This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

”Besides, that snake is so big, and it’s a cold-blooded animal. What if something goes wrong with it one day? Even if it’s not venomous, if it wraps around me with its large body, I won’t be able to handle it.”

Du Heng had recovered a bit; he was also afraid of snakes.

After inviting the young man to sit down, the young man continued to ramble, ”I told her to get rid of the snake, but she refused. She said it’s her family, and they have to be together, in life and death. I’m going crazy; she treats a snake as a family member! No wonder she always seems so gloomy. How could she be normal, being with that kind of cold-blooded animal every day?”

As the young man spoke, his emotions became increasingly agitated, even accompanied by some gestures. ”Fine, you won’t send it away, right? Then I’ll send *you* away, how about that? I brought the landlord over, and he was so scared he didn’t even dare to enter the room. He also demanded that she get rid of that thing. But this woman is sick, seriously sick.”

The young man lowered his voice and said, ”She wouldn’t. Not only did she refuse to get rid of the snake, but she also threatened the landlord. She said if he made her leave, she’d bring up the contract, saying it didn’t forbid snake keeping. If the landlord kicked her out, it would be a breach of contract, and he’d have to compensate her for three months’ rent, plus return the rent she’d already paid.”

”As soon as the landlord heard about refunding money, he backed down on the spot. Anyway, he didn’t live in that house, so he just took off.”

Du Heng looked at the young man with some amusement. ”So you argued with this girl until now?”

”Argue with her? Can you reason clearly with a crazy person who treats a snake like family?” The young man snorted. ”I called the police directly and also dialed 119.”

”And the result?”

The young man finally showed a hint of a triumphant, disdainful smile. ”She left. After some ’education’ from the police, she moved out on her own.”

Du Heng shook his head with a smile. ”You’re quite the character.”

”I had no choice but to be firm. I’m genuinely afraid of snakes,” the young man explained. ”Just thinking about that snake now gives me goosebumps all over.”

”Alright, since that’s resolved, let’s look at your problem,” Du Heng said with a smile. ”Did you record the video I asked you to yesterday?”

The young man quickly nodded. ”I did. I set up a home camera aimed directly at my bed. I have it all on video. I watched it myself. There wasn’t a single issue; just normal sleep.”

While speaking, the young man took out his laptop and played the video he had copied onto it for Du Heng.

Du Heng fast-forwarded, quickly watching the young man’s entire sleeping process, but he found nothing unusual.

Forget someone lying in his arms, this young man doesn’t even hug his blanket when he sleeps. Definitely a tough one.

However, this result confused Du Heng.

In the two years since he’d gotten the system, this was the only case where he couldn’t find a cause.

Du Heng wasn’t ready to give up, so he watched it again. But the outcome obviously wouldn’t change just because he watched it twice.

If this line of inquiry yields no problem, could the young man be making it up?

After a moment of thought, Du Heng mentally dismissed the idea.

Impossible. First, why would he fabricate his discomfort? For attention? For sympathy? Second, if he knew he was making it up, why go to different Departments for examinations? Does he have too much money to burn?

Considering it carefully and analyzing the young man’s mental state, it was clearly impossible. Moreover, judging by the young man’s tone and expressions, his discomfort was a genuine sensation.

But now, the pulse diagnosis revealed nothing, and examinations in other Departments also found no issues. So, where was the real problem?

Du Heng was completely baffled.

After much thought without success, he once again asked the young man to extend his arm for pulse diagnosis.

After checking both wrists, the result was the same as yesterday.

The young man is fine.

Numb arms, chest tightness! Oh, and today there’s also discomfort in his cervical vertebra and back.

Du Heng looked at the young man, forced himself to calm down, and thought carefully again.

Eventually, he decided to try examining the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. He recalled their complex diagnostic principles: a floating pulse related to the Governor Vessel, a firm pulse to the Penetrating Vessel, a taut one to the Ren meridian. Specific flicking sensations at different wrist pulse points—distal, proximal, and middle—were linked to other extraordinary meridians like the Yang Heel Vessel, the Yin Heel Vessel, and the Daimai (G26).

However, Du Heng couldn’t use this method for pulse diagnosis now because he couldn’t find any issues from the young man’s wrist pulses. So now, he would have to check points along the pathways of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians elsewhere, such as around the ankles.

Once he had an idea, he had to implement it.

Du Heng had the young man sit properly, then began to press and palpate downwards from his cervical vertebra along his back.

The further down Du Heng examined, the darker his expression became.

After pressing the lower back, Du Heng stopped that line of examination and moved directly to the patient’s leg, pressing firmly on the GB-30 acupoint.

”OUCH! That really hurts!” The young man cried out the moment Du Heng applied pressure.

Du Heng frowned and asked, ”What does it feel like?”

The young man winced. ”Like a needle stab, or like being shocked by electricity.” As he spoke, he pulled his leg back and started rubbing it. ”And it’s not just where you pressed that hurts; my heel is in agony too.” The young man looked at Du Heng, puzzled. ”Doctor, what kind of method is this?”

Du Heng’s expression had already turned quite grim.

He didn’t answer the young man’s question but picked up his other leg and pressed the GB-30 acupoint again.

This time, however, the young man had no reaction other than feeling the pressure. He even looked at Du Heng in bewilderment, unsure what the doctor was doing.

But as time wore on and Du Heng remained silent, his expression growing increasingly grave, the young man finally started to panic.

”Doctor, what’s wrong with me?”

Du Heng took a shallow breath, hesitated for a moment, then said, ”I’m going to send you for an examination.”

”What kind of examination?” The young man’s voice began to tremble.

”An MRI examination, what most people call nuclear magnetic resonance.”

As Du Heng spoke, he took out his phone and called the resident physician from earlier. In less than a minute, the physician hurried in.

”Director, what is it?”

”Take this patient to register, then order an MRI examination for the lower neck and upper chest. Go right now, through the emergency channel.”

At this, the young man beside them couldn’t hold back any longer. ”A lower neck and upper chest examination... isn’t that for the chest cavity? I already had a color doppler ultrasound for that, and there were no problems.”

As he spoke, as if afraid Du Heng wouldn’t believe him, he quickly took out the examination films he carried with him.

Du Heng had seen these films yesterday; he knew they showed nothing.

”Let’s do the NMR anyway. It’s much faster through emergency. If you’re worried about the cost, I’ll cover it,” Du Heng insisted, adamant the young man get the MRI examination immediately.

Du Heng’s resolute attitude intensified the young man’s ominous feeling. ”Doctor, just tell me, what’s wrong with me?”

Du Heng paused for a moment. ”Because your body hasn’t provided clear signals, I’m not entirely sure. Moreover, normal pulse diagnosis and routine check-ups haven’t revealed any issues. So, let’s wait for the examination results before we discuss it further. Alright, hurry and go with our doctor. The Inspection Department has mostly closed for the day; only on-call staff are left. If you go late, you’ll likely have to queue.”

The young man reluctantly followed the resident physician, looking back every few steps, moving with extreme hesitation.

After the young man left, Du Heng sat back in his seat, frowning.

Checking the Eight Extraordinary Meridians was a sudden thought, really just a desperate measure. But, frustratingly yet thankfully, it actually revealed a problem.

Cold injures the Governor Vessel, true yang fails in transport; dampness, phlegm, and dead blood obstruct the meridians, forming a tangible accumulation and stagnation within the Governor Vessel.

The different reactions at the GB-30 acupoints on both legs once again confirmed Du Heng’s diagnosis.