Chen Xiao was stunned at first, his mind a complete blank, then his face turned ashen, and he exploded in anger:
"Who said I wished my mother were dead sooner? Was it Gou Shunquan or Liu Zihao who spread that rumor?"
Zhou Wan, furious, laughed coldly, her words dripping with disdain:
"You've already done it, and you're not allowed to let others talk about it? Chen Xiao, I truly never imagined you'd look so decent on the outside, yet be so utterly despicable within!"
Chen Xiao felt inexplicably angry and could no longer care that Zhou Wan was his supervising teacher. He retorted sharply:
"What did I do?"
Zhou Wan was too lazy to even glance at Chen Xiao anymore. She turned away with a cold sneer:
"Didn't you say acupuncture could remove blood clots in the brain? Didn't you say massage could mend broken bones? Such claims that defy medical common sense, you're practically disgracing all of us medical professionals..."
Chen Xiao, unable to bear it, interrupted Zhou Wan without politeness:
"I wasn't bragging!"
But Zhou Wan didn't listen to Chen Xiao's explanation at all and turned to leave:
"Hmph! I won't let you have your way. Even if I have to beg, I'll plead with Director Gou and Director Lin to perform the surgery!"
Watching Zhou Wan's tall ponytail and beautiful figure disappear through the doorway with swift decisiveness, Chen Xiao hesitated to speak, then simply gave up on explaining.
After all, as Zhou Wan had said, Chen Qing's intracranial bleeding and fractured spine urgently required medical attention, and there was no time to lose.
As soon as Zhou Wan left, Chen Xiao impatiently began to acupuncture seventeen acupoints on Chen Qing's head. The mysterious, wordless golden formula in his mind whirred rapidly. He was employing a set of miraculous acupuncture techniques passed down from ancient times –
The Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Longevity Needles!
In less than ten minutes, after completing the acupuncture, Chen Qing remained unconscious, but the paper-white pallor of his face had visibly regained a touch of rosy color, and his breathing had become more even and smooth.
"The Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Longevity Needles truly lives up to its reputation as a divine skill for activating blood and dispelling stasis! Although I'm learning and applying it on the fly, it will only take about ten days to half a month for the blood clots in my mother's skull to be completely cleared, completely eliminating the risk of craniotomy failure."
Seeing Chen Qing's condition gradually improve, Chen Xiao was both surprised and delighted, shaking off his previous gloom and frustration. He continued to focus his attention on massaging Chen Qing's fractured bones with the Immaculate Bone Setting Technique.
"Crackling" sounds of bones being corrected echoed one after another. Though chilling like the grinding of malevolent spirits, the unconscious Chen Qing's face was peaceful, his pulse steady, clearly showing no pain.
About half an hour later, just as Chen Xiao finished the massage, Zhou Wan suddenly burst through the door again, followed by the schadenfreude-filled Gou Shunquan and Lin Chenggang, along with a group of doctors and nurses.
Lin Chenggang seemed to have forgotten his previous conflict with Chen Xiao. As soon as he entered, he uncharacteristically comforted Chen Xiao:
"Dr. Chen, don't worry too much. Director Gou and I will do our best to perform the surgery."
Gou Shunquan also feigned righteousness, stating:
"Little Chen, although we occasionally have minor disagreements due to work misunderstandings, as a member of the Central Hospital, Director Lin and I will certainly not stand idly by!"
As they spoke, the two exchanged a subtle smile, both harboring the same ulterior motive: to extort the "Life-Generating Creation Needle" from Chen Xiao once Chen Qing was on the operating table.
Although Chen Xiao couldn't fathom their intentions, he understood the saying "A weasel paying a new year's call to a chicken" and couldn't help but frown slightly.
Seeing Chen Xiao's hesitant indecision, Zhou Wan became even more exasperated and coldly urged the doctors and nurses behind her:
"Immediately transfer the patient to the operating room!"
As she spoke, she glared at Chen Xiao as if to warn him.
"Uh..."
Chen Xiao sensed that Zhou Wan's prejudice against him ran too deep. He was both taken aback and helpless. After a moment's thought, he gritted his teeth and shook his head:
"Thank you for your kindness, the three directors, but my mother is already fine. There's really no need for surgery..."
"Beast!"
Interrupting Chen Xiao with icy coldness, Zhou Wan personally pushed Chen Qing on the mobile bed and walked out.
Soon, after Chen Qing was taken into the operating room, she stood like a guardian spirit at the operating room door, staring at Chen Xiao fiercely as if he were a thief:
"If you dare to force your way into the operating room, I'll accuse you of disregarding human life!"
Just as she finished speaking, she suddenly felt a dizzying sensation, her head feeling heavy and her feet light. She instinctively reached out to support her forehead.
Chen Xiao noticed her haggard appearance and couldn't bear to press the issue. He forcefully controlled his emotions:
"Deputy Director Zhou, I sincerely appreciate your kindness, but my mother truly doesn't need..."
Before he could finish speaking, the closed operating room door suddenly opened, and Gou Shunquan, now in surgical attire, poked his head out:
"Little Chen, your mother's condition is special. Director Lin has an urgent matter to discuss with you. Come in quickly."
Fearing Zhou Wan would follow, he suddenly added:
"Deputy Director Zhou, Director Lin wants you to quickly check the patient's past medical history. This is directly related to the success or failure of this surgery."