Having worked as a doctor for most of his life, Du Chun had never encountered a patient like this before.
There were no signs of any illness, yet the patient’s vital signs were fading away fast. When it came to treatment, there was simply no place to even start.
“Dean Du, if there’s anything going on, just say it straight,” Tang Sen said, standing up with a serious expression.
Du Chun shook his head. “Mayor Tang, Secretary Hou isn’t sick.”
“He’s not sick? Then why is he…”
“I don’t know either,” Du Chun said with a frown.
“You don’t know? What kind of answer is that? Just tell us whether you can treat him or not. You people…” The driver, Xiao Sha, was getting anxious on the side.
“Shut up!” Tang Sen glared at him and stopped him right there.
If any other doctor had said that, maybe Tang Sen would have gotten angry too. But Du Chun wasn’t just anyone—he was a nationally renowned expert. There’s no way he would make unreasonable claims like that, right?
“Dean Du, then what’s the situation with Xiao Hou right now?” Tang Sen asked cautiously.
“Won’t live past three days.”
“What!” Tang Sen was completely stunned.
“How… how can that be?” Tang Sen was no longer calm.
A thought suddenly came to Du Chun’s mind.
“Mayor Tang, if I told you that Secretary Hou might not be sick, but rather possessed by evil spirits, would you believe me?”
“Possessed by evil spirits?” Tang Sen’s pupils contracted sharply.
If Du Chun had said these things to someone else, that person might have thought he was talking nonsense. But Tang Sen was different.
In recent years, Tang Sen had been in charge of the city’s political and legal affairs. He had seen all kinds of bizarre cases and strange things—many of which couldn’t be explained by science. When it came to ghosts and gods, he couldn’t afford not to believe.
Suddenly, he remembered that both Hou Xianpin and that young man he had met earlier had mentioned something to him—that Hou Xianpin had fallen victim to a “romantic calamity.”
Could it be… that this was true?
Taking a deep breath, Tang Sen looked intently at Du Chun.
“Dean Du, just tell me—is there any way to save him?” His words implied that he had already accepted Du Chun’s theory about evil possession.
Du Chun was silent for a moment, then said, “I don’t have any way. But there is someone who might be able to save him—that is, if he’s willing to step in.”
“Who?” Tang Sen’s eyes lit up.
“My master!”
“Your master?” Du Chun’s words left Tang Sen dumbfounded.
Du Chun was a nationally renowned expert. So then, who in the world was his master?
“Where is your master now?” Tang Sen couldn’t help but speak with a tone of respect.
“He should be in Jiangnan City right now. I’ll give him a call.”
“He’s in Jiangnan City?” Tang Sen was even more bewildered. He had never heard of any doctor in Jiangnan City who was more famous than Du Chun—let alone someone who was actually Du Chun’s master.
Meanwhile, Du Chun had already picked up the phone and dialed Lin Hai.
Lin Hai was sitting in Hou Xianpin’s office, feeling frustrated. When he saw the phone ring, he answered it.
The two guards had only been ordered to keep an eye on Lin Hai—they hadn’t been told to restrict him from answering calls.
“Master, are you in Jiangnan City? There’s something I’d like to ask you to help with,” Du Chun said respectfully over the phone.
“What is it?”
“There’s a strange patient. He suddenly collapsed. There are no symptoms of illness, but his vital signs are rapidly declining. I suspect… he might be possessed by evil spirits,” Du Chun said honestly.
Lin Hai was startled. Why did that sound exactly like Hou Xianpin’s symptoms?
“What’s the patient’s name?” Lin Hai asked quickly.
“Hou Xianpin.” Du Chun added, “Mayor Tang’s secretary.”
Damn. So it really was him.
You’ve got some nerve—you had me locked up here just a moment ago, and now you want me to save someone? What are you thinking?
Lin Hai’s temper flared up.
“I’m not saving him!” Lin Hai hung up with a sharp click.
“Uh…” Du Chun listened to the dial tone and stood there completely dumbfounded.
“Dean Du, what did he say?”
Tang Sen saw Du Chun’s expression and immediately asked nervously.
“My master said… he’s not coming to save him,” Du Chun said awkwardly.
“What!” Tang Sen erupted in anger.
“Who is your master? Give me his phone number. I’ll call him myself. A doctor who refuses to save a dying patient—where is his medical ethics?” Tang Sen ranted angrily as he took Lin Hai’s number from Du Chun.
