Engineer Chen sat upright in a sandalwood armchair, his arms resting lightly on the armrests. Professor Shi first disinfected the three filiform needles, then casually picked one and, without even looking closely, inserted it directly into the Ganshu acupuncture point on the tip of Engineer Chen's left ring finger. His precise acupoint identification was awe-inspiring.

"Hehe, Old Shi, you’re still as sharp as ever!" Engineer Chen couldn't help but praise Professor Shi’s expertise.

"Just practice makes perfect. Anyone would be as proficient as I am after practicing Chinese medicine for over thirty years," Professor Shi modestly replied. Even as he spoke, he swiftly inserted the remaining two needles into the Tianjing and Sizhukong points on Engineer Chen’s arm. His acupuncture technique was smooth and seamless, without any hesitation.

The three filiform needles remained in the acupoints, fully activating the meridians along the Hand Shaoyang Sanjiao channel, enhancing the circulation of qi and blood. Taking advantage of this moment, Professor Shi took the herbal plaster he had prepared and applied it to Engineer Chen's left and right temples, securing it with gauze.

The plaster doesn’t need to be applied for long—one to two hours is sufficient. The medicinal properties will quickly be absorbed by the temples, and the plaster can then be removed.

After completing the procedure, Professor Shi pulled up a chair to sit opposite Engineer Chen and asked with concern, "Old Chen, how have you been feeling lately?"

"Sigh!" Engineer Chen let out a deep sigh, his mood turning melancholic. "Old Shi, my chronic headache seems beyond hope. To be honest, it's been flaring up almost every other night this past year, and each time it gets worse. I’m not saying your medical skills aren’t effective, but if even you can’t cure it, who else can I turn to?"

"I know, I know!" Professor Shi patted his old friend's hand, understanding the difficulty in treating chronic headaches, and tried to comfort Engineer Chen. "To be frank, I’ve been helping you manage it all these years, but this condition… it's hard to fully eradicate. Old Chen, I suggest you consider seeing a Western doctor; maybe brain surgery could help."

"I won’t go!" Engineer Chen waved his hand, his expression becoming serious. "Our Chinese medicine has been around for thousands of years, with legendary figures like Shennong, the Yellow Emperor, Bian Que, and Hua Tuo. Why should I turn to Western medicine? If Chinese medicine can’t cure me, I doubt Western medicine can either."

"You stubborn old man." Professor Shi knew his friend’s temperament. Just as he was feeling helpless, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Shen Xingkong, who had been in a daze, was still standing nearby.

Professor Shi suddenly recalled yesterday's practical class, where Shen Xingkong, a student new to acupuncture, displayed an incredible talent. Not only did he accurately hit the acupoint, causing the laborer to experience a strong acupuncture sensation, but he also cured the man’s long-term hearing loss.

If Shen Xingkong’s performance yesterday wasn’t just a lucky fluke, then there could only be one explanation… Shen Xingkong is a genius.

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"Shen Xingkong, come here," Professor Shi suddenly called out to him.

"Huh? You mean me?" Shen Xingkong snapped out of his daze and walked over to Professor Shi.

"I just explained how I’m treating Old Chen. Shen Xingkong, if you were to treat him, what would you do?"

"What?" Shen Xingkong almost dropped his jaw. He doubted his ears—why would a national-level authority on Chinese medicine ask him how to treat a patient?

Engineer Chen was equally puzzled, staring blankly at Professor Shi.

"Old Shi, you…"

"Don’t say anything yet!" Professor Shi interrupted Engineer Chen, patiently waiting for Shen Xingkong's answer.

"I… I don’t know how to treat him! Professor Shi, if even you can’t cure his condition, how would I know how to treat it?" Shen Xingkong could only be honest. Considering who Professor Shi was, lying would be pointless, especially since he was skipping class today.

"It’s okay, just think of it as a casual conversation. Say whatever comes to mind. If what you say makes sense, I can help you with the issue involving Teacher Gao back at school." Professor Shi dangled an enticing carrot.

"Oh, really…"

Shen Xingkong was tempted. He hadn’t returned to school by 1 PM the day before, and knowing how that tyrannical old spinster of a teacher operates, he was certain to fail this semester’s Medicinal Botany course.

In a three-year college program, others might graduate on time, but he’d have to study for three and a half years. And if that tyrannical teacher wasn’t done with him, who knows when he’d finally graduate?

Clenching his teeth and steeling his nerves, Shen Xingkong decided to go for it. After all, he was just a student at a medical school, and a student of Professor Shi no less. Even if he made a mistake, it wouldn’t be unexpected.

"Chronic headache… chronic headache…" Shen Xingkong racked his brain, searching his memory for anything related to treating headaches. Suddenly, something came to mind. "Oh, right! If it were up to me, I would massage the patient’s temples." Shen Xingkong’s eyes lit up like stars.

Shen Xingkong’s grandmother had passed away more than three years ago, but she also suffered from chronic headaches. He remembered how she would often massage her temples, saying it eased the pain. Now, seeing Professor Shi applying herbal plasters to Engineer Chen’s temples, he was sure this was the right approach.

"Yes…" Professor Shi nodded in agreement, then thoughtfully said, "Massage wouldn’t be as effective; acupuncture might work better. Shen Xingkong, how about you perform acupuncture on Engineer Chen’s temples?"

At over sixty years old, Professor Shi was known for his calm and cautious demeanor; he wouldn’t rashly suggest anything.

The temples aren’t part of the twelve main meridians but are considered an extraordinary acupoint, located above the outer corners of the eyes. They’re mainly used to treat headaches, migraines, and some eye conditions. So, Shen Xingkong’s suggestion of massaging the temples was indeed effective for treating headaches—it wasn’t just nonsense.

"Ahem, ahem, ahem…"

Upon hearing Professor Shi’s suggestion, Shen Xingkong suddenly started coughing—dry coughs, because he had no idea what to do.

He wondered if Professor Shi had gone mad, asking him to perform acupuncture on Engineer Chen’s temples. Did Professor Shi and Engineer Chen have some deep-seated grudge, and now he was planning to use him as a tool for revenge? The temples not only have therapeutic properties but are also known as fatal points. If something went wrong, Shen Xingkong’s life would be over.

But what Shen Xingkong didn’t expect was that Engineer Chen actually laughed and encouraged him.

"Hehe, young man, since your professor has so much confidence in you, why not give it a try!" Engineer Chen had known Professor Shi for many years and understood his character. Professor Shi would never suggest something without being confident in it.

"Uh… Engineer Chen, Professor Shi, I’m sorry, but I still have classes at school. I must be going. Goodbye!"

Shen Xingkong could no longer bear to stay with these two old lunatics. Having achieved what he came for, he decided to make a quick escape while he still could!