Wang Jiasen didn't press the issue. He knew Zhao Dezhu was incredibly stubborn; once his mind was made up, wild horses couldn't change it.
Besides, Zhao Dezhu was fiercely protective of his own. Zhao Jingrou was his only daughter, and he had doted on her since she was a child. He couldn't even bear to scold her loudly, let alone lay a hand on her. Now, the daughter he had never touched had been struck by someone else. With Zhao Dezhu's temper, it would have been a miracle if he didn't fly into a rage and seek revenge.
After a moment's hesitation, Wang Jiasen asked tentatively, "Old Zhao, what do you plan to do?"
"What do I plan to do?" Zhao Dezhu said through gritted teeth. "That brat dared to impersonate my Zhao Family and strike my daughter. I'm not just going to cripple both of his hands; I'm going to utterly destroy his reputation, turn him into a notorious fraud, and make him an object of public scorn!"
Wang Jiasen frowned. "Old Zhao, I told you, the part about him impersonating your Jinling Zhao Family was likely a misunderstanding..."
Zhao Dezhu waved a dismissive hand, cutting Wang Jiasen off. He said domineeringly, "He may not have admitted it with his own mouth, but his actions constituted impersonation! If they hadn't, you wouldn't have mistaken him for a disciple of my Zhao Family and sought him out to confront him! Even you, Old Wang, thought so, which means other people will definitely assume he's one of ours. If he gets into any trouble, my Jinling Zhao Family will inevitably have to take the fall, and it could even damage our family's reputation! Old Wang, don't even try to talk me out of it. This time, I'm going to teach that young man a lesson he will never forget! I'll make him understand that if you want to make a name for yourself, you do it with your own skill. Taking dishonest shortcuts will get you nowhere!"
Wang Jiasen tried to reason with him several times, but Zhao Dezhu shut him down each time. In his fit of rage, Zhao Dezhu was deaf to all reason.
Wang Jiasen felt utterly helpless and could only retort in his head, 'Old Zhao, you stubborn fool... The only reason I mistook Zhao Yuan for a member of the Jinling Zhao Family wasn't because of any lies he told, but because his medical skills are so extraordinary they completely changed my opinion of him! Is it really a good idea to arbitrarily make an enemy of him like this?'
For some reason, Wang Jiasen had a feeling that the Jinling Zhao Family would be the one to lose out in this affair...
The Jinling Zhao Family and Zhao Yuan should have been worlds apart—the gap between them was immense. Yet, this thought stubbornly surfaced in Wang Jiasen's mind. Perhaps it was because Zhao Yuan's mastery of the *Wushan Medical Tales* was even more profound than his own Wang Family's. Or perhaps it was the medical skill Zhao Yuan had displayed when treating that case of abdominal Gu... In truth, even Wang Jiasen himself couldn't pinpoint the exact reason.
After an incident like that, no one had any appetite left.
Once Zhao Jingrou had taken a towel from a waiter and hastily wiped the soup from her clothes, Zhao Dezhu led her and a few other family members out of Lakefront House, his expression dark.
If this had been Jinling, with Zhao Dezhu's temper, he would have undoubtedly called his men to trash Lakefront House. But this was Rongcheng City, not his turf. Plus, Wang Jiasen had mentioned that Lakefront House had a powerful backer of its own, so he could only stomach the insult.
Outside Lakefront House, Wang Jiasen said, "Old Zhao, I had intended to host a proper welcome lunch for you today. I never expected such an incident. Tell you what, I'll arrange another dinner tonight for you and our friends from the Zhao Family..."
Before he could finish, Zhao Dezhu cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Forget the dinner. I'm in no mood for drinking until after I've taught Zhao Yuan an unforgettable lesson. If you feel bad and want to apologize, then make yourself useful and dig up some information on him for me. You're a Rongcheng City local. Surely you can't be more useless than these family members of mine, can you?"
Wang Jiasen's expression instantly darkened.
'Me, feel bad? *Me*, apologize to *you*? Have you got it straight? Your daughter is the one who stirred up all this trouble today, so how dare you blame me for it? And what was that supposed to mean? Are you ordering me around like one of your lackeys?'
Zhao Dezhu paid no mind to Wang Jiasen's mood. Tossing out a curt "Farewell," he followed Zhao Jingrou into a Buick GL8 minivan that one of his family members had pulled up.
The GL8 minivan sped off, leaving Wang Jiasen standing alone in front of Lakefront House.
"It's no wonder his daughter is a troublemaker. The apple really doesn't fall far from the tree." Shaking his head, Wang Jiasen turned and walked toward the parking lot. Along the way, he took out his phone and dialed Fang Yi's number.
At that moment, Fang Yi was driving Zhao Yuan back to West Hua Medical University. When his phone rang, he glanced at the screen. Seeing Wang Jiasen's name, he hesitated, unsure if he should pick up.
Zhao Yuan noticed his hesitation and asked, "What's wrong? Who's calling?"
"It's Wang Jiasen," Fang Yi replied. "Looks like he's with Zhao Jingrou and her group."
"Oh? Calling to read me the riot act?" Zhao Yuan scoffed. "Go ahead and answer. Let's see what he has to say."
Since Zhao Yuan had said so, Fang Yi didn't hesitate any longer. He answered the call and put it on speaker so Zhao Yuan could hear as well.
As soon as the call connected, Wang Jiasen's voice came through. "Boss Fang, you're with Zhao Yuan today, aren't you?"
Fang Yi glanced at Zhao Yuan, who nodded. Only then did he reply, "That's right. You're well-informed, Dr. Wang."
Wang Jiasen gave a wry laugh. "How could I not be? I was at Lakefront House, too. I was supposed to be hosting a welcome banquet for Zhao Dezhu, but then... well, all that happened."
"So, are you calling to chew us out, Dr. Wang?" Fang Yi asked.
"No, quite the opposite. I'm calling to warn Zhao Yuan." Wang Jiasen explained Zhao Dezhu's resolve to get even with Zhao Yuan, then said, "Boss Fang, you must tell my young friend Zhao Yuan to be extremely careful! The Jinling Zhao Family has developed for hundreds of years; their students and connections are spread all across the country. Zhao Dezhu is serious this time. I'm afraid my young friend Zhao Yuan is in for a world of trouble!"
"What?" Fang Yi exclaimed in shock.
He had been worried the Jinling Zhao Family would retaliate after Zhao Yuan taught Zhao Jingrou a lesson, but he never imagined their revenge would be this vicious! They weren't just going to cripple Zhao Yuan's hands; they were going to destroy his reputation and brand him as a fraud for life, a man to be despised by all!
'This is worse than a death sentence! The Jinling Zhao Family is going way too far this time! Besides, Zhao Yuan never impersonated them! Is it a crime to have the same last name and be a good doctor? Do they have to be this unreasonable? And as for hitting Zhao Jingrou, that was self-defense! Was he supposed to just stand there and let her beat him up without fighting back?'
Fang Yi turned to look at Zhao Yuan.
Zhao Yuan was also furious. He knew Zhao Jingrou was a spoiled brat, but he hadn't expected her father to be even more unreasonable.
After a cold snort, he spoke toward the phone, "Dr. Wang, thanks for the warning. If the Jinling Zhao Family wants a piece of me, let them bring it on! I, Zhao Yuan, am no pushover!"
'With the Witch Doctor arts passed down from Wu Peng, so what if they're a great Medical Family with a legacy spanning hundreds of years? If they dare to make a move, I'll topple them all the same!'
Zhao Yuan's fighting spirit surged!