next to him and found her body was already cold. Lin Qin knew she was dead, but at least he had fulfilled his promise and stayed with her until the end.

She calmly got up, took out a shroud from the cabinet and dressed her, then put a wig on her. Her body had already exceeded its limit, and she was panting heavily. She covered her with a blanket, pressed a piece of joss paper to her face, and then gritted her teeth and got up to go downstairs.

"Your Highness, Mengxi is gone."

Although his words were calm, when Old Wang turned his head, he saw that his face was reflecting a golden glow from the sunlight, and he was clearly sad.

She was cremated, but not buried yet. Lin Qin wanted her to wait for him so they could be buried together. Just like he said, being handsome is a lifelong thing, so he also followed Er Mao's example and took a handsome funeral photo of himself.

Now he takes every step with all his might, making him walk like a zombie. After retrieving the photos, he found Old Wang sleeping in his room. He slowly went upstairs, and an old woman with lung cancer wearing a mask glanced at him before closing the door.

The new guest with pneumoconiosis lay on the bed watching TV with the door open. A woman with leukemia, but acute lymphoblastic leukemia, was wailing in the room. She was the last guest to check in. The room wasn't soundproof. He went over and knocked on the door, and then there was silence. The man across the hall with liver cancer nodded to him and then closed the door. He was the oldest resident of the Ping An Hotel, and everyone knew he didn't have long to live.

He took down the stopped clock, hung up his own portrait, which looked even more handsome than in real life, and was very satisfied. He locked the door, went to wash up, turned off the lights, and went to sleep.

The next day, the old lady with lung cancer informed Old Wang that Lin Qin was dying. Old Wang threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stomped it out. He then slowly went upstairs with the incense burner and brazier, pushed open the door to room 217, placed the incense burner on a stool, and took out incense and joss paper from his bag. Lin Qin watched all of this with bated breath.

"Your Highness, you named this inn 'Peaceful Inn,' but not a single person who stays here is safe. They're all fucking dead."

"Still being so sarcastic even on your deathbed? Take a break, lest you get your tongue ripped out later. The name of my shop is just a metaphor, not a guarantee of safety for anyone who stays there. To put it bluntly, so many people get sick, but it's still you poor bastards who die."

"As if you're not poor, and who can escape death? I've never heard of anyone who is extremely rich and powerful living to be two hundred years old."

"Say less, aren't you tired?"

"I'm so tired I'm about to die. Respect for the dead is paramount, so I'm not going to show any respect for the elderly or children. I'll swear at you, but I'm too lazy to argue with you."

A group of people kept watch from day to night. Lin Qin was certain that he had a premonition of death. He saw many people, many fellow patients, calling him to come over. He didn't go last time, but this time, he decided to go because Er Mao was there, as was Shen Mengxi.
"9:18, actually a good time to die. Dying at the age of eight means you'll be reborn into a prosperous family. On your way!"

"Lin Qin! A native of Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province! He passed away on January 22, 2017! At the age of 28! Before his death, he and his beloved wife gave me 500 yuan for transportation, 300 yuan for paper money, wine and food, 1,500 yuan for relatives and friends, and 1,500 yuan for the burial workers, totaling 4,800 yuan! This money is to be spent on Lin Qin and his wife! I dare not keep it for myself! When the deceased returns to his hometown, no wandering ghosts on the roadside are allowed to disturb him! Otherwise, it will bring bad karma and misfortune to his family, which has nothing to do with me, Wang Shucai! Relatives and friends, say goodbye! Send off Lin Qin!"

"Hahaha."

Summer had arrived. A young man, somewhat thin and wearing a mask, walked into a small inn in the alley near the 102 Hospital, pulling a suitcase. He glanced down at the simple paper business card, then carried his suitcase inside.

The place was dilapidated and smelled faintly of mildew. Pushing open the door, a sign on the wall facing you read, "Patients with infectious diseases are not welcome." An old man sat in a chair in the reception room, listening to a tune. When he heard the bell on the door ring, he turned his head and glanced at the young man.

"For what?"

"Stay at the hotel."

"What disease?"

Liver cancer.

"Let me see your medical record, fill out the identity registration yourself, here's the booklet, how long will you stay? Pay monthly, three hundred a month."

"Stay for a month, fill out the forms, and give me your medical records."

The young man clipped the pen to his notebook and tossed it onto the desk in the reception room. The old man took off his reading glasses, returned the young man's medical record, took the three hundred yuan note, held it up in the sunlight to check its authenticity, and then tossed the young man a set of keys marked 217.
The movie ends.

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There are too many words, more than 20,000 in total, so I can't publish it all at once. Please bear with me. I think I've put in a lot of effort, right? It took me more than twelve hours to finish writing this, which was quite satisfying. Also, to any readers who work in the medical field, please don't be too critical. After all, I don't know much about medicine. I just looked up some information. If there are any bugs, please be gentle with your criticism. I apologize to everyone.

Also! Please submit an 800-word review! I'll read them! Haha, just kidding. Longer reviews would be even better. See you tomorrow... oh no, tonight!

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(End of this chapter)