The director had arrived.
He looked about twenty-five or twenty-six, tall and upright, dressed in a pristine white coat with not a single crease, and a striking red tie at the collar. His hands were clasped behind his back, and his gaze was cold, exuding an air of superiority.
He frowned slightly and asked in a calm voice, "Dr. Tian, what's the situation here? Who is this person, and why did he trespass into the emergency room?"
Dr. Tian immediately acted as if he'd found his backing, his tone rising. "Who are you? Our director is speaking to you!"
Jiang Chen replied unhurriedly, "I'm Jiang Chen, a village doctor from Jiangjia Village."
"A village doctor?" The director seemed to have heard something incredibly ridiculous and snorted, "You're a village doctor, and you dare interfere in an emergency case? This isn't about prescribing cold medicine."
He waved for everyone to quiet down. "Dr. Jiang, I understand you're young and passionate, full of enthusiasm. But medicine is no joke, especially in critical cases—it takes real skill. If you're truly interested in learning, come to my office tomorrow. I'll let you intern here, and you'll see what real medicine is."
Jiang Chen smiled faintly, but before he could respond, Gou Chu, beside him, was so anxious he stomped his feet. "Director, can you save her first?"
"Hm." Director Yao crouched down, examined the woman's chest and abdomen, listened briefly with his stethoscope, and frowned. "The injuries are severe. Her life hangs by a thread."
"Please, you must save her!" Gou Chu's eyes turned red with desperation.
"Don't worry. Our hospital never lets a patient die in vain."
The crowd quieted.
"Director Yao is here. It's fine now."
"He's a descendant of a renowned family of traditional Chinese medicine—Zhao lineage, master of acupuncture!"
With a touch of pride, Director Yao turned to his assistant. "Bring it out."
The assistant was quick to play along. "You mean... the Yao family's Five Elements Needle Set?"
"Your comprehension is poor. Ordinary cases require ordinary needles. For critical patients—we use the Zhao family's heirloom: the Five Elements Needle."
With reverence, the assistant brought out an antique-looking box.
Director Yao carefully opened it and drew silver needles, then swiftly inserted them into thirteen acupoints: Tanzhong, Baihui, Yongquan...
Jiang Chen observed and murmured, "Yao's Thirteen Revival Needles."
Director Yao glanced at him in surprise, scrutinizing. "You recognize this technique?"
"I've heard of it."
"Impressive. Tomorrow morning, 9 o'clock, report to my office. I'll arrange your internship personally. We need ambitious youth like you in primary care."
Jiang Chen gave a calm nod. "Thank you."
The assistant, with a hint of sarcasm, added, "Don't be late. Our director's schedule is packed."
After removing the needles, Director Yao said solemnly, "Her internal organs are in chaos. I've stabilized her meridians. She should hold on until the ambulance arrives."
"You're a true miracle doctor!" Gou Chu almost knelt with gratitude.
The assistant began hinting for a bribe. "Did you know the director just turned away a high-paying patient?"
"Nonsense!" Director Yao put on an air of noble righteousness. "A doctor's duty is to save lives. Money is irrelevant."
A wave of applause rippled through the room.
"Such virtue!"
"A true healer!"
A nurse rushed in. "The ambulance won't arrive for another thirty minutes!"
Director Yao sighed. "If we had better equipment, I could perform the surgery myself."
Suddenly, the nurse shouted, "Something's wrong—she's convulsing!"
Everyone turned to look. The young woman was now convulsing violently, her face turning purple, foaming at the mouth—classic death throes.
The air froze. All eyes turned to Director Yao.
Taking a deep breath, he planted his feet wide, raised both hands, and began chanting, "Heaven above, earth below, soul return, stabilize!"
He repeated the chant three times.
To everyone's shock, the woman stopped convulsing and slipped back into unconsciousness, seemingly stable.
The crowd erupted in thunderous applause, as if witnessing a divine miracle.
"Director, that was incredible!"
With poise, Yao explained, "That was a surge of reversed qi and blood. I infused her with vital energy to stabilize her meridians."
"Sacrificing your own qi? That's truly noble!"
Jiang Chen stood silently in the crowd, coldly amused.
He quietly activated his spiritual vision and scanned the woman's chest—her heart had stopped.
"Hmph."
The cold snort rang loud in the silence. All heads turned.
"Jealous?" the assistant mocked.
Dr. Tian chuckled. "Young people—it's natural to be envious."
Director Yao remained composed. "Even if you don't understand TCM, I'm willing to teach."
Jiang Chen shook his head. "Theories can come later. For now, I'll give you a reminder—the patient is already dead."
"What?" Director Yao's face changed as he knelt down and checked.
The nurse felt for a pulse, her expression immediately darkened. Director Yao tested her breath and pressed on her chest—his face turned ghostly pale, sweat breaking out.
Dr. Tian also checked repeatedly and stammered, "N-no... no heartbeat."
The crowd broke into an uproar.
The solemn applause from earlier vanished like smoke.
And Director Yao's face looked as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over his head.