Chapter 142: It Is Time to Live a Little Better

"Is... is there still hope? Is there really still hope?!"

The old man suddenly seized Dr. Shen’s arm, his grip so tight that the skin on the doctor's arm turned white. Seeing this, Dr. Shen could only nod helplessly.

In truth, the old man and Dr. Shen were about the same age. However, Dr. Shen took care of his health and was free from the torment of chronic illness, so he appeared much younger. The old man, though only around sixty, had been ravaged by years of sickness. His hair was completely white, his frame was hunched, and he looked so withered and lifeless that he seemed to have one foot in the grave already.

"Expert Shen, what do I need to do? As long as you can help me last until spring, until my daughter-in-law gives birth after her ten-month pregnancy, I will grit my teeth and bear it, even if you have to perform surgery without anesthesia!"

Hearing this, Dr. Shen pursed his lips and said, "It is merely a possibility. If my hypothesis is correct, it could increase the success rate to about fifty percent... but I am not certain..."

"That's fine, that's fine! As long as there is a chance, no matter the risk, I am willing to try!"

"Expert Shen, please, help me!" the old man pleaded, his voice trembling with agitation.

Fearing that the old man might drop dead right there from over-excitement, Dr. Shen hurriedly helped him into a chair, insisting he sit down. "Old brother, sit down first. Let's talk once you're seated!"

But the old man, having just caught a glimpse of hope, could not bring himself to sit still. He clutched Dr. Shen’s arm tightly, refusing to let go.

"Expert Shen, just tell me! I’ve been on the battlefield, I’ve paid my dues to the country, and I’ve lived through the hardest of times, but I have never begged anyone for anything."

"Now that I am dying, I have only one wish: I want to see the continuation of my family line, to see my unborn grandchild!"

"Just one look—that’s all I need, Expert Shen!"

Dr. Shen’s heart ached as he listened. The man before him had truly endured so much and suffered so greatly; he was one of those who had truly witnessed the rise of the new nation. How could Dr. Shen not want to help him fulfill his final wish?

Dr. Shen let out a long sigh. "Old brother, I will be honest with you. I don’t have much of a solution myself. The possibility I mentioned comes from a young man who inherited ancient traditional Chinese medicine."

"Your heart condition is complicated not just by the disease itself, but by the surgical difficulty. The distribution of blood vessels in your chest is different from that of an average person. Even with X-rays, the surgery is extremely dangerous. Even with my skills, I cannot avoid severing several major vessels."

"The hope I spoke of is to have this young gentleman use his lost traditional Chinese medical techniques to navigate around those major vessels during the surgery. Only then might you have a fighting chance."

***

Hearing this, the old man quickly asked, "Then... where is this young gentleman? I will go pay him a visit right now!"

"He..."

"I am here."

Before Dr. Shen could finish his sentence, Su Chen, who had been listening outside the door for quite some time, knocked and walked in. Seeing Su Chen, Dr. Shen was overjoyed.

"Mr. Su, I didn't expect that you would really come after our brief agreement over the phone last night." Dr. Shen stepped forward and shook Su Chen's hand.

Su Chen smiled in response. "Since you invited me, I naturally had to come. Besides, I already gave you my word; I wouldn't leave you hanging."

"Good! Very good! With young, promising people like you, our society has hope!" Dr. Shen exclaimed.

After exchanging brief pleasantries, Su Chen walked straight toward the old man, who was struggling for breath in his chair.

"Hello, sir. I am Su Chen."

"Ah... hello, young man..." The old man greeted him, a confused expression on his face, clearly not understanding the situation.

Seeing Su Chen approach the old man directly, Dr. Shen understood his intention, and his face beamed with renewed vitality. He said to the old man with a smile, "Old brother, you are truly lucky! This is the young gentleman I was just telling you about."

The old man tried to stand up from the chair upon hearing this, but before he could, Su Chen gently but firmly pressed down on his shoulder to stop him.

"Sir, your body is weak right now and cannot handle standing for long. Please, just stay seated," Su Chen said.

The old man looked anxious. "Oh, this isn't right, this isn't right..."

"It’s fine. Besides, the longer you stand now, the worse your condition gets, and that just makes the surgery harder for me later. What would I do then?"

Su Chen made a light joke, trying to ease the old man’s nerves. However, upon hearing that Su Chen intended to save him, the old man burst into tears.

"Mr. Su, I... I..."

***

In an instant, overcome by intense emotion, the old man’s neck slumped, and he collapsed into the chair!

This sudden turn of events caught both Su Chen and Dr. Shen off guard. They rushed to his side almost simultaneously. Dr. Shen pulled back the old man’s eyelids to check his pupils, while Su Chen took his pulse.

A few seconds later, both men let out long sighs of relief.

Dr. Shen remarked, "He just fainted from the emotional distress. It should be nothing serious."

Su Chen added, "His blood pressure spiked due to the emotional shift. His heart condition is very severe. He may have just fainted this time, but next time, it’s hard to say..."

Dr. Shen nodded silently. "He is one of my long-term patients. He suffered injuries on the battlefield, followed by decades of hardship. He kept delaying treatment, and it just kept getting worse..."

"It has dragged on until now, and... alas..." Dr. Shen looked up at Su Chen and gave a bitter smile. "Mr. Su, I am truly sorry. We meet for the first time, and you are immediately faced with such a difficult situation. This poor man..."

Su Chen waved his hand. "What is there to be sorry about? I came here specifically for people like him. They have worked hard their entire lives; they deserve to live a few more good years."

"I know what you want to ask, Dr. Shen. I can tell you clearly: my old techniques can indeed help this gentleman."

Hearing this, Dr. Shen’s joy was evident. However, Su Chen continued, "But my methods alone are not enough to cure him. He requires surgery using modern medical equipment."

"In that area... I am not skilled, and it is likely too late for me to learn now."

Seeing Dr. Shen’s brow furrow, Su Chen continued, "But you don't need to worry, Dr. Shen. I came here today specifically to pass on the knowledge left behind by the older generation to all of you."