“Representative Gu? So early what’s the matter?”
Before dawn, the urgent knocking woke Shen Zhiwei.
Outside the door, Gu Yanzhou stood in the cool morning mist, worry etched deep into his brow. “I need your help. Now.”
“An old superior who has been like a mountain of support to me has suddenly fallen gravely ill. The military district hospital’s top medical team has already issued three critical condition alerts.”
His voice was heavy with concern. “I’ve heard about what you did in Hexi Village.”
“This is the last hope I can think of. Please, you must try.”
Seeing the urgency in his eyes, Shen Zhiwei didn’t hesitate. “Let’s go. Tell me the details in the car.”
She didn’t ask why it had to be her, nor did she shrink back from the critical alerts. She simply felt that if there was even a sliver of hope, it had to be tried.
The military jeep drove toward the military district sanatorium, located in the mountainous outskirts of the city.
As Gu Yanzhou had said, the mountain roads were rugged and bumpy. Outside the windows, orderly barracks gradually gave way to dense mountains.
The temperature had dropped noticeably.
Shen Zhiwei wrapped her cotton coat tighter, yet a chill still seemed to seep into her bones. She instinctively pulled her neck inward.
Suddenly, a warm military coat was draped gently over her shoulders.
Startled, Shen Zhiwei turned to look at Gu Yanzhou in the driver’s seat. He was still focused on the road, gripping the steering wheel, only a slight blush at his ears betraying him.
“Put it on,” he said calmly. “Don’t catch a cold before we even treat the patient.”
Shen Zhiwei didn’t protest. She took the coat.
The garment still carried his body heat and the clean, crisp scent of soap, wrapping her completely. Instantly, the chill vanished.
She glanced at him discreetly. He wore only a thin sweater, his profile sharp and composed, seemingly oblivious to the cold.
During the ride, he briefly explained the identity of the elderly superior, Chen Bing: a decorated veteran and Gu Yanzhou’s mentor during his military career.
This time, however, an old illness had struck suddenly and with great severity.
After a bumpy journey, the jeep finally stopped at a secluded courtyard hidden in the mountains. The yard was small, with grey tiles and green bricks, exuding a solemnity unlike a typical farmhouse.
Plainclothes personnel guarded the entrance, relaxing only when they saw Gu Yanzhou’s license plate, saluting and letting them through.
A middle-aged secretary in a Zhongshan suit was already waiting inside.
“Representative Gu, you finally arrived! The commander has fainted again his condition is very serious.”
Gu Yanzhou nodded slightly. “This is Shen Zhiwei.”
The secretary nodded, and the group quickly entered the isolated building, passing through tight security.
As soon as they stepped into the living room, a heavy atmosphere pressed down on them.
Several grey-haired medical experts in white coats huddled together, speaking in low tones, all with grave expressions, shaking their heads and sighing.
“Yanzhou, you’re here… the commander ” A middle-aged woman sitting beside the old commander greeted Gu Yanzhou with tear-filled eyes. When she noticed Shen Zhiwei, her words faltered. “And this is ”
“This is Shen Zhiwei. She’s trained in medicine; she may offer a sliver of hope,” Gu Yanzhou said solemnly. “Let the doctors brief you on the situation first.”
Shen Zhiwei nodded slightly.
One of the older experts glanced at her skeptically, but given Gu Yanzhou’s status, they simply outlined the situation.
“The old commander primarily suffers from chest tightness, shortness of breath, severe palpitations, and intermittent fainting. All tests point to severe heart failure, but medications have minimal effect.
The prognosis is not optimistic.”
She listened quietly, her mind working quickly. “Any other symptoms? I need to see the full medical history and all examination reports.”
Though hesitant, the experts handed her the thick stack of documents.
Shen Zhiwei sat on the sofa nearby, seemingly flipping through the medical records quickly, but in reality her mind had already descended into the Spirit Spring Space.
With the aid of the spirit herbs, she was simultaneously integrating the old commander’s symptoms while cross-referencing cases in the Herbal Classics stored in the space.
She exited the space, opened her eyes, and looked clearly and resolutely at Gu Yanzhou and the experts.
“The old commander’s illness has been misdiagnosed it’s not simply heart failure.”
The entire room went silent.
All the experts were stunned. The senior expert’s face darkened with irritation. “Young lady! Do you know what you’re saying? Based on decades of experience and every diagnostic instrument, it’s heart failure.”
“Does experience and instruments mean they can’t be wrong?”
Shen Zhiwei didn’t flinch. She stepped forward, her voice firm and unwavering. “I’ve reviewed all the ECGs and blood reports they do show heart failure. But have you noticed whether the commander experienced extreme fatigue, intense emotional swings, or brief episodes of limb numbness before the attack?”
A younger expert hesitated, then subconsciously replied, “Yes!”
“The day before the attack, the commander was unusually exhausted. The secretary also mentioned he complained of numbness in his right hand. We assumed it was an old injury.”
“Exactly!” Shen Zhiwei’s eyes flashed. “This isn’t a primary heart condition it’s cervical-heart syndrome.”
“Severe degeneration in the cervical spine is compressing nerves and blood vessels, producing symptoms similar to heart failure. All your strong cardiac medications are naturally ineffective, and may even worsen the burden.”
“Preposterous!” The senior expert’s face turned pale with anger. “This is mere conjecture, utterly baseless!”
“Representative Gu, the old commander is in critical condition every minute counts! And now you bring this young girl here… isn’t this reckless?
And she dares to challenge so many of our experts?”
Shen Zhiwei knew very well that anyone would be hard-pressed to trust a young girl.
But she had evidence.
She picked up a diagnostic image. “You only looked at the thoracic cavity. Look carefully at the cervical spine see if there is obvious proliferation and compression.”
The Herbal Classics in the Spirit Spring Space had mentioned this case: one must repeatedly examine the patient’s neck. Looking closely now, she was indeed correct.
Several experts immediately leaned in, their expressions gradually changing.
Gu Yanzhou stepped forward, his figure like a protective mountain in front of Shen Zhiwei. “Professor Zhang, now is not the time for arguments.
Do you insist on a possibly wrong diagnosis and wait for a bad outcome, or do you let her try and seize a chance for life? I’ll take responsibility for this!”
He turned to Shen Zhiwei, his eyes full of trust. “Zhiwei, what do you need?”
“I need everyone to leave. I need a quiet environment.”
Without hesitation, Gu Yanzhou gave the order. “Everyone, leave the living room and give Comrade Shen absolute quiet.”
Soon, the living room was empty, leaving only Shen Zhiwei and the unconscious old commander.
Shen Zhiwei took a deep breath. Though it looked like she was reaching into the cloth bag she always carried, she was in fact drawing out an antique needle pouch from the Spirit Spring Space.
The silver needles had been secretly hidden by her mother as a dowry, a family heirloom from her maternal grandmother. In the previous life, after her mother passed, she discovered them among the keepsakes. In this life, they had already been stored in the space when the house was ransacked.
As a child, she had been interested in them, but growing up, she had been distracted by Chen Weidong.
Now, with the Spirit Spring Space enhancing her abilities, her learned knowledge was incredibly clear, and her understanding deeper than before.
She never imagined it would be put to use so soon.
She picked up a slender silver needle and sterilized it with the Spirit Spring water.
Calm and focused.
She aligned the needle with the commander’s acupoint and steadily inserted it. “It will be fine. It will be fine.”