Chapter 78: Gratitude Banquet

Luan Yuchuan had already arrived early, looking well and seemingly fully recovered. When Xu Chunliang and the others entered the room, Luan Yuchuan was chatting with his old friend, Dr. Su Yunquan, the chief of cardiology at the provincial people's hospital. On that day, Luan Yuchuan had suffered from acute myocardial infarction leading to cardiogenic shock on the high-speed train, but fortunately, Xu Chunliang and the other two managed to save him from the brink of death.

After the high-speed train arrived at Nanjiang South Station, Luan Yuchuan was urgently sent to the provincial people's hospital, where Dr. Su Yunquan personally treated him. The angiography revealed that 90% of Luan Yuchuan's left circumflex coronary artery was blocked. Dr. Su Yunquan suggested stent implantation, but Luan Yuchuan was very resistant to this treatment, even hesitating about balloon angioplasty. No one knew what Luan Yuchuan was afraid of.

Due to the timely rescue on the high-speed train, Luan Yuchuan's myocardium was not severely damaged, and his heart function indicators were still acceptable. Dr. Su Yunquan agreed to start with conservative thrombolytic therapy as per Luan Yuchuan's wishes, hoping to persuade him to accept interventional treatment to permanently resolve his heart condition.

Luan Yuchuan was not yet fit to be discharged, but he insisted on leaving the hospital. Dr. Su Yunquan, unable to persuade him otherwise, processed his discharge. Tonight, he accompanied Luan Yuchuan to the banquet, mainly because he was concerned about Luan Yuchuan's health and also wanted to meet Xu Chunliang to understand the methods he used to restore Luan Yuchuan's heartbeat.

Before this, Dr. Su Yunquan had already asked Xu Donglai about the details of the rescue on the high-speed train, but even Xu Donglai, who had been present, could not explain clearly, as traditional Chinese medicine was beyond his expertise.

Luan Yuchuan stood up to greet them, shaking hands with Xu Donglai and Xu Chunliang one by one, treating them equally, though he was unsure who exactly had saved his life.

Xu Donglai and Dr. Su Yunquan had known each other for a long time, both working in the Nanjiang medical system and holding senior positions at the top-tier tertiary hospitals in the city. However, they specialized in different fields, so they rarely had the opportunity to interact.

Dr. Su Yunquan extended his hand to Xu Chunliang, "You must be Doctor Xu?"

Xu Chunliang smiled and shook his hand, "Just call me Xiao Xu; I'm not a doctor."

Everyone present thought he was being modest. Luan Yuchuan said, "Not only those who work in hospitals can be called doctors. I've heard that skilled traditional Chinese medicine practitioners are often found among the people." He said this because when Xu Chunliang introduced himself, he mentioned that he was from Huichuntang, and Luan Yuchuan assumed he was a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner.

Xu Chunliang did not explain further, noting that Luan Yuchuan's voice was strong and clear, indicating that he had recovered well.

Luan Yuchuan asked Mo Han to contact Li Jiakuan to see when he could arrive, so they could determine the timing for serving the dishes.

Li Jiakuan arrived at seven o'clock in the evening, brought by his son. However, his son left after dropping him off, as he had his own engagements.

Because he had been caught in the rain, Li Jiakuan's thin hair was plastered to his scalp, looking like ink lines drawn on a smooth eggshell. Xu Chunliang found it amusing and wondered why Li Jiakuan was so attached to his sparse hair. Such a hairstyle was unattractive and would look better if he shaved his head.

Luan Yuchuan warmly shook hands with Li Jiakuan, treating him as one of his saviors. A person, regardless of wealth or status, should have a grateful heart.

This was Li Jiakuan's first time at such an occasion, and he appeared nervous. Seeing so many people waiting for him, he felt apologetic and repeatedly explained that he had been accompanying his son to look at houses.

Luan Yuchuan asked him which house he had chosen.

Li Jiakuan truthfully replied that it was the Linjiang Yaying in Jiangbei, and he had already paid a deposit, ready to sign the contract soon.

Luan Yuchuan said to Mo Han, "Xiao Han, call their CEO Jiang later and ask him to give Doctor Li a discount."

Li Jiakuan quickly declined, but Luan Yuchuan insisted, saying it was no trouble, as they were business partners. Li Jiakuan would soon understand the true significance of this discount.

Among tonight's guests, only Dr. Su Yunquan had been to Wangjiang Tower before; the others were experiencing such luxury for the first time. Even Xu Donglai, who had seen many things, was amazed. The array of exquisite dishes and the choice of wine were particularly impressive. The white wine was fifty-year-old Moutai, priced at over 40,000 yuan per liter, and the red wine was a dry red from the Château Haut-Brion in France, costing nearly 20,000 yuan per bottle.

Xu Chunliang, lacking knowledge of contemporary wines, only knew that the Moutai was delicious and expensive, confirming that Luan Yuchuan was very wealthy.

Dr. Su Yunquan, being a friend of Luan Yuchuan, was accustomed to such scenes and remained calm. Xu Donglai and his wife, though not used to such luxury, were well-mannered and elegant in their behavior.

Xu Chunliang, having faced life and death countless times, was unperturbed by the grandeur.

