CHAPTER 333: 311 UNFULFILLED ASPIRATIONS

Du Heng’s gaze was too sharp, too sudden, alarming Zhang Long.

Before Zhang Long could speak, Du Heng asked coldly, "Are you their leader?"

Zhang Long was baffled by Du Heng’s attitude. "Yes, I’m their brigade leader."

"Then you’re extremely incompetent."

Du Heng spoke very seriously, his gaze fixed intently on Zhang Long.

"You..."

"Don’t ’you’ me. Since this comrade is your subordinate, do you know he’s sick?"

Zhang Long suddenly laughed. "Nonsense. Fan has never said he felt unwell."

"Ignorant." Du Heng’s tone was severe. "Just because he isn’t in pain or discomfort, you think he’s not sick?"

Zhang Long was dumbfounded by Du Heng’s comments. He wanted to get angry, but he felt something was off.

After a moment of thought, he asked, "If his body is fine, how could he be sick?"

Du Heng took a deep breath and said solemnly, "He’s suffering from depression."

"Depression?"

Zhang Long was taken aback, then he looked at Fan Jimin blankly.

Du Heng’s words startled Wu Shengnan, who was taking notes nearby. He quickly said in a whisper, "Don’t talk nonsense."

Du Heng sighed. Emotional instability, frequent sighing, chest tightness, nausea, poor appetite, and insomnia—these symptoms indicated qi stagnation and phlegm-fire. Combined with the physical signs of a pale tongue with a white coating and a pulse string, syndrome differentiation pointed to phlegm-qi stagnation. He had examined two people, and both were suffering from illnesses caused by qi stagnation. It was just that one’s stomach was affected, while the other’s spirit was. Are all police officers this full of suppressed anger? Or is it that their line of work is particularly frustrating?

Du Heng looked at Fan Jimin before him, composed himself slightly, and asked, "Do you know you are suffering from depression?"

Fan Jimin gave a barely perceptible nod.

Du Heng’s voice softened. "How long ago did you find out?"

"Around half a year."

"Haven’t you received treatment?"

"Yes, the Doctor prescribed me medication."

"Western medicine?"

"Yes."

While Du Heng was talking with Fan Jimin, his teammates gathered around.

In their daily work and life, they had noticed that this young man had become much quieter than when he first joined the team, and his mood had become increasingly low. But they, as veterans, had gone through this state before. Their job involved witnessing the dark side of society. The high stress, coupled with the frustration of investigations yielding no progress, often led to feelings of defeat and loss. This, in turn, battered their motivation and confidence. However, with time, as cases were solved or other cases diverted their attention, they usually got past this phase.

Now, they couldn’t believe that Fan Jimin hadn’t overcome it and had instead developed depression. At first, they didn’t believe what Du Heng was saying, but as the conversation between Du Heng and Fan Jimin continued, they had no choice but to accept it.

Du Heng slightly lifted his head, signaling everyone with his eyes not to get agitated and not to crowd around. Then, he continued to look at Fan Jimin and said, "Western medicines for treating depression, like Fluoxetine and Paroxetine, mostly work by suppressing the brain nerves. I believe you’ve noticed that treatments with these medicines primarily address the symptoms, not the root cause. Given your current condition, these medications have little effect. I don’t know the specifics of your job, but you should know that in your current condition, you are no longer suited for work."

For the first time, Fan Jimin proactively raised his head to look at Du Heng. For the first time, he looked straight into Du Heng’s eyes. "I know. But because of my problem, the suspect escaped three times, and it caused my Master to retire early. I must catch him myself."

When Fan Jimin said these words, his eyes were no longer evasive but had also become extremely dangerous, which made Du Heng’s heart clench. If this situation continued, Fan Jimin would become very dangerous—both to the suspect and to himself. He might even have a mental breakdown and resort to extreme measures.

Du Heng took a gentle breath, a soft smile appearing on his face. "Don’t be too anxious. Your illness isn’t responding well to Western medicine, but for traditional Chinese medicine, it’s not a major issue. This condition is caused by long-term emotional distress, leading to visceral dysfunction. The pathological mechanism is suppressed qi and internal fire, resulting in symptoms like chest tightness and nausea. To treat this disease, we just need to soothe the liver and promote qi circulation, relieve depression, expel the node, direct rebellious qi downward, and transform phlegm for a complete resolution."

Saying this, Du Heng looked at Fan Jimin with utmost sincerity. "As long as you trust me, I promise you, with only one week and five doses of medicine, I can help you recover."

Fan Jimin’s gaze didn’t waver or dodge; he just kept looking steadily at Du Heng.

At this point, Zhang Long, standing nearby, finally came back to his senses. He looked at Fan Jimin and then at Du Heng with a complex expression. Being the closest, he had heard the conversation most clearly. He also knew how terrifying depression could be; he had handled at least five cases that ended tragically due to depression.

Now, he didn’t dare to give Du Heng a cold shoulder anymore. Treading gently, he asked, "Doctor Du, do you really have a solution?"

Now was the time to instill confidence in Fan Jimin. Only if Fan Jimin believed Du Heng, believed that Du Heng had the ability to cure him, would he cooperate. Otherwise, all efforts would be futile.

Western medicine approaches the illness by targeting its perceived root of illness, using medications to suppress brain nerves and thereby achieve a therapeutic effect. Traditional Chinese medicine, in contrast, seeks the underlying cause of the disease. Its approach is to soothe the liver and promote qi circulation, relieve depression, and expel the node. As a result, the mood naturally brightens, and once the mood improves, the disease is effectively treated.