"Tell her to come back. Our daughter hasn't returned home, and you don't even seem to care. All you do is go out shopping." Aaron rubbed his temples and ordered, "Prepare the car, we're going to the hospital."
When Aaron finally arrived at the hospital, he saw the unconscious Zuri.
Kaden glanced at the newly arrived Mr. Lin, a cold smile curling his lips. "Mr. Lin, the chairman of the Lin family, is indeed a busy man. Your family sure knows how to keep themselves occupied."
An entire day and night had passed without any sign of the Lin family looking for Zuri, revealing just how little they valued her.
Kaden had long understood that there was no real affection in wealthy families, especially for someone like Zuri, who had only recently been acknowledged as a daughter.
Aaron felt a pang of awkwardness at the rebuke and asked, "How is she?"
"She's not dead yet," Kaden replied curtly, holding back his anger, unwilling to show Aaron any kindness.
Aaron, feeling the tension, turned to the nurse for an update. The nurse informed him that Zuri had a high fever and was in a coma, but she should wake up by the evening at the latest.
However, the expected awakening did not occur.
"Doctor, what is going on?" Aaron asked, concerned.
The doctor was at a loss. "The patient's fever has subsided, and all her vitals are normal. By all accounts, she should have woken up. Let's run a full examination again."
The results still showed no issues.
Both Aaron and Kaden, along with the doctor, began to sense something was wrong.
Aaron started to panic. Zuri was crucial to the Lin family's future, a key figure in their connection to influential circles.
Dalia, having received the news, rushed to the hospital with Saira.
As soon as Aaron saw Dalia, he slapped her across the face. "What kind of mother are you? Our daughter is hospitalized, and you're just arriving now!"
"Father, Mother only just found out. She came immediately upon hearing about sister's condition," Saira interjected to defend Dalia.
Aaron glared at Saira. "Shut up."
Dalia, holding her cheek, felt the sting of humiliation under the scrutiny of the onlookers. Her eyes filled with resentment, but when she looked up, she showed only hurt and distress. "Honey, don't be angry. How is Zuri now?"
Kaden, sitting nearby, observed the family's drama with cold disdain.
Dalia approached the doctor anxiously, "Doctor, what's wrong with my daughter?"
The doctor hesitated, "Your daughter had a fever and fell into a coma. The fever has subsided, and she should have woken up by now. It's possible that there might be an issue here," he said, pointing to the head.
"We need to do further observation."
The next day, Zuri remained in a coma, showing no signs of waking, despite all tests coming back normal.
"Doctor, is there nothing else we can do?" Aaron asked, growing increasingly desperate.
"There is one option. If you can get in touch with Dr. Adam, the world-renowned neurology expert, he might be able to help. This case is quite unusual; in all my years of practice, I've never seen anything like it."
"Getting Adam is impossible. Does this mean my daughter is..." Dalia's voice choked with emotion as she covered her face.
Aaron, having a sudden thought, picked up Zuri's phone and dialed a number.
In the capital, at the Ye family residence, Leo glanced at the caller ID, a smile playing on his lips.
Could it be that the little girl was calling him voluntarily?
"Little girl!"
Aaron was momentarily stunned, a flicker of hope in his eyes.
"Mr. Ye, this is Zuri's father," Aaron replied, slightly embarrassed.
Leo paused. "Mr. Lin, what can I do for you?" His tone was noticeably cooler.
"Mr. Ye, I have a favor to ask. Can you contact Dr. Adam?" Aaron's voice was filled with concern.
"Is something wrong?" Leo felt a sudden unease.
"Zuri is in trouble. She's been in a coma for three days and hasn't woken up. The hospital can't find any issues. We need Dr. Adam, the top specialist."
Leo's heart sank. "I understand."
After hanging up, Leo quickly called his chief assistant, Fang Xiang. "Prepare the plane. We're flying to Oceanic City immediately."
Leo hurried downstairs, where he ran into Azura, who was returning to her room.
