The Young Urban Doctor-Chapter 714 - : Grudging Acceptance of the Bet’s Outcome
Chapter 714: Chapter 714: Grudging Acceptance of the Bet’s Outcome
(Eighth update. In four days, fifty chapters were updated, consuming all the reserve manuscripts, and it will now return to regular updates, with the possibility of additional chapters in the future.)
Two hundred and twenty-two needles — that was the number Luo Ziling had inserted into the Bronze Figure.
Due to the considerable difference in the number of needles between the two, Wu Hongwei, Wang Tongshan, and Yang Qingyin counted twice, confirming repeatedly that there was no mistake before they announced the result.
At the end of the competition, Gu Jian’an felt confident about his performance and even more so about his victory after his own count was announced.
But upon seeing them count Luo Ziling’s needles, a bad feeling arose in his heart. When they spoke the number aloud, his first reaction was that they were cheating.
“Impossible,” Gu Jian’an immediately expressed his judgment, “Blind needling can’t be that fast. Reaching two hundred needles in one minute is already the limit; how could it surpass two hundred?”
As soon as Gu Jian’an spoke, Wu Hongwei, who was on good terms with him, instantly changed his expression.
“Listen, Sir Gu, this is the result counted by the three of us together. If you don’t believe it, you can count them yourself,” Wu Hongwei said, his expression slightly displeased.
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Gu Jian’an’s behavior today was far from magnanimous. Not to mention his suspicion of the three’s counting, but when they announced the time was up, and Luo Ziling immediately stopped inserting needles, he still inserted two more.
This revealed his mindset and deportment.
Furthermore, Gu Jian’an’s skepticism about the conclusion they reached substantially reduced Wu Hongwei’s regard for his old friend.
Thus, he spoke with a bit of discourtesy, feeling that Gu Jian’an had insulted his integrity and, by extension, his old friend Wang Tongshan as well.
For people like them, face is more important than many things. Gu Jian’an’s doubts were a direct blow to their pride, naturally leaving them uncomfortable. However, Wu Hongwei, who had good self-restraint, did not lash out.
“I’ll count them myself,” although Gu Changwei also felt that his grandfather’s behavior hadn’t been generous today, due to the significance of the matter, he still volunteered and stepped forward to recount Luo Ziling’s needles.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Luo Ziling looked at Gu Jian’an and Gu Changwei with a mocking expression, “No wonder my grandfather never considered you a worthy opponent; such character you have. My grandfather thought competing with you would be beneath his dignity, and now I feel the same way.”
Luo Ziling’s blunt mockery was like a slap in the face, landing heavily on Gu Jian’an and Gu Changwei.
Intending to step forward and count the needles, Gu Changwei’s face blushed with shame, and he didn’t dare to proceed.
And Gu Jian’an also lost face, feeling deeply embarrassed about his behavior today.
He was fuming and wished he could stab Luo Ziling to death on the spot to vent his fury.
“If you and your grandson don’t acknowledge your defeat in the competition, then I accept your shamelessness,” Luo Ziling didn’t give Gu Jian’an any chance to retort and continued to slap his face, “the Porsche you lost to me earlier, I don’t want it anymore. To win something from someone as dishonest as you would bring me no pride. I won’t even mention that I competed with you in acupuncture skill today, because I can’t afford to lose that much face. Someone with your character and technique dares to call himself the best acupuncturist in Huaxia, heh, continue to fool yourself with that. Farewell!”
Saying this, Luo Ziling grabbed Yang Qingyin’s hand, ready to leave.
Wu Hongwei and Wang Tongshan certainly did not expect Luo Ziling to directly slap Gu Jian’an in the face. Even as Ziling prepared to leave, holding Yang Qingyin’s hand, they still hadn’t recovered from their shock.
Only after Ziling had left the room with Qingyin did they snap back to reality.
“Sir Gu, we will take our leave as well,” Wu Hongwei said, bowing to Gu Jian’an before nodding to Wang Tongshan and getting ready to leave.
Wang Tongshan walked out directly, without saying goodbye to Gu Jian’an and his grandson.
But before the two of them could leave the room, Gu Jian’an changed his attitude.
“Gentlemen, please wait a moment,” he said, stopping Wu Hongwei and Wang Tongshan with a raised hand. “I admit I lost the competition just now. I will abide by the bet and honor the stakes I agreed to before. My earlier suspicion was only because his acupuncture skill surpassed the theoretical maximum speed, so I had doubts, but it wasn’t because I questioned your fairness as judges. Gentlemen, I truly apologize and I’m sorry for this—I would like to offer my apologies to you both.”
As he apologized to Wu Hongwei and Wang Tongshan, Gu Jian’an ordered Gu Changwei to quickly bring Ziling and Qingyin back so that he could concede defeat to Ziling in person. Gu Changwei hurried out, but he soon returned, saying that Ziling and Qingyin had already left by car.
“Since Sir Gu admits defeat and is willing to fulfill his promise, I will take it upon myself to explain the situation to Ziling,” Wu Hongwei chuckled, then said to Wang Tongshan, “Mr. Wang, please contact student Ziling and ask him to come to pick up the sports car and the Bronze Figures. This is the reward he deserves, and as judges, we need to see this through impartially to the end.”
“Okay,” Wang Tongshan, who had already lost respect for Gu Jian’an, immediately agreed upon hearing Wu Hongwei’s words.
He took out his mobile phone and dialed Luo Ziling’s number. The call connected quickly, and as soon as it did, Wang Tongshan told Ziling frankly about the situation, saying that Gu Jian’an was willing to admit defeat and honor the bet, and that Ziling should come back to collect what he was owed.
“Mr. Wang, thank you and Teacher Wu for upholding justice. I will personally thank you both another day. I’ve already left with my friend and don’t wish to come back. If they are willing to honor their promise, then I will send someone to pick up these things. As for the plaque they hung at the clinic entrance, let them keep it up; I won’t bother with it. Please let them know it’s not necessary to smash it in front of me; it’s fine if it remains hanging—I don’t mind.” Ziling’s words came through loud and clear to everyone in the room once Mr. Wang turned on the speakerphone.
Gu Jian’an and Gu Changwei felt the sting of Ziling’s slap in the face once again.
Gu Jian’an’s face reddened, and he immediately ordered Gu Changwei to take down the sign.
Gu Jian’an did not dare to order the sign to be smashed publicly; he feared angering the prominent person who had inscribed the sign, someone now of high status. If that person learned that Gu Jian’an had publicly smashed the sign, there would surely be resentment.
He simply commanded Gu Changwei to take the sign down, never to be hung again.
Hearing Gu Jian’an arrange things this way, Wang Tongshan and Wu Hongwei offered no comments.
About twenty minutes later, a very rugged-looking man about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old arrived at the National Medicine Expert Clinic, claiming he was Ziling’s friend, sent by Ziling to retrieve the items. When this man arrived at the clinic, Ziling also called Wang Tongshan, confirming that this person was sent to collect the items, and telling Gu Jian’an to hand over anything he was willing to give to this man.
In the presence of Wang Tongshan and Wu Hongwei, the man carefully packed the Divine Bronze Figures of Acupuncture, loaded them onto the Porsche sports car, gathered all the documents for the car, and the transfer agreement, then drove off in high spirits.
Watching his brand-new sports car become the possession of someone else and losing the Gu Family heirloom, Gu Changwei felt an almost tearful frustration.
In his heart, he silently vowed to find an opportunity to take back the Bronze Figures and regain the face he had lost today…
