Chapter 1757: Chapter 1757: Whatâs So Great About That?
(Chapter 5 Continued)
When Dong Xiaowan said this, no one else was around; only Luo Ziling heard her words.
âWhat do you mean?â Luo Ziling asked Dong Xiaowan with a confused look, then sarcastically added, âYou must have read too many novels.â
âMr. Luo, you misunderstood,â Dong Xiaowan said earnestly. âI think you certainly have a lot of things that require help in your daily work, like needing an assistant when treating patients, someone to prepare the medicinal herbs for you, or a person to help with identifying good from bad herbs, or someone to handle unimportant patients. My grandpa always had such an assistant by his side, someone he trusted deeply and who learned a lot from the experience. Over the years, I often helped my grandpa. I hope, by following you and learning, if I can stay by your side and receive your guidance, I will definitely learn more. I hope Mr. Luo will grant this request!â
Even though Dong Xiaowan spoke very earnestly and her reasons were compelling, Luo Ziling still took her intention as trying to use her charm and rejected her without consideration: âI am different from your grandpa. I can handle everything on my own. I also want to treat everyone equally and wonât give anyone special privileges. So, your idea is a bit unrealistic.â
Unexpectedly, even after her explanation, Luo Ziling still refused, which left Dong Xiaowan quite disheartened.
The Dong family is based in the Chuanxi region, and Dong Xiaowan is one of the most renowned beauties there. There are countless young noblemen who admire her beauty and intelligence. You could say she is a woman who is somewhat detached from reality, buoyed by the admiring gazes of men.
Dong Xiaowan only spent half a day with Wang Hanying, Cheng Jiayan, and He Shengning, roughly from yesterday afternoon until the night and this morning, yet she had them all subdued. There was even a hint of jealousy among Wang Hanying, Cheng Jiayan, and He Shengning.
Of course, this wasnât because Dong Xiaowan intentionally stirred them up to cause strife, but her beauty and intellect drove them crazy, though she held no interest in them and acted aloof. The three men all wanted to pursue her, thus feeling discontent with one another. Her aloofness only heightened their desire to conquer. Moreover, two more men, Ishihara Naka and Xu Zhiyuan, now aimed to conquer her as well.
Dong Xiaowan, accustomed to being high and mighty, felt no particular way about menâs attentiveness.
But what she didnât expect was that today, her unprecedented friendliness towards Luo Ziling was met with an unceremonious refusal.
In an instant, she felt her dignity severely wounded, and some of her previously firm arrogance melted away like ice.
However, Dong Xiaowan still thought Luo Zilingâs behavior was a tactic of playing hard to get. She also knew that Luo Ziling must be brimming with confidence now. Plus, surrounded by beautiful women, his curiosity for pretty women wasnât as intense as others.
In her eyes, menâs attentiveness, lacking in wealth or social status, meant little to her, but a manâs refusal indeed bruised her pride.
Thus, when Luo Ziling rejected her overture without giving her a chance to explain further and turned away, she was very angry.
âWhatâs so great about him, just because he knows some acupuncture and is a bit handsome,â she spat hatefully at Luo Zilingâs retreating figure, but her fighting spirit was soon reignited, âIâll let you see how extraordinary I am. Hmph, donât think I want to cling to you. I just wanted to complete my grandpaâs request.â
Nonetheless, Dong Xiaowan also sensed the pride and uniqueness of Luo Ziling.
This was not an ordinary man, full of character, no wonder he was so popular now.
After taking Ishihara Naka and Xu Zhiyuan as disciples, Luo Ziling had the six of them start cleaning up the floor intended to be used for teaching.
The building had just been purchased, and the transfer procedures werenât fully completed; its furnishings were still original, so everything needed changing.
Luo Ziling first let them tidy up, clearing away unnecessary items, and said he would buy new furniture and other setups later. Basically, Luo Ziling wanted these six people to witness the establishment and flourishing of the medical center and Traditional Medicine Education Center that he and Luo Liansheng were setting up for commercial use, and to have them participate in the building process.
Labor reform was Luo Zilingâs first step in training them.
As for the following steps, he still had some strategies, but without practical testing, he wasnât sure about the outcomes.
Luo Ziling didnât return to school but instead had lunch at the newly purchased building with those people.
He didnât go back to school because he had followed Luo Yuqingâs arrangement to stay here for a joint interview with Yanjing TV Station and Health TV.
He intended to use the media reports to let more people know about his plan to run a medical center, benefit more citizens, and teach the Taiyi Divine Needle acupuncture skill to more people, demonstrating that he was committed to promoting traditional medicine without keeping secrets.
During lunch, the six people who intended to learn from Luo Ziling sat together, eating boxed meals.
Luo Ziling sat with Yang Qingyin, Luo Yuqing, and Luo Liansheng, and the four of them ate stir-fried dishes.
They didnât eat in the same place; they were in separate rooms, so those six people didnât know what Luo Ziling and his group were eating. Luo Ziling did so to show them that there is a difference in status; they are learners, whereas he, along with Luo Liansheng, Yang Qingyin, and Luo Yuqing, were their elders, instilling a sense of hierarchical order.
Okay, Luo Ziling just wanted to make a point and let them know he is a person with quite a temper.
At one oâclock in the afternoon, two officials from the Health and Family Planning Commission and the Traditional Chinese Medicine Administration Bureau arrived. They were aware that Yanjing TV Station and Health TV were planning to interview Luo Ziling, and as the supervisory department, they had to be part of the interview report.
Before the interview, the two officials gave Luo Ziling several requests, mainly to refrain from discussing the contentious issues among the three countries, to tone down any political implications, and to highlight the differing academic perspectives and medical views instead.
Luo Ziling was not pleased with the officialsâ interference and didnât follow their instructions during the interview, thus refraining from painting the visit as harmonious. He thought that there had already been plenty of tensions during the live broadcast, and now emphasizing harmonious interactions between the three parties was self-deception.
Therefore, during the interview, he spoke freely without any reservations, rendering the on-site officials extremely anxious.
However, they couldnât stop Luo Ziling from being interviewed and had to file a protest afterward, which Luo Ziling didnât heed.
After the interview ended, he spoke in front of everyone: âI hope my words will be aired as they are, without altering my intended message. What I want to convey is that there was intense friction during the visit, and in the end, we came out on top. Should there be any consequences, I will bear them. If this canât be achieved, then I hope my interview wonât be broadcast at all.â
Luo Zilingâs assertiveness left everyone dumbfounded.
Of course, his assertiveness also brought trouble for both himself and Ling Ruonan.