After parting ways with the group, Tang Hao returned to the delivery store.
Tang Hao had mentioned to Uncle Li about his resignation a few days ago. No one had showed up to replace him yet, so he stayed on his post.
Uncle Li came out of the store.
“Lil Tang, someone came looking for a job earlier. He used to be a delivery boy so he can pick up the job incredibly fast. He should be able to substitute your job immediately. I’ve asked him to come to work tomorrow.”
Tang Hao was surprised when he heard this news.
He did not expect this day to come so fast and felt a little reluctant to leave. He had worked there for a little more than a year and Uncle Li was a caring employer who had helped him during his most difficult period.
“Uncle Li, I…” He felt a little sad.
“Eh! Why are you feeling sad about, kid? It’s a good thing that you’ve found a benefactor to help you. At least you’ll have a bright future! It’s way better than delivering packages.” Uncle Li smiled. “I am so happy for you. If you’re free next time, feel free to drop by. Remember to bring me some fine alcohol.”
Tang Hao a lump in his throat. He wanted to cry.
Holding back his tears, he nodded.
“And this will be your last batch of packages. Go get them delivered!” Uncle Li pointed at a pile of packages at the side.
“Yup!” Tang Hao replied.
He rode onto his little three-wheeled motorcycle and drove toward Azure Sky Gardens.
Tang Hao had done this job repeatedly for the past few hundred days. It was as menial as it could get, but today he felt heaviness in his heart.
After delivering the last package, Tang Hao rode aimlessly on the wide road with his little three-wheeled motorcycle.
Without this job, he felt vacant inside. He had to somehow get used to this.
In the evening, he went to Beyond Heaven Restaurant.
Everyone ate and drank merrily at the banquet.
Halfway through, President Huang excused himself to pick up a call. When he returned, his face was grim.
“What’s wrong, President Huang? You look ghastly. Is there an incident?” Everyone looked at him curiously.
President Huang was silent for a while, then said, “It’s Secretary Lin’s son… he met with an accident and is currently in the ICU at the hospital. Things… aren’t looking great.”
“What?” Liu Dajun and the others were shocked.
“Who’s Secretary Lin?” Tang Hao was confused.
“He’s the Secretary Lin that always appears on television. He’s one of the top-ranking officials in the district. I’ve met his son a few times. He’s a good kid.”
“Also, Ol’ Huang is distant relatives with Secretary Lin.”
Tang Hao nodded.
“What accident, Ol’ Huang?” President Biao asked.
“I think it was a serious car accident. He was almost gone when he arrived at the hospital. The doctors say that there’s a slim chance of survival,” President Huang said sorrowfully.
Liu Dajun and the other people were silent.
“Sigh! I hope he makes it through!” After a long while, they lamented.
Twenty minutes later, President Huang’s phone rang again.
He excused himself and picked up the call away from the table. When he returned, his face was grimmer than ever.
“They managed to save his life, but… he’s still in a coma. He might remain that way forever,” President Huang said.
Everyone sighed.
“Hey, Lil Tang, do you have a cure for this?” President Biao asked.
“Right! Do you have a solution, Lil Tang?” President Huang looked at Tang Hao expectantly.
In his eyes, Tang Hao’s medical skills were legendary. He might be able to do something.
“Well…” Tang Hao hesitated.
He contemplated for a while, then carefully said, “There is a way, but… I’ve never tried it before. I can’t guarantee that the procedure will be a success.”
“That means that there’s still hope then?” President Huang was eager.
Tang Hao lowered his head. “There is a chance, but the patient is the son of a high-ranking official. What happens if I fail? I’m afraid of getting into trouble.”
“That’s true!” President Huang sighed. He thought for a bit, then said, “How about we go take a look at the hospital. We’ll decide after assessing the situation.”
Tang Hao hesitated for a while, then agreed.
The group of people left the restaurant and hailed a cab to go to First Public Hospital.
Chapter 32
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
First Public Hospital, Westridge District.
Two cabs sped along the road and stopped at the hospital entrance.
Tang Hao and the others got off the cabs and went into the hospital.
When they reached the ICU, they saw a crowd gathered in the corridors in front of a hospital room. Sobbing sounds could be heard.
President Huang led the way. Someone came over when they saw him. “You’re here, Rengui!”
President Huang’s full name was Huang Rengui.
“What’s the situation, brother?” President Huang asked anxiously.
“How else could it be?” That person sighed. He looked anguished. “The doctor said that he might have a slim chance of waking up if it’s a short-term coma. But if it’s a long-term coma, there’s no hope.
“Sigh! How could this happen to him? Mingxuan is a good kid! Why would he be punished like this?” President Huang lamented.
The door to the patient’s room opened and some people walked out. The person in the lead was a doctor in a white robe. He wore glasses and looked to be in his forties. Following right behind him were a husband and wife.
The husband looked to be in his fifties. He had a square face and a fit body. His gaze carried an air of authority.
At present, his expression was grim and he looked haggard.
Next to him was his wife. Her eyes were swollen and she could be heard sobbing quietly.
“Is there no other way, Senior Doctor Chen?” The man asked, choking back tears. As he spoke, his body was trembling. His eyes started to glisten as tears pooled.
