Chapter 73

Dongzhou, a major town in the northern part of the river, is over 300 kilometers away from the provincial capital, Nanjiang. Nowadays, the high-speed rail network in Huaxia is extensive, and it takes only a little over an hour to reach the destination by high-speed train.

Xu Chunliang was making his first solo long-distance trip. According to his current position, he could only sit in second-class, so he booked a window seat in advance. The carriage was not quiet, with laughter, conversation, the crying of children, and the sound of mobile phones playing out loud, creating a particularly noisy environment. However, since the journey was not too long, such an environment could also be a form of mental cultivation.

Xu Chunliang put on his headphones and started listening to music. Not long after the train started, his grandfather called to ask if he had boarded the train.

Xu Changshan said it was time to let his grandson go out and explore, but deep down, he couldn't let go.

Xu Chunliang told him everything was going smoothly, and the old man reminded him not to forget to practice acupuncture during this period. Diligence leads to expertise, while idleness leads to neglect. To reassure his grandfather, Xu Chunliang had brought his needle box and passed through security smoothly.

Xu Chunliang chatted with the elderly man for a few more minutes before hanging up.

As soon as he hung up, Cheng Xiaohong called. She was calling to vent her frustration. Xu Chunliang had gone to Nanjiang for a public-funded health retreat, leaving her to handle all the affairs in the medical department. With no tigers in the mountains, the monkeys were calling the shots. Huang Lide, the department head, was bossing her around, and the dim-witted Yang Zhenggang was only making things worse. Even though Xu Chunliang had only been absent for half a day, she was already on the verge of a breakdown.

Xu Chunliang deeply sympathized with Cheng Xiaohong's situation but could not help her. He could only comfort her to endure and hold on, promising to return in a week and help her with the workload.

Cheng Xiaohong complained that she might have a mental breakdown before a week was up. She reminded Xu Chunliang to bring her a salted duck from Shuiximen when he returned, as her boyfriend loved it.

Xu Chunliang readily agreed, happy to do something that would make others happy. Cheng Xiaohong was head over heels in love and cared for her boyfriend with great attention.

Xu Chunliang thought the call would end there, but Cheng Xiaohong had more to say. She told him that this morning, the head nurse of the neurology department, Tang Mingmei, had come looking for him.

Xu Chunliang guessed it was probably about introducing him to a match. Tang Mingmei was a热心的人. He instructed Cheng Xiaohong to keep an eye on Huang Lide and Yang Zhenggang while he was away.

Cheng Xiaohong understood his meaning and realized that Xu Chunliang's training trip was significant. Given his character, he would not give up easily and would likely take action upon his return. Cheng Xiaohong readily agreed to keep a close watch on the two.

Suddenly, the train's intercom system announced: "Urgent assistance needed. Passengers, please note that a passenger in Carriage 1 has suddenly fallen ill and is now unconscious. If there are any medical professionals on board, please come to Carriage 1 to assist in the rescue. The situation is urgent. Please come to Carriage 1 to assist in the rescue. Thank you for your support!"

Xu Chunliang looked around, but the carriage remained noisy. Most passengers were listening, but no one stood up, possibly because there were no medical professionals among them, or they were reluctant to get involved.

The announcement was repeated, indicating the situation was very urgent. The next station was 45 minutes away, and the high-speed train strictly adhered to its schedule, so it could not stop en route. This meant that the patient would have to rely on the medical resources available on the train.

At this moment, a crew member ran into the carriage: "Is there a doctor here?" It seemed the situation was indeed urgent, as not only was the announcement made, but all crew members were mobilized.

Xu Chunliang stood up: "I'll go with you."

The crew member glanced at him. Although she did not like to judge by appearance, this young doctor looked too inexperienced. The patient's condition was critical; could he handle it?

However, no one else in the carriage stood up, and after a brief hesitation, the crew member nodded: "Please follow me!"

Xu Chunliang followed her to Carriage 1, which was a business class carriage. Another doctor had already arrived, Dr. Li Jiakuan, the head of the colorectal department at Gusu Central Hospital. Dr. Li was short and stout, with a balding head and a long strand of hair on the left side to cover his bald spot. Despite his sparse hair, it was neatly combed, reflecting his meticulous attitude as a medical professional.

