15: Chapter 15 Becoming an Apprentice

Chen Mo had just said he was leaving when Han Shuang and the Old Dean simultaneously held him back.

Han Shuang expressed her heartfelt gratitude: "Xiao Mo, you have helped Yao Yao so much. Auntie really doesn't know how to thank you."

"We're classmates, it was just a small favor," Chen Mo said lightly, as he truly hadn't spent much effort treating Tang Yao.

On the contrary, the Soul points that Tang Yao consumed in the game were of immeasurable value to him.

By that calculation, he was actually the one who owed Tang Yao.

But Han Shuang naturally didn't believe him, because the weak, sweat-drenched appearance Chen Mo had when he came out just now didn't seem like something he could fake.

Moreover, even the Old Dean was helpless against Yao Yao's symptoms; Chen Mo must have paid a great price to cure her.

Chen Mo didn't ask for anything in return, but she couldn't just give nothing.

Thus, Han Shuang probed indirectly: "By the way, Xiao Mo, you must have just finished the College Entrance Exam, right? How did you feel about it? Which university are you planning to apply to?"

"Sigh, I bombed the exam. I guess I'll have to repeat a year," Chen Mo answered honestly, having no ulterior motives.

Han Shuang's heart stirred. According to what she knew, Chen Mo's grades were usually very good. If he bombed it this time, it must have been because he was delayed by studying medicine.

Thinking this, she became even more satisfied with Chen Mo.

"How about this: Jiangnan University has an affiliated repeat class. Auntie Han will help you arrange it. Also, this card is where Yao Yao keeps her pocket money. She can't use it right now, so you help her use it for the time being. Although there isn't much money in it, it's enough to buy study materials and hire a tutor."

As she spoke, Han Shuang took a ballpoint pen and wrote the password on the back of the bank card.

Chen Mo was genuinely tempted.

Just at eight o'clock last night, he was still worried sick about his grades.

Although after binding with the Main God Space, this matter was no longer that important.

But how to explain it to his parents was still a headache-inducing problem.

And Jiangnan University was one of the best institutions in all of Jiangzhou; the teaching quality of the repeat class held there could be imagined.

Being able to repeat a year there meant there was a great hope of getting into Jiangnan University next year.

He believed that once his parents heard this news, they wouldn't care about him bombing the exam this year.

This made it very hard for him to refuse.

And while he was dazed, Han Shuang had already tucked the bank card with the written password into his pocket.

When he realized what happened, Chen Mo didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

But since he had accepted it, he had accepted it.

Anyway, there shouldn't be much money in it.

Furthermore, he had already decided that once his main god points were sufficient in the future, he would definitely find a way to wake Tang Yao up.

Accepting Han Shuang's gratitude now didn't burden his heart too much.

At this moment, the people from the Equipment Department arrived.

"Is this where maintenance is needed?" the person in the lead walked in hurriedly.

The middle-aged man had been keeping his head down without speaking, but now that he finally saw his savior, he rushed up and said: "Yes, yes! Please check all these machines!"

"Alright."

Several maintenance personnel surrounded the instruments, some standing and some squatting.

They busied themselves for a long time with clanging and banging, even taking off half the outer covers.

They reassembled the instruments and adjusted them.

Finally, the leader stared at the middle-aged man with an unfriendly expression: "It's strange. These instruments are in perfect working order. Why did you call us here?"

The middle-aged man's face was filled with shock.

"How is that possible! Why don't you take another careful look?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the people from the Equipment Department all turned sour.

"Do you know more than we do?"

"Doctor Wu, right? We know you've been doing very well these past few years, but you can't just waste everyone's time for no reason, right?"

"The instruments are clearly fine, yet you called us all here. Are you messing with us?"

"Do you really think we have nothing better to do all day?"

"Next time you want to check something, please bring it to our Equipment Department yourself!"

"Old Dean, we're leaving."

After complaining, they only greeted the Old Dean and left in a hurry.

The middle-aged man stood there with his mouth agape, unable to say a word.

His reason had long told him that the Old Dean's pulse diagnosis almost never went wrong.

But there was always a sliver of wishful thinking in his heart—what if the Old Dean was getting senile?

As it turned out, his last sliver of hope had been shattered.

"Doctor Wu, the results are out. Do you have any more doubts?" The Old Dean looked at the middle-aged man with a complex expression.

The middle-aged man's eyes darted around.

In name, he was only the Old Dean's assistant, but since the Old Dean rarely saw patients himself, his actual rank was no different from an attending physician.

Moreover, because the Old Dean was highly respected, the hospital also held him in high regard. Whether it was for awards or promotions, he was always given the green light, and his future had been smooth sailing.

But now, the way the Old Dean addressed him had changed from "Xiao Wu" to "Doctor Wu," and the sense of alienation was obvious.

This made him have to worry about his own future.

So he could only bite the bullet and explain: "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. Actually, the moment you spoke, Old Dean, I didn't have a single shred of doubt left in my heart."

