Ch. 211..220
Chapter 211
Holding the key in his hand, James scrutinized it.
“What does the treasure chest unearthed from the ancient tomb of the Prince of Orchid at the border of the Southern Plains have to do with the Moonlit Flowers on Cliffside’s Edge?”
James muttered silently.
He believed it was not a coincidence that Scarlett had bumped into him while having the key on her.
He had been trailing a murderous intent he sensed when he encountered Scarlett. However, the murderous intent disappeared when he reached the underground parking lot. It was there where he met Scarlett.
He was sure she was not the one with the murderous intent. James believed someone else had arranged for it. He had been watching on the sidelines since the beginning of the grave robbery. He exterminated everyone and instructed Scarlett to bring the key to Cansington and to allow the box to be carried away all over the place.
Whew!
James took a deep breath.
The first step to getting to the bottom of this was to locate the box. By opening the box and finding out what was in it, he would understand its relationship with the Moonlit Flowers on Cliffside’s Edge.” After contemplating for a while, James spoke, “Mr. Quinn,” “Yes, James?” Newton nodded.
James continued, “You’ve been by my grandfather’s side for decades. Even after the incident, you returned to bury the Cadens even though you risked getting caught. Since I didn’t reward you with anything, I’ll offer you the businesses that used to belong to the Cadens.” “I can’t accept your gift, James.” Newton stood up immediately and hurriedly waved. “James, this is too big of a gift. I cannot accept it.”
James lightly waved and interrupted Newton, “To me, money isn’t everything. But it’s different for you. You have a family to feed, after all.”
“I…”
“Alright now, you can bring your family to Cansington. After that, you can officially take over the former businesses of the Cadens from the Great Four. The Cadens were once the most influential family in Cansington and had a combined wealth of fifty billion dollars. These should be enough for the rest of your life.”
“T – Thank you, James.”
Now that Newton knew of James’ identity as one of the five commanders and that he was not in dire need of money, he accepted his offer.
“Mhm. You may return first. Go to Henry at Common Clinic on Nine Dragons Street if you ever need anything.
“Yes.”
Newton stood and bowed at James.
Serena then followed suit.’
After that, they left the House of Royals. Outside the House of Royals, Serena had a look of longing on her face, “Grandpa, is James really the Black Dragon? The Black Dragon General of the Southern Plains?” Newton nodded. “He should be the real deal. Who besides the Black Dragon would be capable of convincing the Blithe king to mobilize a hundred-thousand strong army?” “Grandpa, are we really going to take over the former businesses of the Cadens?” Newton momentarily froze. “Not quite. We’re just helping James manage them.”
“Oh.”
Serena turned to have a glimpse of the House of Royals behind her. “James, Black Dragon…” She muttered silently. At the House of Royals, James was smoking cigarettes on the sofa. Henry asked, “James, what should we do next?” James’ face darkened. Though he had avenged his family, he still did not know who the main culprit behind the incident was. He also did not know the whereabouts of the Moonlit Flowers on Cliffside’s Edge.
He thought about it and said, “Urge Jake Graham to speed up his intelligence gathering. I want to know the whereabouts of the treasure chest that had entered the antique market in Cansington as soon as possible.” “Roger that.”
“No need to hurry. Today’s the Mid-Autumn Festival. You’re an orphan too. Let’s go out and have a drink, just you and me.”
“James, aren’t you going to accompany Thea?” “Thea had gone to the Callahans’ villa. I sneaked out to deal with the problem when the opportunity presented itself. It’s still early. Let’s go.” Jamac ctnnd vin and left the Honce nf Royals with Henn
Chapter 212
At a renowned restaurant in Cansington, James ordered some dishes and a few bottles of white wine.
Together with Henry, they ate heartily.
They conversed as they ate, reminiscing the ordeals they had gone through for the past ten years.
They were at it for a whole day.
By three o’clock in the afternoon, they were inebriated.
At that moment, Thea called. “James, where are you? Something happened.”
Upon hearing Thea’s anxious voice, James felt a chill down his spine. He immediately sobered up. “What? What’s wrong?”
“Something happened at Eternality Hospital. Come, quick.” “Alright, I’ll be there ASAP.”
James hung up the phone. Henry asked, “What’s wrong, James?”
James shook his head. “I don’t know. Thea said something happened at Eternality Hospital. I’ll go there and have a look.”
“I’ll drive you there.” Henry stood up.
“No need. You’ve drunk a lot. You shouldn’t drive. I’ll just call a taxi.”
James grabbed the suit by the side. After putting it on, he swiftly made his exit and called for a taxi by the side of the road.
