Chapter 166: Treatment Plan

Chapter 166: Treatment Plan

Zhou Yun had treated similar cases of psychic overload in his previous life, though none as severe as this one. But after taking the pulse and using acupuncture to regulate the energy flow, he felt confident in his approach.

So, the treatment plan was quickly put together, but the next step was to investigate the background of the Shan Xiao Psychic Team. He first called Shen Lan to discuss the matter.

Shen Lan chuckled, "Today, right after you got stopped, your security captain called in the city defense for backup. I happened to be nearby, so I drove over to check. Seeing you were fine, I left."

"After returning, I checked the surveillance footage from the car to look into their background. The Shan Xiao Psychic Team is quite famous on the dark web. But since last year, they suddenly stopped taking missions. This year, they suddenly showed up in Guixu City. I heard through the grapevine that their captain might be in some trouble and has been seeking treatment from high-level light psychics."

Zhou Yun thought it lined up: "Did they come to Guixu City for medical treatment?"

Shen Lan said, "Here’s the interesting part: they escorted several members of the Light Healers' Guild from Angry Dragon City to Guixu City, arriving via a special tourist flight and staying at a hotel. The person from the Light Healers' Guild who contacted them was Jiang Rongqian."

Shen Lan added, "When the investigation started involving the military, I couldn’t dig deeper, afraid of upsetting General Guan Yuanfeng."

Zhou Yun understood, "I know who it is. Alright. Just check their past behavior to see if there are any bad deeds or crimes."

Shen Lan replied, "Alright, I’ve asked someone to look into it."

Zhou Yun thanked him and hung up. Guan Yuanfeng’s call came in immediately.

Outside the window, thunder rumbled, and a heavy rain began to pour. Zhou Yun answered the phone with a smile in his voice, "Are you here to scold me?"

Guan Yuanfeng sounded a bit exasperated, "I know you’re eager to save lives, but you should be more careful. You could’ve stopped and let others handle it. Why did you have to step in personally?"

Zhou Yun said, "It’s a rare case of psychic overload." He explained the situation with the Shan Xiao Psychic Team and then asked, "By the way, what’s the situation with Su Jiaoning?"

Guan Yuanfeng recounted the events, "I guess he probably wants to stay in Guixu City, possibly having heard about the crystal core transplant."

Zhou Yun thought for a moment, "It’s a bit tricky in his case; he’s already at the fourth level. High-level light psychic crystal cores are rare; most are low-level. Plus, his crystal core was removed some time ago, and his meridians have weakened. A hasty transplant might lead to psychic overload, like the patient today."

He thought, "So, it seems the Angry Dragon City Lord who went after Su Jiaoning might have also targeted the Shan Xiao team captain."

Guan Yuanfeng said, "It’s possible. I’ll have Xiao Jiang contact General Peng from Zhenbei Base to step up the manhunt and search. We can’t let such people continue to harm others."

Zhou Yun, however, was thoughtful, "It might not be a disappearance... Perhaps the zombie siege, including the appearance of Shan Xiao at the city lord’s mansion, wasn’t a coincidence. It was probably retaliation, and rescuing Su Jiaoning was just incidental. The Angry Dragon City Lord might’ve already been killed by Shan Xiao. I saw their strength today; it’s not low. Having their crystal core taken, they’d surely seek revenge."

Guan Yuanfeng said, "It’s possible. I’ll have General Peng investigate and share the intel with us later."

Zhou Yun nodded, "Alright."

Guan Yuanfeng added, "It’s raining, and the area near the reservoir isn’t safe. A zombie king has appeared. I’m taking some guys to check it out and won’t be back tonight. Be careful at the hospital; wait until the rain lets up before heading back. Experts say there might be a flood, so we need to prepare for flood control. The city’s drainage system isn’t up to par yet, so don’t go out in the rain."

Zhou Yun sounded a little bummed, "Oh, I bought pig brains, pig liver, and ox tail today."

Guan Yuanfeng laughed, "You can eat them yourself or share them with Yao Lao and Duoduo."

Zhou Yun said, "If you’re not coming back, I might just stay at the hospital. The patients here need attention these days, and I’m too lazy to go back."

Guan Yuanfeng replied, "That’s a bit too simple."

