Chapter 172 The Seven-Day Gamble Between East and West

In the living room of Courtyard No. 1, the rosewood armchair gleamed with a warm luster, and the air still held the lingering warmth of last night's romance, but now it was completely swept away by an invisible, chilling atmosphere.

Bai Zhu, wearing an outer robe and barefoot, slowly walked down the stairs on the cool solid wood floor.

The atmosphere in the living room on the first floor was subtly stiff.

Aunt Wang had already brewed the finest Wuyi Snow Peak tea, its aroma wafting through the air, yet it couldn't dispel the tense atmosphere in the room.

In the living room, Old Chen sat upright in the main seat, holding a steaming cup of tea in his hands, his eyelids half-closed, revealing no emotion.

To his left sat a slender old man with meticulously combed hair and a perfectly pressed Zhongshan suit, exuding an air of scholarly rigor and rigidity.

This person is Liang Hongbo.

He didn't look at Old Chen, nor at the furnishings in the courtyard; his sharp eyes were fixed on the stairwell.

When Su Wantang's figure came into full view, his brows furrowed imperceptibly.

Too young.

It's so beautiful.

This kind of woman shouldn't be in the rigorous field of medicine; she's more like a wicked demon who brings disaster to the country.

"Comrade Baizhu, are you awake?" Old Chen raised his eyelids, put down his teacup, and his voice was devoid of emotion.

He pointed to Liang Hongbo beside him, his tone meaningful: "Let me introduce you. This is Professor Liang Hongbo from Peking Union Medical College Hospital, a leading authority in the field of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in China. This morning, he read the newspaper and had some academic questions about Brother Lu's condition, which he would like to discuss with you."

Mr. Chen emphasized the word "explore" with particular force.

Bai Shu walked to the center of the living room and calmly met Liang Hongbo's scrutinizing gaze.

She knew this wasn't an exploration, it was an interrogation.

Liang Hongbo pushed up his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses revealing undisguised arrogance and disdain. He didn't even bother with pleasantries, cutting to the chase with an icy tone.

"Comrade Baishu, is that right? I read today's newspaper and also learned about General Lu's condition through some channels. I'm very interested in your 'treatment' process. According to medical standards, such serious cases should have detailed treatment records, medication lists, and 24-hour vital sign monitoring data. May I take a look?"

He started speaking with a set of technical jargon, clearly trying to use his academic authority to intimidate people.

Upon hearing this, Bai Shu's lips curled into a very faint smile.

"Professor Liang, I'm sorry. I'm using a traditional remedy passed down in my family. I never remember these things."

She answered casually, as if she were talking about something extremely ordinary.

"Hijifangzi?"

Liang Hongbo reacted as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world, his voice rising instantly, and the disdain on his face could no longer be concealed.

"This is utter nonsense! Absurd!" He slammed his hand on the table, stood up, pointed at Bai Shu's nose, and shouted angrily:

"Do you know what you're doing? What is General Lu's status? You're treating him with those unverified, unproven 'folk remedies' of unknown composition. You're playing with the leader's life! This is witchcraft! It's a desecration of medicine!"

He was emotional, spitting as he spoke, his demeanor one of defending scientific truth, righteous and awe-inspiring.

Old Chen, who was standing to the side, picked up his teacup, gently blew on the steam, and still didn't say anything.

Bai Zhu let him vent, and only spoke slowly after he had finished.

"Professor Liang, please calm down."

She abruptly changed the subject, completely ignoring his accusations of "witchcraft."

"I heard that Old Chen has an old subordinate surnamed Zhang whose wife contracted a strange disease three years ago. Her muscles atrophied at an inexplicable rate, and she seemed to shrink, getting smaller every day. You must have consulted on her case, right?"

Liang Hongbo was stunned, and the anger on his face froze.

This incident is one of the few stains on his medical career. He did go to see the patient, using the top team at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, and conducted the most detailed examination of the entire body, but the result was fruitless, and he could only watch helplessly as the patient weakened day by day.

Three months ago, he gave his own diagnosis: his organs would completely fail, prepare for the worst, and he wouldn't live more than three months.

This matter is an open secret within Beijing's top medical circles; it's an incurable disease that all Western medical authorities are helpless against.

Bai Shu, observing his changing expression, continued, "I heard that Professor Liang predicted that Madam Zhang would not live past this autumn."

Liang Hongbo's face darkened completely.

"Why are you bringing this up? That's a problem that modern medicine can't solve yet. What does it have to do with General Lu's condition?"

"Of course they are related."

Bai Shu smiled.

To Liang Hongbo, that smile was full of provocation.

She took a step forward, staring intently at him.

"How about we make a bet?"

