Taoist Doctor - Chapter 42

Zhou Jinyuan was originally waiting in the car for Arthur. Through the car window, he saw Arthur talking with the reporters, then suddenly turn and rush towards him.

 

“What kind of doctor are you really?!” Arthur yelled at Zhou Jinyuan as soon as he got into the car.

 

Zhou Jinyuan looked confused, “I’m a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, without a specific specialty.”

 

Arthur: “Why do they say you’re a specialist in treating hair loss in China?! Aren’t you here to attend a pain management seminar?! You also treat cancer!!”

 

Zhou Jinyuan: “…”

 

“I didn’t…” Zhou Jinyuan started to refuse but suddenly realized that Arthur’s hair loss issue was a hot topic, and although he wasn’t particularly famous, the reporters had managed to dig it up.

 

Zhou Jinyuan looked apologetically at Arthur, “I have indeed treated many patients with hair loss, but I’ve also treated many other patients. I came to Country B specifically to share my knowledge on acupuncture for pain management. How about I help you explain it to them?”

 

He hadn’t been in Country B for long, so he didn’t fully understand the local context or the grudges related to Arthur. He only had a fragment of news, and didn’t realize the extent of the controversy.

 

This was not as simple as he had thought.

 

Arthur: “…………”

 

The fact that Zhou Jinyuan was indeed an expert in treating hair loss was shocking! Arthur had expected him to be a high-level specialist dealing with serious illnesses. Why, why was this happening?!

 

Despair began to show in his eyes. This time, he surely couldn’t clear his name!

 

Arthur leaned back in his seat and murmured, “No one will believe this…”

 

Now, Jessica would surely kill him.

 

Jessica was working outside, and he had brought a hair loss specialist home, ruining his reputation…

 

Seeing Arthur in such despair, Zhou Jinyuan started to panic a little, “Don’t be like this. There’s still a chance to turn things around.”

 

Arthur: “Why did you have to be a hair loss expert QAQ.”

 

Zhou Jinyuan: “…”

 

Zhou Jinyuan looked somewhat innocent, “Really, if you check in China, you’ll find many other famous aspects of my practice, like treating paralysis, speeding, and performing rituals…”

 

Rituals? Wait, rituals?

 

Arthur suddenly sat up straight, glanced at the reporters still loitering outside, “Hurry up, tell me about your, um, sect…”

 

…

 

The media outside noticed that Arthur had gotten out of the car again, and he seemed more composed than the frantic retreat he made earlier.

 

They immediately surrounded him, with some passersby curious and watching. They asked with amusement, “Arthur, have you figured out what to say?”

 

“…” Arthur shot them a resentful look from behind his sunglasses, then forced a smile, “Hahaha, this is all just a misunderstanding!”

 

“What misunderstanding? Arthur, why don’t you tell us about your condition? How severe is the hair loss?”

 

“Are you wearing a wig now? Or did you have a hair transplant?”

 

“How did you convince Jessica to accept your hair?”

 

“Everyone misunderstood. My hair really has no problems; it’s all natural, proper hair.” Arthur had no security or assistants around, so he pulled Zhou Jinyuan over and said with a relaxed demeanor, “You’ve really misunderstood.”

 

“… Don’t joke around. After avoiding us for so long, you come up with this response?”

 

Had he not called his PR team? Or had his PR team resigned in frustration?

 

Sigh, if they were in his place, they might want to resign too.

 

Arthur took off his sunglasses and looked at everyone with a serene smile. “Honestly, I was shocked too. I had no idea Dr. Zhou treated hair loss. I thought, oh no, I’m going to be completely misunderstood. But in reality, whether you believe it or not, I didn’t seek him out for medical treatment.”

 

Arthur continued, “I sought out Dr. Zhou because I’ve recently become interested in traditional Chinese religions, and Dr. Zhou is a practitioner of this religion. I wanted to learn from him about meditation, which helps me achieve a peaceful state, similar to practicing yoga.”

 

“Traditional religion? Is it Buddhism from China?”

 

“No, it’s the true indigenous religion, Taoism. Meditation, tranquility, cultivation, that’s it. It’s somewhat similar to Buddhism… well, maybe.”

 

Zhou Jinyuan whispered, “It’s not similar at all!”

 

Arthur nonchalantly replied, “Haha, yes, it’s more transcendent.”

 

The crowd turned to look at Zhou Jinyuan, who quickly produced photos of himself wearing ritual robes, showing Arthur as evidence.

 

In the photos, Zhou Jinyuan was at a ritual altar, holding ancient ceremonial instruments, and his robe was adorned with various Chinese patterns, giving a celestial, Taoist feel.

 

Age was not an issue; he had achieved success in medicine and could lecture as well. Success elsewhere only proved that the world was never short of talent.

 

But the reporters exchanged glances, honestly not very convinced, or rather, unwilling to believe it.

 

— Was this news as entertaining as Arthur’s hair loss?

