"Are you sure this is all you need?" Shu Ming looked as if he had misheard and asked Lin Feng to confirm again. "If this is all, then don’t co asking for anything else later. Otherwise, you’ll have to buy it at the original price, and that won’t be part of our bet."
Shu Ming took the opportunity to say this. With just these few items, there was basically nothing Lin Feng could accomplish. Shu Ming didn’t believe Lin Feng truly possessed such skill.
"Lin Feng, don’t you need any dicine? My mom’s illness..."
Xie Nan hadn’t finished speaking when Lin Feng interrupted him, saying, "I’m quite sure. These are all I need. However, I want to select the set of acupuncture needles myself."
Fearing Lin Feng might go back on his word, Shu Ming quickly agreed, "Okay, it’s a deal!"
He could tell Lin Feng likely intended to use acupuncture on Mother Xie. While Shu Ming wasn’t very knowledgeable about traditional Chinese dicine, he understood that its fundantal principles, whether in Chinese or Western dicine, were largely interconnected. But could acupuncture truly bring the dead back to life? Shu Ming didn’t believe it.
The hospital also had masters of traditional Chinese dicine, so of whom were quite skilled in acupuncture. If it were that simple, they would have achieved international acclaim long ago.
As per Lin Feng’s request, Shu Ming moved Xie Nan’s mother, Li Huilan, to a quiet, private room.
Subsequently, Shu Ming led Lin Feng to the hospital’s Traditional Chinese dicine departnt.
"Mr. Zhao, I’m here to borrow a set of acupuncture needles," Shu Ming said to a doctor in the Traditional Chinese dicine departnt.
"They’re inside. Help yourself," the doctor from the Traditional Chinese dicine departnt, who seed quite familiar with Shu Ming, chuckled.
Lin Feng followed Shu Ming into an inner office. Inside, on a wooden table against one wall, were nurous sets of needles—so new, so old. There was a wide variety of acupuncture needles, almost every conceivable type.
"There are so many sets here. Pick whichever you like. I’ll wait for you outside," Shu Ming said before stepping out.
Outside, Zhao Kaiming, a doctor from the Traditional Chinese dicine departnt who appeared to be in his fifties, was engrossed in reading the "Compendium of Materia dica". Shu Ming walked up and asked, "Mr. Zhao, can acupuncture cure myelitis?"
Though Shu Ming was disdainful of Lin Feng’s claims, he still felt a flicker of uncertainty, as he knew little about traditional Chinese dicine. Thus, he seized the opportunity, while Lin Feng was selecting the needles, to consult Zhao Kaiming.
Zhao Kaiming had been practicing traditional Chinese dicine for 30 years and was considered highly proficient in acupuncture. Shu Ming was confident that Zhao Kaiming could provide a definitive explanation.
"Acupuncture to treat myelitis?"
Zhao Kaiming, still engrossed in his book, paused at Shu Ming’s question. He looked up at Shu Ming and chuckled, "Who told you that? Acupuncture can do *that*? I must say, Shu Ming, what’s with your sudden interest in traditional Chinese dicine?"
"No, it’s that Little Brat in there," Shu Ming gestured towards the inner office and said with a faint smile. "He made a bet with that he can cure myelitis with acupuncture. I don’t believe him, so..."
"You made a bet with a kid like that? Are you out of your mind?" Zhao Kaiming burst out laughing when he heard about Shu Ming’s wager with Lin Feng. He even playfully reached out as if to take Shu Ming’s pulse, but Shu Ming quickly dodged.
"I’m perfectly fine! It’s just that Little Brat is too arrogant. I need to teach him a lesson," Shu Ming retorted.
Zhao Kaiming chuckled. "A bet with a child? Even if you win, what’s there to be so pleased about? However, this ti, you’re undoubtedly going to win."
Zhao Kaiming stood up from his seat, placed his "Compendium of Materia dica" on a nearby desk, and said, "I’ve been practicing acupuncture for nearly 30 years, and I’ve never heard of it curing myelitis. Perhaps by soothing the ridians and acupoints, it can help relieve muscle tension and reduce pain, but an outright cure? Heh, that’s simply preposterous!"
"Which dical school is that boy from, that you’re getting so worked up about him?" Zhao Kaiming asked curiously.
"Er... I don’t really know where he popped up from. I think he’s a friend or classmate of one of my patients." Only then did Shu Ming realize he actually knew very little about Lin Feng.
What if Lin Feng loses and can’t afford to pay double the dical expenses?
However, on second thought, he couldn’t help but chuckle to himself. Lin Feng had only requested a set of needles, a change of room for Li Huilan, and would later get a flask of boiled water... These costs were trivial; it wouldn’t matter even if he didn’t get them back.
Heh, when the ti cos, as long as Lin Feng kowtows and admits he was wrong, I can be magnanimous and let him off the hook, Shu Ming mused.
Just then, Lin Feng erged from the inner office, holding a sowhat old-looking set of needles. "I’ve chosen."
"You chose these?" Shu Ming exclaid in surprise, looking at the rather worn-out set of needles in Lin Feng’s hand.
Zhao Kaiming eyed Lin Feng with curiosity and asked with a smile, "Young man, do you know what kind of needles those are?"
"Yes, these are Trowel Needles," Lin Feng replied calmly and walked straight out of the office.
Trowel Needles are primarily used for treating skin infections. This young fellow is actually going to use Trowel Needles for myelitis? Is he trying to overturn established dical tradition?
Only after Shu Ming and Lin Feng had both left his office did Zhao Kaiming begin to fully process this. Lin Feng’s ability to accurately na the Trowel Needle indicated he possessed at least so fundantal knowledge of acupuncture. Could it be... that he can really treat myelitis?
Startled by this train of thought, Zhao Kaiming quickly took a sip of boiled water and muttered to himself, "How interesting. Since I’m not busy anyway, I’ll go and see what this young fellow is really made of!"
With that, Zhao Kaiming also followed them out of the office.
Not long after, Shu Ming, as per Lin Feng’s request, had a flask of freshly boiled water ready.
All preparations were complete. Now, it was ti to see Lin Feng’s performance.
Seeing Lin Feng enter the ward, Shu Ming and Zhao Kaiming both wanted to follow, but Lin Feng quickly closed the door, saying, "I require silence for acupuncture. No one else can be present."
Hearing this, Xie Nan, who had been inside the ward, also stepped out, prioritizing the success of his mother’s treatnt.
Once Lin Feng closed the door and drew the curtains of the ward, Shu Ming muttered, "Hmph, acting all mysterious. I bet this Little Brat doesn’t know a thing. He’s just stalling for ti. Well, too bad for him, I’ve got all day. I’ll wait right here by this door. I’m not leaving until he cos out, kowtows, and apologizes."
Zhao Kaiming wasn’t actually concerned about the bet between Shu Ming and Lin Feng. What he truly cared about was whether Lin Feng could genuinely use acupuncture to completely cure myelitis. If that were true, he would have a new avenue for research. Moreover, if this line of research proved successful, it would undoubtedly be a world-shaking achievent, and he, Zhao Kaiming, would beco a renowned figure in the dical world!
Xie Nan, standing quietly nearby, cared for nothing other than his mother’s condition. Lin Feng, you absolutely have to cure Mom’s illness, he prayed silently. You won’t let down, right?
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