Zhou Yun smiled, "It’s fine." They shot the breeze for a bit before hanging up, both a little reluctant.

Zhou Yun printed out the treatment plan and took it to the ward. Just as he reached the door, he heard a familiar voice inside, "I only found out Brother Kuiniu was at the hospital after receiving the call. I thought you were out for a trip and hurried over to see if there’s anything I can help with." It was Su Jiaoning.

Qing Luan said, "He’s been admitted, and the situation is stable. How about you, Dr. Su Jiaoning? Have you found your old teammates? What’s next for you?"

Su Jiaoning hesitated for a moment, "I should probably stay in Guixu City. My former teammates are very loyal and have arranged accommodation and job recommendations for me. I should be able to settle down here. Thank you for escorting me. If there’s anything I can do to help Brother Kuiniu, I have some old doctor friends and researchers who’ve come here to work. I’ll try to contact them to ensure Brother Kuiniu gets the best care."

Zhou Yun walked to the door and knocked.

Su Jiaoning looked up and saw him, startled, then delighted: "Dr. Zhou?"

He stood up, very happy: "I asked Captain Jiang earlier, and he said General Guan is swamped and hasn’t had a chance to meet me yet. So I also inquired about you, and Sister Kexin said you were very busy at the hospital. I didn’t expect to run into you here."

He looked uneasy but respectful, as if afraid of being embarrassed in front of the Shanxiao Squad, especially since he had just boasted about having connections. He quickly added: "These are members of the Shanxiao Psychic Squad. They saved me and escorted me all the way here. I’m very grateful. Even though I’m not much use here in Guixu, I still hope to repay them in some way."

Zhou Yun smiled and nodded, but he was surprised internally. Did becoming an ordinary person really change his attitude that much? All his previous arrogance was gone, leaving only cautious explanations.

Qingluan stood up, smiling: "So Dr. Zhou and Dr. Su are old acquaintances? That’s great. Dr. Su can back us up. When Kuiniu had his crystal core removed, we had a hard time treating him on our own. Zhulong, with his light abilities, was pretty amateurish. Fortunately, we met Dr. Su during his free clinic, and he treated Kuiniu. He was also furious about what happened. Thanks to Dr. Su’s treatment, Kuiniu managed to hold on. It wasn’t until half a year ago that we found out the mastermind behind it was the lord of the Nulong base. We finally managed to get Kuiniu’s crystal core back. We also found Dr. Su and others locked up in the black dungeon and rescued them. Dr. Su can vouch for us; we definitely didn’t steal anyone’s crystal core."

Su Jiaoning was startled and quickly said: "That’s correct. Kuiniu had his crystal core removed a year ago, and I treated him..." Suddenly, his eyes reddened, thinking about his current situation and the possibility of living as an ordinary person for the rest of his life. His voice choked: "The Shanxiao Psychic Squad is very famous in the north. They’ve helped official bases and the alliance government with many rescue and escort missions. They’re not a troublemaking team."

He couldn’t help but wipe his tears: "Thanks, Dr. Zhou, for treating them." He looked at Kuiniu: "But I didn’t know you got the crystal core back? Did you implant it directly? That’s really risky."

Zhou Yun smiled: "The treatment plan is all set. It may require a long recovery period. I recommend you apply for permanent residency, which will reduce treatment costs and provide you with housing, lowering living and medical expenses."

He handed the printed treatment plan to Qingluan, then went to check Kuiniu’s pulse and condition: "He’s been overworked lately, so let him get some good rest. When he wakes up naturally, normal diet is fine. If there’s any loss of psychic control, get in touch with the head nurse, and she’ll let me know. But theoretically, it shouldn’t happen today or tomorrow. I just performed acupuncture to regulate him."

Qingluan took the treatment plan and smiled: "Thank you, Dr. Zhou. We’ll think about the residency. We can also rent; money isn’t an issue. We have sufficient funds and will spare no expense in treating our captain. So please don’t worry about that. Any special meds can be prescribed; we’ll fully back the treatment."

Zhou Yun nodded. It seemed the Shanxiao Squad had gained a lot from the Nulong lord’s mansion. With financial resources, the treatment plan would be much easier. Doctors always prefer patients without financial pressure. Zhou Yun smiled: "That simplifies things. We’ve got plenty of special meds that work really well for regulating psychic abilities. I’ll prescribe some and have them prepared. During his stay, you can grab them daily from the Chinese medicine pharmacy and give them to him."

