Chapter Twenty-Five: The First Move

"Mr. Zhao, mind your words," came the warning.

Zhao Lei’s heart tightened abruptly. The calm expression on Ye Qiu’s face made his heart pound wildly for no reason. He wasn’t unaccustomed to the ways of the world, but Ye Qiu’s gaze was more intimidating than those of the big shots at business dinners.

Zhao Lei’s tone softened, timidly muttering, "I’m just anxious for us, that’s all."

"Mr. Zhao, just remember—my sister's reputation is worth ten thousand times more than yours."

Zhao Lei...

The words did have a comforting effect, but somehow they sounded rather harsh.

For several days, Zhao Lei watched Xiao Yuru diligently practicing surgery in her office. It eased his worries somewhat; even if he couldn’t invite a renowned expert, if Xiao Yuru truly succeeded with the facial reconstruction procedure, the hospital would never lack clients again.

Still, these people were being far too guarded; even he wasn’t allowed inside.

"Boss, some of your social media contacts have arrived."

The receptionist led two people into Zhao Lei’s office—a female livestreamer and a male cameraman.

The female streamer entered, fluttering her lashes and acting coy. "Brother Zhao, I’ve got a hundred thousand followers now. Shouldn’t you up my fee a bit?"

"I’m still at the top of your gift leaderboard, you know. Is this how you treat your number one supporter?" Zhao Lei glared at her, annoyed. They say entertainers are heartless, and this streamer was clearly obsessed with money, despite all the gifts he’d showered her with.

"Brother Zhao, you’re a big boss, making big money. Not like us, just earning a living the hard way." As she spoke, she shook her stress-relief charms, emphasizing the hardship of her work.

Her smooth movements and flattery made Zhao Lei relent. "Just follow my lead later. Once you film the material, share it widely among your influencer friends."

"Don’t worry, Brother Zhao, I’m an expert at this," the streamer said, sticking out her tongue. "I’ll make sure our hospital’s plastic surgeon looks prestigious."

Remembering the lounge, which resembled a Western-style banquet hall, she swallowed. "Brother Zhao, are you planning some event here?"

"Event? Hardly." The question stoked Zhao Lei’s frustration. He’d been awed by Ye Qiu’s presence days ago, thinking Ye Qiu was some hidden heir. But several days had passed, and not even an industry peer had shown up, let alone a big name. Forced into a corner, Zhao Lei had to call influencers to promote the hospital himself.

As they spoke, the receptionist knocked again at Zhao Lei’s office door.

"Boss, Dr. Wu has arrived." The receptionist glanced at Zhao Lei, hesitant.

"Don’t beat around the bush, just say it."

At last, the receptionist said, "Boss, Dr. Wu brought quite a few colleagues from Linhai’s medical aesthetics community."

Zhao Lei wondered what madness had possessed him—trusting Xiao Yuru to the extent of risking offense to all his Linhai peers.

"Let’s go have a look."

He had originally invited a few peers for support, but they had changed their minds at the last minute, some even switching allegiance to Duan Jijin.

Upon reaching the front hall, Zhao Lei saw that the doctor beside Wu was none other than Dr. Feng, who had previously turned him down.

"You doctors are early today," Zhao Lei remarked.

"We couldn’t wait to see the big-name guests you’ve invited, Mr. Zhao. It’ll be good to admire them up close," Wu replied, glancing around. "So, where are your guests?"

Zhao Lei’s face flushed crimson.

Dr. Feng chimed in teasingly, "Perhaps Mr. Zhao’s friends are stuck in traffic. Let’s wait a bit longer. Big shots usually make their entrance last, don’t you think, Dr. Wu?"

"Dr. Feng is right," Wu said mockingly, looking at Zhao Lei. "No need to be nervous, Xiao Zhao. We’ll wait for you."

Zhao Lei wished he could crawl into a hole. These junior doctors used to address him as Mr. Zhao, and when they were isolated at their hospitals and wanted to switch jobs, he welcomed them. Now, after cozying up to Duan Jijin, not only did they disregard him, they dared to call him Little Zhao.

As they spoke, Duan Jijin and his party arrived at the hospital.

Duan Jijin hung back slightly, while the center of attention was a man of about fifty.

"Director Lin, this is Mr. Zhao. Mr. Zhao, meet Lin Youze, director of Taishan Hospital."

A collective gasp escaped the doctors.

Taishan Hospital—renowned as the choice of high officials, its reputation rivaling even the capital’s top hospitals.

"And he’s the deputy director," someone added.

Lin Youze smiled and waved, evidently pleased by the title.

Sweat appeared on Zhao Lei’s brow.

"Mr. Zhao, this is Professor Chen from Linhai Medical College, and Director Ge from Linhai First Hospital," Duan Jijin introduced, his aura growing stronger.

He glanced about, feigning casual interest. "Mr. Zhao, where are your guests?"

Wu picked up the mockery, "Traffic jam, right, Mr. Zhao?"

"Ah, a traffic jam?" Duan Jijin pretended to understand. "Mr. Zhao, surely you notified them ahead of time? How could you let experts waste their precious time stuck on the road? Do you know what time means to those of us in research?"

Turning to his assistant, Duan Jijin asked, "Where is Professor Park now?"

The assistant quickly answered, "Professor Park and other scholars are on their way. We’ve coordinated with the traffic authorities. Not only is Professor Park coming, but members of the Snake Institute from the Beautiful Country are also en route—they’re working on gene recoding. Oh, and the superstar Lee Tae-jae from Korea is in the car as well. The city is paying close attention; someone is clearing the way for them."

"Lee Tae-jae? He’s a world-class celebrity," Duan Jijin noted, pretending to be unconcerned. "The city should indeed give this priority."

The assistant added, "Our own trending idol Du Xi heard Lee Tae-jae is coming and insisted on joining to meet his idol. He even invited top stars Jia Teng and Shen Jing."

"Wow, that’s sure to attract plenty of fans and journalists," Duan Jijin said, looking at Zhao Lei with feigned difficulty. "Mr. Zhao, your venue is much too small. Is there a larger space? With all these celebrities and professors arriving, there’s no room to even step inside, not to mention the headache for security."

Zhao Lei was being squeezed relentlessly, his face now deep purple. At that moment, the female streamer he’d hired, upon hearing Lee Tae-jae was coming, immediately decided to switch sides.

"Did you say Lee Tae-jae is coming? The one from Octopus Game?"

Duan Jijin nodded proudly.

"Oh my God, I’m his fan! Can I get a photo with him?"

"Of course," Duan Jijin replied.

Just then, a tidal wave of screams from fans erupted outside the door.