This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

Once everything was settled, Zhang Dewen looked seriously at Du Heng. ”Doctor Du, it’s up to you now.”

Du Heng nodded, but instead of writing a prescription right away, he took out the exchange agreement. This document required a receiving institution. With a receiving institution and department, Du Heng’s medical treatment would be worry-free. Otherwise, a doctor from Jinzhou traveling thousands of miles to Quan City to treat patients would be no different from seeking death.

When Zhang Dewen saw the document, he understood Du Heng’s intention and called his junior brother over. ”Go and help Doctor Du with the paperwork.”

The junior brother reached for the document in Du Heng’s hand, but Du Heng drew it away.

While everyone was stunned, Du Heng said to Zhang Dewen, ”Sir Zhang, please have someone else help me with this.”

At these words, the junior brother’s face instantly turned the color of pig liver. But Du Heng paid him no mind. Although he hadn’t exposed the junior brother’s actions, he couldn’t trust him. As Du Heng himself had said, they lacked that basis of trust. If this brat had another lapse in judgment and tried to sabotage me, I’d be left crying on the spot.

Du Heng’s action made Zhang Dewen frown slightly, and he couldn’t help but glance again at this student of his. However, he didn’t press the issue or say much, merely accommodating Du Heng’s request and calling over another doctor who had been assisting earlier. The most important thing now was to treat Guan Bo; everything else was secondary.

Seeing that someone else would handle it, Du Heng dropped the act and handed the exchange document directly to Kang Zhirong, who was behind him. ”Xiao Kang, go with this doctor and get the paperwork completed.”

Kang Zhirong nodded and took the document.

Then Du Heng looked at Zhang Dewen again. ”Sir Zhang, regarding the statement, do you think we can handle that now as well? The backend of my accounts is practically exploding with comments from netizens.”

Fearing Zhang Dewen wouldn’t believe him, Du Heng even opened his phone to show him his various social media accounts. When Zhang Dewen saw the sheer number and content of the comments under the social media posts, his brow furrowed slightly. The comments numbered in the tens of thousands, and a quick scan of their content made Zhang Dewen realize he might have underestimated the situation. Du Heng and Guan Bo’s contest appeared to be tens of times more sensational than he had initially thought. Therefore, the casually prepared statement he had initially planned now seemed inappropriate.

He sighed lightly and said, ”Doctor Du, I will go and discuss the content of the statement and its release time with the others right away. These two individuals will remain here as your assistants for now. Once the paperwork is completed, they will take you to meet the volunteers who were to participate in this contest. Due to Guan Bo’s condition, your competition was canceled. However, we can’t simply send these volunteers away; we must be responsible for them. If you are interested after meeting them, Doctor Du, we can discuss it further.”

Du Heng’s eyebrows immediately shot up. Earlier, in the Psychiatry Department, when I suggested a discussion, Zhang Dewen hadn’t really given a direct response. But now, Zhang Dewen himself brought up a discussion. This means he acknowledges me! Competing with the likes of Guan Bo and that junior brother isn’t something to be proud of. But to have an exchange with Zhang Dewen on equal footing—that’s a true acknowledgment of my skills. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I feel a bit proud. After all, the gap between Zhang Dewen and people like Guan Bo, whether in medical skill or industry status, is simply enormous.

After receiving Du Heng’s affirmative reply, Zhang Dewen glanced once more at the unconscious Guan Bo, then slowly departed, supported by his junior brother. Guan Bo’s parents and some hospital doctors remained with Du Heng.

The doctor who remained looked curiously at Du Heng as Zhang Dewen departed.

Du Heng was no stranger to the doctors in their Chinese Medicine Department; in fact, he was quite familiar to them. Especially after the dramatic turn of events over the past two days, they had likely reviewed Du Heng’s resume countless times. And today, for Zhang Dewen to trust Du Heng to such an extent—handing over Guan Bo, his own rival, especially when it’s a case of schizophrenia for which no one has a good solution—this has truly piqued my curiosity to the absolute maximum!

”Doctor Du, what should be done next?”

Du Heng smiled gently at the doctor who had spoken and said jokingly, ”Of course, it’s time to write a prescription and get the medicine.”

The doctor also smiled. ”That was a poorly phrased question on my part. I meant to ask, Doctor Du, where do you plan to begin?”