"Uncle, what's going on? Why are you in such a hurry?" Azura asked, seeing his anxious expression.
"Zuri is in trouble," Leo replied.
"What?!" Azura exclaimed, quickly following him. "I'll go with you."
The two hurried out of the Ye family residence, only to be stopped at the door by Ye Tianming.
"Azura, where do you think you're going again?" Ye Tianming asked, frustration evident in his voice as he looked at his daughter.
"Where I go is none of your business," Azura snapped back impatiently.
Leo intervened, "Brother, we need to go back to Oceanic City."
"What's so urgent that you have to leave now? Can't it wait until tomorrow? Your second brother is coming back tonight," Ye Tianming said, frowning.
"I have urgent matters to attend to," Leo replied, not wanting to explain further as he got into the car.
Azura followed, but Ye Tianming grabbed her arm. "Your uncle has something to deal with. You don't need to get involved."
Azura was furious. "My friend is in trouble, and you call that 'getting involved'? I don't have your cold heart, able to watch my loved ones suffer. Move aside."
She shoved Ye Tianming aside and slammed the car door shut.
Ye Tianming watched his daughter leave, both angry and helpless.
"Brother, go back inside. I'll take care of Azura," Leo assured him.
As the car left the courtyard, Leo tried contacting Adam, but the call went unanswered. He then reached out to Adam's assistant.
"Mr. Ye, Dr. Feng is currently in a research session, and we can't interrupt him. He doesn't like being disturbed during his work," the assistant explained.
"Where are you located? I'll come in person," Leo said firmly.
The assistant hesitated, "Mr. Ye, that's not really possible. Let me try to reach him first and see if he'll respond."
"Alright."
After hanging up, the assistant suited up in sterile protective gear and entered the lab. Through the thick glass door, he could see Dr. Feng engrossed in his work. He hesitated, remembering that Dr. Feng had removed the doorbell last month to avoid interruptions.
With no other option, the assistant began tapping on the reinforced glass, hoping to catch Dr. Feng's attention.
However, the quality of the glass was too good, and the sound was completely muffled. Just as the assistant was about to give up, Dr. Feng turned around, his tired, bloodshot eyes meeting the assistant's gaze.
Friends who like this novel, "The superstar wants to slack off",please add it to your collection, throw a small stone and vote for me. Thank you all for your support!!!
The assistant, overjoyed, stood outside, practically dancing with excitement. Adam, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses and rubbing his brow with one finger, emerged from the lab. Dressed in a pristine white lab coat, he exuded a sense of detachment and an almost ascetic aura.
"What's the matter?" His slightly hoarse voice, combined with a deep and unique tone, was almost electric, sending a shiver down the listener's spine. The assistant couldn't help but think that it was a great loss to voice acting enthusiasts that Professor Adam wasn't a voice actor. Then again, considering Adam's outstanding contributions to medicine, it seemed he was indeed best suited for helping humanity.
"Mr. Feng, Mr. Ye is looking for you. It seems urgent." The assistant handed him the phone.
Adam took the phone and redialed the number. "What's the issue?" he asked coolly once the call connected.
"A friend of mine is in trouble. The doctors are at a loss. You're the expert in this field," Leo responded.
"Details?" Adam inquired calmly.
"High fever, followed by coma. The fever has subsided, but there's no sign of waking up. It's been three days."
As Adam walked out, he continued, "Several possibilities for this condition include severe acute infection, cerebrovascular disease, intracranial space-occupying lesion, brain tumor, brain abscess, physical trauma, or hypoxia. Have these been ruled out?"
"We've checked; none of those conditions are present. That's why I'm asking you to come," Leo said gravely. The unknown was the most frightening.
The elevator ascended from the minus eleventh floor to the ground floor.
"Got it," Adam said.
"When will you arrive?" Leo's usually steady voice betrayed a hint of urgency.
Adam raised an eyebrow, a faint, almost mocking smile tugging at his lips. "Wait for me." He hung up abruptly.
Leo looked at the phone, a vein throbbing on his forehead. This brat! He conveniently forgot that Adam was older than him, though by seniority, Leo was the elder.
