Sent to the countryside, I turned the health center into a top-tier hospital.

Chen Ping played three games with him. The first game ended in a draw, Chen Ping won the second game, and Cui Ying's father won the third game.

In the last round, Cui Ying's father defeated Chen Ping's car, chuckled triumphantly, then coughed and quickly stopped, clutching his chest to catch his breath.

Cui Ying looked up from her phone screen, glared at him, and he awkwardly put down the chess piece, smiling and saying, "It's okay, it's okay," before continuing to play.

Time passed slowly, and the setting sun gradually shone through the window, illuminating the chessboard and making the plastic chess pieces gleam.

The ward was quiet, except for the sound of chess pieces falling onto the chessboard, a slow, steady clatter.

Cui Ying's father's phone rang.

He glanced at the screen, frowned, and after answering the call, his voice turned somber after only a few words.

"Today? Didn't I tell you, I'm in the hospital... I know, but you're being too hasty... Okay, keep him calm first, I'll think of something."

After hanging up the phone, he threw his phone on the bed, threw back the covers, and got out of bed.

Cui Ying stood up and stopped him, asking him what was wrong.

While putting on his slippers, Cui Ying's father said, "A client flew in from Shanghai. We've made an appointment several times, but we haven't been able to meet yet."

They came to Tianhai today specifically to discuss the deal, and they'll leave tonight. If this deal falls through, the company will face significant pressure on its performance in the second half of the year.

I need to meet with them. It'll be at the teahouse; no food or drinks, just a quick talk, and I'll be right back.

Cui Ying wouldn't let him pass, blocking his way with her hand.

Just then, Cui Ying's mother pushed open the door and came in, carrying two insulated bags filled with food she had brought from home, which was still warm.

She saw Cui Ying's father standing on the ground in slippers, his clothes all changed, and her face immediately darkened.

"Old Cui, what are you doing?" Cui Ying's mother's voice was loud.

"I'm just meeting a client for a short while, I'll be right back after the meeting."

"Your stomach bleeding just stopped, and the doctor said you should stay in bed for at least three days. You're already going out after only one day?"

Cui Ying's mother slammed the insulated bag down on the bedside table, each word dripping with anger, "Are you out of your mind?"

Standing to the side, Cui Ying chimed in, "Dad, can't you just give me a couple of days? Does the company stop functioning without you?"

Caught between the two men, Cui Ying's father was embarrassed. He wanted to get angry but lacked the confidence. He opened his mouth several times, and finally looked at Chen Ping with helplessness and pleading in his eyes.

He wanted to ask Chen Ping to put in a good word for him, because he couldn't handle the mother and daughter on his own.

Chen Ping put away the chessboard, put the chess pieces into the box, and folded the plastic sheet.

"Auntie, if Uncle's health allows, going out for a while shouldn't be a problem."

Chen Ping placed the chess box on the bedside table. "As long as he doesn't drink and doesn't talk for too long, he should be fine. I'll go with him and keep an eye on him."

Cui Ying's mother looked at Chen Ping, then at Cui Ying's father, and her lips moved several times.

Cui Ying wanted to say something, but her mother stopped her.

Cui Ying's mother sighed, opened the insulated bag, laid out the food one by one, said "Eat first, then go," and turned to pour water.

Cui Ying's father ate only a few bites, changed his clothes, and followed Chen Ping out of the ward.

The secretary's car was already waiting downstairs; it was a black Mercedes, the same one Chen Ping had ridden in.

Cui Ying's father got into the car, Chen Ping sat in the passenger seat, and the secretary drove. After leaving the hospital, they turned onto the main road and headed west of the city.

The teahouse is located on a quiet street. It has a small storefront but a surprisingly spacious interior.

After walking through a corridor of moderate length, we entered a private room with tatami mats, a low table, and a calligraphy scroll on the wall that read "Harmony is precious".

A man in his fifties was already sitting inside. He had gray hair, a ruddy face, and was wearing a dark blue suit with a large watch on his wrist.

He saw Cui Ying's father come in, stood up, and the two shook hands and exchanged a few pleasantries.

When Cui Ying's father introduced Chen Ping, he paused for a moment, glanced at Chen Ping, and said, "My daughter's boyfriend, Xiao Chen, come and sit with me."

The man glanced at Chen Ping, nodded, and didn't ask any further questions.

Chen Ping sat in the corner, his secretary sitting next to him. The tea master came in to brew tea. The water boiled, the tea soup poured out, and the whole room was filled with the aroma of Tieguanyin.

The business deal didn't go smoothly.

The other party was aggressively trying to lower the price, and they didn't speak directly, instead beating around the bush. Cui Ying's father looked displeased, but he kept enduring it.

Chen Ping sat in the corner and listened for a long time, but he didn't quite understand. However, he noticed a detail: every time the man spoke, the right side of his face would twitch.

It's not the corner of my mouth that's twitching; it's a muscle on my entire right cheek, from my cheekbone to my chin, that's twitching. The twitching is very short, less than a second, and it happens every few minutes, sometimes even twice in a row.

The man himself seemed oblivious, or perhaps he had already gotten used to it; he didn't touch it, nor did he stop.

As the conversation progressed, the other party kept pushing the price down. Cui Ying's father fell silent, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and put it down.

The man called out another number, and Cui Ying's father put down the cup.

The atmosphere in the private room froze. The tea master finished brewing the tea, left, and closed the door.

"Old Zhou, I can't do it at this price; it doesn't even cover the costs," Cui Ying's father said after a moment's hesitation.

Old Zhou leaned back in his chair, a smile common in the business world playing on his lips—calm and composed, yet unyielding.

"Mr. Cui, the market situation is what it is. If you can't do it, someone else can. I flew all the way from Shanghai because of our long-standing friendship. If you insist on that price, this contract can't be signed."

Old Zhou's tone wasn't loud, but it was very firm.

Cui Ying's father's face darkened, and he didn't reply.

Chen Ping glanced at Old Zhou and said, "Boss Zhou, have you been experiencing involuntary twitching of the right side of your facial muscles for about two months now, which has worsened in the last week, and is also accompanied by tinnitus in your right ear and occasional dizziness?"

The private room fell silent.

Old Zhou turned to look at Chen Ping, his expression changing from doubt to scrutiny as he looked Chen Ping up and down.

Cui Ying's father also looked at Chen Ping, his brows furrowed, wondering what he was up to.

Old Zhou picked up his teacup and took a sip. "How did you know?"

Chen Ping smiled and said, "Your illness is not a facial nerve problem, but a cervical spine problem."

A herniated disc between the second and third cervical vertebrae compressed the sympathetic nerves and vertebral artery, leading to facial muscle spasms and insufficient blood supply to the brain.

If this is delayed any longer, it won't just cause facial paralysis, it will lead to a stroke.

Old Zhou didn't say anything, but stared at Chen Ping for several seconds.

Then he smiled, a faint smile, but one that carried a hint of contempt and disdain.

He picked up his teacup again, took a sip, put it down, leaned back in his chair, and crossed his legs.

"Xiao Chen, right? What you're saying is similar to what the experts in the provincial capital have said."

They consulted with me several times using my X-rays, prescribed medication, did physical therapy, and gave me acupuncture more than twenty times, spending tens of thousands of yuan, but it was all for nothing.

He emphasized the word "fart" so much that Cui Ying's father's expression changed.

"You're just a young man, and you think you can outsmart the experts in the provincial capital with just one glance?"

Old Zhou didn't believe Chen Ping's words at all.