Although the Santana 2000 guzzled a bit of gas, lacked the comfort of newer models, and looked outdated, it had plenty of power and excellent handling. On good roads, it could easily reach speeds of over a hundred kilometers per hour.
Those weren't even its greatest advantages. What made the Santana 2000 most appealing was that its maintenance costs were the lowest among comparable cars. There was no need to worry about original parts; the market was full of reliable, inexpensive generic parts. That gave the Santana 2000 excellent value for money—and made it perfect for dealing with people who cut in line. After all, it was cheap to fix any scrapes and bumps.
Li Bai liked to press the gas pedal and let the oncoming wind roar into the car. It gave him the same exhilarating feeling as riding a flying sword and soaring freely through the air.
On the way home, his phone rang. The caller ID showed Dean Zhou.
Slowing down, Li Bai turned on speakerphone and tossed the phone onto the passenger seat.
"Xiao Li, you've made tremendous progress. You actually cured Chairman Cao's youngest daughter."
Clearly, just after Li Bai had left Chairman Cao's home in the hillside villa district, the chairman had called Li Bai's immediate superior, Dean Zhou of the Seventh People's Hospital, to thank him. He'd said he wanted to send over a banner praising Li Bai's benevolent skill, and had heaped compliments on him.
In just one day, Li Bai had stabilized the strange illness that had resisted treatment for so long, and had even found an effective way to cure it completely. His astonishing medical skill far surpassed that of the major hospitals and famous doctors Chairman Cao's youngest daughter had seen before. Chairman Cao's gratitude reflected well on Dean Zhou.
Doctors were meant to care for their patients like parents. No amount of money could compare to a few heartfelt words of thanks from a patient and their family.
"It's all thanks to your leadership, Dean. How could I take the credit?"
Li Bai worked hard to flatter Dean Zhou, still hoping for a promotion and a raise so he could buy a house and a car, marry a rich, beautiful woman, and become a winner in life.
Dream on, kid!
"Mm-hmm. You're a quick learner. You're getting better and better at talking."
Dean Zhou seemed to enjoy Li Bai's flattery, but then his tone shifted. "I didn't send you on that house call just to treat someone."
"Hm?" Li Bai paused, then asked, "Dean, please enlighten me."
"I'll be blunt. You've offended the Yao Family. They're rich and influential, and they have plenty of ways to make trouble for you. The Cao Family owns five-star hotels, so they're a powerful ally. If you can use this chance to get close to them, and you have me backing you as well, the Yao Family will have to think twice before coming after you. Do you understand what I mean?"
Dean Zhou revealed the real reason he'd arranged the house call: he'd known the patient was Chairman Cao's youngest daughter, a young woman in her twenties.
If the kid wasn't stupid, he ought to seize this opportunity.
True Man Zhou really was as shrewd as an old fox. He'd carefully devised a plan to kill two birds with one stone for this talented young doctor of his.
But he'd underestimated the Yao Family's treachery and shamelessness. He also hadn't known they had a gang of desperadoes at their disposal. The day before Dean Zhou called to arrange the house call, Li Bai had already been kidnapped once.
Fortunately, Li Bai wasn't the same man he'd been before, and the Yao Family's plan had failed. Instead, Yao Donghu had brought about his own downfall and landed himself in the hands of the law.
"Thank you for looking out for me, Dean."
Li Bai finally understood True Man Zhou's thoughtful intentions. The dean wasn't just using his own influence to protect him; he was also doing his best to find him reinforcements.
Even if Li Bai hadn't cured the Cao Family's daughter's illness, the dean would have been there to back him up, ensuring the favor still counted.
Of course, it was even better that Li Bai had managed to solve the case.
"You really are lucky. Yao Bing's father, Yao Donghu, was arrested on suspicion of involvement in a smuggling case. Did you know?"
Dean Zhou had no idea what kind of ridiculous luck Li Bai had. He'd been worrying about how to protect him, while the Yao Family was now too busy dealing with Yao Donghu's arrest to bother with him. In the end, that had solved the problem for the kid.
"I just found out. The Yao Family has brought this on themselves. The law is vast, and no one escapes its net."
