An indeterminate amount of time passed before the door in front of her opened again.
Stella Sterling walked out and found that besides Louis Grant and Titus Grantâs companions, there were three new people.
One of the men bore a strong resemblance to Louis Grant, though his face was more mature, and his eyes held a weathered look that spoke of many hardships.
Stella Sterling guessed he must be Titus Grantâs father.
Besides him, there was an elderly man with glasses wearing a white lab coat. He was probably from the hospital, but his specific identity was unknown.
The other one was Ethan Young.
After a quick glance at the three of them, Stella Sterling turned to Louis Grant, who had already rushed over. "How is he? Is my cousin alright?"
Louis Grant asked anxiously, looking at Stella Sterling with anticipation.
He had never witnessed Stella Sterlingâs medical skills, so he didnât know how capable she truly was. He was actually very unsure.
"The bullet has been successfully removed. The rest shouldnât be a major problem."
Stella Sterling nodded, and her words put Louis Grantâs mind at ease.
"Thatâs great! Thatâs great!"
He muttered under his breath, his spirits immediately lifting. His usual smile returned to his face as he looked at Stella Sterling in admiration. "Thank you so much, Stella Sterling! Youâre incredible!"
"And who is this?"
The elderly man in the white coat walked over, frowning at Stella Sterling. As the head of Meridia Baseâs medical department, he had never seen this person before, yet she had just walked out of the operating room.
Ethan Young was also startled to see Stella Sterling. "Miss Sterling, youâre here too!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Ethan Young realized why Stella Sterling would be in there.
"Captain Young, you know this lady?" Marvin Magnus asked, perplexed by Ethan Youngâs reaction. He sized up Stella Sterling once more.
At the side, Louis Grantâs father, Adrian Grant, was also looking at Stella Sterling.
When his son arrived yesterday, he had been constantly mentioning a certain woman, but Adrian hadnât paid it much mind.
âBut now, seeing how familiar my son is with her, could this be the woman my son was talking about?â
Several peopleâs gazes were fixed on Stella Sterling, scrutinizing her.
Stella Sterling remained calm, showing no signs of panic. Instead, she looked at Louis Grant. "Donât forget, you owe me a favor for this."
"Of course! From now on, youâre a friend Iâd die for! Your business is my business!" Louis Grant promised earnestly, patting his chest.
At that moment, Ethan Young was explaining Stella Sterlingâs identity to Mr. Magnus. "Mr. Magnus, this is Miss Sterling. She has considerable expertise in medicine and is just visiting our base for a few days!"
âJust visiting for a few days?â
Marvin Magnusâs expression changed. He had been pleased to hear that this person knew medicine.
Their medical department was currently short-staffed, and he had thought they were getting a new member.
But she was just a guest.
Adrian Grant also gave Stella Sterling a strange look, surprised by what Ethan Young had said.
âJust visiting, not joining the base?â
âSince when was the base so welcoming to visitors? This is the first Iâm hearing of it.â
âAnd Ethan Young was actually okay with it?â
âThis girl must have something special about her.â
Her part done, Stella Sterling stepped to the side. She gave a polite nod to the people sizing her up, maintaining a safe distance.
Marvin Magnus nodded back at Stella Sterling and asked amicably, "Miss Sterling, what was the situation in there just now?"
âThis person came out of the operating room, and given Ethan Young and the othersâ attitude toward her, sheâs not someone who acts recklessly. That kid Louis Grant wouldnât let her act recklessly either. So she must have had a reason for going in there, a reason that Louis and the others knew about and approved of.â
Stella Sterling looked at Louis Grant, who immediately explained Marvin Magnusâs identity to her. "This is Mr. Magnus, the head of the medical department!"
Then, before Stella Sterling could speak, worried that Marvin Magnus would blame her for being an outsider in the emergency room, Louis quickly explained, "Uncle Magnus, this is Stella Sterling, a friend of mine. Her medical skills are pretty good. My cousinâs condition was dangerous and complicated just now, and it just so happens my friend specializes in this area, which is why Crystal Thorne asked her to help!"
Louis Grantâs words were simple and clear, but they made everyone present understand the situation. The way they looked at Stella Sterling changed once again.
They were all aware of Crystal Thorneâs medical skills, which was why they had her rush over as soon as they received the news.
But they hadnât expected Titus Grantâs injuries to be so tricky that even Crystal Thorne struggled, prompting Marvin Magnus to rush over as well.
What was even more unexpected was that this person could handle an injury that even Crystal Thorne found difficult. The fact that Crystal Thorne would ask for her help showed that she knew something of this womanâs medical abilities and approved of them.
A desire to recruit this talent welled up in Marvin Magnus. âThis young girl, so young yet so accomplished in medicine... sheâs a treasure for the base. If we train her properly, she could even take over for me one day.â
So he said with a beaming smile, "Young lady, your medical skills are quite impressive. Youâve really helped us out this time. Are you interested in working here? I can give you a management position. The pay is excellent, and youâll have a lot of freedom."
As he said this, his eyes crinkled into a smile, which he thought was very kind. In reality, to others, his grin looked incredibly sleazy.
Like a child trafficker about to abduct a kid, it was a little scary to look at.
Ethan Young and the others were stunned. It was the first time they had ever seen Academician Magnus make such an expression, and it was quite a surprise.
Ethan Youngâs eyes flickered, but he didnât say anything. Like Marvin Magnus, he also wanted to recruit Stella Sterling into the base. However, she herself had no intention of joining, so he couldnât force the issue.
But recently, he had been secretly dropping hints to Louis Grant, intentionally or not, hoping Louis would try to persuade her, but it hadnât been very effective.
âIf Academician Magnus can convince her to stay now, that would be great too.â
Meanwhile, Adrian Grant pulled Louis Grant aside and began questioning him in a low voice.
Although it was impossible to hear what he was asking, it was clear from the way he kept glancing over at Stella Sterling that his questions were about her.
Louis Grant spoke with a somewhat smug expression, though he only told his father the things that could be said, not breathing a word about the things that couldnât. Finally, he said to his father, quite proudly, "See? I told you she was interesting. But when I mentioned her to you all yesterday, none of you paid any attention. Now you want me to tell you all over again."
If there werenât outsiders present, Adrian Grant would have, one way or another, given his son a good thrashing.
âCanât he give me some face in front of others?â