Chapter 41 Uproar
+8 Pratis
Sophie stood frozen, caught off guard by the two older women who had just seen right through her.
For a moment, she realized she had underestimated them–she had nearly convinced them to side with her.
“Ma’am, you asked for us to weigh in, but now you’re backing out? If your adopted daughter won’t even acknowledge you, that’s on you, not her,” one of the women said.
Another woman took a step forward, her voice steady. Don’t worry, sweetheart. Go on ahead. We’ll handle this.”
Charmaine gave them a grateful nod. “Thank you, ladies.”
With that, Sophie found herself surrounded by the women and the crowd, helpless as–Charmaine walked
away.
Charmaine entered the restroom, reappearing moments later in a black long–sleeve shirt, a matching mask, and a black cap that hid most of her face, leaving only her eyes visible.
She pressed the button for the elevator, her steps confident as she made her way to the director’s office.
Without hesitation, she opened the door. The director looked up, startled. Charmaine’s voice was low, edged with purpose. “I’m Robin. I need to speak with Mr. Stuman about a potential collaboration.”
Ten minutes later, every doctor from the nephrology department was gathered in the director’s office.
Mr. Stuman’s face was flushed with enthusiasm. “Professor Robin, allow me to introduce you to our nephrology team.”
He beamed as he spoke. “This is the renowned Professor Robin. She has a new project and has chosen our hospital because of our exceptional resources and expertise. Let’s work together here.”
Charmaine cleared her throat and spoke calmly, “I have a project focused on artificial kidney transplants. I’m looking for young patients who need non–urgent kidney transplants. Given your hospital’s reputation, I’d like to know if you have any suitable candidates. I’ll cover all the costs and personally oversee the recovery process.”
A hushed silence fell over the room. The doctors exchanged looks, some unsure, others intrigued.
Mr. Stuman tapped the table to regain the group’s attention. “Don’t hold back, everyone. Professor Robin is open to any questions.”
One doctor stood and asked, “You’re talking about using artificial kidneys–how many live trials have you done before considering human transplants?”
Charmaine answered without hesitation. “Over a thousand trials, with a 90 percent success rate.”
A skeptical doctor’scoffed, “Ninety percent? You’re willing to take that risk? What happens if it fails–who’s responsible?”
Charmaine remained composed. “The failure rate stems from genetic defects in the subjects, not from errors in the experiments.”
1/3
Chapter 41 Uproar
The doctor was left speechless, unable to counter her response.
+8 Pearis
Then, from the back of the room, a voice spoke up. “There’s a patient who might fit the criteria. Ms. Leah Nelson. What about her?”
Mr. Stuman’s attention shifted immediately. “Who?”
“Leah Nelson. She’s in the SVIP room,” came the reply.
Emyr was fully engrossed in a video conference when the door to his office opened abruptly.
Tad entered, looking unusually shaken.
Noticing the rare moment of distress on his subordinate’s face, Emyr raised his hand to silence the call and turned his full attention to Tad.
“Mr. Emyr, we’ve found Robin. She’s at Central Hospital!” Tad said urgently.
Emyr’s hand tightened around the armrest of his wheelchair, his expression hardening. “Don’t let her slip away. We’re going there now.”
Without another word, Emyr and his team departed from Cross Group, heading straight for the hospital.
Elsewhere, after a doctor mentioned Leah’s name, the same one who had mocked Charmaine earlier quickly interrupted. “No, Leah isn’t the right candidate he snapped.
Charmaine slowly turned toward him, a thin, icy smile appearing beneath her mask. Her gaze flicked briefly to his name tag.
“Dr. Zimmer, why exactly is she unsuitable?” she asked, her voice calm but sharp.
Mr. Stuman shot Dr. Zimmer an irritated look before redirecting his attention to Charmaine, his tone shifting to one of smooth courtesy.
“Professor Robin, here’s the issue. The patient in the SVIP room is a VIP of our hospital. You’ve heard of the Nelsons, correct? They’re part of the prestigious Eragos‘ Centennial Five. This patient is their daughter, and we value her highly. The Nelsons are very protective of Ms. Leah, and as you can imagine, they have plenty of resources. A project like this… they simply cannot accept it.”
His explanation was clear: the Nelsons held immense influence and had deep concern for Leah’s well- being.
Charmaine’s darkened as she listened, the coldness in them intensifying.
eyes
“There’s no point in continuing this discussion with her dire
Lorenzo looked up at Charmaine, his eyes brimming with hostility.
“Who does she think she is?” he muttered under his breath. “Some nobody who hides behind a mask, pretending to be a big deal. There’s no way she’s a legitimate disciple of a renowned medical master. She’s probably just a fraud, here to deceive everyone. Don’t let her fool you, director.”
