Chapter 49: On the Brink, Life Hanging by a Thread
“Consider it a token of my gratitude!” Li Chao’s words carried a hint of surprise, clearly not expecting such generosity from the other party.
He stood frozen for a moment, secretly pondering the weight of the reward—it far exceeded anything he had anticipated.
As he hesitated, Wang Lan’s voice, tinged with sarcasm, rang out beside him:
“Hua, are you planning to squander your entire fortune? Look how you’ve frightened him!”
She turned to Li Chao, her eyes filled with disdain. “Take it. It’s a staggering one million! I doubt you’ve ever seen so much money in your life. A single house call is worth more than several lifetimes of your earnings!”
The harmonious atmosphere instantly froze, tension and awkwardness thickening the air.
Liu Zhenhua’s face darkened. He turned and cast a stern glance at Wang Lan, admonishing, “Lan, mind your manners! He’s Lele’s savior.”
Wang Lan shrugged, unconcerned. “Hmph, it was just a few needles. Who knows if it wasn’t just luck? Even if it worked, it’s not worth that much!”
“There are plenty of experts in the province; why give him so much?” Her words were laced with skepticism toward Li Chao’s medical skills.
Ye Wuji was about to intercede, but saw Li Chao stride forward with resolute determination.
He gently shook the bank card in his hand, staring directly at Wang Lan. “Are you questioning my medical skills?”
Without waiting for her response, he continued, “Fine. In that case, I won’t take a single cent. Let the experts you mentioned have a try.”
Inwardly, Li Chao thought, “Wang Lan is truly too much. I saved Lele’s life, and she’s questioning my abilities. It’s unacceptable.”
Liu Zhenhua, too, was angry. “How could Wang Lan say something like that? Li Chao is Lele’s savior; how can she be so disrespectful?”
Ye Wuji felt helpless. “Wang Lan really is something. Li Chao’s skills are recognized by all—how can she doubt him?”
Wang Lan remained unconvinced, thinking, “Hmph, just a few needles. Who knows if it was luck? Even if it worked, it’s not worth the price!”
Seeing Li Chao’s unwavering resolve, Liu Zhenhua felt helpless. “Li Chao really is stubborn.”
Ye Wuji echoed the sentiment. “Li Chao really is stubborn.”
After speaking, Li Chao suddenly threw the bank card to the floor with a crisp sound. Without hesitation, he strode into the emergency room, decisively removed the six silver needles from Liu Lele’s head, carefully placed them in his cloth pouch, and turned to leave, his figure radiating utter resolve.
His movements were smooth as flowing water, without the slightest hesitation.
Everyone present was stunned, exchanging bewildered glances. No one had expected Li Chao’s actions.
Ye Wuji sighed softly and turned to Liu Zhenhua, speaking earnestly:
“Brother, you have a keen eye for business opportunities, but when it comes to choosing a partner, perhaps there’s much to reconsider.”
Upon hearing this, Wang Lan’s expression soured. She immediately retorted:
“Elder Ye, what do you mean by that?”
Liu Zhenhua hurried to shield Wang Lan behind him, his gaze lingering on Li Chao’s departing figure before turning to Ye Wuji, slightly dissatisfied:
“Elder Ye, Lan may be at fault, but that young man’s behavior is overly aloof and arrogant!”
Wang Lan’s inner monologue: Hmph, is Elder Ye criticizing me? For the Liu family, for Lele’s health, what have I done wrong? What right does Li Chao have to be so haughty?
Liu Zhenhua’s inner thoughts: Elder Ye’s words may be hard to swallow, but they make sense. My feelings for Lele cannot be put into words. I just hope she wakes up and recovers soon.
Ye Wuji’s inner thoughts: Liu and his daughter, why don’t you understand? I’ve seen Li Chao’s skills firsthand—his technique is unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed. Your attitude will only disappoint him further.
