Chapter 117 — The Titan of Chinese Medicine [Begging for Monthly Tickets—They're Catching Up Behind Us, Everyone! Old Fish Summons the Monthly Tickets Once More; Only With Tickets Is There the Momentum for a Sustained Outburst]

"What?" Qiu Lingshan was taken aback, and then her face darkened... She had never imagined that Captain Yang, whom she idolized, could be such a gossip. In her impression, Yang Huaijun was a meticulous and stern man, yet here he was asking such nosy questions... It wasn't that Qiu Lingshan hadn't heard the rumors flying around the police station these past few days; she simply had no way to explain them.

With this sort of thing, the more you explain, the worse you make it—that much was obvious. That scene in the hospital, anyone with eyes would have misunderstood it, so with tongues wagging in other people's mouths, Qiu Lingshan had no choice but to let them talk. After this stretch of time passed, the storm would die down on its own.

But now that Yang Huaijun had suddenly brought it up, Qiu Lingshan really didn't know how to explain: "Captain Yang... I didn't..."

"Heh heh, the force doesn't forbid romance—that's your freedom..." Seeing Qiu Lingshan hesitate, Yang Huaijun assumed she was embarrassed, so he smiled and said nothing more. It wasn't his place to comment on Wei Zhao's affairs. His earlier agitation had merely been on Xiao Ning's behalf, speaking up for her sense of injustice. But Wei Zhao was the god of their squad—forever their captain.

"Captain Yang..." Qiu Lingshan was somewhat at a loss for words.

"Heh heh, but you could actually ask Wei Zhao for help. Maybe the suspect will be caught very soon..." The moment the words left his mouth, Yang Huaijun somewhat regretted them... Eagle, forgive me. I've sold you out...

But then, thinking of the relationship between Qiu Lingshan and Wei Zhao, Yang Huaijun felt relieved... If Qiu Lingshan and Wei Zhao really had reached the stage the rumors described, then given Eagle's temperament, it was hardly possible that he wouldn't help Qiu Lingshan...

"Him? The suspect?" Qiu Lingshan was stunned for a moment. Over on the other end, Yang Huaijun had already hung up. Qiu Lingshan was so furious her teeth itched. Wei Zhao, you bastard—you've ruined my reputation...

Still, Qiu Lingshan only nursed her resentment in thought. Shortly after, she hurriedly deployed her police forces, and following Yang Huaijun's analysis, began a large-scale search of the area around the male corpse's location...

As for Yang Huaijun, after hanging up the phone, he hurriedly drove off toward Songshan City Medical and Pharmaceutical University.

Songshan City Medical and Pharmaceutical University was one of the nation's renowned medical universities, enjoying a certain prestige even worldwide. Many foreign exchange students came here drawn by its fame to study Chinese medicine—and for no other reason than Guan Xuewen, dean of the College of Chinese Medicine.

Guan Xuewen enjoyed an exalted reputation in the world of medicine, a leading figure in traditional Chinese medicine.

Though the Guan family was not a great clan, with Guan Xuewen in it, it had become a transcendent presence among the major clans. Who dared claim they would never fall ill? Who dared claim they would never need to beg a favor of Guan Xuewen?

Thus, though the Guan family had only begun to grow and flourish over the past dozen years or so, it was by no means inferior to those great clans—only its foundations were still shallow. Yet that hardly mattered. Who would want to cross the Guan family? To cross the Guan family was to make an enemy of the other great clans.

The Yang family, to which Yang Huaijun belonged, was also one of the great clans, so it was only natural that they could ask Guan Xuewen to treat them.

Guan Xuewen rarely taught classes anymore; he only gave one large lecture to the College of Chinese Medicine students each week as a routine. Though it was meant for the Chinese medicine students, many from other departments also came to hear him—partly for his renown, and partly because Guan Xuewen truly had useful things to teach.

Guan Xuewen's residence was in the school's staff quarters, within a standalone villa district where the school leadership and the school's most eminent professors lived. Though Yang Huaijun was driving a police car, when he entered the villa district he was still stopped, carefully registered, and only then allowed through.

After all, in a place like this there were quite a few national-level academicians like Guan Xuewen—some even holding international titles...

Parking the car beneath the Guan villa, Yang Huaijun got out and was about to ring the doorbell when the villa's door happened to open, and a pretty young woman stepped out. Seeing Yang Huaijun, she started slightly, then smiled: "Brother Yang, you've come to see Grandfather..."

"Xinxin, off to work?" Seeing Guan Xin's attire—pretty yet crisp and neat—Yang Huaijun guessed she must be heading to work.

"Mm," Guan Xin nodded. "I have to leave early, or I won't catch the commuter bus."

"You don't have a car of your own?" Hearing this, Yang Huaijun was rather taken aback. Guan Xin actually took the commuter bus?

"I just started working—how would I have money to buy a car?" Guan Xin smiled. "Brother Yang, Grandfather has a guest. After you go up, you'll have to wait a while."

"All right. Then hurry along, don't be late." Yang Huaijun nodded at Guan Xin. He could tell that Guan Xin wasn't relying on her family. Such a rich girl was a rare sight—even Qiu Lingshan had a private car of her own...

Guan Xin hadn't locked the door earlier; she knew Yang Huaijun well and knew he wasn't a bad man, so she trusted him completely. Thus Yang Huaijun didn't ring the doorbell again, but went straight into the villa and up the stairs.

Up in the second-floor sitting room, they found Guan Xuewen taking an old man's pulse, with a middle-aged man and woman standing at the old man's side.

"Elder Guan, how is my father's condition?" the man asked, watching Guan Xuewen cautiously.

"Not too good... it's already quite serious." Guan Xuewen did not mince words, speaking frankly in front of the old man himself. "His myocardial function is deteriorating by the day. A cure is all but impossible. With regular acupuncture, however, we can just barely hold it in check."

The old man clearly understood his own illness well and showed little reaction to Guan Xuewen's bluntness. It was the middle-aged man who, hearing that the condition could be held in check, grew eager. "You can keep it stable? That's good enough—so long as it doesn't get any worse, so long as he doesn't have an attack, that will do."

They had sought treatment in many places, all to no avail. This time they had come to Guan Xuewen on the strength of his reputation, never expecting to find a solution.

"That's no problem," Guan Xuewen said with a nod. "One acupuncture session a week will keep the illness controlled for that week. With proper care, another ten years of life is quite possible..."

"Another ten years?" Hearing this, the old man was rather pleased. "Ten years is time enough to get a great deal done."

"Then we'll have to trouble you, Elder Guan. We live in Yanjing, so as for the weekly sessions... you see... besides paying the consultation fee, we will also cover your full travel expenses both ways..." the middle-aged man said.

"I don't have the time. The acupuncture must be done here." Guan Xuewen refused without the slightest courtesy. He had his rules for treating patients, and house calls were not among them.

"This..." The middle-aged man was somewhat put out. His father was advanced in years—dragging him back and forth every week would be the death of him.

"What do you mean by that?" Before the middle-aged man could speak, the middle-aged woman at his side blew up. Pointing at Guan Xuewen, she shouted, "Do you have any idea who my father is? People line up in Yanjing for the chance to treat him and never get it. Our asking you is doing you an honor—who do you think you are? Nothing but an old Chinese medicine doctor, is that it? Fine—double the fee. Are you coming or not?"