"Zhang Ke! Zhang Ke, are you alright?"
Since Zhang Zhitao was introduced by a friend of Xu Xiang, Xu Xiang paid extra attention to him.
Seeing the other party go limp on the ground with a pale face, Xu Xiang felt some sympathy for him.
Xu Xiang stood up from his chair, about to reach out and help Zhang Zhitao up.
But unexpectedly, Zhang Zhitao suddenly grabbed him and shouted, "Director Xu, please, I don't want to die! Director Xu, please save me!"
The strong will to survive made Zhang Zhitao cling to Xu Xiang tightly.
Xu Xiang felt pain from Zhang Zhitao's grip. He gasped and said, "Zhang Ke! Zhang Ke, let go first, we can talk slowly."
At this moment, Zhang Zhitao was like a drowning person grabbing a piece of driftwood.
He nodded vigorously, then struggled to get up from the ground.
However, because he had just fallen to the ground, it took him two or three tries to get up.
As for Xu Xiang, his arm was still hurting from Zhang Zhitao's fierce grip. He was now rubbing his sore arm with his other hand.
"I'm sorry, Director Xu, I was a bit agitated just now."
Zhang Zhitao always had an arrogant and condescending attitude towards those who sought favors from him, like Zhu Haifeng.
But now, in front of Xu Xiang, he was just a patient, a terminal patient awaiting salvation, so his attitude was extremely humble.
After rubbing for a while, Xu Xiang's arm felt a bit better.
"Zhang Ke, I'm actually a bit curious. Logically, your previous condition was at most serious. As long as you took your medicine on time and rested without drinking alcohol, it wouldn't have worsened."
"But looking at your report, it has deteriorated so severely. This is truly strange."
As the attending physician, Xu Xiang was naturally an authority in this field.
Even he found it curious, so there must be something strange.
However, Zhang Zhitao didn't know that. His mind was filled with only one thought: he had liver cancer and was about to die.
"Director Xu, I followed your medical advice completely, without any deviation. Could the report be wrong?"
As Zhang Zhitao spoke, he suddenly thought of a possibility he had seen on television.
At this critical moment of his life, Zhang Zhitao's mind conjured up many possibilities.
"Zhang Ke, I wish the report was wrong too, but I hope you understand that our City First Hospital is not a roadside clinic. Every examination report undergoes at least three reviews, so the chance of error is almost zero."
Xu Xiang clearly understood what Zhang Zhitao was thinking.
But on such an important matter concerning the hospital's reputation, he had to make things clear.
"Alas, then Dr. Xu, what should I do? My life is entirely in your hands."
Zhang Zhitao sighed deeply, his face full of dejection.
Xu Xiang hesitated for a moment, then said, "Zhang Ke, you were introduced by a friend, so I won't beat around the bush. If we follow the normal treatment method, it would be chemotherapy. However, I just reviewed your examination report, and chemotherapy for you is like drinking poison to quench your thirst; it won't solve the root problem and will only prolong your life a little."
"Ah! Then Director Xu, are you giving me a death sentence? Please, Dr. Xu, I don't want to die!"
Upon hearing Xu Xiang's words, Zhang Zhitao almost collapsed again in fright.
This time, Xu Xiang didn't step forward. Instead, he moved back a little.
He hadn't forgotten the pain in his arm from Zhang Zhitao's grip.
He didn't want to repeat the same mistake and be grabbed again.
"How about this, I suggest you see a Chinese medicine doctor. Although I myself studied Western medicine, my father studied Chinese medicine back then. Many illnesses that Western medicine cannot cure might have miracles happen in the hands of Chinese medicine doctors."
Xu Xiang dared to say this to Zhang Zhitao because he was introduced by a friend.
Otherwise, for a chief physician of the prestigious City First Hospital to recommend a patient to a Chinese medicine doctor would be a huge joke if outsiders found out.
"Chinese medicine?"
Zhang Zhitao couldn't help but murmur.
Xu Xiang nodded, then picked up a sticky note from the desk. "I'll introduce you to a Chinese medicine doctor, a good friend of my father. He doesn't see patients much anymore these years, but I estimate that, out of respect for my father, he might be able to help you."
Taking the sticky note from Xu Xiang's hand, Zhang Zhitao thanked him repeatedly.
Then, after leaving, Zhang Zhitao had no intention of returning to his office.
He hailed a taxi by the roadside and headed directly to the address Xu Xiang had written down for him.
Ren Xin Tang.
Looking at the sign in front of him, which was the name Xu Xiang had given him, Zhang Zhitao took out his phone and made a call.
"Hello, I'm calling on behalf of Dr. Xu Xiang. I... Alright, I'll come in and talk to you."
On the phone, the other party told Zhang Zhitao that he was in the Chinese medicine clinic right in front of him and asked him to come in to talk in person.
After hanging up, Zhang Zhitao strode quickly into Ren Xin Tang.
After asking the staff inside, Zhang Zhitao went straight to a corner.
"Excuse me, are you Old Master Wang Qiyang?"
An old man sitting in a rattan chair in the corner, engrossed in reading a medical book, was asked politely by Zhang Zhitao.
The old man reading the book heard the voice and turned to look at Zhang Zhitao. "Oh, are you the one that young fellow Xu Xiang introduced me to?"
Wang Qiyang was older than Xu Xiang's father, so calling Xu Xiang a "young fellow" was natural.
Zhang Zhitao nodded vigorously.
Seeing that he was introduced by an old friend, Wang Qiyang gestured for Zhang Zhitao to sit beside him.
After Zhang Zhitao sat down as instructed, Wang Qiyang asked him to extend his right hand. Then, he placed two fingers on Zhang Zhitao's pulse to take his pulse.
Zhang Zhitao stared nervously at Wang Qiyang, who had his eyes closed while taking his pulse.
A good few minutes passed before Wang Qiyang slowly opened his eyes.
"Old Master Wang, can you cure my illness?"
This question had been circling in Zhang Zhitao's mind since he left the First Hospital.
Seeing Zhang Zhitao's nervous expression, Wang Qiyang shook his head. "I am unable to help. Your pulse shows that you have stagnation and blockages, and it's extremely chaotic. I cannot treat it."
As soon as Wang Qiyang finished speaking, Zhang Zhitao felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and his face instantly turned ashen.
"Why the long face? Although I can't cure you, I didn't say others can't. You're quite lucky. I know a young divine doctor who can definitely cure you."
Wang Qiyang said this upon seeing Zhang Zhitao's reaction.
"A young divine doctor? Director Xu said you are an authority in Chinese medicine. Even you cannot cure me now. Can this young divine doctor you mentioned really cure my liver cancer?"
Zhang Zhitao didn't believe Wang Qiyang at all upon hearing his words.
He shared the common belief that Chinese medicine requires a lot of experience and age.
Since Xu Xiang could introduce him to Wang Qiyang, it meant he was truly skilled.
But now Wang Qiyang was telling him about some young divine doctor. Was he joking?
Furthermore, Zhang Zhitao had come to see Wang Qiyang with the mindset of trying anything, as a last resort. In his heart of hearts, he didn't believe that Chinese medicine could cure his liver cancer.