Sent to the countryside, I turned the health center into a top-tier hospital.

Upon hearing this, Chen Ping pondered for a moment.

Dean Liu is right.

The path of practicing medicine requires both dedicated study and appropriate communication.

Working in isolation is ultimately narrow-minded. Interacting with top industry veterans, seeing different cases, and listening to different ideas will greatly benefit the improvement of one's medical skills.

Moreover, Chairman Zhang's remorse and sincere attitude today show that he is not a pedantic or opportunistic person, and he is indeed worth befriending.

After a moment's thought, Chen Ping nodded slightly: "Okay, I'll do as Dean Liu says, I'll go over there."

Seeing this, Dean Liu smiled and said, "That's right. Just take it easy, don't be reserved, don't try to please, just chat casually."

"I'll go tell Attorney Lin," Chen Ping said, turning back to his room. He then said to Lin Xiaoran, "I'll go out with Dean Liu first. You can have lunch by yourself."

"Okay!" Lin Xiaoran nodded.

"Dean Liu, let's go!"

After giving his instructions, Chen Ping walked out of the room and said...

Dean Liu nodded, led Chen Ping out of the hospital, and then drove away.

Chairman Zhang chose an elegant and quiet private restaurant, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

The environment is quiet and serene, without any luxurious or ostentatious decorations. It exudes a simple and elegant traditional Chinese style, which is very much in line with the introverted spirit of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners.

Upon arriving at the private room, Chen Ping discovered that the scene was far simpler than he had anticipated.

The large private room contained only a round table, seating just three people.

Apart from him and Dean Liu, there was only Chairman Zhang of the Provincial Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

There were no other board members, no accompanying staff, no media, and no extra people from the industry. It was a simple, purely private gathering and academic chat.

The tranquil scene instantly put Chen Ping at ease.

He dislikes the grand occasions of toasting, insincere conversations, and polite formalities. He prefers the atmosphere of chatting and exchanging pleasantries with a few close friends.

Upon seeing the two enter, Chairman Zhang immediately stood up to greet them, displaying a humble demeanor and showing none of the airs or authority expected of a provincial association president.

"Dean Liu, Dr. Chen, please have a seat!"

Chairman Zhang warmly invited the two to sit down, personally pouring tea with a sincere and gentle attitude.

After taking their seats, without any further pleasantries or formalities, Chairman Zhang got straight to the point, offering his sincere apology as his first words.

"Dr. Chen, at this morning's symposium, I made a mistake due to my poor judgment, narrow-mindedness, and judging people by their appearance. I led my colleagues in the association to commit this low-level error of prejudice based on social class. I have neglected you and wronged you. I sincerely apologize to you here."

"You possess unparalleled medical skills, uphold the highest medical ethics, dedicate yourself to grassroots work and quietly save lives, do not seek fame or fortune, and do not curry favor with the powerful. Your character and vision far surpass all the young talents present. Our association has failed to recognize your talent and has a corrupt atmosphere. We are truly ashamed."

His apology was frank and sincere, without a trace of hypocrisy or perfunctoriness.

Chen Ping responded calmly, "President, you flatter me. The association has its own rules and regulations and assessment standards, and it is normal for the senior members to consider things carefully."

"It's just that I personally dislike empty social circles and don't want to be bound by class prejudice, so I refused to join. I have no intention of blaming anyone."

He always maintained a proper balance, neither arrogant nor servile, neither overbearing nor obsequious. He was calm, measured, and knew how to conduct himself appropriately.

During the ensuing casual conversation, Chairman Zhang maintained a humble attitude throughout, repeatedly praising Chen Ping's medical skills, character, and integrity.

From Chen Ping's accurate identification of Gao Bowen's theoretical knowledge and clinical errors in the morning, to exposing the bad behavior of doctors and upholding the bottom line of medical ethics, and then to refusing high-ranking and empty titles and speaking frankly about the malpractices of the association, Chairman Zhang praised him in every word, and every word was sincere.

"In my decades of medical practice, I have seen too many doctors with superb medical skills but lacking in morality and who are opportunistic, as well as too many practitioners with upright character but mediocre medical skills and who are unproductive."

"You alone possess both skill and virtue, a clear mind and a dignified character, which is truly rare. You are a true pillar of the future of traditional Chinese medicine."

Dean Liu smiled and echoed him, creating a relaxed and harmonious atmosphere, without any of the formality or deliberate formality typical of a dinner party.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, and with half the conversation going on, the atmosphere became increasingly familiar and relaxed.

Chairman Zhang finally changed the subject, putting away his casual smile and revealing a solemn and earnest expression as he looked at Chen Ping.

"Dr. Chen, I invited you here today not only to apologize and make friends, but also because I have a personal matter and a difficult case that I would like to sincerely consult with you."

Seeing this, Chen Ping immediately straightened his expression, abandoned his casual demeanor, and said in a serious tone, "Please speak, Chairman, I will do my best to analyze and answer."

When discussing medical cases, he instantly sheds all his relaxed demeanor, becoming fully engaged, cautious, and meticulous, never daring to be perfunctory in the slightest.

Chairman Zhang nodded slowly, his brows furrowed, and said in a deep voice, "I have a special old patient in my care. His medical history is three years long. He has been to hospitals all over the province, and has been treated by both Chinese and Western medicine doctors, but they have never been able to find the root cause of his illness or cure it. This has been a headache for me for three whole years."

"The patient's symptoms are very strange and extremely rare. He is no different from ordinary people in his daily life, with normal routines, diet, and activities, and no signs of discomfort."

"But it can happen suddenly without warning, at any time or place. You feel your heart stop, your chest suffocate, you have difficulty breathing, and your blood and energy stop flowing all over your body. You are instantly plunged into a feeling of impending death."

"But the strangest thing is that the onset is extremely fast and the duration is extremely short, sometimes less than a second. The symptoms will disappear completely in the blink of an eye, and you will return to normal instantly, just like an ordinary person."

"After the attack, the patient had no sequelae, no chest tightness, no palpitations, no fatigue, and all the physical examination indicators were normal. No one else could see any abnormality at all."

"Over the past three years, I have taken this patient to undergo all possible examinations, including complete blood count, cardiac enzymes, echocardiography, coronary angiography, 24-hour Holter monitoring, brain MRI, and full-body organ screening."

The full range of tests was done countless times, and the results were all normal; there were no organic lesions or abnormal data.

"Western medicine couldn't find the lesion, so I used traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis, repeatedly observing, listening, questioning, and palpating, and pondering the pathogenesis, but I still couldn't accurately pinpoint the root cause."

"The patient's symptoms are real, recurring, and unpredictable, but they cannot be detected or treated, so we can only let them flare up at random times."

"Fortunately, the attacks are very short-lived and will not endanger the patient's life or cause sudden death. However, the repeated attacks over the past three years have caused the patient great physical and mental suffering, leaving him in constant fear and anxiety, which has seriously affected his quality of life."

"I have been studying this for years but have been at a loss. Today, I have witnessed your precise medical skills and practical experience firsthand, so I thought I would humbly ask you for your guidance."

After speaking, Chairman Zhang looked at Chen Ping with anticipation, his eyes filled with earnestness and helplessness.

This was a difficult and stubborn illness that had plagued him for three years. It was a rare and unusual disease that he had encountered in his decades of medical practice, and it was also his biggest medical dilemma.