“I can’t let Mum die and leave me alone like this!”
As she came to this conclusion, her determination grew stronger. Bai Ran’s excused herself from the nurse rather apologetically and explained that she wanted to make a phone call first. Then, she hid in a quiet corner of the corridor to think.
First things first, she needed to get eighty thousand dollars to pay for the surgery. She would find a way to get the rest of the money after the surgery was successful.
None of the classmates or acquaintances Bai Ran was close to could afford to loan her this much money. Besides, most of her friends also had to work and study at the same time, just like her, to pay for their tuition and support themselves. So, it was even more unlikely that they would have that much money to lend.
“In that case…
“The Jiang Family is my only option.
“Ultimately, I’m still Jiang Yuanshan’s daughter. If I ask Jiang Hao to lend me some money on his father’s account, will he agree to it?
“I’ve made a scene with Quan Rui at the Jiang’s residence earlier today. Jiang Hao will definitely bear a grudge and refuse to lend me anything.
“If it isn’t the Jiang Family, then there’s only Quan Rui left.”
But Bai Ran immediately rejected the idea of relying on that man with the overbearing aura who insisted on making bets with her and then refused to give her the winnings.
Somewhere deep down in Bai Ran’s heart, she hoped that although the Jiang Family had mistreated her when she was young, they still considered her family so she should still give it a try.
Bai Ran mustered up all her courage and called Jiang Hao. However, the phone rang a few times, and then the call was terminated. She tried again.
Bai Ran’s heart raced. Every single second that dragged by meant one more second her mother’s life edged closer to death.
“Why isn’t Jiang Hao picking up the phone? Where else on earth can I get this much money for the surgery?!”
While Bai Ran was seized with cold panic in a corner along the corridor, Luo Wei, who was watching her from a distance, out of her sight, pulled out his cellphone calmly and called Quan Rui to report the situation to him.
“Young Master, this is what’s happening right now. Miss Bai is trying to contact the Jiang Family, but it’s unlikely that those people will help her out.”
“Alright. Keep watching her.” A hint of inexplicable disappointment could be heard in Quan Rui’s deep low voice on the other end of the phone.
Quan Rui had thought that Bai Ran would immediately approach him and ask him for help.
“But the first person she reached out to is a member of the Jiang Family. Does she think they will have even a morsel of sympathy for her situation?
“What a pity! Well, she’s about to experience exactly how vicious the Jiang Family can be.”
After Quan Rui ended their call, Luo Wei began to watch Bai Ran stare helplessly into space in her corner of the corridor. When he saw how tired and deathly pale she looked, he thought for a moment and decided to walk over and interfere once more. He suggested to her again, “Miss Bai, if you need help, don’t hesitate to approach the Young Master. As you know by now, things that can be settled with money are very simple to him. They are not a big deal to the Young Master at all.”
“…!” Bai Ran was stunned for a moment. “That’s true! Quan Rui is sufficiently rich; eighty thousand dollars is probably what he spends on a single breakfast meal on a typical day.
“But…
“If I become even more involved with Quan Rui, the price that I will have to pay in return might be something beyond what I can handle…”
While Bai Ran was contemplating this, a nurse ran over to her anxiously. “Miss, have you signed the papers and paid the bill yet? Your mother can’t wait much longer, we need to do the surgery!”
“What?!” All of Bai Ran’s thoughts fled her mind in that very instant. Only one thing remained and that was the need to save her mother! “You’ll do the surgery if I sign and pay the money right?”
“Yes.” The nurse nodded her head. “Also, Dr. Song said that—”
But before the nurse could finish her sentence, Bai Ran dragged Luo Wei over to the payment counter and begged him, “Please help me! I’ll do anything that Mr. Quan wants! Please save my mother!”
As Luo Wei was dragged towards the payment counter, he called Quan Rui and then proceeded to hand over a card to pay for the surgery.
The nurse who had spoken to Bai Ran remained rooted to the ground where she left her, watching the two of them rush over to the counter. She finished the sentence that Bai Ran had not stayed long enough to hear her say,
“—that he can help you to pay for the surgery fees.”
Bai Ran was utterly oblivious to this. She waited impatiently for Luo Wei to process the payment for her mother’s surgery and hurriedly signed her name on the consent forms that were handed to her.