Haicheng First Hospital
At the eight o’clock morning meeting, the orthopedic doctors discussed a patient’s diagnosis and surgical plan.
Among them sat an exceptionally handsome man. His short black hair was neat and crisp. Wearing a mask, he lowered his head and furrowed his brow as if deep in thought.
The hand holding his pen was fair and slender, each knuckle like a piece of finely carved jade. A name badge was clipped to the chest of his white coat. It read: Chief Physician—Jiang Jin.
At eight thirty, the morning meeting ended, and rounds began. The intensive care unit was dim. Apart from the beeping of the monitors, the room was utterly silent…
In a place like this, life always seemed especially fragile and powerless.
A pale, middle-aged man lay in bed, receiving oxygen.
The pain on his face looked even paler under the lights.
Every breath came with a painful gasp. His life hung by a thread…
“Patient’s family, this is our department chief, Chief Jiang,” Chen Ling said, introducing him to the woman beside him.
Jiang Jin nodded to the patient’s family.
“The patient has sustained severe trauma and fractures. He’s now showing signs of confusion and weakened breathing. If his condition worsens, it could become life-threatening, so we need to operate as soon as possible.”
The woman looked Jiang Jin up and down. Doubt showed in her eyes as she asked, “Who’s going to be the lead surgeon?”
“I’ll be leading the operation,” Jiang Jin replied gravely.
The woman gave a soft scoff.
“This is the best private hospital in Haicheng. Are the standards for doctors really that low these days? How many surgeries have you performed? You’re so young, and you’re already a department chief?”
The attending physician beside her, Chen Ling—Jiang Jin’s junior brother—heard her outrageous remark and immediately shot back, “Ma’am, times have changed. Doctors don’t all have to look like middle-aged men with receding hairlines and beer bellies anymore.”
As he spoke, he glanced at Jiang Jin, as if to say, “Just look at our Chief Jiang—he’s the exception.”
Jiang Jin himself, however, remained exceptionally composed. His deep voice rang out.
“A doctor’s path to becoming fully qualified is indeed a long one. But if you doubt me solely because of my age, have you considered that perhaps I’m good enough in this field that I didn’t need to take that long to get to where I am and stand here before you?”
The woman, who had been so aggressive moments earlier, fell silent. After a moment’s thought, she asked, “So what time exactly is the operation scheduled for?”
“Three this afternoon. We’ll need a family member to come by and sign the consent form later,” Chen Ling replied, holding the surgical consent form. “Get some rest.”
With those words, the orthopedic doctors began filing out of the ward.
The man at their head stood tall, broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, utterly at ease. There wasn’t the slightest trace of panic in him. He left the patient with an impression of complete calm…
Bright sunlight slipped through the thin curtains and quietly fell into the bedroom on the twenty-second floor of Zhonghai Tianzuan.
The woman, lost in a beautiful dream, was roused by the dazzling light. Frowning with displeasure, she rolled over.
Beneath her lotus-pink nightdress, a pair of fair, slender legs rested casually on the comforter.
Perhaps she’d had enough sleep. She slowly opened her eyes, like a little cat just waking up, and stretched her arms gently, looking lazy and content.
Feeling around the bedside table, she picked up her phone and deftly found “Father Emperor” in her contacts. Then she lightly tapped the call button.
“Dad, are you at the office?”
Her soft voice echoed around the room, carrying a hint of sweetness.
Dad Jiang’s voice came through the phone, tinged with teasing. “What do you think? Am I like you—outstanding in every way, especially at sleeping?”
Hearing her father, Jiang Yun couldn’t help laughing.
“Dad, where do you learn these phrases? Are old people really this good at using the internet now?”
“Hmph! Don’t underestimate us old folks. If I slept in until late morning every day like you do, the company would’ve gone under ages ago!” Dad Jiang said, affecting a stern tone.
Hearing her father tease her, Jiang Yun quickly turned on the charm. “All right, Dad~ I know I was wrong. I’ll head to the office right now.”
Jiang Yun stood in the middle of her extravagantly luxurious walk-in closet, her gaze sweeping over the rows of clothes and accessories.
Her eyes settled on a white French-style blouse and a black fitted office skirt that reached just above her knees, showing off the slim, straight lines of her legs.
She took a pair of 0D black stockings from a drawer and carefully put them on.
Their sheer fabric left her skin faintly visible, adding a touch of mystery and sensuality.
Once dressed, Jiang Yun sat at her vanity and began applying her makeup.
First she applied a light layer of foundation to even out her complexion, then a subtle blush to give her cheeks a natural flush.
Next, she carefully lined her eyes. The slight upward sweep at the outer corners made her naturally dark, clear eyes look even brighter…
Finally, she took a pair of patent-leather YSL heels from the shoe cabinet and left.
Jiang Group’s main business was jewelry. The industry served a broad customer base, offered high-profit margins, had a short sales cycle, and considerable market potential, which was why the group had remained profitable.
As soon as Jiang Yun entered the office, she drew plenty of admiring looks.
She wasn’t surprised. She’d received compliments all her life.
And she knew perfectly well that, as a woman, beauty was only a bonus. It wasn’t nearly enough to make it in society on its own.
That was why she had majored in jewelry design at university. She had also taken extra courses in marketing and business administration, all so she could make her family business stronger and stronger and share the burden on her father’s shoulders.
“Dad~” Her voice floated through the doorway before she even arrived…
“Well, who do we have here? It’s none other than the eldest miss of the Jiang family, gracing us with her presence!” Jiang Shaoyuan teased with a smile.
“Hee-hee, Dad, I’m here now. Just tell me what you need me to do.”
Jiang Yun plopped down beside Chairman Jiang and eagerly massaged his lower back. “Dad, is your back feeling any better?”
“It’s an old problem. It’s nothing,” Dad Jiang said, waving a hand.
“That won’t do. Your health is the capital of the revolution. I’m taking you to get it checked out tomorrow.”
Jiang Shaoyuan couldn’t withstand his daughter’s persistent coaxing and had no choice but to agree.
In his office, Jiang Shaoyuan asked his secretary to bring Jiang Yun the company’s internal materials for the year.
In other people’s eyes, she was a delicate, affected woman, little more than a pretty face. In reality, she was steadfast in her convictions and possessed extraordinary courage…
She kept working to improve herself, striving to prove the value of women…