As an economic powerhouse of Jiangnan Province, Northern Mountain City boasts two prestigious triple-A rated hospitals: the Traditional Medicine and Pharmacy Affiliated Hospital of Northern Mountain University and the Northern Mountain City Central Hospital.
The former is a hospital established by Northern Mountain University. It serves as the largest clinical teaching base for the university's medical school and is also the best traditional Chinese medicine hospital in Northern Mountain City, and even in all of Jiangnan Province. The hospital has strong medical expertise and enjoys a renowned reputation both within and outside the province. Additionally, Du Kangming, the Mount Tai Beidou of the domestic traditional Chinese medicine community, previously served as the dean of the hospital. Although he is now retired, he remains a senior expert in the hospital's Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, setting aside time each week for a special outpatient clinic.
As for the latter, it is currently the largest and most advanced hospital in Northern Mountain City with the strongest medical staff. Its Cardiovascular Department is particularly famous both within the province and beyond, attracting many patients from other provinces. Liu Changshan is one of the few authoritative experts in this department and is very well-known in Northern Mountain City!
"Sir, please save our boss," the blond foreign bodyguard said, breathing a sigh of relief upon seeing that Liu Changshan was a renowned Western cardiovascular specialist in Northern Mountain City. He sounded as though he had found a savior, pleading in his broken Chinese.
"Let me assess the situation first!"
However, Liu Changshan's expression was very serious. He quickly walked over to the nearly unconscious fat foreigner, Tucci, and pressed his ear to his chest to listen. The man seemed to be in even more pain; his lips trembled and were extremely pale. He was almost unable to breathe and had even momentarily passed out.
Seeing this, Liu Changshan's expression grew grave. He turned to the bodyguard and the government official behind him. "Judging from his current symptoms, I believe he's suffering from an acute myocardial infarction, and it seems there are a series of complications. The situation is dire. If we don't treat him promptly, his life will be in grave danger."
As he spoke, even he, the famous cardiovascular expert from the Northern Mountain City Central Hospital, wore a troubled expression.
Given the fat foreigner Tucci's current state, it wasn't just about the limited conditions here preventing immediate help. Even if he were in the Central Hospital's operating room right now, Liu would still have little confidence in reviving him—a thirty percent chance at most.
After all, this was an acute myocardial infarction, a condition that claims countless lives every year, not to mention the numerous complications he was currently unable to ascertain. It was indeed a very tricky situation.
"This..."
Upon hearing Liu Changshan's diagnosis, both the blond foreign bodyguard who understood Chinese and the middle-aged man who appeared to be a government official were stunned. They instinctively glanced in Chen Fei's direction.
They hadn't expected Liu Changshan, the cardiovascular specialist from the renowned Northern Mountain City Central Hospital, to give the same diagnosis as the greenhorn youth. Moreover, Liu's assessment was less detailed than his, which made them both feel a mix of absurdity and astonishment.
Could it be that this kid can really save Mr. Tucci?
"No! Traditional Chinese medicine isn't recognized internationally. It's superstition! We absolutely cannot let him treat Mr. Tucci."
However, the fat foreigner's bodyguard, because of his own prejudice, believed that traditional Chinese medicine was a superstitious deception. He refused to let Chen Fei treat Mr. Tucci. Instead, he turned to Liu Changshan and asked in his broken Chinese, "Sir, can Mr. Tucci be taken to the hospital? If we get Mr. Tucci to a hospital with proper tools, he can be saved, right?"
"No!" Liu Changshan rejected the idea firmly. He said gravely, "The gentleman's condition is critical. He absolutely must not be moved, or it will endanger his life!"
"Then what do we do?" the bodyguard couldn't help but shout in desperation. Mr. Tucci absolutely cannot have something happen to him! Otherwise, we'll be in huge trouble!
"I will immediately inform the hospital to send emergency equipment over. If we can stabilize the gentleman's condition, there might be a chance," Liu Changshan whispered.
"But the City Center Hospital is at least a half-hour drive from here, and it's rush hour. What if there's traffic?" the government official worriedly pointed out.
As an economic powerhouse in Jiangnan Province, Northern Mountain City was vast. Under normal, traffic-free conditions, the drive from the City Center Hospital to here would take half an hour. But now, during peak rush hour, the roads were completely gridlocked. They couldn't wait that long.
"Then..." Liu Changshan also showed signs of anxiety, knowing the other man was right.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, he spoke quickly to the government official. "Then notify the Affiliated Institute of Traditional Medicine right away! If I'm not mistaken, Elder Du should be holding a specialist clinic today. If we can persuade him to come over, there might still be hope!"
"What, Elder Du is at the Affiliated Institute of Traditional Medicine's clinic today? I'll inform them right away! Right away! You all just wait a moment," the government official said, growing excited again before quickly running to the side to make a phone call.
