The Song Family's crowd of bodyguards all went outside, leaving only Song Haichang, his son Song Dongming, and Wang Shunli.
For Song Haichang, this was the most humiliating day of his life. But Liu Youshui held leverage over his son, and he dared not refuse.
Song Dongming kept his head down, afraid to look at his father.
If he hadn't done something so damn stupid and given them leverage, with so many people on the Song Family's side, wouldn't taking a child have been easy? Even if they openly fell out, what could Liu Youshui have done here?
But "if" was just a word in the dictionary.
Wang Shunli leaned close to Song Haichang's ear and whispered, "Mr. Song, that kid must be using a trick. It can't possibly be medical skill. I'm his teacher. I know him. I'll expose his fraud in a moment."
Song Haichang glanced at Wang Shunli, and a flicker of hope rekindled in his heart.
If Wang Shunli really could expose Luo Yang's trick, he wouldn't need to lift a finger. Liu Youshui would never let Luo Yang off.
Ye Zi brought Song Meiqi out.
The moment Song Meiqi came through the doorway, she shook off Ye Zi's hand and limped toward Luo Yang, calling out brightly from a distance, "Uncle Luo!"
"Slow down," Luo Yang cautioned. "Don't fall."
"I won't, I won't!" Song Meiqi waved her little hand, but no sooner had she spoken than she lost her balance and pitched toward the floor.
"Watch out!" Ye Zi cried, lunging forward.
But she was too far away. She wouldn't make it in time.
Suddenly, a figure flashed to Song Meiqi's side and scooped her up with one long arm.
It was Luo Yang. His movements were as agile as a cat's.
The Ancestral Witch Spirit Body had sharpened Luo Yang's senses, and his reflexes and speed had improved accordingly.
A glint of surprise flashed in Jiang Yue's eyes. She had never expected Luo Yang to possess not only extraordinary medical skills, but such agility as well!
Luo Yang carried Song Meiqi over and set her on the sofa beside Liu Youshui.
"Uncle Luo, you didn't really need to catch me. I was just... joking!" Song Meiqi was as proud and stubborn as her mother.
Luo Yang rolled up her trouser legs, revealing a pair of scrawny calves.
Although she could barely manage a few steps after her last treatment, the muscles in her calves hadn't noticeably improved. There was almost no visible muscle at all. Her legs looked like two sticks.
Liu Youshui glanced at Song Meiqi's calves, inwardly astonished.
Even legs like that could be treated?
Luo Yang took a small white plastic container from his pocket, opened it, and scooped out a little milky-white paste, spreading it evenly over both of Song Meiqi's calves.
Liu Youshui sniffed, catching a fragrance, and couldn't resist asking, "What medicine is that?"
"This is my own secret formula, called White Jade Paste," Luo Yang said calmly. "Combined with my treatment, it works wonders on damaged nerves."
As he spoke, he pressed his Primordial Medical Finger against Song Meiqi's calf, treating and nourishing her common peroneal nerve.
"Luo Yang, you're lying again! This supposedly secret ointment of yours-do you dare let me take it for testing?" Wang Shunli challenged.
Luo Yang ignored him and concentrated on treating Song Meiqi.
"You don't dare, do you? I knew it! That rubbish ointment is fake medicine. Who do you think you're fooling?" Wang Shunli pressed aggressively. He walked straight over and reached for the little container in Luo Yang's left hand.
Luo Yang casually slipped it into his trouser pocket.
The medicine really was fake. Its ingredients were shampoo, shower gel, and a little soap.
Luo Yang had done this to add an air of mystery and enhance Liu Youshui's experience. After all, if he treated someone with nothing but two fingers and no medicine whatsoever, the patient was bound to harbor some doubts.
"Take it out!"
Wang Shunli refused to let it go and kept pestering him. Suddenly, a hand landed on his shoulder and pulled him backward. Before he could even turn to see who it was, he staggered away, nearly falling to the floor.
It was Jiang Yue.
Wang Shunli flew into a rage and raised a hand to point at Jiang Yue. "You..."
Before he could get his rebuke out, Jiang Yue suddenly grabbed his rigidly extended middle finger and bent it upward.
"Ow! Ow..." Wang Shunli howled, sinking into a crouch.
Jiang Yue gave him a hard shove, sending Wang Shunli sprawling onto his backside in utter humiliation.
Wang Shunli looked pleadingly at Song Haichang and Song Dongming. He thought the father and son from the Song Family would speak up for him or come help him up, but neither reacted at all.
The small amount of "White Jade Paste" was rubbed in, disappearing into Song Meiqi's calves.
Wang Shunli climbed to his feet in disgrace. Increasingly convinced something was wrong and unwilling to give up, he spoke again in a sneering tone. "Luo Yang, you're my student. Don't I know exactly what you're capable of? I advise you to turn back before it's too late. Stop putting on this act to deceive people. Your so-called White Jade Paste actually contains an anesthetic. You make the patient stop feeling pain temporarily so they can take a few simple steps, letting you pass yourself off as a miracle doctor. Am I right?"
