ALL NOVEL Chapter 48
Chapter 48: Strange, why do I feel so excited? Is the air conditioning temperature too high?
Many accomplished doctors follow a particular trajectory in their careers. They commence by treating common ailments, but as their medical expertise advances, everyday diseases no longer satisfy their thirst for knowledge. They shift their focus to handling intricate and challenging cases, and the more complex the situation, the more fulfilled they become. However, they eventually returned to their foundational work, concentrating on the fundamental treatment of common conditions.
The individuals before him appeared to be in the second phase, still enthusiastic about complex cases. The youngest among them was already 49 years old, while the oldest was 72. In the capital, there was another group of medical experts waiting to join them, and the oldest among them was a remarkable 88 years old!
After exchanging greetings and handshakes with everyone, Lu Ming began to take attendance, checking to see who was still absent.
“You’re quite popular, aren’t you?” Lu Shenghua commented, stroking his chin while examining his son.
“Well, Dad, I’m a prodigy, so being unique is natural,” Lu Ming replied with a shrug.
“Having good interpersonal skills is expected, isn’t it?” Lu Shenghua finally realized.
“That’s right, Dad. Your son is a prodigy, after all!” Lu Ming quipped.
Isn’t this how it’s supposed to be?
So, Lu Shenghua felt quite content in his heart. His son looked more and more pleasing to his eyes. Lu Ming felt uncomfortable from being stared at by his father. After taking attendance, 53 were anticipated, 50 were present, and three had yet to arrive. However, the flight was still a couple of hours away from taking off, and they were on their way. They should be able to catch up. Besides the dozen or so experts near the capital, there were over thirty experts who lived relatively close to the capital and would be flying directly there.
Those who resided farther from the capital were supposed to meet at Lu Ming’s location and travel with him to the capital. Half an hour later, the remaining three individuals arrived one by one. With that, all 53 people were in attendance.
“I have some materials here that you can look at,” Lu Ming distributed printed materials to everyone in the room.
He had not uploaded the electronic files in the group chat, as some people were not tech-savvy with phones and computers. So, Lu Ming had to provide physical copies of the materials. With the materials in hand, some people opened their briefcases and took out a pair of reading glasses, then delved into the content. Many people were immediately captivated. Because Lu Ming’s materials were well-organized, the train of thought was quite clear. It was like a math problem that was almost solved but was missing the final answer. As for what that answer was, it required everyone’s collective discussion.
“So, these two extra hearts inside the patient’s body burden the heart?” Remarked one senior expert after reviewing the materials.
“No, Professor Wang, if you look closely, it’s not just causing a burden,” someone countered, “Simultaneously, it’s also bringing some positive and beneficial effects to the body.”
Upon hearing this, Professor Wang lowered his head again to examine the materials thoroughly. Looking at this group of eager and curious individuals, Lu Ming felt a deep sense of satisfaction. Many young people lacked this level of enthusiasm. These were the true enthusiasts of medicine, willing to dedicate themselves to the field. At this moment, the boarding time had arrived. Some people were still deeply engrossed in the material, only reluctantly stowing away their documents, with plans to continue reading on the plane, prompted by their fellow travelers.
“This case is genuinely incredibly challenging!” Exclaimed one expert with trembling hands, filled with excitement.
“Yes, we must conquer this case and cure the child,” another added.
“The primary issue we face right now is whether to remove these two extra hearts and, if so, how to remove them,” a third expert said.
“Exactly, and the potential consequences after removal are unpredictable and require continuous consideration.”
“In 1899, there was a documented case of a person with two hearts in Badi. It’s the earliest medical record of a case like this.”
“In 1932, M country had a case of a person with two hearts, and that patient lived to the age of 76, had offspring, and the descendants were healthy without any anomalies.”
“In 1955, F country had two cases of individuals with two hearts, a pair of fraternal twins. The brother died at three months, and the sister at five years.”
