Chapter 9

The cane concealed a mechanism. As Nie Weiting finished speaking, three more flying nails shot out from inside.

Nie Weiting wanted to take Su Tao's life. In his eyes, Su Tao's life was not worth much. Since Su Tao didn't want the exorbitant compensation, he would take his life first. Then, he would use the money to smooth things over, which would be more than enough.

Although Xiao Leng couldn't deal with Su Tao, Nie Weiting didn't take Su Tao seriously.

When Nie Weiting was out in the world, Su Tao hadn't even been born yet. Xiao Leng was his bodyguard and also his disciple.

Since a few years ago when Nie Weiting fell seriously ill, he rarely took action, but his skills had never declined and had even improved.

In his youth, Nie Weiting, to seize goods, single-handedly infiltrated the Northeast Tiger Gang and eliminated thirty people, thus gaining a great reputation. After entering business, he didn't hesitate to use underworld tactics to strike down his competitors.

Su Tao looked a bit disheveled. He dodged the flying nails, moving his steps while searching for an opportunity. His eyes were clear and bright.

As Nie Weiting looked into Su Tao's eyes, he suddenly felt a strange sensation. This kid was very calm, but the thought flashed by quickly.

All his wealth was earned through life-and-death struggles.

If someone blocked his path to wealth, he would simply erase them from the world.

Nie Weiting decided to deliver a fatal blow. He pressed the second mechanism on the cane, and the end exploded again, releasing smaller flying nails that filled the air.

This was somewhat similar to the "Plum Blossom Needles" in martial arts novels, or like a shotgun, blasting out and covering an entire area.

Su Tao knew he couldn't be careless. He held several silver needles in his hand. As the silver light flashed, a clear tinkling sound came from the air. Surprise flashed in Nie Weiting's eyes. The countless flying needles were all deflected by Su Tao's small silver needles.

Another silver light, almost invisible to the naked eye, flashed.

The cane fell to the ground with a thud. Nie Weiting's wrist trembled, a silver needle half-embedded in his flesh. Sweat rolled down his forehead, and he collapsed on the ground.

Nie Weiting never dreamed that he would fall so quickly, before he could even do anything.

Su Tao walked over and poked Nie Weiting in the abdomen.

"Ugh," Nie Weiting curled up in pain, his face contorted, veins bulging, and soon fainted.

Su Tao didn't stop there. He poked again, and Nie Weiting woke up, then he poked again...

The Heaven and Hell Finger, one pointing to heaven, one to hell.

Nie Weiting kept oscillating between life and death. At first, he could still scream, but after a dozen rounds, he became like a puppet, unable to make any sound.

Xiao Leng stood to the side, watching Su Tao cruelly torture Nie Weiting. He suddenly found himself unable to move. He clearly didn't expect Su Tao, who seemed gentle, to turn into a demon.

An experienced doctor had seen more dead bodies than Xiao Leng, and Su Tao, more experienced than a seasoned killer, knew how to make someone suffer unbearably.

Nie Weiting's forehead veins bulged, his eyes bloodshot, and his mouth dripped with thick saliva. His limbs twitched, and his crotch was wet with urine and feces.

Su Tao treated his enemies with such simple brutality.

If he didn't make Nie Weiting feel the pain of death and fear him from the bottom of his heart, Nie Weiting would continue to be relentless.

Xiao Leng's legs trembled, and he suddenly had the urge to run away, but he was also afraid that Su Tao would let go of Nie Weiting and come straight for him.

This feeling was like that of a herbivore in the wilderness, watching a lion cruelly slaughter its prey, knowing that escape was impossible, and instinctively wanting to hide, hoping to be forgotten.

After an unknown amount of time, Su Tao coldly looked at Nie Weiting, who was like a pile of mud, and said to Xiao Leng, "Take him away quickly! Such an unrighteous person, his fate is in the hands of heaven."

Apart from himself, no one else in the world could save Nie Weiting.

...

The Jin Tai Bay villa complex was divided into levels, forming a pyramid structure from the outside in. The deeper inside, the higher the status of the residents. The apartment where Nie Weiting lived was only on the outer perimeter.

