Ling Feng asked a question, but Zheng Miaoyi didn't answer.
So, he tried again: "What happened? I'm here, you can tell me."
Zheng Miaoyi looked at Ling Feng, then suddenly threw herself into his arms and began to cry her heart out.
Amid her sobs, Ling Feng finally managed to piece together what had happened.
It turned out that just a moment ago, the hospital leadership had called Zheng Miaoyi, informing her that their hospital's spot had been canceled.
The director had asked around and found out that it was because Zheng Miaoyi had offended someone on the review committee. He then told her to sort out her personal relationships. If she couldn't get the spot back, her chances of promotion this year were gone.
Not only that—there would be no bonus either.
Zheng Miaoyi was devastated. She had been looking forward to the opportunity to interact with top doctors, and now, not only was that chance gone, but the hospital was also being dragged down with her.
How could she possibly get the spot back? She was just a recent graduate—she didn't even know who to talk to, let alone how to fix this mess.
"Alright, don't cry. I'm here, aren't I?" Ling Feng gently patted her back, trying to comfort her.
But his words didn't have much effect.
In Zheng Miaoyi's mind, though Ling Feng had some abilities, he didn't know anyone on the committee.
"Think carefully. Did you upset anyone at work recently? Could it be someone from the hospital?" Ling Feng was grasping for answers.
Zheng Miaoyi was at work every day. How could she have offended the review committee?
He suspected that maybe someone at the hospital had a grudge against her or was jealous.
"No, I really can't think of anyone!" Zheng Miaoyi was just as confused, not knowing who could have done this.
"Let's go to the venue where the meeting is being held. Maybe it will help jog your memory. After all, not many people even knew you were going to attend," Ling Feng said, thinking through the options.
He could easily pull some strings to get Zheng Miaoyi a spot, but he didn't want to let the culprit who plotted against her get away with it. He needed to find out who it was.
"Don't worry. I guarantee that by tomorrow, you'll be able to attend the meeting," Ling Feng assured her firmly.
Zheng Miaoyi didn't respond, but she slowly let go of him. Just then, her phone rang.
Thinking there might be a glimmer of hope, she hurried to pick it up.
"Miaoyi, you must've heard by now that your spot got canceled, right?" The cold voice of a man came through the line.
"It's you!" Zheng Miaoyi shouted in anger.
She immediately recognized him—it was Li Zheng, the man who had recently come to her house pretending to be a big shot, only to be exposed by Ling Feng.
"That's right, it's me! This is what happens when you cross me," Li Zheng sneered.
"What do you want?" Zheng Miaoyi gritted her teeth, struggling to contain her fury.
"All you have to do is agree to have dinner with me tonight, and I'll make sure you get your spot back right away," Li Zheng said, his voice dripping with arrogance.
"You—" Zheng Miaoyi started, but Li Zheng cut her off.
"Don't be so quick to refuse. Think it over carefully. In case you didn't know, my uncle is on the review committee. Even if you find some other way to attend, without his approval, it'll be a waste of time," he said, his smugness palpable.
There was silence on the other end of the line as Zheng Miaoyi processed his words.
Ling Feng, who had overheard the conversation, had a dark expression on his face. "Miaoyi, do you trust me?" he asked, looking directly into her eyes.
"I do. I believe in you," Zheng Miaoyi said, nodding firmly.
"Li Zheng, go to hell!" she spat into the phone. "Even if I don't attend the meeting, even if I have to dine with pigs or dogs, I will never agree to your demands."
"You despicable scum! You make me sick. You're just wasting air by being alive, and you'd be wasting land when you're dead!" she shouted, unleashing her pent-up frustration.
Outside, Li Zheng, who had been listening, clenched his phone in anger but didn't throw it.
"Stupid woman, you'll regret this!" he shouted before hanging up in a rage.
After her outburst, Zheng Miaoyi felt a sense of relief. She was finally able to release the bitterness she'd been holding in.
"Wow, that was impressive! I had no idea you could swear like that!" Ling Feng gave her a thumbs-up, clearly impressed.
"You don't think I was too harsh, do you?" Zheng Miaoyi asked, a bit embarrassed.
"No way! That guy deserved every word. If he were here, I'd have punched him so hard he'd see stars," Ling Feng laughed.
Then, he called Doctor Li, explaining what had happened to Zheng Miaoyi.
"That's nothing! The person running the meeting is an old classmate of mine!" Doctor Li replied, clearly not seeing it as a big deal. "I'll call him right now and arrange a dinner."
Ling Feng wasn't too convinced about setting up a dinner so late, but he figured it wouldn't hurt. Besides, it might put Miaoyi at ease, so he didn't object.
"We can have a late-night snack if dinner runs late," Doctor Li joked.
Soon enough, they arrived at the meeting spot. Doctor Li introduced his classmate, Qin Ji'an, who was a few years older than him.
Qin Ji'an had agreed to meet so late because Doctor Li had praised Ling Feng's medical skills, even saying that Ling Feng might surpass him. This piqued Qin Ji'an's curiosity, so he came out wearing slippers, not even bothering to change.
But when he saw how young Ling Feng was, his enthusiasm quickly faded. He felt tricked.
After listening to Ling Feng talk about something unrelated, Qin Ji'an's mood soured even more.
When Ling Feng finished, Qin Ji'an finally spoke coldly: "The spots were finalized this afternoon. Adding someone now would break the rules."
He shot Doctor Li a hard look, clearly displeased.
Doctor Li pretended not to notice and kept trying to convince him. After all, he had already assured Ling Feng that there would be no problem.
"Senior brother, it's not that big of a deal. Doctor Zheng was originally supposed to attend. Let's just say her name was accidentally left off the list," Doctor Li suggested.
But his words only made Qin Ji'an angrier.
"It's not that simple! So many people are watching. Everyone has connections. If I bend the rules, what will others think?" Qin Ji'an scolded Doctor Li, furious. "Your medical skills haven't improved much over the years, but you sure have learned how to pull strings."
Doctor Li hung his head, too ashamed to speak, like a child being scolded.
After venting his frustration, Qin Ji'an huffed and turned to leave.
Watching him walk away, Ling Feng sighed. "What a shame."
Qin Ji'an thought Ling Feng was lamenting the missed opportunity to help and couldn't help but turn back.
"Young man, you should focus on doing things the right way. There's no honor in shortcuts," Qin Ji'an lectured.
But Ling Feng shook his head, a look of pity on his face. "You misunderstood. I wasn't talking about that. I was feeling sorry for you."