Just then, a car marked with the Binyang Broadcasting Station logo pulled up, and several people rushed out from the vehicle.
A female reporter holding a microphone shouted towards the crowd, "Excuse me, please let us through, we're from the TV station and we need to interview Mr. Ling."
Upon hearing it was the TV station, the fans made way for Ling Zhenfei, and the TV station's reporter brought the microphone to Ling Zhenfei's mouth.
"Mr. Ling, we're journalists from the TV station. We have some questions to interview you about. Do you have time?"
Ling Zhenfei was completely exasperated. How did it come to this, suddenly having fans and even a TV station interviewing him?
"Sorry, I don't have time."
"Okay, Mr. Ling, first question, that clip on the internet showing you bringing a dead person back to life, is it a real event or a carefully planned publicity stunt by you?"
"What stunt? You can check the hospital's surveillance video, or you can ask the hospital. Plus, I've already said I don't have time and won't accept an interview." Ling Zhenfei was getting a little angry at the mention of a 'publicity stunt'.
"Alright, Mr. Ling, you're so young yet your Medical Arts are so advanced. There's information about you online but nothing about your medical education, which has led to a lot of scrutiny from people. How do you explain this? Or perhaps this instance of bringing someone back from the dead was just an outright publicity stunt and you actually have no knowledge of medicine."
"Is there ever an end to this? I am an honorary professor at Binyang Hospital. Who has the right to question my medical skills? I'll say it again, I won't accept your interview, I don't have time now." Ling Zhenfei was truly angered, these reporters' tactics were just too much.
"Wow, he's even an honorary professor at Binyang Hospital, and there's such an important piece of news that I didn't know about."
"My idol is so amazing, such a young professor, he must have set a world record."
"He's so handsome...!"
Ling Zhenfei couldn't stand these delusional fans any longer, quickly turning around and heading into the hospital, but was stopped by the reporters.
"Mr. Ling, just one last question that many of your fans are also concerned about. Netizens have signed a petition on the hospital's website, demanding that Provincial Hospital take down its signboard in fulfillment of a promise. What's your view on this?"
"There's nothing much to say, that was just a joke from that doctor, it shouldn't be taken seriously. The hospital's signboard is the hospital's honor, and I have great respect for Provincial Hospital. I find Provincial Hospital to be very advanced. Also, I don't have time to waste here."
"Aww, my idol is so kind!"
"Ling Zhenfei, I love you!"
"So handsome!"
Ling Zhenfei looked on at his fervent fans, speechless, and finally, under the protection of the security guards, made it inside the hospital.
A sigh of relief grew inside him. It seemed that being a star wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. At least he felt somewhat out of his element. Besides, all he had done was cure one patient. Someone had uploaded the video online, but that hardly made him a celebrity, at best a viral internet sensation—and he'd probably be forgotten in a few days.
He made his way to Qiu Qing's room, where Qiu Qian was already waiting by the door, smiling as Ling Zhenfei approached.
"Divine Doctor Brother, how does it feel to be a star?"
"What star? Just a bunch of bored people. It's only been a day and there are already brainless fans around. Anyone who doesn't know better might think I paid for them."
Qiu Qian shook her head and said, "You really should go online and have a look. It's not just about one video."
At that, Qiu Qian opened her smartphone and handed it to Ling Zhenfei. When he looked, he understood that his fame had already spread online. It wasn't only the video where he treated Qiu Qing; there was also an older one from when he treated leukemia at Binyang Hospital. At the time, he had been dismissed as a scam artist. After all, who could cure leukemia? It seemed completely against science.
The second video was of him treating Old Master Qiu on a train with a sugar-coated hawthorn stick in place of a silver needle, saving the man's life. This too had been recorded and shared online, initially brushed off as a publicity stunt. However, many people took it seriously since Old Master Qiu was well-known. Investigations into his identity confirmed the news.
The third video was of him treating Qiu Qing. Thanks to the buzz created by the first two videos, the third went viral as soon as it was released. Post the second video, people had formed a fan alliance to dig into Ling Zhenfei's background. The video's specific time and location, along with the clear footage, led to his identity being swiftly uncovered.
Some netizens thought all three videos were elaborately staged promotions, especially after Ling Zhenfei's identity was revealed, leading to information about Xishan Manor. They insisted that Ling Zhenfei was a fraud.
But more fans believed that a Divine Doctor really did exist in the world, and that Xishan Manor had been wronged. The media had already clarified the situation. So, that very night, the fan group organized to wait outside the Provincial Hospital, and to their surprise, they actually caught him. Even the reporters who hurried there managed to conduct a brief interview with Ling Zhenfei.
"I see now, it looks like I need to be more careful about where I cure patients in the future, to avoid major issues," Ling Zhenfei muttered to himself.
Qiu Qian, somewhat astonished, said, "Divine Doctor Brother, why are you so afraid of fame? I think if you manage your reputation well, it could really boost your future prospects."
"What kind of boost could it give? Tell me. Besides, I'm not some celebrity, at most just an internet sensation." Ling Zhenfei had never paid much attention to these matters before, unlike the more fashionable Qiu Qian.
"Celebrity or not, you'll become well-known. First, it'll give your Medical Arts the exposure they deserve so they won't be wasted. It would be such a shame to bury such incredible skills. Second, you could use it to promote your farm. There will be many fans who'll want to travel to places you've been, and I bet your farm could really get into the tourism business."
Her mention of tourism struck a chord with Ling Zhenfei. Wasn't developing tourism part of the future plans for his manor? But relying on these fans felt a bit exploitative. He felt he shouldn't proceed in that way. However, if fame could give his Medical Arts a platform, that wasn't a bad thing at all.
"Let nature take its course, don't overthink it. How is Uncle Qiu? Let's go see him," Ling Zhenfei suggested.
Ling Zhenfei and Qiu Qian walked into the hospital room together. Qiu Qing and He Yun were inside packing up, with the bed and table covered in flowers and fruit.
"Why did you buy so many flowers and fruits? Planning to sell flowers?" Ling Zhenfei asked, surprised.
"Divine Doctor Brother, I forgot to tell you, all these were brought by your fans," Qiu Qian said bashfully from behind.
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