Chapter Thirty: Gravely Wounded

After carefully examining Miss Shang's injuries, Lu Hao frowned deeply. The situation was grim.

He turned to Director Chen and said, "Take my set of silver needles and sterilize them with alcohol. Then, call two female nurses to assist me—they’ll be in charge of disinfection and handing me instruments."

"I need to remove the piece of metal lodged in her shoulder. If we wait any longer, she might not make it."

"What? You're going to perform a major operation? That’s not advisable!" Director Chen was stunned.

He had only called Lu Hao over to see if some medication could be added, the patient's position adjusted, or perhaps some emergency intervention to buy time until the ambulance arrived. He never expected Lu Hao to contemplate performing surgery right here on the treasured daughter of the Shang Corporation.

Director Chen grew anxious and quickly tried to intervene. "This is just a small clinic—our equipment and facilities aren’t up to standard. What if something goes wrong?"

"Something goes wrong? Let me tell you, Director Chen, from my assessment, if we don't operate, never mind waiting for the ambulance to get her to a hospital—even ten more minutes and she’ll be gone," Lu Hao replied calmly, disinfecting his hands with alcohol and iodine over and over.

"If she dies here in this clinic, do you think the consequences will be any better? If I operate now, there’s at least a sliver of hope—a desperate attempt to save a dying horse, as they say."

Director Chen, a man seasoned by years of experience, looked into Lu Hao’s determined eyes and finally decided to back him. "Xiao Li, Xiao Song, come assist Dr. Lu. Do whatever he asks without hesitation."

"Yes." The two young nurses quickly moved to Lu Hao’s side.

"Do you have saline, adrenaline, morphine, a ten-milligram hemostatic, and Anotrophin?" Lu Hao asked, donning a surgical mask.

"We have them all," the nurses replied at once.

"Good. Prepare everything and bring me five syringes—the smallest dose available," Lu Hao instructed, grabbing a large basin of alcohol.

"What are you doing?" At that moment, a woman entered from outside the infirmary—the assistant assigned by President Zheng to keep an eye on Lu Hao. Her real name was Wu Li.

"I'm about to perform surgery. I don't have time to explain. All irrelevant personnel, please leave," Lu Hao said, frowning.

"Nurses, show them out!" he added impatiently.

"No! Miss Shang is the heiress of our corporation—nothing can be allowed to go wrong here!"

"You can't operate on her!" Wu Li tried to rush over and stop Lu Hao.

"Enough!" Lu Hao stepped forward, seized her arm, and with a deft touch immobilized her pressure point, pinning her to a nearby chair. She instantly couldn't move.

"If you want to watch, then watch," he said.

Without further delay, Lu Hao pulled out a lighter and ignited the basin of alcohol beside him.

With a sudden whoosh, the alcohol blazed up.

Lu Hao waved his hand, and the sterilized silver needles were rolled through the flames once more.

Then, to everyone's shock, he lifted the flaming basin of alcohol and took a large gulp.

The next instant, he spewed the alcohol over Miss Shang, who lay on the bed.

Flames leapt up across her body, but Lu Hao immediately doused her with a bowl of green herbal mixture he’d just prepared.

"I forgot to remove her clothes! Take everything off—I'm singeing her body hair!"

"What?" The two nurses were stunned by the scene, exchanging looks of utter disbelief.

"Are you treating her or butchering her?" one whispered.

"Quit dawdling—hurry up!" Lu Hao wiped his mouth.

He had just performed a secret technique from the Azure Dragon Tradition—the Fiery Therapy. Using alcohol and high heat for disinfection, this method had existed since ancient times but never became widespread. Yet within the Azure Dragon Tradition, it was a complete technique, able to sanitize more thoroughly than bathing a patient in iodine.

Now, as the lead surgeon, Lu Hao brooked no dissent. The nurses, though bewildered, had no choice but to comply. They quickly began to strip Miss Shang while the flames still flickered, discovering to their shock that the fire wasn’t burning her at all.

"It’s not even hot—how incredible!" they exclaimed.

"Of course not. Did you think I prepared those herbs for nothing? They’re for this very effect. Now move—don’t waste time!"

"Yes, Doctor," the nurses replied, hands fumbling as they helped undress Miss Shang.

Sitting immobilized in the corner, Wu Li was so anxious she could have wet herself. Never in her life had she seen such crude, wild treatment! To her mind, this so-called medical student was nothing but a quack.

She swore that if she ever got out, she’d tell President Zheng everything—she’d make sure this charlatan was sued for everything he had!

Soon, Miss Shang lay before Lu Hao, stripped bare as a peeled banana, her fair skin exposed. Her snow-white, flawless limbs seemed to dazzle like lanterns, making it hard for Lu Hao to keep his focus.

"How could someone’s form be so perfect? Cover her chest—it's distracting me!" he said irritably.

The nurses quickly shielded her chest, though her long, slender, well-shaped legs remained exposed, their brilliance dazzling Lu Hao’s eyes. Even gravely injured, Miss Shang’s natural beauty could not be concealed.

"Enough—hand me the syringe!" Lu Hao demanded.

"Here you are, Dr. Lu." The nurses handed him the syringe.

Without so much as aiming, Lu Hao injected her shoulder, the spot where the piece of metal was embedded.

"This is just in case you're not truly unconscious and can still feel pain. Otherwise, when I pull out the metal, the pain might drive you mad," Lu Hao murmured through gritted teeth.

Once he finished, he squeezed her shoulder to confirm the anesthetic had worked.

Then, employing a technique from the Azure Dragon Tradition—the Grand Yin-Yang Soft Touch—he manipulated her shoulder.

With a sudden movement, he kicked the piece of metal from her shoulder, sending it clattering to the floor.

Wu Li, watching from the side, nearly fainted from fright.