Lin Hai was now feeling pretty pleased with himself. He sat in the room, legs crossed, looking smug.
You had me locked up here without even giving me a chance to explain. Well, what now? Aren’t you still coming to beg me?
“I’ve been a good man for many years…” The phone rang again.
Lin Hai glanced at it—an unfamiliar number.
“Who’s this?” Lin Hai answered.
“Are you Dean Du’s master?” There was a hint of anger in the voice.
“Yeah, that’s me. Who’s asking?” Lin Hai deliberately made his tone cold and distant.
Tang Sen took a deep breath. “I’m Tang Sen, Deputy Mayor of Jiangnan City. There’s a patient at the First People’s Hospital right now. I hope that, in the spirit of a healer’s compassion, you’ll come and treat him.”
“A healer’s compassion?” Lin Hai sneered. “I’m not a doctor. Why would I need a healer’s compassion?”
Lin Hai hung up with a sharp click.
Tang Sen stood there staring at his phone, completely stunned. Damn—someone actually dared to hang up on him?
Even the Party Secretary and the Mayor wouldn’t do that, right?
And also—he said he’s not a doctor? If he’s Du Chun’s master, what else could he be if not a doctor?
“Dean Du, who exactly is your master? And why does he say he’s not a doctor?” Tang Sen asked, suppressing his anger.
“Mayor Tang, my master really isn’t a doctor. He’s a student at Jiangnan University.”
Pfft!
“What did you say!” Tang Sen was completely dumbfounded.
Du Chun’s master… was still a university student?
Tang Sen rubbed his forehead hard. What on earth was going on here?
“Mayor Tang, my master has a rather strange temper. You’d better be a bit more polite with him. Last time, Director Peng had to ask him to treat his father, and it took a great deal of effort—he had to ask many times before my master finally agreed,” Du Chun said from the side.
Tang Sen froze. “Peng Tao asked him to treat someone too?”
“Yes, and more than once. His father is already cured, and I believe that was also a case of evil possession.”
Tang Sen’s brows furrowed tightly.
“Alright. I’ll give him another call.” Tang Sen dialed again.
This time, when the call connected, Tang Sen’s tone was much more polite.
“Hello. I was just very worried about the patient’s condition, so my tone was a bit abrupt earlier. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Oh, is that so?” Lin Hai still needed something from Tang Sen. His earlier attitude was just meant to make Tang Sen take him more seriously.
Now that Tang Sen had softened his tone, Lin Hai naturally decided to stop while he was ahead.
Tang Sen heard Lin Hai’s tone and sensed there was hope. His heart leaped with joy.
“Well, I was wondering if it would be convenient for you to come take a look at the patient? I can send a car to pick you up.”
“Ah,” Lin Hai sighed.
“Mayor Tang, it’s not that I don’t want to go. It’s that I really can’t get there,” Lin Hai said with a sigh over the phone.
“You can’t get there? Why is that?” Tang Sen’s heart tightened again.
“To be honest with you, Mayor Tang, I actually went to your city government office earlier to save a friend of mine. But instead of saving him, I got locked up. I don’t even have my personal freedom right now,” Lin Hai said pitifully.
“You’re at the city government? And you got locked up?” Tang Sen was stunned, then quickly realized what was going on.
“You… you’re that young man in Secretary Hou’s office?”
“Hey? Mayor Tang, how did you know I’m in Secretary Hou’s office?” Lin Hai asked, pretending to be surprised.
“Ah, damn. I’m the one who gave the order to have you watched!” Tang Sen slapped his thigh. What a ridiculous mix-up this was.
“Oh… so you’re Mayor Tang,” Lin Hai said, feigning innocence. Inside, he was thinking, Brother guessed it was you all along.
“I’m really sorry. I was just too anxious at the time. Wait in the office—I’ll have the driver come back right away to pick you up.” Tang Sen hung up and told Xiao Sha to drive quickly and bring Lin Hai over.
Lin Hai sat leisurely in Hou Xianpin’s chair, legs crossed.
The advantage was now in his hands. When he got there, he’d have a good talk with Mayor Tang about some conditions.
“So this is the guy who came to the city government to cause trouble?” Lin Hai was just enjoying himself when a harsh voice sounded from outside the door.
