Chapter 701: Chapter 700: Taking the First Step

Liao Guilin returned alone to his luxurious apartment in the city center. It was nearly midnight.

He dragged his exhausted body to the study and called his son, Liao Ziqiang, in the United States.

The phone rang once before Liao Guilin remembered he shouldn’t be making a video call. He quickly hung up, switched to a voice call, and dialed again.

A moment later, the call connected, and an eager voice with a slight, tinny reverb immediately came through the phone.

"Dad, is it settled?"

"No!"

Liao Guilin pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed softly. "It’s a bit complicated. That kid’s connections are surprisingly solid, and even Mr. Hou isn’t in a position to speak for us."

"We’ll have to go and plead with him ourselves."

"And, we’ll have to throw money at him."

Liao Ziqiang’s voice came through the phone again. "Then throw money at him. In the end, it’s just about money."

"Dad, it’s not like we’re short on money!"

"Dad, if we just throw a few million at him, he’ll come running to us with his tongue out like an obedient dog."

Hearing this, Liao Guilin felt a sudden surge of anger.

"A few million?"

"Do you have any idea? His standard fee for a single cosmetic surgery is four or five million."

"For someone in your situation, do you really think a few million will be enough to satisfy him?"

"FUCK...!"

Liao Guilin grew angrier as he spoke, unable to stop himself from letting out a stream of curses.

"You little bastard! My money doesn’t grow on trees! I earned every last cent through back-breaking work, day and night."

"Just because of your goddamn attitude toward him, I have to spend tens of millions and go groveling to the man."

"How did I end up with such a worthless son!"

"I’ve stood tall for over a decade, and now, for your damn sake, I have to bow my head again."

After venting, the frustration pent up in Liao Guilin’s heart subsided considerably.

He calmed himself and softened his tone. "Since we’re the ones asking, you, as the party involved, have to show your face. It’s the only way to show sincerity."

"Make arrangements and come back to the country as soon as possible."

After a moment of silence, Liao Ziqiang replied, "I’m not going to beg him. If we’re already paying, then let’s just pay more."

"Either way, I will not stoop to begging him."

Those words nearly made Liao Guilin cough up blood in sheer frustration.

’Things have already gotten this bad, yet he’s still clinging to this pointless pride.’

In that instant, Liao Guilin was utterly disappointed in his son.

He let out a long sigh and asked slowly, "Has that good-for-nothing friend of yours, Guan Zhe, woken up yet?"

"Not yet!"

This news brightened Liao Guilin’s dark mood slightly.

’At least someone else is even more unlucky.’

Having made his decision, Liao Guilin lamented, "The son’s misdeeds are the father’s fault. I bear some responsibility for how you’ve turned out."

"Ziqiang, you’re my son. I can’t just completely wash my hands of you."

"I’ll give you two choices. One, you can have the surgery in the United States. I’ll hire the best plastic surgeon to do it."

"Even if their work isn’t as good as that kid’s, it shouldn’t be too far off. Besides, for a man, looks aren’t important."

"As long as you’re capable, you could be as ugly as a pig, and beautiful women would still be lining up for you."

"The second choice..."

Liao Guilin’s voice turned cold and severe. "I’ll spend tens of millions, hundreds of millions, I’ll even kowtow and kneel. I’ll accept it all, and I will make certain that kid performs your surgery and restores your face."

"But after that, you can forget about the family fortune."

"You can either start from scratch and fight your own way up, or you can live off a monthly allowance of tens of thousands and coast until you die..."

「Night gave way to day, and a new day began.」

Yan Feifan was as busy as ever.

Upon arriving at the hospital, he first went to the neurosurgery lab to check on the experimental monkeys and white mice. He then went to his office in the Little Red House to hear patient updates from several students after their rounds, before rushing to the neurosurgery inpatient building to begin preparing for an operation.

Around 11:00 AM, after completing two intrathecal tumor puncture and injection procedures, Yan Feifan hurried back to the Little Red House.

He performed a physical examination on the American patient brought by Dr. Kevin Vega, then had lunch with Mr. Vega, during which they discussed the surgical plan.

