"Everyone, all the balut (fertilized duck eggs) for today are sold out! Thank you for your support! Please come back tomorrow!"

Zhou Yang smiled and cupped his hands in greeting to the customers who were still in line.

He was preparing to pack up the stall with Xu Yao when a small commotion suddenly broke out in the crowd.

Immediately afterwards, a middle-aged man with messy hair and wrinkled clothes rushed out.

With a look of anxiety and despair on his face, he knelt down in front of Zhou Yang's stall with a "plop" amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd.

Zhou Yang frowned slightly, somewhat surprised by this unexpected gift.

Xu Yao immediately stepped forward, her pretty face showing wariness: "What are you doing? Let's talk this out! Get up!"

What's this guy trying to do? Stage an accident? Or use moral blackmail?

The middle-aged man remained kneeling on the ground, raising his weathered and bloodshot face, his voice hoarse and thick with nasal tone.

"Master Zhou, I... my name is Chen Li. My daughter has leukemia and is lying in the city hospital! The doctor said she needs a bone marrow transplant, which will cost more than 500,000 yuan in total..."

"I've emptied my family's savings, and borrowed from all my relatives and friends, but I'm still short 300,000!"

“I really have no other choice. I’ve heard that online celebrities have a lot of influence these days. I know your name is Zhou Yang and you have a lot of fans. I would like to ask you to help me call on netizens to donate money to help me.”

Chen Li clasped his hands together, his eyes bloodshot as he looked at Zhou Yang: "If you can raise enough money to save my daughter, I will write down the names of every netizen I met online, and I will work hard for the rest of my life to pay them back! I beg you, please save my daughter! She is only eight years old!"

As he spoke, tears streamed down his face like beads from a broken string.

He kowtowed heavily several times, his forehead hitting the rough ground with a dull thud.

Upon seeing this, the surrounding customers and passersby stopped in their tracks and began to whisper among themselves.

Some were sympathetic, some were skeptical, and some even took out their phones to film.

Leukemia? Still short 300,000?

Zhou Yang's heart stirred slightly. He was not a heartless person, but he would not easily believe based on just one side of the story.

He paused for a moment, then spoke calmly but with an undeniable authority: "Get up first. Words alone are not enough. I need to go to the hospital to check on your daughter's condition and verify the information you provided."

“If everything is true, I will find a way to get the money. You don’t need to ask netizens for donations. There are too many variables in that kind of thing, and it’s easy for people to take advantage of you.”

Zhou Yang was actually very reluctant to donate, since many donation platforms would take a large cut from the donations.

A netizen may donate one million yuan, but the person seeking help may receive less than one hundred thousand yuan. Moreover, many of these donations are fabricated to gain sympathy.

But if Chen Li's daughter really does have leukemia and needs money, Zhou Yang wouldn't mind helping her out.

Upon hearing this, Chen Li felt as if he had seen a glimmer of light in the endless darkness.

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes flashing with disbelief, and his voice trembled.

"Master Zhou... Master Zhou, are you... are you telling the truth?"

"I, Zhou Yang, always keep my word."

Zhou Yang responded calmly.

"Thank you! Thank you, Master Zhou!"

Chen Li was so excited that he was incoherent, and tears streamed down his face. He bent down again and thumped his head three times.

His forehead was red and swollen, and even oozing blood.

"I'll take you there right away! I'll take you there right away!"

He scrambled to his feet, not even bothering to wipe the tears from his face or the dust from his forehead, and immediately set off to lead the way.

The fans watching couldn't help but sigh in amazement.

"My goodness, Mr. Zhou is so kind! He agreed so quickly?"

"That's a real man! He takes responsibility!"

"Waaaaah, I'm so touched I cried! I've made the right choice in becoming a fan!"

Zhou Yang gave Xu Yao a wink, and Xu Yao understood. The two followed Chen Li and soon arrived at the nearby Jindu First People's Hospital.

Inpatient Department, Hematology Ward.

A faint smell of disinfectant filled the air.

On the hospital bed lay a thin little girl with a sallow complexion.

Because of chemotherapy, his hair had been shaved off, and his small head looked particularly fragile on the large hospital bed.

Her eyes were closed, her brows slightly furrowed, as if she wasn't sleeping soundly.

Chen Li's eyes welled up with tears again when he saw his daughter.

He carefully took a stack of documents from the bedside table and handed them to Zhou Yang with both hands.

"Master Zhou, this...this is my daughter's diagnosis certificate, hospitalization record, and payment receipt..."

Zhou Yang took the documents and began to carefully review them.

Medical records, examination reports, expense lists... everything was clear and exactly as Chen Li had described.

More importantly, when Zhou Yang's gaze fell on the little girl, he could clearly sense the extremely faint life force emanating from her, as well as the lingering aura of illness in her breath, which was definitely not a disguise.

It seems to be true; the girl's life force is indeed as fragile as a candle flickering in the wind.

Zhou Yang closed the document, looked at Chen Li, and said decisively, "I understand the situation. I'll pay the 300,000."

"thump!"

Chen Li's knees buckled again, and he knelt directly in front of Zhou Yang.

This time, he was so excited that he couldn't speak. He just kept kowtowing, tears blurring his vision, and he made choked sobs, as if he wanted to pour out all his despair and gratitude.

This is truly a lifesaver!

Zhou Yang quickly helped him up: "Alright, stop kneeling. Saving lives is the priority. Let's go pay the fees now."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!