Siheyuan: I will never tolerate gambling and drugs!

Office of Peking Union Medical College Hospital

It was rare to see embarrassment on Li Zongsi's face, and Xu Lin found it quite novel. He thought about making another sarcastic remark, but then he noticed Li's face, which was as dark as the bottom of a pot, and his enthusiasm waned.

"Alright, Mr. Li. You know me well; I've always looked up to you as a role model. Don't bother with anything else, lie down on the sofa. I'll give you a massage, and you can check if my skills have improved."

When it came to testing Xu Lin's massage skills, Li Zongsi immediately became interested. After settling down on the office sofa, taking off his glasses and placing them on the coffee table, he couldn't help but urge Xu Lin to begin.

"Hurry up, I have a lot of things to do. If it weren't to test your skills, I wouldn't have time to let you press [the button]."

Xu Lin smiled, already used to Old Li's behavior of getting a good deal and then acting innocent. He then used the skill "Master Massage" awarded by the system.

At first, Old Li could still find fault, saying this was too light, this wasn't right. But as time went on, Old Li gradually felt the extraordinary nature of Xu Lin's massage technique; his bones all over his body were being pressed and cracking.

He instantly relaxed, making soft, humming noises through his nostrils. Before Xu Lin could finish massaging him, Old Li started snoring loudly.

Upon discovering that Old Li had fallen asleep, Xu Lin stopped what he was doing, removed his gloves, and sat down in Old Li's seat, flipping through the medical records. He wanted to know what infectious disease was causing Old Li such distress that he was neglecting his meals and sleep.

When the security guards saw Xu Lin upon entering, they all advised him to persuade Old Li to rest more and not to stay in the office all night, lest he exhaust himself. So Xu Lin used the excuse of testing his massage skills to help Old Li recuperate.

Xu Lin frowned as he looked at the compiled medical records on his desk. He was particularly struck by the fact that some infants and young children experienced a recurrence of fever (biphasic fever) after their initial fever subsided for 1-4 days, accompanied by severe headaches, vomiting, neck, back, and limb muscle pain, and hypersensitivity to skin.

Furthermore, because many children are too young to accurately describe their condition, some serious cases miss the opportunity for rescue, resulting in permanent paralysis, muscle atrophy, and limb deformities.

Having read this far, Xu Lin finally confirmed what the large-scale acute infectious disease outbreak in New China targeting infants under 5 years old was.

Poliomyelitis! Medically known as poliomyelitis!

After confirming the diagnosis, Xu Lin rubbed his temples. He felt both heartbroken and relieved.

Tragically, even in later generations, there has been no cure for polio. Prevention relied primarily on the oral polio vaccine developed by Dr. Gu Fangzhou, known as "Grandpa Sugar Pill." It took many years, until 2000, to achieve the goal of polio eradication.

In later generations, this symptom first broke out in the south, but now it seems that it's also very serious in Beijing. Xu Lin thought for a while before he understood.

After all, the medical technology and personnel in Beijing were more advanced at that time, which allowed them to suppress the outbreak. Considering the current situation, there was still some time before the full-blown outbreak in 55.

It's not too late!

It's just that it's tough on the children who are already sick...

Just as Xu Lin was feeling down, Old Li woke up. Seeing Xu Lin looking at the medical records, utterly dejected, Old Li knew the reason.

His student was patriotic and concerned about the people, just like him! But in terms of determination, he far surpassed him! He's old now and has lost his drive.

When I was young, I hoped to shelter my students from the storms of life for a few more years so that they could grow up quickly and become the medical shield of a new China, protecting the health of the people.

Seeing so many illnesses he felt powerless to treat, Old Li experienced self-doubt more than once. He not only doubted his own abilities but also the traditional Chinese medicine left by his ancestors.

However, it wasn't until Xu Lin extracted artemisinin based on traditional Chinese medicine principles that Old Li regained his spirits! He could finally loudly proclaim to all his colleagues who praised Western medicine...

I yelled: You Western doctors aren't all that great!

He could finally confirm that it was his own lack of mastery of traditional Chinese medicine, rather than a problem with the medical techniques passed down from their ancestors.

