The fresh air, long denied to him, made Gong Han gasp for breath.
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed outside the ward.
"Director, where are you? We’ve suddenly had over a dozen unconscious patients brought into the Emergency Department—all children from the Jiangbei Tianxing International Kindergarten."
A nurse rushed into the ward, taking in the sight of Gong Han panting on the floor. Ignoring her surprise, she continued, "Director Gong, the Dean and Director Liu from the Health Bureau are looking everywhere for you! They’ve specifically requested your presence to handle the rescue."
"Emergency patients?"
Hearing this, Gong Han, who had been lying on the ground like a dead dog, sprang up with a sudden, fluid motion. He cast a smug look at Lin Hao, as if to say, "Patients are waiting for me to save them. You have no reason to stop me from leaving now!"
But when he heard that the patients had been brought over from the Jiangbei Tianxing International Kindergarten, his face turned deathly pale, and cold sweat broke out over his entire body. The Dong Family’s eldest grandson was a student at that very kindergarten.
*Why is this happening? Where did things go wrong?*
*It’s over!*
Gong Han felt the world spin, as if stars were circling before his eyes. Before anyone could react, he let out a strangled "Ugh" and fainted dead away.
"Director! What’s wrong?" The nurse who had entered rushed to his side.
"Slap, slap, slap!" After pinching his philtrum and attempting chest compressions failed to revive him, she began slapping his face.
"Does anyone have yellow urine? Splash it on him to wake him up." Lin Hao checked him, and seeing that Gong Han was genuinely unconscious, he looked toward the man and his entourage of bodyguards.
The man gave a slight nod to his bodyguards. One of the Dong Family’s bald bodyguards grew excited. After receiving the man's approval, he grabbed an empty mineral water bottle and dashed off toward the ward's restroom.
"Blegh..." Doused in bright yellow urine, Gong Han woke up, choking and retching uncontrollably.
"Director Gong, the Dean and Director Liu from the Health Bureau personally named you to treat these patients. How could you just faint like that?" Lin Hao asked with a mocking smirk.
"You—what did you do to me?" Gong Han wheezed, glaring at Lin Hao between dry heaves.
"What do you think?" Lin Hao replied with a smile.
"You... you..." The bodyguard had brought quite a bit of urine, and after being doused, Gong Han had accidentally swallowed a few mouthfuls. He felt like he was vomiting up his own bile, so furious he nearly fainted again.
"Mr. Dong, shall we go take a look?" Lin Hao kicked the faking Gong Han awake and spoke to the man.
The man remained silent, but from the previous exchange between Lin Hao and Gong Han, he sensed something was wrong. After a moment of hesitation, he instructed one of his bodyguards to stay behind and look after his sleeping son. Once the other bodyguards hoisted Gong Han up, he and Lin Hao headed toward the Emergency Department.
Lin Hao’s original plan had been to make Gong Han confess to framing him and the Dong Family’s grandson in the man’s presence. But with over a dozen children suddenly arriving in the Emergency Department, and seeing Gong Han terrified into a faint, Lin Hao decided to use this to blow the lid off the entire affair. Only by doing so could he, as an outsider and victim, ensure Gong Han paid the ultimate price.
Think about it: someone who almost destroyed your family, left you on the brink of ruin—if, after you’ve survived, you don’t use every possible means to retaliate or make them pay, are you even human?
Furthermore, Gong Han was just a minor director of an Emergency Department at Jiangbei Hospital. Without someone backing him, he would never have dared to harm the Dong Family’s eldest grandson. Only by blowing this up could he force Gong Han’s backers and the Dong Family to tear each other apart. That was the only way for Lin Hao to vent the rage he felt over being hunted down by the Dong Family earlier.
*Ding-dong!*
As they exited the elevator and arrived at the Emergency Department, they saw Dean Huang of Jiangbei Hospital and Director Liu of the Health Bureau frantically trying to pacify the families of the patients.
"Director Gong, where the hell have you been? You even stopped answering your phone?" Seeing Gong Han being carried into the department, Huang Jianguo froze for a moment before erupting in curses.
These children had been transferred from the Jiangbei City Hospital, where the doctors were at a loss regarding their symptoms. However, word had spread that Jiangbei Hospital had just successfully saved the Dong Family’s grandson, whose condition had been several times worse than these children. Under intense pressure from the families, the Dean of the City Hospital had immediately petitioned the Health Bureau to transfer all the children with similar symptoms to Jiangbei Hospital.
Children who could attend the Jiangbei Tianxing International Kindergarten were either wealthy or powerful. Having such a hot potato dumped in his lap made Huang Jianguo feel sick.
*Gong Han, you turtle-bastard, didn't you say the Dong heir was dead and couldn't be saved? Now look, all these kids are being dumped at Jiangbei Hospital. Aren't you just piling trouble on me?*
"Director, I..."
"What are you standing there for? Get over there and save them!"
