Chapter Eighty-Nine: Awaited by All!

At two in the afternoon, when Qin Luo arrived at the gate of the Medical University, he saw Wang Yangxin waiting there in a Mercedes-Benz.

Qin Luo clearly remembered that the last time Wang Yangxin had come to the school to see Lin Huanxi, he had driven a red Ferrari. He had not expected that in just a few days, he would have changed to another luxury car.

"Looks like traditional Chinese medicine can still make money," Qin Luo said with a smile as he opened the door and got in.

Wang Yangxin sighed. "Only a tiny handful at the very top of the field really make money. But the practitioners below them have a very hard time making ends meet. Under the pressure of reality, many graduates from schools and colleges of traditional Chinese medicine are forced to change careers. The divide is far too severe. That alone proves the profession is unhealthy."

"True. So how to study traditional Chinese medicine well, and how to make good use of it, has become the first major issue we have to face. If we could popularize it the way Western medicine has been popularized, practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine would not be so destitute."

"An ideal is beautiful. But how easy is it to realize? Your grandfather and the others are placing great hopes on you now. The pressure you will face later is not light," Wang Yangxin said.

"I'll do my best." Qin Luo nodded. He understood what Wang Xiushen, Lao Zhuo, and the others were aiming for when they went to such lengths to push him forward, even at the cost of lowering their own reputations and elevating his. It was the same ideal as his grandfather Qin Zheng's and his own. For that cause, he would cut through every thorn and obstacle and press onward without hesitation.

"If you ever need my help in the future, just say the word," Wang Yangxin said with a smile.

"I will." Qin Luo nodded. Even if his medical skill were extraordinary, he could not shoulder the banner of the rise of traditional Chinese medicine alone. He needed a group of companions whose medical expertise matched his own and who were willing to strive for the same ideal. Wang Yangxin was a very suitable choice.

What Wang Yangxin had said just now carried a clear hint of allegiance. Seeing Qin Luo accept it without the slightest trace of resentment, he knew that Qin Luo had never taken their old conflicts to heart.

"Your grandfather and the others moved into Yanyuan yesterday. Old friends came from all over the country, and it is rare for them to have a chance to meet. Of course they had to sit down and chat at length. Because of that, they forgot to mention that you were supposed to speak at the conference," Wang Yangxin explained.

"I'm still in time," Qin Luo said with complete confidence.

Yanyuan was a very famous resort in Yanjing, divided into three areas. The first was the garden scenic area, with pavilions, terraces, rockeries, ponds, and waterside pavilions, open for sightseeing. The second was the lodging area, where guests rested and held meetings. It featured a hotel that could be called five-star and restaurants with distinctive styles, able to meet guests' needs in many different ways. The third was the conference area. Because it was both a scenic destination and capable of providing food and lodging, many large companies and even some state institutions liked to hold their meetings there.

If Qin Luo had come alone, he would truly have had no idea where to go. Fortunately, with Wang Yangxin, who knew the route and the procedure, leading the way, Qin Luo reached the conference area without any obstruction.

"I don't have the qualifications to attend, so I can only take you this far," Wang Yangxin said with a wry smile.

"Thank you. I can find my way from here. You should head back," Qin Luo said, patting Wang Yangxin on the shoulder.

"The organizing office has a list of attendees. You can prove your identity with your ID card and receive your conference badge," Wang Yangxin instructed.

"All right. Got it."

At the entrance to the conference hall, Qin Luo took out his ID card and received his attendee badge, then headed inside.

Indeed, the road was narrow where enemies met. Just as Qin Luo entered the lobby, he ran straight into Teacher Zhu, who was about to go out on business.

"What are you doing here?" Teacher Zhu asked with a frown.

When the department had been discussing the list of conference attendees, Qin Luo's remark that Teacher Zhu had a rich theoretical foundation had deeply wounded him.

It was much like a man with acne on his face hating nothing more than having others bring up the pimples on his skin. Qin Luo's words had hit Teacher Zhu right in the sore spot.

He had spent his whole life teaching Selected Readings from the Inner Canon. Wasn't that proof of a solid theoretical foundation?

Being able to attend such a high-level conference had already made him feel rather elated. But when he discovered that Qin Luo had also slipped into the venue, the anger in his heart erupted at once.

It was like the king of beasts, the tiger, ruling over its own territory with great authority, only for another tiger to suddenly wander in and patrol for food. Its pride would not allow it to stand. Naturally, the two tigers had to fight it out and decide who was stronger.

"Why can't I come?" Qin Luo thought with quiet amusement. On the way here, he had even been imagining Teacher Zhu's shock upon seeing him appear at the conference. He had not expected heaven to grant that wish so quickly.

"Our department only has two spots. How did you get in? Do you even know what kind of conference this is? If the organizing office finds out, do you know how much damage it would do to the university's reputation?" Once again, Teacher Zhu stood on the moral high ground and swung his club down on Qin Luo's head.

"Why can't I come in? I have the qualifications to attend." Qin Luo pointed to the blue badge hanging around his neck.

