The final step is to select specific areas for acupuncture, still choosing points like Ermen, Tinggong, Tinghui, Yifeng, Wangu, Taiyang, and Shuigu for localized treatment, clearing meridians to promote the flow of qi and blood.

The Tinggong point is the intersection of the Hand Shaoyang, Foot Shaoyang, and Hand Taiyang meridians, belonging to the Hand Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian. It's located on the face in the depression between the center of the auricle and the condylar process of the mandible.

Xu Chunliang used two needles to pierce the Tinggong points, using his middle fingers to press down on the tips of his index fingers and flicking them deftly to hit the needle handles accurately, causing the handles to vibrate rapidly.

Buzz!

Gu Houyi heard a buzzing sound, and it felt like someone suddenly pushed open two windows in his ears, letting fresh air flow through, and almost simultaneously, his hearing was restored.

Xu Chunliang smiled and said, "Dean Gu, can you hear me?"

"I can hear!" Gu Houyi unexpectedly found he could speak smoothly. The joy in his heart was beyond words. This kid is amazing!

Gao Xinhua had witnessed the entire treatment process by Xu Chunliang and only then did he believe that Xu Chunliang had hidden depths, and Gu Houyi was the proof.

Gu Houyi asked, "What time is it?"

Gao Xinhua told him the time; there was still an hour and twenty minutes before Gu Houyi was due to meet with the disciplinary committee, so everything was in time.

Xu Chunliang advised Gu Houyi to stay calm; the needles in the foot's Xijian point needed to be left in for twenty minutes. Gu Houyi's health was not seriously concerning, but two points must be remembered. One was to get plenty of rest, and the other was to avoid anger; otherwise, a relapse cannot be ruled out.

Xu Chunliang no longer had a reason to stay, so he got up to bid farewell to the two men, saying before he left, "Dean Gu, I have an unreasonable request."

Gu Houyi was taken aback in his heart, thinking, indeed, this kid had a motive. Just after curing my illness, he's setting his conditions. Fine, let him. I, Gu Houyi, am a person who repays kindness.

Gao Xinhua thought Xu Chunliang shouldn't set conditions; this was too practical. Even if it was only after today, wouldn't it be better if I helped you? Old Gu is someone who repays kindness and will surely remember this favor.

"I hope you two leaders will strictly keep today's event a secret. Although my family has a scholarly legacy, I have not yet obtained a medical practitioner's license. If not for concern for Dean Gu's health today, I would never have acted rashly. My grandfather always told me to be low-key and discreet. If not for my respect for Dean Gu's noble character, I would never have violated family rules and taken such risks. I hope the two leaders can agree to my request."

The two originally thought he would make some excessive demand, but it turned out he just wanted them to keep a secret. In fact, Gu Houyi also didn't want outsiders to know. The dean of Changxing Hospital was cured by a young man without a practicing license. If this were to spread, where would he put his face? Changxing Hospital would become a laughing stock, so Xu Chunliang's request hit the mark.

Gao Xinhua thought to himself, this kid is really good, talented yet not seeking fame and fortune; the reputation of a family of traditional Chinese medicine is indeed well-deserved. However, he's good at flattery, something Elder Xu wasn't skilled at.

After Xu Chunliang left, Gu Houyi dressed and said slowly to Gao Xinhua, "Did you hear what Xiaoxu said?"

Gao Xinhua nodded. He, of course, knew better than anyone that Gu Houyi wouldn't want this matter to spread. He laughed and said, "Dean Gu, we must fulfill this child's wish. You truly are blessed; miraculously, you're healed."

A slight smile appeared at the corner of Gu Houyi's mouth as he softly said, "This child is a promising talent. It proves that my decision back then, to push hard for his entry into Changxing, was right."

"Dean Gu, you're far-sighted. If only I had half your vision." Gao Xinhua praised on the surface, but secretly thought, Old Gu, you're being blatant. I was the one who brought Xu Chunliang into Changxing, I'm his mentor.

Gu Houyi did not miss the meeting. He personally had no economic issues. He acknowledged Zeng Hongwen as his wife's niece but did not take any personal gain from the beauty center.

In fact, everyone understood that during Zeng Hongwen's contract process for the beauty center, Gu Houyi played a crucial role. However, no loopholes were found during the bidding process. This is quite normal; even if he said nothing, others knowing the relationship between Zeng Hongwen and him would naturally give them preferential treatment.

