Chapter 2

A woman in her mid-twenties, with a delicate appearance and a voluptuous figure, lay on the bed, looking pale and in great pain. Su Tao stood at the back of the crowd, only able to see her face vaguely. Even a fleeting glance was enough to sense her flawless beauty.

Beside the hospital bed stood a man of average build, his face filled with anger as he said, "The medical conditions in Hanzhou are truly terrible. The patient's condition has worsened with each treatment. With such medical conditions, how do you expect foreign investors to come in?"

The last sentence made everyone's faces turn awkward. If they couldn't cure Vera's illness, the medical community in Hanzhou would become a laughingstock.

To ensure the patient had adequate rest, everyone moved to the conference room for a consultation.

"The patient is a foreigner from Russia, named Vera Ormond, who attended this year's foreign investment conference in Hanzhou. During the conference, she suddenly fell ill and was brought to the Jianghuai Hospital. After a preliminary examination, it was found that she had asthma."

Di Shiyuan stood in front of the projector, the screen displaying the limited medical records and test reports. He tried to explain the condition as concisely as possible.

"However, she only agreed to take some medication and refused any further examinations, which led to the worsening of her condition."

Qiao Dehao sighed, "This Russian businesswoman is planning to invest over a hundred million in Hanzhou, so the city leadership is highly concerned and has instructed us to cure her. Otherwise, it would be a huge loss for Hanzhou."

The city health bureau director, Cao Jun, glanced at Tang Ming, thinking he was the main character of the day and wanted to put a bit more pressure on him. "The city party secretary just called me, urging us to withstand the pressure and not to let anything go wrong."

Tang Ming gave Cao Jun a calm look. As an experienced doctor, the city party secretary's pressure couldn't faze him. He flipped through the few pages of the report, making a rustling sound, and said disappointedly, "You misdiagnosed her. If I'm not mistaken, it should be bronchitis."

A look of confusion appeared on Di Shiyuan's face. Suddenly, he thought of a possibility and said, "Could it be fungal bronchitis?"

Tang Ming continued, "In clinical practice, there is a high probability of misdiagnosing asthma as bronchitis. If it is fungal bronchitis, all antibiotics must be stopped, and antifungal treatment must be administered, otherwise, it will have the opposite effect."

"After treating her for asthma with high doses of antibiotics and corticosteroids, the imbalance of bacteria in her body and the weakening of her immune system promoted the growth of fungi, worsening her condition. Further examinations are needed: first, a repeat fiberoptic bronchoscopy; second, a culture of the tracheal secretions to determine the type of fungus."

Since only a preliminary examination had been done, the possibility of a misdiagnosis was significant. Tang Ming analyzed the reason for the worsening of Vera's condition from the initial treatment report, demonstrating his expertise.

"The type of fungus determines the treatment, so the last step is crucial," Di Shiyuan nodded in agreement. "However, the problem is that the patient refuses any further examinations!"

Tang Ming's diagnosis eased the expressions of everyone present. At least they knew the reason for the worsening of the patient's condition.

But the key issue remained unsolved, as Vera was unwilling to undergo further examinations.

Tang Ming said nonchalantly, "Then we need to do some persuasion. If she refuses treatment, there's nothing we can do. Perhaps she trusts other doctors more, and if so, we should transfer her to another hospital."

"That's out of the question!" Cao Jun shook his head vigorously. "If she leaves Hanzhou and goes to another city, it would mean losing a billion-dollar project, which would be hard to explain to the city leadership and would be a disgrace to the Hanzhou health system. As the head of the city health bureau, I emphasize that we must complete this task successfully!"

Seeing Tang Ming frown, Qiao Dehao quickly intervened with a smile, "Professor Tang, we need your help."

Tang Ming, slightly impatient, said, "To confirm the diagnosis, further examinations are necessary. Try to persuade her first, and if that fails, we may have to take more drastic measures."

Tang Ming's attitude and tone made the doctors at Jianghuai Hospital feel uncomfortable, but as a specially invited expert, he had the right to be demanding.

