Chinese Medicine: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 588: Chapter 588: Persuasion

The woman sighed. Her previously forceful demeanor instantly crumbled, and her eyes filled with anxiety.

"Director Luo, let’s not beat around the bush. To be honest... we’ve already contacted the City People’s Hospital."

"And the result? They didn’t dare to admit him!"

"My father was hospitalized there before for his pancreatic cancer. They also attempted a Hifu Knife ablation once. But... it failed."

"You know the specific reasons. The old man has a bad heart and COPD, so he can’t tolerate general anesthesia at all. At the time, they went with a conservative sedation and analgesia plan—an intramuscular injection of pethidine plus fentanyl."

"But... the deep, high-temperature burning sensation from the Hifu Knife is excruciatingly painful. Combined with the severe pain from the cancer itself, the two layers of pain were just too much for the old man to bear. Not long after they started, he was convulsing in pain, his blood pressure skyrocketed, he almost had a heart attack, and they had to abort the surgery midway through."

"If it fails a second time, his body definitely won’t be able to take it."

The woman looked at Luo Xiangnan, her tone almost pleading, "Sigh... It’s not that I want to cause trouble, I’m just at my wit’s end. I want my father to have the surgery as soon as possible, too. But you’re telling me the success rate is only thirty percent. How can we sign off on that? What if he doesn’t make it off the operating table..."

"How about this, Director Luo, could you try to think of something else? Even raising it to fifty percent would be enough."

After listening, Luo Xiangnan gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Sigh, President Zhang, it’s not that I don’t want to help you. To be honest, our Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine’s hardware and technical capabilities are a bit behind the City People’s Hospital."

"A surgery that even a top-tier Grade A Tertiary hospital like them couldn’t do... we can’t make any guarantees either."

"We’ve known each other for a long time. You know the kind of person I am, Luo Xiangnan. I wouldn’t lie to you just to boost my department’s performance. With our current level of anesthesia and control, thirty percent is the best we can guarantee, even with our utmost effort. This is science, not a gamble."

"The reason is simple: we still haven’t been able to perfectly solve the ’conscious sedation’ problem while guaranteeing patient safety."

When Luo Xiangnan finished speaking, he felt like he’d completely lost face.

As a department director, admitting his own incompetence in front of so many subordinates and the patient’s family was worse than death.

However, as a doctor, saving lives was his sacred duty, but knowing the limits of his ability was his bottom line.

He couldn’t gamble a patient’s life for the sake of his own pride.

For a moment, the conference room fell completely silent, with only the low hum of the air conditioner vent.

The atmosphere of despair was suffocating.

No surgery for late-stage pancreatic cancer meant waiting for death.

A painful death, at that.

Surgery, with a thirty percent chance of success, most likely meant dying on the operating table.

It was an impossible, no-win situation.

Just then, a calm voice rang out in everyone’s ears:

"We’ll do the surgery tomorrow. I guarantee a success rate of over seventy percent."

"What?"

That single word landed like a clap of thunder.

Everyone snapped their heads around, their gazes landing squarely on Li Xu.

Especially Luo Xiangnan. His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets, and he almost couldn’t stop himself from roaring, ’Are you insane?!’

’This is a mess that even the City People’s Hospital didn’t dare to take on.’

’This is a death sentence.’

’And you just open your mouth and say seventy percent?’

’Do you think this is some kind of lottery?’

He was just about to stand up and refute this absurd statement.

But he heard Li Xu continue, "We’ll do it my way. I’ll personally serve as the attending physician, responsible for the anesthesia and the Hifu Knife operation. If anything goes wrong, I will take full responsibility. It won’t drag down the department, and it certainly won’t drag down Director Luo."

His words were firm and resolute.

The woman stared at Li Xu’s excessively young face, a little stunned. "Who... who is this? So young? How can he speak with such arrogance?"

Hu Qiming quickly stepped forward from the side and made the introduction. "President Zhang, this is our hospital’s Vice Dean and the Director of the Oncology Department—Li Xu. He’s also the ’Dr. Li’ who’s been all over the news!"

"Li Xu? Divine Physician Li?"

The moment the woman heard the name, her eyes instantly lit up.

As a member of Feng City’s upper crust, how could she not have heard of the great Li Xu?

Whether it was curing the tick-borne illness, the miraculous sobriety tea, or even the recent miracle involving that cancer-fighting influencer, Li Xu’s name had become legendary.

"You’re Divine Physician Li?"

The woman rushed over excitedly. "Are you really certain? Seventy percent?"

"Seventy percent is a conservative estimate." Li Xu smiled faintly, his expression full of confidence. "As long as the old gentleman cooperates, ninety percent isn’t out of the question."

"Good, I believe you. I would’ve gambled on fifty percent, let alone seventy."

The woman was a decisive person. She made an immediate decision. "I’ll go sign the papers right now. We’ll follow all of your arrangements."

Li Xu nodded. "Alright, then go take care of the paperwork and get the patient ready for pre-op. Get a good night’s rest tonight. He’ll be the first case tomorrow morning."

The woman left, thanking him profusely, her steps much lighter than before.

The conference room door closed, leaving only their own people inside.

Luo Xiangnan couldn’t hold back any longer. He slammed his hands on the table, shot to his feet, and pointed at Li Xu, roaring, "Dean Li, this is absurd! You’re treating this like a child’s game!"

"Do you have any idea how complicated that patient’s condition is? Do you know how difficult the Hifu Knife procedure is? Seventy percent? If you fail tomorrow and the patient dies on the table, our hospital’s reputation will be completely ruined, and your future will be destroyed!"

"I strongly object."

Li Xu looked at the furious Luo Xiangnan, but he wasn’t angry.

"Director Luo, I know what you’re worried about. You’re doing this for the good of the hospital, and for the good of the patient."

"However, medicine is always advancing. Things that were impossible before aren’t necessarily impossible now. Problems that couldn’t be solved in the past aren’t necessarily unsolvable forever."

"I’ll prove it to you with the surgery tomorrow."

After speaking, Li Xu stood up and looked around at everyone in the conference room. "I know you all have your doubts. But please, just trust me this once. If I lose, I’ll resign and walk away. If I win..."

"...then this will be the beginning of our Oncology Department’s rise to greatness!"

Everyone looked at each other, at a loss for words.

Although reason told them it was impossible, Li Xu’s powerful presence and his past record of success made a faint glimmer of hope rise in their hearts.

’Maybe... a miracle really could happen?’

After all, this was a man who never fought a battle he wasn’t sure he could win.

"Director Luo, why don’t we... just give it a try?"

A senior attending physician advised in a low voice, "Besides, the family has already agreed, and Dean Li has staked his career on it."

"Yeah, what if it actually works?"

Luo Xiangnan looked at everyone’s reactions, then at Li Xu’s determined gaze. Finally, he heaved a long sigh and slumped powerlessly into his chair.

"Fine, I’ll let you try. But let me make this clear: I’ll be right there watching tomorrow. The moment I see any sign of danger, I will stop the surgery immediately. We absolutely cannot gamble with a patient’s life."

"It’s a deal," Li Xu said with a slight smile.

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