“Eternality Hospital.”
“Got it.”
The driver hastily drove toward Eternality Hospital.
Half an hour later. “We’re here.”
James handed him a hundred-dollar note. “Keep the change.”
He hurriedly got off. Eternality Hospital was located on Medical Street, the busiest street in Cansington. This street was filled with hospitals and was the embodiment of Cansington. It boasted a history of hundreds of years.
Every family, corporation, and business had established themselves on this street. Even renowned doctors had made their way here.
Though Eternality Hospital was not famous around these parts, the Callahans were worth billions of dollars. The size of their hospital was huge. It was three stories high with a surface area of a thousand square meters per floor. At the moment, a crowd had gathered in front of Eternality Hospital. They were protesting. “What a terrible hospital.”
“Close it down!”
“Give me back my money!”
Hundreds of people were gathered in front of Eternality Hospital, holding up banners and shouting slogans. At that moment, an official reporter from the Cansington News Channel arrived. “Good afternoon, this is Cansington News Channel. I’m Yasmin, your reporter for today. I’m currently outside Eternality Hospital on Medical Street. As you can see, hundreds have gathered here today. Let’s interview them.” “Hello, I’m Yasmin, a reporter. May I know what happened here today?” She asked a random onlooker.
He was a man roughly twenty years of age. Upon seeing the beautiful figure of the reporter and the cameras behind her, he immediately straightened his back.
“I only just got here myself. But, it looks like someone has died in Eternality Hospital. Now, the family of the deceased are here to demand compensation.”
James arrived and witnessed this scene.
He weaved his way through the crowd and arrived at the front door.
The hospital was closed. There was a stretcher in front of the door. On it lay a sixty-year-old man. His eyes were firmly shut, and he wore a ghastly expression. He showed no signs of vitality. A few men armed with metal rods stood menacingly outside. They clamored for the Callahans to come out. The atmosphere was tense. If not for the security guards at the front door, the armed men would have broken into the hospital.
James arrived at the front door of the hospital. “What do you want?”
A security guard armed with an electric baton pointed at James menacingly and roared,” Scram.”
James hurriedly explained, “I’m James, the son-in-law of the Callahans. My wife’s Thea Callahan, the chairman of Eternality Group.” “Oh, it’s you. Get going then.”
Chapter 213 The security guard gave him passage. James pushed the door open. The Callahans gathered in the hallway of the hospital.
Wearing a worried expression, they paced back and forth.
James approached them and asked, “What happened?” With a tearful voice, Thea explained, “We don’t know either. A bunch of people appeared out of nowhere and started to stir up trouble. They said someone died in our hospital and demanded compensation. Now that they’ve made a big scene, even the reporters have made their way here. We had no choice but to close the hospital temporarily.”
Lex was on the phone. He was calling some big shots to help resolve the crisis. “You reek of alcohol. Why are you here? Are you here to cause more trouble for us?” Gladys rebuked James upon smelling a whiff of alcohol on him.
“Dad, grandpa, this is bad. There are now more people outside. They’re saying there’s something’s wrong with our medicine.” Tommy ran in in a panic. He lost his footing and collapsed to the floor.
Upon hearing this, they fell silent.
“What’s going on?” Howard was puzzled. “Eternality Hospital has been operating for many years, and there’s never been an accident. Mr. Chase, you’re in charge of this place. Even a single accident would be unacceptable, so how on earth did so many occur at once?”
Howard looked at an elderly.
The man was sixty years of age. He was wearing a scrub and had long hair. His name was Zeke Chase. He was a distinguished doctor and a member of the Doctor’s Association. He was a well-paid doctor appointed by Eternality Group to be in charge of the hospital.
“I-I don’t know either.” Zeke was puzzled too. No accidents had occurred for as long as he was in charge. Besides, the doctors had to undergo a rigorous selection process. There should not be anything wrong with the medicine they prescribe. How could someone die because of it?
Thea pulled James’ arm. “What should we do now?”
James lightly waved and consoled her, “No worries. Shutting down the hospital won’t resolve anything. It’ll make us look even more guilty. Open the door. We can communicate with them.” “Communicate? How?” Tommy yelled, “James, are you here to cause trouble? Did you not see how brutal those people outside were? If we open the door, they’ll rush in and beat the hell out of us.”
“Exactly.”
“We shouldn’t open the door.”
“Let’s call the cops.”
“It’s useless. This accident constitutes medical negligence. We should just pay the compensation and get this over with. After all, if the reputation of Eternality Hospital is ruined, how are we supposed to continue running our business?”