Gong Han felt incredibly wronged after the dressing-down. He opened his mouth to explain, but Huang Jianguo cut him off before he could get a word in. Hearing the Dean's order, Gong Han went blank. It was true the Dong heir had survived, but it hadn't been his doing. His face twitched, and he wanted to clarify, but seeing the icy glare from Huang Jianguo, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk toward the patients.
"Mr. Dong is here, too. Is your son feeling better?" On the other side, Liu Zhaoliang of the Health Bureau stepped forward to greet the man.
"Thanks to your blessing, Director Liu, my son is out of danger!" the man replied.
"That's a relief. I don't know what happened—after your son was brought to Jiangbei Hospital, all the children in his class started experiencing high fevers and unconsciousness. Even the City Hospital is at a loss," Liu Zhaoliang said with a sigh. He then added to Huang Jianguo, "It's fortunate that Jiangbei Hospital treated Mr. Dong’s son; otherwise, I wouldn't know what to do. Jiangbei Hospital is truly full of hidden talents!"
After exchanging a few words, they moved aside, looking toward Gong Han expectantly. As for Lin Hao, he was completely ignored by Huang Jianguo and Liu Zhaoliang. The man wanted to say something, but seeing Lin Hao give a slight shake of his head, he held his tongue.
"How could it be..."
Gong Han steeled himself and examined the dozen or so children. He discovered that they had indeed been poisoned with the same substance as the Dong heir, though not as severely. Cold sweat erupted on his forehead again. He had only poisoned the Dong grandson! And he only knew how to poison, not how to heal—how had things turned into this?
Seeing Gong Han hesitate to act or write a prescription, Huang Jianguo snapped, "What is it, Director Gong? Is there a problem?"
"No problem at all!"
Seeing his superiors and the families staring at him coldly, Gong Han gritted his teeth and spoke with forced conviction. Having reached the position of department director, Gong Han did possess some basic medical knowledge. Moreover, he had dabbled in acupuncture before. Plus, he had watched closely when Lin Hao saved the Dong heir—even though he had tried to interfere, he had firmly memorized the process.
*It’s just sticking a few needles in, isn't it? If a lowly intern like Lin Hao can do it, why can't I?*
Running through the procedure in his mind again, Gong Han felt a surge of confidence. With the Dean and the Health Bureau Director present, and the children coming from such prominent backgrounds, if he cured them using Lin Hao's method, he would not only win the favor of his superiors but also reap immense benefits. This was a gift!
*Lin Hao, oh Lin Hao, thank you for this package you've delivered.*
Suppressing his excitement, Gong Han steadied himself and asked the nurse to fetch the silver needles. He prepared to puncture the acupuncture points on the child closest to him.
"Director Gong, what are you doing?" Liu Zhaoliang of the Health Bureau asked in surprise.
Gong Han immediately replied, "Director Liu, based on my diagnosis, these children are suffering from food poisoning. The hospital has no specific antidote, so we must treat them through acupuncture."
Before the Director could speak, Huang Jianguo exclaimed, "You know acupuncture?"
Gong Han puffed out his chest and said, "A little, just a little!"
Huang Jianguo marveled, "Old Gong, I didn't realize you were hiding such deep skills! Since you know it, get to work!"
Lin Hao, watching this scene coldly from the back, was struggling to hold back his laughter. *Gong Han, you really are a master at digging your own grave. Very well—those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad.*
A mocking smirk tugged at the corner of Lin Hao's mouth.
***
Under the expectant gazes, Gong Han began the treatment.
He inserted a silver needle into the girl's *Feishu* point. As time passed, a trace of color returned to her face, and her pained expression eased significantly. Seeing it worked, Gong Han became excited. He withdrew another needle and inserted it into her *Guanyuan* point. Soon, the girl’s complexion became rosy, and her breathing steadied.
Dean Huang Jianguo, who had been worried about Gong Han’s sudden display of acupuncture, finally breathed a sigh of relief, his expression toward Gong Han softening. He had been under immense pressure after Director Liu had insisted on transferring these children here. Seeing that Gong Han actually had some skill, he felt both relieved and ambitious. If these children recovered, Jiangbei Hospital would become famous! And then, wouldn't he, as Dean...
The families' anxious hearts settled as well. Liu Zhaoliang laughed aloud to ease the tension, nodding repeatedly. "Doctor Gong lives up to his title as Director; he is truly a divine doctor!"
Gong Han quickly replied, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. You flatter me, Director Liu." Despite his words, he couldn't hide the triumphant look on his face. He even cast a provocative glance at Lin Hao, who merely scoffed, ignoring him. *A man on the verge of doom, yet oblivious. How pathetic.*
Under the astonished eyes of the crowd, Gong Han repeated the process for the remaining children. Once finished, he was immediately surrounded by people showering him with praise. While he continued to utter humble platitudes, he was internally ecstatic. With the approval of the Health Bureau and the Dean, and with the Vice Dean position vacant at Jiangbei Hospital, who else could it be but him?