Inside the villa complex was the Jin Tai Lake. The moonlight, like water, shone on the lake, and with the help of the streetlights, the reflection of an apartment building could be seen in the water. This building was the heart of the villa complex.

Standing on the rooftop garden of the apartment, Yan Jing held a coffee cup and overlooked the night view of Jin Tai Bay.

She stood there motionless, but her body was tense. The brown trousers tightly hugged her buttocks, and her high, full chest stretched the shirt wide. The shirt was tucked into her waist, showcasing the fullness of a mature woman.

Her beautiful figure seemed to have a strong rebound effect even when seen with the eyes.

News had just come, making Yan Jing somewhat annoyed. Nie Weiting had ultimately failed. "How is Old Nie?"

The female secretary, looking at Yan Jing's back, was distracted. A woman as beautiful as Yan Jing would even surprise other women. She said softly, "The hospital reported that there's no way to treat him."

Yan Jing frowned and asked, "What's the background of that young doctor?"

The secretary sighed, "His resume is completely blank for the past ten years. The only thing we know is that a few days ago, he saved a Russian businesswoman at Jianghuai Hospital. It was that Russian businesswoman who used her connections to get him out of the police station."

Yan Jing waved her hand and said, "Arrange the best hospital for Old Nie. He still has value and can't just die. As for Sanwei Hall, wait until we investigate his background before taking action."

The secretary left, her back drenched in sweat. Despite Yan Jing's calm words, she felt a strong sense of pressure.

Yan Jing was known as the "Poison Widow," beautiful but ruthless, with influence extending beyond Hanzhou. When she didn't show her emotions, she was truly terrifying.

...

The next morning, Su Tao reported to the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) department at Jianghuai Hospital. Although Di Shiyuan said he would give him special treatment and didn't need to sit in, he still had to show up and sign in, maintaining the proper formalities.

Unexpectedly, Di Shiyuan was already waiting in the TCM department, chatting with an old TCM doctor. Seeing Su Tao enter, Di Shiyuan quickly pulled him over and introduced him with a smile, "Old Tang, this is the fresh blood I've brought to your TCM department, an outstanding talent. You should take good care of him."

By appearance, the old man surnamed Tang was already in his seventies, with white hair at his temples and a long, mixed black and white beard. Su Tao guessed he was a retired doctor brought back on a part-time basis.

Tang Nanzheng glanced at Su Tao and smiled faintly, "A talent that Dean Di values must have real skills. After the clinic opens, I'll gather all the TCM department staff to see Dr. Su's abilities. All the patients this morning will be treated by Dr. Su. How about that?"

Di Shiyuan frowned, sensing a test in Tang Nanzheng's words.

Tang Nanzheng was the cornerstone of the TCM department at Jianghuai Hospital. Despite being past retirement age, the hospital still hired him at a high salary, and he saw patients every Wednesday.

All the TCM doctors in the department were trained by Tang Nanzheng. It was natural for him to be unhappy when Di Shiyuan brought in an outsider.

Seeing Di Shiyuan's troubled expression, Su Tao smiled and said, "Since I'm here, I'll settle in. After I give Vera a follow-up examination, I'll come to the TCM department to see patients."

Seeing Su Tao's straightforwardness, Tang Nanzheng's expression improved.

After Su Tao left the office, Di Shiyuan's stern face relaxed, and he said with a smile, "Old Tang, you did a good job just now."

Tang Nanzheng shook his head with a bitter smile, "Since you recommended him, why did you make me play along, deliberately making things difficult for a young person, making me look petty and bullying the new guy?"

Di Shiyuan waved his hand and sighed, "Old Tang, you're getting old. Although you've trained many young people, there are no elites. They can't support the TCM department at Jianghuai Hospital like you. In my view, Su Tao is a good seedling, so I want to cultivate him. At the same time, I want him to show his abilities and prove he's qualified to be the head of the TCM department."

Tang Nanzheng frowned, "You plan to give him the head position?"

Di Shiyuan said seriously, "Although Xie Cheng has learned some of your skills, he still falls short of being a master, so I've only given him the deputy position."