Du Heng smiled confidently. ”We often associate the heart fire with the spirit. When the heart fire is abundant, the spirit is vigorous; when the heart fire is deficient, the spirit is listless. And the heart fire is closely related to the Yangming stomach heat. When the heart fire is strong and stomach heat is excessive, it is ’fire generating earth.’ When the heart fire is weak yet stomach heat is excessive, it is ’earth insulted by fire.’ When fire generates earth, the stomach is settled; when earth is insulted by fire, the stomach is disturbed. All manic conditions are caused by heat, so Doctor Guan’s illness stems from this. However, I believe Doctor Guan’s mania is due to deficiency heat, not excess heat.”

The doctor who had been listening nodded thoughtfully, then asked, ”So, Doctor Guan’s manic condition can be differentiated as Yangming deficiency heat?”

”Correct.”

”And how should it be treated?”

”Deficiency heat must be treated by warming and guiding; anyone who has studied medicine knows this. However, for deficiency heat of the Yangming stomach meridian, merely warming and guiding is not sufficient.” Du Heng paused slightly. ”This is because Yangming deficiency heat arises from internal damage, not from an external contraction. It’s different from heat generated by the invasion of pathogenic qi. The correct approach is to warm the center while supplementing with slightly cooling medicine ingredients.”

”So, what medication should be used?”

”The formula to use is Dispelling Heat Decoction.”

”Dispelling Heat Decoction?” The doctor looked slightly taken aback. ”I’ve never heard of it.”

Du Heng smiled. ”This formula is a modification of Lophatherum and Gypsum Decoction. It uses sweet and warm medicinals to abate intense heat, supplemented by sweet and cool ones. This allows the Yangming fire to flow harmoniously without going against its nature, which in turn strengthens the ’earth’ element within the ’fire’s residence.’ Once the earth element is rooted, the fire will naturally extinguish itself, and the manic condition will resolve. If one were to mistakenly believe this condition was due to excess heat and prescribe the Lophatherum and Gypsum Decoction, it would be a significant error.”

The doctor still looked perplexed. After a moment’s thought, he found a pen and paper for Du Heng. ”Doctor Du, could you please write it down? I’d like to see the specific combination of medicinal ingredients.”

”Of course, that’s essential.”

Du Heng took the pen and paper and quickly wrote down the prescription.

The doctor read it, rubbing his chin. ”Ah, seeing it written out like this, I understand.” He then said to Du Heng, ”Doctor Du, please come with me to the office. Rest for a moment, and I’ll arrange for the decoction of the medicine.”

”Alright.”

This doctor didn’t take Du Heng to their usual doctors’ office but to Zhang Dewen’s office. He even poured Du Heng and Wu Shengnan a cup of water. ”Doctor Du, this is Sir Zhang’s office. He doesn’t use it often. Please rest here for a bit. I’ll come find you once I’m finished with my tasks.”

”Thank you,” Du Heng replied politely. ”May I ask your name, Doctor?”

”I’m Wang Qingpeng, an attending doctor in the Luqi Traditional Chinese Medicine Internal Medicine Department.”

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Wang Qingpeng turned and left the room.

This Wang Qingpeng gives me the impression that Guan Bo’s situation doesn’t affect him at all; in fact, he doesn’t even seem to care. That’s clear from his attitude towards me.

Once Wang Qingpeng’s figure had disappeared, Wu Shengnan spoke quietly, ”Honey, the competition is canceled, and they’ve agreed to issue a statement. We can just leave, can’t we? Why do we need to get involved in Doctor Guan’s treatment?”

Du Heng smiled faintly. ”Now, don’t laugh at me or look down on me for what I’m about to say.”

”What nonsense! Am I that kind of person?” Wu Shengnan gave Du Heng a playful glare. ”Hurry up and tell me.”

”There are three main reasons I want to treat Guan Bo,” Du Heng said slowly. ”The first is a rather high-minded one: I am a doctor, and saving lives and healing the wounded is a fundamental instinct of my profession. Especially when I have a means to treat him, I’m unwilling to stand by and watch a living person endure the torment of illness. This torment isn’t just physical; it can destroy a person, a promising Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctor. That’s something I find unbearable to witness.”

Wu Shengnan’s face bloomed with a bright smile. ”That’s a very good reason. If doctors like you didn’t possess great compassion, how could you speak of saving lives and healing the wounded? You’d probably all end up just watching people die without lifting a finger.”