Silence.
A pin drop could be heard in the office.Every head turned toward Xia Tian, eyes wide in disbelief, as though time had frozen and they were no more than statues.
"W–what did you just say?""Did you just say... the Director wants to make you his godson?"
Wang Xiaobei asked the question one syllable at a time, voice quivering.
Xia Tian nodded calmly. "Yes."
Thunderstruck.
Was there no justice left in this world?
They had all graduated together, started their internships at the same hospital, had similar grades... and, well, looks that were at least in the same league.
So why—why was the gap between people so impossibly wide?
Jealousy detonated inside Wang Xiaobei like a bomb.
"Wow! Brother Tian, you're incredible!""Congratulations!"
Li Xiaohong was the first to offer her blessing, her round glasses slipping slightly as she gazed at Xia Tian with eyes brimming with adoration.
The other female interns squealed with excitement.
"Brother Tian, you're amazing!""You're the chosen one! Our Director Zhang is a legend at this hospital—just beneath the president and vice president in rank. If he's claiming you as his godson, it's only a matter of time before you're made a department head!"
"Don't forget us when you're in power, Brother Tian!""Rich or poor, may we never part!"
The male interns, however, looked like they'd swallowed bitter herbs.
Weren't they all supposed to suffer together through the grind? And now Xia Tian had secretly maxed out his gains and left them behind.
Traitor!
Especially the ones from the First Medical School.
They had better degrees than Xia Tian.They believed themselves equally attractive.
So why did the spotlight always shine on him? Why were they mere shadows in the wings?
No one was more livid than Wang Boyi.
His parents were both doctors. He knew what it meant for a physician to accept a disciple—it was a monumental honor.
But a godson?
Was this a joke?
No, it had to be a lie. He was sure Xia Tian was just showing off.
He sneered, voice dripping with sarcasm. "So, did the Director also say he wants you to marry his daughter?"
It was meant as a jab. A joke.
But then Xia Tian nodded.
"He did. He said his daughter's twenty-two, still in medical school. She'll graduate in a few years. He suggested we register our marriage first and hold the wedding after graduation—start a family then."
Wang Xiaobei's eyes bulged like copper bells.
"Holy sh—!"
"Brother Tian's hit the jackpot!""Director Zhang's wife is a senior executive at a major corporation—they're filthy rich. They live in a villa, and the Director drives a Porsche 911."
"Marry his daughter, and boom! Company, villa, Porsche—all yours, Brother Tian!""This is your ticket to the top!"
Xia Tian pushed his glasses up his nose, looking calm. "I turned him down."
"What?!" they chorused.
He refused?
The heavens dropped a meat pie right into his lap, and he said no?
Wang Boyi, who just moments ago had been gnashing his teeth in jealousy, now burst into laughter.
He shook his head in disbelief.
Fool.
Even with talent and recognition, you couldn't shake off the stink of ignorance.
Did Xia Tian know who Director Zhang was? If someone of that stature offers his daughter's hand, you don't refuse.
That's like the emperor granting you his daughter, and you have the gall to turn him down.What, does the emperor have no pride?
In this world, success was 30% skill and 70% social finesse.
The people at the top of the pyramid all knew how to play the game. The ones who buried themselves in hard work without people skills were destined to remain cogs in the machine.
Xia Tian's EQ was too low. He might survive now, but sooner or later, he'd offend the wrong people.
Wang Boyi looked at him like he was a joke."What did the Director say after you turned him down? Just smiled and let it go?"
A man like Director Zhang wouldn't argue face-to-face. If he smiled and said nothing, that meant he was pissed.
"He didn't stay quiet," Xia Tian replied. "He paused, sighed, and said he hadn't considered it deeply enough... that his daughter wasn't worthy of someone as exceptional as me."
Once again, the room went dead silent.
The blood vessels in Wang Boyi's eyes flared red.It looked like he might morph into Thanos, punch Xia Tian through a wall, and snap his fingers to erase him from existence.
"Could you be any more of a show-off?"
"I'm not showing off," Xia Tian said, expression mild. "I'm just relaying what the Director said."
"But if you think I'm showing off…"
He shrugged lightly. "Then so be it."
From the moment he'd gotten the system, Xia Tian had accepted that he was destined to outshine others. Jealousy was inevitable.
After all, he was brilliant.And handsome.
What's not to envy?
He'd already steeled himself for the backlash. It wouldn't affect his work.
3:00 PM
A sharply dressed man strutted into the ER.He wore a tailored Armani suit, a gleaming Patek Philippe watch, and his hair was lacquered with enough gel to stop a bullet.
The man all but screamed:I'm rich. I'm powerful. Bow before me.
Trailing behind him was his assistant.
The man strolled in confidently, cheeks flushed with color, looking in perfect health.
"Doctor, I've been having some mild chest tightness," he said. "Just prescribe something simple. I've got a meeting in thirty minutes."
His tone was casual, brimming with self-assurance.
"How long have you been feeling the tightness?" Xia Tian asked while registering his info.
"About half a month," the man replied breezily. "It doesn't happen all the time—comes and goes. Usually passes after a bit."
He spoke lightly, but Xia Tian's heart skipped a beat.
Chest tightness for half a month... and he's just now showing up?
That symptom could signal dozens of serious conditions:Lung cancer, myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, vascular stenosis—none of which were to be taken lightly.
One misstep, and it's time for the funeral band to strike up a tune.
Without hesitation, Xia Tian ordered a full blood panel and an ECG.
"Go get these tests done. Now."
The man glanced at the paperwork and chuckled. "Isn't that a bit excessive? It's just mild tightness. Can't you just give me something?"
Xia Tian's tone sharpened. "These tests are not optional."
"They're quick, inexpensive, and necessary."
Seeing Xia Tian's insistence, the man frowned but took the forms and left for testing.
Fifteen minutes later, the assistant returned with the blood test results.The boss was still outside, engrossed in a call.
Chest tightness often pointed to cardiac issues.Xia Tian zeroed in on the cardiac enzyme panel.
Myoglobin: 110 ng/mlCK-MB: 120 U/ml
Shit.
Those were all maxed-out values.
Myocardial infarction.This guy was walking around with a ticking time bomb in his chest.
Xia Tian forced himself to stay calm. "What about the ECG? Did he get it?"
The assistant turned to look at the man still pacing outside."He hasn't yet. Our boss is in the middle of a phone meeting—it'll be at least another hour."