Chapter Twenty-One: Specious Arguments

Sun Simin's face was filled with excitement, nearly to the point of leaping up and shouting aloud. Lin Jian and Zhao Zhongyi were both somewhat puzzled, unable to understand why Sun Simin was so thrilled. But after a moment, it was Lin Jian who first realized the reason, for he knew that the only one who had treated the patient lying on the bed was Qin Tian.

However, Qin Tian had already been taken away by Zheng Zhichao.

“Elder Sun, I know who it was—it was a young man,” Lin Jian said.

“A young man?” Sun Simin frowned slightly, finding it hard to believe that someone so young could master the Eighteen Dragon-Sealing Needles. In traditional medicine, mastery comes through the accumulation of experience and time; without years of dedication, achievement is nearly impossible. This is precisely why so many young people are flocking to study Western medicine instead—because Western medicine is something that can be “mass-produced.” There are always patients, but given the pace at which a traditional doctor becomes proficient, the number of patients far exceeds their capacity.

The advent of Western medicine improved the efficiency of both diagnosis and treatment. Of course, this is not to say that one is superior to the other; both have their strengths and weaknesses.

“Where is he now? Go and bring him here at once.” Sun Simin, after all, was a man of experience and wisdom. He had witnessed many young prodigies, so he quickly steadied himself.

“He…” Lin Jian glanced at Zhao Zhongyi, hesitating.

“Why are you looking at me? Speak your mind,” Zhao Zhongyi said, feeling rather baffled.

“That young man, Qin Tian, was arrested by Deputy Director Zheng Zhichao for practicing medicine without a license,” Lin Jian replied.

Zhao Zhongyi’s brow furrowed slightly. For him to have risen to the top position in Wushi’s Health Department and now be poised to move up to a provincial deputy director, he was undoubtedly a man of keen mind and discernment. Zhao Zhongyi immediately guessed Zheng Zhichao’s motives—he was likely seeking to make a name for himself by catching someone practicing medicine without a license, even if it was only a minor achievement.

“Was it reported by Li Xiaohan?” Zhao Zhongyi asked, quickly deducing how Zheng Zhichao, all the way at the Health Bureau, could know that someone here was practicing without a license. There must have been an informant. And who else but the cynical Li Xiaohan? Driven by jealousy of Qin Tian’s abilities, he reported him.

But at such a critical moment, they should have known that special circumstances call for special measures!

“Director Zhao, you’re absolutely right,” Lin Jian said with a smile and a nod.

“Those two!” It was clear that Zhao Zhongyi was angry.

He pulled out his phone and called Zheng Zhichao directly.

At that moment, Zheng Zhichao was harshly interrogating Qin Tian, hoping to extract something from this so-called fake doctor—perhaps a confession to having caused a death through malpractice. If he could manage that, a small accomplishment would become a major one! Wouldn’t that be delightful?
Zheng Zhichao sat with his legs crossed, watching his subordinates threaten Qin Tian, quite pleased, just waiting for some achievement to be pried from Qin Tian’s mouth.

Suddenly, his phone rang. Frowning slightly, he glanced at the caller—Zhao Zhongyi. Why would he be calling at this hour?

“Hello, Director Zhao, what is it?” Zheng Zhichao asked.

“Did you arrest Qin Tian?” Zhao Zhongyi asked directly.

“You mean the fake doctor practicing without a license? Yes, he’s here with me. I suspect he may have caused a death—what about it?” Zheng Zhichao replied.

“Bring him to the hospital immediately!” Zhao Zhongyi was nearly exploding with rage. Still interrogating Qin Tian?

With someone like Zheng Zhichao, even if he left his position, Zhao Zhongyi would never hand it over to him easily!

“Why?” Zheng Zhichao asked in confusion. Though he could tell Zhao Zhongyi was angry, he didn’t understand the reason.

“Just do as I say! In half an hour, I want to see him,” Zhao Zhongyi snapped, hanging up directly.

Zheng Zhichao put down his phone, fuming. Had Zhao Zhongyi lost his mind?

But, after all, Zhao Zhongyi was still his superior, and he dared not disobey. He had no choice but to bring Qin Tian back to the hospital.

On the way back, Qin Tian suffered no small amount of rough treatment. By the time they arrived at the hospital, he appeared a bit disheveled. Though there were no visible bruises, it was obvious to anyone with eyes that he had been beaten.

When Zheng Zhichao brought Qin Tian to the ward’s entrance, he was startled by the scene inside—so many people crammed into the room, surely all experts.

“Director Zhao, I’ve brought him. What exactly do you want?” Zheng Zhichao asked, still unaware of his mistake.

“Zheng Zhichao, you can forget about ever becoming director!” Zhao Zhongyi’s anger only grew when he saw the marks of abuse on Qin Tian, and he spoke coldly to Zheng Zhichao.

Zheng Zhichao was stunned, both shocked and furious. What was going on?

“Director Zhao, I don’t understand. Are you protecting someone practicing medicine without a license?” Zheng Zhichao protested, refusing to accept it.

“Let me ask you, you’re aware of the virus situation, aren’t you? It hasn’t spread widely yet, but as deputy director of the Health Department, you must know about it, don’t you?” Zhao Zhongyi pressed.

“Yes,” Zheng Zhichao nodded.

“And you understand the dangers of this new virus?”

“I do,” Zheng Zhichao nodded again.

“Then tell me, if this young man can suppress the onset of the new virus, why did you still take him away?” Zhao Zhongyi’s tone turned harsh.

“He’s practicing medicine without a license—of course I had to arrest him! What if he kills someone?” Zheng Zhichao argued stubbornly.

“Then let me ask you: in this hospital, aside from him, who else can control the new virus?” Zhao Zhongyi shot him a glare.

“But he’s unlicensed! That’s illegal! He’s broken the law!” Zheng Zhichao retorted, holding his head high, convinced that standing on the side of the law meant no one could touch him.

“So if there’s an emergency and a private car runs a red light to rush a patient to the hospital, that’s also illegal, isn’t it? If someone runs a red light in an emergency to save a life, should they be arrested afterwards?” Zhao Zhongyi asked.

“That’s different! That’s an emergency!” Zheng Zhichao replied.

“So this isn’t an emergency?” Zhao Zhongyi shot back.

“This…” Zheng Zhichao found himself at a loss for words. Indeed, in such unprecedented situations, special measures must be taken. But greed for merit had blinded him—he cared nothing for the consequences, as long as he could climb higher.

“But what if he kills someone?” Zheng Zhichao persisted.

“And what if someone running a red light in an emergency ends up causing a fatal accident?” Zhao Zhongyi continued pressing.

“Then, of course, they are fully responsible and must pay compensation,” Zheng Zhichao replied.

“Exactly! Since this young man is willing to treat patients under such risk, he is prepared to bear the consequences! He dares to risk everything to save lives, while you drag him back and quibble—what am I to say to you?”

Zhao Zhongyi’s eyes were nearly blazing with fury. It was precisely people like Zheng Zhichao who caused countless tragedies that should never have happened.