Everyone gave their opinions. James looked at Thea. “Thea, you’re the chairman of Eternality Group. What do you think?” Thea thought about it. “James is right. Nothing will be resolved if we shut our doors. We can only open our doors and explain things to them. If it’s our doctors’ fault, we’ll accept whatever punishment comes our way. If we have to pay compensation, we’ll pay. If we have to shut the hospital down for reorganization, then so be it.”
“How foolish of you, Thea. Anyone can see there’s someone out there targeting Eternality Hospital.”
“That’s right. There’s no way so many of them would appear all at once. How could this be a coincidence?”
“Thea, you shouldn’t open the door. We’ll get beaten up.” The Callahans were in disagreement.
James, on the other hand, was supportive of Thea’s decision.
Thankfully, there was still a sensible person among the Callahans. Otherwise, the family would be doomed.
He looked at Thea. “Open it. I’ll be here to help you out.”
“I know.” Thea took a deep breath. Then, she headed toward the front door. Upon seeing this, the rest of the Callahans took a few steps back They had seen how ferocious the men outside were. Before they had closed the door, many of them had already been beaten. Things would get ugly if the security guards could not stop them from rushing in. The hundreds of men outside were making a lot of commotion. Besides, their numbers were growing. Their cheeks were swelling, and they had bandages wrapped all over their bodies. They sat in front of Eternality Group and wailed in pain.
At that moment, the front door of Eternality Hospital opened. A beautiful woman walked out. “We demand compensation.”
“Down with Eternality!”
“This is Thea Callahan, the new chairman of the Callahans.”
“Thea, pay with your blood…”
The moment Thea walked out, the people outside lost control and scrambled toward her.
“Stand back!”
James roared. His roar was akin to that of a thunderclap. The people outside the hospital froze.
James stood in front of Thea. “If you have anything to say, do it one by one.”
Chapter 214 It was silent for a few seconds. Then, a thirty-year-old muscular man with a metal rod in his hand stepped forward. Wearing a vicious look, he pointed the metal rod at James. He roared, “Who the hell are you? What makes you think you have the right to speak?” He was frothing at the mouth and was behaving aggressively. Thea was scared out of her wits. Fearing she would be assaulted, she hid behind James’ back.
”That’s right. There’s no need for you to speak We demand compensation!”
“If you don’t pay compensation, we’ll wreck Eternality Hospital.”
“What a useless place. If you aren’t up to standards, don’t establish yourselves at Medical Street. Get out of here!”
The crowd started heckling. Not even a single Callahan dared show up. The situation outside was volatile. It would be problematic if things got out of control. “Shut it, all of you. Wait for your turn to speak,” James roared with an annoyed look. He would not have cared less if this was not the Callahans’ hospital.
The man armed with a metal rod pointed at Thea behind James, “Thea, get your *ss over here. You’re the chairman of the Callahans. My father died from your medicine. If you don’t provide me with a satisfactory explanation, I’ll tear this place down.”
“Tear it down!”
The crowd started heckling once more. Some who tried to rush forward were stopped by the security guards. “I was feeling sick and came to Eternality Hospital. After using their medicine, I started to feel irritation all over my body.” “Me too. I came here because I had headaches. After using their medicine, I started losing my hair.”
“We strongly urge the relevant authorities to close down Eternality!”
The crowd heckled. As reporters were present, the scene was broadcasted live. Anxious, Thea asked, “Jamie, w-what should we do?”
James frowned. Was something wrong with the medicine prescribed by the Callahans? Or was someone looking for trouble?
Both possibilities exist. There might have been something wrong with the medicine, or there might be someone looking to fan the flames. “Alright now, wait for your turn to speak.”
James tried his best to calm them down. Then, he walked down the flight of stairs and headed toward the stretcher. He glanced at the elderly who had lost his vital signs. “What do you want?”
The muscular man pointed at James with his metal rod. He lashed out, “Don’t touch my father.”
James turned and looked at him.
His gaze was penetrating. The muscular man was intimidated and stepped a few steps back He roared, “He’s already dead. What more do you want?”
James extended his arm. “Give me the list of medicine prescribed.”
Upon hearing this, a middle-aged woman threw a handful of receipts toward James and cursed, “These are the receipts for the whole year. My father was here at your hospital.” James picked them up and scrutinized each word.
Inside Eternality Hospital, the Callahans were watching the spectacle unfolding outside They were hoping James would resolve the problem.
Megan pulled Tommy aside and asked, “Tommy, nothing will go wrong, right?”
