A Peaceful Morning Turns Chaotic
“Uncle Jiang, it’s almost 11:30. Time to clock out…”
As if they had set an alarm, the three girls started their usual routine of acting cute and pestering Jiang Fei the moment the clock struck the right time.
Jiang Fei shot them an exasperated look. But he was indeed planning to leave for the day. Even if the girls hadn’t reminded him, he still needed to eat, right?
Today had been a great day for him, with one good thing after another. Not only had he discovered that running a hospital could significantly boost his experience points, but he had also leveled up and learned the powerful martial art of Tai Chi!
On top of that, Lin Moli had given him a rough report on the morning’s revenue, which far exceeded their expectations. But the best part? Jiang Fei hadn’t needed to personally treat a single patient all morning!
The five talented graduates from Jin Cheng Medical University, whom Jiang Fei had hired, were truly exceptional. Their skills were on par with those of doctors at major hospitals, and they lived up to the generous salaries Jiang Fei was paying them.
Particularly impressive were Wang Xueyi, a disciple of the renowned Ge Fangping, and Gu Hao, a top student known as the “Medical Tyrant.” Their skills in traditional Chinese medicine were already at the level of competent doctors, and even Jiang Fei could see their potential.
As a result, the majority of the patients who came in were handled by these five doctors. After all, not every day brought critically ill patients seeking Jiang Fei’s expertise.
Thanks to the coverage by Chuan Shu Metropolitan Daily and the reputation Jiang Fei had built over the past few months, his name was becoming well-known, though not yet a household one. While some patients traveled long distances to see him, most still opted for larger, more established hospitals rather than Jiang Fei’s small private clinic.
This left Jiang Fei with plenty of free time, living a life of ease while still steadily gaining experience points and improving his medical skills. Life couldn’t be better!
“Alright, let’s go! I’ll cook a feast for lunch today to thank you three for coming to support me,” Jiang Fei said with a smile as he stood up.
“Yay!” The three girls cheered, their excitement evident.
To them, Jiang Fei’s cooking was already a gourmet experience. If he called it a “feast,” then it was going to be something truly special.
As they left the office and headed downstairs, Lin Moli, the newly minted “domineering” CEO, naturally joined them. No matter how busy she was, she still needed to eat. This, however, put the trio of Xia Xiaozhi, Xu Jing, and Tan Yuan on high alert. Lin Moli’s mature charm and confidence made her a formidable presence in their eyes.
Women, more than men, tend to form tight-knit groups and are quick to exclude outsiders, especially when those outsiders are as accomplished and beautiful as Lin Moli.
Xia Xiaozhi and Xu Jing exchanged glances but remained silent, leaving it to Tan Yuan to step forward. “Sister Lin, you looked really busy earlier. Don’t you have a short lunch break? It’ll take a while for us to go home and cook with Uncle Jiang. Maybe you should grab a quick bite near the hospital instead?”
Though her tone was casual, the underlying message was clear: they wanted Lin Moli to stay behind. A less confident woman might have taken the hint and backed off, but Lin Moli wasn’t so easily deterred.
She smiled gracefully and, as if to assert her position, linked her arm with Jiang Fei’s. “It’s fine. I’ve pretty much wrapped up my work for the morning. I won’t be as free as your Uncle Jiang, but I’ll still have time for lunch.”
“…”
The three girls fell silent.
Usually quick-witted and resourceful, they found themselves outmatched by Lin Moli’s commanding presence. For instance, when Lin Moli linked arms with Jiang Fei, neither Xia Xiaozhi nor Xu Jing dared to do the same.
This dynamic carried over to lunch as well. The last time the three girls had joined Jiang Fei for a meal with Lin Moli present, they had felt overshadowed and unable to enjoy the food as freely as they usually did.
As they walked downstairs, Jiang Fei’s car was parked in a designated spot not far from the hospital.
Lin Moli, still holding Jiang Fei’s arm, naturally headed for the front passenger seat. But Xia Xiaozhi, with her short mushroom-cut hair and mischievous eyes, saw an opportunity. She quickly darted ahead and reached the passenger door first, turning back with a grin. “Sister Lin, I get carsick if I sit in the back. Can I take the front seat?”
Xu Jing, watching this, pouted and whispered to Tan Yuan, “Xiaozhi’s so shameless, making up such a lie… Why didn’t I think of that?”
Tan Yuan rolled her eyes and teased, “Big chest, no brains. That’s why you’re so slow!”
Xu Jing muttered, “Slow or not, men like women who are a little clueless. I’d rather have a bigger chest anyway.”
Tan Yuan glared at her. “You’re already so big, and you want to get bigger? Are you trying to make the rest of us feel bad? Can we even stay friends?”
She then glanced down at her own chest, the smallest among the three, and sighed. “Why hasn’t drinking all that papaya soup worked for me? My face isn’t as pretty as yours or Xiaozhi’s, and now my chest is smaller too. At this rate, I’m going to have to cut ties with you both!”
Xu Jing blushed and said, “Maybe… it’s just your body type. How about asking Uncle Jiang for a traditional Chinese medicine recipe to enhance your chest? I’ve heard TCM is really effective for that…”
The two girls’ conversation had taken a wild turn, spiraling into a discussion about breast enhancement. Of course, their whispered exchange went unnoticed by the others.
Lin Moli, seeing Xia Xiaozhi leaning against the passenger door with a triumphant smile, could only shake her head and give Jiang Fei a wry smile. She wasn’t about to physically drag the girl away, so she resigned herself to sitting in the back.
But just as Xia Xiaozhi was about to get into the car and Jiang Fei was preparing to drive, a motorcycle screeched to a halt in front of Jiang’s Medical Hall. Two helmeted men were on the bike, and the one riding pillion held what looked like a can of liquid—paint, perhaps, or something worse.
Without dismounting, the pillion rider stood up on the footrests, raised the can high, and hurled its contents at the clinic’s sign!
Jiang Fei’s sharp senses immediately picked up on the danger. Whatever was in that can, these bikers were clearly here to cause trouble and tarnish his clinic’s reputation.
Today was the grand opening of his hospital, and an attack like this could have devastating consequences. Even if patients trusted his medical skills, the association with what appeared to be gang-related trouble would severely damage the clinic’s image.
“Stop!” Jiang Fei shouted, his anger flaring. Without a second thought, he rushed forward, determined to stop the two men.