Chapter 51: Medical Skills

Late at night, in an old storefront.

"Ah————!"

Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream, like a pig being slaughtered, rang out.

The sound was piercingly shrill, echoing through half the street.

The surrounding neighbors heard it but remained motionless, as if they had long since grown accustomed to it.

Inside Lin Fusheng's orthopedic clinic, a group of thugs, bruised and covered in blood, had gathered.

Because there weren't enough beds, these men were either sitting in chairs or lying directly on the floor, groaning and whimpering.

Most suffered only from dislocated joints or minor fractures, while a few had knife wounds that had already been bandaged.

"It hurts so much!"

One man, who had taken off his shirt to reveal a ferocious tattoo on his back, let out a scream while receiving treatment.

Seeing this, Lin Fusheng, wearing his reading glasses, quickly let go and comforted him patiently

"Brother Fei, my technique is already very gentle. You have to try and bear it."

As he spoke, he pressed down on the man's shoulder joint again, attempting to find the correct position to apply pressure.

"Ah—"

Brother Fei couldn't help but cry out in pain again

"Master Lin, are you getting old? Has your skill declined? It wasn't this painful the last time I came to you for bone setting!"

The last time? It hadn't even been two weeks...

Lin Fusheng complained inwardly but shook his head helplessly

"Since you're all so afraid of pain, I'll let my apprentice do the bone setting for you next. He's young enough."

Hearing this, the thugs shouted in dissatisfaction

"Your apprentice? Is he any good at medicine?"

"When did you take an apprentice? What's his name? Is he from Old Factory Street too?"

"If his skills aren't up to par, we're going to lose our tempers!"

Amidst the clamor, a clear voice suddenly rang out, reaching everyone's ears.

"It's me."

From the back room hidden behind a wooden screen, a young man walked out with a smile, rubbing his clean hands together.

Brother Fei and the others turned to look, all of them left speechless.

The entire room fell into instant silence.

This young man was none other than Fang Cheng, who had come to help out at the clinic.

"You... you..."

Looking at the "expert" walking toward him, Brother Fei's expression was a mix of shock and disbelief.

"Don't be afraid. My medical skills were personally taught by Master Lin. You have to trust me."

Mimicking a "white-coated angel," Fang Cheng gave a professional smile and comforted him softly.

Brother Fei, however, put on a long face and said

"Can I choose not to believe you?"

Of course not!

This was the first time Fang Cheng was attempting to perform bone setting on a patient with his own hands.

How could he give up so easily and admit defeat?

"Master Lin, these patients are too nervous."

Seeing the situation, Fang Cheng turned to Lin Fusheng

"I suggest we play some music; it should help ease their emotions."

Lin Fusheng nodded in agreement.

He casually turned on an old-fashioned record player, then turned to go to the back room to pour himself a cup of tea to stay alert.

The mournful, wailing sounds of opera immediately drifted through the room.

"The man is in joy, while the lady's heart breaks; only the moon knows this aggrieved heart..."

It was an operatic chant, weeping and pleading, trailing off with long, trembling vibratos.

It was a style difficult for young people to truly appreciate.

Fang Cheng thought it was quite nice and, feeling relaxed, began bone setting his first patient.

Perhaps because he hadn't found the exact position, several consecutive attempts failed.

The patient's shrill screams, paired with the sorrowful, plaintive opera, sent a chill running up the spines of the thugs in the room, making their entire bodies stiffen.

Watching their leader being tortured, they couldn't help but imagine it happening to themselves, cold sweat pouring from their foreheads.

*Crack!*

Finally, a crisp, pleasant sound of a joint popping back into its socket rang out.

Fang Cheng let out a soft sigh of relief and wiped away his cold sweat.

"There, the first one is a success."

Master Lin walked over carrying his tea and asked with a smile

"How is it? How is my new apprentice's skill?"

"Heh, it's... alright..."

Brother Fei, now sitting in a chair, wore an expression of sour relief, as if he had just survived a catastrophe.

"You flatter me."

Receiving praise from a patient gave Fang Cheng a great sense of achievement.

He rubbed his hands together and turned to look at the others.

"Who's next?"

Although Fang Cheng's smile appeared kind and approachable, the group of thugs felt a sense of creeping dread.

No one spoke, and no one raised a hand.

Seeing this, Fang Cheng nodded with a smile and stepped toward the next chosen victim—correction, patient.

However, there was no need for them to be discouraged.

As Fang Cheng's technique gradually became more proficient, the patients further down the line actually suffered less.

Bone setting is a traditional medical art with a long history; it targets fractures and dislocations to accelerate the recovery of normal bone shape and function.

The primary techniques include pushing, pulling, pressing, and kneading.

While working busily, two notification messages suddenly floated in the air.

【You have practiced bone setting techniques and successfully mastered a medical skill】

【Skill Unlocked: Bone Setting Lv.0 (0/100)】

Looking at the pale blue light screen that only he could see, the corners of Fang Cheng's mouth curled up slightly.

How could he not feel invigorated and motivated after successfully mastering a skill that could be used to treat himself?

With even greater enthusiasm, he threw himself into this great work of saving lives.

These thugs were truly in luck tonight.

Their injuries were being effectively treated one after another.

The number of people whimpering decreased by more than half, and they even began chatting with each other, occasionally cursing here and there.

From their conversation, Fang Cheng learned the reason why Brother Fei and the others had ended up in such a state.

It turned out that the underworld in East City had been quite restless lately.

A newly rising organization called the "Red Tiger Gang" was developing at an extraordinary speed, known for being aggressive, flamboyant, and ruthless.

Even some established large organizations were giving them a wide berth, not daring to challenge them directly.

Even the Viper Gang, which Ma Donghe belonged to, had been swallowed up; it was said that Ma Donghe himself had sustained serious injuries.

Ah Fei and his crew were just a small gang of a few dozen people, living under the protection of a larger gang.

Usually, they just guarded a venue, but tonight they had encountered members of the Red Tiger Gang sweeping the area and were caught in an innocent beating.

They were currently discussing whether to defect to the Red Tiger Gang if the situation turned sour.

Fang Cheng worked alongside Master Lin, performing bone setting, massage, and applying medicinal liniments. Before long, he had finished treating all dozen or so injured men.

As the uninvited guests departed one after another, the clinic returned to its quiet state.

It was well past 10:00 PM.

Fang Cheng did not go home immediately; instead, he helped clean up and tidy the tables and chairs.

The shop maintained an old-fashioned style from the 1950s or 60s.

The pieces of furniture were made of dark solid wood, polished to a sheen by years of use.

In the center stood a long altar carved with dragons and phoenixes, upon which a shrine was placed, burning with incense and candles.

After Lin Fusheng replenished the incense in the shrine, he prepared to close up for the night.

He turned to look at Fang Cheng and explained

"In our line of work, we often deal with all sorts of social drifters and criminals."

"Ah Cheng, you have talent. Study hard, mind your own business, and master a craft. It won't go wrong in the end."

Fang Cheng nodded with a sincere expression.

Master Lin didn't even need to say this; Fang Cheng had come to this clinic to volunteer specifically with the goal of mastering medical skills.

Now that he had successfully unlocked the "Bone Setting" skill, perhaps he could follow Master Lin to learn other medical arts in the future, such as acupuncture or massage.