If he hadn't happened to see the Qingyao Demoness wreaking havoc on the "17th Floor" forum, Li Bai might never have known the police had followed the trail so quickly and arrested the culprit that very night.
"Hmph. Don't get too carried away. Don't rush back to work for the next few days. Someone's been stirring things up online again today, claiming you treated the Cao Family's daughter with some disgusting kind of witchcraft. I'll be blunt—have you offended someone else?"
They'd only been apart for two days over the weekend, but Dean Zhou was already exhausted by Li Bai's talent for getting into trouble.
First he'd offended the Yao Family. Just when they'd finally landed themselves in a major smuggling case, and Dean Zhou had barely had time to breathe a sigh of relief, someone had started making a fuss about the Cao Family's daughter's strange illness, accusing Li Bai of using witchcraft. Was there no end to it?
Being a dean was such a headache!
"The Cao Family? Witchcraft?"
Li Bai was taken aback. He quickly realized who was behind it and hurriedly said, "I did run into Daoist He from Qingliang Temple at the Cao Family's place. That guy was nothing but a swindling charlatan. I sent him packing with just a few words."
He felt rather aggrieved. He'd been quietly minding his own business at home, yet trouble had still fallen from the sky. What was the point of smearing him out of nowhere?
"You, honestly—you're so naive!"
Dean Zhou used an internet catchphrase, exasperated.
He was fed up. The kid was making enemies every few days. Was he a doctor or a walking trouble magnet?
He'd never realized before just how good the guy was at stirring up trouble.
Then he said irritably, "Why do you keep offending people? Qingliang Temple isn't something you can afford to provoke!"
"Huh? Dean Zhou, you know about Qingliang Temple too?"
Li Bai hadn't paid much attention to the dean's stern scolding. He was instead surprised that Qingliang Temple was so well-known.
"Of course I do! Qingliang Temple isn't as famous as Jing Temple, Longyin Temple, or Wuyun Temple, but plenty of powerful people in Huxi City know about it. They're good at making connections, ingratiating themselves with influential people, and building ties with the rich and powerful. The consequences of offending them could be even worse than offending the Yao Family."
Dean Zhou's tone grew more serious. He'd advised Li Bai to get close to the Cao Family, and Qingliang Temple used much the same approach to befriend the powerful.
But no one had expected that although Li Bai had successfully gotten the Cao Family into his debt, he'd also provoked Qingliang Temple, a prickly problem that made the house call a net loss.
Dean Zhou even regretted meddling in the first place. Why had he made things more complicated? If he'd left Li Bai at home and waited for the Yao Family to fall on its own, the whole storm would have passed.
But it had already happened, and someone online was taking advantage of the situation to stir things up. He had no choice but to keep looking for ways to find Li Bai a protector.
Li Bai smacked his lips. "Qingliang Temple is that powerful?"
Unlike Jing Temple, Longyin Temple, and Wuyun Temple, which sold tickets and mainly catered to the general public, Qingliang Temple actually specialized in VIP clients and had built its own exclusive web of connections.
"China is a society built on personal connections. Sometimes one word from someone can accomplish what money can't. Qingliang Temple has connections with so many people that all they have to do is hint at what they want, and plenty of people hoping to use the temple to get close to high officials and nobles will rush to curry favor with them. Even if anyone comes after them later, Qingliang Temple won't be implicated. That kind of influence is invisible, but you absolutely mustn't underestimate it."
Dean Zhou spoke earnestly, afraid the kid would refuse to listen, act stubborn, and insist on picking a fight with Qingliang Temple, leaving him in an impossible position.
"Thanks for the advice, Dean. I'll keep it in mind."
Li Bai thought it over. Whether they came at him with words or force, he really wasn't afraid of these charlatans. Let them bring out their flying swords and spells, and they could hurt each other all they liked!
"Forget it. Just stay home and behave. I'm not going to make more work for myself by finding you another job."
From the phone call, Dean Zhou could tell Li Bai wasn't taking him seriously. He assumed the young man was simply fearless because he didn't know any better. Shaking his head, he hung up.
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