Chapter 268: An Invitation from Dean Zhao

"Holy shit, it's alive!"

The onlookers behind them nearly fell to the ground in fright.

Seeing the "dead man" about to run, Chen Qingdi stepped forward and blocked his path.

"No one is going anywhere until this is cleared up!"

The scammers, who had been pretending to be grieving sons, saw that their cover was blown.

Chen Qingdi was no ordinary person. The thugs wanted to scatter and flee, but the local people who had come for consultations greatly respected Chen Qingdi. They weren't about to let these scoundrels get away with their shameless act.

The crowd surrounded the scammers so tightly they couldn't escape. Some even took out ten-yuan bills and threw them at them.

In an instant, they became like rats scurrying across the street, getting beaten by everyone. Completely disoriented and with no way out, they had no choice but to go to Chen Qingdi and kneel before him.

"We were wrong! Please, sir, spare us!"

Just then, one of the people who had come for a consultation said to Chen Qingdi.

"Don't worry, Divine Physician. Someone already reported it to the authorities. The people from the investigation bureau will be here any minute. Not a single one of these scammers will get away!"

Not long after, two investigators arrived on the scene, having been alerted to the situation.

"Who reported this? What exactly happened here?"

The crowd was still furious. The person who had made the report stepped forward and explained everything that had happened to the investigators in great detail.

The investigators quickly went over to question the victim, Chen Qingdi.

"You're the owner of this medical hall?"

Chen Qingdi took out his three licenses and showed them to the investigators.

The investigators had also heard of Chen Qingdi's reputation.

"Mr. Chen, we've long heard that you practice medicine here for free. Some of my colleagues have even been treated by you, and they greatly admire your medical skills. You're a true doctor. We trust you!"

Then, they asked Chen Qingdi to accompany them to the bureau to give a statement.

Chen Qingdi naturally agreed to cooperate.

The investigators took the scammers into custody and brought them to the bureau.

Chen Qingdi recounted the events truthfully.

One of the scammers standing nearby said, "Officer, that's not what happened. We actually know each other. We were just fooling around!"

The investigator asked Chen Qingdi, "Do you really know these people?"

Surprisingly, Chen Qingdi didn't deny it. "He's the master swindler who scammed me out of two million. Of course I know them!"

With that, Chen Qingdi showed his transfer records to the investigators.

The investigator's face darkened. "Alright, talk. What's really going on here?"

The guy who had been playing dead couldn't take it anymore and confessed everything.

It turned out this group was a bunch of local ruffians who made a living through scams and trickery.

One day, they suddenly received a job from Doctor Jia, the head shopkeeper of Ten Thousand Herbs Hall.

He gave them 100,000 yuan and told them to find someone to pose as a corpse. They were to claim that the person had been killed by Chen Qingdi's treatment and then go to Chen Qingdi's place to extort him.

Of course, extorting money was a minor detail. The most important thing was to use the "corpse" incident to tarnish the reputation of Chen Qingdi's medical hall and force him to shut down for good.

The investigators immediately summoned Shopkeeper Jia of Ten Thousand Herbs Hall. Shopkeeper Jia, of course, flatly denied it.

"I've never met these people! They're con artists who are trying to frame an honest business and deliberately slander our Ten Thousand Herbs Hall!"

Who would have thought that the man who had pretended to be a grieving son would point a finger at Jia Yao's nose and start cursing him out.

"Seriously? You still think you're some kind of good guy? The number of patients who have died at your hands because you substitute real medicine with fakes must be at least eighty, if not a hundred! You want me to expose all your dirty, conscienceless deeds one by one?"

Only then did the investigators realize how complicated the matter was. They immediately applied to their superiors to place Shopkeeper Jia under criminal detention for an emergency interrogation.

Although Shopkeeper Jia was greedy, he was utterly spineless.

After just a few preliminary questions, he confessed to everything.

It turned out this scumbag not only price-gouged but also sold and manufactured fake medicine. He had even hired a hitman to commit murder.

Not long after, his arrest was approved, and he was sentenced to seven years in prison.

But that is a story for another time.

Chen Qingdi got back the two million he had been scammed out of from the swindlers and successfully sent those scumbags to prison as well.

When he returned to his medical hall, he found a kind-eyed, benevolent-looking old man waiting for him.

The old man introduced himself as the Vice-Chairman of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Association and the Vice-Dean of the Wulin University's Chinese Medicine Hospital.

"Dean Zhao, what can I do for you?"

As soon as he heard the man was from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Association, Chen Qingdi felt an inexplicable sense of reservation, and his tone became less courteous.

Dean Zhao, however, did not take offense at his tone.

"Mr. Chen, please don't misunderstand. This old man has come with no ill intent. Your work providing affordable medical care to save people is a truly great act of kindness, and I deeply admire it. I cannot agree with the actions of our peers who have spared no effort to slander and suppress you. I've come here today because I would actually like to invite you to be a guest professor at our Chinese Medicine Hospital!"

Chen Qingdi shook his head.

"Mr. Zhao, I may be competent enough to treat patients, but I'm afraid I'm not qualified to be a professor and give lectures."

Seeing Chen Qingdi's resistance, Dean Zhao frowned.

"Your medical skills are so profound. Don't you wish to have students all over the world?"

Chen Qingdi decided to drop the pretense and questioned him directly.

"I've heard that to be recognized by your hospital, one must know the Latin names for all the traditional medicines. Unfortunately, I don't know a single word of Latin. To call me an expert or a professor... I am unworthy of the title, nor do I wish to be associated with such people!"

Dean Zhao smiled. "This old man won't deny it; the world of traditional Chinese medicine is not without 'experts' who are laymen directing professionals. As for having to test in a foreign language before you can test in Chinese medicine, that is indeed quite unreasonable. But not all academies are like that. At least, that's not how I see things!"

Chen Qingdi became very curious.

"If I may ask, sir, there are many famous traditional Chinese medicine doctors in Wulin City, many of whom are more skilled than I. Why would you ignore those authorities and instead invite an unknown little doctor like me?"

Zhao Changqing said with great disappointment.

"Those people and I are not on the same path. To borrow the words you used to refute Chairman Li, I cannot agree with them and am ashamed to be in their company. On the contrary, I believe that anyone without rich clinical experience is not fit to be a professor at our medical school! People all call me 'Old Zhao the Stubborn,' but I truly cannot stand those so-called experts and professors who are only interested in currying favor to climb the ladder."

Hearing this, Chen Qingdi felt as if he had met a kindred spirit. He then said to Dean Zhao.

"Since you've put it that way, Mr. Zhao, it would be ungracious of me to refuse any further. Please, sir, you can make the arrangements. Just let me know when the time comes."

Dean Zhao was extremely pleased. "In that case, this old man will go back and make the arrangements. I believe it can be done very soon!"

After seeing off Dean Zhao Changqing, Chen Qingdi saw Li Wanjin, the Chairman of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Association.

"What did that old fellow Zhao want with you?"

Chen Qingdi said coolly, "Does that have anything to do with you?"

Li Wanjin snorted. "If you had any self-awareness, you would have turned down that old fool Zhao Changqing's offer to go teach at his medical school! You'd better refuse. Otherwise, don't blame us when you make a fool of yourself!"