But now, seeing this young man who had brought him hope sitting dejectedly before him, Old Li suddenly felt a pang of heartache. After a moment's hesitation, he feigned optimism and said...

"You haven't embarrassed me, kid. Your massage skills are already quite good!"

Hearing Old Li's words, Xu Lin snapped out of his daze. He forced a smile that looked more like a grimace: "Old Li, you're awake."

Seeing Xu Lin like this, Li Zongsi was both anxious and angry.

"What's wrong with you? You're so young, yet you have no energy. I'm over fifty and I'm not even as energetic as you. So what if you've encountered a problem? Just face it head-on! What's the point of putting on this act?"

What? You think you're the only one who can treat patients? You think you're the only one with high medical ethics? If you have something to say, say it; if not, get lost. Go be your factory doctor and stop getting in my way...

She pushed Xu Lin away and sat back down at her desk. She muttered to herself as she worked.

"That little bastard wants to sit in my seat? Doesn't he know his own limitations? Do you think he can hold onto this position? Do he even have the guts to do it?"

Hearing Mr. Li's joking words, Xu Lin also regained his composure.

"Professor Li, I've finished my translation assignment, so I brought it to you today. I've also included a paper I wrote on the modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine at the end; could you please give me some pointers?"

Li Zongsi was also taken aback upon hearing this.

"All translated? So fast?" He put on his reading glasses and hurriedly flipped through the pages. He read on with great interest until the very end, and when he saw that Xu Lin's arguments were entirely subjective, he glared at Xu Lin.

"How old are you, kid, spouting nonsense like that? There's a lot you don't know. I'll delete the rest of your arguments, send it to the printer, and I'll look at the paper when I have time..."

Xu Lin was immediately unwilling upon hearing this.

"Either print it all, or give it to me. I'm not teaching this anymore. Your older generation at Peking Union Medical College ate the food of that foreign devil, the Locke family, but I haven't eaten a single grain of their rice. So what if you curse them? I'm not deleting it anyway..."

"Hey, you know quite a bit, even about the Locke family, those foreign devils. But you're underestimating your teacher. While it's true that the early days of Peking Union Medical College were established through a Locke family foundation, the bald guy ran away, the funding dried up long ago, and things were completely severed."

This year, Peking Union Medical College was placed under the jurisdiction of the Central People's Revolutionary Military Commission, which means a change in the school's leadership, placing it under the military system. Your remarks could create academic conflict, which is detrimental to unity and progress, so...

"I don't care, I'm not deleting it. Unity is your leaders' business. All I know is that we, who have studied traditional Chinese medicine for so many years, cannot stand up and defend the dignity of traditional Chinese medicine at this critical juncture."

How will future generations of medical practitioners hold their heads high? Right now, we're only focused on unity and progress. What if one day Western medicine is elevated to prominence, and traditional Chinese medicine is striving for advancement and development? The result? The younger generation of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners will have a lower social status and less influence than those who studied Western medicine abroad. How can traditional Chinese medicine possibly develop then?

If one day, China is filled with hospitals of all sizes and types offering Western medicine, and their market share and influence grow, allowing them to set the rules and standards, relegating traditional Chinese medicine to the status of a low-class institution and labeling it as backward, what will you do then?

Xu Lin became increasingly agitated as he spoke, while Li Zongsi listened with growing alarm. He hadn't expected that what he thought were youthful, impetuous words of passion were actually a solemn vow to defend the status and development of traditional Chinese medicine.

Thinking of this, Old Li felt immense satisfaction. "Look at this," he thought, "this is my student! Damn, he's really something!" But then his eyes lit up and he began to perform.

"Xu Lin, although I am your teacher and the dean of Peking Union Medical College, this matter is also very difficult for me..."

Upon hearing those familiar lines, Xu Lin immediately and reflexively pulled out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and opened his mouth as if to lash out and flip the table. However, he was all too familiar with Old Li's sinister expression, so he lowered his stance and began to probe.

"Difficult to handle means there's still a way to handle it?"

