Chapter 104: The Earnest Paranoiac!

Guo Renhuai was incensed by Qin Luo’s arrogant gaze and the words that had just left his lips. He knew that if he failed to put a stop to this reckless behavior, it would only invite greater trouble for himself. When the higher-ups came to investigate, he would be the one forced to bear the brunt of the consequences. It was rumored that Ming Hao, Secretary to Cai Gongmin, had already reported his previous attempts to block Qin Luo from attending the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) seminar to certain leaders at the Ministry of Education, and some had already developed a prejudice against him. Only yesterday, the university president had personally called him about this matter; he could not afford another misstep.

Guo Renhuai’s face twisted with fury as he stared at Qin Luo. "Public gambling! Do you have any idea how much of a negative impact this will have on our school? Who is going to take responsibility when the fallout hits?"

"This isn't gambling. It is a wager. A wager on the rise of Traditional Chinese Medicine," Qin Luo replied without yielding an inch.

Guo Renhuai snatched the credit card from his hand. "You’ve already put up a million yuan. And you still claim this isn't gambling? Furthermore, your opponent is a foreign guest visiting our university. If this is reported by the media, what kind of international scandal will it cause? You are a teacher at the Medical University; you don't just represent yourself—you represent our entire institution—"

"I don't represent the school. I only represent myself. I am wagering on my own behalf against another," Qin Luo interrupted.

The two men exchanged sharp words, their conflict escalating with every breath.

"It’s just a petty joke! Is it really necessary to be so serious? Is it necessary to use so much money for a bet?" Guo Renhuai asked, bewildered. The young man’s thinking was simply too naive. If people wanted to talk, just let them talk. What could it possibly do to them?

Qin Luo’s expression suddenly dimmed, his heart filled with an endless, overwhelming sorrow. It felt as if the strength had been drained from his body; his legs could barely support him. *Yes,* he thought, *this is the true mindset of the people.* Since things had already reached this point, what did it matter if others spoke ill of them? Why bother being so serious?

They were indifferent, cold-blooded, and detached. After all, none of this had anything to do with them. They wouldn't earn a penny less. As for the stigma—it was just TCM being insulted, not them personally. Why bother getting red-faced and raising their voices over it? Besides, the insults were directed at the entire field of TCM, not just him. If no one else stood up to refute it, why should he be the one to stick his neck out?

They didn't take it seriously because they didn't love it. For instance, if you truly loved a woman, could you tolerate others insulting her?

But Qin Luo was different. He was born into a family of TCM practitioners; from the moment he was born, he was bathed in herbal decoctions. His life, his growth, and his studies were all inextricably linked to TCM. It could be said that everything he was had a deep connection to it. His ancestors were practitioners, his grandfather was one, his mother was one, his father was a TCM merchant—and he himself was a practitioner. His dignity and his pride were rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

To him, TCM was not merely a means of making a living. It was an elder who had taught him how to grow, a friend who stood by him day and night, a relative who had silently cared for and nurtured him. He would not allow anyone to insult it.

Men like Guo Renhuai knew that the media reporting on a bet with a foreign delegation would cause the school to lose face. But why couldn't they see that if a foreign delegation insulted TCM and not a single Chinese person stood up to refute them, that was the true loss of face? Some things in life must be defended at all costs.

"I believe it is absolutely necessary," Qin Luo said in a low voice. He spoke slowly, each word landing like a heavy blow, yet they carried immense weight. "You may not care, but I do. You may choose not to take it seriously, but someone must. Three years—TCM will take the United States by storm. That is my goal, and I will strive toward it. If I fail to achieve this in three years, I will never practice Traditional Chinese Medicine again. I would not be worthy of it."

"You are being ridiculous," Guo Renhuai sneered.

"So what if I am? We need teachers with this kind of spirit."

"Exactly! Teacher Qin, I support you. We believe in you!"

"Is this ridiculous? Director Guo, if you could be 'ridiculous' just once like Teacher Qin, we would support you from the bottom of our hearts."

"Teacher Qin, we are proud to be studying TCM. We are proud because we have a teacher like you. You have given us a goal and hope."