 

However, they continued to ask a few more questions: “Arthur, is there some psychological issue that prompted you to practice, like being troubled by hair loss? This way, seeking Dr. Zhou’s help would serve a dual purpose.”

 

Arthur’s smile faltered, “That’s a different matter. Let me repeat: I didn’t know he was also skilled in this area. Think about it—if I were truly seeking treatment for hair loss, would I openly bring him home?”

 

This did make some sense. Though Arthur was caught on camera, he hadn’t been hiding.

 

Arthur took off his sunglasses, revealing a calm smile. The reporters had briefly been briefed earlier, and Zhou Jinyuan added, “In China, Taoism and traditional medicine are originally linked. My family has been Taoists for many generations, practicing Taoism before becoming doctors. You might not have found this information. Arthur doesn’t know much about my medical skills and only knew I came to share about pain management. In reality, Taoism has a long history and rich culture, and we welcome people from all countries and ethnicities…”

 

He continued to passionately promote.

 

But just then, a loud scream came from behind. A burly man pushed through the reporters, arms wide open, shouting, “Arthur—my bald-headed Arthur—”

 

Due to the crowd’s obstruction, he wasn’t noticed until he was close. Arthur had no assistants or bodyguards with him today, and his face immediately changed.

 

The man’s fan-like enthusiasm wasn’t matched by his choice of words, as only someone who disliked Arthur would call him “bald-headed.”

 

He was nearly two meters tall and leaped towards Arthur with a few quick steps—

 

At that moment, Arthur tried to retreat, but the reporters he had knocked aside quickly steadied themselves, and the photographer aimed the camera.

 

But they were too slow. Zhou Jinyuan reacted the fastest. He stepped back with his left foot, extended both hands forward, accurately caught the man’s hands, deflected his tremendous force, and then used the momentum to push him aside, gently placing him on the ground.

 

The man, who had leaped with force, felt as if he was pulled and released, sitting on the ground in an instant, as if he had jumped into cotton. He was stunned.

 

Before he could understand what happened and instinctively tried to stand up, a finger pressed on his shoulder, causing his right shoulder to collapse. “Ah—”

 

The soreness made it impossible for him to get up.

 

The scene of a small white rabbit easily tossing a big brown bear reappeared.

 

At this moment, Arthur had only just stepped back two paces, his panic not yet fading. He first breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly his mind raced, realizing, wait! How much can you actually do?!

 

He looked at Zhou Jinyuan in horror: “Are you trying to kill me?! How many skills do you have?!”

 

The crowd was initially dumbfounded, then turned their attention to Arthur: “Forget your meditation, huh…”

 

Arthur: “&%￥#@ I’m learning martial arts too!”

 

Zhou Jinyuan whispered, “Learning martial arts also requires a good mindset…”

 

But no one paid him any attention. The reporters, chuckling awkwardly, decided to end the interview to avoid being taken down by his personal physician and bodyguard—never underestimate any seemingly frail individual from China!

 

“Wait, let me say a few more words!”

 

—

 

“What’s wrong with Arthur?” Jin Chuo Xian looked at Arthur, who had wilted beyond recognition after just a brief outing. He was shocked, wondering if Arthur had been squeezed like this when he came to pick up Dr. Zhou.

 

Arthur, crouched in the living room with his face in his hands, was mentally defeated.

 

“You know, your physician is renowned in China for treating hair loss, even internationally…”

 

Jin Chuo Xian looked at Arthur and then at Zhou Jinyuan, who was standing by with an innocent expression. He suddenly realized and exclaimed, “Oh my God… Haha.”

 

Arthur: “Did you really just laugh out loud?”

 

Jin Chuo Xian did have a slight smile, understanding that Arthur was taking the blame for him. Outsiders would only think that Zhou Jinyuan was Arthur’s physician, and they would only assume it was for treating hair loss.

 

Given that Arthur was surrounded by rumors of hair loss and Zhou Jinyuan held the miraculous hair growth solution, it was no surprise. Even Arthur himself doubted his hair when he found out.

 

“The worst part is, he even knows martial arts! I should have just explained that I was learning meditation from him!” Arthur lamented, feeling that his luck had hit rock bottom that day!

 

He couldn’t even blame Zhou Jinyuan! If it hadn’t been for Zhou’s intervention, who knows what might have happened…

 

Arthur was deeply disheartened.

 

This situation was practically doomed from the moment Zhou Jinyuan stepped into his home. Arthur had hoped he could at least partially refute the claims… even though the media would never let it go.

 

“Otherwise, you should announce my condition,” Jin Chuo Xian suddenly suggested.

 

Arthur snapped out of his despair, looked at him in surprise, but quickly shook his head. “No, you, you’d be disturbed.”

 

Jin Chuo Xian’s serious illness was unknown to the public. If it got out, it would not only clear Arthur’s hair loss crisis but also disturb Jin Chuo Xian’s life.

 

Jin Chuo Xian never liked excessive attention. As Arthur’s friend, he grit his teeth and chose to take the blame himself…

 

“Wait, I need to make a call to my PR team. For now, I’ll have to insist that I’m learning something else from Dr. Zhou…” Arthur retreated to his room to video call his public relations team.

