Masterful Miracle Doctor

Chapter 1005 - 969: Apologizing in Person

In the afternoon, around four o'clock, Qin Gang drove Lu Juan, who was applying for a nanny job, to Xiangtai Apartment.Under Lin Jie's scrutinizing gaze, Lu Juan, dressed in off-brand light-colored clothes, stood quietly with her hands folded on her abdomen, a faint smile on her face, looking ahead without showing any signs of nervousness.

She was about 160 centimeters tall, with a slightly thin figure, and had short hair that covered her ears.

A round face, fairly sophisticated features, especially her high-bridged nose.

If she were twenty years younger, she could be considered a beauty, but now there were fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and mouth.

Lin Jie noticed that her face was not made up, maybe only applied some spring skincare products, and she wore no jewelry, with well-trimmed nails indicating she likely pays attention to personal hygiene.

"How's your driving?" Lin Jie asked.

Lu Juan replied softly, "It's quite okay, I've had my license for over ten years!"

"My husband was an Uber driver before he unexpectedly passed away. To earn more money, he rested but the car didn't, so I sometimes took his place to help him get some rest."

Lin Jie nodded and said, "Aunt Lu, please use the ingredients like vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, and seafood in the kitchen fridge to make your best dishes."

"Dr. Lin, what flavors do you prefer? Sweet, salty, sour, or spicy?"

Lu Juan also mentioned, "I am from the local suburbs. My husband was from Huguang and used to be in the army in the north, working as a cook for a few years."

"Well, I can make local dishes, Huguang dishes, and some northern dishes."

Lin Jie laughed and said, "It seems Aunt Lu is versed in three cuisines, then make a local dish, with a lighter taste."

Lu Juan modestly said, "I wouldn't say expert, just know how to make some home-cooked meals."

"Dr. Lin, should I start preparing now?"

Once Lin Jie nodded, Qin Gang volunteered, "Aunt Lu, I'll assist you."

"I'm familiar with Dr. Lin's kitchen, just let me know if you need any ingredients or utensils..."

Around four-thirty, Lin Jie unexpectedly received a call from Guan Yifan.

"Expert Lin, guess how many people came to the plastic surgery department today with celebrity photos, crying and demanding full-face makeovers?"

Lin Jie casually asked, "How many?"

Guan Yifan exclaimed, "One hundred sixty-eight people."

"This number is more than a whole year of people wanting full-face makeovers."

"And that's not counting those who consulted online and by phone. Many people flew or took high-speed trains from other places to get here."

"After asking around, I found out they all saw a viral entertainment news last night, the true and false Hu Ge."

"They saw the before-surgery photos of the incredibly realistic fake Hu Ge and got so excited that they rushed over regardless."

Lin Jie laughed and said, "That's good news! Your plastic surgery department's bonus will shoot up."

Guan Yifan, half laughing, half crying, said, "Trouble is what will shoot up."

"These people's demands are to meet the level of that fake Hu Ge, it has to be indistinguishable. The issue is, we can't achieve that."

"With such high demands, only you, Expert Lin, in all of China can do it."

"Expert Lin, are you interested in taking on a few more cases?"

Lin Jie promptly declined, "I don't have time now, my schedule is fully booked during this period."

Guan Yifan earnestly replied, "I understand."

"Even as a plastic surgeon myself, I believe Expert Lin should devote more time to critical surgeries and medical research that concern patients' lives..."

Not long after hanging up with Guan Yifan, Lin Jie received another call from Kong Mingqing.

"Lin Jie, I checked the information on Lu Juan and her family, so far no illegal records were found, just some speeding and illegal parking violations under her driving license."

This was after Lin Jie learned some personal information about Lu Juan and had asked Kong Mingqing to help check.

"What caused her husband's death?"

"A car accident."

After a pause, Kong Mingqing's voice continued, "From the traffic police accident investigation records, he was hit by a red light-running dirt truck at a late-night intersection, and the truck driver was wholly responsible."

"I also asked local police to investigate Lu Juan's information on-site. Local residents have a good impression of her."

"Of course, the current knowledge is just the surface, Lin Jie, do you need a deeper dig?"

Lin Jie laughed, "There's no need."

"Just for a nanny job, no need to dig three feet deep..."

Just as he was about to hang up, he heard Kong Mingqing say softly, "Lin Jie, there's something I don't know if I should tell you."

Lin Jie naturally said, "Brother Kong, just speak up, anything I can help with, I won't refuse."

"Hehe, it's not my matter, it's about you."

Kong Mingqing's voice on the phone got even quieter, "While investigating Lu Juan's information, I suddenly got interested and checked yours."

"Your basic household information is available."

"But when I tried to dig deeper into your information, I found I couldn't."

"I thought there was some malfunction, and when I was about to ask someone, I unexpectedly received a call from the director telling me not to look into your information anymore."

"What's going on?" Lin Jie was puzzled.

Kong Mingqing contemplated and said, "Lin Jie, your information has been upgraded in confidentiality, and it is marked so that whenever someone examines it, relevant departments will be informed."

"This should be a good thing, indicating that you are a person under constant watch."

Lin Jie speculated that it might be related to the cosmetic surgery he was handling.

Since it didn't affect daily life and work, he didn't pay it much mind.

