Chapter 45

"Louis, I talked to Grandma like you wanted," Anna said as she strolled into the house.

"Cool," Louis replied nonchalantly.

"Aren't you curious about how she agreed?" Anna asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Not really," Louis shrugged.

"Why not?" Anna was puzzled.

"Because I know she definitely has some ulterior motives," Louis added.

"How do you know that?" Anna asked, surprised.

"Just a gut feeling," Louis grinned, offering no further explanation.

"I really can't figure you out," Anna said, shaking her head in disbelief.

Meanwhile, over at the Brown family mansion...

"Grandma, are you really going to let Anna handle this project?" Samuel asked cautiously.

"Do you have a better candidate?" Harper shot back.

"I... I didn't mean it like that. I just think that since Anna is a woman, she might not be up to such an important task," Samuel said.

"What's wrong with being a woman? Women can't handle big responsibilities? I think you're just jealous of Anna's abilities!" Harper snapped.

"Grandma, I didn't mean that, I just..." Samuel tried to explain but was cut off by Harper.

"Enough. This is decided. No more discussion," Harper said firmly, leaving no room for argument.

"Yes, Grandma," Samuel said reluctantly.

"A bunch of useless people. In the end, I still have to rely on my granddaughter!" Harper said, looking at Samuel and the others with disappointment.

"Grandma, you're right. We'll definitely learn from Anna and do more for the family," Samuel and the others quickly agreed.

"You better mean it!" Harper snorted and left the meeting room, ignoring the rest of them.

Samuel watched Harper's back and muttered something under his breath.

"What did you say?" Harper suddenly turned around, glaring coldly at Samuel.

"Nothing... I said you're wise and strategic, the pillar of the Brown family!" Samuel stammered, quickly changing his tune.

Harper snorted again and walked away.

Samuel let out a sigh of relief, patting his chest, still shaken.

"Samuel, looks like you're having a rough day!"

"Yeah, you're usually so arrogant. What happened now?"

"This is hilarious!"

The other members of the Brown family couldn't help but mock Samuel.

"What's so funny? Get back to work!" Samuel shouted, embarrassed and angry.

"What's so great about you? You're just Grandma's favorite."

"Yeah, if it weren't for Grandma, you'd have been kicked out of the Brown family long ago!"

"A bunch of losers, only good at badmouthing people behind their backs!"

The Brown family members bickered, none willing to back down.

Lucy beamed with a radiant smile, like a blooming flower.

Three hundred million dollars! That was a huge sum, enough to revive the Brown family.

More importantly, with Harper stepping back, it meant Anna, her daughter, would become the true leader of the Brown family.

At that moment, Lucy felt their family's status in the clan had finally risen, and she no longer had to endure others' attitudes.

Louis kept his promise and handed over the three-hundred-million-dollar contract to the Brown family.

This contract pulled the Brown family back from the brink of bankruptcy.

The creditors who had been hounding them like wolves vanished without a trace.

With the contract as collateral, Anna and her family were no longer strapped for cash, and the banks welcomed them back with open arms.

The crisis was temporarily averted, but Anna knew better than to let her guard down.

She had officially resigned from the hospital, but in reality, Louis had pulled some strings to get her an extended leave from Unity Medical Center's director, Philip. She could go back anytime she wanted.

Now, Anna was all in on the project.

After all, this project was secured through Louis, and she knew the stakes. One slip-up could ruin everything.

Both Philip and Robert called Louis, inviting him to the Los Angeles Medical Symposium.

Robert felt reassured knowing Louis would be there.

How could those Korean doctors even compare to Louis's skills?

"I heard Mr. Mitchell invited you to the Los Angeles Medical Symposium. Are you really going?" Anna asked, exhausted after a long day at the project site.

"Yeah, just to check it out," Louis replied casually, not taking it seriously.

"You're not even a real doctor. Why go to such a professional event? The symposium covers everything from modern to ancient medicine. It's not something just anyone can grasp. Aren't you afraid of embarrassing yourself?" Anna said, worried. She always suspected Louis was a fraud, pretending to be a doctor.

"Don't worry, Anna. I'm just going to have a look, not to discuss medicine with them," Louis said with a grin.

Anna sighed, taking off the dazzling gemstone from her neck and handing it to Louis. "Take this back. I don't have the energy for any medical endeavors right now."

Louis took the gemstone, grinning. Now he had both the healing and the recovery gemstones back.

One gemstone could heal illnesses and worsen conditions that had improved; the other could bring people back from the brink of death, curing acute diseases.

With these two gemstones, Louis felt invincible against any medical challenge.

Soon, Philip arrived with his granddaughter, Natalie Mitchell, to pick up Louis.

As soon as Natalie got out of the car, she scrutinized Louis with a critical eye, thinking, 'Is this the miracle doctor Grandpa talked about? He looks like a pretty boy. Grandpa must be losing it.'

"Grandpa, are you sure he's better than you? He doesn't look like it. Are you trying to set me up with him?" Natalie whispered to Philip.

Philip nearly choked on his own saliva. "What nonsense! Mr. Windsor's medical skills are extraordinary, way beyond mine. Don't say anything offensive, or you'll be in trouble!"

"I don't believe it! Unless he proves it to me!" Natalie pouted, clearly unconvinced.

Louis found their interaction amusing.

He walked up to Natalie, smiling. "You want to see my skills? Sure, I'll show you."

With that, he lightly touched Natalie's neck, silently infusing her with the energy of the recovery gemstone, sealing her throat.

'What... what did you do to me?' Natalie was horrified to find she couldn't speak. She could only glare at Louis.

"Nothing much, just making you quiet for a bit. Your chatter is annoying," Louis said with a smirk.

Philip stood by, stunned. He had hoped Louis would give Natalie some guidance, but instead, she had managed to annoy him!

