Life Plan

Chapter 8, 18-year-old subjects

On the day of the initial screening for the first phase of the trial, more than 30 volunteers participated in the physical examination. Liu Chichi met Chen Bin, the youngest participant to date. The information on his ID card showed that he had just turned eighteen a week earlier.

Chen Bin was wearing a sports vest and wide-leg pants, his hair dyed red like Sakuragi Hanamichi's, and he even had the same perm. He stood out from the average age of the participants, who were thirty-five, like an intruder who had gotten lost on the basketball court.

Liu Chichi carefully checked his identity information. Chen Bin, seeing her serious attitude was almost comical, playfully lifted his permed bangs and said, "Doesn't this look even more like your ID card?"

Liu Chichi didn't know why she was panicking. She had clearly signed the informed consent form, the effects of the drug on a healthy and young body could be metabolized more quickly, and the subject herself had no emotional resistance. She was clearly a very good subject.

But she couldn't calm down; she had a feeling something bad was about to happen. Work kept her busy, and she couldn't afford to waste too much time. She could only attribute this feeling to the other person's age—they were simply too young.

When the physical exam was over, Chen Bin turned to her and asked, "Sister, can I take a picture of you?"

Liu Chichi subconsciously took a step back. Clinical trials need to pay attention to protecting the privacy of the subjects, but the clinical coordinator is also a person, and her portrait rights are still her own.

"cannot."

"Okay, when will the money arrive?"

Liu Chichi found it strange, as these questions had been discussed online before. However, answering non-medical questions from the test subjects was her job. "This cycle lasts three months, with one visit to the hospital each month, and payment is settled upon discharge."

"That's too slow."

Chen Bin subconsciously complained, and seeing the few glances around him, he felt a little embarrassed. He looked up at Liu Chichi and said, "I'm not doing this for the money; I'm doing something great that will benefit society."

Liu Chichi was stunned. She still had a lot of work to do, and all the test data needed to be recorded. But now, should she cooperate with him?

She held out her hand and gave a thumbs up.

The Central Hospital has an entire floor used for clinical trial research. On the day of enrollment, Liu Chichi followed behind Shen Shuyi like a waiter, collecting and distributing things.

The notice clearly states that only personal items such as underwear are allowed, but some people still take chances.

Yang An insisted on carrying melatonin: "I checked, and it doesn't conflict with the medication I'm taking. I can't sleep without it."

"Sorry, you can't bring this." Liu Chichi stubbornly stretched out his hand. Since joining the crew, even the meals have been provided by the same organization. How could they allow him to eat this? "We collect cell phones at 10 p.m., which helps with sleep."

After a minute of stalemate, Yang An held the melatonin in his arms as if it were some precious treasure.

Yang An was there for the money. He was thirty-nine years old and had just lost his job. Every HR person he recruited said he was too old. He stumbled upon this clinical trial by chance. It had four phases, with one week of enrollment and two weeks of rest for each phase, and a total subsidy of eight thousand yuan.

The age requirement of 18-65 in the recruitment information makes him seem very young.

When you reach middle age, insomnia is nothing compared to unemployment.

The next moment, the bottle of melatonin was tossed into the storage box.

Liu Chichi knew he would compromise. She had seen Hao Jia twice, following behind Shen Shuyi, and gossip was never absent in crowded places. People often called Hao Jia a "madman who would try anything in desperation."

People don't care about the reasons why the participants took the clinical trial, nor do they respect them. These people who took the experimental drugs are considered "madmen" by conventional ethics.

Ignoring this scrutinizing gaze is not easy, especially for those entering clinical trials for the first time. Those who can withstand this scrutiny and enter the trial are unlikely to give up for a bottle of melatonin.

Even if we really give up, there are backup options.

There was so much data to organize today; working overtime was a certainty. Liu Chichi struggled with choosing her words, considering how to send a message to Zhou Ya.

As per their agreement, Tuesdays and Thursdays were the days she would pick up Xiao Qiao from school.

Seeing her looking troubled while holding her phone, Shen Shuyi tilted her head and asked, "Haven't decided what to have for dinner yet?"

"No, I'm working overtime today. I stood up my friend, and I don't know how to say it."