Tommy whispered, “Everything’s fine. Our plan is flawless. There’s no way anyone can see through it. Thea has been gaining ground in the family, and it’s been extremely disadvantageous to us. If we don’t deal her a blow now, she’ll be unstoppable.” No one heard what they were saying.
James looked intently at the list of items on the receipts.
“Here, I’ve even brought the medicine. There’s still one he hadn’t managed to finish. I was planning to bring it to the Food and Drug Association for examination.” Someone tossed a bottle of medicine toward James.
James opened the bottle and went through it casually.
He grabbed a handful of medicine, smelled it, and even chewed it in his mouth.
Then, he stood. “Name the price. How much do you want?”
“Ten million dollars.” As the muscular man knew the Callahans were wealthy, he shamelessly asked for ten million dollars. He added menacingly, “If you don’t give me ten million dollars today, this won’t be the end of it. I’ll fight till the end. I’ll stop at nothing to make a living hell for the Callahans.”
Chapter 215 James stood and turned to look at Thea. “You’re the chairman. Order the finance department to pay the compensation.”
“James, w-what…” Thea was at a loss. She thought James would resolve the problem. However, after his posturing and empty words, he was now advising the Callahans to pay up.
An angry rebuke came from inside the building, “What are you doing, James? Ten million dollars? Are you kidding me? I won’t be surprised if you colluded with these people to swindle money out of the Callahans.” It was Gladys.
James whispered in Thea’s ear, “There’s something wrong with the medicine.” “H-How can you be sure this medicine was prescribed by us? What if someone’s trying to frame us?” Thea glanced at James. If they paid compensation before getting to the bottom of this incident, would it not be equivalent to acknowledging their mistake? James said, “Listen to me. Appeasing the family of the deceased is our top priority. As long as we pay compensation and calm them down, everything else will be a piece of cake. In any case, it’s detrimental to the Callahans if this continues. If we can prove that this incident is unrelated to Eternality, it’ll bolster our image. The advertising we’d gain from this would greatly outweigh spending ten million on advertisements. If it’s truly our fault, then forking the money out now would keep our losses to the minimum.” Thea mused over his words and believed they made sense.
She stood up and nodded. “Fine, ten million dollars it is.”
The muscular man and his family did not expect the Callahans to be such a pushover. In past cases of medical negligence, the hospitals would try to shift the blame away from them. Even if the victims were compensated, they had to go through court cases for years. At that moment, they felt ten million dollars were too little. They gathered and had a discussion. “Hey, do you think we’re asking for too little?” “Yeah, dad. I heard the Callahans have deepened cooperation with multiple large corporations and are now swiftly expanding their business.”
“We should ask for more.”
Soon, they finished their discussion.
The muscular man stepped forward once more. He threatened menacingly, “Ten million dollars is too little. I won’t settle for anything less than fifty million dollars.” “Sob… my poor father. You’ve died a horrible death.” “Oh, my poor grandpa…”
They cried their eyes out in front of Eternality Hospital. “Jamie, what should we do now?” Thea was panicking. She did not expect them to raise the prices. Though she had promised to pay ten million dollars in compensation, they now demanded fifty million.
As of late, the Callahans had spent a sum on setting up shops and expanding their businesses. Currently, they only had twenty million dollars in cash flow.
Where on earth would they get their hands on fifty million?
James looked at them and said coldly, “Don’t push it. He was terminally ill even before consuming our medicine. We can never know whether he died of medical negligence or natural causes. Since you demand fifty million dollars, please go through the official procedures and undergo a post-mortem examination.”
Upon hearing his words, the family was stunned. Official procedures?
The man was indeed terminally ill and had been kept on life support through medicine.
If the post-mortem examination showed that he died of natural causes, they would receive zero compensation.
Upon hearing this, the onlookers started pointing fingers. “He’s right. The man was already ill. Maybe he didn’t die after consuming Eternality’s medicine.”
“We can’t be sure about that. Do you not see the number of sick people here?”
“It could be an accident if it’s just the old guy. But something’s going on with this many people here.” They were heated in the discussion.
Meanwhile, the muscular man and his family were having a discussion too.
If they opted to go through the official procedures, it might take forever to receive compensation. After the discussion, they chose to settle for ten million dollars. “Fine. We’ll settle for ten million dollars. You’ll have to pay us now.” James glanced at Thea. “Arrange for it.”
“What about me? I’ve been losing my hair after eating your medicine.”
“What about me? My face is swelling.” “I had diarrhea after eating your medicine.” “I’m not asking for much. Maybe five hundred thousand?”
The crowd heckled for Eternality Hospital to compensate them.
