Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Life
"Little Hui, you don't need to worry. The doctor said it's just a small illness, and you'll be discharged soon," Huang Shujun said with a gentle smile, chattering away nervously, fearing that Su Hao might overthink his condition.
"Yes, yes, no worries!" Luo Shengrong nodded eagerly.
"The doctor also mentioned that you've been overworking yourself these past years, which is why you fell ill. So, during this period, you shouldn't study —you need to rest properly."
"Yes, yes, rest!"
"To help you recover peacefully, we've moved in here at the hospital. And during this time, since you can't read, we'll keep you company so you don't get bored."
"Yes, yes, you're going to have fun!"
….
Su Hao listened attentively, pretending to be unaware of his actual condition. He nodded and promised his parents that he would focus on recovering and not think about anything else during this time.
Later, he discreetly went online and looked up "pancreatic cancer."
Pancreatic cancer is known as the "King of Cancers"… .
Reading this, Su Hao suddenly understood—it meant he was beyond saving. From the perspective of modern medicine, this was a terminal illness, and there was a high probability he wouldn't make it past nine months.
As Su Hao calmed down and analyzed his current situation, he realized that the universe was mysterious and unpredictable, but so was life. Humanity's understanding of life remained superficial, and most ailments couldn't be cured or even understood.
His own understanding of the human body was even more limited. Over the years, he had focused his studies on the natural sciences, neglecting the fundamental aspect of humanity—life itself. Even in his [Cosmic Light's system], there wasn't a single category dedicated to [Medicine].
Su Hao quietly entered the Marbel Space and added a new section behind all his existing categories, naming it [Medicine]. After some thought, he deleted it and renamed it [Life].
The end of medicine is the study of life itself.
Getting sick is a strong signal from the body—a cry for help when the organs and cells can no longer bear the strain.
So, what exactly is life? Flesh and blood, cells, chromosomes, nucleic acids, proteins?
No one knows for sure. All we know is that life is a miracle billions of years in the making.
The meaning of life surpasses human comprehension—why it begins, why it ends, and the purpose of living. No one has a definitive answer, and most people don't even bother pondering these questions.
But as Su Hao lay on his hospital bed, staring blankly at the [Life] section, he fell into deep contemplation for the first time.
Are these questions truly unanswerable?
Su Hao suddenly felt a powerful urge to explore.
….
The next day, Su Hao casually said, "Mom, I want to look at some medical books. Could you get me a Laptop?"
"No way!" Huang Shujun immediately refused. To her, her precious son had fallen ill precisely because he had exhausted himself studying.
Next to her, Luo Zhaoxin raised his hand and said, "Mom, if Brother wants to read, I want to read too."
Huang Shujun flew into a rare fury. She grabbed Luo Chaoxin and started spanking him, yelling, "Read, read, read what? Luo Zhaoxin, let me tell you, if you dare to place in the top twenty in your class, I'll break your legs, got it? From now on, just play! If I catch you reading or doing homework, you'll be in big trouble."
Joy came so suddenly that it felt like paradise—Luo Chaoxin was too stunned to even cryabout being spanked.
Su Hao scratched his head helplessly and turned to his father, trying a different approach. "Dad, I just want to read a little. Could you help me get a Laptop?"
Before Luo Shengrong could respond, Huang Shujun shouted, "No! I said no, and I mean no!"
She shot a glare at Luo Shengrong.
His softened resolve immediately hardened again, and he said with firm conviction, "Right, no mean's no!"
Huang Shujun then launched into a long-winded explanation, bombarding Su Hao with reasons why reading was harmful to his health. Her barrage of nonsense left Su Hao feeling dizzy and overwhelmed.
Seeing no other option, Su Hao changed his approach.
With a resolute look, he said, "Mom, you don't need to lie to me. I've known for a while—I have cancer, right? I have less than nine months to live, don't I?"
Huang Shujun and Luo Shengrong were stunned, their eyes wide open. Even Luo Chaoxin, not fully understanding, mimicked his parents' shocked expressions.
Tears welled up in Huang Shujun's eyes, streaming down like raindrops as she collapsed into her husband's arms.
Suddenly, she broke free and pointed an accusing finger at her husband, furious. "Luo Shengrong, tell me, did you tell Little Hui?"
Luo Shengrong jumped in fright, quickly waving his hands. "It wasn't me! It wasn't me!"
"If not you! Who else could it be?"
His eyes darted around and landed on the bewildered face of Luo Chaoxin. He quickly pointed at him. "Maybe it was Little Xin!"
Huang Shujun's fiery gaze turned to Luo Chaoxin. "Luo Chaoxin, was it you?"
Luo Chaoxin looked utterly confused. 'Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to do?'
Seeing this, Su Hao chuckled and said, "Stop guessing. No one told me—I peeked when you weren't paying attention."
Huang Shujun stopped, her voice trembling as she asked, "Little Hui… aren't you upset?"
"Of course I am!" Su Hao replied bluntly. "But what's the point of being upset? It won't change the reality."
The room fell into a brief, heavy silence.
Sensing the tension, and seeing his mother's tears welling up again, Su Hao quickly added, "Mom, I know you mean well. But what's done is done, and it's irreversible. In the time I have left, can I live the way I want? I just want to read."
Choking back her tears, Huang Shujun said, "But the doctor said that maintaining a positive attitude could lead to recovery. So during this period, you shouldn't stress yourself out. Just listen to your mom, okay?"
Su Hao reassured her, "Don't worry, I'll cooperate with the treatment, and I promise not to overexert myself. I'll only read for a little while each day."
Huang Shujun hesitated, but Su Hao continued, "Mom, don't you remember? Your son is a genius. Let me study my illness—maybe I can find a way to cure it."
Luo Shengrong snapped his fingers, and the clouds of worry lifted from his face. "He's right!"
Seizing the momentum, Su Hao added, "It's not just right—there's a saying: 'Relying on oneself is better than relying on others.' My life is in my hands. Believe in me; I might just make it."
In the end, Huang Shujun was persuaded. She agreed to bring Su Hao a computer and buy him some medical and life sciences books.
The condition was that he could only use the Laptop for up to four hours a day, after which it would be taken away.
But such conditions were essentially meaningless to Su Hao. Once he got his hands on the computer, he would simply scan all the relevant medical and life sciences knowledge into the Marbel Space, where he could access it freely.
After settling Su Hao's request, Huang Shujun turned her attention to Luo Chaoxin.
"Little Xin, tomorrow Mommy will sign you up for extracurricular classes. You'll learn painting, piano, dance, taekwondo, swimming, table tennis… you need to build a strong and healthy body, understand?"
Luo Chaoxin felt like he had been thrown from paradise straight into hell.