Chapter 7: Do Not Underestimate the Young

"..."
There was about five seconds of silence on the phone, then a sudden burst of chaotic noise as another man's voice intruded, "President Jiang, the earliest flight is in two hours."
Jiang Muyun immediately leapt to his feet, "Big brother, you mustn't come! If you do, I won't speak to you anymore!"
There was another long pause on the other end, "Ah Yun, have you been... feeling well lately?"
The conversation grew cold again. The blush on Jiang Muyun's face quickly faded, replaced by a pale shade. "Better than when I was in the metropolis."

Meanwhile, while Jiang Muyun was busy on the phone with his brother, Zhang Shen and his companions had already driven into the inpatient department of Tianyuan Hospital.
"Prepare for chemotherapy." As soon as Li Tanghuang entered the hospital, he transformed into a cold, ascetic idol. While putting on sterile gloves, he issued instructions with practiced ease, glancing sideways at Zhang Shen. "Are you coming in?"
Despite his dismissive tone, Zhang Shen, a true follower of the Buddhist way, took no offense; in fact, he was eager to witness modern medical procedures, so he nodded to indicate his willingness.
Li Tanghuang’s eyebrows drooped, "Take him for disinfection."
"Director Li..." The assistant looked troubled, leaning in to whisper, "Why bring a fraudster here?"
"Hmm?"
"This guy was here two months ago, claimed to be a doctor and wanted to apply. He had no credentials at all, and the security threw him out on the spot. Director Li, don't let yourself be deceived."
"..."
Li Tanghuang felt a chill in his heart. Was this young man really a charlatan? Good heavens, could bringing him in jeopardize his career?
He thought for a moment, then waved his hand, "He’s not here because of me; Mr. Zheng hired him as a private doctor."
"So who takes responsibility if there’s a medical accident?"
"I’ll have Mr. Zheng sign an agreement. He’s only using our chemotherapy equipment; we’re not responsible for any issues." Li Tanghuang calculated carefully—once the agreement was signed, whether Zheng Ke lived or died, Tianyuan Hospital would have nothing to do with it. But if Zheng Ke survived by luck, Tianyuan Hospital and Li Tanghuang would certainly be credited.
Seeing Li Tanghuang insist, the assistant had no choice but to comply. However, he immediately rushed to the director’s office to file a report.
"Nonsense!" The elderly director, now in his sixties, sprang from his chair. "Tell Li Tanghuang to see me!"
The assistant dared not confront the oncology director and hesitated, so the director struck his desk in anger and marched straight toward the oncology department himself.

Zhang Shen was following Li Tanghuang through the pre-chemotherapy examination procedures.
Some practitioners of traditional medicine disdain modern medicine, thinking it’s like a factory fixing machines—cut where it’s broken without searching for the root cause; some modern doctors look down on traditional medicine, considering it slow, inefficient, and outdated.
Li Tanghuang belonged to the latter group, but Zhang Shen was not among the former. He was eager to absorb everything modern medicine had to offer.
"If only modern and traditional medicine could be combined, then many incurable diseases would not be a problem at all. Don’t you think?"
Zhang Shen gazed at the rows of instruments, admiration in his eyes, and instinctively wanted to discuss his ideas with those nearby. Yet Li Tanghuang only threw him a disdainful glance, and the other doctors acted as if they hadn’t heard him.
Truth be told, the fact that they didn’t laugh was already giving him some face.
Ah, if only Xiao Yun were here, she would surely listen to what I had to say. Zhang Shen sighed regretfully to himself and fell silent.
The preparations before chemotherapy were many, and Li Tanghuang worked hard to squeeze Zheng Ke into the schedule for early the next morning, using it as an excuse to extort a large sum from Boss Zheng.
Zhang Shen saw the family’s signature and learned that the patient’s father was named Zheng Tiande, only thirty-six years old.
They had just finished arranging the ward and stepped out, not yet returned to the office, when they saw a white-haired old man standing imposingly in the corridor. He slammed his cane down, pointing at Zhang Shen, "Li Tanghuang, are you trying to destroy our hospital’s reputation of decades by bringing in a fraudster?"
Li Tanghuang was stunned and turned to look at Zhang Shen.
The young man’s expression did not change, as if unaware he was being called a fraudster. Faced with the cane almost pressed to his nose, he simply stepped back calmly.
"Good day, sir. I am not a fraud," he replied politely, as though the man were merely inquiring about his age. "It’s just that my treatment method requires modern equipment, which I do not possess. Fortunately, Doctor Li was willing to help us."
"Your treatment method? Which book is it from, and which master taught you?"
"None."
"Which university did you graduate from?"
"I never attended school."
"So you must be the disciple of some renowned master?"
"My teacher never mentioned his name, only his surname, Luo."
"Luo?" The director pondered, but could not recall any famous master by that name. His expression turned icy cold. "Get out!"
Zhang Shen’s pupils contracted slightly. He raised a hand in salute and strode out with head held high. Just as he reached the door, he saw Jiang Muyun enter with excitement, "Zhang Shen, I’ll have the medicine tomorrow morning... Eh, are you leaving?"

Zhang Shen shrugged, "Yes, I’m covering a shift this afternoon."
"..."
Jiang Muyun watched in confusion as he hailed a taxi and vanished inside.
The reason was sound enough, but at such a crucial moment, the thought of him sitting in an internet café as a manager felt utterly out of place.
Zhang Shen rubbed his temples; a sleepless night had left his mind sluggish. Not a big deal—half an hour of meditation would clear it up. Yet the director’s attitude had left him indignant.
First for himself—even if he wasn’t a doctor they recognized, at least he meant well and wanted to save lives. How could they treat him like a beggar and drive him out?
No—a healer’s heart. Even beggars wouldn’t deserve such treatment.
Second, for medicine and the patients. They dared claim to be one of the three best hospitals in Yuehu City, yet refused even to listen to a dissenting opinion.
He truly had a highly effective method, and if they didn’t let him in tomorrow, that girl...
"Damn it!" He clenched his right fist and struck his back hard; for the first time, the calm surface of his heart stirred with turmoil.
If he had hundreds or thousands of successful cases, would those doctors still look down on him?
Did lack of credentials and education mean he had to let his talents be buried, watching those who could have been saved die?
"Damn it!"
The taxi driver glanced back at the handsome young man, "What, someone bullied you? Hey, don’t be too discouraged. At your age, it’s normal to get pushed around. But it’s okay, don’t you read web novels? What do they say? Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—never underestimate the youth. Cheer up, work hard, and in a few years, come back and make those who bullied you take notice."
Drivers in Yuehu City were notorious chatterboxes. Zhang Shen was caught off guard; the man had already rattled off a whole speech.
He only heard four words: "Never underestimate the youth."
Yes, I possess extraordinary skills. Why can’t I be the kind of doctor people acknowledge?
Must I follow their rules?
Zhang Shen’s brows furrowed, and for the first time, a sharp light appeared in his calm eyes.