79.4%, 71.9%, 65.2%, and 45.8%!
These are the survival rates for heart transplant patients after 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, and 10 years, respectively.
Lin Jie used to yearn day and night for a healthy heart, but now he clearly understands that having a new heart doesn't mean everything will be worry-free.
Organ transplant patients need long-term medication to prevent rejection of the transplanted organ.
However, every medicine has its toxicity, and long-term medication not only severely damages organs like the liver but also significantly reduces the body's immunity.
In the end, organ transplant patients either die from organ failure due to rejection or from other organ toxicities induced by long-term medication, or from other illnesses caught due to weakened immunity.
Lin Jie's situation is more complex; there's another soul living in his heart!
He doesn't know whether this condition will ultimately enhance or weaken his health, but after knowing the survival rate data, he sets his expected life span to ten years.
Not to mention, with his current level of education, the possibility of getting into a medical college is uncertain. Even if he gets in and eventually becomes a doctor, it would take eight years; he might not even earn back the tuition before he kicks the bucket.
Lin Jie, eating popcorn, slowly walked along the sidewalk, thinking about the monthly medication cost of around five thousand and worriedly pondering his future.
These days, he's been searching online for German translation work.
Unfortunately, in a cosmopolitan city like Binhai City, German is not an uncommon language, so temporary translation work is genuinely hard to find.
Lin Miao is keeping a close eye on him and definitely won't allow him to leave home to do a full-time job, at least not within the next six months.
Lin Jie softly muttered to himself, "Lanruo, do you have any suggestions for my work?"
"I've got to find something to do, at least earn the monthly five thousand medication fee. I can't expect Miaomiao to carry everything on her own!"
Shen Lanruo's voice immediately rang out, "The main issue is your age, you're a bit too young!"
"Otherwise, given your medical skills, fabricating a few fake certificates and some credentials to work in a hospital wouldn't be a problem. Even if you had a genuine degree from the Yale School of Medicine now, no one would believe it!"
She paused thoughtfully, and then continued, "Given your actual situation, I suggest you become a black market doctor!"
"Black market doctor?" Lin Jie was a bit puzzled!
"Just like that surgery in the morning, in the United States, there are many gunshot wounds, traumas, and certain surgeries that, for various reasons, cannot be treated in regular medical institutions. This is where some clinics and black market doctors come in."
"I think, domestically, there must be quite a few similar situations."
"These kinds of doctors can make money quickly and earn a lot, though there are considerable dangers involved. It seems more fitting for your current situation."
Lin Jie directly cracked a wry smile and said gloomily, "Lanruo, the country has strict control over firearms, and there's a strong crackdown on gang groups, so there shouldn't be much demand for such surgeries."
"Even if there is, I currently lack the conditions and connections to get involved."
The soul residing in Lin Jie's heart, Shen Lanruo, softly said, "I grew up abroad and am not too familiar with the domestic situation."
"I think you should first focus on recovering your physical health!"
"One surgery could last several hours, even more than ten hours. With your current physical condition, you might collapse before the surgery even ends."
Lin Jie looked at his wrist, which his thumb and index finger could encircle, and knew he couldn't be too hasty. As they say, 'where there's a will, there's a way.' It's better to focus on regaining his health first.
At that moment, a clear and slightly dissatisfied voice reached Lin Jie's ears, "Ping, it's precisely because I feel sorry for Nannan that I risked being fired to help you…"
He turned in the direction of the voice and saw a young woman in a work uniform, impatiently switching her phone from her left ear to her right!
Lin Jie instantly recognized the woman as the employee who had persuaded that mother and daughter pair in the movie theater.
Her words caught Lin Jie's attention, so he slowed his pace slightly, came a little closer, and listened intently.
"This can only happen once. Nobody's a fool, and with information spreading so rapidly nowadays, if you and Nannan stage this too often, others will suspect you're doing it deliberately…"
Upon hearing this, Lin Jie didn't continue to listen.
He already understood that the mother and daughter in the cinema were putting on a show for everyone.
He couldn't help but sigh a little in his heart.
Lin Jie wasn't particularly repulsed by the actions of the young mother.
He merely hoped that her intentions were genuinely for treating the little girl's brain tumor, rather than using the girl as an excuse to garner sympathy and assistance under false pretenses.
"Children who cry the loudest get the milk. As long as you can make a fuss, draw attention, you'll get resources. But unfortunately, in your current situation, the more low-key, the better!"
Listening to Shen Lanruo, Lin Jie felt a lot of emotions!
From childhood to adulthood, both he and Lin Miao have always been subjected to a different kind of attention, and he has always felt uncomfortable about it.
Right now, the thing he least wanted was the attention of others.