Li Chao’s inner thoughts: The Liu family doesn’t trust my skills, so there’s no reason for me to stay. I’ll prove myself in my own way.
As the head of the Liu Group, he was always a prominent figure in Huaxi City. Li Chao’s actions left him feeling utterly humiliated.
Ye Wuji shook his head and explained gently,
“His arrogance is supported by real strength.”
After a brief pause, he added,
“If you can swallow your pride and make amends to Brother Li now, perhaps you can still salvage something.”
Liu Zhenhua felt somewhat indignant. He believed he had shown Li Chao enough respect, but Li Chao’s lack of appreciation left him embarrassed.
His face grew gloomier, silently cursing Li Chao.
He still seemed unaware of the gravity of the situation. Waving his hand, he smiled dismissively:
“Begging? That’s not my style.”
“Well then, in Huaxi City, there are few whom I would ever bow to!”
Ye Wuji shook his head helplessly, knowing Liu Zhenhua’s character and that persuasion was futile.
He felt regret for Liu Zhenhua, believing he’d missed a golden opportunity.
“To ask for help? Forget it!”
“There are hardly any in Huaxi City whom I would kneel to!”
Liu Zhenhua thought to himself that as the head of the Liu Group, he could not easily bow to others. He believed he had enough power and status, needing nothing from anyone.
He bent to pick up the bank card, a faint smile on his lips: “My gratitude has been expressed. Whether he chooses to accept it is his decision.”
“Besides, isn’t Lele already…”
He was about to continue when the emergency room door suddenly burst open. A chief physician rushed out in terror, heading straight for Zhang Junjie and shouting urgently:
“Director, things have taken a dire turn! The patient’s condition has deteriorated sharply—her life hangs by a thread!”
The words struck like a bolt from the blue.
Liu Zhenhua’s face went deathly pale, his heart filled with fear and anxiety.
He had never imagined things would become so serious, and regretted not heeding Ye Wuji’s advice.
The phrase “life hangs by a thread” echoed in his mind, making his heart race and breathing quicken.
Liu Zhenhua staggered and hurriedly asked, “Isn’t Director Zhang, the city’s neurology authority, treating her inside?”
The chief physician’s voice trembled, “Director Zhang is powerless at the moment. We are preparing the critical condition notice.”
With a soft thud, Liu Zhenhua’s bank card slipped from his hand to the floor.
He froze, confused and perplexed.
Wasn’t the situation stable?
Why the sudden, drastic decline?
Could it really be related to the removal of those silver needles?
“Why such a sudden emergency?
Could this really be a chain reaction from removing those silver needles?”
Liu Zhenhua regretted deeply. When he first met Li Chao, he had regarded him as a young man with decent skills, never delving deeper. Now he realized how short-sighted he had been.
He rushed forward to Ye Wuji, anxious and earnest. “Elder Ye, I was blind and offended the little miracle doctor! Please, help me contact him and ask him to return and save Lele!”
Ye Wuji frowned, thinking, “How could Liu Zhenhua be so foolish? Li Chao’s skills are indeed extraordinary, but can he still be persuaded to return now?”
He knew Liu Zhenhua’s temperament well and decided to console him first.
He gently patted Liu Zhenhua’s shoulder, comforting him, “Zhenhua, don’t panic. I’ll do my best to contact Li Chao, but I can’t promise he’ll come back. We must stay calm.”
Liu Zhenhua gripped Ye Wuji’s hand tightly, eyes full of gratitude. “Elder Ye, thank you. I truly don’t know what to do. Lele is my daughter—I cannot lose her.”
Ye Wuji nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ll try to contact Li Chao now. Wait here for my news.”
Liu Zhenhua nodded, silently praying that Ye Wuji would reach Li Chao quickly.
Ye Wuji left the room, his heart heavy with concern. He understood both Liu Zhenhua’s predicament and Li Chao’s importance.
