Shu Lanzhou gave a slight smile. "The Mu family's acupuncture technique isn't as miraculous as the rumors say—it can't bring back the dead. If he really stops breathing, there's nothing I can do."
Despite her light tone, her hands never stopped moving. "Go ask if the blood test results are out yet. I need them to determine the next set of needles."
Han Weicheng's entire body was flooded with toxins. She had no choice but to expel the poison little by little. But when it came to detoxification techniques, there were countless acupuncture methods to choose from.
She had to carefully decide which technique would be most effective—and most safe.
She couldn't let Han Weicheng die so easily on the operating table. No—he had to live. He had to live to see that his research was a failure, that he would never succeed.
He was a selfish, arrogant bastard. He deserved to face the consequences of everything he had done. She needed him alive—alive to suffer, to feel guilt and regret.
She wanted him to repent. To repent for every single thing he had done.
Not long after her assistant left, Zhao Huanhuan arrived.
"Senior, how's the patient?" she asked, rushing in. Zhao Huanhuan had come straight from school, having received a call from the hospital right after class telling her that Shu Lanzhou needed her assistance in surgery.
She was practically bouncing with excitement. After all, despite being Shu Lanzhou's assistant for quite some time, she'd never had the chance to actually step into the operating room for a real case.
All the previous procedures had been done by the acupuncture robots—there was never any need for her to get involved.
But now—finally—she was of use.
Shu Lanzhou visibly relaxed when she saw her. Zhao Huanhuan had studied acupuncture for a long time, and having been by her side for so long, Shu felt more comfortable entrusting certain tasks to her.
"Poisoning," Shu said briefly. "It's serious. We'll need to do continuous detoxification. Keep the needles ready. I'm trying a new technique—monitor the patient's vitals at all times."
Zhao Huanhuan tensed immediately. "Got it."
A new technique meant risk. No wonder Shu Lanzhou had insisted on bringing her into the OR.
The two of them stayed in the operating room the entire afternoon. By the time it started getting dark, Han Weicheng finally showed signs of movement...
Outside the operating room, most of the experts who had rushed over had already left.
"Director Xiang, what exactly is the poison this man was exposed to? What did he eat before symptoms appeared?" one of the doctors who had helped during the initial emergency asked, unable to hold back his curiosity.
If the patient hadn't been so unusual, none of them would have cared this much.
Xiang Hua shook his head. "Still unclear. The blood test shows traces of over a dozen medicinal compounds, but they're all listed as non-toxic. That said, it's possible something wasn't detected."
"Deputy Director Long, what do you think caused this?" another person turned to Long Xingyue.
Long Xingyue also shook his head. "No idea. But I heard the police found him in a secret underground lab in the research center. Han Weicheng had been conducting some kind of classified experiment."
"Maybe his poisoning is related to that?" someone guessed.
"What kind of experiment could lead to poisoning like this?" someone muttered, clearly baffled.
Someone glanced toward Officer Cai. "If the police are involved, it probably wasn't anything aboveboard."
"Let's not speculate," Xiang Hua warned, sweeping a sharp gaze across the group. "From what I heard, the police are questioning him about the Luoshi Pharmaceuticals case. That might not have anything to do with his research."
"Everyone, disperse. Personally, I don't think this man can be saved. Deputy Director Long, maybe you should talk to that young assistant of yours. Tell her to stop trying to be a hero. If she can't save him, no one will blame her."
"I'm not going to hold her earlier words against her. No one's going to hold her responsible. But don't keep occupying the operating room. This hospital's surgery schedule is already packed."
Long Xingyue gave a faint smile. "Why so impatient? He's not dead yet, is he? Maybe she'll pull him through. Let's give her a bit more time."
"How much more time?" Xiang Hua checked his watch. "Two hours? I'll come back in two hours. If they're still not done, I'm going in."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Most of the other experts also left.
A few who were closer to Long Xingyue lingered. "Deputy Director Long, what do you think the odds are that she'll save him?"
"Hard to say," Long Xingyue admitted. "But the Mu family's acupuncture has always been known to create miracles. Who knows? Maybe she really will save him."
Silence.
The others exchanged glances but said nothing. They had all seen Han Weicheng's condition. It didn't look good.
And let's be honest—how many poisoned patients had ever been saved after such a long delay? The longer it dragged on, the less likely survival became...
Two hours passed quickly.
When Xiang Hua returned with his team, only Long Xingyue and Officer Cai remained at the OR doors.
"He's still not out?" Xiang Hua peered inside. "Deputy Director Long, it's time to go in."
Long Xingyue blocked his way. "I'd rather wait for them to come out on their own."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Xiang Hua frowned. "And if they never come out? You just plan to wait forever?"
A flash of anger crossed Long Xingyue's face.
"You've been in an OR before. Complications happen. It's perfectly normal for procedures to run long. Can't you be a little patient?"
"It's been six hours already! Shu Lanzhou isn't even a surgeon. What kind of procedure could she possibly be doing that takes six hours? Acupuncture?" Xiang Hua chuckled coldly.
"In six hours, she could've poked every acupoint on the man's body. Do you honestly think that will bring him back?"
Long Xingyue was starting to lose his temper. "You're the director of this hospital—do you really need to be so cutting? It's just a few more hours. Why can't you wait?"
"I believe in Shu Lanzhou. She knows what she's doing. If the man can't be saved, she wouldn't waste her time. If she hasn't come out yet, it means there's a reason."
Xiang Hua exploded. "What reason could possibly justify occupying one of our national hospital's operating rooms this long?! Long Xingyue, tell me—what can a doctor under thirty possibly accomplish in there?!"
"I don't know exactly what she can accomplish," Long Xingyue said, visibly restraining his rage, "but I do know this: until she comes out, you are not going in there. That door stays closed until she opens it from the inside."
Xiang Hua stepped forward. "And what if I decide to open it anyway?"
"Try it," Long Xingyue shot back, standing his ground.
Just when the confrontation was about to turn physical, Officer Cai stepped in.
"Enough, both of you. This is a hospital. Aren't you the ones always telling families to stay quiet? And now look at you two."
He turned to Xiang Hua. "That door's not opening today. The patient is in our custody—he's a suspect in two ongoing investigations. He can't be allowed to die."
"As long as Dr. Shu is still in there, I'll assume she's still trying. So I'm sorry, Director Xiang. Today, you're not opening that door."
Xiang Hua looked frustrated. "Officer, from a medical standpoint—and as the director of this hospital—I can tell you without a doubt: your suspect is beyond saving."
"You're just wasting everyone's time."
"Oh, that reminds me," Officer Cai said suddenly, pointing at Xiang Hua. "Your name sounded familiar. I just saw it in Xiao Anning's journal."
"Xiao Anning is also a suspect in one of our cases. In his journal, he wrote that his teacher was someone named Xiang Hua. That wouldn't happen to be you, would it?"
"He also mentioned that Han Weicheng only got approval for his research project because of your help. And now it's clear Han Weicheng's research is seriously problematic."
"Director Xiang, you think that has nothing to do with you?"