Wang Hai and a large group of people were blocking the hotel entrance. They had initially expected Lin Fang or Lu Fan to get into a dispute with them, but to their surprise, both had returned to attend to their businesses, and no one paid them any attention. This left them feeling rather awkward. With no one taking the bait, what should they do next?
Beep, beep, beep... Suddenly, a few car horns blared, and two commercial vans stopped in front of the hotel. A female reporter with short hair, who looked dignified and elegant, stepped out of one of the vehicles, accompanied by camera operators and others.
"Excuse me, what's going on here? Why are so many people gathered?" the reporter, Xiao Ling, quickly approached Wang Hai and asked with a look of confusion.
"You... who are you?" Wang Hai felt a pang of unease, unsure of their intentions. He hesitated before asking.
"Oh! I'm a reporter from the county television station. We just received a tip from the public suspecting that the medicinal cuisine at this hotel is fake and deceptive! We rushed over immediately. Seeing you all in white coats, may I ask, are you doctors?" Xiao Ling asked, holding her microphone in front of Wang Hai.
"Oh! Yes, their hotel's medicinal cuisine is completely deceptive! Yesterday, they even brought many patients from the county hospital to act as decoys. We specifically came to expose them for this very reason, to prevent more people from being swindled." Upon hearing that someone had reported the hotel, Wang Hai's heart leaped with joy. Hmph! Now that the reporters have been called, your troubles have escalated!
"Oh! Is that so! Then let's go inside the hotel to see what's really going on!" Xiao Ling said, leading her crew into the hotel.
"Hmph! This hotel is finished this time. Lin Fang, let's see how arrogant you can be now!" Wang Hai felt a sense of schadenfreude. Delighted, he waited to see how Lin Fang's tricks would be exposed!
"Welcome!" two beautiful hostesses at the entrance called out in unison.
Xiao Ling and her team walked directly into the lobby of the medicinal cuisine hall and approached the guests who were dining.
"Excuse me, sorry to bother you. May I ask if you are eating the medicinal cuisine? How did you learn about this hotel's medicinal cuisine?" Xiao Ling asked a female guest who was eating.
"Yes! We are eating the medicinal cuisine, and it tastes very good." After swallowing the food in her mouth, the female guest added, "I heard about it from a fellow patient. She had pneumonia and didn't get better after two days of IV drips at the hospital. Yesterday, she ate a meal here, and when she went home that night, she was discharged from the hospital. So, I came to try it too!"
"Is it really that miraculous? So, do you feel the medicinal cuisine has an effect?" Xiao Ling asked again.
"I have a heart condition and often feel palpitations and a racing heart. I don't really know if it has an effect, but the dishes are quite delicious! Even if it doesn't have an effect, it's no big deal; it's just a meal out. If it does have an effect, that would be even better." The female guest said with a slight smile.
"With such a carefree attitude, you shouldn't have heart disease!" Xiao Ling pouted, clearly not entirely convinced.
"Miss! If I'm not mistaken, you probably stay up late frequently due to your work, and your diet is irregular, so your digestive system isn't very good. Would you like to try a few medicinal dishes to see if they help?" Lu Fan walked over from the side.
"Are you the manager of this hotel?" Xiao Ling sized up Lu Fan. Judging by his attire, he was dressed very casually. In other words, his clothes looked like they were from a street stall, and he didn't seem like a wealthy person at all. However, out of professional habit, Xiao Ling asked politely.
"No, I'm here to help, and I'm also a doctor!" Lu Fan said with a smile.
"A doctor?" Xiao Ling looked at Lu Fan with suspicion. This young man didn't look very old. If he were a doctor, he'd be an intern at most!
"Miss! If you want to know if the medicinal cuisine is truly effective, it's best to experience it yourself. How about I take your pulse, and then you can order dishes based on your condition?" Lu Fan continued.
"You can take pulses? Then tell me what's wrong with me?" Xiao Ling was almost amused to tears. This young man had quite an air about him, claiming to know how to take pulses at such a young age. They say traditional Chinese medicine practitioners are charlatans; it seems this saying isn't groundless.
Xiao Ling playfully extended her wrist, wanting to see how Lu Fan would try to fool her! Then, she could expose him publicly, which would be the most effective way to reveal the deception of the medicinal cuisine.
