101: Chapter 100 Not Entirely Good News 101: Chapter 100 Not Entirely Good News Cui Bo’s speech was unclear, stammering with grief and indignation, “Then you knew I got knocked down and still let me go to the shooting range?”
Gao Yang shrugged and said, “Well, with HIV, if you get it once, it’s the same as getting it two or three or more times.
I figured you couldn’t escape it anyway, so you might as well enjoy it a few more times.
That way, even if you really do get AIDS and die after many times, it sounds better than being done after just once, doesn’t it?”
Gao Yang was just speaking off the top of his head, but Li Jinfang looked somber.
He patted Cui Bo on the shoulder and said, “Condolences, just accept what’s changed.”
Glolov also patted Cui Bo on the shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, Rabbit, we won’t discriminate against you.
We’ll stay by your side and let you finish your last journey in peace.”
Cui Bo’s face lost all its color.
After pondering with his head down for a long time, he finally looked up and said, “I think I’d better go to the hospital now.
Who will come with me?
I’ve been feeling a bit off these past few days.
If I really have it, if I really do…”
His tongue seemed tied, and he couldn’t speak clearly anymore.
Gao Yang had only intended to give Cui Bo a little scare, play a joke on him, but now he felt somewhat guilty.
He had frightened Cui Bo too much.
However, as Gao Yang talked, he managed to scare himself too.
Seeing Cui Bo like this, Gao Yang incredulously said, “Come on, Rabbit, you didn’t take any precautions when you were having fun?”
Watching Cui Bo silently nod his head, Glolov let out a sigh of despair, then covered his face and said, “F**k, Rabbit, are you an idiot?
Don’t you know that whether you’re on top or bottom, it’s very dangerous in Africa?
What are you waiting for, go to the hospital!”
In Africa, getting infected with HIV is hardly news.
Gao Yang and the others had just made offhand remarks, joking with Cui Bo, but now they were scared by their own not-so-funny joke.
The four of them frantically began to prepare for the trip to the hospital.
Gao Yang grabbed the satellite phone from the bedside, snatched a handful of cash, and rushed out of the house, no longer caring whether the hospital could perform the tests at night or not.
They could only figure it out upon arrival.
At the largest hospital in Johannesburg, they found the doctor responsible for the night emergency.
Gao Yang inquired about getting an HIV test immediately.
Fortunately, he received a positive answer.
Due to the high incidence of AIDS in South Africa, many suspected cases require HIV testing before a treatment plan can be confirmed.
Thus, the major hospitals in Johannesburg were among the fastest in the world when it came to HIV testing.
It would take some time from drawing blood to getting the test results, so Gao Yang and the others waited on the hospital’s benches.
As the night wore on and the hospital grew still, it felt almost chillingly empty, especially seeing Cui Bo’s face turning paler.
Gao Yang couldn’t help but say, “You’re such a coward.
We haven’t even started yet, and you’re already freaking out like this.”
After scratching his groin a few times, Cui Bo said with a mournful face, “I keep feeling itchy.
I’ve been thinking these past few days that I should get checked, and now it’s come to this.
Brother Yang, I guess I’m done for.
I can’t face going home.
If I die, just bury me in South Africa.
I don’t want anything else, just bury my M700, MP5, and my P226 with me.
I wanted to buy a sniper rifle for the burial, but I decided against it.
Give the money to Old Russian instead; he needs it for his family.
My family doesn’t need the money, so I won’t send it back.”
Gao Yang was both annoyed and amused, and he snapped, “Idiot, how do you know it’s AIDS?
Even if you have it, you’ve got many years in the incubation period.
As long as you don’t get sick, you can live another ten or eight years at least.
Or if you get sick, you can still drag it out for ten or eight years.
Forget it, I don’t understand it very well either.
Anyway, you still have many years to live, you’re getting worked up over nothing.”
After hearing what Gao Yang had said, Cui Bo was stunned and then remarked, “Hey, isn’t AIDS certain death?
How can you live so long?
If what you say is true, then I could die on the battlefield.
Wow, why am I getting worked up?
As long as it’s not from AIDS, I’m not afraid of other ways to die.”
Looking at Cui Bo slumped on the bench, Glolov sighed and said, “Rabbit, you better remember, if the test comes back and there’s nothing wrong with you, you’re going to suffer.
I guarantee it.”
“I guarantee you’re going to suffer too.”
“Seconded.”
Knowing he wasn’t going to die immediately, Cui Bo seemed to lose his psychological burden.
He ignored the threats of the three people and lay down on a bench to snore loudly in sleep, leaving Gao Yang, Glolov, and Li Jinfang to exchange bewildered looks.
Some people are just naturally blessed.
Watching Cui Bo snoring, Gao Yang ground his teeth and said, “If Rabbit turns out to be just fine, I swear I’ll kill him myself.
None of you try to stop me later.”
Li Jinfang was also grinding his teeth and said, “Why should I stop you?
I’ll kill him myself!
But what if Rabbit really does have AIDS?”