While he was busy soaking in the adulation, he didn't forget to send another mocking look toward Lin Hao. That smug expression seemed to say: *Kid, I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice. You're still too green to fight me.*
He clearly remembered that when Lin Hao treated the Dong heir, it had taken thirteen consecutive needles to save the boy. Now, he had saved over a dozen children with just two simple needles each. A doubt crept into his mind—was he actually an overlooked genius of Traditional Chinese Medicine? Maybe he had been on the wrong path all along!
Seeing Gong Han act like such a small-minded, arrogant person, Lin Hao couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Lin Hao, what the hell are you laughing at?" For some reason, seeing Lin Hao smile made Gong Han’s blood boil.
Lin Hao shook his head. "I'm laughing because you're a dead man walking and don't even know it. Do you have any idea that your reckless acupuncture is going to make these patients' conditions worse?"
"What would a lowly intern like you know? Am I the one treating them or are you? Can't you see they're already getting better?"
Having nearly been choked to death by Lin Hao earlier, and then doused with urine, Gong Han had been holding back a mountain of rage, and it finally exploded in front of everyone.
Hearing the argument, Dean Huang Jianguo immediately asked, "What's going on?"
Gong Han immediately said, "This kid is an intern under me. Not only does he refuse to study medicine, but earlier, while I was away, he took it upon himself to treat the Dong heir and almost killed him."
Huang Jianguo was shocked. "Nonsense! Gong Han, how are you managing your staff? Why are you only telling me this now? Lin Hao, is it? You're fired! Jiangbei Hospital has no room for a reckless young man like you!"
"Kid, did you hear that? The Dean has spoken personally. Get out of here!" Gong Han was worried that if Lin Hao stayed, he might spill the truth about the poisoning. Hearing the dismissal, he felt a surge of joy.
"Are you sure?" Lin Hao looked at Gong Han with a playful glint in his eye.
"Yes, I'm sure!" Seeing that look, Gong Han panicked, but he gritted his teeth and held his ground.
Lin Hao said nothing more and turned toward the door. However, before he had taken two steps, the medical equipment in the room began to emit a shrill, piercing alarm.
All the children Gong Han had needled began to foam at the mouth, convulsing, their complexions turning as pale as death. At the same time, the monitors showed their blood pressure plummeting and their heart rates slowing rapidly—they were in critical condition.
Seeing this sudden turn of events, Gong Han went blank. The room descended into chaos, the parents turning deathly pale and wailing in terror.
Dean Huang Jianguo roared, "What is going on? What the hell are you standing there for? Start the rescue!"
Gong Han was drenched in a cold sweat. Recalling the thirteen needles Lin Hao had used, he scrambled to grab his own needles and began mimicking the technique. Yet, the children’s condition didn't improve; the alarms grew even more piercing. Gong Han’s face turned ghostly white. He remembered clearly that this was how Lin Hao had done it—why, in his hands, was it not only useless but accelerating their decline?
Even Liu Zhaoliang of the Health Bureau roared at him, "Gong Han, what the hell are you standing there for like an idiot? Find a way to save them!" He was frantic—these were over a dozen lives. If they died here, it would be a major medical catastrophe, and his career would be over.
"Can you even treat them? If my son (daughter) dies, I’ll kill you!" The parents were frantic, grabbing Gong Han and urging him to do something.
"What do I do, what do I do?" Gong Han was soaked through with cold sweat; his legs gave out, and he collapsed to the floor. He knew if these children died, their parents would tear him apart.
Just then, he saw Lin Hao. Like a drowning man seeing a savior, he crawled over and knelt before him. "Lin Hao, Brother Lin, no—Master Lin, please, I beg you, save them! I'll do anything you want!"
Lin Hao looked at him with disgust but said nothing. Although he despised this man, this was no time for petty grievances. The motto of Xianyimen: *Heal the world, practice medicine across the lands.* Moreover, these lives were at stake right in front of him; as a doctor, he would not stand by.
Seeing the once arrogant Gong Han kneeling like a lapdog, the parents didn't care about anything else. They rushed to Lin Hao, desperate. "Young man, please save my child! Name your terms!"
"Very well." Lin Hao nodded. He immediately grabbed his silver needles, removed those Gong Han had placed, and began applying his own with surgical precision.
His movements were swift. With over a dozen lives at stake, he could not afford to waste a single second. As time passed, every time Lin Hao placed a needle, the screeching monitors in the room quieted down one by one. The foaming at the mouth ceased, the children’s complexions returned to a healthy glow, and their breathing steadied.
Seeing the alarms stop, Lin Hao continued to the second needle. Although the poison was the same as the Dong heir's, the dosage in these children was lower. Lin Hao only needed two needles to clear the toxins entirely. By the time he finished, all the monitors were back to normal. A moment later, the room was filled with the sounds of children crying for their mothers.
"A divine doctor, truly a divine doctor!"
After soothing their children, the parents were moved to tears of gratitude. They approached Lin Hao, ready to kneel before him.
***
The parents' emotions had been on a rollercoaster all day. Seeing their children out of danger, they wanted to thank Lin Hao from the bottom of their hearts.
Lin Hao waved them off. "Everyone, please, listen to me. I understand how you all feel—"