"Who's the lead surgeon in the OR? What have the other doctors diagnosed? How is the patient responding clinically?" Shu Lanzhou fired off questions as she walked briskly.
She didn't recall Han Weicheng having any known illnesses. How had he suddenly fallen into a deep coma?
"Director Xiang and Deputy Director Long are both inside. The preliminary diagnosis is poisoning. Oh, and when we found him, he was forcing down a bottle of green liquid."
"We brought the bottle with us when we rushed him here, but none of the doctors could identify the drug."
"From what I overheard, they already tried gastric lavage and administered an antidote during the initial treatment, but it didn't help. His vital signs are still steadily deteriorating."
"Deputy Director Long said they've exhausted all conventional methods. There's no sign of recovery. That's why they called you—maybe acupuncture might help?"
Shu Lanzhou stopped in her tracks. "Poisoned? Don't tell me… he took one of his own experimental concoctions? Heh… bold of him, not even afraid of killing himself."
"He made it?" Officer Cai was startled. "He's been researching poisons?"
"..."
Shu Lanzhou didn't bother answering. She went straight into the sterilization room, scrubbed up, and entered the operating room.
As soon as she stepped in, she heard the shrill, piercing beep of the monitor.
She took a quick step forward. "Everyone move!" she ordered, rushing to the operating table and driving several needles directly into Han Weicheng's chest.
"What do you think you're doing?" Xiang Hua was about to start chest compressions. As he lifted his hands, Shu Lanzhou shoved them aside, nearly knocking him over despite his age.
Barely steadying himself, he looked up to find a circle of needles already embedded around Han Weicheng's heart.
Shu Lanzhou glanced at the now-stabilized monitor with a frown. "Protecting his cardiac meridian."
"You said he's been poisoned. If the toxin reaches his heart, he'll die instantly. I've sealed the meridian temporarily. Once the toxin clears, I'll remove the needles and he'll live."
Xiang Hua's face twitched, and he stomped his foot in frustration. "Nonsense! What do you think this is, a martial arts novel? Sealing meridians? What's next—using inner strength to expel poison?"
"Oh wow, how did you guess?" Shu Lanzhou turned with a faint smile. "But you got one thing wrong—I don't have inner strength, so I'll just use silver needles to force the poison out."
She finished speaking and swiftly withdrew a needle. Seeing the bead of blackened blood at the tip, she flicked it into the tray a nurse had brought over. "Send this for testing. I want a breakdown of the compounds in his blood."
"You think we haven't already done that?" Xiang Hua snorted. "You're just a little girl trying to play doctor. Who gave you the nerve? Get out of the way before you make things worse."
Shu Lanzhou didn't even look at him. "The man's half-dead already, and you don't have a better plan. Might as well let me try. Uncle Long?"
"Director Xiang, we've used every drug we could. We've also discussed the case thoroughly, and we really don't have a better option," Long Xingyue stepped forward. "Let Shu Lanzhou try."
Xiang Hua scowled. "If it were her mentor asking, fine—but her? Long Xingyue, are you serious? She's only been studying medicine a few years. Her acupuncture skills are barely entry-level."
"What if she kills him? Don't forget—she has a grudge against this man!"
But Shu Lanzhou ignored him, continuing her focused examination.
The hospital's experts weren't incompetent—they could clearly identify signs of poisoning. Their diagnosis was correct. The issue wasn't in the treatment but the nature of the poison.
In her past life, Shu Lanzhou had once accidentally seen Han Weicheng experimenting on animals. Later, she'd secretly examined the dead test subjects and had some understanding of this toxin.
Its absorption differed from ordinary poisons.
So did its pharmacological response.
"Enough," Shu Lanzhou snapped. "If I end up killing him, then by all means, scold me. But if you don't have a better plan, just shut up. Uncle Long, I need the room cleared."
She straightened and looked at Xiang Hua. "You're right—I do have a grudge against him. But I'm a doctor. Revenge isn't taken this way."
"Han Weicheng owes me, and his death won't wipe that slate clean. I want to hear him apologize with my own ears. That's why I'll save him—more than anyone, I want him to live."
"You—" Xiang Hua began again, but Long Xingyue pulled him aside.
"Enough. Let the young people try. We've both seen the vitals flatline. It was her needlework that brought him back. If Mu Yaning could still hold a needle, I wouldn't have asked Shu Lanzhou."
"At present, she's the only one who has fully mastered the Mu School acupuncture technique. She might actually pull it off."
Xiang Hua gave a cold snort. "Long Xingyue, I know you've always admired the Mu School. But we're both medical professionals."
"You should know that theory without years of clinical experience won't truly save lives—much less make her an expert."
"We've got top-tier specialists in this room who couldn't do anything. And you expect a young girl to succeed? That's pure fantasy."
"I'll bet you—if you let her stay, it'll only hasten his death. If she actually saves him, I'll give you my director's title."
Long Xingyue chuckled wearily. "No need for that, Director Xiang. We both heard the monitor flatline just now. It was Shu Lanzhou's needlework that brought him back."
"There's no point arguing here. Let's just wait outside."
"..."
Their voices faded as the door opened and closed. Finally, the operating room fell silent.
The remaining assistants looked at one another, unsure what to do.
Shu Lanzhou, however, was calm and composed. "Help me strip off his clothes and shoes. Then run a new blood test. I need to see how the antidote is reacting in his bloodstream—do it fast."
"Also, prepare disinfecting alcohol. I only have one set of needles and may need to reuse them. Don't remove the ones in his chest without my permission."
"When you're done, all of you leave. Have Officer Cai call my assistant and tell her to come help me ASAP. Until then, I just need one of you to stay and assist."
She walked to the side, removed the silver needles from her wrist, and dropped them into the alcohol container.
After she completed the first round of detoxifying acupuncture, the assistant left in the room was too stunned to speak.
"Dr. Shu… your hands were so fast—I couldn't even follow your movements!" she exclaimed, wiping the sweat from Shu Lanzhou's brow.
Shu Lanzhou smiled. "Thanks. Do you know me?"
"I've heard Deputy Director Long talk about you. And I attended your lecture at the hospital last time. I never imagined the Mu School needlework could be this powerful."
In her mind, acupuncture was just slow needle insertion followed by even slower removal. Other than feeling like an ant bite, what good could it possibly do?
She never imagined that real surgical acupuncture could be so fast it was dazzling.
But… would it actually work, or was it just flashy technique?
Not all acupuncture was slow, nor was it all fast—she simply hadn't understood it.