Chapter 15

[Why did a wealthy woman go on a billion-dollar gifting spree?]
[Shocking! A young woman actually gifted a billion to a bald man!]
[A doctor openly accepts gifts; let’s investigate.]
[Hospital president turns streamer, raking in hundreds of millions!]
[The identity of the wealthy woman who spent a billion in a day is revealed...]
[Should live-streaming platforms be regulated? High-value gifting is detrimental to social development.]

For a time, the entire trending list was dominated by this story. Uninformed netizens clicking on the topics were immediately swayed by the narrative.

[Doctors are allowed to take gifts now? Can’t they just lower the medical bills instead?]
[A billion! What couldn't you do with that money instead of giving it to a streamer?]
[I suggest shutting down live-streaming platforms. I hate these idle streamers.]
[Isn't that wealthy woman’s taste a bit ridiculous?]
[Hey, you’re all being misled! This doctor is the president of a hospital; the woman was gifting as a form of donation. See this link for details (link).]
[Donation?]

Wu Ran had been following the situation closely. Even while on the clock, she was secretly checking the trending topics. Upon opening them, she realized most were misleading and lacked context. Only one post clearly explained why Xia had been gifting. However, the comments beneath it were far from kind.

[Why use a live-streaming platform to donate? It’s just for clout!]
[The platform takes half; the hospital only gets five hundred million. It would be better to just wire the money directly to the hospital.]
[Who knows if it’s a real donation or a publicity stunt? There are so many clout-chasers these days. The hospital president should be investigated too.]
[So rich! Look at me, you wealthy woman, I’m your long-lost son!]
[Half the money just goes to the platform. Speechless.]
[You guys don't have to be like this. She donated money at least. Why are you keyboard warriors criticizing her? Have you ever donated a single cent?]

Wu Ran typed her comments with a pout, feeling these attacks were completely unnecessary. If the wealthy woman wanted clout, she could have just flaunted her status. Besides, the woman hadn't even shown her face yet—what kind of publicity stunt was this? She dove into the keyboard war, her furious typing causing her nearby colleague to wonder if she had suddenly become an overachiever. Only after seeing she was just posting in a thread did the colleague breathe a sigh of relief and return to goofing off. The scariest thing in this world is realizing your colleague is working hard while you’re slacking off.

It was then that a news interview video quietly climbed to the top of the trending list.

[Ms. Xia’s billion-dollar donation for families of the critically ill sparks heated debate.]
[Recently, our city’s reporter Qian Xiao interviewed President Zhang of the hospital. According to President Zhang, Ms. Xia’s donation was made because...]

***

After engaging in three hundred rounds of battle with the keyboard warriors, Wu Ran finally saw the news report. She clicked the video to see a reporter with a ponytail introduce herself and her outlet before following the camera into the hospital.

The footage began with an interview with the hospital president who had received the gifts. Watching the interview, Wu Ran clenched her fists upon learning that while Ms. Xia had spent eighty-seven million, the hospital only received twenty-something million after the platform's cut.

The video then turned to why Ms. Xia had decided to donate: an author she admired had fallen ill. When the reporter interviewed the author, her face was blurred. Only her parents appeared to speak on her behalf. Wu Ran was stunned to hear them say their daughter had acute leukemia, costing ten thousand yuan a day. Ten thousand a day—it was no wonder they were forced to borrow money everywhere.

Kang Honghou, the father, recounted their hardships: holding signs on the street, kneeling to beg for help, and shamelessly borrowing from friends and family. They had sold almost everything they owned. Even when people donated, very little of it actually reached their hands.

"We are deeply grateful for Ms. Xia's help," the parents said to the camera. "If not for her, Xinxin wouldn't be able to continue treatment. Thank you, Ms. Xia!" They bowed to the lens.

The reporter then moved from the ward to interview other families of the critically ill. Some patients lay on their beds, skeletal yet refusing to give up on life. Some family members remained silent, only breaking down in tears once they were alone outside the ward. Some relatives argued over who should pay for the elderly’s medical expenses, only to suddenly want to take them home once the donations arrived.

Yet, most bowed at the end of their interviews to thank Ms. Xia. Some, in broken Mandarin, vowed to serve her in their next lives. Others held up silk banners of gratitude, not knowing where to send them. To them, her donation was their only hope, though they didn't know how to repay her kindness.

The scene shifted to another hospital, where the reporter captured the multifaceted reality of life. There were children pleading with their parents to accept treatment, while the parents stood silent and unmoved, worried only about the cost. There were poor souls kneeling outside the emergency room, praying for their loved ones. There were others who collapsed in despair when a relative passed away.

The hospital walls were covered with names—prayers from families. Almost no one wore a smile. They sat in hallways, faces buried in their hands, drowning in sorrow, sleepless and tearful. Some chose to stop treatment due to insurmountable costs, only to crouch outside the hospital and weep in secret. Even the doctors were shown covering their faces and sobbing after failed surgeries. The corridors were packed with family members sleeping on the floor and patients suffering from the ravages of disease.

At the end, the reporter's voice trembled. "This is city reporter Qian Xiao. I will continue to follow up on whether these donations are properly implemented and keep you updated."

Wu Ran was already weeping. She rarely visited hospitals and her own family had never faced major illness. This was her first time seeing the raw reality of a hospital; everyone inside seemed to be in such agony. She wiped her nose and tears, eventually sobbing uncontrollably while watching.

A colleague handed her a glass of hot water. "What's wrong? Tell me if you're upset, I'll help you ask for leave."

Wu Ran shook her head, replaying the video. Soon, both of them were sitting in front of the computer, crying their hearts out, the trash can overflowing with tissues. The footage was too real; everyone had their own burdens and pain.

By now, the comment section was filled with reflection.

[I hope illness never strikes my family. Watching this video alone makes my heart ache.]
[It hurts so much to cry. No money for treatment, the disease won't go away—what kind of human suffering is this?]
[The greatest tragedy is a parent burying their child, and the greatest disease is poverty.]
[Aren't there medical insurance and donation platforms? Why does it end up like this?]
[Don't think those platforms are so great. Some fake donations for children in the mountains, only to buy cameras and designer shoes. Some take a cut far beyond your imagination, and others just pocket the money!]
[In that case, is the live-streaming platform a breath of fresh air? At least they pay taxes and only take fifty percent (doge).]
[What do you mean "only fifty percent"? Fifty percent is a huge amount! If not for that, how many more families could have been helped?]
[Sob, are there any good donation channels? I want to help them too.]
[Ms. Xia probably chose the live-streaming platform precisely because those other donation platforms are so dark. At least here, the money actually gets through.]
[I hope the reporter keeps monitoring this. Make sure every cent goes to medical care and no one pockets it!]
[It’s too painful. My father is ill, but we never had enough money for treatment. We just let him take some medicine, but every time he coughs, my heart breaks.]
[My mother has had shoulder pain for years. We went to the hospital for so long, had scans, took medicine, but nothing works.]
[If only Ms. Xia had been here a month ago, maybe my precious one wouldn't have left this world. But there are no "ifs." I don't know how she is in heaven. It’s my fault as a mother.]

Following the influx of gossip from marketing accounts and the reporter's intervention, the story of Xia's donation continued to climb in popularity. The buzz remained constant, yet Xia herself had not made an appearance since she finished gifting. This only fueled the public’s curiosity: Who exactly was this wealthy woman? And what was her true intention behind donating through a live-streaming platform?