Chapter 114: Chapter 108: Friendship Beyond Age! (5th update, asking for monthly votes!)
Upon hearing Xia Xue’s words, Xiao Lin dared not delay. Not for any other reason than the old principal’s contributions to Huaxia, having nurtured so many talents, making him a respected elder. Moreover, he specifically requested to see Xiao Lin. At this moment, an image of the elderly gentleman he saw that morning flashed through Xiao Lin’s mind. Could it be him?
"By the way, does the old principal live at our Yan University?" Xiao Lin asked while quickly scooping a few bites of food, displaying the rapid eating speed he had developed in the military.
"Yes, why?" Xia Xue looked at Xiao Lin.
"I fear the old principal’s health isn’t very good?" Xiao Lin inquired.
"Yes, I heard he has heart issues. He’s had several surgeries at the First Affiliated Hospital, but there’s been no improvement. Why are you asking? Have you met the old principal?" Xia Xue widened her eyes and looked at Xiao Lin.
"I think I’ve met him. This morning, I saved a patient with angina at the school sports field. If it had been left to develop, it could have turned into acute myocardial infarction, a life-threatening condition that’s quite difficult to treat!" Xiao Lin explained while eating.
"You can treat heart disease?" Xia Xue was taken aback. Xiao Lin had a Ph.D. in emergency medicine, and within medicine, one develops expertise in specific areas. An emergency doctor knowing how to treat heart disease was quite unheard of.
Regarding medicine, Xiao Lin felt he was much better than in martial arts, which was also his strongest skill. He nodded and said: "More or less. I primarily studied Chinese medicine, with Western medicine as a supplement, so I have some understanding of heart disease. The old gentleman’s illness isn’t untreatable; it just requires a long time and minimizing all sorts of stimuli and dietary issues!"
"Then you should quickly go and help the old principal. I reckon the elderly gentleman you met this morning was indeed the old principal of Yan University!" Xia Xue urged. She knew more about the old principal of Yan University than Xiao Lin did. If Xiao Lin could use this opportunity to cure the old principal’s heart disease and build connections, it would greatly benefit both their relationship and Xiao Lin’s future path.
By this time, Xiao Lin had almost finished eating. He nodded and said: "I’ll head to the hospital first, you rest well at home!"
"Alright, I know, I’m not a child!" Xia Xue playfully retorted. Infinite charm filled her words, and thinking of how Xiao Lin could use this to connect with the Chen family and clear any obstacles in their relationship, she felt indescribably happy. The worries that had lingered since morning finally found a direction.
Xiao Lin could see that Xia Xue genuinely wanted the best for him, so naturally, he wouldn’t go against her wishes. Also, befriending someone as formidable as the old principal of Yan University was a good move. They couldn’t rely on Hua Qingyi to solve everything, could they? Besides, Hua Qingyi had already been sent to the capital and probably wouldn’t return soon. As for the other members of the Hua family, Xiao Lin wasn’t looking to have much interaction for the time being.
Regarding his own family, from the day Xiao Lin joined Dragon Soul, he hadn’t relied on any family resources to do things his way. Thinking back to being just sixteen, yelling alongside that old man at home that he could lead a life without the family’s support, Xiao Lin’s current achievements, in his family’s eyes, were indeed insignificant.
By the time Xiao Lin arrived at the university hospital, it was already past three in the afternoon. According to hospital rules, Xiao Lin was already late. Calculating it, from his first day at work until now, it had only been four or five days, with one day off even in between. Being late every day had almost become second nature, which made Xiao Lin somewhat embarrassed.
The two doctors from other departments who didn’t show up to help in the morning, due to the shortage of staff in the emergency department, had to help out as well. Now, cases of students suffering from heatstroke were becoming more severe, keeping the three of them extremely busy.
Upon seeing Xiao Lin enter, Li Jingyi said to the doctor beside her: "Dr. Ma, I’ll leave this to you. The old principal is here for Dr. Xiao, and I’ll take him over now!"
"Okay, Director Li, you go ahead!" Dr. Ma, who looked to be in his fifties, was straightforward. However, it was said that in his youth, he had originally been in the First Affiliated Hospital. Due to a medical incident, he had been relegated to the university hospital for nearly twenty years. That’s how his life had passed.
Li Jingyi put down her work and came to Xiao Lin, thinking about the situation with some irritation. This guy was something else – the old principal waited half an hour just to see him? With a bit of exasperation, she said to Xiao Lin: "Hurry up and come with me. If you don’t go now, you’re going to be in trouble!"
Xiao Lin was noncommittal about Li Jingyi’s attitude, after all, Li Jingyi’s complaints were for his own good. He smiled and said, "Director Li, thank you for your concern!"