A private plane landed smoothly at Oceanic City International Airport. Azura followed her uncle off the plane and into the waiting car.
"Mr. Ye, heading to Lakeside Island?" the driver asked. It was already late at night, and it made sense to go there to rest, but he asked anyway.
"No, to Reid Hospital. Later, take Miss Azura to Lakeside Island," Leo replied.
Azura protested, "No, I want to stay with Zuri at the hospital."
Zuri was her first friend in Oceanic City, the first person who treated her sincerely, without flattery or caution. Now that her friend was in trouble, how could she stand by idly?
Seeing the determination in her eyes, Leo didn't insist.
At Reid Hospital, they found only Kaden by the bedside, with no sign of the Lin family. Leo's gaze fell on the pale, unconscious Zuri, her eyes tightly shut and brows slightly furrowed. He stepped forward, reaching out to touch her cheek, but a hand blocked his way.
Leo looked up, seemingly just noticing Kaden. Their gazes met—Leo's deep and sharp, Kaden's youthful yet defiant. Sparks seemed to fly in the air between them.
"What are you doing here? Where's the Lin family?" Azura's voice broke the silent standoff.
Kaden responded coldly, "They're all dead."
One sentence made it clear to Azura and Leo what was happening.
"How could they do this? Just because she wasn't raised with them, they think they can ignore Zuri?" Azura fumed, her anger rising.
Leo gently brushed her forehead, smoothing her frown. What could cause her such distress and pain, even in her dreams?
Noticing the dark circles under Kaden's eyes, Azura said, "You should go rest. My uncle and I will stay here."
Kaden didn't move.
Azura continued, "If you stay and Zuri wakes up to find you collapsed, do you want to worry her even more? Don't make things harder for her; she's already been through enough."
Despite Azura's chiding, Kaden remained silent, his mind replaying the scene of Zuri holding Fu Siyuan, filled with pain, guilt, and despair. Finally, he stood and left without a word.
Watching him leave, Leo's gaze softened slightly as he looked at Azura. Finally, this girl was proving useful.
Azura, oblivious to her uncle's thoughts, focused entirely on the unconscious Zuri, feeling a deep sorrow. She held Zuri's hand. "How can a fever get this bad?"
Leo's phone rang, and he stepped out to take the call.
A raspy voice came through the line, "King, I've got news on what you asked me to investigate... The rat Rui is hiding in a warehouse in Huifeng New District."
"Keep an eye on him," Leo's voice was cold and emotionless.
"Don't worry, a small fry like him can't escape my grasp."
After ending the call, Leo's cold expression vanished as he re-entered the room.
The next day, the Lin family finally arrived, minus Christian. The others, led by Saira, who was noticeably well-dressed, entered the room.
"Aaron reminded Saira, "If Leo comes by today, make sure you seize the opportunity." This implied that with Zuri possibly out of the picture, Saira should step in.
Saira understood that this was her chance. If she could divert Leo's attention from Zuri to herself, she'd gain a more secure position within the Lin family. Her father only valued Zuri for her connections to the Ye and Feng families. Now, with Zuri possibly never waking up and becoming useless, Saira felt she deserved to take her place.
"Dad, I understand," Saira replied obediently. Her outfit today was styled entirely after Zuri's.
"Don't disappoint me," Aaron reiterated.
Dalia added with a smile, "Don't worry, honey. Saira knows what's at stake."
Outside, holding breakfast, Azura nearly gagged at the Lin family's behavior. Were they already treating Zuri as if she were dead? So eager to take everything from her.
Suddenly, the restroom door opened, and Leo stepped out, his expression cold. His gaze swept over the three, lingering on Saira for a moment, a flash of disgust in his eyes.
Aaron and his family stood awkwardly, the atmosphere thick with tension, making it hard for them to breathe.
Friends who like this novel, "The superstar wants to slack off",please add it to your collection, throw a small stone and vote for me. Thank you all for your support!!!
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