Chapter 43

Early in the morning, Lonnie spotted a sleek silver supercar weaving in and out of the apartment building. It looked like it was on some kind of secret mission.

"Check out that hot sports car being used like a delivery van," Lonnie muttered to himself, feeling a sharp pang in his chest.

Man, if he could take that fancy car for a spin, he'd definitely impress the ladies he had his eye on!

Seeing what looked like a rich kid, Lonnie knew he had to play it cool. He nodded and smiled, not wanting to step on any toes.

The apartment gate creaked open, and the silver supercar zoomed out, catching the eyes of Lonnie, Azalea, and a few nurses.

Then, to everyone's envy, it parked smoothly by another apartment building.

Soon, a figure stepped out of the sports car.

"Oh boy, that stance, that vibe, he looks like a big deal!" one of the nurses exclaimed.

"Why does this guy seem so familiar?" Lonnie wondered aloud.

"Yeah, maybe he's famous?" another nurse murmured.

"Oh my gosh, it's him!" Lonnie suddenly realized.

"Louis!" Azalea shouted.

"No way, how is this even possible? How could a loser like Louis get the keys to drive it?" Lonnie said in disbelief.

For a moment, Lonnie, Azalea, and a couple of nurses in white coats were left speechless, their jaws dropping in shock!

If it wasn't Louis stepping out of the car, then who else could it be?

They were so used to seeing that face every day, they were almost tired of it!

"Can't it be me, guys? Aren't you all surprised?" Louis teased, glancing at the stunned group with a mischievous smile.

"Is this car... yours?" Lonnie felt like he'd been hit by a ton of bricks, his words stumbling.

"Or what? It can't be yours, right? You're just a security guard. What a dreamer." Louis shot back, a hint of mockery in his tone.

Lonnie's heart sank, his expression turning sour.

"No way, absolutely not! You must have stolen it! Lonnie, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and nab this car thief and haul him to the cops!" Azalea screeched, her voice grating like nails on a chalkboard.

"Louis is a good-for-nothing; there's no way he could own such a fancy car!" she snapped. "Look at this car, it must be worth a few million bucks. If Louis can afford it, I'll eat this car!"

"Exactly, you almost had me fooled. You could win some awards in Oscar." Lonnie seemed to catch on, nodding vigorously, wholeheartedly agreeing with Azalea.

If this car really belonged to Louis, would he be using it for everyday errands?

No way! It'd be like using a Ferrari as a lawnmower, a total waste! To them, Louis's vibe and outfit were a complete mismatch for that fancy car, making it obvious that the car wasn't his!

Louis shook his head, seriously questioning the intelligence of these folks. He turned to Azalea and said, "Dr. Gray, maybe you should worry less about this car and more about your own well-being. Your health isn't something to brush off!"

"What did you just say? Repeat that! Are you cursing me?" Azalea's face went pale, looking thoroughly displeased.

"Before you landed in the hospital, were you not cautious with your personal life? Did you get involved with some random guy? You might have picked up an STD unknowingly; you're being reckless!" Louis shook his head with a touch of sympathy, speaking as if he was looking at a pitiful soul.

"What nonsense! You good-for-nothing, how dare you curse me?" Azalea yelled, refusing to acknowledge such a claim that could tarnish her reputation! Her voice quivered, revealing a hint of guilt and a lack of confidence.

Louis just grinned and turned to Lonnie, "Lonnie, you should get a full check-up at the hospital. Being around women like her, you might catch something without even realizing it. Don't blame me for not giving you a heads-up!"

Suddenly, Lonnie's expression turned sour.

Louis seemed to have seen through the little fling between him and Azalea in a flash, which was uncanny!

Was Louis some kind of mind reader? Lately, Lonnie had been feeling off down there, itching like crazy, as if ants were having a field day. Could Louis actually be onto something?

"You bastard, stop spewing nonsense, I'll take you on!" Azalea nervously shouted, aiming to prove her innocence by lunging at Louis like a wild lioness.

This way, the doctors and nurses around would think Louis was talking rubbish, shielding her from any blame. After all, if this scandal leaked, it would be her downfall!

Of course, Lonnie wouldn't own up to the fling with Azalea in front of everyone. He also roared and charged at Louis, his heart racing with anxiety.

With a family to think about, if this got out, how could he keep his job at the hospital? He'd be a laughingstock!

"Mr. Windsor, there you are, I've been searching all over for you!" Just then, another voice cut through the tension, breaking the heated moment.

An elderly man in a white coat and a pair of glasses hurried toward them, panting and sweating like he had just run a marathon.

"Mr. Mitchell?" At the sight of the newcomer, Azalea and Lonnie, who were on the brink of attacking Louis, halted abruptly, as if someone had hit pause, instantly falling in line. Both were taken aback. Philip, the head of Unity Medical Center, showing up at the apartment today was a surprise. He was always swamped with work, so why was he here?

