Inside the door, Xu Kuo leaned against the cold door panel, listened to the sounds outside, took a deep breath, and forced himself to calm down.
He turned around and looked at the dying figure on the emergency table.
Sheng Xu's face was as pale as paper, his lips were cracked, his chest was wrapped in thick gauze with faint traces of blood seeping out, and his breathing was so weak that it was almost imperceptible.
Only the faint, fluctuating waveforms on the electrocardiogram monitor proved that he was still alive.
"Captain Sheng...I'm sorry..."
A strong sense of self-reproach welled up in Xu Kuo's heart.
"If I hadn't asked you to investigate Wang Ming, if I hadn't dragged you all into this mess... how could you have suffered such a calamity..."
This guilt has been burning in his heart ever since.
He strode to the bedside, and with a flick of his right hand, several gleaming silver needles appeared between his fingers.
Seemingly sensing someone approaching, Sheng Xu opened his eyes a crack with difficulty.
Upon seeing that it was Xu Kuo, the corner of his mouth twitched, forcing out a bitter smile that was more like a grimace, and he managed to squeeze out a few words in a barely audible voice.
“Brother Xu… I’m… I’m so sorry… I… I didn’t keep an eye on Wang Ming…”
"Captain Sheng, don't speak!"
Xu Kuo felt a lump in his throat, but he suppressed his emotions, bent down, and spoke in a low but firm voice.
"It's not your fault! Don't worry, close your eyes and rest well. I'm here, you won't die! You'll be cured soon!"
Sheng Xu's pupils were unfocused, revealing a hint of confusion, which quickly turned into relief.
Cured? How is that possible... Even the doctors said... Sigh.
This young Xu... he means well... he's probably... trying to comfort me...
He resigned himself to his fate and slowly closed his eyes.
Xu Kuo no longer hesitated, held his breath, and focused his gaze sharply!
He knew that Sheng Xu was seriously injured, the bullet had hit a vital spot, and he had lost a lot of blood. Under the current medical conditions, it was indeed a matter of life and death.
But the key issue wasn't the complete destruction of his organs, but rather the continuous massive bleeding that drained his life force!
As long as the bleeding point can be sealed with acupuncture needles and the vital signs stabilized, there is a chance!
We must be quick! Every second counts!
Xu Kuo took a deep breath, picked up the longest silver needle, aimed at the acupoint, and with a flick of his wrist, the silver needle accurately and steadily pierced the key acupoint between Sheng Xu's chest and abdomen!
Meanwhile, outside the emergency room.
"Open the door! Open the door!"
"You surnamed Xu! You murderer! Come out here!"
Just as chaos erupted outside the emergency room, with despair and anger mingling and permeating the air, a series of rapid and powerful footsteps approached from afar, carrying an undeniable authority!
"Make way! What's going on?!"
The crowd instinctively parted to create a passage.
Yuan Guoyao walked steadily ahead with a somber face, his gaze sweeping across the scene. Behind him followed Zhou Changke, whose expression was equally grave, and several solemn-looking police officers.
What happened?
Why is there such a commotion at the entrance of the ward?
Yuan Guoyao frowned, his mind filled with doubts.
Zhou Changke immediately spotted Lao Wu and the others surrounded by people, pounding on the emergency room door, as well as Sheng's wife and Xiao Li, who were crying so hard they were almost fainting. His heart sank!
Oh no! Something's happened!
"Old Wu! What on earth happened?!" Zhou Changke rushed forward, grabbed Old Wu's arm, and demanded urgently, "Where's Sheng Xu? How is he?!"
"Old Zhou... Old Zhou!"
Seeing Zhou Changke was like finding a pillar of support for Old Wu, or perhaps it was like flipping a switch that triggered his grief. Tears welled up again, and his voice was thick with emotion and choked with sobs, "Old Zhou... Captain Sheng... he..."
He pointed to the tightly closed emergency room door, then to the ashen-faced doctor beside him, and said incoherently, "The doctor said... Captain Sheng... is dying..."
"What?!" Zhou Changke's body swayed violently, and his face turned deathly pale instantly!
He and Sheng Xu have been friends for many years.
This news was like a bolt from the blue for him!
"Not only that!"
Another young officer chimed in indignation, pointing at the door that was being smashed so hard, his teeth clenched.
"The killer's accomplice! He just rushed in! He locked the door from the inside! He definitely wants... he definitely wants to confirm that Captain Sheng is dead! To prevent us from treating him!"
Upon hearing this, Yuan Guoyao's expression grew even more unpleasant.
How could someone at the highest levels be so audacious as to not only ambush the police but also dare to track them down to the hospital to silence them?!
This is practically a provocation against the entire public security system!
The people behind Wang Ming have considerable power and are ruthless in their methods!
Suppressing the intense pain and shock in his heart, Zhou Changke knew that saving lives was the priority!
He looked around and asked a question urgently.
"The emergency room door is specially made. Where's the key? Or is there any tool that can pry it open? Where's Xu Kuo? Didn't he arrive first? Let him figure something out!"
Xu Kuo is a formidable fellow; he might be able to break down the door.
"Xu Kuo?" Old Wu and the other police officers were stunned, looking at each other blankly.
Who is Xu Kuo?
"We don't know anyone named Xu Kuo..."
Zhou Changke was taken aback, then quickly described: "It's that tall, energetic-looking young man! In his early twenties! Wasn't he with you? He said he came to the hospital first to check on things!"
Upon hearing this, the police officers who had been angrily cursing and pounding on the door froze in their tracks!
The police officer who had first clashed with Xu Kuo and was knocked to the ground instantly lost all color in his face and stammered as he pointed to the door of the emergency room.
"Mr. Zhou...are you talking about...the person who just rushed in?"
Holy crap! There's a mistake?!
That kid is... Xu Kuo?!
"What?! It was Xu Kuo who rushed in?!"
Zhou Changke and Yuan Guoyao exclaimed in surprise at the same time!
All the officers were dumbfounded!
After all that fuss, the person they were attacking and cursing, the one they wanted to tear apart, turned out to be "Xu Kuo" that Old Zhou had mentioned.
An awkward silence fell over the scene.
The police officers who had been shouting and yelling just moments before now all lowered their heads, wishing they could disappear into the ground.
Damn it! This is incredibly embarrassing!
They actually mistook friendly forces for enemies!
But after the initial embarrassment, even greater doubts arose in my mind.
“But…but why did he rush in and lock the door?” a police officer stammered, breaking the silence.
“Could it be…” Another officer’s eyes lit up as he cautiously guessed, “I heard Zhang Zhihe mention that Xu Kuo… seems to know a bit about medicine? He cured Zhang Zhihe’s wife’s strange illness! Did he… did he go in to save her?!”
This speculation ignited a glimmer of hope in everyone's hearts.
However, the doctor who had been watching coldly from the sidelines immediately poured cold water on the idea, letting out a tired and slightly disdainful snort.
"Save him? That's utter nonsense! We used all our equipment and medicines, and even the expert consultation was helpless; they declared him clinically dead! What could he possibly do going in empty-handed? Perform magic?!"
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