In the luxurious living room of the Zeng Family Estate, a man in his fifties or sixties paced back and forth. The uneven weight of his footsteps betrayed the deep anxiety and unrest within his heart.
This man was none other than Henry Zeng, the head of the Zeng Family Group. Nearing his sixtieth year, Henry had only one daughter, Yvonne Zeng, and it was easy to imagine how precious she was to him.
But now his beloved daughter was afflicted with a mysterious illness. Countless experts from home and abroad had examined her, yet not a single one could identify the cause—let alone offer a cure. Henry’s heart was already filled with despair and agitation.
No one dared to disturb Henry Zeng’s restless pacing; everyone understood just how anxious he was at this moment.
After more than half an hour had passed, a young woman hurried over, her footsteps quick and urgent.
"Sharon Xiao, how is Yvonne?" Before the young woman could speak, Henry Zeng rushed toward her, his voice trembling with a string of anxious questions.
The young woman shook her head, her tone subdued. "Uncle, Dr. Samuel Tong just finished examining her. He’s unable to save Yvonne."
Henry’s fleeting hope vanished in an instant, replaced by a heavy sigh. He had lived through this scenario countless times over the past two years—each time, hope blossomed, only to dissolve into disappointment.
“Please invite Master Tong for tea.” Though Henry was deeply disheartened, he still managed to speak politely.
Sharon Xiao shook her head. "He’s already left. He said he couldn’t bear to stay for tea. Years ago, his master warned him that his skills were lacking, but he refused to believe it. Now he finally understands that his master was right."
“What about his master?” Henry Zeng asked anxiously.
Sharon sighed inwardly and answered respectfully, "Uncle, his master passed away thirty years ago."
In fact, before Dr. Samuel Tong arrived, he had already told Uncle that his master was gone. But for the sake of Yvonne, Uncle had long since pushed all other matters aside.
"By the way, did Fei and Lana manage to invite Dr. Barry Dee? I heard Dr. Dee once treated a martial artist with a terminal illness." Henry paid no attention to Dr. Tong’s master or anything else he’d been told, his mind now turning to Dr. Dee.
"Uncle, we're back." As she spoke, Lana Yan entered, followed by Paul Pang.
"Lana, did you bring him?" Henry asked urgently.
Paul Pang hurriedly bowed, "Chairman, Dr. Barry Dee has passed away, but he has an adopted son and disciple named Joe Di. I saw his skill with Dendrobium officinale and was quite impressed, so I invited him here."
"Quick, bring him in!" Henry waved his hand to stop Paul Pang from continuing, unable to contain his impatience.
"Yes, sir." Paul Pang replied and immediately left the room.
Once Paul Pang had left, Lana Yan finally spoke, "Uncle, it’s not that I don’t trust this Joe Di, but he doesn’t seem very capable at all. He’s only in his early twenties. After we left the village, I even went back to ask around. They said Joe Di has always been a bit slow and dull, failed the college entrance exam several times, and isn’t very sharp. Since his master died, hardly anyone seeks him out for treatment. To have someone like him treat Yvonne, cousin, I’m afraid..."
At this point, Lana Yan didn’t need to say anything more.
Henry Zeng frowned, knowing he was grasping at straws. If Dr. Barry Dee himself had come, there might have been a glimmer of hope. But if his disciple was really as Lana described, then...
Paul Pang soon led Joe Di into the hall. Joe Di stood still, while Paul Pang quickly introduced him, "Chairman, this is Joe Di, the direct disciple of Dr. Barry Dee. Joe, this is the chairman of the Zeng Family Group."
Joe Di did not bow or offer any greeting; he simply nodded to Henry Zeng without saying a word.
The moment Henry saw Joe Di, his heart sank. The youthful face and somewhat dull expression matched Lana’s description exactly.
So many world-renowned doctors and medical experts had failed to cure Yvonne’s illness. How could such a young man... Henry couldn’t even finish the thought and shook his head privately.
Henry sighed and waved to Paul Pang, "Take Dr. Di downstairs to rest, and make sure he’s given ample travel expenses when he leaves."
Paul Pang immediately understood that the chairman wasn’t impressed with Joe Di. At this moment, he dared not say a word. He didn’t know Joe Di’s true abilities, and any extra comment could bring trouble. His only responsibility was to bring Joe Di here.
Just as Paul Pang was about to reply, Joe Di suddenly spoke up, “Mr. Zeng, let’s talk about resting later. I’d like to see the patient first.”
Upon hearing Joe Di’s words, Henry Zeng finally understood what Lana had meant. He had made his intentions clear, yet the young man failed to pick up on it and still wanted to see the patient. Did Henry Zeng’s daughter mean nothing? How could he let someone like this treat her?
"Leave." Henry Zeng’s face darkened, and with a wave of his hand, he didn’t bother to say another word.
Seeing Henry’s expression, Paul Pang quickly pulled Joe Di away before he could say anything else. Once outside the hall, he whispered, “Dr. Di, you almost got me into trouble.”
Joe Di looked at Paul Pang in confusion. “What do you mean?”
Paul Pang now wondered if he’d made a mistake in bringing Joe Di. He kept pulling Joe Di out of the estate, finally sighing, “Dr. Di, didn’t you realize the chairman didn’t want your help?”
Seeing Joe Di frown and about to speak, Paul Pang waved his hand. “Don’t ask me why. It’s probably because you’re too young—the chairman doesn’t trust you. I’m sorry, I did my best.”
“But earlier you insisted on inviting me, even though I said I wasn’t fully trained.” Joe Di was a little annoyed. He hadn’t wanted to come, but was persuaded, and now he wasn’t allowed to treat the patient.
Paul Pang spread his hands, “I’m really sorry, but I have no power to change the chairman’s mind.”
Joe Di shook his head. “It’s fine. But what about my entry to the Martial Arts Academy?”
Paul Pang looked even more apologetic. “The chairman is the honorary president of the Martial Arts Academy. Since you haven’t even seen the patient, I can’t recommend you to the academy now.”
Joe Di’s tone turned cold. “So you’re breaking your promise.”
Paul Pang was also feeling uncomfortable. Joe Di was young and lacked tact, yet accused him of breaking his promise. Still, since he’d invited Joe Di, he said, “If you want to go back, I’ll cover all your travel expenses. If you’d rather not, I have a friend at Jinhai Hospital—I can recommend you for a position there.”
Joe Di chuckled and said coolly, “In that case, this is where we part ways.”
With that, he turned and left. He didn’t need Paul Pang to recommend him for a job, nor did he care to say another word.
......
Henry Zeng sat by the bedside, gazing at his frail daughter. His heart was overwhelmed with sorrow.
Yvonne Zeng, now little more than skin and bones, opened her eyes. Seeing her father sitting nearby, she struggled to smile and said, “Daddy, did you go looking for another doctor for me today?”
Henry Zeng answered with guilt, "I’m sorry, sweetheart. Yesterday you told me you dreamed you’d recover today, but the doctor I brought—Dr. Samuel Tong—couldn’t help you."
Yvonne managed a faint smile. “Daddy, dreams aren’t real. Maybe I just want to be healthy so badly that I dream about it…”
She paused, her eyes remaining open and fixed on the ceiling. Perhaps she was dreaming of her own prince charming—a young doctor standing before her, gently telling her she would be fine and recover soon…
Maybe she was just tired from thinking, and slowly closed her eyes.
Henry Zeng stood up and rubbed his eyes. He told the nurse beside him, “Take good care of Yvonne. Notify me immediately if anything happens.”
“Yes, sir.” The two nurses standing nearby quickly bowed in response.