After a moment of shock, Gao’s expression turned cold as he said fiercely, “If Rabbit really has AIDS, I’ll go to the range and take out that damn black woman to bury with Rabbit.
I don’t care if she’s a woman or not, if she’s killed Rabbit, I’ll kill her whole family!”
Although Gao Yang would curse at Cui Bo and hit him at the drop of a hat, that was just their way of interacting.
Cui Bo often acted foolishly, and when he annoyed Gao Yang, he would get hit and scolded—but that didn’t mean Gao Yang looked down on or didn’t care about Cui Bo.
As for the relationship between Gao Yang and Cui Bo, if Cui Bo really contracted AIDS, Gao Yang would definitely kill that black woman who pushed Cui Bo into it and her entire family.
“You kill my brother, I kill your whole family in revenge, that’s my principle.”
Having said this with a murderous look on his face, Gao Yang already had an air of killing intent about him, and Li Jinfang nodded, saying, “Okay, kill her whole family.”
Although Glolov and Li Jinfang hadn’t known Cui Bo as long as Gao Yang had, their feeling for him wasn’t much less.
Especially Glolov, who had his life saved by Cui Bo dragging and pushing him during their time in Benghazi.
Glolov, with a calm expression, said, “I’ve been a mercenary for so many years, taken money to do all kinds of things, even killing entire families.
It’s just a slight prick of the conscience, that’s all.
Leave this matter to me, I have more experience.
However, it seems Rabbit hasn’t been sentenced to death yet?
Aren’t you two getting a bit too worked up?”
As if to footnote Glolov’s words, a black man in a white coat came over, holding several sheets of paper, and called out loudly, “Who’s Robert Cui?
The test results are out.”
Gao Yang and the others stood up abruptly, startling the man in the white coat, as the three of them asked in unison, “How is it?”
“The test result is HIV negative, you can basically rule out the possibility of HIV infection.
To be sure, you can test again ninety days after high-risk behavior.”
Hearing the result was negative, the gazes of the trio fell on Cui Bo, who was still sound asleep.
Gao Yang didn’t have the patience to listen any longer.
He strode over and plopped down right on the stomach of the sleeping Cui Bo.
Upon waking with a scream, Cui Bo was about to push Gao Yang away when Li Jinfang and Glolov got to his side.
After Glolov pressed Cui Bo’s legs down, he too sat on them, while Li Jinfang said viciously, “Die, Rabbit, I’ll sit you to death!”
After Li Jinfang finished speaking, he pressed down on Cui Bo’s hands before sitting forcefully on his chest, pressing half of Cui Bo’s face.
It was only after they had turned Cui Bo into a human cushion that Gao Yang said to the black doctor with a smile, “Sorry, this is our way of celebrating.
Thank you for the good news, we really appreciate it.”
Pinned down by the three, Cui Bo said in desperation, “What are you doing, let me go, get off, I can’t breathe.”
The black doctor shrugged and said, “Okay, I understand your feelings, but this is a hospital, please keep quiet.
Also, I’m sorry to tell you, not all of the news I bring is good.”
Upon hearing this, the elated trio froze, and even Cui Bo, still trapped underneath, stopped struggling.
The doctor slowly explained, “Mr.
Robert Cui is HIV negative, but he has acute gonorrhea.
He needs immediate treatment with high doses of antibiotics, a course of one week.
Fortunately, starting treatment now will result in a quick cure, and it won’t become chronic gonorrhea.
However, the antibiotics injection needs to wait until tomorrow morning.
Also, just to remind you, gonorrhea is highly contagious.”
After the doctor had finished explaining Cui Bo’s condition with a deep breath, Gao Yang and Glolov sprang up like their butts were on fire, whereas Li Jinfang, who didn’t understand English well, looked at Gao Yang in panic and asked, “What happened, what did the doctor say?”
Once Gao Yang had translated the doctor’s words into Chinese, Li Jinfang’s face looked as if he had swallowed a fly.
He jumped up with superhuman speed, leaving only Cui Bo lying in the chair, lamenting, “Damn it, I’m still hit!”
Since Cui Bo had to be treated early the next morning and it was already past two in the morning, Gao Yang and the others didn’t bother going back and just managed to sleep on the hospital’s bench.
But before going to sleep, they had the decency not to start a fight inside the hospital building; instead, they dragged Cui Bo into the yard outside, found a secluded spot, and each took turns punching him as an outlet for their anger.
The following morning, as Gao Yang was soundly sleeping on the bench, he was woken by a call.
After a conversation with Uriyangko, Gao Yang tried to go back to sleep, but before long, he was awakened by the telephone ringing again.
An impatient Gao Yang answered, “Didn’t you just call?
What is it now?”
“Hey, did I interrupt your sleep?
Sorry, my plans have moved up, I plan to go to South Africa in a week.
Do you have time?”
The caller wasn’t Uriyangko, but Catherine, whom Gao Yang had been longing for.
This immediately made Gao Yang perk up as he said loudly, “I have time, plenty of it!”