Senior Doctor Chen stopped walking. He sighed and said, “Secretary Lin, I’ve already told you what I should say. It’s not that there’s no hope, but that… there’s only a slim chance.
“Once someone falls into a come, the probability of them regaining consciousness and making a full recovery is less than ten percent.
“But that also means that there is still a less-than-ten percent chance of recovery. From today onward we will be trying different methods to rouse him from the coma. Please be rest assured, Secretary Lin, that we are doing our best to save him.”
Secretary Lin’s body teetered when he heard that, his face became paler.
His body hunched up, and he seemed to age ten years in that instant.
The woman sobbed louder and louder. Finally, she let loose and wailed.
Tang Hao could not bear to watch from the sidelines.
“Less than ten percent…” he mumbled to himself.
This was a fairly low probability.
If he were to perform his medical techniques though, the chances of success were not high either. He had never tried the technique before, and so he was not confident that he would succeed.
The cause of the coma was in the brain. His technique was to activate meridian points in the brain with acupuncture.
There was a set of acupuncture techniques in the Scripture of the Divine Herbalist named Nine Needles of the Divine Herbalist. Tang Hao had studied the technique, though he had not put it into practice.
“Secretary Lin, Mingxuan is blessed with lucky stars. He will definitely wake up.” People in the corridor comforted the couple.
“How confident are you, Lil Tang?” President Huang turned around an
d asked Tang Hao.
“I can’t tell. I’ll need to see the patient.” Tang Hao replied after thinking.
“Then… let me ask!” President Huang walked toward the patient’s room as he spoke.
“Sis Yun!”President Huang greeted the woman.
The woman had already stopped sobbing. Her eyes were still swollen. She lifted her head and said haltingly, “It’s you, Rengui!”
“Sis Yun, I’ve brought someone here. He’s an incredible Chinese physician. Who knows he might be able to help,” President Huang said.
Su Yun was surprised. A hint of suspicion was seen in her eyes. “Chinese physician?”
“That’s right. He’s a miracle worker. Would you… want to let him try?”
Su Yun hesitated.
Her first reaction was to be skeptical about this Chinese physician. Even the senior doctor had already said that there was nothing he could do. What could a Chinese physician do?
However, she was not about to give up hope in these desperate times.
“Where is he, Rengui?” Su Yun became agitated.
“Over there. ” President Huang lifted a finger and pointed at Tang Hao standing not too far away.
Su Yun was stunned when she saw Tang Hao. “Rengui, you must be joking! He’s just… how old is he?”
Some other people standing around them were dismayed. “This isn’t the time for pranks, Rengui! Isn’t he just a kid?”
“Sis Yun, listen to me. He is still young, yes, but he’s incredibly talented. You can ask Ol’ Liu, Ol’ Li and the others. They’ll vouch for him,” President Huang said.
“I…” Su Yun hesitated.
At this moment, Secretary Lin came over. “What is it?”He asked.
“Rengui said he brought someone here. He’s a Chinese physician, and he says that he is a miracle worker. I was thinking of letting him look at our son. What do you think?” Su Yun replied.
Secretary Lin’s demeanor changed. “Utter nonsense! How can you trust Chinese physicians? Rengui, how can you be so ridiculous?” He chided.
President Huang frowned hard. He did not expect Secretary Lin to react so intensely.
“How can you say that to Rengui? He’s only trying to help. What else do you want to do at this time?” Su Yun was angry.
“Even Senior Doctor Chen has said that there’s no cure. Do you think some no-name self-proclaimed Chinese physician can do anything to help? He must be a con artist,” Secretary Lin said.
Everyone in the corridor nodded in agreement.
“Secretary Lin is right. He must be a con artist. There’s no cure in this world for a coma yet.”
“He must be daring to try to con the Secretary!”
All of them gave disparaging comments while occasionally stealing condescending glances.
They did not know who was the Chinese physician and so they could only look in the general direction of Tang Hao.
Tang Hao frowned at their attitude.
“Never mind then, Big Bro Huang. Let’s go! It doesn’t matter to me whether Young Master Lin lives or dies,” Tang Hao said coldly.
Everyone looked at him when he spoke.
“What? So he’s the miracle doctor? Is this a joke? He looks so young! He looks like just a student!” Everyone was relentless with their comments.
Secretary Lin’s eyebrows looked almost vertical. He reprimanded President Huang with a loud voice. “Rengui, is he the supposed miracle doctor? Are you out of your mind, believing in nonsense like this?”
President Huang frowned but said nothing.
Liu Dajun was indignant at this display. “Secretary Lin, I’m afraid you might be too rash. Ol’ Huang here is only trying to help. We all got here the moment we heard the news. As for this person here, we can all vouch for his abilities.”
President Biao, President Li and the rest all agreed. “That’s right, Secretary Lin. You have yet to see what this young man can do. I’m sure you’ll agree to Brother Tang’s abilities once you see him in action.”
Secretary Lin’s eyebrows were locked tight. He remained incredibly doubtful.
He knew that these people were among the most prestigious in the district. Why were they helping this young fellow?
