CHAPTER 692: CHAPTER 692: SHE HAS NO WAY OUT

Ann Vaughn pressed her red lips together; this competition was not only about the dignity of S Country but also about whether traditional Chinese medicine could continue to hold its ground in the medical world.

It’s already extremely difficult now; if she loses, it will likely give those who belittle and question Chinese medicine the breakthrough they seek.

She had no retreat, she could only win and must not lose.

...

The news of the competition spread quickly, coupled with the earlier controversy abroad accusing Ann Vaughn of plagiarizing their papers and research results,

causing the official live broadcast room of The Imperial Capital Medical Research Institute to surpass a million viewers as soon as it started, and the numbers were steadily increasing.

The voluntary participants in this competition were an elderly couple in wheelchairs, still arguing before being pushed into the operating room about going to get a divorce certificate afterward.

"Once I become young and beautiful, I won’t need to care about you, you old fool!"

"Ha! Do you think I married you out of love? You old hag, I’ve had enough of you long ago!"

"With what you looked like when you were young, anyone marrying you would have nightmares waking up in the middle of the night!"

"Hah! How come you haven’t been scared to death all these years! Nurse, please take me in quickly!"

Both of them were aware of the nature of this competition’s subject, and even before the surgery began, they were already filled with wonderful expectations for the future.

The millions of viewers in the live chat detected something from this elderly couple’s quarreling and began to speculate about the specific content of the competition.

At the same time.

Ann Vaughn happened to arrive just as she saw the elderly couple almost tearing each other apart, frowning slightly and turning to walk to the operating room on the right at Sherry’s reminder.

She then saw one of the representatives from J Country walking out of the old lady’s operating room with a document that looked like a contract.

It wasn’t far away, but since he put it away quickly, Ann Vaughn only managed to see the words "Waiver Agreement" at the top.

They actually made the old lady sign a waiver agreement?

Before she could think further, the director sent someone to inform her that it was time to go in and prepare, and they would be guarding outside during this time.

"What are they up to?" Sherry, who also saw the scene, asked softly with some curiosity.

This time she came as Ann Vaughn’s assistant, so she was also qualified to enter the operating room together.

"Perhaps they have some concerns." Ann Vaughn lightly shook her head and then walked into the operating room.

J Country’s requirement was to ensure that the surgery here was indeed performed by Ann Vaughn herself, rather than by someone else.

Thus, the camera angles inside had been adjusted in advance so that the cameras could only capture the upper bodies of Ann Vaughn and Sherry, without showing the scene on the operating table.

This was actually convenient for Ann Vaughn.

"Sherry, let’s begin." Ann Vaughn whispered as she took out the pouch of needles from the medical box.

Sherry instantly understood her meaning, discreetly taking out a porcelain bottle hidden in her sleeve, while moving towards the already unconscious old gentleman.

Their small movements were very subtle, appearing to an outsider as if they were preparing for surgery, unaware that the surgery had barely begun and was already nearing its end.

Meanwhile, a dispute arose in the live chat about the camera angles.

"What kind of joke is this? If they won’t let us see the whole process, what’s the point of this broadcast? What’s there to watch?"

"You’re the joke. Isn’t the meaning of this live broadcast clear enough? The representatives from J Country want to use all our eyes to monitor Dr. Vaughn’s every move. How little do they think of our country’s doctors?"

"If you want a third-rate live stream, turn left at the exit. Don’t you see what kind of occasion this is?"

"J Country’s medical technology has been ahead of ours for so long, and their most famous surgical expert will be operating this time. To be honest, I don’t think Ann Vaughn stands much chance of winning."

"Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine are worlds apart. How can you compare them... Wouldn’t it be better to just admit defeat? When more foreigners join the live broadcast later, it won’t just be personal embarrassment but a national one too..."

"Why is it a female doctor of traditional Chinese medicine? Shouldn’t women stay at home, tending to chores, supporting their husbands, and teaching their children? Coming out in public like this, it’s just too embarrassing."

Amid the never-ending clamor, the lights in both operating rooms flicked off one after another.

The medical team from J Country exited the operating room before Ann Vaughn’s team. Although they tried their best to restrain their expressions, their smugness was unmistakable.

"Dr. Vaughn came out so late; could it be that she wasn’t confident about the surgery and panicked?" As soon as Ann Vaughn stepped out of the operating room, she heard Lewis Hale’s rather pleased taunt, and her lips twitched slightly.

The people from The Imperial Capital Medical Research Institute, constrained by the fact that he was an international guest, refrained from speaking directly against him, but she had no such reservations.

"It’s fortunate that Mr. Hale isn’t a doctor."

With those words, Ann Vaughn and Sherry left, heading to the hospital room arranged for the elderly couple.

Lewis Hale turned back to his medical team, "What does she mean?"

The lead surgeon couldn’t very well tell him that Ann Vaughn was mocking him; the duration of a surgery doesn’t determine the result. If he were a doctor, the patients’ tears could flood the operating table.

"Dr. Vaughn was complimenting you on doing your job well." The surgeon praised with a forced smile.

"Really?" Lewis Hale was half-doubtful, feeling that what Ann Vaughn said wasn’t complimentary at all.

...

The live broadcast cameras then shifted to the room where the elderly couple was staying.

However, the old gentleman was in a regular ward, while the old lady was placed under twenty-four-hour monitoring.

Everyone in the rooms was holding their breath, waiting eagerly to see what surprise their awakening would bring.

Even the viewers unaware of the situation were too nervous to comment, their hearts leaping into their throats.

Everyone wants to win.

In such a moment concerning national dignity, that desire to win becomes even stronger and more overwhelming.

Except for Ann Vaughn, who remained calm and composed, checking the old gentleman’s pulse every half hour and duly recording the results, the tension around her seemed to have no effect.

The only thing she felt was a bit hungry.

She had skipped lunch and missed dinner; Ann Vaughn recalled that tonight’s menu supposedly included her favorite Buddha Jumps Over the Wall...

"Although Dr. Vaughn is young, she remains composed and unhurried. How wonderful it would be if she devoted herself completely to medical research?"

"My heart is about to jump out, but she is so calm as the person in the center of it all. I almost want to be nervous for her."

"Why does she look so solemn? Could it be that something’s wrong with the old gentleman’s health?!"

Sherry, overhearing their whispers: "... You’re overthinking. She’s probably just hungry."