Chapter 21: Immediate Effect

Fang Nanguo's expression did not change at all. He held his teacup and said, "Go on." He did not believe that one could diagnose an injury from thirty years ago just by feeling the pulse.

"The injury should be between the 18th and 19th vertebrae," Zeng Yi said, reaching out to lightly press a spot on Fang Nanguo's back. "Right here!"

Fang Nanguo's body visibly stiffened, but his expression remained unchanged, giving no indication of whether the diagnosis was accurate.

Shao Haibo was so nervous that he could hardly breathe. Not only did he not believe it, but even as someone who had studied traditional Chinese medicine, he did not believe that pulse diagnosis could be so precise. He was worried for Zeng Yi, even to the point of wanting to rush forward and cover Zeng Yi's mouth.

Zeng Yi, however, was very confident in his diagnosis. He continued, "This injury is likely a blunt injury, possibly from a heavy blow in the past. Because it did not receive timely treatment, it left a hidden problem. When you were young, it probably did not flare up, but after the age of forty, it would start to occur more frequently, and the pain would become more intense."

At this point, Zeng Yi's face tightened, and he said in a serious tone, "Mr. Fang's willpower is truly admirable. I think an ordinary person would find it very difficult to endure such pain."

Tang Haoran's hand, holding the teacup, suddenly trembled, revealing his inner turmoil. As Fang Nanguo's secretary, he knew better than anyone how severe Fang Nanguo's pain was.

On several occasions during meetings, Fang Nanguo's injury would flare up. Despite the cold sweat pouring down his back, his expression remained calm, and he would persist in chairing the meeting, which could last for hours. Tang Haoran would never forget those scenes. After the meeting, Fang Nanguo would walk back to his office with steady, strong steps. Once inside, he would immediately collapse. When Tang Haoran helped Fang Nanguo change his clothes, he found that the entire back of the black suit was drenched in cold sweat, clinging tightly to his back.

From then on, Tang Haoran always carried strong painkillers in his handbag. Whenever he noticed Fang Nanguo's pain flaring up, he would take the opportunity to pour two painkillers into the water. Even so, Fang Nanguo's back would still be drenched in sweat.

Tang Haoran could not even imagine how intense the pain must be to make a man as strong-willed as Fang Nanguo unable to bear it.

Zeng Yi stood up. "Mr. Fang, please raise your right hand. Yes, raise it higher, then reach around to your back and grab your left shoulder. That's right, and now place your left hand on your back, at the spot I just pressed."

Fang Nanguo did not know what Zeng Yi was doing, but he followed the instructions and placed his hands in the designated positions.

"Now, listen to my instructions and inhale!" Zeng Yi moved closer, carefully observing every subtle expression on Fang Nanguo's face. "Not enough, keep inhaling, inhale until you can't take in any more air! Keep your back straight!"

When he saw that Fang Nanguo could not inhale any more, Zeng Yi said, "Good, hold your breath! I'll count to ten, and then you can exhale."

"One, two, three... eight, nine, ten!"

When Zeng Yi said "ten," Fang Nanguo suddenly exhaled the stale air from his chest, "Huff..."

Almost at the same time as he exhaled, Fang Nanguo's face turned pale, and cold sweat trickled down from his temples. He let out a low, muffled groan, "Ugh..."

Feng Yuqin immediately stood up from the sofa. She knew this was a symptom that only appeared when Fang Nanguo's injury flared up, and her heart leaped to her throat.

Shao Haibo's mind went blank, thinking, "It's over, it's over. Zeng Yi has caused another disaster." He felt his mouth dry and almost dropped the teacup again.

Tang Haoran quickly stood up, ready to fetch the painkillers.

"Huff... So comfortable!"

After exhaling the stale air, Fang Nanguo suddenly said, "Comfortable," which immediately confused Feng Yuqin and Tang Haoran.

"Did you first feel a sudden pain, and then a sense of relief, as if the bones in your back had loosened, making you feel very comfortable?" Zeng Yi showed no surprise, as if he had been confident from the start.

Fang Nanguo nodded contentedly, "That's exactly how it felt."

This feeling was more than just comfort. Due to his injury, Fang Nanguo usually had difficulty bending over and felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on his back. But in that moment of inhaling and exhaling, he felt a lightness on his back, and his entire body felt much more relaxed.

The tension in Zeng Yi's brow also eased. He said, "This is a good sign, indicating that there is still hope for your old injury to heal. Now, Mr. Fang, please switch the positions of your hands and repeat the process."

Fang Nanguo, having experienced the effectiveness of the method, did not wait for Zeng Yi to give detailed instructions. He followed the steps again, and a moment later, he said, "Comfortable" once more.

Everyone present breathed a sigh of relief. After sitting down, Shao Haibo felt a chill on his back, realizing he had been drenched in cold sweat without even noticing.

"Zeng Yi's method is good, very good!" Fang Nanguo leaned back comfortably on the sofa, a rare hint of warmth appearing on his usually stern face.

"In the future, if your injury flares up, you can use this method to alleviate the pain. It is very effective."

"Really?" Fang Nanguo's eyebrows raised. He had long given up hope of curing his old injury, as it had been thirty years. If it could be cured, it would have been done long ago. However, if he could alleviate the pain when it flared up, he was very interested.

"Additionally, there are some massage techniques to alleviate pain and treat the injury. I will explain them in detail to Secretary Tang later, so he can learn them. Since Secretary Tang is often by your side, if he can massage you for a short time each day, it will have a good effect over time."

Tang Haoran glanced at Zeng Yi, his face expressionless but his heart full of gratitude. This young man had not let him down. To think of such a good opportunity and still think of him. Mr. Fang was a powerful figure, and apart from major issues, the only thing that could trouble him was this old injury. If he could personally alleviate Mr. Fang's pain, or even cure it, Mr. Fang would certainly remember his efforts.

With this in mind, Tang Haoran took out his small notebook, ready to record every word Zeng Yi said in detail.

"Alleviating the pain is not a good solution. Zeng Yi, do you have a way to cure this old injury?" Feng Yuqin had a different perspective. As long as there was a glimmer of hope for a cure, she was willing to try. Fang Nanguo was still in his prime and could endure, but he would eventually grow old. How long could he keep enduring such pain?

"There is a way, but the injury has been neglected for too long, and recovery will take some time."

"How long?" Feng Yuqin asked.

Zeng Yi thought for a moment. "With weekly massages and acupuncture, it should take about six months to recover."

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