Chapter 465 Steel Roses
The woman was around 26 to 27, her hair trimmed short at her ears. She had delicate and demure features. The clothes she was wearing was a well-ironed woman’s blazor, totally uncreased. It gave one a feeling of meticulous solemnity.
Although she was not in military attire, Ning Tao could sense she was a soldier. There was a similar aura on her body like Jiang Hao’s.
No matter who she was, Ning Tao still stood up from the sofa out of courtesy.
Tang Zixian also rose from the sofa. She said nothing, seemingly taciturn and cautious. She was already pretending to be his nurse or assistant. Had Tang Zixian no motive, she would have ignored this woman with a powerful aura and not acted this way.
The woman walked in, introducing herself very directly. “My name is Su Shanshan. I’m Meng Bo’s wife. Very happy to know the two of you. Could I know your names and where you are from?”
Ning Tao answered with a smile, “I’m Ning Tao and I’m from Shan City.”
Tang Zixian replied, “My name is Tang Zixian and I am from Shan City too. I’m Doctor Ning’s assistant. We know that Mr. Meng, our hero, is hurt, so we rushed over from Shan City to treat him.”
She had made herself very clear in a sentence. Ning Tao need not add anything.
Su Shanshan said politely, “Very grateful to you two for traveling so far to treat my husband. No matter how the treatment goes, I am thankful to you.”
Ning Tao also said politely, “Mr. Meng is our hero. He sacrificed a lot for us. We ought to do something for him. To be able to treat him is my honor, so you’re too polite, Madam Su. Please take us to see Mr. Meng. We must treat him fast. We can talk again after I cure him.”
Su Shanshan raised her head and looked at Ning Tao, the expression in her eyes keen as she said quietly, “Doctor Ning, I know about your medical skills. But do you know my husband’s condition?”
Ning Tao said, “I don’t know anything concrete yet. I need to see Mr. Meng and do a diagnosis, then prescribe him the right medication and treatment.”
Su Shanshan was silent for a while before she said, “My husband suffered a spinal injury on his way back from the moon. He is now totally paralyzed and there’s a hemorrhage in his brain. Right now, his condition is critical. Diyun Hospital is the best hospital in the country, yet the doctors here can do nothing. Doctor Ning, do you think you can cure him?”
Ning Tao answered, “If it’s like how you describe, I don’t feel it’s a serious problem. If I can see and treat him, I think I can cure him.”
Su Shanshan said, “Fine then, let me have your identity cards. We will verify them and then decide.”
Ning Tao felt a little discomfort in his heart. He had come to treat the patient out of his own accord, yet the patient’s family would like to check his identify card. It seemed quite insensitive. If it was in the past, Ning Tao would have turned and left. He would forget about the treatment. There were so many patients in this world, how could he cure them all?
But this time, he chose to empathize with her.
Meng Bo, the patient he was seeing this time, was a big hero. He had gone to an uninhabitable place for his country to conduct scientific research. The information in his brain was extremely valuable. It was also quite reasonable for his wife and the related department to make such a request. What if they encounter an enemy spy or agent?
Once he understood their motive, he could empathize. Ning Tao felt more at ease now. He took out his identity card and handed it to her.
Tang Zixian hesitated for a moment, then took out her identity card as well. She handed it to Su Shanshan after Ning Tao.
Ning Tao glanced at Tang Zixian’s identity card. Her card was the same as his—also issued by the mainland. He felt quite baffled in his heart. Why would someone who grew up in America hold a mainland identity card?
Su Shanshan checked both Ning Tao and Tang Zixian’s identity cards and handed them to the bodyguard at her side. The bodyguard turned and left with their cards from the temporary reception room.
“Please take a seat,” Su Shanshan said. She herself sat down on the sofa opposite Ning Tao and Tang Zixian.
Ning Tao and Tang Zixian also sat back down on the sofa.
“Doctor Ning, you’re so young and yet possess such wonderful medical skills. Where did you learn them from?” Su Shanshan asked casually.
Ning Tao summoned the states of looking and smelling in his eyes and nose. As he observed Su Shanshan, he said, “Most of my medical skills are passed down from my ancestors. But I graduated from Shan City Medical University. I specialize in both traditional and modern medicine.”
“You mean you managed to combine them well.” Su Shanshan was also observing Ning Tao.
Ning Tao’s medical skills were not merely a combination of both Traditional Chinese and Western medicines. That was just a facade. He was most adept at cultivation medicine, spiritual power and refining elixirs. Also, he could employ Sacred Needles. There was also Sky Clinic behind him. Other than patients like Professor Jade with terminal-stage cancer destined to die, he could just about cure anyone else in this world. Even if he could not cure them himself, Sky Clinic could.
“Doctor Ning, forgive me for being nosy. But this is a unique case.” Su Shanshan paused for a while before resuming. “Doctor Ning, I would like to ask who you have cured and what their illnesses were.”
Ning Tao gave a nonchalant smile. “Too many. Let me mention a few. I managed to cure Ding Ye, the old general, the American Mr. Barnes, Princess Shalim from Ruitian, as well as their king, Cagu Talman. And a big star in our Hua country, Zhao Wushuang. Her face had been defaced by sulfuric acid and I managed to restore her looks.”
There was deep astonishment on Su Shanshan’s face. “You managed to cure so many famous personalities. Do you know Ding Ye, the old general?”
Ning Tao smiled. “I not only know him; we are very good friends. I have had dinner with his family at their house.”