“Let’s hope Li Chao can understand Liu Zhenhua’s situation and return to save Lele,” Ye Wuji prayed silently.
With a faint smile, he teased, “Brother, didn’t you just claim never to bow to anyone? How quickly your tune has changed.”
Liu Zhenhua’s face was bitter, emotions swirling within him. Guilt prevented him from retorting, and he could only bear it in silence.
“Ah, I brought this on myself,” he sighed internally.
Ye Wuji gazed out the window, pondering briefly before saying, “Enough, saving lives comes first. Li Chao shouldn’t be far—go quickly and chase after him. Whether you can convince him to return depends on your sincerity.”
Liu Zhenhua nodded hastily, then turned to gather a few bodyguards and rushed out to find Li Chao.
Wang Lan, dissatisfied, tried to stop him. “Hua, with our status, chasing a mere doctor through the streets—won’t that be laughable? Maybe we should wait a bit longer?”
Liu Zhenhua spun around, his gaze stern and uncompromising, and barked, “Silence!”
Wang Lan blanched, lips pressed tight, not daring to utter another word.
Liu Zhenhua sighed inwardly, “Lan usually seems clever—why does she falter at critical moments?”
He took a deep breath, suppressing his irritation, and addressed Wang Lan, “What do you know? Our priority is to bring back Li Chao and save the old man. If others laugh at us, so be it. Would you rather see him suffer in bed?”
Wang Lan was startled, realizing her mistake, and quickly explained, “Hua, I didn’t mean that, I just thought—”
Liu Zhenhua cut her off impatiently, “Enough talk. I don’t have time for your nonsense. Let’s get Li Chao back and save the old man first.”
He turned and left with his bodyguards, while Wang Lan stood watching his retreating figure, muttering inwardly, “Why is Liu Zhenhua so anxious? Does he really care that much about that young doctor?”
Twenty minutes later, Li Chao returned to the emergency room, accompanied by Liu Zhenhua and his entourage, who were filled with anxiety and humility.
Though still angry, Li Chao remembered the compassion of a healer—he had never intended to let Liu Lele die.
Thus, after removing the needles, he hadn’t gone far, quietly waiting for a potential turning point.
To make amends, Liu Zhenhua displayed every ounce of humility and sincerity. He understood how much his earlier arrogance and ignorance had hurt Li Chao, so he set aside his status as chairman, apologizing repeatedly with genuine words and a humble attitude.
Moved by Liu Zhenhua’s heartfelt repentance, Li Chao finally nodded and returned to the emergency room to treat Liu Lele once more.
With the needles reinserted, Liu Lele’s condition stabilized rapidly and her vital signs recovered.
This turn of events left Liu Zhenhua utterly convinced of Li Chao’s abilities.
He gazed at Li Chao’s wise and compassionate eyes, filled with gratitude and admiration.
He bowed deeply, offering a bank card, “I was blind, unable to recognize a true miracle doctor, and nearly caused a disaster! There’s three million on this card—one million as your fee, and two million as my personal apology. Please accept it!”
Li Chao looked at Liu Zhenhua and said calmly, “I save lives based on fate, not for money.”
Liu Zhenhua replied earnestly, “I know you are a man of virtue, but this is my token of respect. Please accept it.”
Li Chao glanced at Liu Zhenhua and the bank card, then replied, “Very well, I’ll accept it.”
Wang Lan, watching from the side, was displeased but dared not speak out. She pursed her lips and muttered, “Wasn’t it supposed to be one million? How did it become more?”
Her words were interrupted by Li Chao’s cold, slightly mocking voice, “What’s wrong? Think the money is wasted? Fine! I’ll offer you a free consultation—sometimes, money cannot measure the worth of everything, especially in the face of life. You should learn to cherish those around you, and those who can save lives.”
Wang Lan’s face alternated between red and pale. She knew she had spoken out of turn, but was too embarrassed to apologize, so she lowered her head in silence.