District Chief Li was planning to coerce Lin Fan into compliance. As a district chief, if he couldnât even handle Lin Fan, it would be quite embarrassing.
At this moment, District Chief Li saw a middle-aged man walking out of the restroom, and he was startled.
It turned out that this middle-aged man was Secretary Zhao of the Tianhai City Municipal Committee!
"Secretary, what brings you here?" District Chief Li asked with an embarrassed smile.
The middle-aged man was also a bit surprised to encounter his subordinate here. He smiled and said, "Iâve heard of Divine Doctor Linâs reputation, so I came to visit today. Old Li, what are you here for?"
District Chief Li was a bit uneasy: "I... itâs like this, my father has been gravely ill recently. After knowing about Divine Doctor Lin, I came here hoping to ask him to treat my father."
Secretary Ma nodded: "I see, with Divine Doctor Linâs exceptional medical skill, Iâm sure the old gentleman will recover."
"Mm..." District Chief Li wiped cold sweat from his forehead, not telling Secretary Ma that Lin Fan did not intend to help.
Liu Zixing said, "Sorry, Dr. Lin has already stated that he wonât be making house calls this time. District Chief Li, please go back."
District Chief Li immediately showed an awkward expression.
Liu Zixing, this girl, spoke too directly, making him a bit embarrassed. At least Lin Fan hadnât refused so bluntly.
Secretary Ma found it a bit strange. Besides being skilled in medicine, Divine Doctor Lin gave him the impression of a benevolent person. Why would he refuse to treat District Chief Liâs father?
"District Chief Li, what is going on here?" Secretary Ma asked sternly.
District Chief Li hesitated for a moment, not daring to lie, especially not face-to-face. If Secretary Ma found out he lied, he would lose face.
Moreover, since Secretary Ma also came to visit Divine Doctor Lin, probably for medical reasons, offending Lin Fan would mean offending Secretary Ma.
He could only report the truth.
"Hehe, this isnât Divine Doctor Linâs fault; itâs mine. Iâm to blame. Initially, I planned to personally invite Divine Doctor Lin, but because I had a project to oversee, I couldnât come personally. To show sincerity, I sent my daughter. Who knew sheâd act so unruly and offend Divine Doctor Lin. This time, Iâm mainly here to apologize to Divine Doctor Lin. Iâm sorry for not disciplining her strictly, leading to her offending Divine Doctor Lin. Iâm really sorry. Additionally, I brought compensation for the injury to the villager my daughter caused and will also apologize in person at their home. Divine Doctor Lin, do you find this acceptable?"
District Chief Li said humbly.
Lin Fan said, "Your daughter causing Aunt Chunyu to get injured should be compensated. You can give me the compensation to pass on for you. As for the apology, itâs unnecessary; Aunt Chunyu probably wouldnât like to be disturbed."
District Chief Li quickly said: "Alright, may I ask how much I should compensate? Iâll write a check for 100,000 yuan; if itâs not enough, Dr. Lin, please let me know."
Lin Fan replied playfully, "Anything I want?"
District Chief Li patted his chest proudly and said, "Divine Doctor Lin, just say it. Money is not a problem."
Lin Fan said, "Alright, then compensate 100 million yuan!"
The other party had no idea how amazing Aunt Chunyuâs figure was under her simple clothes. Her slender waist was something many women dreamt of and many men desired, worthy of a hundred million.
Lin Fanâs demand for a hundred million stunned everyone present.
District Chief Li was immediately deflated. The bravado he had earlier, saying money wasnât an issue, had vanished. What a joke, asking for a hundred million!
Even though the Li Family was indeed wealthy locally and could easily come up with several million, a hundred million was impossible, even selling everything.
Lin Fan was really asking for the moon here! District Chief Li was drenched in cold sweat.
The scene was awkward for a while.
Liu Zixing chuckled, "Didnât you say money wasnât a problem? Youâre bragging a bit too much."
District Chief Li was secretly annoyed, but with Secretary Ma there, he didnât dare lose his temper, so he just forced a smile: "Divine Doctor Li, isnât that a bit too much?"
Lin Fan shook his head earnestly and said, "Not too much. My Aunt Chunyu almost had to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair. A hundred million canât make up for that pain. If I paid District Chief Li a hundred million, would you be willing to spend the rest of your life bedridden? I believe you wouldnât!"
Although money is tempting, health is priceless!
If given a hundred million in exchange for being paralyzed, even if one possessed a hundred million, would they truly be happy? Because with a hundred million, there are still many things you canât do; you canât even jump with joy.
Conversely, possessing a healthy body, being able to jump and dance even if not wealthy, it wouldnât matter.
Many might wonder what the big deal is. In reality, only when itâs gone do people cherish it, for instance, suddenly coming down with a severe cold, feeling groggy every day. At such times, you might be willing to give anything to regain your health.
So, what Lin Fan said wasnât unreasonable; compared to health, a hundred million is nothing.
"..." District Chief Li found himself speechless for a moment and could only glance at Secretary Ma for help.
Yet Secretary Ma acted as if he hadnât noticed and didnât speak up for District Chief Li.
This time, it seemed District Chief Li had genuinely offended Divine Doctor Lin, and even Secretary Ma could not help, so best to stay out of it.
While District Chief Li was caught in his awkward predicament.
Lin Fan slightly smiled, changing the tone: "However... District Chief Li, youâre quite fortunate. Iâve already treated Aunt Chunyu, so the hundred million compensation is unnecessary. Instead, just pay for the medical expenses this time. Let me see, you can just pay 500 yuan, and I wonât give any discounts this time."
What?
District Chief Li broke into a cold sweat. The gap between a hundred million and 500 yuan was too vast!
Lin Fan was obviously playing with him!
Lin Fan indeed was teasing District Chief Li. He knew fully well asking District Chief Li for a hundred million was impossible, and he never intended to actually demand it from the start; he said it deliberately.
District Chief Li felt as if he were on a rollercoaster, with ups and downs.
"Divine Doctor Lin, you really have a way with jokes," District Chief Li said with a cheerful smile, even though inside he felt a storm of emotions but dared not show anger outwardly.
District Chief Li then quickly compensated 500 yuan and even felt that amount was too little. One must say Lin Fanâs fees were quite reasonable.
For his fatherâs illness, he had no idea how many so-called renowned doctors he had consulted. Each smiled and flattered him as the district chief, yet when it came to the fees, none of them hesitated to charge steeply.