Chapter 76: A Minor Issue

“What?” Lin Chunhua’s expression shifted slightly, his voice growing grave.

“Xiaofan, are you drunk?”

“If you’re drunk and talking nonsense, I won’t hold it against you, alright?”

Yet Zeng Xiaofan remained serious, raising his voice, “Mayor Lin, I’m telling you, you have stomach cancer.”

“You can’t drink any more. If you have even one more glass, you’ll start vomiting blood.”

The entire room fell silent at his words, the mood turning tense.

Lin Chunhua forced a crooked smile, shaking his head, “Xiaofan... I know you don’t like people saying your medical skills are just dumb luck.”

“But you can’t curse me just because you’re upset, can you?”

“Me, stomach cancer? Come on... Don’t be ridiculous. We government workers have annual medical checkups, all paid for.”

“I had one just half a month ago—there’s nothing wrong with my stomach, it’s perfectly fine!”

“My tolerance for alcohol is among the best of all the town’s leadership!”

His words drew a roar of laughter from the group, everyone looking at Zeng Xiaofan with mocking amusement, while Xie Weifeng laughed openly,

“See? No one believes your act anymore.”

“Zeng Xiaofan, if you don’t have the skills, don’t pretend. You’re just making a fool of yourself!”

Zeng Xiaofan only shrugged, replying coolly, “I’ve said my piece. If you don’t believe me, Mayor Lin, then go ahead and drink.”

“Haha, Xiaofan, since you’re making such a fuss, I really have to drink this!”

“I don’t believe I’ll start vomiting blood after just one glass!”

Lin Chunhua tipped his head back and downed the glass in one go as the others followed suit, raising their glasses in unison.

“Cheers!” they shouted together, the room lively once more.

“Well, Xiaofan?” someone called. “Do I look like I’m about to vomit blood?” Lin Chunhua turned his empty glass upside down to show Zeng Xiaofan.

But even as he finished speaking, his stomach churned violently and his throat convulsed.

The onlookers were startled, but Lin Chunhua forced himself to swallow it down, suppressing the urge.

“Cough, cough... Sorry, drank too fast...” Tears nearly welled in Lin Chunhua’s eyes, but he managed a strained smile.

“Xiaofan—”

Before he could finish, he doubled over and, unable to hold back, spewed forth a mouthful.

He thought it would be just liquor, but the moment it came out, a bright red stained the scene.

He had vomited blood.

A gasp swept through the room.

“How... how is this possible?”

“The mayor... the mayor really vomited blood?”

“Did he actually predict this?”

“Does the mayor really have stomach cancer?”

Everyone began talking at once, all staring at Zeng Xiaofan in shock, but he simply smiled and turned to a young man nearby.

“You get diarrhea whenever you get up early, don’t you? No matter what you eat for breakfast, if you wake up in a rush, you’ll always get diarrhea, right?”

The young man looked dumbfounded. “How... how did you know?”

Zeng Xiaofan gave no answer, just turned to another person.

“You have heart disease. You have gallstones. You have kidney stones. You had a stent put in your heart. You have hepatitis B...”

He went down the line, naming each person’s ailment. Each was left stunned when their turn came.

The first question from every mouth was, “How did you know?”

Everyone was astounded by Zeng Xiaofan’s medical skill.

After a brief stunned silence, the room erupted again.

“This... this is unbelievable. He only looked at me once and knew my illness?”

“Yeah, it’s almost supernatural!”

“I’ve never told anyone about my hepatitis B. How could he know?”

“This is strange... really strange... Is he actually a miracle doctor?”

Xie Weifeng, however, scoffed with disdain.

“Hmph! You’re all falling for his nonsense!”

“No one has such exaggerated medical skills. He’s either bluffing or he’s secretly read your medical reports.”

“I don’t believe a word. Otherwise, why doesn’t he say what’s wrong with me?”

Zeng Xiaofan smiled faintly, “I was trying to save you some face...”

“But since you want to know, I’ll tell you.”

“Xie Weifeng, your syphilis is already in the secondary stage, yet you still haven’t sought treatment?”

“If I’m not mistaken, you’ve already got lesions down there, haven’t you?”

“Syphilis and genital warts, both at once... Your private life is pretty wild, isn’t it?”

Xie Weifeng was struck as if by lightning.

“You—”

“No—”

“You’re lying!”

“I don’t have warts, just a little bump or two...”

“It’s not syphilis or genital warts!”

“You’re slandering me! I’ll sue you for defamation!”

Xie Weifeng rambled in panic, his agitation obvious to everyone.

At once, people edged away from him. Others, realizing, quickly distanced themselves from Xie Weifeng’s girlfriend, Zhou Tingting.

Zhou Tingting was embarrassed, angry, and anxious. “Xie Weifeng... is what he said true?”

“You scoundrel!”

“You’re riddled with diseases and you still wanted to sleep with me last night?”

“Thank goodness I didn’t let you!”

“You shameless pig!”

Xie Weifeng hurried to explain, “No! Really, don’t listen to him!”

“Oh? If you’re sure, then let’s draw some blood and have it tested—dare you?”

Zhou Tingting reached for her medical kit; as a resident doctor, she always carried some equipment.

“No, no, that’s not necessary!”

“No blood tests... I... I faint at the sight of blood!”

“I’m afraid of blood...” Xie Weifeng waved his hands frantically, and, unable to bear the stares of the crowd, bolted from the room.

“I don’t have it! I swear I don’t!” he shouted, fleeing in disgrace.

The crowd erupted in surprise—by now, it was obvious to all that he was indeed ill.

After Xie Weifeng left, everyone turned wary, disdainful eyes toward Zhou Tingting, clearly assuming she was infected too.

Zhou Tingting, unable to defend herself, could only glare after Xie Weifeng’s retreating figure and shout,

“Xie Weifeng, you bastard!”

“We’re finished! I’m breaking up with you for good!”

Yet, no matter how loudly she declared it, she couldn’t change the way everyone looked at her.

Zeng Xiaofan shook his head and said calmly,

“Zhou Tingting... how strange.”

“You’re his girlfriend, but you haven’t contracted any STDs.”

“Seems you two haven’t actually slept together yet...”

At this, the crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief; it was clear everyone now believed Zeng Xiaofan implicitly.

“Mind your own business!” Zhou Tingting snapped, though inwardly she felt a measure of gratitude.

After all, if Zeng Xiaofan had kept silent, she would never have been able to explain herself in the future.

Zeng Xiaofan shrugged lightly, “You may not have an STD... but...”

At that word, everyone perked up, listening closely.

Zhou Tingting’s face tensed, fearing he’d name some serious illness.

But Zeng Xiaofan simply smiled and said,

“But you do have a minor issue—bleeding hemorrhoids.”