He nodded to Su Jiaoning: "How’s Dr. Su doing now? Let’s head to the next exam room, and I’ll check your pulse." He also wanted to inquire about the specific process.

Su Jiaoning didn’t expect him to still be willing to treat him and was moved to tears: "Thank you, Dr. Zhou."

Zhou Yun nodded to the Shanxiao Squad members and took Su Jiaoning to the next examination room. While checking his pulse, he asked about the details.

Su Jiaoning’s eyes were red, but he was no longer as emotionally volatile as before. Instead, he narrated very methodically: "The lord of Nulong City is named Wang Jinze. He has been involved in crystal core extraction and transplantation for a long time. The lab is fully equipped, and he has a group of doctors. When I treated Kuiniu, the Shanxiao Squad didn’t know who was behind it. If I had known earlier, I would have been more cautious."

"I was drugged through my drink, and when I woke up, there were no wounds on my body, but I was imprisoned. Then I realized I could no longer use my psychic abilities."

He recalled while describing his current physical condition. Being a doctor, he spoke very clearly. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Zhou Yun looked up and saw Yi Qian holding some documents, cautiously standing at the door: "Dr. Zhou, Dean Qi asked me to bring these to you."

Su Jiaoning heard the familiar voice and turned to look. Both their faces changed: "It’s you?"

Yi Qian’s expression changed repeatedly. Zhou Yun asked: "Do you two know each other?"

Both looked as if they had eaten something unpleasant, but they were very tactful: "We are from the same school, but not close."

Yi Qian said obediently: "Senior Su is the favored student of Mentor Wu Yuru. We met during a project collaboration before. Is Senior Su planning to develop in Guixu now?"

He wisely didn’t dare to act up in front of Zhou Yun.

Su Jiaoning, who had fallen from a high position to being worse than an ordinary person, now had to ask Zhou Yun for treatment and didn’t dare to show any attitude: "That’s the plan. Junior Yi, where are you working now? Please take care of me in the future."

Zhou Yun asked: "How is your Mentor Wu now? With the Psychic Research Institute in this state, does she have a chance to reduce her charges?"

Su Jiaoning said: "I heard she was transferred to a different detention place, vaguely related to General Ye. I originally planned to return to Zhongzhou after the free clinic to ask the Ye family for help. But then the Psychic Research Institute was shut down, the person in charge was arrested, and I... barely survived, so I didn’t have time to inquire about her current situation."

Yi Qian couldn’t help but sneer: "Senior Su received Mentor Wu’s careful guidance, but when the mentor was in trouble, you inherited all the lab resources. Were you really sincere in wanting to save your mentor? The Psychic Research Institute collapsed, and now Senior Su is so adept at maneuvering, coming to Guixu, haha..."

Su Jiaoning’s expression changed several times, but he didn’t argue and held back his anger: "Junior Yi didn’t participate much in the institute’s projects and doesn’t understand the situation. You have misunderstood me. I have been running around trying to find ways to exonerate or reduce my mentor’s sentence."

Yi Qian smiled: "Is that so?" His face clearly showed disbelief.

Seeing the two of them being hypocritical, Zhou Yun couldn’t stand it: "Leave the documents. Aren’t you supposed to be at Guixu Academy participating in the medical school’s establishment? Why are you here at the hospital?"

Yi Qian quickly explained, "The medical department at Guixu Academy is still gearing up for its opening. Today, I’m here to drop off the project and interns for registration, and incidentally brought the previous project materials to the dean. The dean said you were here and intended to have them sent to you for review. Seeing the dean was very busy, I volunteered to bring them to the consultation room." Only the consultation room was accessible to him; he couldn’t enter the office floors of Zhou Yun and Yao Huan.

Zhou Yun tapped the desk, "Leave them here, you may go."

Yi Qian left without saying another word.

After finishing the diagnosis for Su Jiaoning, Zhou Yun said, "You’re in decent shape. I heard from Kexin that you were already at the fourth level before, and your physical condition was quite good. The surgery performed by the other party was also very precise. They immediately treated you with light psychics after removing the crystal core, so your vitality wasn’t much harmed. But with the loss of the crystal core and the depletion of psychic abilities, your body will gradually weaken. Take care of yourself, try to eat more psychic food and take health supplements, practice Ba Duan Jin diligently, and see if there’s a chance."

