The next morning.
After breakfast, Ye Qiu and Bai Bing went to visit Old General Bai.
Due to Old General Bai’s special status as a national hero, he was housed in the hospital of the Capital Military District’s retirement facility.
The hospital was guarded inside and out by soldiers from the Capital Military District’s security regiment.
After presenting their credentials, Ye Qiu and Bai Bing passed through three checkpoints, each with inspections and questioning, before finally entering the hospital.
As they reached the door of Old General Bai’s ward, four guards blocked their way.
“Sorry, you’re not authorized to visit,” one guard said sternly.
Bai Bing flared up on the spot. “The person lying in there is my grandfather, and I’m not authorized to visit?”
“Sorry, Young Master Bai gave orders: aside from him, General Bai, and the attending physician, no one else is allowed to visit,” the guard replied.
The “General Bai” he mentioned was Bai Yujing’s father, Bai Jianjun.
“Not even me?” Ye Qiu pulled out his credentials and handed them over.
The guard opened them and saw that Ye Qiu was from the Pluto Hall, with the rank of “Colonel” listed. A flicker of doubt crossed his eyes.
It was understandable—Ye Qiu was barely in his twenties yet held a colonel’s rank. It was hard to believe.
The guard passed the credentials to the other three, who, after examining them, showed shock on their faces.
“The credentials are legitimate.”
“It’s indeed a Pluto Hall serial number.”
“The seal’s authentic too—not a fake.”
This confirmed Ye Qiu’s identity was real.
Immediately, the four guards snapped to attention, chests out, and saluted Ye Qiu in unison.
“Greetings, Commander!”
Ye Qiu returned a salute and asked, “Now am I authorized to visit?”
“Sorry, Commander, you’re still not authorized.”
Ye Qiu frowned. He’d thought flashing his Pluto Hall credentials would clear the way, but they still wouldn’t let him in.
If he couldn’t even see Old General Bai, how could he treat him?
“I’ll call Bai Yujing,” Bai Bing said coldly, pulling out her phone to dial. But then a voice came from the side.
“Little Bai, Little Ye, it’s really you! I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.”
Ye Qiu and Bai Bing turned to see Zhang Jiuling, the Saintly Hand of Medicine, approaching.
Zhang Jiuling wore a white coat, looking spirited.
“Greetings, Elder Zhang,” Ye Qiu said politely.
Bai Bing asked, puzzled, “Elder Zhang, what are you doing here?”
“You didn’t know, Little Bai?” Zhang Jiuling seemed surprised. “I’m Old General Bai’s attending physician.”
Bai Bing understood at once. “Bai Yujing hired you?”
“Yes.” Zhang Jiuling asked, “Are you here to see Old General Bai?”
Bai Bing nodded. “I brought Ye Qiu to see Grandpa, but these guards won’t let us in.”
“Oh?” Zhang Jiuling said to the guards, “I’ll take them in to see Old General Bai.”
“Sorry, Elder Zhang, you can enter, but no one else is authorized,” a guard replied.
“Ye Qiu’s my friend, and Bai Bing is Old General Bai’s granddaughter. They can’t visit?”
“No.”
Zhang Jiuling asked, “Why not?”
The guard answered, “Young Master Bai ordered that only he, General Bai, and you are allowed to visit. No one else.”
“What kind of nonsense rule is this? I’ll call Young Master Bai.” Zhang Jiuling, annoyed, pulled out his phone to dial.
“Let them in.”
A deep voice suddenly rang out.
Ye Qiu turned and saw Tang Fei’s grandfather striding toward them.
“Greetings, Commander!”
The guards saluted respectfully.
Ye Qiu’s eyes brightened. Tang Fei’s grandfather was the commander of the Capital Military District, and this hospital fell under his jurisdiction.
The old man marched up to the guards and barked sternly:
“Listen well—you’re soldiers of the Capital Military District, not someone’s house servants.”
“Ye Qiu is here on my orders to treat Old General Bai. Anyone who stops him is defying a military command.”
“You all know the consequences of defying orders. Still want to block him?”
The guards’ faces paled, and they quickly stepped aside.
“Let’s go in.”
Tang Lao pushed open the ward door.
Inside, Ye Qiu saw an unconscious old man on the bed.
He recognized him at once as Old General Bai.
Old General Bai’s white hair had nearly all fallen out, his face etched with wrinkles like the ravines of the Loess Plateau, covered in age spots. He was skin and bones, likely weighing less than seventy pounds.
Tubes were inserted all over his body.
“Grandpa…” Seeing this, sorrow overwhelmed Bai Bing, and tears fell.
Tang Lao said, “Old General Bai’s condition is dire. Over the past two weeks, his heart has stopped multiple times. If not for the experts’ desperate efforts, he’d have passed long ago.”
Zhang Jiuling sighed deeply. “I only recently became his attending physician.”
“I ran a full checkup on him two days ago and found multiple organ functions failing. If this continues, he won’t last much longer.”
“Little Bai, you’d better prepare yourself.”
Bai Bing wiped her tears and turned to Ye Qiu.
She was pinning all her hopes on him now.
Ye Qiu sat by the bedside, took Old General Bai’s wrist, and closed his eyes to carefully read his pulse.
About five minutes passed.
Ye Qiu opened his eyes.
“Ye Qiu, how’s my grandfather?” Bai Bing asked urgently.
Ye Qiu said, “Old General Bai’s pulse is like still water, almost without fluctuation.”
“In traditional Chinese medicine, this is called a ‘dead pulse.’”
“It means he’s beyond cure, with no medicine able to save him. He’s half a step from death.”
“He’s only holding on now by sheer willpower. Anyone else would’ve died already.”
“Then… can he be saved?” Bai Bing’s voice trembled.
Ye Qiu’s expression grew grave. “It’s very difficult.”
Bai Bing couldn’t hold back anymore and broke into sobs.
With her parents gone and her falling out with Bai Yujing, Old General Bai was her only family left in the world.
“Ice Sis, don’t cry yet. Let me finish.”
Ye Qiu said, “From checking his pulse, I can see his heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys are severely failing. His vital signs are dropping fast. At this stage, drugs and surgery can’t save him.”
“I have a method we can try. I can’t guarantee success, but if it works, though it won’t fully heal him, it could wake him up and let him move freely like a normal person for a year.”
Bai Bing stopped crying, her face lighting up with joy as she looked at Ye Qiu. “Are you serious?”
Ye Qiu nodded earnestly. “Of course.”
Zhang Jiuling asked curiously, “Ye Qiu, what method are you talking about?”
“Borrowing life from the heavens!”