The Old Dean noncommittally pulled out a smile: "Then why haven't you apologized to Brother Chen yet?"

"Right, apologize, apologize."

The middle-aged man woke up from a dream, quickly adjusted his state, and said to Chen Mo with a look of sincere conviction:

"Brother Chen, I'm sorry. My attitude earlier was indeed not very good, but the medical skills you displayed were just too inconceivable. Besides, I was focused on the matter, not the person, and I didn't mean to target you at all. But I understand now: you truly have genuine skills. I admire you, I admire you!"

Chen Mo smiled.

Facing the middle-aged man's questioning earlier, he had indeed gotten a bit of a temper.

But after calming down, thinking from the middle-aged man's perspective, it was completely understandable.

So he didn't take it to heart and, after a few simple polite words, prepared to leave.

But the Old Dean wasn't finished yet.

He said to the middle-aged man: "Is an apology all there is? Did you forget something?"

The middle-aged man froze.

He naturally understood what the Old Dean meant.

The bet set earlier included, besides an apology, the condition of taking the other party as his Master.

It was just that at the time, he was holding the mindset that it was impossible to lose, so he could naturally say anything.

But now, when it was time to actually fulfill the bet, he was ten thousand times unwilling.

Even if the other party was indeed very capable in the field of Massage Therapy, his age was just...

He, Wu Cheng, was at least a ranked attending physician at Jiangnan First Hospital. If he really took a high school student—who was a repeater who hadn't gotten into university—as his Master, where would he put his face?

Seeing the middle-aged man's unwilling expression, the Old Dean, not knowing what psychology was at play, brought up what the Old Man in Tang Suit had said earlier and stated: "Since the bet was made, it must be honored, otherwise wouldn't that be breaking one's word? Elder Li, don't you agree?"

The Old Man in Tang Suit on the side nodded upon hearing this.

"Naturally, that is so."

Earlier, it was the middle-aged man who induced the Old Man in Tang Suit to use these words to block Han Shuang's plea for Chen Mo.

Now, the same words left him with no way out.

The middle-aged man's face turned from green to white.

In the hospital, everyone knew he could be considered half a disciple of the Old Dean.

Now, the Old Dean was egging him on to take that kid as his Master.

Wasn't this saying that the Old Dean, because of his performance today, wanted to draw a line between them?

And in the current situation, he couldn't refuse; otherwise, he wouldn't just lose the Old Dean as his backer, but he would also offend Elder Li.

Although a big figure like Elder Li wouldn't bother with him, there were plenty of people willing to step forward and take action.

When that time came, he could forget about surviving in Jiangnan First Hospital.

After some consideration, the middle-aged man finally gritted his teeth and said: "You... what was your name again?"

"I didn't call out," Chen Mo said, somewhat confused.

The Yellow-Haired Girl snickered.

Han Shuang also held back her laughter and whispered a reminder: "Doctor Wu, his name is Chen Mo."

"Alright, Chen Mo, right?"

The middle-aged man paused, his attitude becoming serious.

"Mr. Chen, I, Wu Cheng, will honor the bet and am willing to take you as my Master!"

Chen Mo frowned: "Taking me as your Master?"

Things having come to this, no matter how unwilling the middle-aged man was, he could only force himself to save some face and said decisively: "Yes! You were able to cure Young Miss Tang, so I will take you as my Master. I, Wu Cheng, keep my word!"

After saying this, he comforted himself internally—

Taking a high school student as a Master would inevitably become a laughingstock for a while if it got out.

But this high school student's medical skills were clear for all to see; even the Old Dean couldn't believe it.

And he was still so young; how terrifying would his future achievements be?

As his medical skills improved and his reputation rose, what was a laughingstock now might not necessarily be a good story in the future.

Thinking this, Wu Cheng's mentality shifted. The look he gave him also carried a hint of eagerness. He raised his hands over his head: "Master, please accept a bow from your disciple!"

Chen Mo was startled and dodged to the side.

Staring at the middle-aged man's precarious toupee, he said weakly: "When did we ever have such a bet?"

"Didn't we bet that if I lost, I would take you as my Master and serve you tea and water?"

Wu Cheng looked up, his face full of confusion.

"It seems you did indeed say that, but I didn't agree to it at the time..."

Chen Mo scratched his head.

"Besides, I don't know any medical skills. It's just some Massage Therapy techniques. It's not worth this bow from you."

"Regarding the bet, I also know you were doing it for the patient's good, you just had a bit of a rush. It's fine, it's fine."

Wu Cheng froze.

This means... he doesn't have to take him as a Master?

After Chen Mo left the ward, Wu Cheng finally realized that the other party wasn't just being polite to him.

But really didn't take any of this seriously.

This made him feel a mix of emotions for a moment.

Not only was he not pleasantly surprised, but his heart actually felt empty.

And the group of old people outside the ward also stared blankly as Chen Mo left, not knowing what they were thinking.

Only the girl with the yellow ponytail, without a word, pulled the Old Man in Tang Suit and followed him.