In the emergency room, two nurses watched Lin Xiao Tian's procedure, exchanging bewildered glances.
They had no idea how Lin Xiao Tian intended to save the patient.
Was it solely with the few needles in front of him?
Lin Xiao Tian paid no mind to their gazes and picked up a needle, commencing his treatment.
Golden Needle Acupoint Draining, the most potent life-prolonging technique from the Shen Nong Medical Canon, demanded exceptional skill from the practitioner.
Lin Xiao Tian concentrated, his right index and middle fingers darted out with force.
In the next moment, a needle silently pierced the little girl's body.
However, the monitor showed the girl's heart rate remained at zero.
Lin Xiao Tian was undeterred. He successively inserted several more needles, but the result was still the same.
Seeing Lin Xiao Tian's earnestness, the nurses had initially hoped for a miracle. But now, witnessing this scene, their hearts sank with disappointment.
One nurse even cast a look of disdain at Lin Xiao Tian.
In her opinion, Lin Xiao Tian was simply fooling around!
The little girl was clearly dead. Instead of letting her rest in peace, he was tormenting her. This wasn't treatment; it was an insult.
"Dr. Lin, please stop! This is deeply disrespectful to the deceased!" the nurse said angrily, glaring at Lin Xiao Tian.
But Lin Xiao Tian ignored her, continuing with his work.
Seeing Lin Xiao Tian's reaction, the nurse grew even more incensed.
"I don't know how you convinced the family, but I cannot condone this behavior!"
"Do you know how the father will feel when he sees his daughter hasn't been saved?"
"I understand you're new and want to prove yourself, but you don't need to torture a dead child!"
"Are you even fit to be a doctor with such actions?" the nurse fumed.
Lin Xiao Tian still paid her no mind, engrossed in his task. Seeing this, the nurse turned and left.
"If you want to fool around, do it yourself! I have no interest in joining you!"
With a clang, the door shut.
Now, only Lin Xiao Tian and another young nurse remained in the room.
"If you want to leave, you can," Lin Xiao Tian said, his hands still in motion.
"I'm not leaving," the young nurse stated with firm resolve.
"They all say I'm fooling around. Aren't you afraid of being gossiped about if you stay?"
"I'm not afraid!" the young nurse declared earnestly. "I believe in you."
Lin Xiao Tian smiled at the young nurse's words, saying nothing.
"Dr. Lin, I was present during your treatment of Mrs. Lin last time. I believe in your skills. Even illnesses that Dr. Xia and others couldn't cure, you managed with ease. I think this time, you might... perhaps... be able to do it too."
The young nurse's words lacked full conviction.
"Perhaps?" Lin Xiao Tian shook his head. "You're mistaken."
Seeing him shake his head, the young nurse faltered. "Is there really no hope?"
"No! What I mean is, I definitely can do it!" Lin Xiao Tian's tone was calm.
As he spoke, Lin Xiao Tian raised another needle.
A surge of internal energy flowed into it. Simultaneously, a bead of sweat rolled down Lin Xiao Tian's forehead.
Lin Xiao Tian felt the state of the needle in his hand, then with a swift flick, the needle flew out, landing at the location of the little girl's heart.
The next moment, something unexpected happened.
The little girl, who had shown no reaction, suddenly moved her finger.
Beep… beep…
The nearby monitor emitted a rhythmic sound. The young nurse exclaimed in astonishment:
"The patient has a heartbeat!"
She suddenly looked at Lin Xiao Tian, noticing that despite being covered in sweat, his expression showed no surprise.
Lin Xiao Tian paid no heed to the young nurse's astonishment and continued his work.
For him, this was just the beginning.
He had already identified the little girl's congenital heart disease. For an ordinary person, this might have been sufficient recovery, but this girl was different. He needed to stabilize her condition before leaving.
Without hesitation, Lin Xiao Tian continued with the Golden Needle Acupoint Draining technique.
Meanwhile, outside the emergency room, everyone waited with bated breath.
Ever since the other nurse had emerged, the atmosphere had become even more tense. The uncle who had initially supported Lin Xiao Tian now wavered.
"Uncle, we can't let that quack continue his nonsense. I think we should stop him now," the young man said angrily.
Beside the young man, an elderly woman also advised the uncle.
"Young man, you must heed this advice! As your aunt, I've been bothered by quacks for many years while seeking treatment. I even tried acupuncture that was touted as miraculous, but look at me now – my illness isn't cured, and I've developed new ailments. You must not let desperation lead you to the wrong doctor!"
Not only the old woman, but even some doctors present were subtly hinting to the uncle.
Under the collective persuasion, any lingering hope the uncle had vanished.
If it were just the surrounding patients speaking, he might have held firm. But with the doctors now saying the same, he had no choice but to believe them.
Seeing the emergency room light still on, the uncle steeled himself and prepared to enter.
The nurse who had left earlier had deliberately not locked the emergency room door. If he entered now, he would be able to see Lin Xiao Tian immediately.
As the uncle approached the emergency room door, Lü Ke, standing nearby, smirked with triumph. He had learned from the nurse that Lin Xiao Tian had inserted many needles into the girl.
If the family member witnessed this, Lin Xiao Tian would surely be in for trouble.
If it were more severe, it could even escalate into a doctor-patient dispute!
This was the outcome Lü Ke most relished.
Just as the uncle was about to reach the emergency room door, a loud shout erupted from behind, as if thunder had struck.
"Where is Lin Xiao Tian, Dr. Lin? Where did he go? Quick... I need to see him now!"
This sudden outburst halted the uncle's movement. Wasn't this the doctor treating his daughter?
He turned his head curiously and saw a fierce-looking bald man approaching.
"Damn it! Are you deaf? I'm telling you again, I'm looking for Lin Xiao Tian! What? Emergency? Do TCM doctors even have emergencies?" the bald man grumbled.
The bald man carried himself like a gangster, with half his face covered by a dragon tattoo. This instinctively made the surrounding crowd part for him.
Soon, he reached the uncle's side.
"Isn't that the guy from this morning? He seems to be Dr. Lin's patient too. Judging by the situation, he must have been swindled and is here for revenge, right?"
"I know him. A few days ago, he beat up a doctor here. They say that doctor is still recovering in the hospital."
"Tsk, tsk. Karma's a bitch. This quack is in trouble today. There's going to be a good show later."
Listening to the crowd's speculation and considering that another patient had appeared to seek revenge on Lin Xiao Tian, the uncle's resolve was further solidified.
"I must stop this quack!" the uncle thought to himself.
With that, he pushed his hands forward, about to force open the emergency room door…