The Crazy Son-In-Law

Zhou Shuqing understood what he was implying, and his face grew even more somber. Xiao Shun also understood; they were seeking compensation. He gave a bitter smile and said, “So, how much compensation do you all want? Just say it directly.”

“We discussed it just now. We know Starline Bio. It’s been around for decades, weathering storms. It hasn’t been easy, and we should respect that. We’re not asking for too much, just five hundred thousand per family,” the middle-aged man solemnly said.

Zhou Shuqing had been in medicine for decades and had seen thousands of patients. The vast majority of them were grateful after recovering under his care, which was the most rewarding part of being a doctor.

Of course, there were also some peculiar patients who made strange requests, and he had encountered many.

Still, when he heard the unreasonable demands of these villagers, he couldn’t help but feel anger rising within him.

Over the past three days, he had seen firsthand just how dedicated Xiao Shun was to treating these patients. Essentially, whenever he had the energy, he tirelessly performed acupuncture on them, laboring both physically and mentally. He knew that although acupuncture may not seem physically demanding, it was indeed quite draining.

On the first day, Xiao Shun had even fainted from exhaustion while treating severely ill patients. Thinking back on it, he felt that it was such a shame. Now, in Zhou Shuqing’s eyes, these people were nothing more than a pack of wolves.

Moreover, he had come to know that these people’s illnesses had absolutely nothing to do with Xiao Shun’s company, yet Xiao Shun had covered their hospitalization and medical costs. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. However, as the deputy director of the city hospital, he still had professional ethics to uphold.

Suppressing his resentment, Zhou Shuqing tried to maintain a calm demeanor and said, “Everyone, can I say something?” He continued, “Your illnesses were all cured by Dr. Xiao. Furthermore, he has paid for your hospital and medical fees, and even provided acupuncture for free. Even if you are ungrateful, it’s not right to demand compensation from him. That’s a bit unfair, isn’t it?”

“Dr. Zhou, what do you mean?” one patient retorted. “Our illnesses were caused by the waste water discharged by their Starline Bio. Isn’t it right for them to treat us and cover our costs? Does it mean our family members have suffered these days for nothing?”

“Yeah, my spouse and I have been unable to work these past few days, and we have two children to look after. Who’s going to pay for our lost wages? My mother has been working as a nanny for them, earning over a hundred yuan a day, isn’t that right?”

“Their company is so big, there are only twenty or thirty of us. Half a million per family is nothing to Dr. Xiao. We’re not asking for too much.” The villagers argued back and forth.

Just as Zhou Shuqing was about to respond, Xiao Shun interrupted him, “Dr. Zhou, let me talk to them.” Zhou Shuqing looked at him helplessly and nodded.

With a calm expression on his face, Xiao Shun looked around the room and slowly asked, “Is this what you all think?” He then turned his gaze to Guan Dacheng and the mother of the little girl from earlier. They both lowered their heads, clearly siding with their fellow villagers.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

To be honest, Xiao Shun was somewhat disappointed, but he did not blame them. In this age of rampant materialism and lack of faith, how much does conscience weigh? The larger environment is like this, and it can’t be changed by a few individuals alone. From their perspective, following the current for their own benefit is justifiable.

“This is a decision we made after discussing together,” the middle-aged man who spoke first said firmly.

Xiao Shun sighed and smiled faintly, “What if I refuse? What are you going to do?”

The crowd was slightly taken aback.

“Dr. Xiao, we are farmers, but we are reasonable. If you think half a million is too much, we can negotiate,” the middle-aged man frowned.

“What if I don’t plan to compensate a single cent?” Xiao Shun continued.

The crowd looked at each other, obviously not expecting Xiao Shun to say that, and for a moment they didn’t know how to respond.

At this point, a slightly overweight middle-aged woman said in a hostile tone, “If that’s the case, we’ll collectively sue. We’ll see who can last longer, us or your big company. We’ll sue until your company goes bankrupt. After all, you rich people can afford to lose money, right?”

“Yes, I heard their company is making a lot of money now. Closing for one day means losing tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands. Let’s see who can outlast whom. We have the numbers, we’re not afraid.”

“Worst case, we’ll quit our jobs and protest at your company every day. We’re in the right, after all. You’ve caused us to be like this, and compensating half a million is already giving face to Dr. Xiao. If it weren’t for your running around these past three days, we wouldn’t settle for less than a million.”

The others echoed in agreement.

Listening to their words, Zhou Shuqing was almost angry enough to jump up and curse, his face flushed red with restraint. Xiao Shun chuckled coldly, walked over to pick up the remote control, and turned on the television mounted on the wall: “Let’s watch this first before we continue.”

The television screen flickered, showing the scene of a press conference held by the Stillwater Fire Department. The conference was held in a meeting room at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The space was not too large, and while it did not seem formal, it had attracted local and dozens of media outlets. After all, this matter had garnered high levels of attention, both locally and online.

A long table, made by pushing together two conference tables, was draped with a red cloth. Du Zhengde was sitting in the middle, flanked by several EPA management staff.

“Ladies and gentlemen from the media, as well as citizens who are following this poisoning event caused by the improper discharge of wastewater, good afternoon,” Du Zhengde spoke in an orderly manner. “Today, we will present the findings of our investigation thus far. First, I will introduce the situation and results of our investigation, after which you are welcome to ask any questions.”

The media representatives sat quietly, though they were eager to hear more. Chu Hong sat in the middle, her feelings complex. She wanted to hear the results, yet feared that they would be unfavorable. She had witnessed Xiao Shun’s tireless efforts to treat the patients, deeply moved by his dedication. From the bottom of her heart, she did not believe that such a person would intentionally harm innocent people. Yet, if the results were unfavorable, she would have to face them.

Many others were also feeling tense. Yao Cen, Tang Shishi, the entire Kumi Group, Song Linger, and others.

“After the incident occurred, we took it very seriously. We immediately sent people to seal off the workshops and equipment of Starline Bio. Over the past three days, the EPA has conducted tests on the wastewater produced by Starline Bio, as well as tests on the surrounding water layers and soil…”