He had his son at forty and only gained his granddaughter, Xiaoyue, when he was over seventy. He cherished her dearly, which is why he accompanied her when she came to Jiangzhou for university.

The old man’s departure immediately caused a stir among numerous important figures. His only son was the Mayor of Jiangzhou, a minister-level official, and coupled with the elder’s own high standing, the reception protocol alone was bound to be significant.

After two days of social engagements upon arriving in Jiangzhou, Qin Jingzhong finally found time to accompany his granddaughter to register at the university today. This was partly due to his spoiling of her, and partly because he genuinely wanted to meet Wang Zhuo.

When leaving, Mayor Qin Xue specifically dispatched his second secretary, Xiao Wanjun, to attend to the elder personally, while also privately instructing him to find a way to persuade the old man to agree to a physical examination.

Xiao Wanjun was already fretting over this task, as the old man’s character was far too stubborn. For years, unless he was hospitalized due to illness, he wouldn't even step foot inside a hospital, let alone agree to an examination. No persuasion worked; the task seemed utterly impossible.

Just as Xiao Wanjun was racking his brain for a solution, he heard Wang Zhuo speak: "Elder Qin, your health... seems to be a bit off?"

This statement instantly stunned everyone present. Wang Taiping quickly signaled Wang Zhuo, thinking this young man had absolutely no sense of propriety. The elder was a founding hero, attended by his own dedicated medical staff; surely he knew about his own health issues? How could such a thing be spoken aloud so carelessly?

Qin Jingzhong was slightly taken aback. "Oh? You noticed something wrong with me?"

"May I ask a few questions first?" Wang Zhuo paused, then said, "Do you find oily foods hard to tolerate, have irregular bowel movements, and occasionally feel nauseous?"

Before Qin Jingzhong could reply, Qin Siqing gasped, "Hey? How did you know? Grandpa has all those things."

"This isn't really an illness, is it?" Qin Jingzhong chuckled. "Isn't this normal when one gets old? Should a man nearing ninety still be eating lavish meals like you youngsters? The organs are aging; a few hiccups are to be expected."

"That’s what he always says," Qin Siqing glanced at her grandfather with mild dissatisfaction, eagerly asking Wang Zhuo, "That’s incredible, how did you figure that out?"

I see it with my clairvoyance, Wang Zhuo thought, but what he said was: "My ancestors once served as imperial physicians; we could be considered a traditional Chinese medicine family. I know a little of the basics of observation, listening, inquiry, and pulse-taking."

Whether his ancestors were imperial physicians was uncertain—the family genealogy had long been lost—and the "traditional Chinese medicine family" part was pure fabrication. Wang Zhuo’s grandfather had been a clerk in a traditional Chinese medicine shop, later opening a small dispensary, capable perhaps of prescribing remedies for minor colds or headaches. Wang Zhengdao had even been imprisoned for practicing medicine illegally. Wang Zhuo hadn't inherited any medical skills.

But others didn't know that. Everyone assumed he was telling the truth, especially Qin Jingzhong and Qin Siqing. Qin Jingzhong had specifically hired people to investigate Wang Zhuo's background and knew some details about Wang Zhengdao. Hearing Wang Zhuo's smooth talk, the grandfather and granddaughter were instantly convinced.

"Observation, listening, inquiry, and pulse-taking—does that mean you can also take a pulse?" The composed Secretary Xiao could no longer remain still. He had spotted an opportunity. The old man clearly favored this Wang Zhuo, whom he had never met. If this young man cooperated, perhaps the leadership’s task could actually be accomplished.

Wang Zhuo nodded unashamedly. Qin Jingzhong immediately became interested and smiled, "Come, come, take my pulse too, just to test your skills."

Saying this, he extended his right hand toward Wang Zhuo. Wang Zhuo feigned shaking his head, "For men, it's the left; for women, it's the right."

"Oh, oh," the old man turned and offered his left hand.

Wang Zhuo truly didn't know the proper etiquette for pulse-taking, such as needing to keep the arm level or sit upright. Among the many medical practitioners in the room, most realized the moment his fingers touched Qin Jingzhong’s wrist: this fellow was bluffing; he was fooling them.

After feeling the pulse for several seconds, Wang Zhuo looked up, "Your liver isn't good; you must have had an old ailment from when you were younger."

This low-grade trickery was almost too much even for Liu Yun to watch. Ma Dehai, Wang Taiping, and the others felt as though the person sitting before them was no longer a university student who had just placed second in the provincial exams, but a street charlatan telling fortunes.

To deduce a past liver condition from a single pulse reading—did he think he was a medical god?