Su Shanshan no longer looked at Ning Tao with the same expression. People like her would feel camaraderie and intimacy with others in the same organization, and would trust them more. Although Ning Tao was not in her organization, he was a good friend of Ding Ye. So she felt differently towards him.
Ning Tao continued. “I can give you a diagnosis too, Sister Su. You may look very healthy, but you have a problem with your womb. You can’t conceive, can you?”
“How… how did you know?” Su Shanshan immediately widened her eyes, her expression flabbergasted. This young man had managed to diagnose her secret ailment without even taking her pulse. Even her most intimate friend did not know this secret!
Ning Tao went on. “Sister Su, you must be a soldier. Your lower abdomen has been injured before. I can’t tell if it was during training or during an assignment, but I can see your womb has been affected ever since. And moreover, you did not recuperate adequately after that. That’s why this ailment continues to affect you. After curing Mr. Meng, I will treat you. It’s nothing serious.”
“I… ” Su Shanshan could not help but stand up agitatedly. But before she could express herself, the bodyguard who had left re-entered the room.
The bodyguard drew close to Su Shanshan’s ear and whispered.
Su Shanshan’s gaze shifted to Tang Zixian and she stared at her. Then, she shifted her glance back to Ning Tao’s face. “Doctor Ning, please come with me.”
“Okay.” Ning Tao got up and prepared to leave with Su Shanshan.
Tang Zixian also rose, preparing to follow them.
But Su Shanshan said, “Miss Tang, you must stay. We can only allow Doctor Ning to see my husband alone.”
“Huh?” Tang Zixian immediately started.
Su Shanshan said, “You grew up in the United States and have only recently become a citizen. We can’t verify your past and your personal information. So sorry, you must remain here.”
Tang Zixian immediately furrowed her brows, looking embarrassed and frustrated. She had brought Ning Tao here and yet had received such a reception. Since when had a conceited girl like her ever suffered such treatment?
Ning Tao said, “Then you can stay here and wait for me.”
He had more questions in his heart. Had Su Shanshan not checked their identity cards, he would not have known Tang Zixian’s new identity as a Hua Country citizen.
Tang Zixian said nothing.
Ning Tao drew near her ear and whispered, “Don’t try anything reckless.”
Tang Zixian gave a light snort, but soon had her emotions under control. There was even the trace of a smile on her lips. “You move along. I’ll wait for you here.”
Ning Tao left the temporary reception room with Su Shanshan and entered an elevator. They went up to the tenth floor and came to the entrance of an ICU ward. There were many armed policemen at the door, all looking imposing and coldly vigilant.
Su Shanshan said, “Doctor Ning, my husband is inside. We need to frisk you. Is it alright with you?”
Ning Tao said, “No problem.”
An armed policeman came over to frisk Ning Tao. Ning Tao opened out his arms to complement his action. Then, the policeman took away his small medicine chest. He wanted to examine the chest, but could not open it.
“What’s wrong with this chest? Why can’t I open it?” The policeman in charge of security asked exasperatedly.
Ning Tao said, “It can only be unlocked using my fingerprint. Only I can open it, not you. Can I help you open it?”
The policeman in charge of security nodded witlessly. He was wondering what kind of a wooden chest could be unlocked using fingerprint.
Ning Tao reached out and lifted the chest lid. There was plenty of things inside—porcelain vials holding elixirs, the herb-collecting rope, the ledger of bamboo slips, the Blade of the Solar Eclipse, both the correct and erroneous versions of the plucking talismans, as well as clinic prescriptions and ordinary prescriptions with blood locks.
Those inspecting him were totally astonished and baffled. What were all these things?
But this was not the most absurd thing. The most absurd thing was that the guard found the refined Mauser pistol in the chest after lifting the ledger of bamboo slips. He raised the pistol and all his fellow armed guards pointed their pistols at Ning Tao without exception.
Su Shanshan also stared at Ning Tao, her expression stern.
But Ning Tao explained calmly, “Don’t be nervous. This is only a lighter operated by fingerprint. You can try firing at me.”
The guard searching the chest did not aim the muzzle at Ning Tao, but at the small medicine chest instead. He tried pulling the trigger.
The trigger could not be pulled at all.
He tried again and failed. Then he handed the refined Mauser pistol to Ning Tao. “You claimed that this is a lighter operated by your fingerprint. Try starting a fire with it.”
Ning Tao took his refined Mauser pistol but did not pull the trigger. Instead, an intermingling black-and-white flame emerged at its muzzle. Then he picked up his Blade of the Solar Eclipse from the medicine chest and scorched it with the spiritual fire. He said as he did so, “This lighter is for sterilizing my surgical knife. There should be no problem with that, right?”
The men standing by the side all heaved sighs of relief.
Su Shanshan asked curiously, “Doctor Ning, what are all these items for?”
Ning Tao explained indifferently, “Of course, they are for treating patients. They are left behind by my ancestors and are all very precious. I am different from most doctors, so it’s fine if you find me eccentric. But you can’t think of me as a normal doctor. Otherwise, I won’t be able to cure Mr. Meng. If everything’s okay, please take me to see Mr. Meng. Time is precious for a patient. If Mr. Meng’s condition takes a turn for the worse, I will be helpless too.”
Su Shanshan said, “My police guards and I will come along with you, together with the doctors here. That won’t be a problem, right?”
Ning Tao said blandly, “I have already satisfied all your rules. Let me explain my own. I have my own rules in treating patients, which all of you must obey.”
Su Shanshan immediately started. “You… you have your own rules?”
But before Ning Tao could explain his rules, a voice rang out from the other end of the corridor. “What roving doctor is this who sounds so complacent?”