Di Shiyuan sighed and gestured to Zhao Ming, "Go and try to persuade her."

Zhao Ming looked innocent, inwardly cursing. Why did it have to be him again?

Su Tao had been following Zhao Ming, stroking his chin, his eyes deep in thought.

In fact, Jianghuai Hospital had already tried to persuade Vera, but she had always refused and even scolded them. Vera's temper was as bad as Di Shiyuan's.

Zhao Ming was chased out after just a minute, his face covered in dust. He rubbed his forehead and returned to the conference room, laughing bitterly, "I didn't even get a chance to speak before I was hit by an unknown flying object."

Tang Ming's expression became more serious. With years of medical experience, he had encountered many difficult cases, and patients who refused treatment were not uncommon. He needed to be patient and guide her carefully, but he couldn't stay here indefinitely.

At that moment, a nurse reported that Vera's Chinese secretary wanted to check out. He had already contacted an expert at a well-known hospital in Yunhai and was about to go there for treatment.

Seeing Tang Ming's silence, Di Shiyuan sighed, knowing he was at a loss. He could only lead everyone back to the ward, "Ms. Vera!"

Vera looked listless, her eyes closed, and she didn't seem interested in talking. The excitement she had shown when facing Zhao Ming seemed to have vanished.

The secretary blocked Di Shiyuan, "Director Di, we can't play with the president's health. She is very averse to those machines!"

Di Shiyuan, feeling helpless, suddenly heard a voice, "We can cure your illness without using any machines."

Not only was the secretary surprised, but Di Shiyuan was also taken aback. He looked around and saw Su Tao, suddenly remembering he was the grandson of Su Guangsheng. Due to the busy schedule, he hadn't noticed him earlier, but he had been participating in the consultation the whole time.

"What kind of international joke are you making?" Qiao Dehao, who had noticed this stranger, had been keeping an eye on him. He subconsciously categorized him as part of Di Shiyuan's team and said disdainfully, "Do you think you're a god to cure illnesses without machines?"

Others chimed in, mocking, "Which department's intern? Get rid of him!" Su Tao looked to be in his early twenties, and many assumed he was an intern, now a brash young man.

Tang Ming also snorted, feeling annoyed. If he couldn't do it, and this young man claimed he could, wasn't he trying to embarrass him?

Di Shiyuan frowned, but at this moment, he could only try to delay the secretary from checking out. With enough time, the patient might change her mind.

Although Di Shiyuan had never met Su Tao, he greatly admired Su Guangsheng's medical skills, even though he was a folk doctor, his abilities rivaled those of national-level experts.

Su Tao could see Di Shiyuan's dilemma. Since he thought of his grandfather at this critical moment, he had to live up to that trust.

Thinking of this, Su Tao said to the secretary, "Six months ago, didn't you have a leg injury on your right leg? It often aches and feels sore when it rains?"

Direct communication with the patient was difficult, so Su Tao chose to start with the secretary.

The secretary was stunned for a moment. How could he know about a leg injury from six months ago? This guy didn't seem to be guessing.

Di Shiyuan knew Su Tao was "showing his skills."

To gain the patient's trust, one must demonstrate their abilities. In traditional Chinese medicine, this is a common practice, unlike Western medicine where patients often come to the doctor passively. When a patient doesn't trust the doctor, the doctor must show their expertise and hit the problem right on the mark.

Di Shiyuan was delighted, realizing that the person he had unintentionally invited was not simple. Tang Ming, who had the same insight, looked at Su Tao in surprise, thinking this young man had some real skills!

Although Qiao Dehao was in charge of party affairs and not on the front lines, he could also see that Su Tao was different. However, he still had doubts and said, "Secretary Li, he's just a young man, inexperienced, and talking nonsense. Don't take him seriously."

Secretary Li, thinking about how his leg injury had affected him for a long time, was now a bit hesitant. Seeing someone identify his condition at a glance, he smiled, "If you can cure the president's illness without using any machines, then try it on me first."

