About half an hour later, Mei Yiqiu returned to the living room and gestured for Huang Liang to follow him inside.
Huang Liang, carrying his toolbox, followed Mei Yiqiu into the room and found that the carpet had been moved, revealing a square entrance leading to the underground. This reminded him of 1307 Sea Cucumber Street in Amsterdam.
However, most villas in Canada have basements, which are warm in winter and cool in summer, and many people like to live in basements, so Huang Liang didn't think there was anything wrong with it. He assumed that there must be a nicely decorated bedroom downstairs, but when he went down, he found that it was actually a fairly large laboratory.
The laboratory was divided into two rooms, front and back. Although it was filled with all kinds of equipment, it was very clean, and the temperature and humidity were adjusted to a suitable level, making him mistakenly think that he had entered a special care ward in a hospital.
Huang Liang heard voices coming from inside, including a woman's voice. He assumed it was Dickinson's family, but upon entering, he discovered it was a young Asian woman.
This woman was not only beautiful, but also possessed an indescribable charm. With just a slight turn of her head, her flowing long hair and lively eyes could make one's heart flutter.
Huang Liang paused slightly, then looked at Mei Yiqiu. Mei Yiqiu introduced, "Oh, this is Situ. Situ, we are collaborating on some projects in the life sciences field."
"Dr. Huang? My name is Situ Yuli." The woman extended her hand to shake his, speaking in fluent Chinese, "I've heard you're skilled in neurosurgery and meridian therapy. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Huang Liang was somewhat amused and exasperated. Looking at Mei Yiqiu, he said, "Professor, I'm just an ordinary doctor."
Professor Mei replied, "Oh, no need to be so modest. My body doesn't lie. I'm the most qualified to speak about what you've done to me and your skill level."
Situ Yuli said, "Yes, how could someone recommended by a professor be ordinary!"
Dickinson laughed and said, "I actually hope your skills are terrible, so I can announce to the world that even China Mei can make a mistake and invite a quack to treat his old friend! Ah, just thinking about it is so satisfying, and many people will surely be grateful for my dedication!"
Huang Liang felt even more uneasy after hearing their comments. He couldn't help but doubt Professor Mei's motives. She had only given him cupping, a few simple massages, and a few acupuncture needles on his shoulders and back to relax him. How could it sound like he was some kind of unparalleled doctor?
Mei Yiqiu said to Dickinson, "Everyone knows you've always been very dedicated, no need to say it out loud!"
Dickinson laughed heartily, "Alright, let's begin."
He had changed into his pajamas and lay down on the small bed in the room. The bed looked a lot like an operating table, but Huang Liang had no idea what he was going to do.
All three of them were staring at him, leaving him completely bewildered.
"Professor, you haven't explained exactly what you want me to do or what you want me to do with the book. What's wrong with Mr. Dickinson's health?" he asked.
Mei Yiqiu and said, "I think you could use traditional Chinese medicine methods to Charlie. Doesn't traditional Chinese medicine emphasize observation, listening, questioning, and palpation?"
Huang Liang said irritably, "I already said I'm just an ordinary doctor who knows a little bit of traditional Chinese medicine therapy. Okay, even if we're going to use traditional Chinese medicine methods to diagnose illnesses, you still have to give me some direction!"
Mei Yiqiu said, "There are some things I'll tell you later, and how much I tell you depends on your treatment progress. You just heard it yourself, Charlie's logical thinking ability is declining, but his memory is fine. You should start from that direction and take his pulse first."
Huang Liang felt that Mei Yiqiu seemed to blink when she spoke to him, but he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination. He wasn't good at taking pulses, but since the professor had said so, he sat down, took Dickinson's wrist, and pretended to take her pulse.
In fact, he could have hypnotized Dickinson at this point and then understood her body through dreams. The subconscious mind understands one's physical condition better than the conscious mind, and physical problems are amplified in dreams. As a doctor, he could naturally analyze the condition through various clues.
But Huang Liang was very cautious. He didn't want to reveal his identity and strength, because maybe that's exactly what they were waiting for!
After taking your pulse for a while, Huang Liang said, "Your pulse looks fine. If it's neurasthenia, it's probably caused by fatigue and stress. I don't know much, so I'll just give you a massage to help you relax."
Actually, what he meant was just to get a massage and call it a day, and finish the job quickly. He originally came to Vancouver to see Wolf, but he didn't expect to get this kind of job.
Dickinson rolled over, lay face down on the bed, and said, "Then I'll enjoy it."
No one else objected, and Huang Liang began to massage Dickinson. He first helped him relax the large muscle groups in his shoulders and back, and then began to push little by little, pushing upwards along the spinal joints one by one, and then downwards along the erector spinae muscles on both sides. In traditional Chinese medicine terms, this is called pushing and massaging the Du meridian.
While relaxing the large muscle groups, he felt something was wrong with Dickinson's back. When he massaged the cervical spine, he felt a hard lump on Dickinson's Dazhui acupoint. He pressed it with his hand and it didn't feel like a vertebral joint dislocation, but rather as if there was a foreign object inside.
"Does Mr. Dickinson have cervical spondylosis?" he asked.
Mei Yiqiu said, "It looks like we're about to be exposed."
Situ Yuli laughed and said, "No matter how sophisticated the surgery, it can't hide such a large chip."
"A chip?" Huang Liang's hand just touched the hard lump in Dickinson's neck, and he was startled.
Mei Yiqiu didn't explain the chip, but instead said to Situ Yuli, "Replacing the chip material with something soft, even something that perfectly integrates with human fat, is all achievable. The key is its working principle, which we still haven't figured out. The person who designed it is truly a groundbreaking genius; I really suspect it's alien technology!"
"Yes, the design of this chip was a mystery even in Laboratory No. 19," Situ Yuli said. "Back then, nobody knew who designed it or how the first-generation product was made. I wasn't a core member of the project, and I knew even less about the technical details."
"Are you sure everyone else is dead except you?" Mei Yiqiu asked again.
"I'm sure," Situ Yuli said, "At least everyone I knew who knew about the chip project is dead. So, when Qingmu handed me this chip, I was very surprised."
"Yes, I was just as surprised when you brought the chip back to Wuzhong," Mei Yiqiu said. "It's a pity Qingmu didn't return, otherwise there might have been new clues."
"Professor, there are two chips in total, both found by Qingmu. Don't you find that strange?"
"What? Oh... no, no, no, Qingmu is fine, I believe him. Perhaps, it's fate!"
"I don't doubt him; on the contrary, I'm willing to believe him. My husband also believes him, even though they seem to have never met."
Situ Yuli looked up at the ceiling light and remembered the guy with messy hair who looked lazy and honest, his old trench coat fluttering in the sea breeze before they parted at sea.
She said to him, "I'm entrusting Xingzhi's affairs to you!"
He nodded and simply said "okay," but to her it felt like a heavy promise, allowing her to return to Wuzhong with peace of mind.
"I always felt that Mr. Qingmu had already found my husband."
The night lights shone like stars, and she seemed to see Qingmu and Situ, amidst the countless stars, walking hand in hand against the fierce winds of the Milky Way...