"Other problems?" Kawashima Haruhiro asked, stunned. "What problems could there be?"
Liu Mingzhang immediately cut him off. "Warning! Mr. Genji, you are assisting him, which is against the rules. As per regulations, we will officially record this incident. Points will be deducted after the competition is over! Now, I must ask you and your disciples to leave the examination room immediately. Otherwise, we reserve the right to declare you the loser on the spot!"
Genji Doju was helpless. He had no choice but to swallow the words that were already on the tip of his tongue.
Just then, a voice suddenly came from the doorway. "Elder Liu, it's alright. Let him give his advice. In fact, if they want, they can call in even more Traditional Chinese Medicine experts for a group consultation. It's no problem. I don't mind."
Everyone turned in unison to look at the doorway of the examination room.
The speaker was none other than Zhao Yuan.
"Zhao Yuan, don't be ridiculous! This is a competition!" Elder Qiu said, growing anxious, and quickly raised his voice to remind him.
Seeing Kawashima Haruhiro stumped had brought Elder Qiu a sliver of relief, easing the tension that had been gripping his heart.
In his view, even if Zhao Yuan was stumped by Liu Lili's strange disease, as long as Kawashima Haruhiro was also at a loss, the competition could end in a draw.
But he never, ever imagined that Zhao Yuan would show up and say that Genji Doju and the other Japanese Traditional Chinese Medicine experts could strategize for Kawashima Haruhiro…
'How can he allow that? What's the difference between that and just surrendering?'
'If Genji Doju and the others actually listened to Zhao Yuan and helped consult on Kawashima Haruhiro's case, with their level of skill, how could they possibly fail to find a cure? If that happens, a draw will become a loss!'
'What on earth is wrong with that boy, Zhao Yuan? He's clearly so smart. How could he make such a ridiculous decision?'
Elder Qiu was deeply confused.
Zhao Yuan smiled. "Elder Qiu, it's fine. Even if every Traditional Chinese Medicine expert here today ganged up on the problem, they still wouldn't be able to cure Kawashima Haruhiro's illness. I'm not trying to disparage them; their skills are just genuinely not up to the task!"
His words shocked the entire room. Genji Doju and his disciples, in particular, were practically apoplectic with rage.
"What a sharp-tongued little brat!" Genji Doju snorted coldly.
At this point, even if he wanted to give Kawashima Haruhiro some advice, he was too embarrassed to speak up. He could only say, "Don't think I don't see what you're doing. You're trying to use mockery to stop us from advising Kawashima. You're very cunning, but your tactic is entirely unnecessary. We will strictly abide by the rules of the competition and will give Kawashima absolutely no suggestions!"
Hearing this, Liu Mingzhang and Elder Qiu both rolled their eyes.
He had, after all, just been about to give Kawashima Haruhiro a hint.
Zhao Yuan shook his head, his expression earnest. "I'm not mocking you. I'm genuinely giving you permission to consult with Mr. Kawashima."
Genji Doju snorted. Whether Zhao Yuan's offer was sincere or sarcastic, he couldn't possibly allow his people to hold a group consultation for Kawashima Haruhiro.
He couldn't afford to lose face like that.
Genji Doju then instructed, "Kawashima, think hard. Sometimes, when one path is blocked, it's best to try a different approach! I have faith in your skills. You will definitely be able to cure yourself and win this competition!"
The fighting spirit in Kawashima Haruhiro's eyes flared anew. He nodded forcefully and replied in a heavy voice, "Please rest assured, Master. I will absolutely not disappoint you!"
"Good!" Genji Doju said with praise, then beckoned to his disciples, preparing to leave the examination room.
Seeing them about to leave, Zhao Yuan quickly called out, "Hey, wait, where are you going? Don't leave! I'm telling the truth. Kawashima Haruhiro can't cure himself on his own. If all of you work together, there might be a slim chance."
With a dark expression, Genji Doju didn't even deign to acknowledge Zhao Yuan and walked straight out of the examination room.
In his eyes, while Zhao Yuan might have decent medical skills, he was just a college freshman. Bickering with a junior like that would only tarnish his own reputation. His disciples, however, had no such qualms. As they passed Zhao Yuan, they either shot him vicious glares or hurled cold taunts and rebukes his way.
The most common refrain was, "Brat, instead of worrying about our senior brother's condition, you should be thinking about how to treat Liu Lili! Don't tell me you've given up on the treatment, given up on the competition, and just came here to cause trouble?"
Zhao Yuan wasn't angered in the slightest. He just chuckled and said, "How am I causing trouble? I'm obviously giving you a great idea. As for Liu Lili, thank you for your concern. I've already laid out a treatment plan for her. She'll be fully recovered in just a few days."
Hearing this, one of the disciples snorted with laughter. He pointed at a nearby cameraman and, digging his own grave, said, "Those two prescriptions you wrote are going to cure Liu Lili? What a joke. If they actually work, I'll eat the microphone on that camera!"
Zhao Yuan clicked his tongue in mock amazement. "Eating a microphone? I've never seen that before. Don't you dare back out on your promise."
The man, absolutely convinced Zhao Yuan couldn't cure Liu Lili, doubled down. "I'll never go back on my word!"
After Genji Doju and his disciples had all left, Liu Mingzhang came to Zhao Yuan's side and questioned him in a low voice, "What was that all about? Why would you let them hold a consultation? You're not just giving up because you think it's a lost cause, are you?"
"Of course not!" Zhao Yuan chuckled, shaking his head. "Elder Liu, rest assured, Liu Lili's condition will certainly improve day by day. As for why I invited Genji Doju and his people to consult, the reason is simple. The Japanese Traditional Chinese Medicine side blew this competition up to such a grand scale. How could I not give them a lesson they'll never forget? I'm not just going to win this competition—I'm going to win thoroughly and spectacularly!"
Liu Mingzhang guessed his motive but found it hard to believe. "You want to take down every single one of the Traditional Chinese Medicine experts here… all at once?"
"That's right!" Zhao Yuan nodded.
"Isn't that a bit too ambitious?" Liu Mingzhang said with a wry smile.
Zhao Yuan grinned. "So they're allowed to come here and cause trouble for me, but I'm not allowed to teach them a harsh lesson in return?"
Liu Mingzhang said, "Well, they'd have to agree to it first. Kawashima Haruhiro's illness is strange, but it's not considered *that* difficult, is it? They'd lose all face if they had to hold a group consultation over it."
Zhao Yuan shook his head. "Elder Liu, Kawashima Haruhiro's illness is far more difficult than you imagine. He can't possibly cure it on his own. In fact, even if every Traditional Chinese Medicine expert here joined the consultation, they would still be completely at a loss!"
"How is that possible?" Liu Mingzhang found this hard to believe.
Zhao Yuan said, "Everything I'm saying is the truth. If you don't believe me, just watch. Kawashima Haruhiro's condition will only get worse day by day; it's impossible for him to show any improvement. I refuse to believe this group from the Japanese Traditional Chinese Medicine side can just sit back and watch the competition end in failure without intervening. They're the ones who hyped this up into a battle for national honor. Is personal face more important than winning or losing that battle?"
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