"I really can't let you leave today, we have to finish recording. There's an exclusive interview tomorrow, and I don't want it to pile up. Is your friend a colleague?"

"Yes."

"Tell her she's joining the crew today, she should understand. By the way, what did you two agree on? Are you in a hurry?"

"To pick up her daughter from school."

Shen Shuyi was taken aback. "You used to rush off to pick up her child?"

"Mmm." Liu Chichi was a little embarrassed.

"A close childhood friend?"

"No, we met during training."

I'd heard about Liu Chichi's "glorious deeds" of working a month-long night shift during her internship at the Second Hospital, but I never expected her to be so easily manipulated. Shen Shuyi's voice rose noticeably: "You've only known her for three days and you're already making you pick up her baby for two months? And you're still figuring out how to explain this to her?"

"Twice a week..."

"Since you're so kind, could you please help me record all the information? I'm going home now."

Seeing her frown, Shen Shuyi assumed she was unwilling. "Isn't it annoying to make you do so much by yourself? Do you think I'm being unreasonable..."

"No," Liu Chichi thought she was unhappy when she heard this, so she quickly explained, "I can do it by myself. I was just wondering if I could catch the bus. If it's too late, I'll have to take the subway, but the subway station is a bit far from my house."

Shen Shuyi choked for a moment, then suddenly narrowed her eyes: "Did you wrap the waterproof tape around that section of pipe under the sink that keeps coming loose?"

"Um."

"Last week, two elderly men forced their way into the nurses' station in the inpatient ward. The intern found someone to help, but ended up being yelled at by both men for half an hour. Were you the unlucky guy?"

Liu Chichi recalled for a moment, last week... oh, that day she secretly slipped into Hao Jia's ward, and when she took the elevator downstairs, because she was wearing a white coat, she was grabbed by the newly arrived intern and taken to the scene. Seeing the girl's anxious eyes were red, she followed her to the scene.

The white coat is a symbol of identity in the hospital. She was treated as a medical worker and became an emotional dumping ground for the old men because when the nurses made their rounds today, they gave a drink to another person in the three-person ward but not to them.

Within five minutes, the actual medical staff arrived. The nurse dispensing the medication held up the prescription with both hands, her face clearly showing her innocence: "That's cough syrup—"

The old men were even angrier when they heard this: They were given drinks! And they were made of sugar syrup!

These two elderly men both suffer from hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia, which restricts many of their dietary restrictions. Prolonged illness can easily affect a person's mental state. Elderly patients who lack medical knowledge and also possess a "stubborn" personality can become insurmountable obstacles in the doctor-patient relationship.

The elderly men completely ignored the medical staff's explanations and even pushed aside the doctor who tried to communicate with them.

To avoid injuring the patients, the medical staff dared not force their way in. However, fearing the situation would escalate, they could only quickly contact the couple's children.

During this time, Liu Chichi was blocked by the old men on both sides and scolded for more than half an hour.

Shen Shuyi leaned back slightly: "How did you manage to endure it?"

"Ignore them completely, treat them like they're talking nonsense, and don't listen to a word they say."

"You really are... really a good candidate to be a coordinator."

That's quite a good mindset. As the coordinator for all parties and the first person to output information, the CRC inevitably carries personal biases. It took Shen Shuyi three months after joining the company to be able to ignore others' harsh words; Liu Chichi is simply gifted in this regard.

"Wait, you were the one who brought up those dozen or so cups of coffee downstairs last time."

"I'm going to pick up my takeout."

My mother taught me to be able to endure hardship, to be obedient and sensible.

Liu Chichi thought she had executed the task well, but at that moment Shen Shuyi grabbed her shoulders and shook her exaggeratedly: "Wake up, you are a CRC member, not a beast of burden."

The phone vibrated on the table. It was a call from a nurse at the research center. The second the call connected, before Shen Shuyi could even speak, a sharp voice blared from the receiver: "Shen Shuyi, the family has come to the door!"

"Family members? Aren't they supposed to be between 18 and 65?" Shen Shuyi subconsciously opened the document. "There are no minors."

"Come quick, she's going to break down the door!"

The two rushed out the door.

The background noise on the phone was loud, and the nurse repeatedly explained, "A person claiming to be the mother of a test subject has come to our door and is going to call the police to arrest us."