Thea went to arrange for a bank transfer. James glanced at the Callahans in the building and ordered, “Bring me a table.”
Soon, David and Alyssa brought a table and a stool out. James sat on the stool and fixed his gaze on the crowd. He yelled, “Shut it. Whatever it is, we’ll see about it after I’ve taken a look Queue up and wait for your turn. We’ll pay up if it’s our mistake. However, don’t blame me for what happens if you’re here to make trouble.”
Chapter 216
James had a loud voice,
His roar stunned the angry crowd gathered outside Eternality Hospital. ws The boisterous crowd immediately fell silent. James pointed at a man whose face was swelling. “You, come here and sit. I’ll take your pulse.”
The man immediately sat before James and ranted, “You’re compensating me no matter what. Do you know what I do for a living? I’m the manager of a large corporation with a monthly salary of fifty thousand. My illness got in the way of my work, and I was fired. I won’t settle for anything below a few hundred thousand.” James glared at him.
His glare was penetrating. The man chickened out and muttered silently, “I’d be fine with a few thousand.”
“Show me your arm.”
The man extended his arm.
James took his pulse.
“So, you came to Eternality Hospital because you have skin irritation. What does this have to do with us?”
James slammed the table and rebuked him, “You must’ve eaten something to trigger the swelling. Why are you blaming us?” “Yes, I have a skin allergy. But after eating your medicine, my situation got worse. It hadn’t been that bad before. Look at my face. It looks like it’d been stung by a bee.”
“I’ll prescribe some medicine for you. If your face’s still swelling by tomorrow, come again.”
James grabbed a pencil and wrote the prescription. He tossed it at the man before him and said, “If you don’t trust us, feel free to get a second opinion. Next.”
The man looked at the prescription, dumbfounded.
He came here to demand compensation. Yet now, they were dismissing him after handing him a prescription. James scolded, “What are you standing there for? Get lost. I have other patients to attend to.”
“Fine. We’ll meet in court if my face’s still swelling by tomorrow.”
The man spat a ruthless remark and turned to leave.
The moment he left, another man came forward with a mean look He immediately sat on the stool.
“After eating your medicine…” “I’m the doctor. So shut up.” James glared at him and shouted, “Extend your arms.” The man, intimidated, unconsciously followed James’ instructions.
James took his pulse.
A few seconds later, he chuckled and said coldly, “Diarrhoea? It’s only normal since you have a weak stomach. How could you blame this on us? Forget it. I’ll let this slide. I’ll prescribe medicine to you for free. Get your medicine and take it accordingly. Come back if you’re still feeling unwell.”
The man was stunned.
He had not revealed anything about his illness and the medicine he consumed. Yet, James diagnosed his medical problems in just a couple of seconds. “W-Will this really work?” The man looked at James, puzzled. Meanwhile, James swiftly wrote the prescription and tossed it to him. “Take this and get lost. Next.”
He was dumbfounded.
Before he could react, a healthy-looking man came. He sat in front of James and extended his arth.
James took his pulse Immediately, James stood and kicked him. “Here to cause trouble, aren’t you? You didn’t even consume any medicine in the past week, and your body’s perfectly fine. Show up in front of me again, and things won’t end well for you.”
The man who was sent flying was a reporter.
Many reporters gathered outside Eternality Hospital
Upon witnessing how James accurately diagnosed all the patients’ medical issues without any prior knowledge, they grew suspicious. Hence, they sent someone to test things out.
To their surprise, James saw right through it.
He even knew the reporter had not consumed any medicine.
Laughter erupted from the crowd. “Who’s that guy? He a badass.”
“I know him. He’s James, the son-in-law of the Callahans and the husband of Thea Callahan. Thea was originally the ugliest woman in Cansington. It was only because of James’ treatment did she become the most beautiful.”
Chapter 217 “Holy, is he that impressive?”
“Seems like it.”
“He’s the true God of medicine. He’s even better than Dr. Fallon.”
The onlookers were in a heated discussion. They were especially stunned after finding out it was James who treated Thea. Meanwhile, James continued treating his patients. A fifty-year-old woman approached him. Taking her seat, she took off her hat. Wearing a mean look, she snarled, frothing at the mouth, “My head hurts. After eating your medicine, I’ve lost most of my hair.” “Quiet,” James snapped. To keep them in check, James had to raise his voice. As expected, the woman who was shrieking fell silent. “Extend your arm.”
She extended her arm.
James took her pulse.
