Chapter 673: Invitation

Chapter 673: Chapter 673: Invitation

At Wang Wenbo’s question, Li Xu himself fell silent.

It was true.

His current style was, in fact, a bit "split."

The system’s information was like a vast treasure trove. It held the grand, bold style of the Jingfang School, typified by Zhang Zhongjing, who dared to use dozens of grams of Aconite.

But it also contained the subtle style of the Wenbing School, like that of Ye Tianshi and Wu Jutong, who emphasized light and nimble prescriptions—small formulas with focused power, capable of achieving great results with minimal effort.

There were even more unconventional methods, such as the Zuyou Skill, folk remedies, and single-herb prescriptions.

Li Xu was like a sponge, voraciously absorbing it all.

When faced with acute and critical cases, he would unleash powerful formulas, striking like a thunderbolt.

But when dealing with chronic, complex diseases or imbalances of qi and blood, he would naturally switch to a gentler approach, as subtle as a spring rain.

This "split" was actually a sign of his rapid progress, proof that he was mastering and integrating all these different schools of thought.

Professor Gao Guanghui had also noticed this with his keen eye.

But he hadn’t interfered, because he knew the two styles weren’t entirely in conflict.

It was like the hard and soft styles in martial arts. If they could be fused perfectly, the result would be a masterful balance—the mark of a true grandmaster.

Seeing Li Xu remain silent, neither offering an explanation nor a rebuttal, Wang Wenbo frowned again.

’What’s with this kid?’

’Why is he ignoring me now?’

Wang Wenbo’s brow furrowed even deeper, and his pride began to surface.

’Fine, if you don’t want to talk, I won’t ask anymore.’

For the rest of the afternoon, he sat to the side and observed.

Li Xu saw one patient after another.

Some had headaches and fevers, some had digestive issues, and others presented with difficult and complex illnesses.

With every patient, Li Xu’s diagnosis was incredibly precise, and his prescriptions were even more flexible and varied.

Sometimes he used powerful formulas, other times gentle ones. Sometimes he prescribed just a single herb, or even offered a few words of counseling.

But without exception, every decision was well-reasoned and justified.

As Wang Wenbo watched, the little bit of pride in his heart slowly dissipated.

In its place grew a sense of gloom.

He realized that he truly had nothing left to teach Li Xu.

The young man’s skills were already fully matured; in some respects, he was even more brilliant and adaptable than Wang Wenbo himself.

"Sigh..."

As he was leaving, Wang Wenbo said with a complicated mix of emotions, "Junior Brother, it seems our teacher was right. You truly are the ’thousand-li colt’ of our discipline. Keep up the good work. In the future... let’s talk more."

With that, he departed, feeling a mixture of gloom and relief.

...

Li’s Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic.

Gao Yuan, looking weary from his travels, found Li Xu with an unconcealable look of joy on his face.

"Li Xu, the medicinal materials business is on the right track."

Gao Yuan placed a report on Li Xu’s desk. "After months of hard work, the warehouses of the Ding’s Medicinal Materials Company are now filled with authentic herbs from all across the country. I’ve personally vetted every single one. They are absolutely the best of the best."

"We’ve officially started selling them. Thanks to the superb quality and the boost from the Ding Clan’s reputation, business is expanding rapidly. Several major hospitals nearby, along with some chain pharmacies, are all vying to sign contracts with us. The expert TCM doctors, in particular, become repeat customers after just one use. They say these are the kind of herbs that can actually heal people!"

Li Xu flipped through the report, watching the sales figures climb steadily higher.

He, too, felt a swell of accomplishment.

"Elder Gao, thank you for all your hard work. This is all your achievement," Li Xu said sincerely.

Then, Li Xu changed the subject. "By the way, Elder Gao, there’s something else I wanted to discuss with you."

"What is it?"

"Over at the City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, after that whole counterfeit medicine scandal, Dean Song has learned a painful lesson and is now extremely strict about the quality of their herbs. He’s heard your story and knows you’re a titan in this field. He specifically tasked me with inviting you to be an ’Honorary Advisor’ at the hospital, to oversee the pharmacy’s quality control."

Gao Yuan’s brow furrowed at the suggestion, and he waved his hand dismissively. "No, absolutely not. I can barely keep up with things here at the company. How would I have time to go meddling in hospital affairs? Besides, those public institutions are full of rules and office politics. An old man like me, used to doing things my own way, wouldn’t be able to stand it."

Li Xu had expected this refusal and coaxed him with a smile, "Elder Gao, don’t be so quick to say no. Think about it. Why are we in this business? Isn’t it to make sure patients get good medicine?"

"And what are hospitals? They’re where you find the highest concentration of patients and the largest consumption of medicine. If you were there to oversee things, even just by dropping in occasionally, you could ensure quality right at the clinical front line. Plus, feedback from a hospital is the most direct and comprehensive. It would be hugely beneficial for us to improve our processing methods and understand the properties of the herbs."

"Besides, you wouldn’t have to go every day. It would be an honorary position. You could just drop by when you have time, maybe give a lecture to the young Pharmacists."

After Li Xu’s relentless combination of pleading and reasoning, and swayed by the chance to verify the herbs’ efficacy more directly, Gao Yuan finally, reluctantly, agreed.

The next day, Li Xu took Gao Yuan to the City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Dean Song personally greeted them at the entrance, showing them immense respect.

After a brief welcoming ceremony, Dean Song solemnly presented a gilt-lettered "Honorary Advisor" certificate of appointment to Gao Yuan.

Although Gao Yuan maintained his usual nonchalant expression, a flicker of emotion still crossed his eyes.

After getting Gao Yuan settled, Li Xu went to attend to his own clinical duties.

...

「A few days later.」

In the dean’s office, an assistant walked in carrying a file.

"Dean, this is the list for this year’s new batch of interns from the affiliated medical college."

The assistant handed the file to Dean Song. "This year, we have several times more students applying for internships at our Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine than in previous years. And their caliber is exceptionally high—many of them are master’s or even doctoral students."

Dean Song took the list and glanced at it. Sure enough, after a long string of names, many had "Master’s" or "PhD" noted as their academic degree.

In past years, top students with such high qualifications would have been fighting tooth and nail to get into top-tier institutions like the City People’s Hospital or other major affiliated hospitals. The ones who came to the Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine were usually just undergraduates who couldn’t get into their first choice.

’What’s going on this year? Did the sun rise in the west?’

"Haha, this is wonderful news," Dean Song said, closing the file happily. "It seems our hospital’s reputation is finally getting out there."

"That’s for sure," the assistant chimed in. "Many of the students specifically wrote on their applications that they want to study under Dean Li!"

Dean Song nodded. "Yes, Dean Li is truly our hospital’s main attraction. With all this fresh blood, our hospital’s future is looking brighter than ever."

...

At the main entrance of the City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine,

A group of vibrant young people, dragging suitcases behind them, stood looking up at the slightly dated building.

"So this is the City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine..."

A young man with a backpack stared at the somewhat weathered plaque and let out a long sigh.

The others around him also looked around curiously, filled with the excitement and newness of entering the professional world for the first time.