Chapter 2832 - 2894: Competition

In the first round, Yan Qiu versus Li Yifei, both using the "observation" technique, one of the four basic methods of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The idea is to observe the color and appearance of the patient to determine their illness. They can look at various parts of the body but cannot ask questions or physically touch the patient.

This is somewhat of an obstacle for Li Yifei, but not a major one. He has devised some strategies over the past few days and conducted some experiments. With his current level of cultivation, his True Qi can extend beyond his body, enhancing his sensory capabilities. Simply put, he can deduce certain clues from the patient’s subtle changes. Li Yifei even specially studied the pathological changes of some diseases and their external manifestations.

A large box was brought to the center, containing more than three hundred registered volunteers for the day. These people were randomly arranged. There were three boxes representing three groups. Li Yifei and Yan Qiu each drew two people from each box, resulting in a total of twelve individuals selected.

The host announced the numbers, and the chosen individuals came up one by one. Li Yifei was already seated behind a table, with a camera in front of him capturing his every move and expression, broadcasting live. Online viewership even reached millions. The platform with the broadcasting rights was delighted, as this was an excellent opportunity for brand exposure. The number of downloads and registered users exceeded five hundred thousand, and it kept rising. By the time Li Yifei started the competition, downloads had surpassed two million, and many of his fans on Twitter were also tuning in to watch.

Next to him, Yan Qiu also took his seat, staring straight ahead at the people in front of him. Before coming, he received advice from He Ming, feeling somewhat confident. He didn’t have to get everything right. He thought it was impossible for Li Yifei to diagnose someone’s illness just by observing it; that would be preposterous.

Yan Qiu was quite confident, reasoning that even if he couldn’t clearly diagnose the patient’s illness, he could at least make some general guesses. For instance, a middle-aged woman might have issues related to qi and blood, mental stress, or gynecological problems. These are like "universal diagnoses" that can generally be applied. There is a market for such diagnoses. For a middle-aged man in his thirties or beyond, especially in his forties or fifties, there might be issues related to male health, like prostate problems or issues related to sexual health. If a patient is overweight and has a poor complexion, kidney problems might be indicated. If they smoke or drink, there might be liver issues or potentially even heart, cardiovascular, gallbladder, pancreas issues. Baldness, dark eye circles, and bags under the eyes could indicate sleep or endocrine problems.

These are all universal diagnostics that are not too difficult to verbalize.

Thus, Yan Qiu was quite confident, believing that his years of experience could easily allow him to draft diagnoses for the twelve patients.

Just before the competition began, there was a sudden commotion outside. Looking in that direction, several security guards were escorting five or six people over. The host paused the competition and went to inquire. Upon returning, they announced to those on stage: "Mr. Li, Elder He, the visitors are distinguished Traditional Chinese Medicine Masters from the Capital City, Southern Sky, Haicheng, and Tianjin. They heard about our competition today and decided to come and act as judges for everyone."

Li Yifei, naturally, didn’t recognize them, but He Ming immediately stood up and walked toward the stage, saying, "Elder Hu has arrived. Why didn’t you inform me? So I could greet you properly."

Li Yifei looked over and saw an elderly man, already seated in a wheelchair, being pushed over. The elder was wearing a Zhongshan suit and a small hat, appearing quite aged but with a good complexion. Seeing He Ming approach, the elder just nodded slightly, saying, "Are you one of today’s competitors?"

"Elder Hu, I’m participating in the competition; please forgive my inadequacies. I’m only on stage because I was forced; the other party was just too overbearing," said He Ming.

"If you’re competing, get back on stage. I’m just here to judge, so I won’t say too much," Elder Hu said. The other elders around him shared the same sentiment. He Ming then nodded and said, "Very well, I’ll head back, but take care, Elder Hu."

It seemed like significant figures had indeed arrived. Li Yifei offered a slight smile to Elder Hu. The host ran over to ask for Li Yifei’s opinion, explaining that since the patients were randomly chosen, an independent judgment was needed to determine whether they truly had illnesses. The original plan was to take both judgments to the nearest hospital for analysis: some diagnoses would conclude quickly, but others might take days, so theoretically, today’s competition wouldn’t yield results immediately. With these TCM masters willing to judge, some steps could be skipped. Li Yifei listened and then asked, "But how can I be sure they won’t be biased against me? After all, I don’t know them."

