Seeing everyone crowding Zhao Yuan and talking all at once, Ma Guotao grew concerned. He quickly interjected, "Everyone, please hold on. We are very moved by your enthusiasm for Zhao Yuan. However, he just arrived from Rongcheng City and hasn't had dinner yet. Do you think you could wait until after he's eaten to chat?"
Zhao Yuan, however, didn't seem to mind. He smiled and said, "It's alright. I had a meal on the plane."
Yang Jingbo spoke up as well. "Do you think we don't know that appetite of yours? Is an in-flight meal enough for you? That's not even enough to fill the gaps between your teeth!"
Zhao Yuan rubbed his nose and couldn't help but give a wry smile.
'Alright then,' he thought. 'Looks like my reputation as a glutton is already deeply ingrained in the minds of these teachers and elders from West Hua Medical University!'
The famous doctors from Huashang and Yangcheng City all said apologetically, "Our mistake. We were so excited to see Zhao Yuan that we completely forgot he hadn't eaten. Our apologies, our apologies."
Qiao Zhixue said, "Why don't I act as host and treat student Zhao Yuan and all you esteemed experts to dinner? It can also serve as an apology on behalf of this unworthy student of mine."
"Why do you need to apologize?" Ma Guotao asked, confused.
Tao Hua, Xu Qiu, and the others shut their eyes in despair. 'Our shameful past is about to be dredged up all over again…'
Qiao Zhixue briefly recounted what had just happened. After listening, the crowd looked Tao Hua and Xu Qiu over, their gazes filled with contempt. Some even shook their heads.
Zhao Yuan once again showed his magnanimity. "Elder Qiao, I've said it before, the matter is in the past. You shouldn't blame them anymore."
Qiao Zhixue shot a glare back at Tao Hua and snorted coldly. "If Zhao Yuan hadn't spoken up for you, I'd be giving you a harsh lesson when we get back!"
Zhao Yuan had wanted to decline Qiao Zhixue's invitation again, but the man was dead set on treating him to dinner, making it impossible to refuse. He had no choice but to accept. Since he had his luggage, he first went upstairs to the room the Chinese Medical Exchange Forum had arranged for him. After dropping off his bags, he came back downstairs to meet up with Qiao Zhixue and the others.
Because he was a recipient of a Level A invitation, the room arranged for him by the Chinese Medical Exchange Forum was on the same tier as those for Ma Guotao and Qiao Zhixue. While not a suite, it was a deluxe single room, a world apart from the standard rooms Tao Hua and Xu Qiu were given.
By the time he came back downstairs, Qiao Zhixue had already chosen a place to eat—a very famous restaurant in Huashang, right near the hotel.
The group, with Zhao Yuan at its center, started heading over. They had barely taken a few steps when Qiao Zhixue noticed Tao Hua and the others were still following. "What are you doing following us?" he said, surprised. "Go back. Go do whatever it is you're supposed to be doing!"
Tao Hua and Xu Qiu exchanged a glance and blurted out, "Isn't this an apology dinner?"
Qiao Zhixue replied, "It is an apology dinner. What, you want to come?"
Tao Hua and Xu Qiu nodded eagerly.
Of course they wanted to go.
'At this dinner, besides their own mentors, there were also experts and professors from West Hua Medical University, as well as renowned medical authorities from Huashang and Yangcheng City. If they could tag along, it wouldn't just be a chance to expand their network, it would be a golden opportunity to burnish their own reputations!'
Unfortunately, Qiao Zhixue had no intention of taking them. He refused flatly, "You should go back to your rooms and properly reflect on what you've done. You made a mistake and you still want to tag along for dinner? There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world!"
Tao Hua and Xu Qiu were instantly dejected, but they didn't dare defy Qiao Zhixue's command. They could only shuffle back to their rooms, lamenting inwardly, 'You really can't compare people. Zhao Yuan doesn't want to have dinner with you, yet you insist on dragging him along. We want to go, but we don't have the right or the opportunity. Sigh… we're all human, so why is there such a huge gap between us?'
Leaving them behind, Zhao Yuan and the others left the hotel. Led by Qiao Zhixue, they soon arrived at the restaurant. Qiao Zhixue had already booked a private room and ordered the dishes. The group ate and chatted, quickly growing comfortable with one another.
Qiao Zhixue brought up his previous question again, but this time he directed it at Ma Guotao. "Principal Ma, what exactly does your Zhao Yuan plan to present at the Chinese Medical Exchange Forum? I asked him earlier, but he was just being secretive with me."
Ma Guotao smiled and shook his head. "It's not that I won't tell you; it's that I don't know what he's going to say either."
"No way. Even you don't know?" Qiao Zhixue was stunned for a moment, then his expression turned serious. He said, "Zhao Yuan, what exactly do you plan to talk about tomorrow? Alright, stop holding back. Just tell us old-timers and let us give you some feedback. You have to understand, the people attending the Chinese Medical Exchange Forum are all top figures and elites in the medical world. If your presentation isn't outstanding enough, I'm afraid it will do more harm than good for your future!"
The famous doctors from Huashang and Yangcheng City strongly agreed.
"Elder Qiao is right. A presentation at the Chinese Medical Exchange Forum is unlike any other. The content has to be absolutely brilliant!"
"We like to think we have some expertise. You can feel free to give us an outline of your topic and let us help you polish it to be even more refined!"
Although Ma Guotao, Yang Jingbo, and the others from West Hua Medical University had faith in Zhao Yuan, they were still somewhat worried without knowing the content of his speech. Thus, they all chimed in to support Qiao Zhixue's suggestion.
Under the circumstances, Zhao Yuan couldn't keep them in suspense any longer and revealed the answer: "Tomorrow, I plan to talk about the *Outer Canon of the Yellow Emperor*."
Ma Guotao never imagined Zhao Yuan would talk about this. He asked in surprise, "You mean the *Outer Canon of the Yellow Emperor* that the Great God of Witch Doctor posted on the university forum a while ago?"
Zhao Yuan nodded. "That's right!"
Everyone present knew about the reappearance of the *Outer Canon of the Yellow Emperor*. In fact, they had all been studying this medical classic, which had been lost for a thousand years.
At first, some had doubted the authenticity of the *Outer Canon of the Yellow Emperor*. But now, no one questioned its legitimacy anymore. The problem was that its contents were too profound and vast. Even with the *Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor* for reference, research progress was incredibly slow.
It was safe to say that not a single person right now would dare claim they fully understood the *Outer Canon of the Yellow Emperor*!
And under these circumstances, Zhao Yuan was going to lecture on the *Outer Canon of the Yellow Emperor* at the Chinese Medical Exchange Forum?
This was too big, too risky of a move!
One after another, everyone voiced their concerns, urging Zhao Yuan to choose a different topic.
Compared to the others, however, Zhao Yuan was full of confidence.
He smiled and said something that left everyone dumbfounded: "I'm not changing it. I've already decided to speak on the *Outer Canon of the Yellow Emperor*. It's precisely because everyone is still in the preliminary stages of research that I must lecture on it—so I can help everyone avoid a few detours!"
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter
