Dean Song brought up the morning’s events again. "Xiao Wang, I need you to do two things right away. First, immediately initiate the procurement plan for the Ding Group’s pharmaceuticals. Their ’Dragon Bone Powder’ and a few other medicines—I want them all brought in. Second, go draft a letter of appointment right now. Heh, if the Guanghe District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine can hire him, why can’t we?"

Dean Song paced around his office, looking rather impatient.

"Oh, right!" He suddenly remembered something and asked, "You just said that Li Xu is still here at our hospital?"

"Yes, Dean," Xiao Wang replied. "I just saw him with Dr. Lin Guorui from the internal medicine department. It looked like they were about to clock out and go get something to eat."

"Quick, go invite him over!" After saying this, Dean Song waved his hand. "No, I’ll go myself."

But on second thought, Dean Song felt it was inappropriate. For a dean like him to go running over in such a rush would be beneath his station.

"Never mind, you go," he said to Xiao Wang. "Just say that I’ve heard about his deeds and admire him greatly. I’d like to invite him to my office for some tea and a chat."

"Yes, Dean!"

...

「The hospital’s first-floor lobby.」

Lin Guorui had already changed out of his white coat and was discussing dinner plans with Li Xu.

"Dr. Li, I know a Huaiyang restaurant nearby. Their Crab Roe Lion’s Head Meatballs are absolutely incredible! We should..."

Before he could finish, he saw the dean’s assistant, Assistant Wang, jogging over.

"Dr. Li, Dr. Lin."

Assistant Wang greeted them politely before turning to Li Xu. "Dr. Li, our Dean Song heard about how you saved the day today and has the utmost admiration for your medical skills. He specially sent me to invite you to his office for some tea."

"Dean Song?" Li Xu and Lin Guorui were both taken aback.

Lin Guorui immediately understood; he knew that Li Xu’s miraculous medical skills had alerted the hospital’s highest level of management.

He quickly said to Li Xu, "Dr. Li, this is a great opportunity! You should go! I’ll wait for you here. We can eat anytime!"

Li Xu nodded and followed Assistant Wang to the dean’s office.

"Haha, Dr. Li, please, have a seat! So young and promising! A hero emerges from the youth, indeed!"

The moment Dean Song saw Li Xu, he came forward enthusiastically, without a hint of a dean’s usual airs.

After some pleasantries, Dean Song got straight to the point, expressing his desire to specially appoint him as an expert at the City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and offering him very generous terms.

Faced with Dean Song’s enthusiastic invitation, Li Xu was grateful but still hesitant.

His own clinic, the matters with Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory, and his one day a week of consultations at the District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine already took up most of his time and energy.

Moreover, the intel he occasionally received also required him to travel.

He simply didn’t have any spare time to hold consultations at the City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine as well.

Just as he was thinking, ’How should I turn him down?’, the phone in his pocket suddenly rang.

He took it out and looked at the caller ID: Professor Gao Guanghui from the Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Li Xu gave Dean Song an apologetic smile and answered the phone.

"Hello, Professor Gao."

"Haha, Li Xu, am I interrupting you?"

Professor Gao’s hearty voice came from the other end of the line. "My recent research project has successfully concluded. I don’t have anything major going on for the next while, so I have plenty of free time and plan to hold consultations at the hospital. Are you free lately? If so, come find me. I’ll take you under my wing."

Upon hearing this, Li Xu was overjoyed. ’This is perfect! I’ve been worried about my weak fundamentals and was looking for a place to study properly.’

Besides, Professor Gao had already invited him several times before.

He seized the opportunity and agreed. "Professor Gao, that’s wonderful. I was just thinking I’d like to follow you and study hard. I’ll come over next week."

"Great! Then it’s settled! Starting next Monday, you’ll report to me every Wednesday and Thursday!"

After hanging up, Li Xu looked at Dean Song with an apologetic expression.

As for Dean Song, he was already stunned.

He had heard it loud and clear—that was Professor Gao Guanghui on the phone!

Who was Gao Guanghui?

He was the leading authority in the provincial world of traditional Chinese medicine, a great expert renowned throughout the entire country!

To receive his personal guidance and instruction was an opportunity countless young doctors dreamed of.

And yet, Li Xu had actually managed to get Professor Gao to personally call and invite him.

This showed that in Professor Gao’s eyes, Li Xu was no longer just an ordinary "student."

Dean Song was filled with regret.

He knew he had found out too late and acted too late.

Compared to the Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Professor Gao, his small City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine no longer had any appeal.

He sighed and offered his congratulations. "Dr. Li, my congratulations. To receive Professor Gao’s favor is a tremendous blessing and the pride of Feng City’s medical community. When you return from your studies, I still hope you’ll consider coming to our City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine."

Dean Song still hadn’t given up hope.

"We’ll see when the time comes."

Li Xu didn’t agree, but he didn’t completely refuse either.

...

「City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture Department.」

There was none of the emergency department’s clamor and chaos, nor the internal medicine ward’s heavy, oppressive atmosphere.

The entire department was filled with the faint, unique scent of burnt moxa, and the atmosphere was tranquil.

The department head, Director Zhu Quanxin, was twirling a long, thin steel needle, completely focused on treating a patient with facial paralysis.

Although he was over sixty, his spirits were high and he was full of vigor.

He was also the anchor of the City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine’s Acupuncture Department, with exquisite medical skills and vast experience.

He especially excelled at treating post-stroke complications, facial paralysis, and various pain-related disorders, and was widely acclaimed among his patients.

In the ward, several patients were undergoing moxibustion therapy. Most of them were Director Zhu’s regulars who came for acupuncture and physical therapy a few times a week, and they had complete faith in his skills.

Just then, the door to the consultation room was thrown open.

Zhu Quanxin’s apprentice, a young doctor named Xie Ping, burst in, his face flushed with excitement and panting for breath.

"Mas... Master!"

Xie Ping had run in such a hurry that he was stuttering.

Zhu Quanxin’s brow furrowed, and he chided in a low voice, "So rash and reckless! What has become of your decorum? Can’t you see I’m administering a needle to a patient? Whatever it is, can’t it wait until I’m finished?"

"No, Master!"

Xie Ping realized his gaffe. He lowered his voice, but the excitement in it didn’t lessen in the slightest. "Master, something miraculous just happened over in the emergency department!"

He leaned in close to Zhu Quanxin’s ear and, with some embellishment, recounted the story he had just heard about Li Xu using acupuncture to remove the pork bone.

"...with just a few steel needles and a couple of pokes, that piece of pork bone, bigger than a jujube pit, came flying out with a ’BLECH’! All the doctors there were completely dumbfounded!"

The hand with which Zhu Quanxin was twirling the steel needle couldn’t help but pause for a moment.