Riverdale Hospital.
A hospital ward echoed with sorrowful cries.
Mrs. Carter lay on a hospital bed, sobbing uncontrollably beside her unconscious husband. "Old man, please… nothing can happen to you," she wept, clinging to his cold, motionless hand.
Beside her, Rachel's mother, Liu Li, gently tried to comfort the elderly woman. "Grandma, don't worry. Grandpa will be fine. I've already informed Rachel. She said that Ava Carter knows a miracle doctor who can definitely cure him."
The moment these words fell from Liu Li's lips, Mrs. Carter's expression lit up with a mix of hope and disbelief. She grabbed Liu Li's hand. "Really?! Miss Ava is willing to help us?"
The surrounding relatives and friends all sighed in relief.
"Thank goodness. With Miss Ava's help, Mr. Carter can be saved!"
"Not only will Mr. Carter recover, but this could also elevate the Carter family's status by associating with Ava's family!"
"Yes, Rachel really is clever and capable. Unlike that useless son-in-law, she knows how to think ahead."
"That's right! When Mr. Carter gets better, they should make Rachel divorce Leo! I remember the prince from the Hale family was Rachel's childhood sweetheart. He's been fond of her for years."
"Exactly, exactly…"
The mood in the ward had begun to lighten—until a weak, raspy voice abruptly shattered the illusion.
"Everyone… shut up."
Startled, everyone turned toward the bed.
Mr. Carter had stirred. He mustered all his remaining strength and whispered, "No one… can save me… Only Leo… can save me…"
The crowd gasped.
In his youth, Mr. Carter had once been saved by the former Dragon King, a man of near-mythical prowess. The old Dragon King had come to him years ago and explained that the next Dragon King—Leo—would face catastrophe in a few years.
When that day came, Leo would lose his strength and need protection. Mr. Carter had agreed to shelter him by marrying off his granddaughter to Leo.
There was also selfishness behind the decision. Mr. Carter knew that Leo was no ordinary man—he was the future Dragon King. If Leo recovered, then the Carter family could rise to unmatched glory.
But now…
"Bullshit! Have you gone senile?!" one of the relatives shouted. "Leo? That good-for-nothing? He's just a useless son-in-law! You really think he can save you?!"
"He already came here secretly trying to treat you—and what happened? You only got worse!"
Mrs. Carter cried out in frustration. Her heart was breaking, not only from her husband's condition, but also because she couldn't understand how he could still believe in such foolishness.
Mr. Carter fell silent. His wife wasn't wrong. Leo had visited secretly several times, trying to treat him.
But… it had only made things worse.
Still, Mr. Carter held onto his belief—Leo must have a reason. Leo was the Dragon King.
Even so, doubt began to gnaw at him.
Click.
The door creaked open.
A group of people entered, led by Leo, who was radiating confidence.
As he walked in, his eyes immediately locked onto Mr. Carter lying weakly on the bed. Seeing his current condition, Leo smiled with quiet satisfaction.
Everything was unfolding exactly as he had planned.
In secret, he had performed several rounds of acupuncture on Mr. Carter. Each time was not meant to heal but to gather the chaotic countercurrent of energy inside Mr. Carter's body.
The old man's worsening condition wasn't a failure—it was a setup for this final treatment.
His illness stemmed from an ancient battle, where a devastating injury had caused a violent backflow of internal energy. Surviving this long was a miracle in itself.
Each prior session had slowly guided the countercurrent Qi to a focal point, locking it in place. This last injection would release and purge it all.
Just as Leo was mentally preparing to proceed—
SMACK!
"Leo! Why are you smiling?!" Rachel stormed up and slapped him across the face, her expression twisted in heartbreak and fury.
"How could you smile when my grandfather is like this?!" she yelled.
Leo held his face for a moment. Then, with calm confidence, he replied, "Rachel, you don't understand. I'm smiling because your grandfather will be discharged today."
"You arrogant jerk!" Rachel shouted.
Liu Li stepped forward.
SMACK!
She slapped Leo even harder. "Why did my mother say you secretly treated my father?! Did you do this to him on purpose?!"
Rachel stared at him in disbelief. "Leo, the Carter family welcomed you into our home, and this is how you repay us?!"
Just then, Leo's rival—Ethan—spoke up. He stepped forward, sneering. "Rachel, isn't it obvious? Leo wants Mr. Carter dead so he can take over the family's wealth."
"He's a snake. I advise you to divorce him immediately."
The rest of the Carter family followed suit.
"That's right! He's got sinister ambitions!"
"We treated him with kindness. If not for Mr. Carter, he'd have starved on the streets!"
The verbal daggers stabbed into Leo's pride.
His fists clenched. His jaw tightened. But he remained silent.
Today, they would all witness his true strength.
Leo's self-confidence surged.
He shot Ethan a cold glance. "This is Carter family business. Outsiders like you should stay out of it."
He turned to Rachel. "Only I can heal him. Soon, you'll understand why I had to treat him in secret."
Rachel's face turned pale with rage. "Shut up! You think I'd ever let you treat him again after what you've done?!"
She spun around to face Ava Carter.
"Miss Ava… please… Please ask Dr. Victor Hale to help us," she pleaded.
Ava remained calm, but inside she was holding back her laughter.
Miracle doctor? Master Victor?
She glanced at Ethan with a knowing smirk. "Dr. Hale… what do you think?"
Her expression said it all—you better play along.
Ethan suddenly understood. Ava wanted to toy with Leo.
He nodded subtly and turned to Rachel with a fake, noble smile. "Miss Rachel, since your 'genius' husband insists he's the only one who can save Mr. Carter, why not let him try?"
"If he fails, then I'll step in."
Rachel nodded reluctantly. "Alright, Dr. Hale."
She snapped back at Leo. "Are you happy now? Treat him! Let's see what you can actually do!"
Leo's eyes burned with fury as he stared at Ethan.
This bastard was trying to humiliate him in front of everyone.
No matter.
He would treat Mr. Carter.
And he would succeed.
Only then would they all recognize who the real genius was.
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