Chapter 33
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Hmph, how old is he? What kind of abilities would he even have! All of you, get out now!” Secretary Lin flicked his sleeves and said coldly.
“Let’s go, Big Bro Huang!” Tang Hao said, not mincing his words.
“Wait!” Su Yun shouted. “Rengui, let him see my son!”
“What are you doing?” Secretary Lin was furious.
“What am I doing? I’m trying to save our son. There’s no harm with him looking, what if he has a solution?”
“Don’t you know that all these people are swindlers? I’d be the talk of the town if news got out!” Secretary Lin’s face was red with anger.
“Let me ask you, which is more important: Your face, or our son’s life?” Su Yun shrieked. She was incredibly emotional.
“You…” Secretary Lin did not know how to respond.
Su Yun wiped her tears. She walked toward Tang Hao and said, “How should I address you?”
“My name is Tang Hao. You can call me Lil Tang!”
“Oh! Lil Tang, can you save our Mingxuan?”
“I’ll have to take a look at him first! Only after knowing his symptoms can I make a diagnosis,” Tang Hao said contemplatively.
“Alright, let’s go in! Please be quick!” Su Yun dragged Tang Hao to enter the room.
Secretary Lin followed behind into the room. His face was cold as he glared sharply at Tang Hao.
Tang Hao surveyed the room. He saw the young man lying on the hospital bed.
He looked to be in his early twenties and had a handsome face.
Tang Hao briefly looked at his body’s overall condition. Then he reached out to his wrist to check his pulse.
Finally, he touched the patient’s forehead and sensed his qi. This way, he could discern what was happening in the patient’s brain.
“How is it, Lil Tang?” Su Yun asked anxiously. She looked apprehensive, but at the same time hopeful.
About three minutes later, Tang Hao retracted his hand. He stood there and thought long and hard.
“I can cure this, but there’s only a sixty or seventy percent chance that I’ll succeed,” Tang Hao finally said.
“Sixty or seventy percent?” Su Yun looked overjoyed.
“I can’t allow it! What if something goes wrong? Mingxuan has not awoken yet but at least he is still alive, and there is always a chance that he awakens. If something goes awry, his life might be in danger.” Secretary Lin said resolutely.
“Well…” Su Yun hesitated.
This was a difficult choice for her.
Tang Hao glared at Secretary Lin coldly.” Don’t worry. Even if I fail to cure him, it won’t threaten your son’s life. I can guarantee that.”
“And what is your guarantee worth?” Secretary Lin retorted coldly.
“How will you be curing him, Lil Tang? Is it dangerous?” Su Yun asked.
“Acupuncture, of course. Don’t worry, it’s totally safe,” Tang Hao answered.
“Acupuncture?” Su Yun breathed a sigh of relief. She had heard about the wonders of acupuncture before.
“Let him try, won’t you?” She turned around and asked Secretary Lin.
Secretary Lin did not say anything. He stood there with a sullen face.
He looked at Tang Hao, then at his son on the hospital bed. His fists were tightly clenched and his body was shaking.
In his heart, he struggled with this dilemma.
On one hand, he did not believe this so-called ‘physician’. On the other, he was desperate for a cure. He was not optimistic about the ten percent probability that Senior Doctor Chen had promised him.
Everyone in the room looked at him.
Four or
five minutes later, he nodded and said painfully, “Let him try!”
“Oh, Secretary Lin! You can’t do that! This is a hospital, how could you let them do anything they want?” A nurse said.
“If something happens, I will bear all the responsibility!” Secretary Lin said with a low voice.
“This… Oh! How can you do this! I’ll go look for Senior Doctor Chen!” The nurse rushed out of the door.
“Now that Secretary Lin has agreed, then I shall give it a try. First of all, I need a set of needles. Golden needles will be the best,” Tang Hao said.
“That’s easy. I know an old Chinese physician who has a set. I’ll hook you up with him.” Liu Dajun immediately took out his phone.
He stepped outside to make a phone call, then quickly returned. “It’s done. He should be here in less than twenty minutes.”
Tang Hao nodded.
A short while later, frantic footsteps were heard from the corridor. Then, Senior Doctor Chen burst through the door as though he were on fire.
What are you doing, Secretary Lin? This is a hospital. You can’t just do anything you like here! There is still hope for Young Master Lin. What happens if something goes wrong?” Senior Doctor Chen asked frantically.
He turned around and looked at Tang Hao. “So this is the physician you were talking about? Are you crazy, Secretary Lin?”
Secretary Lin was adamant. “Say no more, Senior Doctor Chen. I will bear full responsibility for anything that might happen!”
“This… Secretary Lin!” Sweat gathered on Senior Doctor Chen’s forehead.
He looked at Tang Hao again. This was ridiculous!
How old can this kid be? He looked to be eighteen at most. How can he be an expert in medical skills? What had gotten into Secretary Lin’s head that he would trust this person?
Even if he was truly talented, there was no way that he could revive a coma patient! The best Chinese physicians he knew did not boast that they had such abilities. Who was this callow child in front of them?
The Mightiest Little Peasant c1-799 Page 17
