Ring, ring...
Luo Yang had just finished helping Song Meiqi eat breakfast when his phone rang.
He glanced at it. Ma Zhonghua was calling.
Just as he had expected, Ma Zhonghua had come asking for help after only a day.
Luo Yang swiped to answer. "Hello, Curator Ma."
"Do you have a moment, Luo?" came Ma Zhonghua's voice.
"What can I do for you, Curator Ma?" Luo Yang asked mildly.
"Oh, come on, Luo, don't hold a grudge. I had my reasons for not letting you into the Sacrificial Pit last time. There are rules from above. I may be the director, but I can't make every decision myself."
"You're making too much of it, Curator Ma. I understand. It's fine."
"I'll get straight to the point," Ma Zhonghua said. "This time, we'll meet all your requirements. You can see whichever patients you want, and visiting the Sacrificial Pit won't be a problem either. We can negotiate your fee, too. I just need one guarantee: can you cure those archaeologists and eliminate the root cause?"
"No problem."
"Good. Let's discuss the details in person," Ma Zhonghua said.
"See you shortly." Luo Yang hung up.
Song Meiqi tilted her little head back and looked at Luo Yang pleadingly. "Uncle Luo, are you going out to work?"
Luo Yang nodded. "Yes. I'll call your grandma and ask her to come keep you company, all right?"
"No. I want to go have fun with you." Song Meiqi rejected the idea outright.
Ding-dong, ding-dong.
The doorbell rang.
Song Meiqi flung herself onto the sofa and buried her face in it. "I don't want Grandma. I don't want Grandma..."
Wishes rarely came true. When Luo Yang went outside, he saw Jiang Xianrong standing at the front courtyard gate with her husband, Ye Yiming.
Luo Yang greeted them with a warm smile. Perfect timing-he could even save on cab fare.
Song Meiqi had been eating and drinking at his place for the past few days, and she was picky, too. That had only made his already thin wallet thinner. Even cab fare had become more than he could afford.
An hour later, the old Hongqi sedan arrived at the Sanxingdui Museum.
Ma Zhonghua had been waiting at the main entrance. As soon as he saw the car, he came over to meet them.
Luo Yang got out and went straight to the point. "Curator Ma, what did the expert team say?"
"Let's talk in my office." Ma Zhonghua looked grave.
The three of them went to the director's office.
Ma Zhonghua closed the door and said heavily, "Yesterday, one of the experts from the provincial capital developed symptoms, too. Things aren't looking good."
That was why he had been so desperate to summon Luo Yang. Even an expert sent by the higher-level hospital had fallen victim. The situation was deteriorating, and he wasn't the only one worried-the leaders of Luo City were anxious, too.
Ye Yiming grew anxious as well. "Then what are we waiting for? Luo, we're counting on you."
Luo Yang merely listened without committing himself.
"Oh, I understand. Tell me, Luo, how much do you want?" Ma Zhonghua asked tentatively.
Luo Yang held up one finger.
"Ten thousand?" Ma Zhonghua guessed.
Luo Yang shook his head slightly.
"A hundred thousand?" Ma Zhonghua tried again.
"Not a hundred thousand. One million," Luo Yang said.
"What?" The figure startled Ma Zhonghua.
"I'm only charging this token fee out of respect for Uncle Ye," Luo Yang said calmly. "For a master of my caliber, anything less would be beneath my standing. I can't damage my own reputation."
Ye Yiming couldn't help glancing at Luo Yang, as though he had just discovered another side to his future son-in-law.
His future son-in-law wasn't merely fleecing them with a knife-he was hacking away with an axe!
He had misjudged him.
"That's a substantial sum. I'll have to ask my superiors. Let me make a call." Ma Zhonghua took his phone and went outside.
Ye Yiming lowered his voice. "Luo, aren't you asking for too much?"
