Aaron, with the thick skin honed from years in business, greeted Leo with a smile. "Mr. Ye, you're here early. I'm so sorry to trouble you to come all this way."
Leo didn't even glance at him, leaving Aaron embarrassed and ignored.
Azura entered with breakfast, her tone biting. "How could we not come early, or we'd miss this great show? Mr. Lin, is your foster daughter up for sale? I know plenty of people; should I introduce you to some clients? As for my uncle, he's not interested in just any riffraff."
Her sharp words left the Lin family mortified. Saira flushed with embarrassment.
Dalia attempted to explain, "Miss Ye, you've misunderstood. We were just saying—"
Azura cut her off, "Don't bother. Just look at your daughter, trying to imitate Zuri. It's pathetic."
"If you don't treat Zuri as family, then I, Azura, will. If you don't care for her, I will." If they weren't Zuri's family, Azura would have chased them out with a broom. She had thought she was pitiful, but Zuri's situation was even worse, and Zuri never complained or showed it. This made Azura feel even more protective of her.
Leo's phone rang. He glanced at the name on the screen and stepped out of the room. Ten minutes later, Leo returned with a cold, aloof man. Azura and Saira stared, and even the Lin couple were struck by his striking appearance.
Adam, accustomed to such attention, remained indifferent and focused on the patient. It's her! He instantly recognized the girl from the last banquet.
Azura whispered to her uncle, "Who is he?"
"Doctor," Leo replied curtly, offering no further explanation.
Aaron, however, had his suspicions but found it hard to believe that the renowned neurosurgeon looked like a celebrity.
"Bring me all the scans," Adam requested.
Leo looked at Aaron, who obediently rushed out to fetch the medical images.
Adam's presence in the hospital quickly spread to the top levels. Doctors and nurses were eager to catch a glimpse of the famous neurosurgeon, but only the hospital director and the head of neurology were allowed in the room. They, despite being in their fifties, stood like obedient students before Adam.
Outside the room, other department heads peered through the glass, fascinated by Adam. It looked like a scene from a celebrity meet-and-greet, except they were idolizing a "superstar" of the medical world.
"Is that Adam? He doesn't look like a doctor."
"If the director and head of neurology weren't here, I'd think he was a star."
"He's handsome and talented. Makes the rest of us look like a joke."
Hearing the commotion outside, Adam adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and said one word, "Noisy."
The director immediately signaled the head of neurology, who went out and dispersed the crowd, enforcing security to ensure no disturbances.
Adam reviewed all the scans and lab reports. When his eyes paused on the blood type section, he noticed it was the same as his grandfather's: Rh-negative.
He continued reading, then looked up at the Lin family. "Did she encounter any incidents before falling into a coma?"
Mr. and Mrs. Lin exchanged glances, clueless about where she had been or what she had done.
"She shouldn't have encountered anything unusual," Dalia replied awkwardly.
Adam shifted his gaze to Leo.
"She witnessed the departure of a very important person," Leo said without elaborating.
Even without more details, Adam understood. From their brief encounter, he could tell that this young girl was strong-minded. For her to retreat into unconsciousness, the event must have deeply affected her.
Leo and Azura also understood. Who could have left such a mark on Zuri?
"What can we do to wake her?" Leo asked.
"Her condition is self-induced, a form of psychological withdrawal. To wake her, we can try to stimulate her, speak to her gently, or awaken her desires," Adam explained, outlining the common but straightforward methods.
"I'll stay in Oceanic City for two days. If she doesn't wake up by then, we may need to use equipment. I recently developed a device that can delve into a patient's subconscious, allowing external parties to understand the deep consciousness of someone in a coma," Adam added.
Leo's cold gaze stopped him from saying more.
As the consultation ended, the director said, "Dr. Feng, I have prepared some premium Dragon Well tea in my office."
Adam nodded, agreeing to join him. The director and head of neurology beamed with joy.
After Adam left, Leo turned to the Lin family. "We don't need so many people here."
Aaron wanted to stay but dared not anger Leo. Reluctantly, he left with Saira, who had failed to make an impression.
Now alone with Zuri, Leo took her limp hand in his, his deep voice whispering in her ear. "Zuri, I know you can hear me. Fu Siyuan is dead. Hiding won't change that. Do you want to stay in your shell forever? Who will avenge him if you don't wake up?"
"You are the only one who can do this for him. No one else will seek justice for him. I'll give you two days, but if you don't wake up, I will dispose of his body in the sea."
As the last word left his mouth, Zuri's eyes snapped open, bloodshot and filled with cold fury, like a dark abyss.