Tang Nanzheng sighed, "Xie Cheng indeed lacks the necessary skills, mainly due to insufficient practice. TCM emphasizes practice, and in recent years, the TCM market has declined and been demonized. Patients prefer Western medicine because it's faster and supported by scientific theory. However, Su Tao looks young, and at his age, he probably hasn't had much practice. Even with a strong family background, he may not match Xie Cheng."

Despite his broad-mindedness, Tang Nanzheng naturally favored his own disciples.

Tang Nanzheng's medical skills were the golden sign of Jianghuai Hospital. When Vera was sick a few days ago, Tang Nanzheng was abroad at a world medical conference and didn't treat her. With his skills, he could have cured her.

However, a hospital or department's strength can't rely solely on one or two experts, especially since Tang Nanzheng was getting old. Since they had discovered the young Su Tao, it was natural to cultivate him into a capable doctor.

...

In the VIP ward, Su Tao met Secretary Li again. He prescribed the Quzhi Decoction, which proved effective after three days, and the leg pain had disappeared.

Su Tao examined his abdomen. He had been kicked at Sanwei Hall the day before and hadn't had time to treat it, but it was just a bruise. Su Tao applied some special ointment, which wasn't a big issue.

Su Tao briefly explained a few methods for later recovery and health maintenance. Secretary Li took out a notebook and pen and carefully recorded them.

After two treatments, Vera's condition was significantly controlled. After the third acupuncture session, Su Tao changed the herbal decoction to focus on strengthening her constitution.

However, the herbal medicine was still bitter. After Vera frowned and drank it, she extended her slender fingers. Su Tao smiled and handed her a piece of sweet tea leaf.

Vera happily put it in her mouth and sighed, "What a wonderful day."

"Today is the last day of treatment. You can be discharged tomorrow," Su Tao said, packing his medical bag. "Of course, this isn't the last time we'll meet. You should come for a follow-up every month so I can monitor your condition. So don't try to get rid of me easily."

Vera blinked her beautiful brown eyes and smiled, "You seem to have forgotten something?"

Su Tao lightly patted his forehead, "Of course, I won't forget. How about dinner tonight?"

Vera nodded in satisfaction, "That's better!"

Su Tao picked up his medical bag and walked out of the ward. Vera suddenly noticed a small package on the table. Carefully untying it, she found sweet tea leaves inside. She smiled, admiring this gentle and considerate Chinese man.

...

Outside the TCM department, people were already lining up. This only happened on Wednesdays, as Tang Nanzheng had built a good reputation and a large base of loyal patients over the years. They all waited for his expert clinic to register.

"Did I hear that right? All of Dr. Tang's patients today are being transferred to others?" A middle-aged man frowned, displeased. "I couldn't register last week, so I came early today, and now it's not Dr. Tang..."

Beside him, a young woman with a pretty face said, "I asked a friend who works at the hospital. A new doctor joined the TCM department today, and Dr. Tang wants to test his skills. If he's not up to par, Dr. Tang will still diagnose the patients himself."

"So, Dr. Tang will be supervising?" The middle-aged man sighed in relief. "The TCM department at Jianghuai Hospital is only as good as Dr. Tang. The others are just quacks."

The young woman smiled, "In the entire TCM department, only Dr. Tang is a genuine TCM doctor. The others are from Western medicine, so their treatments often don't differ much from Western clinics. We trust TCM because it's less harmful and has fewer side effects. If their methods are the same as Western medicine, why would we come to the TCM department?"

The middle-aged man smiled and hurried into the waiting area when the nurse called his number.

Su Tao was already seated at the consultation desk, with Tang Nanzheng on his right and Di Shiyuan on his left. The other TCM doctors sat behind them.

Today's setup was more like an exam, and the results would determine whether Su Tao could stand firm in the TCM department.

Di Shiyuan smiled at the TCM doctors behind him, "Today, we'll have a competition. Dr. Su and Dr. Tang will diagnose the patients together. They will write down the patients' conditions on slips of paper, and I will judge the results."