Qin Jingzhong and Qin Siqing were momentarily stunned. A silence fell over the room for a few seconds. Then, Xiao Wanjun suddenly cleared his throat and said solemnly, "The Old Chief suffered several gunshot wounds during the War of Resistance. One of those times, he was indeed injured in the liver area."

He actually guessed correctly? The medical university staff exchanged looks of utter disbelief. This, this, this defied logic, defied science, and was completely inexplicable.

Qin Siqing snapped back to reality and excitedly urged, "Hurry up and say what else you found!"

"Was the bullet removed?" Wang Zhuo asked knowingly.

"It was removed, and the surgery was a success. See, I’m fine now?" Qin Jingzhong smiled calmly, though his expression was slightly unnatural. Wang Zhuo’s pulse-taking skill had genuinely rattled him.

"Your complexion is darker, so most people wouldn't notice, but your face has a slightly sallow tint, which is a sign of liver disease," Wang Zhuo stated seriously. "And the questions I asked earlier—constipation, nausea, aversion to oil—these are all symptoms of liver issues. Combined with your pulse, from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, you definitely have liver disease. I suspect your old condition has relapsed."

"A relapse? Don't joke," Qin Jingzhong said, a wry smile on his face. "I was shot over sixty years ago. If the old illness were to relapse, how could it only show up now?"

After hearing Wang Zhuo’s analysis, Ma Dehai and the others finally dropped their condescension. Wang Zhuo's reasoning was sound, and his initial questions had been confirmed. Now, as they observed Elder Qin’s complexion more closely, they could indeed detect a faint yellowing.

"Does the fact that sixty years have passed prevent a relapse?" Wang Zhuo smiled faintly. "If the liver was injured by a bullet, it's hard to say if it missed the rib cage, isn't it? Removing the bullet is easy, but extracting every last rib fragment is far more complicated. Perhaps that is the trigger for the relapse."

Qin Jingzhong pondered for a moment and said, almost laughing wryly, "Hearing you say that, I’m actually starting to believe you."

In truth, Wang Zhuo had seen the surgical scar during his initial clairvoyance, and he had detected a damaged area near the elder’s liver that had hardened, with a small rib fragment fused with the surrounding tissue. Wang Zhuo couldn't determine how long the hardened area had been there or if it would spread, but this condition would certainly impair bodily functions and required treatment.

Coincidentally, Wang Zhuo's grandmother had suffered from hepatitis, so he was somewhat familiar with the symptoms of liver disease. As it turned out, the symptoms matched Qin Jingzhong’s situation perfectly, successfully fooling everyone in the room, young and old, leaving them unable to voice any doubt.

"So, Chinese medicine is this magical..." Qin Siqing was clearly misled. "Brother Wang Zhuo, then prescribe some medicine for Grandpa?"

Just as Xiao Wanjun was about to interject, Wang Zhuo was already waving his hands frantically. "Prescribing medicine is beyond me. Given your grandfather's situation, he really needs a thorough check-up at a major hospital. An imaging scan will clarify the pathology so he can get targeted treatment."

"Oh, I forgot, your father practiced medicine illegally—" The words tumbled out before Qin Siqing realized her mistake, and she quickly stuck out her tongue and sealed her lips shut.

Practiced medicine illegally? Ma Dehai and Wang Taiping exchanged glances. Those words came from Mayor Qin’s daughter; surely they aren't baseless? But a student with such a record couldn't possibly have been admitted. What was going on?

They didn't know that Wang Zhuo’s file had long been altered by Deng Haixia, making him appear even more outstanding than a model student. Furthermore, nothing about Wang Zhengdao had ever been recorded in the file, meaning there was nothing to change.

It was normal that Qin Siqing knew about Wang Zhengdao. Wang Zhuo remained unconcerned about it. As for the Vice Principal and Department Head sitting beside him, Wang Zhuo suspected they would never pursue the matter...

"Do I really need to go to the hospital for an examination?" Qin Jingzhong sounded visibly swayed after hearing Wang Zhuo’s advice.

Wang Zhuo spread his hands and smiled, "What’s there to fear from one trip? If there's a problem, treat it; if not, you walk away."

"Fine, I’ll go have a look tomorrow," Qin Jingzhong was a straightforward man and immediately made his decision.

Seeing the old man nod in agreement, Xiao Wanjun was overcome with joy. He felt Wang Zhuo was suddenly dearer to him than his own son.

"Xiaoyue, give Wang Zhuo your phone number. We are friends now; we must keep in touch frequently," the old man said with a cheerful smile as he stood up, clearly preparing to leave.

Everyone quickly stood up with him. Xiao Wanjun stepped forward, patted Wang Zhuo’s shoulder, enthusiastically pulled out a business card, and tucked it into the pocket of Wang Zhuo’s shirt, saying, "If you need anything, contact me. Don't be polite."

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