The man’s expression was serious. “This so-called TCM acupuncture chart you’re talking about—I see it as pseudoscience. If you cut open a human body with a scalpel, you won’t find any acupuncture points or meridians, only flesh, bones, and blood. There is no evidence proving these things exist. So how exactly are you using these ‘nonexistent’ elements to treat patients? In my opinion, acupuncture diagrams were merely an invention by ancient people to comfort themselves—it’s nothing but self-deception. It cannot be considered effective! Science has proven…”
Sophia wasn’t afraid of those who blindly opposed TCM. In fact, she found them easier to deal with than people who thought they “understood science.”
She had nothing against science itself—what she opposed was the arrogance that dismissed all forms of medicine except Western medicine.
For thousands of years, TCM had successfully treated countless people. It was far more than just a placebo. To claim otherwise was sheer ignorance.
The venue erupted into chatter. Many audience members, unfamiliar with TCM, appeared swayed by the man’s argument, their faces filled with skepticism.
Discussions broke out.
“He’s right, isn’t he? The human body only has blood, bones, and flesh. Where are the meridians?”
“So if we can’t see meridians, how did the acupuncture diagrams come about?”
Sophia, however, wasn’t in a hurry to refute him. Instead, she smiled and said, “How about this? Would you mind coming up on stage? I’d like to demonstrate something.”
The man, his expression stern, walked onto the stage. From start to finish, his face remained impassive, as if he were a warrior on a mission—to prove that TCM was nothing but pseudoscience.
Sophia pulled out a needle and smiled.
“You don’t mind if I insert a needle into you, do you? Of course, my technique is excellent—you won’t feel any pain.”
The man frowned. “Fine! Go ahead. But you’ll soon realize that acupuncture is just as useless as I said it is. Acupuncture does nothing for the human body!”
Sophia’s lips curled into a faint smile. She took out a fine needle, and before anyone could react, she had already inserted it into an acupuncture point on the man’s leg—then withdrew it just as quickly. Her movement was so fast that it seemed as if the video had been sped up.
“Alright! Try walking.”
The man frowned and attempted to move his leg—but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t.
“What did you do to me? Did you stab my leg? Somebody call the police! She’s paralyzed my leg!”
The venue fell into chaos, and the host quickly stepped forward and whispered, “Dr.Smith, what’s going on?”
Sophia smirked. “5… 4… 3… 2… 1!”
As soon as she finished counting, the man suddenly regained control of his leg. He broke into a sweat, staring at Sophia in shock before erupting in anger.
“What did you just do to me? Are you attacking me just because I said TCM is useless? I’m going to sue you!”
Sophia sighed, shaking her head. “Sir, weren’t you the one who wanted me to prove that TCM is effective? Well, I just did. Have you read martial arts novels? They often mention the ability to paralyze someone with a simple touch—this is called ‘acupoint sealing.’ Of course, those novels exaggerate reality, but they are based on actual TCM principles. In reality, acupuncture can temporarily block meridian points, creating a numb, immobilizing effect. This isn’t magic—it’s a well-documented medical technique. I used a needle to briefly block an acupuncture point in your leg, which caused a temporary loss of mobility. There was no actual harm done to your body. Now, do you still think TCM is useless?”
The man froze, unable to speak for a long moment.
Sophia continued, smiling, “When you were a child, did you ever experience toothaches, motion sickness, ear ringing, or inflamed tonsils? If so, someone may have told you to press on the space between your thumb and index finger—this is the LI-4 acupuncture point. Doing so helps relieve pain. See? You’ve actually used TCM techniques before without realizing it.”
The man’s eyes flickered, his gaze evasive.
Meanwhile, the audience murmured among themselves. After witnessing Sophia’s demonstration, they now believed in the effectiveness of TCM. Many even criticized the man for his arrogance.
After all, Western and Traditional Medicine were not in direct opposition—they should be mutually respected. Yet, before any Western doctors had spoken out against TCM, self-proclaimed “scientific warriors” like this man had already taken it upon themselves to do so.
It was unnecessary.
Sophia rarely bothered proving herself to people like this. Her philosophy was simple: “Believe whatever makes you happy.”
The man, embarrassed by the situation, awkwardly stepped down from the stage.
The competition then continued.
The next segment was pinch and pull massage therapy.
Pinch and pull covered a broad range of treatments. It could be applied to patients as young as newborns and as old as centenarians. In pediatric care, pinch and pull was particularly effective—babies with fevers, digestive issues, or colic often responded well to massage therapy.
The competition proceeded smoothly—until suddenly, a commotion erupted in the audience.
Someone shouted:
“A pregnant woman has fallen!”
The crowd surrounded the pregnant woman.
“Is she about to give birth?”
The production team had not anticipated such an event occurring during the competition, especially during a live broadcast. A pregnant woman going into labor on-air—how were they supposed to handle such a situation?