Then, he said, “This has been a chronic problem of yours. You’ve had this headache and insomnia for more than a decade. It was these that led to your hair loss. What does your condition have to do with us? How about this? I’ll prescribe medicine to you for free. I guarantee your condition will improve after consuming it. If not, feel free to tear down Eternality Hospital.” “T-This is unbelievable!” The women yelled.
She turned to face the crowd and the cameras and exclaimed, “H-He’s the God of medicine!”
Upon seeing this, the crowd was puzzled. “Hey, could this be staged by Eternality?” “Seems like it. They could be actors hired by Eternality.” “Not even Dr. Fallon’s capable of this. I don’t think this kid’s the real deal.” “Yeah, not to mention this is broadcasted live. This is much more effective than advertisements.” Many of them were skeptical. They believed that this was staged by Eternality. That was because the Callahans had only just appointed a new chairman and were now expanding their business. They speculated that Eternality planned a publicity stunt to draw attention to their brand.
The Callahans gathered in the hallway of Eternality Hospital. As the situation outside stabilized, the Callahans walked out. Their gaze was fixed on James, who was busy prescribing medicine.
Tommy muttered silently, “I-Is James really Asclepius, the God of medicine? “Of course.” Gladys wore a smug look “It was James who treated Thea’s scar. Not once, but twice. If he’s not Asclepius, who is he?”
David straightened his back “That’s James for you. I kid you not. His skills far surpass that of Dr. Fallon.”
As James dealt with the crisis, Gladys, David, and the others wore a smug look, as if it was them who resolved the problem.
“Next.”
“Please, can you not fool around with me? You went around hooking up with people even though you have a weak body. Now that you’ve contracted a disease and your body’s showing signs of allergy, what does this have to do with Eternality Hospital? Whatever. I’ll give you a prescription for free.” Upon hearing his words, the man who had intended to swindle money out of the hospital felt ashamed. He had hooked up with a prostitute before this. Meanwhile, laughter erupted among the crowd. After James handed him the prescription, he continued, “Next.”
A twenty-year-old man took a seat. He extended his arm so James could take his pulse.
James took his pulse. After a few seconds, he sighed, “The red dots on your body are due to the hotpot you had eaten a few days ago. How could you blame this on us?” “Holy sh*t! How did you know that?”
“I merely guessed. It’s nothing serious. Just remember to watch what you eat. The swelling should be gone in a few days.”
James treated the patients non-stop. Their symptoms were similar. They all had an allergic reaction and were swelling all over.
It was caused by the consumption of substandard medicine.
However, James shifted the blame away from Eternality Hospital. The patients were utterly convinced and did not pursue matters further.
Chapter 218
Thea made haste.
Soon, the transfer was made. The deceased’s family was satisfied and carried the stretcher away from Eternality Hospital.
James was quick too.
With his unrivaled medical knowledge and amazing oratory skills, he convinced all those who came to make trouble. “Alright now, get going. There’s nothing to see here.” James stood and waved the onlookers away.
Eternality Hospital was one of the largest hospitals on Medical Street. The commotion had attracted many passers-by, including a few distinguished doctors from the neighboring hospitals and clinics. Hold it…”
At that moment, a voice boomed. Huh?
James turned and saw a fifty-year-old doctor in a white suit approaching him.
James frowned. “Is anything the issue?”
“This is Medical Street, where all the clinics and hospitals rely on their true abilities and not through some silly publicity stunt to be recognized. Eternality Hospital has pushed it too far this time. What if everyone else follows suit? What will happen with the rules?”
“Oh?”
James squinted at the doctor, “Are you saying this is a mere publicity stunt by Eternality Hospital?” “What? Am I wrong?”
The doctor rebuked him, “Isn’t it obvious? First, you ruined the reputation of Eternality Hospital. Then, you came forward to address the problem and made yourselves known to all by showing off your medical skills. Hmph!”
The doctor spat. “Diagnosis is done based on the observation of symptoms and the individual’s body constitution. Even if you have to put on an act, at least perform well. How is it possible to know what someone ate a few days ago just by taking his pulse? Are you taking us for a fool?”
Upon hearing his words, everyone was stunned. “So, it was a publicity stunt by Eternality.” “I told you there’s no way there’d be such a doctor. Not even Dr. Fallon could do that.” “So, it was a publicity stunt.” “How shameless. I can’t believe they employed such an underhanded tactic to bring in business.”
The onlookers were full of criticism for Eternality Hospital.
“What the hell are you saying?” Gladys could not stand it any longer. She stepped forward and confronted the crowd. “James is the real deal.”