Lu Fan placed three fingers on Xiao Ling's wrist, his eyes narrowed slightly. However, his gaze swept over Xiao Ling from head to toe, and he immediately had a clear understanding.
"Miss! Your other ailments are not a major concern right now. You occasionally experience mild migraines and some digestive discomfort. Because you are still young, these symptoms are not very pronounced. However, there is one condition that requires you to get a check-up at the hospital. I say this because I fear you might not believe me." Lu Fan said with a smile.
Xiao Ling was slightly taken aback. Lu Fan's description of migraines and digestive discomfort was indeed accurate. And as Lu Fan had said, because they weren't severe, she had never paid much attention to them. Usually, a short rest and some warm water would suffice. But...
"What other illness do I have?" Xiao Ling asked urgently.
"I can treat this illness, but you must confirm it first to avoid me being accused of deceiving you later. Don't be too nervous; for me, this is a minor issue, as I can cure it completely." Lu Fan said, leaning closer to Xiao Ling and lowering his voice. "There's a small growth on your uterus."
"What?" Xiao Ling shivered in shock. This was a minor issue? Couldn't you stop talking nonsense?
Xiao Ling hurriedly left with her crew. Bai Xuemei walked over, looking puzzled. "What did you say to her? She seems to have left in a hurry."
"She has a uterine fibroid. She's rushing to the hospital for a check-up. But I suspect she'll be back soon," Lu Fan said with a slight smile.
"You can really tell she has a uterine fibroid just by taking her pulse?" Bai Xuemei was somewhat astonished. To know someone had such a condition without any examination, even a seasoned TCM doctor of decades wouldn't dare to be so confident, would they?
"Of course! My medical skills are absolutely top-notch!" Lu Fan said proudly.
"Your ability to brag is even more top-notch!" Bai Xuemei rolled her eyes at Lu Fan.
An hour later, Xiao Ling rushed back, holding her hospital examination report.
"Young man! You... you have to save me!" Xiao Ling, usually calm and composed, was now on the verge of tears from anxiety. The examination results confirmed that there was indeed a tumor in her uterus, and the doctor had recommended hospitalization and surgery.
"Don't worry! Sit down and have a quiet meal, then go home and get some good rest. I guarantee you'll be fine. Your illness is just a joke played on you by fate. It's because you met me." Lu Fan said, patting his chest confidently.
Xiao Ling sat down, half-believing and half-doubting. As it happened, several of her colleagues hadn't eaten yet, so they all had a meal together. While eating, she interviewed guests at several other tables. It turned out that everyone had heard about it from someone they knew and had come to try it out of curiosity.
The hotel remained bustling, while Wang Hai and his group standing outside were miserable. Everyone was hungry, and the outcome they had hoped to see hadn't materialized. Should they wait or not? Why not go in and have a meal?
After some discussion, they decided to go inside for a meal. However, as soon as they reached the entrance, they were stopped by the security guards.
"Excuse me, sirs, you have been blacklisted by our hotel. Your patronage is not welcome!" The security guard stood with his arms crossed, blocking their way.
"What? You think I don't have money? I have plenty of money." Wang Hai shouted in exasperation. He had never encountered a hotel that didn't welcome guests.
"Hmph! It doesn't matter if you're the richest person in the world. Our manager has stated that you are not welcome!" The security guard sneered disdainfully. Truly impressive! They had never felt so powerful. Before, they were always bossed around by customers, but now they could openly confront these wealthy individuals. It felt incredibly satisfying!
The doctors behind Wang Hai were extremely embarrassed. They had always been arrogant, and even the most formidable people had to bow to them. When had they ever been subjected to such treatment?
...
"Sister Xuemei! Do you need someone to warm your bed tonight?" Lu Fan said with a grin as he approached Bai Xuemei.
"Get lost!" Bai Xuemei glared at Lu Fan.
"Alright! I'm rolling away then! I won't trouble your driver. I plan to buy a motorcycle, so it will be convenient to come to the city in the future." Lu Fan said and turned to leave.
"Wait a moment..." Bai Xuemei called out urgently, her pretty face flushing. "You don't need to warm my bed; I'm used to a cold, hard bed. However, let the driver take you back. It's very late today; you can buy a car tomorrow."