Patronizing a prostitute?
What on earth?
"?"
"??"
"What's this? Patronized a prostitute??"
"No way, Dr. Zhang diagnosing people like he diagnoses cows, going off the rails!!"
"Completely baffled, folks. How is patronizing a prostitute related to the old man's sudden hallucinations? Plus, this turn of events is too unexpected!!"
The viewers watching the live stream were equally bewildered.
They had just been feeling sorry, thinking Dr. Zhang was sighing because this poor old man, due to youthful arrogance, ended up single and spiraled into a mental breakdown alone.
Then suddenly asked about patronizing a prostitute!!
This doesn't fit the script at all!!
And what's the connection here?
"?"
The two volunteers, one in charge of filming and the other of lighting, simultaneously looked at their team leader, Chen Qian.
Chen Qian was bewildered too.
She shook her head stiffly.
This has nothing to do with anything.
Could Dr. Zhang be playing a trick?
Similarly, some comments in the live stream echoed this sentiment.
Speculating whether Dr. Zhang was deliberately playing a trick.
After all, calling a veterinarian like him to diagnose, especially when the hospitals can't find anything, isn't this making fun of him!
So he played a trick back.
Such reasoning seemed reasonable, gaining the agreement of many viewers.
Meanwhile, on-site.
The people of Sanshui Village were unaware of the online excitement.
But their confusion was unanimous.
"Dr. Zhang, what's the connection between a disturbed mind and patronizing a prostitute?"
"Exactly, you can't say patronizing a prostitute messed up his mind, that's too far-fetched!!"
"Hey folks, it's my first time hearing that patronizing a prostitute can damage your mind, it's truly eye-opening! Old Zhou, don't you think?!"
With someone taking the lead, everyone began to chatter.
Some even teasingly looked at Zhou Datian.
"Dr. Zhang, if it's troubling you and you feel uncomfortable, I won't persist. But why ask about patronizing a prostitute, it's irrelevant."
Zhou Datian felt conflicted.
This purely brought shame to his Zhou family.
"Uncle Zhou, do you think I'm the kind of person who'd deliberately make things difficult for you? Just answer honestly, no need to hide anything!"
Although his question was indeed abrupt.
But it wasn't meant to embarrass.
"I don't know if he patronized a prostitute, but my old brother, despite living alone, dresses pretty well daily. He even has some branded suits worth hundreds of dollars in his closet, sometimes he goes out and doesn't come back until the next day."
Zhou Datian shook his head as he spoke.
"So, he has past experiences of patronizing a prostitute."
Though the response was quite reserved.
But any perceptive person could tell, even though this old man is single, he dresses well daily.
And occasionally doesn't come home at night.
It's typical of tending to personal needs elsewhere.
"Dr. Zhang, his brother is a lifelong bachelor, usually it's normal to patronize a prostitute to satisfy his needs, right? Why ask about that when diagnosing? Could his condition be due to patronizing a prostitute? I, Zhou River Water, haven't heard of such things in my life!"
The speaker was an elderly man slightly older than Zhou Nian.
As he puffed on a pipe, the crusty yellow residue on his teeth looked like dirt from the fields.
"This illness is highly likely due to patronizing a prostitute. Uncle Zhou, I suggest you take your brother to the county hospital for a syphilis blood test immediately."
Zhang Lingchuan nodded.
Based on the diagnosis and the villagers' reactions.
It's almost certain the system's diagnosis is correct.
"?"
"??"
"I couldn't keep up with Dr. Zhang's train of thought at all!"
"Right, I never imagined, in the end, Dr. Zhang would recommend checking for syphilis! It's so abstract!!"
"The guy above is right, it's totally abstract. I feel so abstract myself, crouching for two hours, my legs don't even feel like mine!!"
"Any medical students here, can syphilis really cause hallucinations? Why is this veterinary live stream so confusing today!"
The live stream exploded.
The scene was equally chaotic.
"Syphilis!"
Zhang Lingchuan could see it.
Zhou Datian's pupils tightened sharply!!
"Ah! Syphilis!!"
Just moments ago, those who were joking with Zhou Nian and teasing him, mentioning how he'd be silly for a few hours each day, then lucid for a bit, like they were shocked.
They jumped back from Zhou Nian instantly.
Standing a full three meters away.
After all, syphilis is contagious!!
A person with syphilis is like a walking biohazard.
"Hmm hmm, he's most likely in late-stage syphilis now, the toxins have reached his brain causing hallucinations."
For safety's sake.
Zhang Lingchuan used phrases like "most likely" instead of definitively stating late-stage syphilis.
Because the hospital results weren't out yet.
If he's wrong, it would be bad.
He had to leave himself an out.
In case the system really tricked him, as a veterinarian he'd still have room for recovery.
"Does late-stage syphilis affect the brain?"
"I'm a veterinarian, I don't know. This is bizarrely acquired knowledge."
"A clinical medicine student here, as far as I know, late-stage syphilis can affect the brain, causing hallucinations."
"So does that mean Dr. Zhang was right? Impressive!!"
"Truly impressive, initially I thought Dr. Zhang was guessing stress-induced hallucinations due to lifelong bachelorhood, then mental breakdown. But I didn't expect it to turn to patronizing a prostitute, and eventually syphilis! Really abstract!!"
"Guys, I'm not a medical student, but doesn't syphilis usually cause marks on the body like plum blossoms? This old man doesn't seem to have any!"
Once an actual medical student explained.
People were enlightened and then exclaimed in amazement.
Turns out late-stage syphilis can indeed affect the brain, causing hallucinations.
The two volunteers and Chen Qian, honestly, their brains were overloaded at this point.
Only after seeing the viewers' comments and discussions did they realize Dr. Zhang's previous sighs were because the man contracted syphilis from patronizing a prostitute.
They misunderstood, thinking he was pitying the old man!
But the viewers weren't wrong either.
Typically, shouldn't syphilis show plum blossom-like marks on the body, especially in late stages?
Why doesn't this old man show anything?
On the scene.
"Hiss—"
Zhou Datian gasped in shock.
He couldn't recover for a long time.
Because this revelation was too much for him!!
"Nonsense! Dr. Zhang, are you taking advantage of us not knowing about syphilis! If Zhou Nian really had syphilis, why doesn't he have any plum blossom marks on his body!!"
Perhaps Zhou Datian couldn't see the bigger picture.
Seeing this, Zhou River Water, of similar age, directly lifted Zhou Nian's shirt and angrily questioned him!
The villagers suddenly realized.
Yes!
Why are there no plum blossom marks!!
...