Only Li Jiakuan was thoroughly impressed by the scene. GuSu, being a county-level city, had never seen such luxury. In such a setting, he dared not speak much and was cautious in his actions. Some dishes were not only unfamiliar but also intimidating, and he was afraid of being ridiculed, so he watched how others ate before following suit.

Luan Yuchuan had intended to seat the three saviors in the main positions, but Xu Donglai firmly refused, suggesting they sit according to age.

Thus, Luan Yuchuan, at fifty-five, sat at the head of the table, followed by Dr. Su Yunquan, then Li Jiakuan, and finally Xu Donglai and his wife.

Following this order, Xu Chunliang would have to sit at the end of the table. Mo Han invited him to sit first, taking the last seat herself.

Xu Chunliang did not argue, sitting down and saying, "Miss Mo, you are younger than me."

Mo Han replied, "I am three years older than Mr. Xu."

Luan Yuchuan laughed, "Doctor Xu, asking a woman's age is a taboo. Mo Han can drink quite well, so be careful."

Dr. Su Yunquan was prepared to stop Luan Yuchuan from drinking, but Luan Yuchuan, having just returned from the brink of death, was cautious about his health, and everyone understood.

As Luan Yuchuan's old friend, Dr. Su Yunquan became his representative for the evening. He had a good drinking capacity and was skilled at creating a pleasant atmosphere.

In the medical system, anyone who reached his position not only had to be highly skilled but also had to possess social skills. Chinese social culture, especially in the medical field, often revolved around drinking, and there were many unspoken rules.

After drinking a pot of wine, Li Jiakuan began to relax. He was someone who blushed easily and could only handle about half a liter.

Dr. Su Yunquan said, "Director Li, I heard you are also a seasoned traditional Chinese medicine practitioner."

Li Jiakuan nodded, "I've been working for thirty years. GuSu is a county-level city with a small population and few patients. Our traditional Chinese medicine hospital has even fewer patients, and I have seen very few cases. I feel ashamed that my skills have not improved much." After seeing Xu Chunliang's acupuncture, Li Jiakuan felt inferior and believed his skills were not noteworthy.

Xu Donglai said, "Old Li, you are too modest."

"It's not modesty, but reality. If I had switched to Western medicine, I would have earned more. Not just in big cities, even in rural areas, people no longer trust traditional Chinese medicine," Li Jiakuan said truthfully.

Dr. Su Yunquan nodded, "Some conditions cannot be treated by traditional Chinese medicine."

"Which conditions cannot be treated by traditional Chinese medicine?" Xu Chunliang did not like this statement.

Dr. Su Yunquan, realizing he had upset the young man, laughed, "Xiao Xu, I do not mean to belittle traditional Chinese medicine. Both traditional and Western medicine have their strengths. However, Western medicine covers a broader range and is more clearly categorized. I cannot say that Western medicine is definitely superior to traditional Chinese medicine in internal diseases, but it excels in surgical conditions, which you cannot deny, right?"

Xu Chunliang said, "For bone setting and wound treatment, traditional Chinese medicine is as effective as Western medicine."

"That depends on the situation. In cases of comminuted fractures, even the best traditional Chinese medicine practitioners are at a loss," Dr. Su Yunquan was not trying to argue but to state facts. Medicine is a rigorous field and cannot be taken lightly.

Xu Chunliang thought to himself that those who were at a loss were quacks.

Mo Han, who had been quiet, interjected, "I agree. For example, gallstones are best treated surgically."

Li Jiakuan added, "Traditional Chinese medicine can treat gallstones smaller than five millimeters, but for those larger than ten millimeters, surgery is the preferred option."

"Western surgical treatment is essentially a subtractive approach. They believe that removing the diseased part is the solution. Patients are grateful for saving their lives, but every part of the body is precious, given by our parents. If there is any hope, who would choose to lose a limb to survive?" Xu Chunliang insisted.

Xu Donglai joined the discussion, "But some conditions cannot be treated with internal medicine. For example, if a large gallstone causes obstruction, traditional Chinese medicine is powerless, right?"

Xu Chunliang said, "It can be broken down."

Several doctors were present, including two renowned experts in the province.

Although Li Jiakuan was not an expert, he was a seasoned traditional Chinese medicine practitioner. He felt embarrassed by Xu Chunliang's statement and kindly reminded him, "Xiao Xu, are you referring to kidney stones? Kidney stones can be treated with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, but gallstones, due to their anatomical structure, are not suitable for this treatment."

"Any type of stone in the human body can be treated with lithotripsy," Xu Chunliang said confidently, indicating he had not misunderstood.

Dr. Su Yunquan's understanding of Xu Chunliang was based on others' accounts. He even suspected that Luan Yuchuan's recovery was due to the timely CPR performed by Li Jiakuan and Xu Donglai, and that he just happened to wake up during Xu Chunliang's acupuncture, leading everyone to believe it was the acupuncture that saved him.

Dr. Su Yunquan thought that Xu Chunliang was not only young and impetuous but also lacked medical knowledge. His statement about lithotripsy for gallstones suggested that he was likely a quack, similar to those who claim that eggplants can cure all diseases.

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