Start the second round now?
Courting death?
Ye Qiu looked at Li Zhengxi, his eyes flickering briefly.
Seeing Ye Qiu stay silent, Li Zhengxi said, “What, are you scared to compete with me?”
Ye Qiu laughed, “Scared? I’ve already won the first round. Even if I lose the second, we’re tied.”
“I’m worried about you.”
“With a best-of-three rule, if you lose the second round, you’ll have to commit suicide in public.”
Li Zhengxi snapped, “No need to worry about me, let’s continue!”
The audience, already feeling the first round ended too quickly, hadn’t had their fill. Hearing Li Zhengxi demand to keep going, they shouted:
“Dr. Ye, agree to it!”
“Start the second round already!”
“We can’t wait!”
Ye Qiu turned back to the stage and asked, “Mr. Li, what’s the second round?”
Li Zhengxi replied, “Treating patients!”
Ye Qiu shook his head.
“What’s with the headshake?” Li Zhengxi asked.
Ye Qiu said, “Mr. Li, with all due respect, you should pick another challenge. You’re no match for me in treating patients.”
Damn it, this kid’s looking down on me.
Li Zhengxi snorted, “I’ve been a doctor for decades, treated countless patients, and never failed. How could I not be your match?”
Ye Qiu smiled, “Didn’t you just say you’ve never lost in your life? And yet, you still lost to me.”
Li Zhengxi retorted, “In the first round, I went easy on you because you’re young, that’s why you won. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have lost.”
Ye Qiu scoffed at this.
Shameless!
During the first round of blind needling, Li Zhengxi didn’t pause for a second, and that’s called going easy?
“Mr. Li, I have a request for the second round,” Ye Qiu said.
“What request?” Li Zhengxi asked.
Ye Qiu said, “I hope you won’t hold back at all. Otherwise, if I win, you’ll just say you went easy again.”
“Rest assured, I won’t hold back in the second round. I’ll show you what I’m capable of.”
Li Zhengxi waved his hand, “Bring the patients up.”
At that, Li Minghan and another Korean each pushed a patient in hospital gowns onto the stage.
Both patients were in wheelchairs.
Clearly, they had mobility issues.
Li Zhengxi said, “The second round is simple: treat a comminuted fracture.”
“Whoever achieves the best result in the shortest time wins.”
“Both patients have a comminuted fracture in their left knee. Ye Qiu, pick your patient first, so no one says I’m bullying the young.”
Ye Qiu shook his head, “Mr. Li, you pick first. Otherwise, if you lose, people will say I didn’t respect my elders.”
Elders?
Who the hell is an elder?
Your whole family’s the elders!
Li Zhengxi, who hated being called old, twitched his lips in anger and said, “Fine, I won’t be polite then.”
“I choose him.”
Li Zhengxi pointed to the younger of the two patients.
“I’ve no objections,” Ye Qiu said calmly.
Li Zhengxi then instructed, “Staff, show the patients’ medical reports to everyone.”
“Yes!”
A staff member displayed the patients’ diagnostic reports on the big screens.
The text was deliberately enlarged so every spectator could read it clearly.
“It really is a comminuted fracture!”
The crowd gasped.
The report included images clearly showing the patient’s left knee bone shattered into three pieces.
Once the report was shown, Li Zhengxi beckoned to Li Minghan, who understood and immediately handed him a medical kit.
“I’m starting treatment now. Host, start the timer,” Li Zhengxi said.
He squatted in front of the patient, opened the kit, and took out a silver needle.
The needle was over twenty centimetres long, as thin as a hair.
It gleamed coldly.
Li Zhengxi disinfected the needle with alcohol wipes while explaining, “This needle in my hand is called the Thousand-Foot Needle.”
“Made of pure silver.”
“The Thousand-Foot Needle is a unique Korean invention, highly effective for treating orthopaedic conditions.”
Ye Qiu rolled his eyes.
Have some shame!
The so-called Thousand-Foot Needle was just an elongated silver needle.
To call it a unique Korean invention? Shameless!
One minute later.
Disinfection complete.
Li Zhengxi began treatment.
He rolled up the patient’s trouser leg, exposing the knee, and pierced the Thousand-Foot Needle into the knee.
“Hiss—”
The patient gasped in pain.
Li Zhengxi didn’t even glance at the patient, gripping the needle with both hands and pushing it deeper.
The patient trembled, sweat beading on his forehead.
Ye Qiu said from the side, “Mr. Li, you should’ve used local anaesthesia first to reduce the patient’s pain.”
“Shut up! Don’t disturb my treatment!” Li Zhengxi snapped, continuing to drive the needle in.
A moment later.
“Ah…”
The patient, unable to bear it, cried out in pain.
“Can’t handle a little pain, what kind of man are you?” Li Zhengxi grabbed a wad of gauze from the kit and stuffed it into the patient’s mouth.
The patient gripped the wheelchair armrests tightly, knuckles white, face contorted, veins bulging on his forehead from the intense pain.
The patient’s agonised expression was clearly shown on the big screens.
The audience below grew furious.
“Damn it, is this treatment or torture?”
After a few minutes, the Thousand-Foot Needle pierced through the patient’s knee.
Then, Li Zhengxi held the patient’s knee with both hands and began pressing firmly.
Each press drew muffled “mmph” cries from the patient.
A comminuted fracture is already excruciating, and without any anaesthesia, the pain was unimaginable.
The patient’s endurance was already impressive.
Over twenty minutes later.
Li Zhengxi stopped, withdrew the needle, and stood, saying, “My treatment is complete!”
Two staff members brought diagnostic equipment on stage to examine the patient.
When the images appeared on the big screens, the audience was stunned.
The patient’s shattered knee bones were now perfectly aligned, seamlessly joined.
The treatment, from start to finish, took thirty minutes.
The crowd was shocked.
“This Li Zhengxi’s got some skill!”
“No surprise, he’s the Korean medical sage!”
“Just a bit brutal in his methods!”
Li Zhengxi smiled, pleased with the result, and said to the patient, “Rest for half a month, and you’ll be walking.”
“Meeting me is your honour.”
He then looked at Ye Qiu, “Your turn!”
