On their way back, Director Wu laughed and asked Du Heng, "I didn’t stop you just now. You should feel relieved, right?"

Du Heng grinned. "Not bad. I let off some steam, and I don’t feel so pent up anymore."

They looked at each other and laughed, then walked slowly towards the Traditional Chinese Medicine Internal Medicine Department together.

Halfway there, Du Heng suddenly asked Director Wu, "Director, do you think it’s possible Director Qian might try some tricks with the family’s signature? I’ve been taken advantage of like that before."

Director Wu shook his head with a smile. "Qian is a bit petty and enjoys flattery. That’s no secret in the hospital. However, there’s no doubt about his competence, and his professional ethics are sound. Especially in matters involving medical disputes, he’s actually quite timid. He wouldn’t do the things you’re imagining. Don’t worry."

"That’s good then." Du Heng had only asked casually.

He had been extremely meticulous in today’s treatment, not leaving even the slightest loophole. For example, the house he used earlier included aconite for covering yang and rescuing of counterflow, but the dosage was only thirty grams. Although this dose exceeded regulations, it was within an acceptable and commonly used range. If this were in Jinzhou, Du Heng wouldn’t have been so cautious; he would have used over fifty grams, or even over a hundred grams. Had he really used such a large dose today, the patient wouldn’t have needed to wait two hours; he could have recovered in half an hour at most. Therefore, since he had been so cautious, he didn’t believe Director Qian could sabotage him in this matter.

As for the professional ethics Director Wu mentioned... Du Heng scoffed inwardly. That sort of thing rarely holds up under scrutiny.

"By the way, Teacher mentioned the day before yesterday he was going to introduce a patient. Have they arrived yet?" Director Wu, wanting to change the subject from Director Qian, casually brought up a new topic.

But this very topic dampened Du Heng’s good mood. "They arrived this morning, right when you called."

"What’s the situation?"

"Which aspect are you asking about?" Du Heng replied, his spirits a bit low.

Director Wu seemed to sense Du Heng’s mood, glanced at him, and asked, "What’s their connection to Teacher?"

"I don’t know. Professor Lan didn’t elaborate, just said they were acquaintances." Du Heng pursed his lips. "But the female family member who came with them was very loud and seemed to think she was a big shot."

Director Wu grimaced slightly.

What he dreaded most were those family members who thought they had pulled significant strings and yet didn’t know their place. They believed that since they had found someone, used their connections, the doctors treating them should cater to their every whim. Little did they know, such behavior only made doctors want to avoid the person who had made the introduction for them. If that person approached the doctor again, the doctor would undoubtedly find an excuse to refuse.

"Since they’re connected to Teacher, try to be a bit more patient with them."

"Don’t worry, Director. I’ll definitely give face to Professor Lan." Du Heng sighed softly. "If it weren’t for Professor Lan’s sake, I would have kicked them out."

"By the way, you haven’t said what illness they have yet."

"Osteosarcoma."

Director Wu stopped short. "A bone tumor? And it’s malignant?"

Du Heng clicked his tongue. "Sigh... The patient is sixty-eight this year. It’s only been about half a year from onset until now; the disease has progressed incredibly fast. Furthermore, the lesion shows wedge-shaped changes, bone destruction, and a protrusion on the right side. There’s also bone defect and concavity on the lateral side. There’s no doubt it’s malignant osteosarcoma."

Director Wu’s expression turned grave. "What’s the location?"

"The lumbar vertebra."

"GASP..." Director Wu drew a sharp breath. "Surgery is probably not an option then, is it?"

Du Heng nodded. "Surgery is possible, but the patient would be completely paralyzed afterward. Plus, the recurrence rate is too high; there’s no way to cure it completely. If they were to do it, both the patient and the family would suffer greatly, and it would only extend life by a few months. The costs far outweigh the benefits."

"Is it really that serious already?" Director Wu frowned, hearing Du Heng’s grave assessment.

"Let me put it this way: before seeking treatment at other hospitals, the patient was taking over twenty painkillers a day, but they had no effect at all. They only came to the hospital for an examination when the pain became truly unbearable."

Du Heng shook his head sympathetically. That kind of pain... it’s not like a minor scrape. It’s the kind of pain that feels like it could kill you.

"Then the family is too irresponsible. If they had gone for an examination earlier, the old man could have suffered less," Director Wu said, clearly annoyed by the children’s behavior.

Du Heng sighed. "You can’t entirely blame the children. The old man and his Old Partner live in their hometown. The Girl is in the Capital, and the son works in the South. Neither of them is nearby. Initially, he had back pain and just thought it was a lumbar disc herniation or something similar, so he didn’t take it seriously. He only finally called his son when the pain made it impossible to get up, after he’d been bedridden for over a month and painkillers had stopped working."

Director Wu scoffed at this explanation. "Those are just excuses. As children, even if they can’t be by their parents’ side, surely they can call every few days to check in, right? Do they really have to wait until the old man is suffering so much that he has to tell them himself before they find out?"