plumnovel Chapter 14 Genoa's Top Internet Celebrity
Chapter 14 Genoa's Top Internet Celebrity
On March 1, 1878, thousands of people gathered at the Doria family estate.
The place was packed with people—reporters, patients, and onlookers—all crowding around the door, waiting.
The crowd stirred.
"They're out!"
Someone shouted.
"He really is an Asian."
The door was gently pushed open, and Federico was the first to step out.
Then, Liu Yide slowly walked out.
The clothes he was wearing were prepared for him by Federico, and it must be said that, as a nobleman, Federico was very good at handling such matters.
They prepared a whole set of clothes for him overnight. When it comes to serving people, the nobles are still the best!
Liu Yide stepped out of the room with a smile on his face, quietly looking at the people in front of him.
The steps in front of the door were already packed with people. A dozen or so reporters, mostly from local Genoa newspapers, held up pens and paper and squeezed into the front row. Their eyes were full of urgency, and they held pens as if they were ready to write everything down at any moment.
Behind the reporter were passersby who had rushed over after hearing the news, forming a dense crowd several layers deep, with some standing on tiptoe and others craning their necks.
All their eyes were fixed on Liu Yide on the steps.
"Is it him?"
"He's the one who cured syphilis?"
People whispered amongst themselves, their voices filled with curiosity. Among the crowd were many patients infected with syphilis. In the past, they had never believed that anyone in the world could cure syphilis, but now, hope was within reach.
Therefore, compared to others, their gazes were more fervent, fixed intently on Liu Yide—after all, he was their only hope for salvation.
Perhaps because of nervousness, they even became careful with their breathing.
All of this happened in an instant.
As soon as Liu Yide stood in the middle of the steps, before he could even speak, the reporters erupted in a cacophony of voices, waving their hands and shouting:
"Sir, Mr. Louis, how did you cure your syphilis?"
"Mr. Louis, what kind of miraculous medicine did you use to overcome this incurable disease?!"
"Mr. Louis, what medicine did you use to treat your syphilis? Do you still have any of it?"
"Sir, do you still have any medicine?"
"Sir! I'm willing to pay a high price, no matter the cost!"
The scene was chaotic, and everyone was anxious.
The reporters' persistent questioning and the passersby's discussions intertwined, creating a noisy scene.
Liu Yide slightly raised his hand, palm down, and said in a not-so-loud voice:
"Gentlemen, please be quiet."
The moment the words left his mouth, the noisy scene fell silent instantly. Everyone instinctively shut their mouths, their eyes turning to Liu Yide on the steps.
Even the most eager reporter stopped asking questions, notebook in hand, waiting for him to continue. Someone was about to interject when they were roughly pulled aside by someone next to them, who whispered a reprimand:
"Shut up, you idiot! Listen to Mr. Louis! Don't keep everyone waiting!"
They're all so obedient!
Isn't it said that Italians are disorganized and undisciplined?
Although somewhat unexpected, Liu Yide was still quite satisfied, and then he said:
"Although I am a chemist, I have not invented a cure for syphilis."
"What?"
He was a chemist, not a doctor, and he didn't invent any drugs!
My God, what kind of joke is this?
One sentence plunged the scene into astonishment, and the previously quiet crowd erupted into noise once more.
The reporters were stunned, whispering among themselves, their voices filled with disbelief; the onlookers also began to discuss among themselves, wondering what Liu Yide meant.
"No medicine? How did he cure those sailors?"
"Yes, how were those sailors cured?"
"Is he lying?"
Looking at the chaotic scene, Liu Yide didn't rush to explain. He simply watched the people quietly until the chaos subsided somewhat before he spoke:
"I simply invented a treatment method."
"Treatment methods?"
"Mr. Louis, what is the treatment method?"
The reporters instantly perked up, pushing forward and their voices and eyes becoming even more eager.
After all, treating syphilis without medication is even more miraculous than using medication! This has even exceeded their understanding of medicine!
Almost instinctively, everyone realized—big news was coming!
"Mr. Louis, what kind of treatment is it? Could you explain it in detail?"
"Doesn't this method require medication? How could it possibly cure syphilis?"
"What's its operating principle? Can ordinary people use it?"
Faced with people's questions, Liu Yide simply smiled; he had no intention of hiding anything.
"Based on traditional Eastern medicine, I adopted the method of 'fighting poison with poison' and used fever therapy to treat syphilis."
"Fighting poison with poison?"
"Fever therapy?"
These two unfamiliar and novel words instantly attracted everyone's attention.
The reporters' eyes lit up, and they quickly wrote down the two keywords, their faces full of excitement—this was undoubtedly the most impactful news story, enough to cause a sensation throughout Genoa, and even the whole of Europe.
They swarmed around again, pressing for answers, their voices even more urgent than before:
"Mr. Louis, how exactly does 'fighting poison with poison' work?"
"Does fever therapy involve inducing a fever in patients? Why can fever cure syphilis?"
Are there any risks associated with this treatment? Can ordinary people use it?
Everyone looked anxious, even Federico standing next to Liu Yide was looking at him expectantly.
Looking at everyone, Liu Yide smiled:
"This treatment is effective for some people."
He then began to explain to them how this fever therapy works.
Actually, what he injected into those people at the Lucky Sailor Bar wasn't medicine, but ordinary distilled water, only diluted with blood—blood he collected from malaria patients in the slums. Injecting this diluted blood into syphilis patients would infect them with malaria.
This method may seem crude, but it's actually not crude at all—from a scientific point of view, it's fever therapy.
It's worth noting that this method of treating syphilis with malaria is a discovery that has won a Nobel Prize!
Although in the 21st century this treatment would be tantamount to murder, in this era it is a lifesaver!
"...The process of this fever therapy is very simple: first, the syphilis patient is induced to contract malaria, producing high fever symptoms; the high fever is used to kill Treponema pallidum and improve the patient's symptoms; then quinine is used to cure the malaria. In this series of treatments, malaria acts as a transition to induce high fever, ultimately achieving the effect of treating neurosyphilis."
In fact, this is also why Liu Yide did not choose to keep it a secret—because it is just a treatment method, not a drug, and there are no complicated formulas, just the simplest treatment process.
It's so simple that even a thoughtful person can grasp its secrets by simply chatting with the patient for a few minutes.
In this situation, keeping this treatment method a secret is simply impossible.
Therefore, Liu Yide's idea was very simple: to use this therapy to make a name for himself.
Fame is wealth!
With fame comes everything.
Just like those internet celebrities, without fame they are just ordinary people, but with fame they become internet celebrities who can directly monetize their fame!
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