Seeing that Xu Lin had taken the bait, Old Li immediately tossed him the medical records Xu Lin had previously reviewed, saying, "Try to solve this for me. If you can, I'll stand by you and fight for you."

If it can't be resolved, don't blame some people for seeking help from Western medicine abroad. Even if I wanted to help you then, I wouldn't be able to fight the overall situation.

Xu Lin immediately knew this old rascal was deliberately trying to make him a long-term laborer. He gritted his teeth, thinking, "He wants the horse to run, but he won't feed it." He hadn't learned his lesson after stealing the bicycle; it seemed the theft was pointless.

"Okay! I'll take it. But I need to contact my senior, Gu, who's been sent to the Institute of Virology at the Soviet Academy of Medical Sciences for further studies. Our country doesn't currently have the resources to develop a vaccine for polio, also known as 'atrophy syndrome' in the *Huangdi Neijing Suwen*, but our elder brother does."

"Poliomyelitis? Atrophy?" Li Zongsi was shocked by Xu Lin's words. He had guessed, but dared not make a conclusion, since this disease had appeared more frequently in highly industrialized areas in recent times.

Are you sure?

"Confirmed! And I estimate that the reason this disease appeared in our country so quickly is directly related to the bacteriological warfare launched by the United States last year!" Xu Lin replied with absolute certainty.

Furthermore, poliomyelitis is an acute neurological infectious disease that specifically affects the nervous system and can lead to lifelong disability or even death in children! According to some Western sources, it generally only affects highly industrialized regions, such as North America, Europe, and the United States.

With so many cases currently appearing in Beijing, I believe there must be cases in other provinces as well; it's impossible that they're concentrated in just one city.

Therefore, the most important thing right now is to release this information, emphasize the severity of this infectious disease, and raise awareness among families with children. This will help prevent children from going out and causing large-scale transmission and infection. Then, it's crucial to implement isolation measures to prevent further spread. Furthermore, it's necessary to establish separate fever clinics for children.

Once a case is discovered among children, their neighborhood will be immediately contacted. All children aged 4-5 who have had contact with them will be isolated and monitored. Older children and their parents should take thorough disinfection measures before coming into contact with 4-5 year old children again.

Because it only spreads to infants and young children under 4-5 years old, the impact is not yet particularly significant. Adults have relatively strong immune systems and are not susceptible to infection, so it won't affect their families or work. Therefore, the faster we act and the more rapidly information spreads, the better the disease will be controlled!

Li Zongsi nodded in satisfaction as he listened to Xu Lin's series of arrangements, then fell into deep thought while gritting his teeth.

"These beasts! Capitalist capitalists! You go back and wait for my news. I'll write a report; this matter isn't that simple!" He then patted Xu Lin on the shoulder with satisfaction.

"Xiao Xu did a great job. I originally thought you were stuck on a difficult problem and that's why you seemed so down and frustrated. I didn't expect you to not only know what the illness is, but also plan out the details of epidemic prevention and vaccines."

Regarding your request to contact your senior brother Gu, I need to report it to my superiors first. I expect to hear back tomorrow. You need to prepare in advance; this matter is urgent and urgent, and we'll have to rely on you again!

I know you've always been someone who can create miracles; when the country needs you, you must step forward. This old man of mine isn't up to the task anymore; I'm falling behind the times.

So I just hope that no matter what difficulties you encounter, as the new generation of young people in this country, don't be afraid or worry too much. This old man of mine can still support you from behind!

Xu Lin was deeply moved upon hearing this. He nodded solemnly, then turned and left Xiehe Hospital, heading straight for the courtyard house. He needed to first speak with Director Wang of the neighborhood committee about the rapidly spreading polio outbreak.

I also need to go back and organize the rehabilitation treatment methods for "paralysis" in "Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold". The West says it can't be cured, that's what Western medicine says, what does it have to do with my traditional Chinese medicine! I'm going to show you that it can be cured!

However, the most important reason why Xu Lin's bicycle flew up after pedaling was that, thanks to Liu Lan's strenuous assistance for over half an hour that afternoon, the system's hidden quest's second-stage reward had just been claimed...