As she said that, she pulled Thea by the arm. “This is my daughter. She was the ugliest woman in all of Cansington. It was James who treated her scars. How does she look? Isn’t her skin smooth? Is anyone else capable of doing this? Do we even need a publicity stunt?” Upon hearing this, the crowd nodded in agreement. They knew what Thea had looked like before. And they could see what she looked like now.
The changes were extraordinary. Not even Dr. Fallon could remove a scar in such a short amount of time. James stepped forward and said with a smile, “What a keen observation. That’s right. It was a publicity stunt meant to make ourselves known to the public. We didn’t expect our fellow doctors to see through our tricks. You, sir, are the real Asclepius. I’m truly impressed.” “James, what are you doing?” Gladys rebuked him. Howard stepped forward and yelled, “It wasn’t a publicity stunt.” James glared at them and whispered, “If not, are we admitting something was wrong with our medicine?”
Upon hearing this, Gladys fell silent. Howard kept silent too.
“Haha, I wish you all a happy Mid-Autumn Festival. Sorry for our poor performance. The doctor here is right. Our underhanded tactics are unacceptable. Subsequently, Eternality Hospital will be closed temporarily for reorganization. My fellow friends, we promise to compete fairly in the future. Alright now, get going.”
James waved at the crowd with a smile.
Then, he pulled Thea and the others into Eternality Hospital. “So, it was a publicity stunt, after all.”
Chapter 219 “I thought someone had died in Eternality Hospital.” “I thought something was wrong with the medicine.” “‘Tsk, it was all an act.” “How shameless of them.” Disinterested, the crowd dispersed.
In the hallway of Eternality Hospital, Gladys rebuked James, “What are you doing? That was the perfect advertisement opportunity. Now, you’ve ruined it all. What do you mean by a publicity stunt? Does this look like one to you?”
James took a seat and lit a cigarette.
Lex asked, “What’s going on, James? Did you really arrange for this?” “Arrange?”
James’ face darkened. “How would I have the time for this? With so many things going wrong all at once, does this look like a publicity stunt to you? If we don’t say so, do we admit something was wrong with our medicine? Do you know how much damage that would cost us if the media got to the bottom of this?”
Tommy stepped forward and said, “Are you trying to say something was wrong with our medicine?”
James nodded. “Most likely.”
Tommy said coldly, “Even if something’s wrong with the medicine, whose fault do you think it is? Thea’s the chairman of Eternality, and she makes every decision of the company. Thea, I heard Eternality recently changed medicine suppliers. Is that true?”
James glanced at Thea.
Thea nodded. “Indeed. Our previous supplier was a small company. With the deepening of our collaboration with Celestial Group, 1 terminated the contract with the previous companies and started getting our supplies from Celestial Group. Celestial Group is a well-established corporation, and its medicine should be fine.”
Megan spoke sarcastically, “Only you would know if anything was wrong with the medicine. The profit is great, after all. Who knows if you’ve been pocketing the earnings and selling fake medicine instead?”
That’s right.” Tommy looked at Lex and said, “Grandpa, you have to look into this. Everything was fine at Eternality before Thea became the chairman. It has only been a few days. Look at what happened already. Besides, I heard David had bought a two-million-dollar luxury car. It’s not the end of the month yet, and the dividends have not been issued. How did he get all that money?
Megan nodded. “You must’ve been putting too much in your pockets. You must’ve at least taken a couple of million from the company. After all, you’ve even got yourself a new two million dollar luxury car.”
David yelled, “Bullsh*t. I bought this car a long time ago. And I paid for it myself.” Gladys was dissatisfied too. She scolded him. “Watch your words, you two. Thea would never do such a thing.”
Lex glanced at Thea. “Thea, it’s normal for you to do this with your position. However, you should’ve wholeheartedly devoted yourself to the family’s business. Using substandard medicine would ruin our reputation. It’d cause terrible consequences for our family.”
“Grandpa, I’m innocent.” Thea was aggrieved.
She had devoted herself to the family’s business. She had been visiting large medical corporations like Celestial Group and Longevity Pharmaceuticals.
She had not taken a single cent from the company, let alone pocketed some for herself. “How dare you, James? How dare you, Thea?” Tommy cursed, “I finally understand everything. Not only did you embezzle the company’s funds, but you even colluded with outsiders to swindle money out of the family. You could at least have nine million out of the ten million dollars you handed out today. Am I right?”
Gladys rebuked him, “Bullsh*t.”
