The three of them found a spot to sit down. Suddenly, Ling Feng heard a familiar voice—it was the same person who had been on the phone with Li Zheng's aunt earlier. Although Li Zheng's aunt had been far away and wasn't on speakerphone, Ling Feng, with his superior skills, had heard every word crystal clear.
From the conversation, it was clear the two had an intimate relationship, more like lovers than colleagues. Ling Feng also learned that the man on the other end of the line was the chief judge of this conference.
Looking in their direction, he saw Li Zheng's aunt walking out of the conference hall, followed closely by the chief judge.
"I've got something to take care of," Ling Feng excused himself, pretending he needed to go to the restroom, and quietly followed them.
Instead of heading toward the public restrooms, Li Zheng's aunt and the chief judge took a winding path to a secluded area. Ling Feng, now more certain of their improper relationship, watched them closely. They turned a few corners and finally arrived at a restroom reserved for staff members.
Ling Feng saw them enter together, and soon after, the sound of clothes rustling reached his ears.
"Babe, I've been so busy these days. Did you miss me?" the judge teased.
"You're too bold! This is the conference hall... Aren't you worried about... Mmm!" Li Zheng's aunt was interrupted, her words muffled as if her mouth was suddenly covered by something.
What followed was silence, then the sound of heavy breathing from both of them. Ling Feng crept closer, pulling out his phone, and activated the camera. He carefully slid his phone through the crack in the door to record them.
Completely unaware of the hidden camera, the two inside were completely engrossed in their forbidden act, oblivious to the fact that they were being filmed. While recording, Ling Feng cursed their shamelessness under his breath. Although he couldn't see the scene clearly, the sounds alone made him feel both disgusted and infuriated.
Without waiting for them to finish, Ling Feng retrieved his phone. Upon reviewing the footage, he found that their faces were clearly captured. Satisfied with the recording, he was even more pleased to have caught them discussing their plan to give Zheng Miaoyi a score of zero during the conference.
Soon after, the conference began. Li Zheng's aunt and the chief judge returned to their seats on the judging panel, sitting there with an air of self-importance, acting as if nothing had happened.
One by one, representatives from various hospitals took the stage to share their medical insights. The judges scored them afterward, and the winners would be determined based on these scores.
The presentations were excellent, with some offering sharp and insightful perspectives. Ling Feng, listening to them, knew that without some revisions, Zheng Miaoyi's chances of winning were slim. She might not even finish in the middle of the pack.
Naturally, Zheng Miaoyi realized this too, her expression growing more anxious as time passed.
"What should I do? I feel like I'm so far behind them," she muttered nervously as her turn approached.
"Don't worry. You're the best," Ling Feng smiled, offering reassurance.
"You're still joking at a time like this?" Zheng Miaoyi shot him a sideways glance.
"Just go up there, don't overthink it, and stick to your script," Ling Feng advised.
"Alright, I guess that's all I can do," she replied, still assuming he was just trying to comfort her. With a heavy heart, she stood and made her way to the stage.
"Coming from a small hospital, what a waste of time. You can tell she's not confident," Li Zheng's aunt sneered.
"A frog in a well," Ling Feng muttered, glaring at her before turning his attention back to Zheng Miaoyi.
"You…" Li Zheng's aunt, though visibly angered, restrained herself, knowing this wasn't the time or place to confront him. She simply huffed and looked away, confident that as a judge, she held all the power. Regardless of how good Zheng Miaoyi's presentation might be, there was no way she would win a prize—not after the zero she had conspired to give alongside the chief judge.
The more she thought about it, the more satisfied she became with herself. She didn't even bother listening to what Zheng Miaoyi had to say on stage.
Despite her initial nervousness, Zheng Miaoyi felt a wave of calm as she spotted Ling Feng's encouraging smile from the audience. She noticed several changes had been made to her script but found that the revisions made it even better. She stuck to it and delivered her presentation smoothly.
The other judges were visibly impressed, exchanging looks of surprise at the quality of her insights.
"Now, let's move on to the scoring," the host announced.
As the judges began scoring, one by one, tens appeared on the board, much to the astonishment of the audience. But just when everyone thought the high scores would continue, the last two scores were both zeros. The crowd gasped in shock. The two zeros, of course, had come from Li Zheng's aunt and the chief judge.
"Well, this is quite unexpected. It's rare to see such polarizing scores," the host remarked, struggling to find the right words to smooth things over.
"Zheng's presentation was unique, but it veered off course in several places and directly contradicted the views of Mr. Qin. That's why I gave her a zero," the chief judge explained.
Other judges, seeing this, wanted to speak up in her defense, but a sharp look from the chief judge silenced them.
"As for me," Li Zheng's aunt stood up dramatically, "I gave her a zero because she shouldn't have been allowed on stage in the first place. She only got here by pulling strings."
"Li Judge, those are serious accusations. She was sent by the First Hospital. How is that pulling strings?" Li Shenyi stood up, challenging her.
"Don't worry, Li Shenyi, I'll get to you," Li Zheng's aunt smirked. "Because the person who pulled those strings—was you!"
Her statement immediately grabbed everyone's attention. The crowd waited in anticipation for her explanation.
"Yes, she's from the First Hospital. But when I reviewed her application, I found that Dr. Zheng only graduated three years ago and recently became a licensed doctor. She was clearly just here to make up the numbers. I didn't approve her. But you, Li Shenyi, used your connection with Mr. Qin to not only add her back but also sneak her husband in as well!"
She pointed directly at Ling Feng as she finished her accusation, shocking everyone present.
Ling Feng calmly stood up. "Yes, I'm her husband. But I'm also a doctor."
Li Zheng's aunt sneered, "A doctor? Where exactly do you practice?"
"I'm currently preparing to open my own traditional medicine clinic," Ling Feng replied.