And he didn't bring any other hospital bigwigs with him, which was unusual. Was this a personal visit?

"Mr. Mitchell, you're just in time. This guy claims to be Dr. Brown's hubby and is adamant about getting into this place. I was just trying to shoo him away. Am I handling this right?" Lonnie chimed in quickly, eager for Philip to acknowledge his efforts.

Philip rarely made appearances at the apartment, and Lonnie didn't want to leave a bad impression on him due to Louis. It could cost him! Should Philip utter a few unpleasant words in front of his superiors, Lonnie would lose this lucrative position.

To Lonnie's surprise, Philip seemed to brush him off completely, as if he hadn't even heard him, heading straight for Louis with an excited look, almost teary-eyed as if reuniting with a long-lost pal!

"Mr. Mitchell, got something on your mind?" Louis was caught off guard. He hadn't expected Philip to seek him out personally.

Philip beamed and said, "Heard a top-notch doc like you moved into our hospital digs. Had to come say hi. How's the apartment treating you? If it's not up to snuff, got a few empty villas I can offer. What do you say?"

As Philip spoke, Lonnie, Azalea, and the rest were left speechless.

Did they hear right? Philip actually cared about Louis?

Philip called Louis what?

A top-notch doc?

"Mr. Mitchell, are you mixed up? What's this about the top-notch doc? Are you sure? He's just a son-in-law; don't let him fool you!" Azalea pointed at Louis, sneering. "Hey, you, why not tell Mr. Mitchell who you really are. Quit making a fool of yourself here!"

Could a guy who mooched off his wife really be a top-notch doc? Philip must be confused or mistaken, as Azalea and the others couldn't fathom Louis being a top-notch doc. It was beyond belief!

Philip scowled at the comments, his expression darkening like a brewing storm!

"Mr. Mitchell, I'm good with the setup here. No need to fret." Louis brushed off Azalea, the jester, and addressed Philip calmly. He didn't want to waste time on someone like Azalea.

"You, living off your wife, of course, have no issues! Our hospital pad in Sunshine City is top-notch, great digs, all the amenities, tight security. Can someone like you afford to be here? And do you think Mr. Mitchell is talking to you? Who do you think you are? Are you even worthy? You really see yourself as a top-notch doc. Shame on you." Azalea let out a cold snort, her facade shattered by Louis. She despised him, wishing she could tear him apart and scatter his bones!

Turning to Philip, she explained, "Mr. Mitchell, he's just Dr. Brown's worthless husband, Louis. He's a well-known good-for-nothing. He's definitely not the great doctor you mentioned. You must have mistaken him!" Azalea gloated at Louis, her smile colder than a snake's hiss, sending shivers down others' spines.

But Louis looked at Azalea with a hint of pity and disdain.

Philip's expression darkened completely. He inquired, "And who might you be? I see you're in a white coat. Are you also part of Unity Medical Center's staff?"

"Mr. Mitchell, I'm Azalea Gray, a new intern in the gynecology department! I used to work at another hospital, and an article I wrote on clinical applications in gynecology was published in a well-known city newspaper!" Excited to introduce herself, Azalea blustered.

Philip simply acknowledged with a nod, then took out his phone and made a call. "Hello, Dr. Fisher? Did you recently take on a new intern in your gynecology department named Azalea Gray?"

'What's going on? Is Philip reaching out to my superiors to end my probation early and promote me?' Excited at the thought, Azalea pondered whether she should wear black stockings to "thank" Philip later.

But what Philip said next sent a chill down her spine.

"Dr. Fisher, gather all of Dr. Gray's information. I'll personally review it this afternoon!" With that, Philip hung up the phone.

"Mr. ... Mr. Mitchell, did I do something wrong?" Azalea asked nervously, her words stumbling.

She had used connections and spent a fortune to secure a spot at this hospital. With Philip suddenly mentioning a review, how could she not panic?

"No, you've excelled in other areas. I just suspect there might be an abnormality in your thinking," Philip said coldly, not even sparing a glance at Azalea, then turned to Louis. "Mr. Windsor, this place is for regular medical staff. It's cramped and noisy. Not suitable for you. How about moving to my place? I have spacious rooms!"

Azalea, Lonnie, and the others were left speechless.

Louis looked helpless. Philip was being overly enthusiastic!

He wondered, just because he had shown Philip an ancient witch doctor's healing method, did Philip have to go this far?

"No need, I'm good here. Mr. Mitchell, if you have something to say, please go ahead." Louis shook his head, pondering if Philip was scheming something to win him over.

Philip was surprised, smiled, and then said directly, "Mr. Windsor, Unity Medical Center has received an invitation from the Ancient Witchcraft Medical Research Association to send a delegation to the Ancient and Modern Medical Research Exchange Conference. I want to invite you to join. I also heard that a medical delegation from South Korea will be attending the conference!"