"Alright, say no more. The old principal is probably having tea in the dean’s office now. Let’s head over. By the way, do you know the old principal?" Li Jingyi was quite familiar with the old principal of Yan University. Ever since the old principal retired, although he still lived at Yan University, he was busy with educational affairs every day, running around and wearing himself out. It wasn’t until the past couple of years that he reduced his workload under strong caution from his family.
For those who knew Elder Chen, they always gave him a thumbs up. Now that the old principal came to see a doctor and was kept waiting, Li Jingyi naturally didn’t show Xiao Lin any favor. Although this director position was offered to her by Xiao Lin, it showed what kind of position the old principal held in the hearts of the Yan University people.
Along the way, Li Jingyi reminded Xiao Lin of some things to pay attention to, showing her admiration for the old principal. Xiao Lin nodded noncommittally; this admiration seemed a bit over the top, but there was nothing to say about Li Jingyi; after all, it was her personal matter.
They soon arrived at the dean’s office. Li Jingyi politely knocked on the door, faintly hearing the sound of old laughter and conversation from inside; it seemed the two old gentlemen inside were having a pleasant chat.
"Come in!" came Dean Yu’s voice from inside, a voice Xiao Lin could still recognize.
Li Jingyi led Xiao Lin into the dean’s office. Although she had met the old principal before, seeing him again, Li Jingyi couldn’t help but feel a little excited. After all, the aura around this elderly man was too powerful, to the point where some voices in the media respectfully referred to the elder before them as Huaxia’s foremost principal.
"Old Principal, Dean, Director Chen, I’ve brought Dr. Xiao over!" Li Jingyi introduced Xiao Lin to the dean, the old principal, and Director Chen who had already stood up, then said to Xiao Lin, "Dr. Xiao, this is Elder Chen, the old principal of Yanshi University, and this is Director Chen from our First Affiliated Hospital’s Emergency Department!" She felt a bit flattered by the old principal standing up to greet them, considering their statuses.
Xiao Lin, neither overbearing nor servile, looked at Elder Chen and Director Chen. As expected, he had seen both Chen the old principal and Director Chen earlier that morning. Xiao Lin nodded, smiling courteously, and greeted them, "The fame of the old principal is known far and wide, and this Xiao failed to recognize you this morning!"
"Young friend Xiao Lin, you’re joking. If not for you this morning, old folks like us wouldn’t be here chatting and drinking tea now!" Elder Chen dared not act arrogantly toward Xiao Lin. He had learned from Director Chen that this young man in his early twenties was actually the heir to the Kowloon Divine Needle, which had been a lost treasure of Huaxia for hundreds of years. Considering Xiao Lin’s demeanor, even in front of himself, he remained composed and modest, indicating he was not a simple character. Moreover, Xiao Lin had saved his life, so naturally, he held Xiao Lin in high regard.
"It was just a small effort; the old principal has devoted his life to Huaxia’s educational career, which brought on these ailments. It is my fortune to help alleviate his suffering," Xiao Lin responded politely, not feeling nervous in front of the old principal.
Li Jingyi, standing by, was puzzled. Listening to their conversation, it was clear they already knew each other, and Dr. Xiao had even saved the old principal’s life. No wonder the old principal specifically wanted to meet Xiao Lin, and was patient even when he couldn’t find him at the university hospital, increasing her curiosity about Xiao Lin.
"You two should stop complimenting each other. I’m getting goosebumps here!" Dean Yu chuckled. Despite being younger by about a decade and a half a generation to Elder Chen, these past few years, whenever Chen had minor ailments, it was Dean Yu who attended to them. The two gradually became good friends, enjoying tea and chats when time permitted.
"I have indeed been negligent to this young friend, please have a seat!" Elder Chen was very polite to Xiao Lin, almost treating him as an equal. Someone of Elder Chen’s status understood Huaxia’s vastness and richness, knowing there were many remarkable individuals, and he had already categorized Xiao Lin as one of those legendary figures.
Faced with Elder Chen’s politeness, Xiao Lin remained neither overbearing nor servile. Only after Elder Chen was seated did he take a seat beside him, then turned and asked, "Did the old principal come to see me today to cure his illness?"
"To tell you the truth, young friend, my heart has undergone several surgeries without improvement. But after the few needles you administered this morning, subsequent comprehensive examinations have shown some signs of improvement. Only later did I learn from Director Chen that young friend used the Kowloon Divine Needle, which hasn’t appeared in hundreds of years!" Elder Chen straightforwardly queried.
Xiao Lin was a bit surprised. Given that the Kowloon Divine Needle had disappeared for centuries, few remembered its existence, mostly mentioned in ancient books. Unexpectedly, that Director Chen knew about it, indicating he was not without ability. Xiao Lin didn’t conceal it, nodding and saying, "Director Chen has sharp eyes; what I used is indeed the Kowloon Divine Needle!" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian () to vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)