David shouted, “Tommy, don’t you dare accuse us. What do you mean by colluding with outsiders? Do you have evidence?” Tommy looked at Lex and said, “Grandpa, you need to get to the bottom of this. If it’s true that Thea and her family are behind this, I believe we need to reconsider Thea’s position as the company’s chairman. If this continues, the business will be in ruins.” “Grandpa, I didn’t do anything. I’m innocent.” Thea’s eyes were brimming with tears. Lex smoked his cigarette. It was nothing out of the ordinary for a chairman to embezzle the company’s funds. When Howard was the chairman, he too had pocketed quite a sum. However, Lex had chosen to turn a blind eye.
As long as he could bring the family to greater heights, embezzling funds was not a big deal. However, Thea had pushed it too far. He lightly waved. “We’ve yet to get to the bottom of this. Howard, investigate the matter and provide me with an explanation as soon as possible.” “Yes, father.” Howard nodded.
Lex looked at Thea.
“Thea, I’ve observed your performance for the past few days. Reforming the company and deepening cooperation with Celestial Group and Longevity Pharmaceuticals are steps in the right direction. That’s why I pray that you have nothing to do with this. If I find out you were the one behind this all along… Hmph!”
He snorted. Then, carrying his dragon cane, he walked away.
Chapter 220 Lex stormed off.
Tommy wore a scheming look on his face.
Thea and her family did not stay at the hospital for long and returned home.
“I’m so pissed.”
Upon reaching home, David broke into a fit of rage. “It’s obvious they’re trying to frame Thea. It has to be Howard and his family. After Thea became the chairman, they lost all opportunities of embezzling the company’s funds. And so, they’re trying to bring her down.”
James took a seat and said coldly, “That should be obvious enough.” Thea looked at James and asked, “How did you know something was wrong with the medicine?”
James replied, “I’m a doctor, after all. I can tell a patient’s condition just by taking their pulse, and I noticed they all consumed the same medicine. That means it wasn’t outsiders targeting Eternality hospital. Rather, it’s someone in the family. Besides, they only switched some of the medicine for substandard ones as they didn’t want things to get out of control. After all, the medicine isn’t fatal. It just causes allergic reactions.”
“W-What about the old man?”
James explained, “Although the medicine doesn’t kill, it has to have a connection with his death. So, I chose to pay compensation to hush them up. Fortunately, the public was convinced it was a publicity stunt, and the deceased’s family chose to leave. Or else, Eternality’s reputation would’ve been ruined.”
“I didn’t embezzle the company’s funds. I’ve never used substandard and expired medicine.” “I believe you, Thea. Leave the investigation to me.” “Forget it. You should just stay out of this. Lex has ordered Howard to look into the matter. I believe he’ll prove our innocence.” James smiled coldly. “Prove our innocence? Even David could see they were targeting us. Did you seriously think he would help us out? He’d surely shift the blame onto you and hold you responsible for this when the time comes.”
“W-What should we do, then?”
“Thea, you’re the chairman. Conduct an investigation yourself. Screen those in contact with the medicine to find out where and what went wrong.”
“Hmm.”
James nodded.
He didn’t expect David, good-for-nothing trash, to have some brains. Thea contemplated and said, “I’ll investigate the matter first thing the next morning.” “James, thank you. The Callahans’ reputation would’ve been ruined if it weren’t for you.” Gladys was grateful toward James.
When the crowd started heckling, the Callahans panicked and sought shelter inside the building
Lex, on the other hand, tried to use his connections to resolve the crisis. Only James was clear-headed. He chose to solve the problem in the simplest way. If things escalated, ten million dollars would not have been enough. Although the public criticized the publicity stunt, it was a much better option than having to admit to using substandard and expired medicine. James smiled and pulled Thea’s arm. “Don’t worry. Everything will be fine. The road to success is paved with obstacles, after all.”
“Mhm.” Thea nodded.
At the same time, at the Callahans’ villa, Lex was sitting on the sofa smoking his cigarette.
Tommy and Megan were fanning the flames as they tried to shift the blame onto Thea. “Grandpa, it’s obvious Thea was behind this.”
“She first bought substandard medicine at a low price and pocketed the profits made herself. Then, she colluded with outsiders to swindle money out of the family. The old man did not die of our medicine. Now, we’ve given out ten million dollars just like that. The money must’ve gone into Thea’s pockets by now.” “Yes, grandpa. Ever since Thea became the chairman, she’s been misappropriating the company’s funds. Now, not much remains in the company’s account. If there’s a liquidity crunch, the Callahans will be in deep trouble.” They chimed in now and then.
“Grandpa, in my opinion, Thea’s not qualified to be the chairman.” “Even if she has the connections, the company will be ruined if we allow her to do as she please.” Lex, of course, understood this.