Despite this, Changxing Hospital was significantly affected. The second phase of the expansion project, which was already scheduled to start, was temporarily halted. The higher-ups needed to re-verify everything to ensure there were no issues in any stage before it could proceed, which has cast doubts on Gu Houyi's usual reputation for integrity.

Changxing Hospital's negative news also affected the bank. The bank proposed to re-evaluate their loan materials, delaying the originally scheduled loan issuance.

Originally, Gu Houyi's term was to end at the end of May next year, but due to the cosmetology center issue, higher leadership suggested he take a lateral transfer to the city science association as director next month.

Gu Houyi realized that the second-phase expansion project couldn't start within his term, dealing him a severe blow as he was planning to retire from Changxing. Now it seems there's no hope at all.

Even though the higher-ups hinted that he could apply for deferred retirement, whether he retires or not matters little at the science association. It's often humorously called the Elder's Court, filled with idle deputy-director level cadres.

Upon counting the days, there was only half a month left before he would begin work at the science association. The higher-ups gave him a two-week transition period, partially to maintain his dignity and provide the new dean with adaptation time.

Yan Huaiyi, whom Gu Houyi had personally mentored, wasn't in the leadership's consideration. The incoming leader of Changxing was very young, not even forty years old.

After his discussion with the disciplinary department, Gu Houyi returned to the hospital and locked himself in his office, not leaving until he finished a box of cigarettes.

He didn't have the driver take him home. After all, his home wasn't far, less than a kilometer away in a straight line from the hospital.

It had been three days since the end of summer, yet the weather was still unbearably hot. Gu Houyi's heart felt indescribably desolate. Standing in the hospital's small garden, he looked at the ward building, already outdated in the city dust. This building had stood for twenty-two years in the bustling city. Back then, he was a young deputy dean of Changxing. It was at the old dean's insistence that he led the construction, personally building this twenty-one-story building.

The twenty-one floors meant looking forward to the twenty-first century. When the building was completed, it stood out among the five major comprehensive hospitals in Dongzhou, symbolizing Changxing's final glory.

Entering the twenty-first century, Changxing has been surpassed in every aspect by other sibling hospitals. It's as if all construction at Changxing has come to a halt, and all past glory froze at the moment the building was topped out.

Gu Houyi's gaze turned towards the enclosure not far away, where the southwest corner of Changxing Hospital lay. The area that troubled him for many years—an old shanty town—had been leveled. Here, depicted by his own hands, was a blueprint wherein a modern ward building would rise in the coming years, heralding a new era for Changxing Hospital.

He long understood that he couldn't complete the building's construction within his term. He merely hoped to personally lay the foundation for the second phase of the project, but that had become an unattainable dream.

Next month, he'd move to the city science association. Only half a month of time was left to him; everything was too late. Six years of planning and effort, all for naught.

In the hospital courtyard, lush with camphor trees planted by predecessors, he envisioned posterity enjoying the shade. All his meticulous preparations were left for his successor, who naturally inherited everything, making wedding clothes for others.

Upon this realization, a piercing pain shot through his heart. He had placed too much importance on Changxing, seeing it as another home.

A single mistake cost him everything; the scandal involving the medical aesthetics center impacted him more severely than anticipated.

The ringing of his phone interrupted his contemplation. Zhao Yongsheng, the Neurology Department Head, was calling to inquire about his current health status. Gu Houyi reassured him he was fine.

His anger was too intense, but when he went to clarify the situation, a fire still burned in his heart. He wanted to leave his final passion and energy in Changxing, but reality ultimately remained reality. The moment he recognized reality, that fire was extinguished instantly.

Sparse raindrops began to fall from the sky. Reluctantly, Gu Houyi left the hospital. Though he would return to Changxing the next day, at this moment, he realized Changxing was no longer his, and he would slowly drift away from it.

Exiting the hospital gate, night had fallen. Looking back at the ward building's illuminated windows, it seemed like a grand ship navigating through the night.

Gu Houyi stood amidst the deepening night, watching as that grand ship drifted farther away, like a seasoned captain, helplessly watching a vessel set sail, with only bitterness and melancholy remaining.

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