"Let's gamble on this Mrs. Zhang's life."

“I will treat her. If I cannot cure her, or if anything happens to Madam Zhang in my care, I, Bai Shu, will admit in front of the entire city of Beijing that I am a charlatan, a quack doctor who harms people, and I will leave it to Professor Liang and the state to deal with without question.”

“But if…” Her voice paused slightly, and a chilling sharpness suddenly rose in her calm tone.

"If I cure her, Professor Liang, you will need to publicly apologize to me and to Traditional Chinese Medicine on the front page for three consecutive days in all the newspapers that published articles questioning her today, including the Beijing Daily and Health News! You must acknowledge that the vastness of Traditional Chinese Medicine is beyond the judgment of your pitiful Western medical knowledge!"

boom!

The air in the entire living room seemed to be ignited at that moment!

Liang Hongbo was completely enraged by her audacious words!

"You...you're being insolent!" He was so angry that he trembled all over, and his finger pointing at Bai Shu was shaking.

"You're gambling with patients' lives! This is the greatest insult to medicine and to life! I will never..."

“Hongbo.”

Old Chen, who had been silent all along, finally spoke.

He put down his teacup with a soft sound, interrupting Liang Hongbo's roar.

His voice was soft, carrying a hint of weariness and pleading.

"My old subordinate is going crazy. His wife has less than three months left to live."

Old Chen raised his head, his cloudy eyes quietly looking at Liang Hongbo.

"Just consider it... a last resort."

This seemingly ordinary sentence felt like an invisible mountain, crashing down on Liang Hongbo's shoulders.

He was instantly caught in a dilemma.

reject?

Old Chen spoke up personally because it was for the sake of his trusted subordinate. If he refused, it would be tantamount to refusing to save someone in distress, which would not only offend Old Chen to no end, but also tarnish Liang Hongbo's reputation for "high medical ethics."

agree?

That's exactly what this woman wanted! She'd hand over the initiative and the stage to him!

He never expected that he would come here today with the overwhelming force of public opinion to demand an explanation, only to be cornered by the other party with just a few casual words before he could even make three moves, leaving him in a dilemma!

This woman... has some amazing skills!

Bai Shu watched as his face turned pale and then flushed, knowing that the time was almost right, so she gently added the last straw.

"To demonstrate rigor and to reassure Professor Liang, I propose that this treatment be conducted entirely in the open."

She looked around, her voice not loud, but it carried clearly throughout the entire living room.

"We can invite experts in both traditional Chinese and Western medicine from major hospitals in Beijing, as well as journalists from major newspapers, to form an observation group to witness the entire process. Every herb I use and every acupuncture session can be publicly displayed and subject to everyone's supervision."

"In this way, whether I am a divine doctor or a witch doctor, whether I save people or harm people, will not be decided by the two of us, but by the joint judgment of my colleagues and the people of the entire capital."

"Professor Liang, do you dare?"

This is no longer a gamble.

This is a trial!

It was a public trial that was a life-or-death gamble, set against the backdrop of the debate between traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine, and was the focus of everyone's attention!

These words pushed Liang Hongbo to the brink of disaster.

There's no way to retreat!

He could imagine what the newspapers in Beijing would write about him tomorrow if he refused today—"Western medicine authority Liang Hongbo is helpless in the face of terminal illness, refuses to give traditional Chinese medicine the last chance for survival, and watches helplessly as the family of a meritorious doctor waits to die."

His reputation, his career, and the dignity of Western medicine that he upheld throughout his life will be completely nailed to the pillar of shame at this moment!

"good!"

Liang Hongbo practically spat out the word through gritted teeth. He stared intently at Bai Shu, his eyes filled with a murderous intent that seemed to want to devour her alive.

"I'll bet you! But I have conditions!"

"What are the conditions?" Bai Shu asked.

Liang Hongbo took a deep breath and stated what he considered the most demanding and impossible-to-achieve limitation.

"First, during treatment, you are not allowed to use any Western medicines or rely on any modern medical equipment, including but not limited to ventilators, electrocardiogram monitors, and intravenous nutrition!"

"Second," he pointed a finger, a ruthless glint in his eyes, "the time limit is only seven days!"

"If you can't bring about a visible and irreversible improvement in Madam Zhang's condition within seven days, then you lose!"

He believed that for a patient who had been given a death sentence by all the top Western doctors, a terminal illness whose cause could not even be found, it would be a miracle if, in seven days, without any modern medical means, the patient could not be cured, let alone have their vital signs maintained!

He's definitely going to win this bet!

Bai Shu looked at his self-assured expression and a bright smile appeared on his face.

"good."

She uttered a single word softly and crisply.

It's a deal.