It was almost six in the evening when An Kexin returned.

At the same time, Lu Juan had finished preparing five dishes and a soup.

Braised pork, wild sea bass stuffed with minced meat, stir-fried shrimp, shredded pork with beancurd sheets and Zizania latifolia, stir-fried tea tree mushrooms, and beef soup.

The dishes all looked quite good, especially the braised pork, with its glossy, alluring color inviting you to taste.

I wanted to invite Lu Juan to stay for dinner, but she insisted on leaving.

Lin Jie didn't continue to persuade her to stay, thought for a moment, and said, "Aunt Lu, suitable or not, I'll give you an answer in a day or two."

"Do you have any other requirements for this job?"

Lu Juan hesitated for a moment and said, "I hope to have one day off every week."

"My daughter is a senior in high school this year, with just over two months until her college entrance exams. I want to go back and spend a day with her each week, to cook her a good meal."

"That's no problem!"

Lin Jie said to Qin Gang, "Please escort Aunt Lu downstairs, give her three hundred for a taxi, and then join us for dinner."

Qin Gang responded affirmatively and escorted Lu Juan out of the apartment.

Ten minutes later, Qin Gang returned, but he wasn't alone.

Returning with him was Xiang Rong.

Lin Jie, while accepting the two bottles of red wine from Xiang Rong, curiously asked, "Editor Xiang, you came over specially, did something happen?"

Xiang Rong, somewhat embarrassed, replied, "Expert Lin, I came specifically to apologize to you."

"Apologize?" Lin Jie was even more puzzled.

Xiang Rong nodded and said, "Yes, to apologize."

"After Qin Ruomu called you, I noticed his expression was a bit off, and he made some ambiguous remarks."

"Afterward, he took his leave."

"It was only more than an hour ago that I found out Qin Ruomu boarded a flight back to Capital City."

Xiang Rong, somewhat annoyed, said, "This made me realize that his visit to Binhai wasn't for any other business but specifically to see you, Expert Lin."

"And meeting us on the way wasn't by chance."

"No matter what Qin Ruomu was seeking from you, Expert Lin, this matter arose because of me, and I should come to apologize."

At this moment, An Kexin came over and smiled, "Editor Xiang, you probably haven't had dinner yet, right?"

"Just right, we have an aunt trying out for us with a table of dishes, you should join us and have a taste."

Lin Jie also invited, "Editor Xiang, come join us, we can talk over dinner."

The group went to the dining room and sat down.

The braised pork was sweet, soft, and tender, with a rich aroma; the fish was flavorful, and the shrimp was smooth and delightful…

After tasting the dishes, everyone, including Lin Jie, felt they were quite good.

An Kexin smiled and said, "If judged solely by culinary skills, Aunt Lu is approved in my book."

Lin Jie nodded and said, "Then it's settled. Let's start with a one-month trial!"

After saying this, he looked at Xiang Rong and said, "I know, not knowing the whole story, you probably have no mood for food."

"Let me tell you..."

Lin Jie then recounted the details of his phone conversation with Qin Ruomu.

After hearing it, Xiang Rong pondered a bit and asked, "Expert Lin, is this research project you're applying for very important, one that could lead to significant breakthroughs and have a vast impact?"

Before Lin Jie could respond, An Kexin replied, "The importance Ajie places on this research project is something I have never seen before. If successful, according to Ajie, it could extend many cancer patients' lives by five to ten years, or even longer."

This statement made Xiang Rong's heart jolt.

He knew very well what those five to ten years could mean to cancer patients.

This is Nobel Prize-level research.

Reflecting on Lin Jie's history of creating one medical miracle after another, he was confident that Lin Jie was very likely to succeed with this project.

Suppressing his excitement, Xiang Rong said, "Expert Lin, I think I know what Qin Ruomu's intention was."

He spoke slowly, "Previously, there have been rumors in the industry suggesting that some so-called medical experts, while maintaining a sanctimonious facade, use their power and position to seize others' ideas and even their research results through various channels."

"This Qin Ruomu must have seen your project application, Expert Lin, and became very interested."

"Given your current reputation, Expert Lin, he certainly wouldn't dare blatantly take over, but he likely wanted to involve himself to share in the glory and recognition."

Xiang Rong couldn't help but laugh, "Qin Ruomu is probably so accustomed to his lofty position, thinking that with a little pressure or temptation, he could get you, Expert Lin, to yield."

"Unexpectedly, this time he hit a solid wall."

An Kexin worriedly said, "Will he cause trouble when he gets back, downgrading the project's rating from key support to general support?"

"The funding support between these is probably quite different, right?"

Xiang Rong considered and said, "Causing trouble is quite possible."

"However, the review committee is not solely his voice. For Expert Lin's project application, there would typically be seven or nine experts independently reviewing it."

"Qin Ruomu might only influence two or three of them."

"The final decision will rest with the leaders of the National Health Commission."

"Though their work is industry management-related, they are somewhat professionals, at least with the vision to see the immense value in your research project, Expert Lin, and wouldn't overlook it."

Lin Jie snorted lightly and said confidently, "The funding support from the National Health Commission, whether more or less, doesn't really matter."

"Regardless, for this research project, I won't be short of money to use."