This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

The host began to signal Dr. Wei, urging him not to agree with Du Heng and to interrupt the recording first.

However, Dr. Wei had just been humiliated by Du Heng’s words. If he were to interrupt the recording now, it was highly likely it wouldn’t resume, meaning the money he’d spent would be wasted. Advertising on the Provincial TV Station, even the least prominent one, wasn’t cheap.

Moreover, he recalled his own prescription. It’s genuinely effective; I’ve already successfully treated several patients with it. This thought gave him great confidence. This young man, Du Heng, may have read many books and can write grand, empty theses, but his specialty is gynecology. He can’t possibly understand much about stroke prescriptions. Most importantly, my prescription isn’t fake. So why should I be afraid of him?

”No problem. Please, President Du, offer your valuable insights,” Dr. Wei said. He took a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Du Heng generously. ”But, President Du, after you’ve read it, please don’t publicize it. I rely on this prescription to support my family.”

This action, however, made Du Heng pause. Did I guess wrong?

But that last sentence... A bit petty, isn’t it?

With doubt in his heart, Du Heng reached out and took the paper.

The first glance at the prescription made Du Heng pause again.

It listed only the names of the herbs, with no dosages.

What a cunning old fox! Without dosages, who could tell what this concoction truly is? If I can’t make sense of this, Dr. Wei scores big. He loses nothing and gains a reputation for being open and honest. What a sly character.

Sighing inwardly, Du Heng began to examine the prescription carefully.

Antelope horn, uncaria, gastrodia, pearl, hawksbill shell, whole scorpion...

There were many, no fewer than fifteen medicinal ingredients, all Expelling Wind Medicines. The overall therapeutic direction aimed at liver-calming and wind-extinguishing.

Du Heng touched the bridge of his nose.

Will this thing work? Yes, it will. But it’s a gamble for both the doctor and the patient. And the absolute prerequisite is that the patient must actually have had a stroke. With so many Expelling Wind Medicines, if someone without a ’wind’ condition takes this, they’ll undoubtedly be harmed by the medicine, damaging their qi and blood. Hemiplegia, progressive muscle contractures, and limb weakness would surely follow. At that point, even if it wasn’t a ’wind’ condition initially, it would become one. This prescription... it’s a classic case: you can’t say it’s wrong, but you can’t say it’s entirely right either. Too many wind-extinguishing ingredients, not enough synergistic herbs. Its application is far too limited. Besides, any traditional Chinese Medicine Doctor with decent knowledge could come up with a similar formula. For five generations to have produced this... what a waste of effort.

Meanwhile, Dr. Wei watched Du Heng’s changing expressions, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Whether Du Heng understands it or not, I’ve regained my dignity. If he understands, I won’t need to say much more; the prescription is effective, and he’ll have given me free advertising. If he doesn’t understand, I’ll explain it to him. Either way, I don’t lose.

”Doctor Du, what is your opinion on this prescription?”

”The prescription can indeed treat stroke.”

As Du Heng finished speaking, Dr. Wei and the host exchanged a quick glance, smiles touching the corners of their mouths.

”This time...” Dr. Wei began.

”But...” Du Heng suddenly raised his voice, cutting Dr. Wei off just as he was about to speak.

Dr. Wei’s face stiffened. ”President Du, but what?”

”But the limitations of your prescription are too great. It doesn’t have the curative effect for all strokes that you initially claimed. In fact, if used incorrectly, it could cause irreparable harm.” Du Heng’s voice was firm, his eyes fixed intently on Dr. Wei.

That one sentence shattered Dr. Wei’s carefully constructed ’wise old immortal’ facade.

The previous confrontation had been about losing face, which was bad enough. But now, Du Heng was saying his prescription was ineffective – that was like stripping away his very core, his reputation.

”President Du, you can’t make such reckless statements!”