Now, Louis had silenced Natalie, making any guidance impossible.

"Mr. Windsor, Natalie didn't mean any harm. Could you please lift the silence spell?" Philip pleaded awkwardly.

"It's fine. Let her stay quiet for a while. It'll be more peaceful on the way," Louis said, waving it off nonchalantly.

And so, the three of them set off for Los Angeles. Natalie couldn't speak the entire trip, glaring daggers at Louis, wishing she could tear him apart.

On the plane, Louis suddenly reached over and tapped Natalie's neck again. She felt her throat loosen, and she could finally speak.

"You jerk! What did you do to me?" Natalie shouted at Louis as soon as she regained her voice.

"Keep it down. Don't disturb the other passengers," Louis said, making a shushing gesture. "I just cured your 'chatterbox syndrome.' Feeling better now? Isn't it nice and quiet?"

"You! You're unbelievable!" Natalie fumed, shaking with anger. She had never met someone so shameless in her life.

Upon arriving in Los Angeles, Philip took Louis and Natalie straight to the medical association.

Adam Howard, the president of the Los Angeles Medical Association, personally greeted them.

"Mr. Mitchell. And this must be Mr. Windsor? What a distinguished young man!" Adam said warmly, shaking Philip's hand before turning to Louis. "Mr. Windsor, it's an honor to meet you!"

"You're too kind," Louis replied politely, shaking his hand.

Philip introduced Louis to the gathered medical professionals, many of whom were internationally renowned experts.

"This is Prof. Williams, a leading authority in cardiovascular surgery. His bypass surgeries have saved countless lives," Philip said, pointing to an elderly man with white hair but a sharp mind.

Louis nodded slightly, his gaze wandering as if searching for something.

"And this is Dr. Bishop, a neurosurgery expert with unique insights into brain tumor removal," Philip continued, introducing a poised middle-aged woman.

Louis remained disinterested, offering only a polite smile.

Philip felt awkward. He had expected Louis to show great interest in these medical giants.

"Philip, your young friend doesn't seem very impressed with us old folks," Adam joked, noticing Louis's reaction.

"Adam, you misunderstand. He's just..." Philip began to explain, but Louis interrupted.

"Mr. Mitchell, I'm here mainly to meet the Korean doctor who questions brain death therapy. Is he here yet?" Louis asked directly, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

Philip was taken aback but then smiled. "I see."

Louis stood out among the circle of medical giants, their white hair and piercing eyes a stark contrast to his youth.

These elders, their faces etched with the lines of time, exuded an air of authority and wisdom.

The tension was so thick it felt like it could ignite with a single spark.

Benjamin Baldwin was the first to speak, his voice low and filled with skepticism. "Philip, bringing such a young, inexperienced person to this symposium is a disgrace to our reputations."

Louis smirked, unfazed by the comment. "Age doesn't determine skill, Dr. Baldwin. Let's see if your experience can match up to my 'inexperience.'"

The room fell silent, the challenge hanging in the air.

Philip was at a loss, sweating profusely. "Gentlemen, please, let me explain. Louis is no ordinary doctor. He has inherited ancient shamanic healing techniques!"

The room erupted in laughter, like a thunderclap.

"Philip, have you been brainwashed by aliens?" an old doctor laughed, tears streaming down his face. "Ancient shamanic healing? This is the 21st century! How can you believe in such nonsense?"

Louis, facing their ridicule, smirked. "Laugh all you want now. When the Korean doctor arrives, you'll be the ones crying."

"You've got quite the ego!" Benjamin scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. "Who do you think you are? Are you comparing yourself to the Korean doctors?"

Louis's eyes flashed with contempt. "Korean doctors? They're just attention-seeking clowns."

"You!" Benjamin's mustache bristled with anger. "You're trampling on our dignity as doctors!"

Adam stepped in, trying to defuse the situation. "Louis, maybe you should step out for a bit. These old-timers have short tempers. Staying here will only make things worse."

Louis shrugged. "Fine. I don't want to be in the same room as a bunch of stubborn old men anyway."

With that, he turned and left, his steps confident, leaving the doctors in stunned silence.

Philip was desperate, his voice tinged with despair. "Gentlemen, you've misunderstood! Louis cured a terminal stomach cancer patient from the Stone family in Sunshine City!"

Natalie sneered. "Philip, have you been deceived? This con artist is just good at sweet-talking."

At that moment, the conference room doors burst open, and a group of oddly dressed young people filed in.

The leader, with hair dyed in various colors and covered in accessories, scanned the room with a playful smile.

Adam's eyes widened in disbelief. "Who are you? This is a medical symposium, not a nightclub!"

The young man smirked. "Old man, we're the Korean doctor delegation you've been waiting for. Can't you tell?"

Adam nearly choked. "You... you're doctors?"

The young man raised an eyebrow. "What, doctors can't wear anything but white coats and reading glasses? Your thinking is so outdated!"

The room fell into an awkward silence.

The doctors exchanged glances, unsure how to react.

Just then, a voice filled with amusement came from the door. "Looks like I missed some interesting moments!"

Everyone turned to see Louis strolling in, hands in his pockets.

He glanced at the Korean delegation, a playful smile on his lips.

"Still think I'm tarnishing the reputation of doctors?" he teased.

"You're so young. Are you a doctor too?" the young leader of the Korean delegation approached Louis.

Louis gave him a disdainful look and sneered. "I wouldn't call myself a doctor. Didn't you see the real doctors up front?"

With that, he disappeared from sight.

Philip could only smile bitterly from afar. They had certainly offended Louis this time. He'd have to apologize when they returned to Sunshine City.

As he turned his attention back, he noticed something peculiar about the young Korean delegation. They seemed more complicated than they appeared.