Chapter 350: Chapter 350: Doctor Wu
["As Christmas morning arrives, my journey has come to an end!"]
[Maya's face appears on the black screen, and Tony's narration continues: "You start with pure intentions..."]
[Then Killian, shivering in the cold wind, says: "Exciting idea!"]
["Mistakes follow! Compromise!"]
[The Vice President is escorted out of the White House by two federal agents. Rhodes stands nearby, witnessing the scene.]
["We have sown the seeds of disaster for ourselves!"]
[Trevor is also arrested and brought to justice. Two special agents escort him through crowds of people and reporters constantly taking pictures.]
[Trevor doesn't appear frightened, but instead shouts excitedly to the cameras: "I'm Trevor Slattery, and I'm an ACTOR!!!"]
After successfully stabilizing the Extremis virus in Pepper's body, Tony began searching for a doctor who could remove the shrapnel from his heart. This momentous news immediately spread around the world, and everyone realized that Tony Stark would soon face a life-or-death challenge.
[Meanwhile, Dr. Wu sits in his office watching a news report on television: "Outside a hospital in Los Angeles, California, Tony Stark has been meeting with reporters."]
[From the photos and video clips displayed on the wall, it's evident that Tony had previously visited Dr. Wu in Switzerland while wearing his armor. There's a commemorative photo of him with Dr. Wu and a group of medical students.]
["According to our sources, Stark will face unprecedented challenges with this procedure! It could potentially result in irreparable damage!"]
[After viewing the report, Dr. Wu takes the initiative to call Tony while watching footage of their previous meeting. In the video, students count down excitedly as Tony launches into the air, causing them to cheer enthusiastically.]
[The call connects, and Jarvis' voice responds: "Good morning, Dr. Wu!"]
[Hearing this, Dr. Wu stands up and says in Chinese with a smile: "Please, Jarvis, there's no need to be so formal."]
["How may I assist you?"]
[Dr. Wu asks directly: "Where is Tony?"]
["He's currently attending to business matters. May I take a message?"]
[Dr. Wu doesn't mince words: "Tell him that for this particular procedure, he must come to me!"]
["I will convey your proposal and goodwill to him at the earliest opportunity, sir," Jarvis promptly replies.]
["China can help in many ways! Just tell me what you need! And remember, his body hasn't fully recovered yet!"]
[At Capital Zhongshan Hospital, an elegant nurse walks toward Dr. Wu's office while reviewing medical documents.]
[Dr. Wu is pouring himself a cup of Pu-erh tea. Just as he takes a sip, there's a knock at the door. His assistant, Mr. Fan, enters and announces, "Dr. Wu, he'll be arriving soon!"]
[Hearing this, Dr. Wu rises and walks toward the door: "Understood. Let's prepare."]
[They begin preparations for the operation. Dr. Wu meticulously scrubs his hands, cleaning between his fingers as he explains, "If everything proceeds as planned, the operation should take approximately three and a half hours."]
["Time will pass quickly. If you feel tired, dizzy, or drowsy, please inform me immediately."]
[His female assistant nods distractedly: "Yes, of course."]
["I also need you to remain calm during all critical phases of the procedure. Keep your hands steady. If necessary, we can pause for a minute."]
[The assistant acknowledges the importance of this operation and nods again, "I understand."]
[Dr. Wu encourages her: "I believe in your abilities." Then, noticing her troubled expression in the mirror, he looks at her with concern: "Is something wrong?"]
[She purses her lips before hesitantly responding, "We... we all just want to be careful."]
[Dr. Wu repeats with surprise: "We?" Then he can't help but chuckle, asking: "What do you mean?"]
[The assistant finally expresses her inner concerns: "What if something goes wrong? The entire world would lose a great hero!"]
[Dr. Wu nods thoughtfully and says, "Yes. And the entire world would know who was responsible. Correct?" He clearly understands the consequences of failure, but this isn't reason enough to retreat.]
["I mean, we've never actually performed this specific procedure before, and during every simulation, all the patients... died!"]
[Dr. Wu narrows his eyes and whispers in her ear: "Perhaps you should upgrade your simulation software." Then he walks away.]
[The assistant raises her eyebrows, turns to watch Dr. Wu's departing figure, and sighs involuntarily.]
"It seems they're not entirely confident. This is an extremely risky operation! If it fails, the consequences would be devastating!"
Dr. Strange, who was originally studying mystical arts under the Ancient One, paused his training to observe Dr. Wu and his assistant on the sky screen.
He understood precisely how difficult this procedure would be. Tony had previously sent representatives to consult with him, but Strange wasn't as skilled then as he would later become, so he naturally declined.
Christine was aware of this situation as well. She had been the one who persuaded Strange to refuse performing surgery on Tony. However, she never anticipated that Dr. Wu would courageously accept this challenge—and ultimately succeed.
Without that success, Tony wouldn't have lived to witness the coming conflict and make his ultimate sacrifice to save the universe!
["I stabilized the Extremis virus in Pepper's body as promised. It required considerable effort."]
["Then I thought, why stop there? Some might say moving forward is risky, but I'd wager those people don't have to live with a chest full of shrapnel. Now, neither do I!"]
[Dr. Wu dons his surgical mask as Tony lies shirtless on the operating table. The assistant carefully places a respirator over Tony's face.]
[Tony gives a thumbs-up to Rhodes and Pepper who are watching anxiously from outside the operating room. With precise movements, Dr. Wu delicately extracts a piece of shrapnel from Tony's chest. As soon as the tweezers release it, the metal fragment is immediately drawn to the magnetic tray.]
["Let me tell you, this is the best sleep I've had in years!"]
[After the operation concludes successfully, Dr. Wu leans against the window in his office, speaking with Jarvis on the phone: "How is he recovering?"]
["I have reminded Mr. Stark that following the post-operative treatment you prescribed is crucial to his complete recovery."]
[Dr. Wu laughs and asks, "Does he actually listen to you?"]
[Jarvis responds calmly: "Occasionally."]
["Who else would he listen to? He has such grand ambitions! He is my friend—how could I ignore his needs? He takes care of so many others, but who considers his well-being? This was my responsibility." After saying this, he ends the call and sighs softly.]
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