He Jiarong, what are you doing! Zhang Xun glared fiercely at Lin Yu.

  "Jiarong!"

  His mother-in-law quickly tugged at Lin Yu. Not to mention her正科级 position, even her husband's deputy department-level rank was no match for Deng Chengbin—they simply couldn't afford to offend him.

  "Ah, Brother He!"

  To everyone's surprise, Deng Chengbin didn't get angry upon seeing Lin Yu; instead, he beamed and hurried over. "What a coincidence! I've been meaning to visit you these past few days. The medicine you prescribed last time was miraculous! After taking it for two days, I felt like a whole new person."

  Deng Chengbin chuckled and gave Lin Yu a thumbs-up.

  Everyone in the private room stared blankly, exchanging perplexed glances. When had this good-for-nothing He Jiarong become acquainted with the deputy director of the Health Bureau? They seemed surprisingly close.

  "Since Brother He is here, this room is yours. Please continue your meal. I'll punish myself with a glass of wine for my earlier rudeness and apologize to everyone." Deng Chengbin poured a glass, raised it to the group, and downed it in one gulp.

  Then he patted Lin Yu's shoulder and said, "Brother He, join us in the upstairs private room later—I actually need your help with something."

  "No problem, I'll come up shortly."

  Since Deng Chengbin had shown him such respect, Lin Yu couldn't very well refuse.

  After Deng Chengbin left, the room's atmosphere shifted entirely as everyone looked at Lin Yu with new eyes—**the deputy director is asking him for help?**

  "Hey, brother-in-law, so you know our leader! Why didn't you say so earlier?"

  Zhang Xun immediately switched to a flattering tone, approaching with a wine glass. "I was out of line earlier—please don't hold it against me. Let me punish myself."

  He tilted his head and emptied the glass.

  "Um... our bureau has three 'Advanced Worker' spots this quarter, and Director Deng will decide who gets them. Do you think you could put in a good word for me later?"

  Zhang Xun hunched over, plastering on a smile.

  "A college dropout like me probably can't help with something so important," Lin Yu said, focused on his food without even glancing up.

  Zhang Xun forced an awkward laugh, momentarily at a loss for words.

  "Jiarong, we're family—let's not stand on ceremony. I was wrong earlier. If you can help your brother-in-law, your uncle, aunt, and sister will all be indebted to you," Aunt Jiang Yan chimed in, losing her earlier sharp tone.

  "Mom, what do you think? Should I help or not?" Lin Yu suddenly turned to Li Suqin.

  Li Suqin perked up. She had felt stifled throughout the meal, but now she finally tasted vindication. Flattered that her son-in-law sought her opinion, she sat up straight, shot Aunt Jiang Yan a look, and said, "We are family after all. Jiarong, help if you can. Your aunt isn't the ungrateful type."

  Li Suqin emphasized the last sentence pointedly. Aunt Jiang Yan forced a smile and didn't dare utter a word.

  Lin Yu agreed to help. As he stood to leave, he glanced at Jiang Yan—though she still wore a cold expression, her furrowed brows had relaxed slightly. *This was the first time in nearly two years of marriage that her "good-for-nothing" husband had brought her pride.*

  Upstairs, Deng Chengbin personally greeted Lin Yu. The private room was already full. Deng Chengbin first introduced the middle-aged man sitting in the center: "Brother He, this is Director Wei Gongxun of Qinghai City Health Bureau."

  "Hello, Director Wei," Lin Yu quickly greeted him.

  "Director Wei, this is the young miracle doctor I told you about, He Jiarong. If it weren't for him the other day, my niece would have died. I think he's perfect to treat your father-in-law's illness," Deng Chengbin explained, introducing Lin Yu to Wei Gongxun.

  "So young..." Wei Gongxun smiled at Lin Yu, hiding his disappointment. Deng Chengbin had promised to introduce a highly accomplished traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioner, but this looked like a green kid.

  "Brother He might be young, but he's extremely skilled," Deng Chengbin insisted.

  "Alright then, young man—let's see if you can diagnose me first," Wei Gongxun said, extending his wrist with a smile that held a subtle air of challenge.

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  "Director Deng flatters me. I merely have a passing interest in TCM," Lin Yu said modestly, though he already placed two fingers on Wei Gongxun's pulse.

  "Your health is excellent, Director Wei—no major issues. Your blood pressure is slightly elevated, but it's nothing to worry about. Just moderate your alcohol intake," Lin Yu reported.

  "Good skill for a young man! I imagine most people my age have high blood pressure," Wei Gongxun laughed, his tone laced with thinly veiled sarcasm.

  The entire room joined in the laughter.

  "Although you're healthy, Director, your wife must often feel dizzy, fatigued, and have aching legs and waist. Even in summer, she can wear a down jacket without sweating a drop," Lin Yu continued calmly.

  *How did he know?* Wei Gongxun's face paled, and the room fell silent.

  "Your wife has an 'extreme cold constitution.' Spending time with her has also affected you slightly," Lin Yu explained.

  "Can you treat it?" Wei Gongxun asked, voice trembling.

  For thirty years, he and his wife had been deeply in love. When her symptoms began two years ago, he'd been heartbroken. Despite seeking doctors everywhere and trying countless medications, there had been no improvement.