In truth, with his position in the Northern Mountain City government, such an outburst was rare for him, but this situation was indeed extraordinary. This Mr. Tucci, hailed as one of Italy's most outstanding designers, was representing the Saint Laurent Group on an investment inspection tour of Northern Mountain City. If he could manage this matter successfully, it would undoubtedly be a huge political achievement, one that could greatly benefit his future career.
But on the contrary, if something went wrong with his guest under his watch, all the blame would naturally fall on his head. In that case, it was very likely his political career would end right here.
"If you all keep delaying like this," a calm voice came from the side, "I guarantee that in no more than fifteen minutes, this Mr. Tucci will be meeting God." It was Chen Fei, who had gotten up and walked over at some point.
"What did you say! How dare you curse Mr. Tucci?" The Chinese-speaking bodyguard of the fat foreigner immediately became enraged and roared at Chen Fei. Perhaps the thought of the terrifying treatment he would receive if Mr. Tucci died made his state extremely unstable, as if he were about to eat someone!
"If you want him to die, then just try yelling at me one more time!" Chen Fei, however, just glanced at him and retorted with a cold laugh.
In fact, he was quite disgusted by the other party's disdainful attitude toward Chinese medicine and himself, and he even considered just walking away. But the patient was ultimately innocent. Based on his earlier observation, the fat foreigner called Tucci was indeed in a very serious condition. He had to be treated immediately, or else not even the gods could save him.
"You, young man, are you suggesting that you can save this gentleman?" Liu Changshan was also somewhat taken aback by Chen Fei's words and spoke with a frown.
Clearly, he also thought Chen Fei was being reckless, daring to get involved in such a critical matter.
"My name is Chen Fei, and I'm a practitioner of Chinese medicine. If I start now, I have a seventy percent certainty I can save him. But if we delay any longer, then I'm sorry, but no one who comes will be able to do anything," Chen Fei said with a serious expression.
"No one who comes will be able to do anything! What about Elder Du? Will it be useless even if Elder Du comes?" The middle-aged government official seemed to have finished his phone call and walked over, his face grim.
He had just called the Affiliated Institute of Traditional Medicine to explain the gravity of the situation. They had taken it very seriously and promised to immediately notify Elder Du to rush over. But now this young upstart was claiming that in a little while, no one would be able to help! Is he looking down on Elder Du? A student of Chinese medicine dares to be so presumptuous… truly…
"Elder Du is just a doctor, not a god! Sigh, forget it. Since none of you believe me, there's nothing I can do. Let it be." Seeing this, Chen Fei could only shake his head helplessly. Although he really wanted to save this life, he couldn't just force his way through, could he?
Not to mention, the few bodyguards currently surrounding the fat foreigner Tucci were clearly not simple characters. Even if he was a good fighter, he couldn't possibly win against professional bodyguards who had truly experienced the baptism of blood and iron! They were on a completely different level; there was no contest.
"AH! AH!"
Just then, the fat foreigner Tucci suddenly convulsed. His entire body shook even more violently, his eyes grew slightly unfocused, his lips turned deathly pale, and his entire body began to go into shock.
"Damn it, this is bad," Liu Changshan's expression changed abruptly as he swore under his breath. As an authoritative expert from the City Center Hospital's Cardiovascular Department, he knew exactly how terrible this development was. If they didn't act now, it would truly be too late.
"Boss! Boss!" The bodyguards' faces drained of color, their eyes filled with panic and fear.
"Tucci, dear Mr. Tucci, you must hold on! Elder Du should be here any moment!" the middle-aged government official cried out, his forehead beaded with sweat.
"Make way!"
At that moment, Chen Fei calmly walked toward the stricken Tucci, intending to save him.
However, the Chinese-speaking bodyguard still blocked his path, warning in broken Chinese, "You… Chinese doctor… no good. Leave quickly, or don't blame me for being impolite!"
As a black man well over six feet tall, his powerful build carried an obvious sense of oppression, along with that suffocating, battle-hardened aura that would make an ordinary person afraid to even stand before him for long. Even Chen Fei felt uncomfortable.
But he forced himself to endure that oppressive feeling, lifted his head to look the bodyguard directly in the eye, and said icily, "I will say this one last time. Get out of the way. Otherwise, you will be the one who murders your own boss!"
"What did you say!?" The Chinese-speaking black bodyguard immediately flew into a rage, raising a massive fist, ready to strike!
"Wait! Hold on, Hank," a voice interjected. Just then, a blue-eyed and similarly powerful bald white man stopped him. "Let him try!"
"What did you say?"
The black man, hearing the bald white man's words, was about to retort but was cut off.