Chapter 92: Some Things Are Getting on My Nerves

“This isn’t the time to be sad, Old Sun. We need to hurry and get Dad to the hospital! Maybe there’s still hope!”

Zhao Yuan was the first to react among everyone. She looked at Sun Hai anxiously as she spoke.

Despite her usually arrogant and domineering behavior, she knew when to act appropriately. She understood just how important Sun Yaowen was to the Sun family.

“Hmph, by the time you get him to the hospital, the corpse will be cold.”

Xu Shaochen let out a cold snort, a mocking expression on his face as he looked at the group.

“How dare you speak like that! Who gave you the right to say anything here? Get lost!”

Zhao Yuan was already full of resentment towards Xu Shaochen, and when she heard his sarcastic remarks, she exploded in anger.

Xu Shaochen just gave her a cold glance before turning to Sun Hai. He said, “Do you want me to treat him? It’s your choice. But I can tell you this: If you delay any longer, not even a god can save Old Master Sun.”

Sun Hai’s expression flickered with indecision and anguish as he looked at Xu Shaochen. He didn’t trust Xu Shaochen and feared that he might make the situation even worse.

But it seemed like there were no other options left. As Xu Shaochen had pointed out, could Old Master Sun even survive the trip to the hospital? Even if they got there, could the hospital really control the situation? After all, Li Hong himself was powerless here.

“Madam Sun, who is this person?” Li Hong glanced at Xu Shaochen, frowning as he turned to Zhao Yuan with his question.

Zhao Yuan sneered, “Just a know-it-all kid who has no idea of the world, arrogantly claiming he can treat my father.”

Upon hearing this, Li Hong’s face immediately darkened, and he became antagonistic toward Xu Shaochen.

After all, if even he, a seasoned doctor, couldn’t do anything, what made this kid think he could treat Sun Yaowen? Wasn’t that like saying he wasn’t even as good as some young punk? “May I ask which hospital you work at, friend?” Li Hong asked Xu Shaochen, his tone flat, but with an intent to gauge his background.

Xu Shaochen shook his head. “I’m not a doctor, just someone with a little medical knowledge.”

“Absurd! This is outright ridiculous! You’re gambling with a patient’s life! How dare a half-baked amateur without even a medical license spout such nonsense! If I can’t cure him, where do you get the audacity to claim you can?”

Li Hong was so infuriated by these words that he ended up laughing. He felt deeply humiliated, as if a nobody was claiming to be his equal. If he, a respected specialist, couldn’t treat him, how could Xu Shaochen?

“Yeah, this is just utterly disregarding human life.”

“Sigh, young people these days really don’t know their limits. Does he think he’s better than Dr. Li?”

“Exactly. If Dr. Li can’t treat him, who gave him the courage to say such things? What a joke.”

Everyone else around them ridiculed Xu Shaochen. To them, he was just a braggart who couldn’t back up his words, showing no regard for human life.

“I’m a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner,” Xu Shaochen frowned as he spoke.

Li Hong laughed as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world. He looked at Xu Shaochen with undisguised contempt. “TCM? So, you’re just an unlicensed, barefoot doctor. Stop trying to make yourself sound grand. Kid, today’s world is about scientific methods. Why don’t you take your TCM back to the remote mountains and fool those uneducated villagers?”

After saying this, Li Hong turned to Sun Hai. “Chairman Sun, I strongly urge you to think carefully. Based on my assessment, Old Master Sun can hold on a bit longer. But if some folk remedy worsens his condition, it’ll really be too late to save him.”

Li Hong, being a staunch supporter of Western medicine, never had any regard for so-called Traditional Chinese Medicine. To him, all TCM practitioners were nothing but charlatans with no scientific basis.

Moreover, he had openly opposed TCM at multiple public forums before.

“Yeah, Old Sun, you can’t just let some kid mess around with Dad’s health,” Zhao Yuan echoed, keeping her hostile attitude towards Xu Shaochen.

Xu Shaochen didn’t speak further. He just quietly looked at Sun Hai, waiting for his decision.

He had been waiting here for so long and had already offered twice to help. He had done everything he could for Sun Yaowen. If Sun Hai refused again, he would just turn and leave.

Sun Hai’s face kept changing as if struggling with a significant decision. He looked at Sun Yaowen, who was growing paler by the second, and finally gritted his teeth. He turned to Xu Shaochen and said, “Young man, please help my father. If you can cure him, you may ask for anything in return.”

He could only take a gamble. Things were already bad enough; how much worse could they get? Besides, what if this kid really did perform a miracle?

After all, the young man didn’t seem like someone who would say things without some basis. He probably did have some real skills.

If Western medicine couldn’t do it, then they’d try TCM. After all, old traditions must have their uses.

“Chairman Sun!”

“Old Sun!”

Li Hong and Zhao Yuan were both horrified, looking at Sun Hai in utter disbelief. They hadn’t expected Sun Hai to actually allow this young punk to treat Sun Yaowen.

“Chairman Sun, think it over! Do you really believe this kid’s nonsense? What a load of bull! TCM is just a bunch of lies!”

Li Hong exclaimed emotionally. For Sun Hai to let Xu Shaochen treat Sun Yaowen was a direct challenge to his own medical expertise. It was downright insulting to place him on the same level as some TCM practitioner.

“Ah!”

Before he could finish speaking, Xu Shaochen grabbed him by the hair and yanked him forward. Looking him square in the face, Xu Shaochen said in a deep voice, “I’ve been ignoring you so far because all I want is to save a life. But I have to say, you’re spouting too much nonsense, and it’s starting to annoy me. I hope your face doesn’t hurt too much once it’s slapped.”

With that, Xu Shaochen released him and walked towards Sun Yaowen.

“If you manage to cure him, I, Li Hong, will kneel before you and admit that TCM is superior to Western medicine. But if you fail, it will prove that TCM is nothing but trash!”

Li Hong adjusted his hair, watching Xu Shaochen’s back as he roared hysterically. His eyes were bloodshot with fury. He had never been so humiliated in his life.

“My skills are shallow, and I’m not qualified to represent the TCM community. I only speak for myself. But I’m willing to bet because I can’t stand a fool dancing in front of me, let alone one who uses his shallow intelligence to belittle TCM.”

Xu Shaochen stopped walking, turned back to look at Li Hong with a mocking smile, and said in a calm tone.

“Hmph! A toad yawns, huh? Such big talk for someone so insignificant. Well, let’s see your real skills. Otherwise, the only thing that’ll end up being slapped is your face.”

Li Hong snorted disdainfully. If even he, a competent doctor, couldn’t cure Sun Yaowen, how could this TCM novice? The idea was utterly ridiculous.

Based on his years of medical experience, Sun Yaowen was clearly beyond saving. He was only in the throes of death.

This young punk dares to boast? Does he think TCM can really bring someone back from the dead? Li Hong thought viciously. He couldn’t wait to smash Xu Shaochen’s face into the ground, showing him just how insignificant TCM was against Western medicine.