C3 What Is a Master?

"Release my young master!"

The Old Steward finally found his voice, yet his plea fell on deaf ears.

Wu Pingchang glanced at the woman teetering between life and death and let out a sneer.

"Oh, so there's some clout behind you. What of it? Recklessly endangering a patient's life – you're going to end up behind bars, kid!"

Deep down, the esteemed medical professor felt fortunate. He had immersed himself in the medical field for years and had a keen eye. The woman's illness was far from simple. He had initially been too confident, but upon realizing the situation was beyond his capabilities, he didn't want to lose face in front of the crowd. If he failed to cure her, it would certainly bring trouble.

Thus, Su Wen's interruption was a godsend. If the woman died from her illness, Wu Pingchang would be off the hook. He wouldn't have to bear the stigma of failing to save a life – all the blame would fall on Su Wen.

"Professor Wu, you seem to be enjoying yourself."

Su Wen, flanked on both sides, didn't show a hint of panic. He smiled at Wu Pingchang with a touch of contempt. A doctor's heart should be as compassionate as a parent's, yet here was a respected professor taking pleasure in misfortune. What had become of medical ethics?

Wu Pingchang quickly realized his mistake and swiftly changed his gleeful expression to one of deep concern.

"What a tragedy, such a tragedy. A life has been lost at the hands of this young man. Captain, you must not let him get away with this. If the patient doesn't pull through, he must be held accountable!"

Su Wen smiled nonchalantly, but the Old Steward was visibly distressed. The Su family had the influence to smooth things over, but trouble had found them shortly after their return. The young master was not known for his restraint.

"Cough, cough."

Suddenly, a cough from the woman caught everyone off guard – she had awakened!

"This, this can't be..."

Wu Pingchang adjusted his glasses, his fingertips quivering. If he wasn't mistaken, the woman should have been suffering from a sudden heart attack. Without any medical equipment, he felt powerless. How could she possibly have been revived by a simple pill?

"Ma'am, you're awake. How are you feeling?"

The head steward was momentarily speechless but quickly regained his composure.

"Cough, cough, I'm alright. Who saved me?"

All eyes turned to Su Wen, who appeared utterly unfazed by the situation. The woman followed their gaze and was visibly taken aback.

"Was it you? Are you actually a doctor?"

Su Wen let out a chuckle as the two flight attendants behind him promptly released him. He gestured towards the professor.

"If that man qualifies as a doctor, then I'd be embarrassed to be in the same company."

Wu Pingchang's face turned beet red. "Nonsense! You just got lucky! The patient must have recovered due to their robust health. In my over twenty years of practice, I've never heard of curing someone with just a pill!"

"Hehe, that's because you've wasted those twenty years. You've forgotten the very first rule of being a doctor: to heal and save lives," Su Wen retorted with a cold laugh.

Reflecting on the recent events, the crew members' gaze shifted back to the middle-aged professor, now filled with contempt.

"I am Professor Wu Pingchang from Shengjing Medical University! Thirty percent of the practicing doctors in Shengjing City have taken my classes! And who are you to judge me?" Wu Pingchang bellowed, infuriated.

"Is the Medical University that impressive?"

"Hmph, a country bumpkin like you wouldn't even be worthy of cleaning the toilets at the Medical University!"

"Is cleaning toilets such a demeaning job?"

"Of course! It's the perfect job for someone like you! A bumpkin!"

Su Wen's smile grew wider, looking particularly irksome. He pulled out his worn phone and dialed a number.

"Hello, Elder Wang, it's Su Wen. I can give you the formula you've been asking for... Calm down, I have one condition. There's a professor at your school named Wu Pingchang, right? I want him reassigned to toilet cleaning duty."

After making his demand, Su Wen handed the phone to Wu Pingchang, "Here, Elder Wang wants a word with you."

Wu Pingchang was visibly confused. The elusive principal of their school was indeed a Mr. Wang, yet even the tenured professors seldom had the honor of a personal audience. How did this young man, who seemed barely into his twenties and utterly unrefined, come to know him?

He took the phone with a hint of suspicion and was immediately greeted by a voice he recognized. His face went pale as he quickly stooped over. "Hello... Old Master Wang! This is Wu Pingchang speaking... I..."

After the call ended, everyone watched as Wu Pingchang's complexion shifted from red to green, then to a ghastly black, before he handed back the phone, looking utterly defeated.

"Mr. Su, I..." he stammered.

Su Wen dismissed him with a wave of his hand. "Scum like you in the medical field, I clean up one at a time."

...

"I'm Qiu Ruola. Thank you for what you did..."

The woman seemed embarrassed about her earlier misjudgment of Su Wen, who responded with a gracious gesture.

"I'm Su Wen. Healing the world is my calling. There's no need for you to feel so indebted that you'd offer yourself in return."

"Who said anything about offering myself in return!" Qiu Ruola's cheeks flushed, her face still a bit pale but undeniably stunning.

Su Wen patted his chest, relieved. "Good, good. I'm already engaged, and while you are quite attractive, I'm not that sort of man."

Qiu Ruola was fuming, but she couldn't ignore the life-saving debt she owed him...

"I won't be in your debt! Find me at the Lee family once you're in Shengjing! I'll make sure you're handsomely rewarded!"

...

Su Wen disembarked the plane to the respectful looks of the flight crew. The Old Steward, who had been quiet throughout the journey, finally spoke up.

"Young Master, are you truly a miraculous healer?"

"Eh, I wouldn't say that. I'm just an alchemist..."

"That Qiu Ruola isn't just anybody," the Old Steward hinted.

"Yes, she seems to be quite wealthy," Su Wen acknowledged nonchalantly.

The Old Steward looked at him oddly.

"She's more than just wealthy; she's the kind of wealthy that rivals nations. She's one of the richest women in Shengjing City. After her husband's death, the entire Lee family fortune was left to her. She's known as the Golden Widow of Shengjing..."

"Heh, well, I might just have to take advantage of that opportunity. Su Xia has been managing our family business, and I can't just come down from the mountain and beg her for money..." Su Wen chuckled. This could indeed be a lucrative opportunity.

"Young Master, that's quite a formal way to speak. The eldest miss has confided that she's holding down the fort of the Su family's empire on your behalf. By the way, Young Master, how did you come to know Wang Jiefang from Shengjing Medical University?"

The Old Steward was remarkably well-informed, possessing a deep knowledge of Shengjing City's elite. Old Master Wang, with over a decade at the Medical University, was a veritable legend in the city. In his youth, he saved a now prominent political figure during a border skirmish and mentored a host of students and officials, earning him the reputation of a patriarch in Shengjing's medical circles.

"Wang Jiefang?" Su Wen pondered for a moment before recalling the Old Steward's reference. "Ah, Elder Wang. He once visited my master in the mountains to share a drink, and it just so happened I had developed a new medicinal formula at the time. That old fellow pestered me for years to get it, but I never did relent..."

"Young Master."

"What is it?"

"I'm quite curious to see what you'll make of Shengjing City's future."

"Can't you phrase that better? I'm not a troublemaker!"

The elder and the younger boarded a car dispatched by the Su family and departed the airport in silence. The future of Shengjing City with Su Wen's influence remained an intriguing mystery to all.