“In 1964, R country had a postnatal case of a person with two hearts. The patient had undergone comprehensive check-ups before the age of 30 with no abnormalities. However, during a check-up at 33, an additional heart was discovered.”
“And in 1977…”
The youngest expert, at 49 years old, shared some of the information he knew. Lu Ming nodded in acknowledgment as he listened. He had come across this information when researching related cases. However, he had never found a case where a person developed three hearts simultaneously. Additionally, these cases of double hearts had no common patterns. Some individuals died at three months, while others lived to the age of 76. So, their reference value was limited. In other words, this was an uncharted territory. They had no way of knowing what difficulties lay ahead. Everything had to be figured out by Lu Ming and his team.
After boarding the plane, since they had purchased their tickets at the same time, most of their seats were together. Lu Shenghua’s seat was relatively farther from Lu Ming and the others since he had bought his ticket later. Once on the plane, the group refrained from further discussion. After all, it was a public place, and they didn’t want to disturb others with loud conversations.
Everyone continued to study the materials Lu Ming had provided while Lu Ming planned to rest briefly, knowing they would land in the capital in about two hours. The plane quickly took off, and once it had leveled out, the flight attendants began their service.
“Hello, please give me a glass of still water,” Li Dengxian requested as a flight attendant passed by his seat.
“Of course, sir. Please wait a moment,” the flight attendant replied with a slight smile and went to get the water.
Li Dengxian took a deep breath and loosened his tie. He felt like he was having a bit of trouble breathing. It was probably due to the rapid ascent of the plane and the drop in air pressure, causing some discomfort. Li Dengxian didn’t think much of it and figured drinking water would help.
“Sir, your glass of water is on the tray table in front of you,” the flight attendant said as she brought him the water and opened the tray table.
Li Dengxian nodded slightly, picked up the glass, and started drinking. Sip, sip, sip…
In just a few seconds, he had finished the glass of water. He took a deep breath and sighed. After a few more sips, he still felt a bit uncomfortable. He decided to take off his tie and unbutton the second button of his shirt collar. He had also undone his seatbelt, but he still felt a sense of tightness all over his body. He noticed his heart racing, and his eyes felt hot and dry. Blinking only made them drier.
“Trouble…”
Li Dengxian watched as a flight attendant passed by and was about to request another glass of water. Suddenly, he clutched his chest and curled up in his seat. Immediately after, he slid from his seat and onto the plane aisle.
“Ah!”
A young female passenger beside him witnessed this scene and let out a startled cry.
The flight attendant, too, heard something fall behind her. She turned and saw Li Dengxian lying on the floor, accompanied by the screams of the female passenger.
“Captain, Captain, I have a passenger who has fainted!”
The flight attendant immediately called for the captain to come and assess the situation. The captain had received professional training and brought a medical kit when coming over.
“Sir?”
“Sir, are you okay, sir?”
They called out to Li Dengxian several times but received no response. They were uncertain about what had happened to him and didn’t dare to move him.
“Quickly, go and see if there’s a passenger who is a doctor on the plane. Seek their help,” the flight attendant instructed the other flight attendant.
“Oh, okay,” the flight attendant immediately went to make an announcement.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please pay attention,” she announced, “We have a passenger on our plane who has fallen unconscious, and the specific cause is unknown. If you are a doctor or nurse, please contact our flight attendants immediately. Thank you.”
Upon hearing the announcement, Lu Ming and his group exchanged glances and smiled at each other. In the next moment, they all stood up simultaneously. This sudden, collective movement shocked the nearby flight attendant. Dozens of people standing up at once—were they planning to fight or something?
Could it be…
“Are all of you doctors?” The flight attendant asked uncertainly.
Lu Ming nodded and said, “Yes, we are all doctors.”
The surrounding passengers watched in astonishment as this scene unfolded. Some couldn’t help but feel a bit warm. Strange. Why did it feel like something was heating up? Had the airplane’s air conditioning been turned up too high?