"I am his grandson. May I ask what you need from my grandfather? His phone should be on, you can call him directly." Knowing that the caller was likely one of the old man’s friends, Lu Xuan directly informed the caller.

However, Zhang Guangli was a bit stunned upon hearing this. Did Huang Beishan give him the wrong number?

That shouldn’t be!

Zhang Guangli was momentarily confused. He glanced at his phone and confirmed he hadn’t dialed incorrectly, but to prevent any misunderstandings, he asked again: "Excuse me, I am actually looking for Mr. Lu Xuan."

Looking for me?

Mr. Lu Xuan?

For a moment, Lu Xuan was completely bewildered.

The caller knew his contact information and even his name but addressed him as "Mr." which Lu Xuan did not expect.

Confused, Lu Xuan thought for a moment and said, "Well, I am Lu Xuan."

"You are Lu Xuan?"

Zhang Guangli’s mouth dropped open, seemingly unable to believe his ears. In his view, the person recommended by Huang Beishan, even if not older than Huang, wouldn’t be significantly younger, or else they wouldn’t have such a good relationship.

But he could tell, based on the voice, that the person was likely under thirty.

Under thirty, with medical skills surpassing Huang Beishan—was that even possible?

Or did Huang Beishan give the wrong number?

Zhang Guangli took a deep breath and asked, "Well, let me ask you this, do you know Mr. Huang Beishan?"

"Old Huang?" Lu Xuan frowned.

"Old Huang?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Guangli couldn’t help but gasp. A young man, not even thirty, calling Mr. Huang Beishan "Old Huang"—this...

Although shocked, Lu Xuan’s words made Zhang Guangli realize he might have found the right person, but he still had deep doubts. Therefore, he stated the purpose of his call: "I am Zhang Guangli, the Dean of the County Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Originally, I intended to invite Mr. Huang Beishan to Anjiang for a consultation on a patient, but he said you could also come, mentioning you are already in Anjiang, so I called this number..."

Upon hearing this, Lu Xuan immediately understood and replied without hesitation, "If Old Huang recommended it, then it should be me."

Even though Zhang Guangli found it hard to believe, he knew arguing about it would offend not only Lu Xuan but also Huang Beishan. After thinking it over, he inquired, "I wonder if Dr. Lu has time to visit the County Hospital to consult on a patient. His condition is quite severe, and if he isn’t treated promptly, he may not have many days left."

"What is the patient’s illness?" Lu Xuan asked.

"Chronic kidney failure!"

Lu Xuan’s expression changed, and he quickly said, "Dean Zhang, please give me an address. I’ll rush over immediately, but I need some time since I still have a few patients to handle here."

Zhang Guangli didn’t say much and nodded, "Alright, I’ll send the address to you right away."

After hanging up the phone, Lu Xuan stood up and looked at the people waiting in line outside. He raised his hand to gesture, and when the clinic quieted down, he said loudly, "Everyone, I just received a call from the County Hospital about a patient with chronic kidney failure who urgently needs treatment. If I don’t hurry over there, the patient might be in danger. I may not be able to see everyone today.

But don’t worry, I’ll be at Huian Pharmacy for consultations the day after tomorrow. During that time, all consultation fees will be halved. If you need to, you can come to Huian Pharmacy then."

Just as they were about to reach their turn, the waiting patients were told of the unexpected news.

In an ordinary situation, someone might have already been dissatisfied. After all, everyone’s time is precious. Being available today doesn’t mean being available tomorrow. Moreover, from what Lu Xuan said, the line at Huian Pharmacy might even be longer than now, and they may not get their turn even after waiting a whole day.

However, when it concerns saving a life, the initially frustrated crowd just sighed helplessly.

They were uncomfortable but not at risk of dying.

Saving a life holds more value than building a seven-tier pagoda.

Therefore, upon knowing that Lu Xuan had been invited by the County Hospital to save a life, everyone only showed brief discomfort, but soon, they were proud.

The County Hospital invited such an expert to save lives, proving they hadn’t chosen the wrong person.

Some even shouted after Lu Xuan’s announcement, "Dr. Lu, saving lives takes priority. We only have minor illnesses, go ahead without worrying about us."

"Right, right, don’t worry about us. We still have time, we can see you the day after tomorrow."

"No rush."

"Dr. Lu, you should go as soon as possible. Saving lives should come first."

...

Hearing these words, Lu Xuan relaxed and pressed his hands down, saying, "But don’t worry, everyone. Simply, register quickly according to the queue. I’ll still be here for consultations tomorrow, so when you come back, you’ll have priority, as if you’ve booked in advance."

With Lu Xuan’s reassurance, everyone felt more at ease.

It’s only an afternoon delay.

Even waiting till the day after tomorrow is just a day and a half.

Compared to saving a life, that really doesn’t count for much.

Having received the understanding of everyone, Lu Xuan then turned to Lu Guoquan and others, saying, "Dad, I need to visit the County Hospital for a patient."

"Go ahead! Saving lives comes first," Lu Guoquan was unexpectedly proud that his son’s reputation had reached the County Hospital, earning a call to them. Yet, he felt a mix of pride and complexity.

"Dr. Lu, I drove here; I can take you there," a middle-aged man in the queue piped up.

"Thank you."

Lu Xuan didn’t decline and followed the man to his car outside, quickly heading to the County Hospital.

Watching Lu Xuan’s hurried departure, Lu Guoquan turned after a moment and asked Ji Xiuwen, "Ji, is he this busy over in Yong City?"

Ji Xiuwen paused, then explained, "More or less. He’s busier there. His reputation in Yong City is growing daily, and many major hospitals invite him for consultation on tough cases. Particularly once, when a vice mayor was involved, no one else could solve the issue, but he turned the situation around. Otherwise, the entire Yong City medical system could have faced a major hit..."

Ji Xiuwen recounted many stories of Lu Xuan in Yong City, though the timeframe was short—not even two months. Yet, there was a lot to tell.

Lu Guoquan, after listening, felt gratified.

His son had grown up.

But with growth also comes greater and heavier responsibilities.

He bore responsibilities inappropriate for his age.

Yet, there was no other way.

...

Lu Xuan was on his way to the County Hospital.

Zhang Guangli put his phone down in a daze, with Lv Xuming and Old Zhou staring at him. For a moment, he didn’t know how to explain.

Finally, Lv Xuming, seeing Zhang Guangli silent and couldn’t hold back his curiosity, asked, "Dean Zhang, did the person agree to come?"

Zhang Guangli recovered, offering a wry smile, "Yes, he’s coming soon, but the situation is a bit unexpected."

"What happened?" asked Old Zhou.

Lv Xuming frowned but didn’t press further.

Zhang Guangli thought for a moment and said, "The person answering the phone was young, sounding like he’s under thirty. He knows Mr. Huang Beishan, and his name matches. However, it just doesn’t seem quite real."

Lv Xuming opened his mouth, "It’s hard to believe the person Mr. Huang Beishan claimed had higher medical skills than him would be a young man in his twenties?"

"Pretty much." Zhang Guangli gave a helpless smile.

"Could it be you heard wrong?" suggested Old Zhou.

"After all, phone voices aren’t very clear. Maybe the person is in his fifties or sixties, and also, remember, achieving something in Chinese medicine is even harder than in Western medicine. A person in their twenties is probably just fresh out of school and interning at a hospital somewhere. To say he surpasses a national-level TCM master—it’s no exaggeration."

"Perhaps." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Zhang Guangli didn’t want to argue over this. Though hard to accept, he knew what he heard: a twenty-something-year-old.

But he chose not to debate it with Old Zhou. Everything would be clear when the person arrived.