170: Chapter 170 is out, and the lightbulb candy is finally here!

Three minutes were up.

Lu Chen observed the teenager's oral condition again.

The lidocaine had taken effect; the spasms in the bilateral masseter muscles had significantly eased, and the teenager's facial expression was not as painful as before.

"Does your mouth feel a bit looser?"

The teenager tried moving his jaw, then nodded.

"Good. Now listen to my instructions. When I count to three, try your best to lower your chin. Don't bite down hard; just relax and let your mouth open naturally a little wider. Can you do that?"

The teenager nodded.

Lu Chen held both sides of the teenager's mandible with his left hand, while his right thumb and index finger gripped the small stick of the lightbulb candy sticking out.

"One, two, three."

The teenager cooperated by relaxing his jaw.

At the same time, Lu Chen's left hand applied a precise downward guiding force at the position of the bilateral temporomandibular joints, helping the condyles slide further out of the mandibular fossae, increasing the opening of his mouth.

His right hand held the stick and began to extract the lightbulb candy with a subtle rotational angle.

It wasn't a direct, forceful pull.

He first tilted the lightbulb candy slightly to the left by about fifteen degrees, allowing the sphere's maximum diameter to avoid the narrowest cross-section of the dental arches.

Then, he smoothly pulled it out.

The surface of the sphere had become very slippery due to lubrication from saliva, sliding smoothly through the gap between the inner wall of the mouth and the teeth.

One second.

The lightbulb candy was extracted in one piece.

The teenager's mouth finally closed.

"Ahhhhh, it's finally out!"

The teenager's voice was hoarse, but filled with the ecstasy of having survived a disaster.

His mother slapped him on the back of the head.

"You still have the nerve to yell? Go home and write me a three-thousand-word self-reflection!"

"Mom, can you stop hitting me first? My mouth is still bleeding."

"Serves you right!"

Lu Chen threw the lightbulb candy into the medical waste bin and then checked the teenager's mouth.

There were mild mucosal lacerations at the corners of the mouth; they were not deep and did not require Suturing. Applying some ointment would suffice.

The mild edema of the tongue would also subside on its own.

The movement of the temporomandibular joint was normal, with no dislocation.

"Open your mouth; let me take another look."

The teenager obediently opened his mouth.

This time it was a normal opening, not the extreme stretching caused by the lightbulb candy.

Lu Chen carefully examined the inner walls of the mouth and the gums.

"The corners of your mouth are a bit grazed. I'll prescribe an ointment for mouth ulcers. Apply it twice a day, and it should heal in three to five days. Don't eat spicy or sour irritating foods."

"Okay, okay, thank you, Doctor!"

"Don't do this kind of thing again next time."

The teenager shook his head desperately.

"Absolutely not. You could kill me, and I still wouldn't do it."

His mother sneered from the side.

"Before I kill you, I'll confiscate your phone. Let's see you watch those short videos then."

"Mom!"

Lu Chen finished writing the prescription and handed it to the teenager's mother.

"Ma'am, his condition isn't serious. Just pay attention to his diet when you get home. If he feels any clicking or pain when opening his mouth, come back to have the temporomandibular joint re-examined."

"Okay, okay, thank you, Dr. Lu. You've really been a lot of trouble."

The middle-aged woman's attitude was much better than before.

After all, her son's mouth had returned to normal.

When the teenager stood up, he secretly glanced at Lu Chen.

"Doctor, are you that person who is very popular online, the one who stood in front of the patient to stop the thugs from coming in?"

"Mm."

"It really is you! My classmates have all watched that video; you're super cool."

"Go back and study physics well."

The teenager's face turned red again.

After the mother and son left, Xiao Zhang came over from the side.

"Brother Lu, how did you get it out? I looked up information for a long time before, and they all said that in this situation, you either wait for it to dissolve on its own or you have to use general anesthesia."

"General anesthesia isn't necessary. The key is to increase the opening of the mouth after relieving the muscle spasms, and then find the rotational angle to avoid the narrowest cross-section of the dental arches."

"How do you find that rotational angle?"

"Feel."

Xiao Zhang looked utterly devastated.

"Brother Lu, you always say 'feel.' How are we regular people supposed to live?"

"Practice more."

Lu Chen patted Xiao Zhang on the shoulder and turned to walk toward the Red Zone.

When he walked to the Emergency Department lobby, he noticed that the crowd watching had dispersed, but a few people were still watching the video they had just filmed on their phones.

He didn't pay it any mind.

He returned to the Red Zone, sat down, and continued reading.

[ Basic Theory of Emergency Medicine (proficient level): Progress 6/100 → 7/100 ]

It went up by one point.

That's how theoretical knowledge is; you have to chip away at it little by little every day, you can't rush it.

...

Twelve-ten in the afternoon.

Shen Xiaoning appeared at the entrance of the Red Zone right on time.

"Dr. Lu, lunch! Today it's tomato and scrambled eggs, garlic broccoli, and braised chicken wings!"

"When did you learn how to make chicken wings?"

"I learned it by following a video last night. It took two tries before I succeeded. You should try it."

Lu Chen opened the insulated lunch box and picked up a chicken wing first.

It was reddish and glossy with a rich, savory aroma. He took a bite; the meat was tender, smooth, and flavorful.

"Delicious."

Shen Xiaoning's eyes lit up instantly.

"Really?"

"Mm, you mastered the heat well."

"I knew you would like it!"

She sat down beside him and watched Lu Chen eat.

"Dr. Lu, I just heard from people in the Green Zone that you helped a kid get a lightbulb candy out this morning?"

"Mm."

"Does someone really put lightbulb candy in their mouth?"

"Not only that, the one just now was a first-year high school student."

Shen Xiaoning covered her mouth.

"Did he learn it from watching short videos?"

"Yes."

"Oh my god, don't those videos warn people not to imitate them?"

"Warnings are useless. Teenagers don't believe those warnings."

Shen Xiaoning thought for a moment, then suddenly said with a serious expression.

"I almost did something similar when I was little."

"What kind of thing?"

"When I was seven, I was watching a cartoon where a character stuck their head through the bars of a railing. I tried it too, and ended up getting stuck. In the end, my brother used soapy water to slide me out."

Lu Chen glanced at her.

"So you were pretty brave when you were young."

"I didn't know any better back then. I'm very rational now."

"Mm, now you just get up at 4:30 in the morning to make breakfast for others."

Shen Xiaoning's face turned red instantly.

"That's not the same! That's because, because I like cooking!"

"Mm."

Shen Xiaoning lowered her head, twisting the hem of her white coat with her fingers, her voice becoming very soft.

"And it's not for others, it's just for you."

Lu Chen's chopsticks paused for a moment.

Then he continued to pick up food.

"The tomato and scrambled eggs are also not bad."

Shen Xiaoning raised her head; the redness on her face hadn't faded, but the corners of her mouth were already curved upward.

"You only know how to change the subject."

"I am seriously evaluating your cooking skills."

"Okay, okay, continue your evaluation then."

After Lu Chen finished eating, Shen Xiaoning packed up the insulated lunch box and prepared to leave.

When she walked to the door, she suddenly turned around.

"Dr. Lu, I'll still be in the Red Zone this afternoon. If you need any help, call me anytime."

"Got it."

"Then I'll go change clothes first."

Shen Xiaoning ran away.

Sun Ji's head popped out from the Resuscitation Room side again.

"Brother Lu."

"If you say any more nonsense, I'll make you work overtime today."

Sun Ji's head retracted.