”Dr. Wei, please don’t get agitated, don’t be angry,” Du Heng said with a smile. ”I wonder if you’ve carefully read the article I wrote, Dr. Wei? Although it primarily discusses hemiplegia and paralysis, I also go into detail about stroke.”

”What exactly are you trying to say?”

”It seems Dr. Wei hasn’t read my article thoroughly. What a pity,” Du Heng sighed. ”Stroke has many causes, and the pathogenesis varies. To save time, we won’t delve into that. Let’s focus on your prescription. Yours is similar to a liver-calming and wind-extinguishing formula. It has no therapeutic effect on strokes caused by other underlying factors. Misusing it will harm the patient.”

”You...”

”Don’t point your finger at me,” Du Heng said, his face turning cold as he looked at Dr. Wei’s suddenly outstretched finger.

It had to be said, Du Heng’s stern expression was surprisingly intimidating.

Not only did Dr. Wei retract his finger, but the audience below the stage also fell silent instantly.

Seeing the finger withdrawn, Du Heng’s expression softened slightly. ”So, the key to using your prescription is a correct diagnosis. You must determine if the patient truly had a stroke. If so, what is the pathogenesis? That is crucial for using this prescription. Diagnosis precedes medication. You can’t just use a prescription indiscriminately simply because you have one.”

The atmosphere instantly became tense and awkward, a far cry from the day’s original purpose.

The host still hadn’t received any cues from the director, nor did he particularly want to know what the director was thinking. His only concern now was to regain control of the situation.

However, just as he was about to open his mouth, Du Heng turned to him. ”Host, we are discussing serious medical issues. It would be best if you didn’t interrupt. Also, regarding what happened between us, I believe you owe me an explanation.”

Ignoring the host, Du Heng turned back to Dr. Wei. ”Dr. Wei, I have two disease records here. Would you care to try diagnosing them? It would give the live audience, and those watching on TV, even greater confidence in you. What do you say?”

The self-proclaimed Divine Doctor’s eyes darted around.

Stroke is a complex condition, not easily explained unless one is truly proficient in this area. Am I really proficient? I should be, right?

”President Du’s suggestion is excellent. However, perhaps we could ask someone from the audience? We could both offer a diagnosis. How about that?”

”Certainly.”

The host, seeing this, understood they were now locked in a direct challenge. Du Heng’s earlier words, combined with his current popularity, gave the host a sinking feeling. He decided to stop struggling; whether today’s recording would even air was now questionable.

Having resigned himself, he helped find someone from the audience.

Unexpectedly, there were far more family members of stroke patients present than anticipated.

”President Du, Dr. Wei, hello. I’d like to consult you both on behalf of my father-in-law.”

Dr. Wei smiled warmly. ”Please, go ahead.”

”My father-in-law is seventy-one. Last November, he was perfectly fine one moment and then suddenly collapsed. After he was revived, he couldn’t speak, and his arms and legs were completely immobile. Only his eyes could move.

”Moreover, whether he’s asleep or awake, there’s a lot of phlegm in his throat, and his breathing always has a gurgling sound. The elderly man has been bedridden for over half a year now. He’s suffering, and so is the family. Experts, is this a stroke? Can it be cured?”

Dr. Wei was about to speak, but seeing Du Heng remain utterly unperturbed, he hesitated. ”Has he been examined at a hospital?”

”We took him to the hospital immediately.”

”What did the hospital say?”

”After the check-up, the hospital first ruled out conditions like cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarction. Then, experts from the Chinese Medicine Department were called for a consultation, and they said it was a stroke. However, after more than half a year of treatment, there’s been no improvement at all.”

Dr. Wei glanced at Du Heng, who still showed no reaction. He then took the initiative. ”President Du, what is your assessment?”

”Dr. Wei, you go first. After all, you rely on this for your livelihood; I don’t. If I speak first, the audience might think you’re just copying me.”

So blunt, so direct. Dr. Wei’s face flushed, a mixture of pallor and red.

But then again, what Du Heng said made sense. So, he once again took the initiative to speak.