Chapter 134: No Need to Hide What Isn’t There

Upon hearing his boss’s words, Zhang Shen nearly spat out the string of chives he had just swallowed. After all, the boss’s statement clearly “sold him out.” Perhaps nothing had been amiss at first, but this sudden development introduced a thousand uncertainties.

At this moment, though Zhang Shen’s mind was racing, he quickly turned his attention to the old man’s condition.

“The face has darkened, the body is trembling slightly, and there is obvious difficulty in breathing. If our guess is wrong, then it’s not poisoning but an allergic reaction,” Zhang Shen said.

The boss, upon hearing this, clung to it like a lifeline and repeatedly exclaimed, “Exactly! This young man is right—it must be an allergy. There’s no way it’s poisoning. Besides, I don’t even know this old man. Why would I want to harm him? And all the crayfish in my shop are carefully selected; nothing like this would happen.”

At this moment, the boss stood alongside Zhang Shen. However, the onlooking diners and neighboring stall owners did not seem to buy the bearded boss’s words. Instead, their scorn was now directed at Zhang Shen.

“Kid, do you even know how to diagnose? If you don’t, just wait for the paramedics to arrive,” one sneered.

“Right, kid, don’t try to act tough if you can’t handle it.”

“I think he’s just pretending, all show and no skill.”

As the crowd swelled, the once lively night snack street took on a different atmosphere, charged with tension from this unexpected and dramatic incident.

Still, Zhang Shen paid little heed to the murmurs and persisted in his treatment.

He was certain, based on his diagnosis, that the old man was suffering from an allergic reaction.

Carefully observing the old man’s face, Zhang Shen noticed that the deeply wrinkled skin had turned a ghastly pale. Were it not for the faint warmth remaining in the body, Zhang Shen could hardly believe he was still alive.

He also noticed an unusual detail on the old man’s face: from the center line drawn through his nose and mouth, the upper half was pale, while the lower half had turned a purplish red. This further confirmed Zhang Shen’s suspicion that the symptoms were caused by an allergic reaction.

Zhang Shen recalled from his nights working as a night-shift network administrator that, when medical texts bored him, he would sometimes watch TV dramas. Several scenes had left a deep impression on him—scenes where people allergic to crayfish, after overconsuming them, exhibited similar symptoms. Seeing the old man’s complexion now, Zhang Shen was more confident than ever that this was indeed an allergic reaction.

Seeing the old man showing clear signs of mechanical asphyxiation, Zhang Shen cast aside any ethical qualms and quickly unbuttoned the man’s shirt.

“What the hell is this kid doing?” someone muttered.

“Is he really going to do that to the old man in public?”

As expected, wherever there’s a crowd, there’s no shortage of troublemakers.

But the boss, watching Zhang Shen’s professional demeanor, was certain he was the one here to resolve the crisis.

“Can you all stop talking and let the doctor do his job?” the boss barked, waving his hands to usher the diners outside, clearing a wide space for Zhang Shen to work.

Zhang Shen took note of this and thought the boss was quite professional for knowing such basic first-aid protocol.

He then pulled out three silver needles he always carried. But given this was an allergic reaction, Zhang Shen was meticulous; the old man’s age combined with these symptoms meant a single misstep could turn fatal.

He thought quietly: “At this rate, the old man won’t last until the ambulance arrives. I must act now.”

“Boss, can you lend me your lighter?”

For the barbecue shop owner, any request from Zhang Shen now was met with eager compliance.

The boss hurriedly handed over his lighter.

“Do you have a small knife?”

The boss’s brow furrowed slightly at this.

“What do you need that for?”

Before Zhang Shen could reply, Jiang Muyun interjected, “Of course it’s to help save him. What, you think he’s here to cut lamb meat?”

Jiang Muyun’s comment almost made the serious Zhang Shen smile.

The boss, hearing this, quickly ran outside to fetch the butcher’s knife and handed it to Zhang Shen.

“Anything else you need?”

The boss’s respectful tone made Zhang Shen momentarily forget the man’s earlier demeanor. But for Zhang Shen, his focus was solely on treating the old man; he had no time to entertain the boss.

“I forgot something important just now…”

Before Zhang Shen could finish, the boss eagerly interrupted, “If you want the stars from the sky, I’ll get them for you!”

Zhang Shen didn’t need anything so extravagant; he simply replied, “Right now, I only need a straw. As for stars, I’ll ask you next time.”

The boss, relieved it was only a straw, quickly produced a bundle from beside a can of soda.

“Here you go!”

Zhang Shen took the straw and began his “performance.”

To save time, he used the boss’s lighter to heat the surface of the knife again.

“Brother, what’s that for?”

Though the boss knew Zhang Shen was trying to help, this move baffled him. Even in the worst medical dramas he’d seen, they didn’t go this far!

Without looking up, Zhang Shen said, “It’s sterilization. With limited medical supplies, this is the best we can do for now.”

“Sterilization?” The boss looked skeptical but dared not interfere now that the words were spoken. If the old man survived, great. If not, it was no longer his concern.

“Enough questions. Right now, saving him is what matters!”

Zhang Shen’s words were like a command. Only the boss obeyed immediately. Jiang Muyun and Mu Qiao merely watched from the sidelines, their expressions cautious and observant.