  "Yes, and it can be completely cured—though it will take time," Lin Yu said confidently.

  "Little brother, if you can cure my wife, you'll be my greatest benefactor! Let me toast you!" Wei Gongxun downed a glass of wine in one go.

  "See, Director Wei? I told you Brother He is a miracle doctor! Let him check your father-in-law's condition," Deng Chengbin said proudly. *When had someone I recommended ever failed?*

  "Brother He, are you free tomorrow? I'll send someone—no, I'll come pick you up myself to examine my father-in-law," Wei Gongxun said, now addressing Lin Yu as "brother." He'd been thoroughly impressed by Lin Yu's accurate diagnosis of his wife.

  "What symptoms is the elder experiencing?" Lin Yu asked.

  "Just migraines. Each episode lasts about half an hour, but it's so excruciating it's like he's losing half his life. We've seen countless specialists, but nothing helps—not even a little relief."

  Wei Gongxun's expression darkened. In his fifty-odd years, he'd never seen such severe migraines.

  That's why he'd dined with Deng Chengbin tonight: to leverage connections for expert referrals. If local doctors failed, they'd have to seek treatment abroad.

  "I'll check on him tomorrow," Lin Yu said cautiously. *Without seeing the patient, it's hard to make a diagnosis.*

  "Brother He, you're in luck! Do you know who Director Wei's father-in-law is? Zheng Jiacheng, Mr. Zheng! He's offering ten million yuan for a cure!" Deng Chengbin exclaimed, clapping Lin Yu's shoulder in excitement.

  *Zheng Jiacheng?*

  Lin Yu was startled. Zheng was a towering figure in Qinghai's business world, a automotive tycoon who owned over half the city's 4S shops.

  "If you can cure my father, money won't be an issue," Wei Gongxun confirmed with a nod.

  *Ten million yuan...* Lin Yu's prospects suddenly brightened. He could finally pay off Huang Mao's debt.

  At the end of the meal, Lin Yu mentioned Zhang Xun to Deng Chengbin. Without hesitation, Deng Chengbin dragged Lin Yu downstairs and barked at Zhang Xun: "You—write an 'Advanced Worker' application tomorrow and send it to my office."

  "Thank you, Director! Thank you so much!"

  Zhang Xun bowed repeatedly, profusely grateful. After seeing off Deng Chengbin, he personally escorted Lin Yu, Jiang Yan, and her family. Aunt Jiang Yan now wore a warm smile, repeatedly praising Li Suqin and Jiang Jingren for choosing such an excellent son-in-law.

  Li Suqin's vanity was thoroughly satisfied. She'd never expected her "useless" son-in-law to bring her such pride.

  "Jiarong, how did you meet the deputy health director? Why didn't I know about this?" she asked eagerly.

  "He came to my clinic for treatment—we just met recently. Jiang Yan was there too. I did him a small favor, so he's being polite," Lin Yu downplayed the story.

  "Oh..." Li Suqin felt a twinge of disappointment. She'd hoped her son-in-law had made a powerful connection, but it seemed they'd only known each other a few days.

  The next morning, Wei Gongxun personally picked up Lin Yu. After a half-hour drive, they arrived at Qinghai's renowned luxury residential area. The four-story villas, each sprawling like a small estate, were surrounded by lawns, greenery, and ponds.

  Upstairs, Wei Gongxun's brother-in-law, Zheng Shifan, had already arrived with another young man around Lin Yu's age. The man carried a sleek gray medical case emblazoned with "Jishitang" (Hall of Healing).

  "Is that... Song's Jishitang from Lin'an?" Lin Yu asked, startled. His college TCM professor had often spoken of Jishitang with admiration, calling it "the backbone of TCM's revival."

  "Yes," the young man replied coolly. As a rising star in Jishitang's younger generation, he had every reason to be proud.

  "Pleased to meet you. I'm Lin—er, He Jiarong," Lin Yu said, excited to encounter someone from Jishitang. He extended his hand for a handshake.

  "Song Zheng," the man replied, glancing coldly at Lin Yu without reciprocating the gesture. Lin Yu awkwardly withdrew his hand.

  "Brother-in-law, what brings you here today? And who is this?" Zheng Shifan asked Wei Gongxun.

  "This is Miracle Doctor He, whom I invited to treat Father," Wei Gongxun said, deliberately elevating Lin Yu's status. He couldn't help disliking Song Zheng's arrogance.

  "Heh, no need. With Jishitang here, we don't need others," Zheng Shifan said, not out of disdain for Lin Yu, but because with Jishitang's expertise, no one else was necessary.

  "管家 (Butler), give this young man 100,000 yuan as compensation—no, 200,000 since he's recommended by my brother-in-law," he ordered the old

  Butler..

  "Shifan, let's not be hasty. Since Brother He is here, let him take a look first. What if your Jishitang doctor can't cure Father?" Wei Gongxun said, annoyed.

  Secretly, he hoped Lin Yu would succeed, boosting his standing in the family.

  "No need. Send him away. I've studied Mr. Zheng's case thoroughly—I'm confident I can cure him," Song Zheng declared.