Surgery, or no surgery?

It was a cruel choice.

The hospital room fell into a deathly silence.

All eyes turned to the patient’s parents.

Should they gamble on the ten percent chance, let their daughter’s chest be cut open on the operating table, and risk her never waking up again?

Or...

"No, we’re not doing the surgery."

The patient’s mother suddenly cried out, "We’ll wait for Dr. Li. Dr. Li said he had a way. He said as long as he found the medicine and came back, she could be saved."

The patient’s father also nodded. "That’s right. We’ll wait for Dr. Li to come back."

Seeing this, Wilson wasn’t angry.

"While I admire Dr. Li’s methods, he has only managed to keep her alive. Faced with the physical pressure from a tumor and a structural heart defect, I don’t believe traditional Chinese medicine or acupuncture alone can solve it."

"This is a problem of anatomical structure, not functional regulation."

"However..."

Wilson glanced at the time. "Since there’s still time, let’s wait and see. I’m also very curious to witness what kind of miracle this magical doctor from the East can create."

Everyone waited.

...

Above Feng City, a Gulfstream G650 business jet landed smoothly.

Li Xu walked out of the airport, looking slightly weary.

He didn’t go directly to the hospital. Instead, he had his driver take a detour back to his clinic first.

The Ten Thousand Year Agarwood, weighing over ten jin, was a priceless treasure that could not be casually revealed.

Li Xu placed the Agarwood into a safe.

He carefully scraped off about a hundred grams of powder from the main body of the Agarwood.

The powder was fine and oily, with a deep, purplish-black color.

Just from being exposed to the air, a potent, extraordinary fragrance began to fill the room.

Li Xu divided the powder into two porcelain vials, then got back in the car and rushed to the City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

...

Intensive Care Unit, City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

When Li Xu arrived, the patient’s parents looked as if they had seen their savior, nearly stumbling as they rushed to greet him.

"Dr. Li, you’re finally back."

The patient’s mother’s voice was hoarse, her eyes red and swollen.

The tension that had been stretched taut for the past few days finally eased a little.

Before they could even ask, Li Xu gave a faint smile and said reassuringly, "Don’t worry, everything went smoothly. I’ve found the medicine. It will definitely save your daughter."

Those simple words were like a stabilizing pillar, steadying the hearts of everyone present.

Just then, Professor Yamada walked over quickly and made an introduction to Li Xu. "Dr. Li, this is Dr. Wilson from the Mayo Clinic, USA. He’s the international expert Mr. Zhao specifically invited."

Li Xu looked at the elderly, blond-haired, blue-eyed doctor and politely extended his hand. "Dr. Wilson, I’ve heard so much about you. Your achievements in cardiovascular intervention and comprehensive cancer treatment are an inspiration for young doctors like us."

Wilson shook Li Xu’s hand, looking this Eastern colleague—decades his junior—up and down with eyes full of curiosity. "You’re too kind, Dr. Li. I’ve also read your paper in *The Lancet* on treating influenza with traditional Chinese medicine. It was brilliant."

The two exchanged a few pleasantries before quickly getting to the main topic.

Wilson asked bluntly, "Dr. Li, I’ve reviewed the patient’s condition. While I admire your use of acupuncture to maintain her vital signs, how do you plan to treat this kind of physical, structural lesion—that is, the tumor’s pressure and the heart deformity? Can traditional Chinese medicine alone really reverse it?"

Li Xu smiled faintly. "In traditional Chinese medicine, we treat illness by focusing on ’Qi transformation.’ Sometimes, you don’t need to use a scalpel to cut something out. As long as you ’transform’ it, or allow it to reach a new balance of peaceful coexistence with the body, the illness will be cured."

The patient’s mother, listening from the side, was completely baffled.

Right now, she only cared about one thing. "Dr. Li, your treatment plan... is it dangerous?"

"Dangerous?" Li Xu faltered for a moment.

Lin Guorui quickly leaned in and whispered in Li Xu’s ear, "Yesterday, Dr. Wilson proposed a surgical plan—a combined operation under extracorporeal circulation, but the success rate... is less than ten percent."

Li Xu understood immediately.

’No wonder the family was asking this. They had been scared out of their wits by the one-in-ten chance of survival.’

He shook his head. "My plan has no danger. You could even say... it’s quite pleasant."

"The only downside is that it’s a bit expensive."

"For this treatment, the cost of the medicine alone could be several million."

"Several million?"

The patient’s mother froze for a second, then became ecstatic. "No problem! Forget several million, even tens of millions is fine. As long as there’s no danger, as long as it can save Yaya."

Compared to a success rate of less than ten percent, several million was practically a bargain.

In reality, the Ten Thousand Year Old Agarwood was a priceless treasure.

If it were taken to auction, it would absolutely fetch a sky-high price.

But in Li Xu’s hands, it was a medicine to cure the sick and save lives.

For a single dose of about 50 grams, he could charge one yuan, or he could charge ten million.

Charging several million wasn’t about making a profit; it was to make the price match the medicine’s value and to let the family understand how difficult it was to obtain.

Just then, Yamada suddenly twitched his nose, a look of confusion on his face.

"Strange..."

Yamada looked around. "Do you guys smell a fragrance?"

Everyone’s attention had been focused on the conversation between Li Xu and Wilson, so no one had noticed.

Prompted by Yamada, everyone subconsciously took a deep breath.

Instantly, everyone’s expression changed.

It was an indescribable, clear fragrance.

It wasn’t cloyingly sweet like flowers, nor was it heavy like sandalwood.

It was crisp, elegant, and profound, carrying a coolness that seemed to pierce the soul, followed immediately by a wave of gentle, warming sweetness.

Just one sniff made their minds, exhausted from anxious waiting, become instantly and incredibly clear. It felt as if every pore on their bodies had opened up to greedily drink in the scent.

"It smells so good. What is that scent?"

"Who’s wearing perfume? Something so high-class?"

Everyone looked at each other, their gazes finally settling on the only female family member present—President Wang.

Aside from the nurses, she was the only woman there.

President Wang paused, then shook her head with a wry smile. "How could I...? With my daughter in this state, I’m in no mood to wear perfume. I haven’t even washed my face much these past few days..."

’Could it be that some nurse who didn’t know the rules had broken them and worn perfume?’

’But this was the ICU. Who would dare to do such a thing?’

Seeing everyone’s confused expressions, Li Xu smiled and said, "Everyone, stop guessing. It’s not perfume."

As he spoke, he took an exquisite porcelain vial from his pocket and gently uncorked it.

BOOM!

The fragrance, which had been faint and elusive, instantly intensified tenfold.

It was as if an invisible lotus had blossomed in the hallway. The soul-soothing fragrance rushed in like a tidal wave, causing everyone to involuntarily become lost in it.

Many people couldn’t help but close their eyes and greedily take a few more deep breaths, feeling as if their entire bodies were about to float away.