"Uncle Ye, livestreamers can make hundreds of thousands, even a million, from a single session these days," Luo Yang said. "And celebrities routinely earn millions or tens of millions for one appearance on a variety show. For a master like me to resolve a problem this big, a million really isn't much."
"You're right. Those celebrities easily get tens of millions for a single film. A million really isn't much for you." At that point, the old man suddenly remembered something. "Aren't you a miracle doctor? How did you become a master?"
Luo Yang smiled. "A master offers a broader range of services."
Ye Yiming: "..."
The office door opened, and Ma Zhonghua came in. "Luo, my superiors have agreed. But we'll need a contract. You'll only be paid after you resolve the problem, and if anything happens to any of the patients, you'll have to take responsibility."
"No problem." Luo Yang agreed without hesitation.
Part of it was his ability and confidence, and part of it was the money. If he didn't get some income soon, never mind feeding Song Meiqi for free-he wouldn't even be able to feed himself.
Ma Zhonghua wrote out the contract by hand. Luo Yang had him add a clause stipulating that no one could disturb him while he worked, including during his visit to the Sacrificial Pit.
Once the contract was signed, Ma Zhonghua wasted no time leading Luo Yang and Ye Yiming toward the prefabricated isolation ward they had visited before.
As they neared the isolation ward, a man and a woman came walking toward them from that direction.
From at least fifty meters away, Luo Yang could see their faces clearly. To his surprise, they were Zhang Bai and a young nurse.
He found this a little unexpected, but quickly worked out why. At their last gathering, Zhang Bai had said both his parents worked at Huaxi Hospital and held senior professional ranks. The team sent here had come from Huaxi Hospital, so Zhang Bai's parents might well be among the experts. It was hardly surprising that Zhang Bai had tagged along to join the fun and flirt with a young nurse.
As the two groups drew closer, Zhang Bai spotted Luo Yang, too. The smile he had worn while flirting instantly darkened. A few bruises still marked his pale, plump face, most likely left by the people from that Finance Company the other night.
Luo Yang turned toward the distant fields and pretended not to see him.
"Luo Yang! Stop right there!" Zhang Bai snapped viciously.
Now it was hard to pretend he hadn't noticed.
Luo Yang feigned surprise. "Oh, my old classmate! I didn't expect to see you here. Curator Ma, Uncle Ye, go on ahead. I'll have a quick chat with him and catch up."
"All right. I'll go make the arrangements. Don't take too long." Ma Zhonghua kept walking.
Ye Yiming went with him. As a retired old man, he had no business joining a conversation between young people.
The young nurse beside Zhang Bai glanced at Luo Yang, and her eyes brightened a little. Then she glanced at Zhang Bai out of the corner of her eye, and that light immediately faded.
A pig and a lion naturally made very different impressions.
"What happened that night? You owe me an explanation today!" Zhang Bai demanded.
Luo Yang simply looked at him calmly, not bothering to offer even a word of explanation.
Zhang Bai only grew more aggressive. He raised a hand and pointed at Luo Yang's nose. "You fucking abandoned the three of us and ran off with Wu Shenglan! Are you even human? Look at my face! It's still swollen!"
Luo Yang suddenly reached out, seized Zhang Bai's outstretched finger, and jerked it upward.
"Ow! Ow..." Zhang Bai cried out repeatedly and sank into a crouch.
Luo Yang gave him a gentle shove, and Zhang Bai landed on his backside.
Zhang Bai's face turned purple with rage. He had never imagined Luo Yang would dare lay a hand on him, especially in front of his "girlfriend"!
Luo Yang smiled. "Be more polite next time. I won't put up with your bad habits every time."
Zhang Bai nearly burst with anger. "Luo Yang, just you wait! I'm going to-"
Luo Yang cut him off. "No, you're not. Believe me."
Zhang Bai: "..."
Luo Yang walked toward the isolation ward.
Sunlight fell across him, casting a long shadow on the ground.
The young nurse stared at the shadow. Whatever it brought to mind, she even forgot to help Zhang Bai up.
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