Liu Youshui glanced at Wang Shunli, then at Luo Yang. He expected Luo Yang to refute him, but Luo Yang didn't react at all.
Wang Shunli put on an earnest, concerned expression. "Luo Yang, I don't think you understand the consequences. If the amount involved in fraud reaches a certain threshold, you can get life in prison. I truly can't bear to see you go down this road. Stop now."
Luo Yang withdrew his hand and stood up.
Wang Shunli froze for a moment, unable to believe he had persuaded Luo Yang so easily. A second later, he fell under a delusion: Experience really did win out!
"All done." Luo Yang patted Song Meiqi's little head. "Meiqi, get down and try walking a few steps."
"Okay!" Song Meiqi nodded emphatically and pushed herself up with her hands on the sofa.
Ye Zi was a little nervous and stepped forward, but she didn't reach out to support Song Meiqi. She simply stood beside her.
Wang Shunli stood rooted to the spot, feeling as though he had been slapped in front of everyone!
He had poured out all that heartfelt advice, appealing to emotion and reason, yet Luo Yang hadn't taken any of it seriously. He had treated him as if he didn't exist!
Song Meiqi cautiously stepped forward, her scrawny calves tensing. Her first two steps were slow and awkward. By her third and fourth steps, however, her movements loosened up and her pace quickened. More importantly, she wasn't limping at all!
"Song Meiqi, slow down. Don't rush." Ye Zi followed close behind, afraid she would fall.
Song Meiqi was hardly that obedient. She walked even faster, laughing as she went. "Hee-hee... I can walk this fast now! I never want to sit in a wheelchair again. Mom, how about we ask Uncle Luo to come play soccer with us?"
"I'd like to kick your butt," Ye Zi said in exasperation.
Song Haichang and Song Dongming looked livid. What they were seeing hardly resembled a doctor and his patient. It looked like a loving family of three having fun together!
Song Meiqi pretended to be frightened and ran toward Luo Yang. "Uncle Luo, save me! Mom's going to..."
Before she could finish, and before she could take her third running step, her legs suddenly buckled and she fell toward the floor.
This time, Ye Zi reached her in time and caught her in her arms.
Wang Shunli seized the opportunity again, exclaiming excitedly, "Did you see that? That's the effect of the anesthetic!"
"Shut your mouth!" Liu Youshui snapped.
Wang Shunli went rigid.
"I'm not blind," Liu Youshui said coldly. "Before Divine Doctor Luo treated her, this child was limping. Afterward, not only did she stop limping, she could even run a couple of steps. Tell me, could a so-called expert and professor like you do that?"
Wang Shunli was furious with humiliation, but he didn't dare lash out. His aging face turned a dark purplish red.
Liu Youshui added, "I don't care how much the Song Family paid you. If you disrespect Divine Doctor Luo again, I'll make you regret it."
"I... I..." Wang Shunli stammered, clearly frightened.
Liu Youshui turned his gaze to the father and son from the Song Family, smiling. "Old Song, do me a favor and let this end here. Let me make myself clear: from now on, Divine Doctor Luo's affairs are my affairs. Anyone who wants to cause trouble for Divine Doctor Luo will have to get past me first."
Song Haichang trembled with rage. "You-"
Liu Youshui cut him off before he could continue. "I've always opposed violence. We live in a society governed by law now. If you still intend to trouble Divine Doctor Luo and young Ye, I'll call the police and have you punished through legal means."
Song Haichang was so furious he nearly spat out sixty years' worth of blood.
A gang boss solemnly declaring that he opposed violence and would call the police-what a farce!
Liu Youshui looked at Song Dongming, a cold glint flashing through his narrowed eyes. "Dongming, take your father home."
Song Dongming drew a deep breath and took Song Haichang's arm. "Dad, let's go home."
"Get away from me!" Song Haichang shook off Song Dongming's hand and turned to leave.
If his rotten son hadn't given Liu Youshui leverage over him, how could he have been forced into such a helpless position today?
Luo Yang watched the father and son from the Song Family leave with Wang Shunli. He hadn't said a word throughout the entire exchange, but he knew perfectly well that everything Liu Youshui had just done was for his benefit. Liu Youshui had made his fortune in the underworld and only gone legitimate in recent years. Men like him excelled at winning people over—and making their opponents submit.
"Divine Doctor Luo, give me some of that medicine too," Liu Youshui said with a genial smile.
"Mr. Liu, whether you need medicine is for me to decide," Luo Yang replied mildly. "Today's treatment is over. Come back tomorrow."
Liu Youshui was speechless.
So all that playing himself just now had been for nothing?
Or was he one cigar short of the Godfather played by Marlon Brando?
The long-legged Jiang Yue stared fixedly at Luo Yang. Who knew what she was thinking? Or perhaps she simply wanted to scrub this young miracle doctor's eyes with steel wool so he could see exactly who he was talking to.
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