Lin Jie took the subway, then walked back to the community. He bought a whole chicken, a fish, and some greens at the nearby market. Just as he was about to prepare dinner at home, his neighbor Kong Mingqing knocked and entered.
Before Lin Jie could ask, Kong Mingqing spoke first, "I just came back from the hospital, the doctor said Zhang Li's condition is stable, she's no longer in danger, and Chen is alright too!"
After saying this, he plopped down on the sofa, covering his face with both hands, and tears trickled through his fingers.
Lin Jie didn't know what to say, so he just pushed the tissue box on the coffee table a bit closer to him.
Kong Mingqing didn't use the tissues at all, he just wiped his face with his large hand. After letting out a breath, he slapped himself a few times heavily.
This unexpected action startled Lin Jie. He said, "Brother Kong, what are you doing? Aren't Sister Zhang and Kong Xingchen both out of danger?"
Kong Mingqing, filled with remorse, said, "Chen accidentally fired a gun while playing with it, and the bullet hit Zhang Li. What I should have done was call 911 immediately, but I hesitated, I wavered."
"It was because of Sister Zhang's concern, and also my own worry!"
"I... I'm not a man!"
After saying this, he raised his hand to hit himself again!
Lin Jie quickly grabbed his hand, persuading him, "Brother Kong, if you're going to slap yourself, do it in front of Sister Zhang, doing it here in front of me is such a waste!"
Kong Mingqing glared at Lin Jie a bit angrily, but he lowered his hand.
"The doctor didn't suspect my story about the accidental fall and the stomach getting pierced by a steel bar, but he did ask a lot of questions about Zhang Li's surgery. In my panic, I said a doctor friend helped."
He stared at Lin Jie and said suspiciously, "That doctor said this laparotomy, debridement, and suturing was done perfectly, just the suturing alone couldn't have been done without at least ten years of experience."
"Lin Jie, you grew up right under my watch, and I don't remember you ever studying medicine!"
At this, Kong Mingqing's gaze became sharp, and his tone became solemn!
"Most people freak out or get at least flustered at the sight of bloody scenes. But you calmly opened the abdomen and finished an impossible surgery!"
"Lin Jie, can you tell me why?"
Lin Jie felt like his gaze was a sharp sword piercing his heart, trying to reveal all the secrets he had hidden.
Darn it, it's that occupational habit kicking in, treating me like a suspect for interrogation!
Lin Jie's face turned serious, and he asked coldly, "Brother Kong, are you interrogating me?"
Upon Lin Jie's question, Kong Mingqing immediately realized there was a problem with his tone and attitude, and quickly softened his tone, saying, "Ah...no...no! I was just curious, just curious, please tell me!"
Lin Jie also knew he needed to give a somewhat reasonable explanation because his actions were too abnormal!
But this matter was inherently miraculous, and he figured that even if he told the truth, no one would believe him!
He thought for a moment and said, "Brother Kong, what if I told you I became a good doctor due to long illness, and to cure myself, I self-taught a lot of medical skills at home, and like Zhu Yuanzhang having a dream in which everything becomes clear, after performing the surgery myself, I knew everything?"
"Would you believe this explanation?"
Kong Mingqing looked at Lin Jie for a while, then slowly shook his head, "Theoretical knowledge maybe, but surgery... impossible!"
Lin Jie spread his hands and said helplessly, "Alright then, I'll tell you the truth!"
He pointed to his chest area and said seriously, "The original owner of this heart was a very skilled surgeon. This heart carries the original owner's memories and skills, which I have fully received."
"That's the real reason why I can perform surgery."
Kong Mingqing's face gradually turned unpleasant, and he said discontentedly, "Lin Jie, if you really don't want to say, I won't force you, but there's no need to make up such nonsense!"
Lin Jie snickered to himself, sure enough, no one believes the truth!
He also feigned discontent and said, "I told you before, I was self-taught. The problem is you don't believe it!"
"Surgery is a highly practical skill, how could you expect me to believe you?" Kong Mingqing persisted.
Lin Jie didn't speak anymore, he got up and took the chicken and a small knife from the kitchen and started a live demonstration of butchering the chicken.
Watching Lin Jie dissect a complete, clean chicken skeleton in less than a minute, Kong Mingqing couldn't help but widen his eyes, looking at him with an expression as if he'd seen a ghost, "You practiced your skills on chickens?"
Lin Jie nodded, proudly saying, "Not just chickens, but also ducks, geese, fish, and occasionally rabbits!"
This time Kong Mingqing believed him, but he also internally tagged Lin Jie as a perverted genius!
The more he looked at Lin Jie, the more he felt that this clean-looking, harmless boy with a smiling face was somewhat disconcerting,
Kong Mingqing stood up, took a wad of cash out of his pocket, and stuffed it into Lin Jie's hand, "Take this as life-saving money or a shut-up fee, but you must accept it!"