 

—

 

After Arthur went inside, Zhou Jinyuan received a call from Zhao Yanyan.

 

“Dr. Zhou—Dr. Zhou—!!”

 

Zhou Jinyuan moved the phone a little further away. “What’s up?”

 

The media spread the news faster than he imagined. The reporters had been ecstatic once they confirmed Zhou Jinyuan’s identity.

 

The subsequent episode was insignificant. Who would believe that Arthur sought a baldness specialist for something else? It couldn’t be martial arts or meditation!

 

“You’re at Arthur’s place—so you’re there to treat him—”

 

Zhou Jinyuan: “Ms. Zhao, calm down. I’m not there to treat his hair. His hair is fine.”

 

Zhao Yanyan: “Got it!!!”

 

Zhou Jinyuan sighed in relief. “Yes, that’s right. I’ll be a little late getting back today.”

 

Zhao Yanyan: “Alright, Dr. Zhou, you’re really as caring and professional as everyone says! Don’t worry, I’m on your side!”

 

She hung up.

 

Zhou Jinyuan: “…………”

 

He suddenly understood why Arthur was so desperate. At that moment, Zhou realized that even if people knew it was fake, they would still be fascinated by stories written by emergency centers.

 

People generally only believe what they want to believe…

 

It was really unfair for Arthur, taking such a heavy burden for the sake of a friend.

 

—

 

“Xiao Zhou’s back.” Dr. Xu, in the same room, greeted Zhou Jinyuan with a wink. “Finished with your work? Don’t worry, we didn’t say anything when reporters asked.”

 

Zhou Jinyuan: “…”

 

Zhou Jinyuan tentatively asked, “Dr. Xu, do you believe that Arthur really doesn’t have hair loss?”

 

Dr. Xu: “I believe it!”

 

He winked playfully, still somewhat cheeky.

 

Zhou Jinyuan: “…”

 

He hesitated to continue, eventually saying, “He didn’t even know I was a baldness specialist…”

 

It was really quite unjust.

 

Zhou Jinyuan wanted to say more, but Dr. Xu had already left. “Xiao Zhou, I’m going to play chess now.”

 

…Forget it.

 

—

 

In reality, information spread even faster than Zhou Jinyuan anticipated.

 

Arthur was very popular in Country B. The scandal about his hair involved so much drama that the news quickly made its way back to China through overseas students.

 

At this time, it was still early in China, a time when people were active after work or school.

 

Arthur wasn’t widely known in China, but he had appeared in some international films. People recognized him as a handsome and popular foreign star.

 

The key point was that the doctor involved was from Haizhou, not practicing abroad but teaching. He worked at Haizhou’s Third Hospital.

 

The Haizhou Baldness Specialty Hospital, despite its previously criticized name, had gained fame. Now, with Arthur’s case, the hospital seemed even more reputable.

 

The hospital’s naming standards had once been harshly criticized. If it weren’t a legitimate hospital, who knows what people would have said.

 

Now, everyone thought that previous endorsements from programmers and writers praising the “Invincible Hair Growth Solution” might be true, not just false advertising—even if the name of the product sounded like a magic pill.

 

Taking advantage of the situation, many people who saw the news excitedly posted about their own “Invincible Hair Growth Solution”:

 

【Please tell me, did I just get the same product as the star…】

 

【Suddenly using Arthur’s product?!】

 

【No way, does Arthur even know that the product he’s using is called Invincible Hair Growth Solution? How is that translated?】

 

【I can finally battle those who said I used a product without credentials! This is produced by an international expert!】

 

【I’m laughing, Arthur’s still claiming he’s learning martial arts?】

 

【No, the doctor actually knows martial arts. There were overseas patients who blogged about him subduing a big man, like a little bunny taking down a bear.】

 

【emmmm I can’t believe this.】

 

【I saw foreign media showing Arthur’s bald photos compared to his movie stills. The impact is huge, definitely named “The Effect of Hair on Looks.”】

 

【I was wondering why B Country made such a fuss over whether Arthur was bald. Didn’t B Country have bald people before… now I see the photos, I understand!】

 

【Seeing this comparison gives me chills. I want to make an appointment with Haizhou’s Third Hospital!】

 

【With this comparison, I would also question him about his hair loss! I was going to recommend the best baldness doctor to him!】

 

【The person above, he already has one.】

 

Arthur wasn’t developing in China, so the biggest beneficiary of this incident was—Haizhou Third Hospital.

 

The phone lines were instantly jammed, with the dermatology department fully booked, and people even started begging for appointments online.

 

It all happened overnight.

 

The hospital staff was dumbfounded, with Director Xiao and Director Xie speechless in their WeChat group.

 

Director Xiao wondered, “Although it’s a good thing, wasn’t Xiao Zhou sent abroad to spread Chinese acupuncture theory and share pain case studies?”

 

Director Xie: “Director, you’ll get used to it…”

 

—