Su Jiaoning asked, "If I can find my light crystal core like Captain Kuiniu and transplant it back in time, is there a chance for recovery?" He looked at Zhou Yun with some urgency. Zhou Yun replied, "After the crystal core is removed, its energy becomes mixed. Transplanting it back is very risky, but you can try to find it first. Kuiniu’s current condition is not good."

A spark of hope lit up Su Jiaoning’s eyes, "I will try my best!"

Zhou Yun didn’t say much, just wrote him a prescription, "Go get the medicine." In his past life, both he and Wu Yuru had vanished, probably having long become the prey of the powerful. When he welcomed Guan Yuanfeng back, including General Tan, they initially thought the Psychic Research Institute might improve Guan Yuanfeng’s amputation situation.

They underestimated human nature. Although he had changed everything and the Psychic Research Institute had collapsed, Su Jiaoning still hadn’t escaped the fate of having his crystal core removed.

Su Jiaoning didn’t dare to reminisce about old times in front of him and thanked him a few times before leaving the consultation room. It seems many people can read the room, but back then, as a valued light psychic from the Psychic Research Institute, he was popular everywhere, and being from a powerful family, he didn’t need to please or accommodate others’ feelings.

Times have changed, and with the shift in status, these people quickly recognized their place and adjusted their attitudes.

===

In the ward, Kuiniu woke up, understood the situation from Qingluan and the others, and after some thought, said, "Let’s rent a place for now. This area seems pretty nice. It’s already snowing in the north, and it’s going to get harder. But there’s no need to decide to settle down immediately for my sake. Let’s rent for now. I heard that Guixu doesn’t offer any benefits to psychics, and taxes are levied on visiting psychics as usual, which might not be beneficial for our future development."

Baize, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, "I heard them discussing today that a psychic abilities competition is to be organized in September, and there will likely be many psychics pouring in here. It’s said that if you win a prize in the competition, you can settle here tax-free and even take up some psychic positions."

The others were attracted, "Really?"

Baize said, "Yes, several psychics mentioned it. They said some guilds and large teams have already received verbal invitations. I heard there will be individual and team competitions, and they are soliciting opinions on the scoring rules for the arena."

Bi Fang was eager, "Let’s go check it out! Should we form a team to participate? How do individuals compete? Is it against the same attribute or randomly drawn attributes?" He was somewhat disappointed, "September, the boss won’t be well by then."

Kuiniu comforted him, "It’s okay, I’ll guide from the sidelines. It’s pretty amazing—you’re saying he just used acupuncture? Now all my psychic abilities seem smooth, and I don’t feel any discomfort."

Qingluan said, "Dr. Zhou said you shouldn’t lose control over the next couple of days, but you must not use your psychic abilities. Take a few doses of medicine first."

Kuiniu nodded, "You all go have fun, just make sure one person stays with me each day to keep my psychic abilities in check." He looked at Bi Fang, "Especially Bi Fang, young people should have fun, it’s rare to come here."

Bi Fang said, "The food here is amazing—there are so many snack stalls and plenty of fresh fruit."

Zhulong laughed, "Guixu City is bustling with tourists, vegetable vendors, and businesspeople everywhere, old and young can be seen on the streets, many ordinary people. You can draw lots for blessings in temples, get your fortune told in Taoist temples, and there’s even a matchmaking corner in the park."

Dangkang teased, "Is Zhulong feeling a bit romantic? We all walked through the central park together, how come only you noticed the matchmaking corner."

Zhulong admitted, "I really want to settle down and start a family. Today, the marriage proposals hanging on the tree ropes, many girls are excellent, highly educated... If we weren’t tourists, I’d really like to try matchmaking."

The team laughed, the gloom that had been weighing on them lifted. Kuiniu looked like he could be cured, and being in such a peaceful and quiet environment, everyone’s smiles were much brighter.

Dangkang sighed, "Honestly, I love it here—it feels just like before the apocalypse."

Qingluan smiled, "The best part is that it’s like pre-apocalypse, a city where ordinary people can thrive, something even official bases can’t manage."