Sent to the countryside, I turned the health center into a top-tier hospital.

Chen Ping continued, "Some people feel like the sky has fallen when they hear they have cancer. They can't eat or sleep, and they think about how many days they have left to live every day."

In this state, immunity drops drastically, and someone who could have lived for a year might die in just three months.

Conversely, some people have a positive outlook, eat and drink as usual, cooperate with treatment, and actually live a long time. A good mindset is more effective than medicine.

These words were meant for Cui Ying's father, and everyone present understood that.

Cui Ying's mother paused for a moment while peeling the apple, without looking up, and her lips twitched slightly.

Cui Ying's father turned over, it's unclear whether he heard her or not.

Chen Ping didn't say anything more. He looked at the sun outside, said, "It's almost noon, I'm going to buy lunch," and turned to walk out.

"I'll go with you!"

Cui Ying followed, and the two of them left the ward one after the other.

The corridor became much quieter; the woman's crying had stopped.

The doors to several wards were open, and the sounds of televisions and conversations could be heard from inside, just like in a regular ward, as if the farce that happened that morning had never occurred.

As Chen Ping passed the door of that ward, he slowed his pace.

The door wasn't closed properly; there was a crack.

He glanced inside and saw the woman standing by the bed, with another man beside her. He was in his forties, wearing a dark gray suit, his leather shoes were polished to a shine, and he was holding a folder, looking down as he flipped through the papers inside with the woman.

A thick stack of densely packed characters.

The woman stood to the side, holding the boy's hand, her expression blank, as if she had been told a lot of things she didn't understand and didn't know whether to believe them or not.

Director Qian wasn't there, nor were the nurses; there were only the two adults and the child in the ward.

Chen Ping was about to walk over, but in that instant, his peripheral vision caught a line of text on the folder: "Informed Consent Form for Clinical Trial Participants of Targeted Drugs".

His steps suddenly stopped, as if he had been nailed to the corridor floor tiles by something.

Cui Ying followed behind him and almost bumped into him. She quickly stopped, didn't make a sound, took half a step back, and stood against the wall.

Chen Ping turned to the side, not entering the ward, but simply moving closer to the door.

The sound inside wasn't loud, but the corridor was quiet, so you could make out the general idea.

"Sister-in-law, this drug is a newly launched targeted therapy from abroad. It hasn't been approved in China yet, but it's now being used in clinical trials."

Abroad, the effectiveness rate exceeds 60%, and many patients have experienced significant tumor shrinkage after taking it.

The middle-aged man's voice was unhurried, as if he were reading a script he had written countless times. He pronounced each word clearly, but without any emotion.

The woman's voice was soft and hoarse: "Can it really cure it?"

"It's not 'curable,' it's 'effective.' Clinical trials aren't a cure-all, but they offer hope. In your case, staying in the hospital is just for maintenance. Let's try this medicine; what if it works?" The middle-aged man spoke very cautiously.

The woman was silent.

The boy stood beside her, holding her hand, without saying a word.

The middle-aged man flipped through a few more pages and handed over the pen.

"Sister-in-law, look, this is the informed consent form. It clearly states that once you sign it, all examination and medication fees will be waived, and they'll even reimburse your living expenses. The patient will also receive the most advanced treatment. Isn't that a good thing?"

The middle-aged man was getting impatient and wanted to urge the woman to sign.

Chen Ping stood at the door and listened to every word.

He had never met this middle-aged man, nor had he seen the informed consent form in the man's hand. He didn't know what the targeted drug was made of, which company produced it, or what the clinical data was like.

But he had worked at the Municipal People's Hospital for five years and had seen too many of these kinds of things.

Pharmaceutical companies must undergo clinical trials to obtain approval numbers.

Clinical trials require patients, and large hospitals have the largest number of patients.

So the salespeople from these companies swarmed around the hospital wards like flies, specifically targeting desperate family members.

They kept saying things like "newly launched overseas," "efficacy rate over 60%," and "all fees are waived."

But they will never tell you that this drug has not yet undergone Phase I clinical trials in China, and it is still unknown whether it is safe for people.

If the effectiveness rate is 60%, then for the remaining 40% of people, it not only has no effect but may also accelerate their condition.

There's always a hidden cost behind those free things.

Chen Ping took a deep breath and pushed the door open to go inside.

The middle-aged man turned his head, saw Chen Ping, and frowned.

He didn't recognize Chen Ping. When Chen Ping barged in, his lips twitched slightly, showing a hint of impatience, but he didn't show it.

"Who is this?" The middle-aged man looked at Chen Ping and asked about the woman.

Chen Ping ignored him, walked over, and picked up the informed consent form from the bedside table.

He turned to the second page and glanced at the trial phase: "Phase I clinical trial".

He closed the folder, put it back on the bedside table, and turned to look at the woman.

"Sister-in-law, you can't sign this," Chen Ping said.

The woman's eyes flickered, her lips trembled, but she didn't speak.

The middle-aged man's expression changed, from polite to harsh.

"Who are you? What does the patient's situation have to do with you? I work for a legitimate pharmaceutical company. We have approval from the State Drug Administration. Everything is legal. What gives you the right to interfere with the patient's choices?" The middle-aged man was getting angry.

Chen Ping looked at him but didn't respond. He turned to the woman and said, "Phase I clinical trials are the first time a drug is tested on humans. Nobody knows whether this drug will save or harm people."

The woman's hand trembled slightly.

The boy looked up at Chen Ping, then at his mother, his little mouth pursed tightly.

Upon hearing Chen Ping's words, the middle-aged man's expression completely changed.

He took a step forward, his chest almost touching Chen Ping's shoulder, his fingers poking at Chen Ping's chest repeatedly with considerable force.

"Who do you think you are? Let me tell you, we have a formal cooperation agreement with the People's Hospital, and all the paperwork is in order. If you cause any more trouble here, I'll have security throw you out!"

Chen Ping glanced down at the finger poking his chest, but didn't move.

When the man poked for the third time, he raised his hand and grabbed the man's wrist.

It didn't take much force, but the position was perfect, fitting right into the gap between the ulna and radius.

The man's face turned from red to white, his mouth gaped open, and he hissed through his teeth as he tried to pull his hand back, but couldn't.

"Let go!" The man's voice rose half an octave, but his confidence was clearly waning.

Chen Ping released his grip, not looking at him, but at the woman.

The woman took a half step back, pulled the child behind her, her face showing panic and fear, but she wasn't afraid of the middle-aged man, she was afraid of Chen Ping.

"Sister-in-law, listen to me."

Chen Ping lowered his voice, so low that only the few people in the ward could hear him, "Your husband's illness hasn't reached that stage yet. It's not late-stage, he still has a chance. Whether you transfer to another hospital or are discharged, I'll help him with his treatment. I can't guarantee a cure, but I can promise to extend his life by one or two years."