At 1:00 PM, Yan Feifan had a thorough consultation with another friend of Zeng Ni’s, and her family, regarding the surgical plan.

A little after 4:00 PM, Yan Feifan examined the brain tumor patient brought by Qin Feng and discussed the surgical plan with Mr. Qin.

Just after 5:30 in the evening, Yan Feifan, having completed his day’s work with great efficiency, was taking a short break with a glass of water when a special guest arrived at his office.

"Mrs. Su, what are you doing here?"

"Does Su Ye know?"

Seeing that his visitor was Yu Suye’s mother, Su Ru, Yan Feifan instantly grew flustered. After a brief greeting, he picked up his phone, ready to call Su Ye.

Su Ru saw this and quickly stopped him. "Feifan, no need to tell Su Ye just yet. I came here to see you."

Yan Feifan had no choice but to put down his phone. He escorted Su Ru to the sofa in the reception area, sat down, and asked directly, "Mrs. Su, what did you need to see me about?"

Su Ru sized up Yan Feifan, not responding for a moment.

Her gaze made Yan Feifan feel a bit unsettled, so he stood up again and poured her a glass of water.

"Mrs. Su, please have some water."

Su Ru accepted the water and said softly, "You look much sturdier than the last time I saw you, but you’ve also gotten quite a bit tanner."

Yan Feifan explained, "I used to spend too much time in the hospital wards and got too pale. It’s normal to get a bit of a tan now."

"A tan looks healthier."

Su Ru chuckled lightly. "It’s true. The tan actually makes you look more pleasant."

After a pause, she changed the subject. "I keep in touch with Chuan Bai, and I know you treat Su Ye very well."

"With you looking after her, Su Ye is leading a fulfilled and happy life here."

"I’m very happy."

Yan Feifan replied awkwardly, "To be honest, I haven’t really done much."

Su Ru smiled faintly. "I know you two are renovating a villa in the city center."

"Chuan Bai said that Su Ye was completely invested in designing the renovation plans for the villa. She even described to him the beautiful life she dreamed of after moving in."

"Feifan, this villa is meant to be you and Su Ye’s marital home, isn’t it?"

’Here comes the marriage pressure!’

Yan Feifan immediately tensed up, his skin crawling with an uncomfortable sensation that made him restless and fidgety.

Instead of answering, he asked, "Mrs. Su, what was it specifically you wanted to see me about?"

Su Ru was a bit displeased that Yan Feifan hadn’t answered her directly, but considering the purpose of her visit, she decided to hold her tongue for now.

"Feifan, it’s like this..."

"Su Ye’s father works within the government system in Jingcheng. Although his position isn’t high, he manages quite a few people—dozens, if not hundreds."

Yan Feifan thought to himself, ’Of course. He’s in charge of sanitation, so the number of sanitation workers is bound to be large.’

He assumed an expression of serious attention as Su Ru continued, "A few months ago, an employee under his supervision was in a car accident."

"They saved him, but he’s been in a daze ever since. Months have passed with no improvement. They say he has a blood clot in his brain, that his brain was damaged."

"Su Ye’s father has been very worried about this employee. He helped him contact several specialists, both in traditional Chinese and Western medicine, but with little effect."

"I heard that you, Feifan, can treat these kinds of blood clots in the brain. Is that true?"

Before Yan Feifan could respond, Su Ru continued, "Even if the bones are broken, the sinews of a family remain connected. Su Ye might say she’s cut ties with her family, but can those bonds ever truly be severed?"

"Feifan, I won’t hide it from you. Right now, Su Ye’s father and her grandfather both regret their actions."

"It’s just that, as the elders, they have their pride to maintain."

"So I was thinking, perhaps you and Su Ye could take the first step in this matter with the patient?"

’So she’s not here to pressure me into marriage.’ Yan Feifan breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"Mrs. Su, regarding the patient you mentioned, I’ll need to see his medical records before I can determine if there’s a way to treat him."

"As for everything else, that will have to depend on Su Ye’s decision."

Yan Feifan reached for his phone again. "Mrs. Su, Su Ye might not say it, but I know she misses you very much."

"She’ll be so happy when she finds out you’re here. She’ll probably jump for joy like a little kid..."

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