"Where did you get that badge? Nonsense. Young people should keep both feet on the ground," Teacher Zhu said, seeing that the badge really did bear Qin Luo's name. He looked utterly astonished, but inwardly he was already growing suspicious.

The department had only two conference spots this time. One was his, and the other could absolutely not be Qin Luo's. Without the qualifications to attend, how could Qin Luo have obtained a conference badge?

"I don't like walking behind other people. So I can only disappoint you," Qin Luo said with a smile.

"You—"

Teacher Zhu glanced at Qin Luo, and an idea came to him. He sneered and said, "If you walk too many night roads, you will eventually meet a ghost."

"For me, you're more annoying than a ghost."

"Unrefined," Teacher Zhu snorted again, then swept his sleeves and strode outside.

He went straight to the registration desk of the organizing office and said to the staff member filling out forms there, "Comrade, I have something to report."

A female staff member wearing glasses saw that Teacher Zhu was also a delegate to the conference, so she spoke with some courtesy and asked with a smile, "Hello, what issue do you need to report?"

"It's like this. I saw someone who should not have had the qualifications to attend enter the venue. Shouldn't you investigate this?" Teacher Zhu said.

In the past, when conferences like this were held, there had also been some leaders in the organizing office who casually made arrangements for relatives and friends who needed favors, allowing them to enter the venue to broaden their horizons or learn something. The staff had generally turned a blind eye.

But now someone had taken the initiative to report a problem to them. Morally and procedurally alike, they had to look into it.

The female staff member asked, "Really? What's his name?"

"Qin Luo. The Qin from Qin Shihuang's Qin, the Luo from Luoyang," Teacher Zhu said.

"Please wait a moment. We'll check the list," the staff member replied.

After some verification, the female staff member said, "Sir, Qin Luo is eligible to attend. His name is on the attendee list."

"What? How is that possible? Our department didn't even have a spot for him."

"It is like this. He is listed among the expert panel," the staff member said, now sounding somewhat impatient.

"How can that be?"

"That I do not know," the woman said, and then she busied herself with registering another attendee.

Teacher Zhu looked utterly dejected. How could this be? How could he possibly be in the expert panel?

"What kind of crooked back door did that bastard use?" Teacher Zhu thought bitterly.

Because the conference still had half an hour before it began, the venue was still somewhat noisy. Small groups of three or five clustered together, chatting and laughing, giving no sense at all of the decline of traditional Chinese medicine.

"Qin Luo. Come over here," someone called out to him.

Qin Luo turned and saw his master, Wang Xiushen, beckoning to him from a corner.

Beside him were Old Zhuo, Guo Xusheng, Gu Baixian, and several others, all seated and smiling at him. There were also a few elderly men whose faces he did not recognize.

Wang Xiushen stood up, took Qin Luo by the hand, and pointed to the unfamiliar elders. "This is Wang Shichong from Luoyang. He is also a master of acupuncture."

"Greetings, Elder Wang."

"This is Li Jing from Hunan, a national treasure of traditional Chinese medicine."

"Greetings, Elder Li."

"This is He Jitian, the editor-in-chief of Chinese Medicine of Huaxia."

"Greetings, Editor-in-Chief He."

"This is Wang Changsui from Shaanxi, the old medicine jar—"

"Greetings, Elder Wang."

And so on.

Each time Wang Xiushen introduced someone, Qin Luo greeted them with the courtesy of a junior to his elders. They all returned the greeting kindly, and some of them looked him over with thoughtful expressions. Evidently, they had also heard of Qin Luo's name.

"The grandson of the King of Medicine, Qin Zheng, and the inheritor of the Great Unity Divine Needles. Either of those titles alone would be enough to let you stride sideways through our circle," Wang Shichong of Luoyang said with a smile.

"You flatter me, Elder Wang," Qin Luo said modestly. In front of these old men who possessed genuine learning and skill, he was willing to maintain due respect.

"Not at all. We've heard quite a few of your deeds. Just now, your master was still bragging to us about how remarkable his disciple is," said a red-faced old man with a chuckle.

"Master praising his disciple is only natural. Please do not take it too seriously, seniors," Qin Luo said with a smile.

"Haha, Qin Luo, when you are modest down below, it looks very comfortable to us. After all, you do still put the rest of us old men in your eyes. But when you get up on that stage later, you can't be this modest anymore."

"Your master and Old Zhuo and the others strongly recommended that you speak on behalf of our expert panel, and we all agreed. We're counting on you to give our expert panel some face. If you've got talent, then show it. Don't worry, we old fellows won't be jealous. We'll only appreciate it." The red-faced old man spoke very directly.

"Don't worry. I'll do my best. I won't let my master or all of you seniors down." Qin Luo nodded seriously.

"Good. Then we'll wait to see you make a stunning impression at the conference later. The field of traditional Chinese medicine really should see a young man step forward and shoulder the burden," said He Jitian, the editor-in-chief of Chinese Medicine of Huaxia, with an expression of eager anticipation.