When Xu Chunliang arrived, Dr. Li was performing CPR on the patient, who was lying diagonally in the aisle, around 50 years old, with his T-shirt removed for easier resuscitation.

Standing beside him was a cold and elegant woman in black. Her pale, exquisite face, possibly due to tension or the black clothing, was strikingly white and devoid of color.

The train crew and police were maintaining order at the scene, and the business class passengers had been temporarily moved to the dining car to facilitate the rescue.

Dr. Li, while performing CPR, asked the crew member if there was an automated external defibrillator (AED) on board. The crew member shook her head. Most high-speed rail stations were equipped with AEDs, but not all trains had them, as such emergencies were rare.

After Dr. Li arrived, he found that the man had no pulse in his carotid artery and had stopped breathing, indicating cardiac arrest. Without hesitation, he laid the patient flat with the help of others and began chest compressions.

By the time Xu Chunliang arrived, Dr. Li had been performing CPR for ten minutes, sweating profusely. The strand of hair covering his bald spot had fallen down, swaying with each compression, adding a touch of absurdity to the scene, though no one found it funny in such a serious situation.

Xu Chunliang approached the patient, felt his pulse, and found no heartbeat. The patient's nails were blue, and his lips were black, indicating severe blood stasis in the heart. The only way to treat this was to promote blood circulation and clear the blockage.

However, the patient had no heartbeat, and the immediate priority was to restart his heart. Otherwise, he would surely die.

Dr. Li glanced at Xu Chunliang and, from his actions, deduced that the young man was also a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioner. He inwardly groaned, as TCM was less effective in emergency situations compared to Western medicine. What was needed was a cardiologist, not a TCM practitioner like himself. Apart from CPR, they could do nothing else.

Dr. Li, without relaxing his efforts, asked: "Do you know how to perform CPR?" CPR was a physically demanding task, and he needed someone to take turns.

Xu Chunliang shook his head; he did not know what CPR was.

Dr. Li glared at him: "Then why are you here?" He was already exhausted but persisted out of a doctor's duty to save lives.

Xu Chunliang was not offended by his attitude and took out a black sandalwood needle box from his backpack. Dr. Li was surprised; was this young man going to perform acupuncture on the patient? Although he was also a TCM practitioner, he did not believe acupuncture would be effective in this situation. CPR was the only viable method.

As time passed, the patient's condition did not improve, and Dr. Li's confidence waned. Were there no other doctors on this train besides the two TCM practitioners?

"Don't mess around!"

Another voice sounded from behind. Another doctor had arrived, Dr. Xu Donglai, a renowned expert and the head of the endocrinology department at Nanjiang City's Gulou Hospital. After identifying himself, he examined the patient, whose condition was dire. The train was 37 minutes away from the final station, Nanjiang, and there was no possibility of stopping to take the patient to a hospital.

The only option left was CPR. Dr. Xu took over the chest compressions from Dr. Li, who was responsible for artificial respiration. They worked in perfect harmony, but both knew the patient's chances of survival were slim. They were doing their best, hoping for a miracle.

The crew member who had brought Xu Chunliang over saw that he was not helping and gently patted him, indicating that he should leave if he could not help.

Xu Chunliang calmly opened the needle box and sighed: "You won't save him this way. If his heart doesn't start beating again within five minutes, his entire body will be completely blocked, and even a god couldn't save him."

Dr. Xu Donglai angrily said: "What do you know? Train conductor, please remove any irrelevant people. They are interfering with our rescue efforts." It was arrogant for a young man to criticize them in such a critical moment.

The crew member tugged at Xu Chunliang's sleeve, feeling embarrassed as she had brought him there.

Xu Chunliang had no intention of leaving: "Rescue isn't about treating a dead horse as if it were alive."

He turned to the cold and elegant woman in black: "Why don't you let me try?" He had already deduced that she was the patient's companion and the one who could decide his fate.

The woman looked at him curiously. Despite the critical situation, her expression remained calm, and Xu Chunliang could see a rational calm in her beautiful phoenix eyes.

Without waiting for her response, Xu Chunliang took out a fine needle and removed the patient's socks. He did not intend to interfere with the other two doctors' treatment, but the situation was dire, and he had to act before it was too late.

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Chapter 73: Don't Mess Around (Free to Read)