Super Doctor - Chapter 72

As Xu Ze had anticipated, his life recently had become rather unpleasant. No matter where he went on campus, people pointed and whispered. What unsettled him most were the hidden glares of envy from male students—cold, resentful stares masked by superficial admiration, sending chills down his spine.

Of course, female attention was just as overwhelming. Before the Lavilla incident, Xu Ze had never been particularly noticeable to girls. But now, wherever he went, clusters of female students would gawk and murmur:

“Wow… so that’s Xu Ze? Sun Lingfei’s boyfriend? I heard he knows hypnosis too. So cool!”

“He’s actually really good-looking… At first glance, he might not seem as radiant as Zhang Tianyu, but the more you look, the more attractive he gets…” A girl stared at him for a long moment before clutching her chest in exaggerated infatuation. “If only he played basketball too—then he’d be perfect!”

Another girl, bolder than the rest, studied Xu Ze before blushing slightly and adding in a hushed voice, “No wonder Sun Lingfei rejected even Zhang Tianyu. Look at his eyebrows, his eyes—so striking! And his nose is so straight and refined… Even his lips are kind of sexy. If he took off those glasses, who knows how much hotter he’d be?”

Xu Ze couldn’t help but feel a flicker of pride at their admiration, though it was mixed with embarrassment and resignation. “Sun Lingfei’s influence is even more terrifying than I imagined. Just being associated with her drags me into the spotlight. Now, no matter how much I want to keep a low profile, it’s impossible.”

True to his thoughts, Xu Ze’s name had skyrocketed to the top of the campus popularity charts. Staring at the university forum’s rankings—where his name now overshadowed even the student council president Li Yuxuan, “Basketball Prince” Zhang Tianyu, and the campus belle Sun Lingfei—he could only shake his head wryly. “In my three years here, I’ve never seen someone shoot to the top of the charts overnight just because of a girl. And now, that someone is me. Ridiculous.”

Meanwhile, rumors began circulating on the forum: Zhang Tianyu, after seeing a certain photo, had allegedly vowed to “teach that Xu guy a lesson.”

Xu Ze dismissed the gossip with a scoff. “A brainless jock like Zhang Tianyu, who only knows how to play basketball and flirt with girls—I could take down two or three of him with one hand now. ‘Teach me a lesson’? Yeah, right.”

Just as he was about to ignore it, an actual challenge post appeared—directly from Zhang Tianyu himself. The post was filled with arrogant, insulting language: “Pretty boy… gold-digger… country bumpkin… if you’re a real man, face me one-on-one… I’ll put you in your place.”

Xu Ze’s temper flared. He was about to log in with his long-dormant forum account to retaliate when he suddenly paused, then smirked coldly. “Fine. A one-on-one it is. You think I’m scared of an idiot like you? The quarterfinals are tomorrow—we might even end up matched against each other. We’ll see who teaches whom a lesson.”

With that, his anger gradually subsided. Watching the challenge post and the photo thread’s views and comments skyrocket, he chuckled dryly and sighed. “Looks like peace and quiet—whether in class or at work—won’t be easy to come by for a while.”

Still, a faint, confident smile tugged at his lips. “Well, if that’s how it is, maybe it’s time to stop holding back. Like Dr. Zhang said, young people should have some fire. Hiding in the clinic like an old man is just wasting my youth.”

The Quarterfinals Begin

The university had organized a grand ceremony for the quarterfinals, with several high-ranking administrators in attendance—proof of how seriously they took the competition.

Clad in the new Nike jersey and shoes provided to all quarterfinalists, Xu Ze stood with his team, listening to the principal’s lengthy, enthusiastic speech.

The annual basketball tournament was a big deal at Xingda University. Once teams advanced past the group stage, the school ramped up promotions and even allocated funds for equipment. The Nike gear Xu Ze wore was part of that privilege.

Standing among his teammates, feeding off their excitement, Xu Ze finally felt a sense of belonging—and his own anticipation grew.

Noticing his enthusiasm, Luozi clapped him on the shoulder. “Give it your all. I know you’ve been holding back, but now’s the time to cut loose. Let’s aim for the semifinals—or even the finals!”

“Don’t worry, Luozi. I’ll do my best.” Xu Ze nodded, then glanced at the Journalism Department’s team nearby, his eyes lingering on their cocky star player. “I’ve got some pent-up frustration to vent these days…”

Luozi followed his gaze and smirked. “That guy’s arrogant, but he’s got skills. Don’t underestimate him. Still, if you can humiliate him—even if we lose to Journalism—I’ll treat the whole team to dinner in celebration.”

Teammates Li Tianzhu and Jiang Bo overheard and chimed in, grinning. “Xu Ze, we’ve all wanted to put Zhang Tianyu in his place. If we draw Journalism, go all out. With your current level, you can totally crush him.”

“Take him down, and their whole team’s morale will tank. Beat Journalism, and the semifinals—or even finals—are wide open for us.”

Xu Ze’s lips curled into a confident smile. “Deal. If we face Journalism, I’m starting. That idiot’s been pissing me off. Let’s see what he’s really made of—I could use the catharsis.”

“Hell yeah!” Luozi’s fear of Journalism momentarily forgotten, he pumped a fist. “With that attitude, I’ll make sure we draw them in the lottery!”

A short while later, Luozi strode confidently onstage for the draw, while Jiang Bo and Li Tianbao exchanged nervous glances, silently praying: “Just… not Journalism. The defending champs are a nightmare to face this early…”

As Luozi reached into the lottery box, he locked eyes with Wang Zili, captain of the Hydraulic Engineering team. The air between them crackled with rivalry.

Last year’s quarterfinals had ended in a heartbreaking two-point loss for the Medical Department against Hydraulic Engineering—and Wang Zili had publicly mocked Luozi’s bold declarations on the school broadcast. Old grudges ran deep.

Secretly, Luozi wanted to draw Hydraulic Engineering, to settle the score. Journalism? Well… he wasn’t that eager. As his fingers fished for a slip, he muttered under his breath: “Even with Xu Ze, it’d be better to face Journalism in the semis or finals…”

His hand closed around a small yellow card. He froze.

A quick glance confirmed Wang Zili held a green one. Not Hydraulic Engineering.

Then he spotted a familiar tall figure holding another yellow card—and his face fell.