In an instant, the entire venue fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Not a sound was made.
Hundreds of media reporters aimed their cameras at Li Zhengxi, capturing close-up shots.
Then,
The audience snapped out of their daze, frantically taking photos with their phones, posting to WeChat Moments, Weibo, Douyin, Kuaishou…
Li Zhengxi tried to stand, but Ye Qiu’s hand felt like a thousand-pound boulder pressing on his shoulder, rendering him unable to move.
“Mr. Li, apologise!” Ye Qiu said coldly.
Li Zhengxi looked up, glaring at Ye Qiu, “Kid, don’t go too far. I’ve already admitted defeat.”
“You think admitting defeat is enough? You must apologise,” Ye Qiu lowered his voice, “Otherwise, I’ll take out Li Minghan tonight.”
“You’re threatening me?” Li Zhengxi trembled with rage.
He was Korea’s Medical Saint. When had he ever been threatened like this?
“You’re right, I am threatening you. If you don’t apologise to Chinese medicine, you and your son will die without a burial place.”
As Ye Qiu spoke, a chilling aura suddenly emanated from him, enveloping Li Zhengxi.
Instantly, Li Zhengxi felt his heart race with fear.
He felt as if a ferocious beast had locked onto him, sending chills down his spine.
Swallowing hard,
Li Zhengxi struggled to say, “I didn’t understand Chinese medicine before and made some inappropriate remarks. I apologise to Chinese medicine here.”
“I’m sorry!”
Li Zhengxi bowed his head.
The pride and lifelong reputation of Korea’s Medical Saint crumbled completely today.
Li Zhengxi knew that once this spread back to Korea, he would be condemned by thousands, reviled by millions.
But he had no choice.
If he didn’t apologise, Ye Qiu would truly kill both him and his son.
“Mr. Li, you’ve spat so much blood today. Are you alright? Do you need me to treat you?”
As Ye Qiu spoke, he reached out to help Li Zhengxi up.
“Hmph, I don’t need your help,” Li Zhengxi snapped, but as soon as he spoke, Ye Qiu let go of his hand.
Thud!
Li Zhengxi fell to his knees again.
“Mr. Li, what are you doing? Want to apologise to Chinese medicine again?” Ye Qiu asked with a smile.
Li Zhengxi knew Ye Qiu was deliberately toying with him, aiming to humiliate him publicly.
Standing up, Li Zhengxi glared fiercely at Ye Qiu and said, “You just wait.”
“I’ll remember this humiliation.”
“I’ll come back for you in the future.”
“The shame you’ve inflicted on me today, I’ll repay tenfold, a hundredfold!”
Li Zhengxi turned to leave.
“Wait a moment,” Ye Qiu suddenly called out.
Li Zhengxi asked irritably, “What do you want now?”
“Mr. Li, you’ve misunderstood. There’s dust on your shoulder,” Ye Qiu said with a grin, patting Li Zhengxi’s shoulder lightly.
Then, he gave Li Minghan’s shoulder a gentle pat as well.
Both Li Zhengxi and Li Minghan were puzzled; there was no dust on their shoulders.
Though they found it odd, they didn’t think much of it.
“Father, let’s go!” Li Minghan supported Li Zhengxi as they left the stage.
Ye Qiu watched their retreating figures, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
“Thinking of coming back for revenge? You won’t get the chance. Within a year, both of you will meet your end.”
Ye Qiu sneered inwardly.
When he patted their shoulders, he had secretly planted a Yin Sha Curse in their bodies. Soon, the Yin Sha energy would consume them, and within a year, they would rot away and die.
As soon as Li Zhengxi and his son left, the venue erupted in jubilant cheers.
Thunderous applause filled the air.
At the same time,
The CCTV live broadcast had 30 million viewers online.
They flooded the chat with comments.
“This medical contest has finally concluded.”
“Chinese medicine is mighty! Dr. Ye is mighty!”
“This China-Korea medical showdown will surely go down in history.”
“Dr. Ye is so handsome!”
“A timid question from this young lady: Does Dr. Ye have a girlfriend? My family has assets worth over a billion, and I’m an only child. I’d like to recruit Dr. Ye as a live-in son-in-law.”
“Wanting Dr. Ye as a live-in son-in-law? Do you also expect him to wash your feet? Shameless!”
“…”
At the venue,
After a round of congratulations,
CCTV host Dong Si stepped onto the stage and said, “Dr. Ye, congratulations on defeating Korea’s Medical Saint, Li Zhengxi.”
“Please, do you have any words for the audience?”
Ye Qiu took the microphone, his gaze sweeping the crowd, then spoke in a resonant voice:
“First, I want to express my gratitude.”
“Thanks to being born in this great nation. It’s because of our country’s prosperity and strength that I could attend medical school.”
“Next, thanks to Chinese medicine. Without it, I wouldn’t be who I am today.”
“Then, thanks to my teachers, who nurtured and educated me, taught me medical skills, and showed me what it means to save lives.”
“I also want to thank every friend who has helped me. It’s because of you that I’m standing here today.”
“Finally, I want to give special thanks to one person—my mother.”
“For over 20 years, my mother raised me through countless hardships. She sacrificed so much for me—her dreams, her youth, her beauty… so much.”
“My mother is the closest and most respected person to me in this world.”
“I want to take this opportunity to say to her: Mum, I love you!”
In Suzhou’s Qian family,
Qian Jinglan, watching the live broadcast on TV, was moved to tears by these words.
Ye Qiu continued, “Although I won this challenge today, it’s not my achievement alone but the triumph of Chinese medicine.”
“Chinese medicine was painstakingly developed by our ancestors. For thousands of years, countless predecessors used it to save lives, rescuing patient after patient. Without exaggeration, Chinese medicine is a treasure of our nation.”
“Though it has declined with the passage of time, I believe that if all Chinese medicine practitioners in China unite and work together, one day, Chinese medicine will shine again.”
“I also hope that in the future, everyone can be more understanding and forgiving toward Chinese medicine and every doctor. The profession may seem glamorous, but it’s also incredibly demanding. Every doctor faces great challenges.”
“At the same time, I want to use this opportunity to warn those who deceive under the guise of Chinese medicine: I advise you to stop now, or you’ll face dire consequences.”
“Lastly, I have eight words for everyone.”
“Long live China, long live Chinese medicine!”
As Ye Qiu finished, the entire audience rose to their feet, applauding wildly.
“Dr. Ye spoke so well!”
“I’m giving Dr. Ye 360 likes!”
“Dr. Ye is truly a deserving icon of our era!”
The applause continued unabated.
Five minutes later,
Host Dong Si signaled for the crowd to quiet down, then announced loudly, “I declare the China-Korea medical contest officially concluded. Please exit in an orderly manner…”
“Wait a moment!”
Suddenly, an untimely voice rang out across the venue:
“Ye Qiu, I challenge you!”