"Well... Mr. Li, I apologize; I don’t know much either. But I can ask for you."

"I’ll ask myself." Li Yifei said, standing up and approaching Elder Hu, giving a slight bow before speaking: "Good day, Elder Hu. I’m Li Yifei, the other competitor today."

"I’ve heard of you, quite impressive!" Elder Hu nodded. Li Yifei raised his eyebrows, seeing the slight smile from the elder, then asked, "Elder Hu, you know of me?"

"Indeed, the wealthiest from Ning Province, who wouldn’t know? What you did recently was excellent, which is why we came today," Elder Hu replied.

Li Yifei was slightly surprised; this was not what he expected and said quickly, "So, Elder Hu, you all..."

"There are many Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners, but we belong to no sect, have no organization. We are independent, so there’s no bias in who we favor. Moreover, your competition on both sides relies on TCM, so there’s no issue of favoritism. We possess some skills, so we’ll serve as judges," Elder Hu said with a smile.

"I must trouble you, Elder Hu, and the elders. Since I’m a competitor, I won’t say much. I’ll trust you to be impartial," Li Yifei said before turning to return to the stage.

Elder Hu nodded, instructing the host, "Set up a seat for the judges below. We will also examine the patients after they’ve been assessed to provide accurate judgments."

"Of course," the host nodded promptly.

This delayed the event by over ten minutes, but the audience was very patient. Soon, someone figured out the identities of the visitors. Elder Hu, now 93, was reputed to have treated the highest leaders in the past, hailed as a contemporary Master Physician. He had withdrawn from public practice over the years, only assisting close friends and family, yet today he arrived to judge without an invitation.

Li Yifei naturally received this information, knowing the status of Elder Hu and others far surpassed He Ming and company. Coming from various locations, they would ensure greater fairness, so he felt reassured.

The host announced Elder Hu and the others’ identities to everyone, inviting them to the judging seat. After checking both sides’ preparation, he announced the competition’s start. Time allocated was thirty minutes, up to a maximum of forty minutes, for twelve patients. This round relied solely on observation, allowing views of hands, feet, and less private areas, but ideally, minimal time should be wasted.

Twelve patients in half an hour meant less than three minutes per patient, requiring very precise judgment. Any time wasted could consume minutes.

Additionally, writing the diagnosis, though brief, required documentation, taking up time. Each patient’s condition, whether ill or not, and what the illness was, needed to be documented, handed to the judges for evaluation.

Hearing the rules, Yan Qiu frowned and remarked to He Ming: "Elder He, the time is too short, isn’t it?"

"Yan Qiu, the time is the same for everyone. I think it’s quite fair," He Ming replied. Sitting below were genuine National Medicine Masters; he maintained a respectful attitude, avoiding unnecessary remarks.

Yan Qiu could only nod, contemplating how to start later. Glancing at Li Yifei, he noticed his relaxed demeanor, prompting him to grumble inwardly and encourage himself. Allocating two and a half to three minutes per diagnosis was demanding, and if he couldn’t manage, neither could Li Yifei. Although the time was short, it wasn’t impossible.

The cameras focused on both sides, four in total, ensuring comprehensive recording, eliminating chances for cheating since neither knew the patients, their history, or symptoms beforehand.

On one side stood the veteran Li Yifei, against three famed doctors aiming to advance Traditional Chinese Medicine. After today’s competition, it would be known whether the veteran would lose eleven billion or if the three doctors would become discredited and labeled as quack frauds; results would be apparent in a few hours.

Those present quickly used the restroom, awaiting the competition’s start. Online viewers pushed aside other tasks to watch the veteran’s first live broadcast. Many fangirls loudly declared how handsome the veteran was, the epitome of a true man and their ideal type.

Women from the Li family also found time to watch this significant event.

"This Elder Hu, he even treated my grandfather back then. I didn’t expect even he would be stirred," Su Mengxin remarked, astonished.

"Is he very skilled?"

"Highly skilled. Those leaders, including retired and deceased ones, seem to have all been treated by him," Su Mengxin explained.