CHAPTER 163: 163 FAVORED GREATLY

Su Nan watched the two chatting animatedly and suddenly felt a twinge of anxiety. He had arrived first; how had they managed to build a rapport so quickly?

His eyes darted around, and he quickly said, "Today, Xiao Sun insisted on dragging me here to help him out. I initially didn’t want to come, but I didn’t expect this trip to be so worthwhile, allowing me to meet a young talent like Doctor Du."

Li Jianwei glanced at Su Nan. We’re all old traditional Chinese medicine doctors, he thought, and you’re trying to pull a fast one on me with these unconventional tactics? Flattery? As if I can’t do that too.

"I feel the same way! If my little brother-in-law hadn’t practically dragged me here, I would have missed the chance to meet Xiao Du. And Xiao Du’s performance today was truly excellent. The prescriptions he wrote are so good they could be used as teaching materials in a postgraduate course."

Li Jianwei, also being shrewd, directly called Du Heng "Xiao Du" to shorten the distance between them.

Du Heng, however, felt a bit embarrassed by their praise and repeatedly insisted they were overstating it.

Su Nan chuckled. "Doctor Du, you graduated from university seven years ago, so you must be only twenty-eight or twenty-nine now. It’s the perfect time for further study. Are you interested in my graduate program? I can get you a spot—a direct Master and Doctoral program. How about it? After graduation, you could apply to stay on as faculty or go directly to the Military Region Hospital."

Before Du Heng could respond, Li Jianwei interjected, "Or come to my graduate program! I still have openings this year. He’d have to squeeze to make a spot for you; that’s too uncertain. Besides, you’re already familiar with our environment and the faculty here. No need to adapt."

Du Heng was somewhat bewildered. They were having a perfectly pleasant conversation; why had they suddenly started competing to take him on as a student?

This was merely due to Du Heng’s limited experience. Had it been a few years later, he would have clearly understood why these two were so desperately vying for him.

Frankly, both of them felt somewhat inadequate compared to the skill Du Heng had demonstrated today. The fact that Du Heng might still call them "Teacher" was purely a benefit of their seniority, given his demonstrated skill.

Therefore, if they could recruit Du Heng as their student, it would be an enormous gain.

Other students relied on their teachers; but if they took Du Heng as a student, it would be the teachers relying on the student.

With his level of ability, as long as he avoided making any fundamental errors or crossing legal boundaries in his lifetime, he was on a trajectory to become a leading figure in the nation’s medical field.

Simply recruiting Du Heng as a student, aside from any other benefits, would secure their reputation for a lifetime—a massive windfall.

While they lived, anyone, out of consideration for Du Heng, would have to address them respectfully as "Elder." Even after death, whenever Du Heng was mentioned, they, as his teachers, would not be forgotten.

It was, in effect, winning fame both in life and beyond.

Who wouldn’t fight for such a student?

They’d fight tooth and nail for him.

Du Heng hadn’t considered this angle. Seeing the two of them frantically upping their offers, he quickly said, "Professors, my apologies. I’m truly swamped with work and simply don’t have time for further studies."

"It’s not that I look down on Health Clinics," Su Nan said, "but in Jinzhou, a place teeming with Class A hospitals, how busy can a Township Health Center possibly be? Are you worried you’ll offend one of us by accepting the other’s offer? There’s no need for that. We both value talent highly. You don’t have to fear offending anyone. Isn’t that right, Professor Li?"

"Professor Su is correct. We both recognize your talent. Don’t worry about offending us, feel at ease."

Du Heng gave an awkward chuckle and scratched his head. "Professors, I’m not intentionally trying to make excuses, but I genuinely am swamped. The Health Clinic currently has more than a dozen Paralysis patients under my care, awaiting treatment. In early July, I also need to prepare a special report for the Deputy Director selection. On top of that, I’m now the Dean of our clinic, which comes with a multitude of administrative tasks."

"Dean?"

"Deputy Director?"

The two exchanged a look, both feeling that their chances of recruiting Du Heng as a student had become slim.

Du Heng was only twenty-eight or twenty-nine. Although he was "just" the Dean of a Township Health Center, it was a much better position than toiling away in a hospital as a doctor who only saw patients.

The man wasn’t an idiot; he wouldn’t study for five years only to start over from scratch after graduation.

Furthermore, even if the Deputy Director position he was preparing for was within the Township Medical System, which naturally held less prestige, it was still a Deputy Director role. Not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry could obtain it.

Du Heng’s words had dampened their hopes of recruiting him, but then they suddenly recalled something he’d said: he had taken in over a dozen Paralysis patients?

Could he actually treat Paralysis?

"Xiao Du, did you just say you’ve taken in more than a dozen Paralysis patients?"

"Yes, patients with Paralysis caused by cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, and also stroke Paralysis."

"And what are the results like?"

"Out of fifty-eight patients who have received or are currently receiving treatment, most are still in recovery. Only seven or eight, who had milder cases and shorter onset times, can now walk independently."

Li Jianwei and Su Nan saw the astonishment in each other’s eyes.

"Doctor Du, what is your overall cure rate?"

Du Heng thought for a moment. "Currently, there are only three I cannot cure. One patient has had the condition for too long and is elderly, with severe muscle and meridian degeneration. The second was because the family had been negligent in their care, leading to severely blocked meridians and poor blood circulation in the patient; they were temporarily sent home to recuperate. As for the third, it’s truly beyond help—a brain hernia patient with severe nerve damage. Moreover, the patient was too old; mild medication had no effect, and they couldn’t withstand stronger doses."

My goodness! If what Du Heng said was true, this was monumental news!

Laymen see the surface spectacle; experts see the underlying principles.

Paralysis, unlike other diseases, is a condition with diverse etiologies.

Whether originating from the meridians, blood circulation, the five viscera, or the brain, it all manifests as Paralysis, yet the root causes are myriad and complex. This is why someone might have successfully treated Paralysis once but then fail to cure any subsequent cases.

However, the two professors once again spotted an opportunity in Du Heng’s words.

Though it was regrettable they couldn’t take him as a student, if they could seize this current opportunity, it would also be excellent.

"Xiao Du, have you conducted any statistical analysis on how to treat Paralysis?"

"Doctor Du, we could collaborate on more in-depth research into the treatment of Paralysis, to benefit more patients."

Du Heng hadn’t quite caught up to their line of thinking and answered honestly, "I’ve done some summaries in this area and even published a paper on the treatment of Paralysis. Actually, that paper played a significant role in my eligibility for the Deputy Director selection this time. And the special report I’m preparing for the selection is also on the treatment of Paralysis."

How deflating! This kid seemed to have foresight, always one step ahead, making it incredibly difficult to gain any advantage from associating with him.

Since there was little more to say, they exchanged contact information and headed towards their respective cars.

An Chunhui was very excited today. Even though he was a leader and Du Heng had been chatting outside for a long time, he was more than happy to wait.

If Du Heng could successfully treat the old man, An Chunhui would gain an enormous favor.

So, waiting a bit for Du Heng now was no problem at all.

In fact, he was quite happy to wait.