Those around him knew that Su Tao's demonstration had been successful. He most likely had a real leg injury.

In traditional Chinese medicine, the four diagnostic methods are "observation, auscultation and olfaction, inquiry, and palpation." Observation is the first step, focusing on the patient's spirit, which reflects the body's vital activities.

Su Tao glanced at Secretary Li, noting his dull expression and slow reaction. A healthy Chinese person has a slightly yellow, rosy complexion. Abnormal colors indicate illness. Secretary Li's forehead was black, indicating a severe liver condition.

Next, Su Tao observed his body and movements. Seeing him walk with a slight leftward lean, he deduced that his right leg was the problem and that it was related to his liver.

Di Shiyuan was pleased and gave Su Tao a nudge from behind.

Su Tao reacted quickly. Di Shiyuan didn't want to make a clear statement but implicitly agreed to let him try.

He gently placed his hand on Secretary Li's wrist, examining it for a few seconds, and said, "Your leg pain has two causes: the initial injury and the subsequent use of medication, which led to liver deficiency. The liver's function is to regulate the flow of qi and blood. Liver deficiency leads to stagnation, which might be misdiagnosed as kidney deficiency. I will prescribe you the Quzhi Decoction. Take it for three days, and you will be cured."

Three days?

Secretary Li's face lit up with surprise. This condition had troubled him for half a year. He had privately seen doctors who diagnosed him with kidney deficiency, a source of shame for men. Embarrassed, he hadn't sought further treatment. He had taken many supplements, but they hadn't worked.

Su Tao's accurate diagnosis of his six-month-old leg injury made him doubt the previous doctors. Could it be that he wasn't really suffering from kidney deficiency?

Su Tao said calmly, "If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do. Without trust between doctor and patient, even if Hua Tuo or Bian Que were alive, they couldn't cure your leg pain."

Su Tao wrote down the prescription for the Quzhi Decoction and said with a smile, "Please have Director Di and Professor Tang verify it. Is there any problem?"

Su Tao's action gave Di Shiyuan and Tang Ming a lot of face. Both were trained in Western medicine and only knew a little about traditional Chinese medicine. They couldn't really tell if the prescription was correct.

Tang Ming held the prescription, silent for a few minutes, and then said, "This is a classic formula, and there's no problem."

The ingredients in the prescription, such as Cornus officinalis, Anemarrhena, Myrrha, Angelica, and Salvia, were common Chinese herbs, mainly for nourishment. Even if taken in excess, they had no side effects. He didn't notice that Su Tao had increased the dosage of Myrrha and Anemarrhena, which was targeted.

With Tang Ming's approval, everyone's trust in Su Tao increased. Qiao Dehao wanted to stop him but couldn't.

Secretary Li communicated with Vera and then said to Su Tao, "Ms. Vera will give you five minutes, and no machines can be used."

Su Tao, who already had a plan, said calmly, "Don't worry. I already know Ms. Vera's condition. I just need to confirm it. During the treatment, only Ms. Vera and I will be in the room. Everyone else must leave."

Su Tao's words sounded arrogant to everyone. Qiao Dehao lowered his voice and mocked, "He's really arrogant!"

Secretary Li glanced at Qiao Dehao with disdain and promised Su Tao with a smile, "That's fine, but you only have five minutes."

Su Tao smiled confidently, "She will give me enough time."

After everyone left the ward, Su Tao sat beside Vera, looking at her closely.

It had to be said, she was a beautiful woman, embodying all the best qualities of Russian beauties. Even in her illness, her charm and beauty were hard to hide.

Her brown eyes, golden hair, red lips, and snow-white neck were captivating. Her chest was prominent, her abdomen flat, and her long, straight legs, slightly exposed due to the short hospital gown, looked like those of a real-life Barbie doll in a hospital gown.

Su Tao's calm gaze made Vera feel challenged. She was about to angrily reprimand him for his rudeness.

Su Tao sighed and, with lightning speed, pressed his thumb into the gap between her full breasts.