"Your senior brothers are now all senior research professors at top institutions, their achievements far surpassing yours. When your mentor took you in as a student, he was already planning to retire."
"It was my father who begged him to stay a couple more years. Looking back, I really regret that. If we'd let Uncle Li retire earlier, maybe he could've lived a few more years."
"He gave everything he had to you, all his life's work, and what did he get in return? A student who turned his back on everything he stood for."
Long Xingyue let out a cold snort and couldn't hold back anymore—he shoved Xiang Hua:
"My father and Uncle Li had public disagreements, yes—but in private, they were like brothers. On the surface, they seemed constantly at odds in their work, but in truth, they had a deep and mutual understanding."
"You were around them for years and never noticed that? You wasted the care and effort two elders poured into you."
Xiang Hua slammed the table. "Impossible. That's impossible. You're lying! You have to be lying! If they were that close, why were they always like oil and water at the hospital?"
"If they truly were like oil and water, do you really think my father could have held the hospital's top position for so many years, given your mentor's status?" Long Xingyue narrowed his eyes, looking at Xiang Hua like he was a fool.
"Let me be blunt. My father brought the National Hospital to where it is today. He's held the position of hospital director for nearly forty years, and none of that would've been possible without your mentor's support."
"Their public opposition was intentional—a way to allow different medical philosophies to compete fairly. They were balancing the development of the medical field through their actions."
"Originally, they hoped you and I could be the same. But…"
Long Xingyue's lips curled into a bitter smile.
"You and I aren't like them. We're not pretending to be rivals. You truly can't stand me. My very presence is a thorn in your side—you wish you could get rid of me."
"Xiang Hua, I could endure anything you did to me, so long as you genuinely worked to advance the National Hospital, creating a fair environment for all branches of medicine. I would've stepped down without complaint."
"But what you absolutely shouldn't have done—was bury the future of the hospital under your personal ambitions. First, your promoted deputy director's incompetence forced Xiao Anning to step in with procurement."
"Then Xiao Anning used your mentor-student relationship to meddle in personnel decisions, joining forces with Han Weicheng and Luo Jialin behind the scenes."
"I thought when I stepped into hospital management and took the role of deputy director—when you took the initiative to fire Xiao Anning—we'd reached a truce. I thought from then on, we'd work together for the good of the hospital."
"But look at you now. Why won't you believe that Shu Lanzhou saved that patient? Why are you so eager to see something go wrong? Why do you keep undermining her?"
"It's just because she's a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, isn't it? Because she saved a patient none of you could save? That's an irrefutable fact now—and yet you still won't believe it? You're even sending people to investigate?"
"Fine then—I'll tell you. Han Weicheng survived. Shu Lanzhou brought him back. She used the Mu family's needle technique to pull him from the edge of death when all of you had already given up."
"You can stop snooping around now. Stop doubting. He's in the hospital room, under police protection. Xiang Hua—you've lost!"
Xiang Hua's legs gave out, and he nearly collapsed to the ground—saved… he was actually saved… by Shu Lanzhou… with acupuncture!
Even if he still couldn't believe it, the truth was staring him in the face.
Xiang Hua raised a trembling hand to cover his face, then looked up, eyes reddening with emotion. After a long pause, he let out a bitter laugh:
"You're all so righteous, talking about staying out of management, only wanting to do research. So noble, so selfless—what a load of crap."
"Long Xingyue, have you ever once considered how I felt? In the eyes of you privileged people, I'm nothing but a pawn in your games."
"You're from a rich, prestigious family. You've never lacked anything. You can afford not to care about being director. You can focus on research when you want. Do whatever you want."
"But me? I had to climb step by step, trembling at every turn, watching faces, scheming just to keep my seat—afraid of being replaced at the slightest mistake."
"You think I don't want to focus on research? You think I don't want to create a fair playing field? But is that even possible? With my background, if I hadn't climbed this high, who would listen to me? Who would care what I had to say?"
"All I ever wanted was to prove I'm better than you. That I deserve this position more than you."
"I rose by my own ability—not by family or background. Is that wrong? I just wanted to prove myself. Is that a crime too?"
He grabbed Long Xingyue by the collar, roaring in frustration.
But Long Xingyue just sneered: "If you want to prove yourself, do it with your medical skill—not by wielding power."
"In the end, it's not about your ability. It's your narrow mind that failed you. Xiang Hua, you can't stand doctors better than you. You can't accept medical ideas different from your own."
"You're too self-centered, too arrogant. If this continues, you'll strangle the growth of the National Hospital—and that's something neither your mentor nor my father ever wanted to see."
He shoved Xiang Hua away and clapped him hard on the shoulder.
"He Xin once told me—power isn't the goal. It's the tool that helps us reach our goal. He didn't understand that before, and gave up power he had in his hands. He won't make that mistake again."
"And I agree. That's why I won't give up power either. I will manage this hospital. If you still can't treat people fairly, don't blame me for stepping on your pride."
He turned and headed toward the office door.
"Xiang Hua, take care of yourself—and pray that Han Weicheng's case doesn't implicate you. Because if it does… no one will be able to save you."
Shu Lanzhou had no idea about the intense argument unfolding at the hospital. That night, she returned home and fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.
For the next few days, she reported to the National Hospital almost daily.
She wasn't officially a doctor there and didn't hold the proper qualifications. She had suggested transferring the patient to the Chinese Medicine Hospital.
But Officer Cai explained that since the Mu family owned the Chinese Medicine Hospital and the case involved them, transferring Han Weicheng would raise concerns of bias.
So Shu Lanzhou was temporarily assigned to the National Hospital.
She soon noticed a change in how others treated her. Their attitude had grown noticeably warmer—especially among doctors who previously dismissed traditional medicine.
They'd often come over for small talk, and more than a few hinted they wanted to observe her acupuncture sessions—but Shu Lanzhou turned them all down.
Not because she was petty—Han Weicheng's condition was far too delicate. Until he regained consciousness, she couldn't afford any mistakes.
Three days later, Han Weicheng woke up.
But he still couldn't speak. Shu Lanzhou frowned slightly. "Bring me this morning's lab results. Something's off…"
"Could it be that the drug damaged his brain and caused functional impairment?" Zhao Huanhuan handed her the report.
"I had the lab test that green liquid. It contains over a hundred medicinal compounds, each capable of interacting with the others in unpredictable ways."
"With so many substances mixed together, anything's possible."
Shu Lanzhou nodded. "Did Officer Cai stop by today? Ask if they have Han Weicheng's experimental logs. Let me take a look—it might help with the antidote."
As Zhao Huanhuan left the room, Han Weicheng, lying in the hospital bed, turned his eyes to Shu Lanzhou—gazing at her with desperate hope…