Just after attending a group case discussion, Yang Ping received a consultation call from Director Tian at the Overseas Chinese Building.

"Professor Yang, could you please come for a consultation?" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"What’s the situation?"

"A neurosurgery patient, brain hemorrhage, the family refuses surgery and requests conservative treatment. Furthermore, the family specifically requested your consultation, so we need your help."

Yang Ping frowned slightly, "Let’s go, come with me to the Overseas Chinese Building."

Zhaxi’s heart skipped a beat; he hadn’t been to the Overseas Chinese Building before. It’s said that the building has a dedicated elevator, security, and kitchen, completely different from a regular ward.

The two passed through the corridor and swiped their access cards to enter the Overseas Chinese Building. The elevator was carpeted, oil paintings hung on the walls, and it was so quiet they could hear their own breathing. Zhaxi unconsciously lightened his footsteps.

At the surgery ward, Director Tian and the physician in charge were already waiting by the elevator. Seeing Yang Ping, Director Tian looked as if he’d seen a savior: "Professor Yang, you’ve arrived."

"What’s the situation?" Yang Ping asked while walking.

The physician in charge, a young doctor in his early thirties, had the surname Meng. He wore glasses and looked exhausted, handing over the case file, speaking rapidly: "Patient is a 54-year-old male, entrepreneur, suddenly developed a headache and vomiting three days ago. Emergency CT revealed massive intracranial bleeding. Angiography showed a ruptured aneurysm located at the far end of the middle cerebral artery branch. Technically, it should require surgery, but the family strongly disagrees and only wants conservative treatment. We’ve tried persuading them for a long time to no avail; hence their request for your consultation."

Yang Ping accepted the case file, his pace unbroken, "Why don’t they agree?"

Dr. Meng smiled wryly: "The family says the patient is already in poor health, fearing he won’t survive the operating table. Plus, they believe since the bleeding has stopped, he can recover slowly without undergoing such a strenuous process."

"The bleeding has stopped?"

"Angiography indicates no further bleeding from the aneurysm," Dr. Meng replied, "but as you know, this situation is like a ticking time bomb, potentially exploding at any moment."

Yang Ping didn’t respond, arriving at the ward door while Director Tian knocked on the patient’s door.

The ward was a suite, with a living room outside and the hospital bed inside. A middle-aged woman sat in the living room, well-made-up but with red, swollen eyes, indicating she hadn’t slept well for days. Seeing Yang Ping enter, she stood up anxiously, "Are you... Professor Yang?"

"I am Yang Ping, here to take a look," Yang Ping said calmly, "Are you the patient’s wife?"

The woman nodded, glanced inside, and lowered her voice, speaking extremely respectfully: "Professor Yang, finally we’ve managed to get you for a consultation, please help us find a way. My husband’s health has deteriorated over the past year, losing more than 20 pounds; I’m afraid he can’t endure surgery."

Yang Ping nodded, not hastily refuting but asking, "Can I see him?"

The woman immediately stepped aside.

In the inner room on a hospital bed lay a thin man. Though 54, he appeared much older, his face pale, cheekbones prominent, and eyes sunken. Upon hearing footsteps, he opened his eyes, their gaze somewhat unfocused.

Yang Ping walked to the bedside, speaking softly, "Hello, I’m Dr. Yang Ping, here to check on you. How are you feeling now?"

The man opened his mouth, his voice hoarse, "Professor Yang!"

There was a glimmer in his eyes as he attempted to sit up, but Yang Ping gently restrained him, "Speak while lying down!"

"Thank you, my head... still hurts a bit," the patient said.

"Headache is normal after a hemorrhage," Yang Ping stated, pulling a flashlight from his pocket to check the man’s pupillary reflex and briefly assessed his muscle strength, "Grip my hand tightly... okay, again... raise your leg... good, that’s fine."

Straightening up, he turned to the woman, "Currently, there’s no apparent damage to his neural functions. Has your husband’s health been poor throughout this year?"

The woman nodded, "Yes, it’s an old issue; he often has diarrhea, on and off. We’ve seen many doctors, all saying it’s irritable bowel syndrome; medication doesn’t seem to help. Starting six months ago, he frequently had fevers intermittently. We couldn’t pinpoint the cause, and his weight keeps dropping; our whole family is worried."

Listening, Yang Ping slightly furrowed his brow, "Fever? Investigate any reasons?"

"Explored blood routine, liver and kidney function, tumor markers, everything, and they all said normal," the woman sighed, "It might just be stress; he has a lot of work pressure."

Yang Ping nodded, asking again, "Checked electrolytes?"

The woman hesitated, "What?"

"Sodium, potassium, those."

"We did, mentioned being a bit low, prescribed potassium supplements, but he hasn’t improved," she said, suddenly remembering something, "Oh, during his hospital stay, nurses drew blood every day, stating his potassium levels are still low, continuously supplementing."

Yang Ping’s eyes briefly flickered.

He asked a few more questions before exiting the ward. Director Tian and Dr. Meng followed him out, with Director Tian whispering, "Professor Yang, given the situation, what can we do? The family absolutely refuses to sign, we can’t operate."

Yang Ping didn’t answer directly, instead asking, "Show me all his lab reports."

Director Tian led them into the doctor’s office, where Dr. Meng brought the patient’s complete case files. Yang Ping sat down, flipping through them page by page. Zhaxi stood behind without daring to breathe.

Half a year’s records formed a thick stack. Blood routine, liver and kidney functions, coagulation tests, tumor markers, thyroid function were mostly normal. But several indicators repeatedly hovered outside the normal range: consistently low blood potassium, the lowest only 3.0; low blood sodium, lowest at 130; with C-reactive protein fluctuating, sometimes rising above thirty, sometimes nearing normal.