Fifth floor.
"Miss Mu, what do you think of this place?" said Zhou Jiansheng, with a hint of excitement in his voice. The trio had arrived at the building mainly used for Chinese Medicine practices and stepped into the clinic.
He was quite satisfied with the place.
Knowing that Mu Lin, with her straightforward personality, prefers a neat and organized environment, he has arranged the decor and everything else in the room in an orderly manner.
"Not bad." Mu Lin nodded, looking around.
Indeed, it was not bad. Simple and elegant. Besides a potted plant and some necessary tools on the table, there were no unnecessary items.
She was surprised that Zhou had understood her preferences so well.
Experience truly trumps youth, she thought.
Seeing that Mu Lin was satisfied, Zhou Jiansheng felt even more contented.
Subsequently, the three of them started talking about Chinese Medicine, and Mei Qingyuan found Mu Lin's knowledge on the subject to be even more profound than his own.
Unknowingly, time slipped away, and it was almost noon, lunchtime.
As they chatted and walked out of the clinic, heading towards the hospital canteen, the lift doors opened and a person almost rushed into them.
"What's the rush?" Zhou Jiansheng frowned.
"Director," realizing who he had almost run into, the man stepped back deferentially. He quickly glanced at Zhou Jiansheng, then at Mu Lin and Mei Qingyuan. His facial expression slightly relaxed.
"Mr. Mei, I've finally found you." He turned to Mei Qingyuan.
"What happened?" Mei Qingyuan asked.
"There is a patient in the emergency room. His mouth is turning black and even his blood has turned dark purple. Dr. Lin suspects poisoning, but despite administering an antidote, there's been no improvement. The patient looks to be in a serious condition, so when I heard you were around, I was sent to find you." He breathed a sigh of relief. He had almost missed them.
Upon hearing this, Mei Qingyuan and Zhou Jiansheng exchanged a glance and immediately stepped into the lift. "Take us there right away."
Every second counted in this life-or-death situation.
"Alright," the man quickly nodded, pressing the elevator button and finally allowing himself to exhale.
With a poison so peculiar, maybe only Chinese Medicine could cure it. He hoped it wasn't too late.
...
Time stood still for a moment.
"Miss Mu, in your opinion, can the patient be saved?" Out of the blue, Mei Qingyuan turned towards Mu Lin. The others in the lift were taken aback, not understanding why Mei Qingyuan would ask her that question.
Given that the patient's lips were black and his blood had turned purple, this was, presumably, a serious case of poisoning.
With a cold smile, Mu Lin replied, "As long as he is still breathing, I can save him."
To some, her words might sound arrogant, implying that she was competent enough to save a life on the brink of death, something not even Mei Qingyuan, a leading figure in the world of Chinese Medicine, would dare to promise. They wondered who she was to make such a bold claim in front of such eminent individuals.
However, when it came to poison, Mu Lin wasn't called the Poison Doctor for no reason. She had her own set of skills.
Upon hearing Mu Lin's confident claim, both Mei Qingyuan and Zhou Jiansheng were startled. They knew from their morning discussion that Mu Lin's medical skills were excellent, but they were still surprised by her boldness.
Could she really perform the miraculous task of bringing someone back from the brink of death?
Despite their astonishment, they did not doubt her. Perhaps, the reason being, after spending some time with her and having engaged in discussion, they believed that Mu Lin was not one to brag without substance.
She must have her own genuine skills.
...
Upon reaching the emergency room, they found it surrounded by a crowd of doctors, nurses, patients, and family members. Perhaps because of the uniqueness of the patient's condition, the constant flow of black blood from his lips and the fact that they were aware Mei Qingyuan had been called, all of them out of either curiosity or anxiety wanted to see if Mei Qingyuan could save this patient teetering on the brink of death.
"Mei Qingyuan has arrived." As the figures of Mei Qingyuan and Zhou Jiansheng appeared, sharp-eyed bystanders instantly noticed them. However, Mu Lin was completely overlooked.
"It seems to be a serious case if both the Director and Mei Qingyuan have come down to see it," whispered someone at the side.
"Indeed, it seems that this man is on his last breath. I wonder if Mei Qingyuan can save him. If not, he's surely done for," another person said, a hint of regret in their voice, but there was also a sense of voyeuristic delight.
"What a waste of a handsome young man. It's a shame indeed to see him dying so young," commented another person. Despite the blackness around his mouth and his pitiful condition, it was still apparent that he had a handsome and refined appearance.
"All of this is beside the point. What's more important is, haven't you noticed the patient's bodyguards and family? The Zhang Family from J City is not to be trifled with. If this man dies here, it will definitely cause trouble," added another.
The Zhang Family of J City was a significant and influential clan in the entirety of A Country. Furthermore, the man lying there was a key member of the Zhang Family. If he died, there definitely would be troubles. No matter what they might say publicly, who knew what they would think privately.
In short, whoever took this responsibility would surely regret it.
"Mr. Mei, I beg of you to save my son. I'm willing to pay whatever it takes," said the tear-stricken wealthy lady next to the poison victim. All her poise and elegance had disappeared. If it wasn't for the man beside her holding onto her, she would have probably collapsed by now.
Mei Qingyuan walked up to her and, after a routine patient examination, withdrew his hand from her pulse reluctantly, shaking his head, "I'm very sorry, Mrs. Zhang, I can't help. The poison has spread to his vital organs. There's nothing we can do."