"Teacher Qin, great bet! If you're short on money, I can ask my dad—"

The students in the classroom stood up one by one, expressing their support in various ways. Young people have spirit. This was not impulsiveness; it was a rare and precious quality. If the youth of a nation were collectively castrated, that nation’s future would be doomed. It was like football—if a team lacked drive and grit, it would always be listless, incapable of inspiring passion, and would never reach the world stage.

Guo Renhuai’s face turned from green to purple. He pointed at the students and cried, "He is being ridiculous, and you are all following suit!"

"Yes, we are willing to be 'ridiculous' with Teacher Qin," a student retorted.

"Fine. Fine!" Guo Renhuai was incoherent. He turned to the accompanying official and said, "Director Zhang, you see this. I cannot manage a teacher like this."

"I see it," Director Zhang replied, his face equally grim. Once the class was over, he would have a long talk with the school leadership about this teacher’s employment status.

Dr. Jack had been observing the exchange between Qin Luo and Guo Renhuai, as well as the students' reactions, occasionally jotting notes in his notebook. Seeing the students’ uproar and their dissatisfaction with his delegation, Dr. Jack closed his book and said to Qin Luo, "Teacher, I would like to say a few words to your students. May I?"

"No problem," Qin Luo nodded. Although he didn't know what the foreigner intended to say, since the request was made, he saw no reason to refuse.

Some things were better addressed through openness than suppression. If the man truly wanted to disparage TCM or mock him in front of the whole class—that was his prerogative. Qin Luo had confidence in his students. He believed they possessed the ability to think and discern for themselves.

Dr. Jack strode to the podium, scanned the students, and said in Chinese, "I am honored to be here in Beijing with so many young colleagues." He then fell into a long silence. After a moment, he added, "According to custom, shouldn't you be applauding by now?"

Laughter erupted. Everyone was amused by the old man's deadpan humor, and led by Qin Luo, the classroom burst into applause. Because of this joke, the atmosphere in the room turned cordial.

"To be honest, I didn't like Beijing. The city is too dry, and the air is terrible. When I got off the plane, I felt very unwell. I am grateful to your teacher, for it was he who used that miraculous—" Dr. Jack glanced at his notebook, "—that miraculous Taiyi Divine Needle to cure me. I am very grateful to him. He is a miraculous doctor, and he has changed my impression of Traditional Chinese Medicine."

"I love TCM, and I have always tried to study it. But I could never quite find my way in. Yes, it was as if a door was locked, keeping me out. For this reason, I always thought TCM was nothing more than empty talk. It wasn't until your teacher demonstrated his incredible acupuncture skills just now that I realized I simply didn't know how to use it. For this, I must apologize to my colleagues."

"Just now, there was some unpleasantness between your teacher and my companion. Hammer is not a bad man, but his thinking, like many others, fails to truly recognize the value of TCM. And frankly, the current state of TCM has yet to earn the respect of others."

"However, I know that Hammer is going to lose his trousers. Even though he is my companion, I cannot bring myself to bet on his victory."

"I envy you all. You have a teacher who is not only a master of medicine but also a man of noble character. His medical prowess conquered me, but his love for Traditional Chinese Medicine has won my respect."

"I have always believed that in any profession, if one cannot be serious and even obsessive, it is hard to achieve success. This is especially true for those of us in research. You can be sure that if Edison hadn't been an obsessive fanatic, would he have been able to try for the 1,100th time after failing a thousand times, until he finally invented the lightbulb?"

"No!" the students shouted in unison. They loved the foreigner’s words. Moreover, his admiration for Qin Luo was naked and unreserved.

Guo Renhuai’s face remained a mask of uncertainty. He had not expected that after such a farce, the head of the delegation would not only harbor no ill will toward Qin Luo but would actually heap praise upon him. *These brainless foreigners,* he thought. *They are truly masochistic. They aren't treated like human beings, yet they still happily run over to praise others.* Dr. Jack’s high praise for Qin Luo made Guo Renhuai feel deeply uncomfortable.

Hammer did not understand Chinese, but seeing the enthusiastic reaction of the students, he knew their leader must have said something encouraging.

"I believe that under Teacher Qin’s guidance, within three years, Traditional Chinese Medicine will take the United States by storm. I also believe that with the joint efforts of you, his 'obsessively fanatical' colleagues, TCM will surely take the world by storm."

"Your Teacher Qin possesses the power to inspire trust."