Looking proud and confident, Melissa signaled to her companion to tell Alex to remove his earplugs.
"Alex, you've misjudged me," she said. "You thought I would struggle with this, didn't you? Look, if you're not sure what's wrong with the patient, I can show you my notes and give you some hints."
She smirked at him.
"No need," Alex said. "The patient's limbs ache, he can't stretch them, and he is finding it more and more difficult to stand or walk for any length of time. If he has to walk for more than five minutes, he suffers intense pain. In addition, his legs are particularly susceptible to the cold all year round. Even in the summer, he has to wear multiple layers to keep his legs warm."
Several jaws dropped.
Alex continued. "Your diagnosis is hypotension, resulting in physical weakness, brain fog and drowsiness, a pallid complexion, and abdominal pain. You have prescribed a course of corticosteroids and have recommended an increased intake of sodium and potassium, either through diet or as supplements."
His tone had been indifferent, but for the people listening, it was earth-shattering. Melissa's smile had frozen, as had the hand holding the paper with her diagnosis.
One competitor glanced at the paper and said, "A corticosteroid, sodium, and potassium. Wow, it's all correct."
Everyone looked at Alex in shock, wondering how that was possible.
They had never thought that Alex would be able to diagnose the patient by sight alone, or that he would accurately describe Melissa's treatment plan.
It was amazing.
If the patient hadn't been brought in at random, then they would have thought it was a setup.
Melissa was sweating. She truly hadn't expected Alex to be successful.
Her carefully written out diagnosis had become a useless piece of scrap paper.
On hearing Alex's diagnosis, the patient exclaimed happily, "Yes, doctor. The diagnosis is just as you've described. I've been to many hospitals, but no one has been able to cure me. Some of the medication has helped a little, but as soon as I stop taking it, the symptoms return. What can I do?"
Alex took a step forward and looked closely at the man. "I can see you've tried diuretics and beta-blockers," he said. "But I'm guessing they haven't helped with the pain. You've also been using a cream made from an extract of aconite. Am I right?"
The man was stunned. Alex was absolutely correct. He really was a miracle doctor.
"None of that will help you in the long term," Alex explained. "Your joints are cold and stiff, you have poor nutrition, and your immune system is severely compromised. Everything you're taking will only treat the symptoms rather than the root causes. But if you stop taking them, then things will quickly get worse. I will treat you, and I'll give you another prescription. You should take it three times a day for a month. Of course, you'll still need to wrap up warm."
He wrote out a prescription and started his treatment, which was a combination of acupuncture and massage.
Soon, the man was touching his legs in excitement. "You've done it, doctor," the man said. "My legs feel so much better."
Alex smiled and said, "You won't need the wheelchair anymore. You should be able to walk now."
The man stood up and pushed away the wheelchair.
"There's no pain," he said, grinning. "And it's much easier to walk."
He walked up and down several times with no sign of pain on his face, thrilled that he would never have to use a wheelchair again.
Everyone was amazed. Alex had cured the man's condition in no more than ten minutes.
Melissa turned pale as she muttered to herself, "How is this possible?"
Alex walked up to her and sneered. "Are you satisfied?" he asked. "Now, apologize to Mr. Franks and withdraw from the competition, or I'll sue you for slander."
All of a sudden, people were shouting at Melissa, insisting that she apologize to Mr. Franks and Alex.
No way, she thought. How could she apologize to the guy who had been stalking her?
Her eyes flashed with panic, thinking that she must have been right. No one could be as good as that without cheating, so the man in the wheelchair must have been a plant.
She kept making excuses for herself, and then she ran out of the room in tears.
"Thank you for treating me," the man said to Alex. "What luck I was chosen to be your patient. I'm forever in your debt. If there's anything I can do to repay you, please let me know."
He handed Alex a gold business card.
Alex read the name written on the card and was surprised—Fabian Welsh. He remembered Jessop had once described him as the biggest lawyer in Baltimore.
**
While Alex was at the competition, Riley was in the VIP room of the Baltimore racecourse. He was scrutinizing a piece of paper, on which was a handwritten recipe, written in beautifully neat handwriting.
Julie sat next to him, quietly sipping her tea.
"Is this the secret recipe for the Golden Health powder?" Riley asked. "Are you absolutely sure?"
"I'm sure," Julie said. "This is definitely the recipe. It was securely locked in a desk drawer of the Research and Development center."
"We had to burn the building down to give you the chance to retrieve it," Riley said with a smile. "But it was worth it. My only regret is that we didn't kill Maryann."
"Riley, we're just after money," Julie said, frowning. "Why threaten Maryann? Let me make it clear to you that Maryann and I have no personal grievances. I'm just doing this for the money. That's all. I want you to promise that you won't hurt Maryann."
With that, Julie gave Riley a long, hard stare. "I may just be a pawn in your game," she said. "But without me, your plan will fail. So you'd better take me seriously."
"Sometimes things go wrong," Riley said, shrugging. "However, you can rest assured that Maryann's life is of no value to me. She was just unlucky that day. I didn't try to hurt her deliberately. She'll be fine. Don't worry."
He sat silently for a moment and then asked, "Does Maryann know you took the recipe?"
"Certainly not," Julie said with a shake of her head. "The R&D center has been burned beyond recognition, and Maryann's office has also been destroyed. As far as she knows, the recipe was burned in the fire. She won't suspect that the secret recipe was stolen, nor will she suspect me."
She took a sip of tea and said, "It was all done neatly."
"Very well done," Riley said.
"Thank you," Julie replied. "All that's left is for you to pay me. I can't see us working together again."