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

Although Mr. Cui had a vague feeling that something was wrong, he had no other choice but to believe it since he had no other options at the moment.

He quickly nodded in agreement, "I see. No wonder Director Guo is busy. We were indeed being presumptuous. It's alright, it's alright. Business is important. We'll talk to you after Director Guo is done."

"With your words of comfort, Xiao Ding, I feel much more at ease."

Cui's mother quickly smoothed things over, saying, "Yes, yes, it's understandable that the leaders are busy. We're not in a hurry, we'll take our time."

Ding Peng leaned back in his chair, picked up his teacup, took a sip, trying to hide his earlier embarrassment, but a shadow of gloom flashed in his eyes.

He knew very well that Guo Changlin's attitude wasn't that he was busy, but that he didn't take him seriously.

But he absolutely could not allow himself to show weakness in front of the Cui family, so he could only continue to pretend to be confident and maintain his high-end persona of having extensive connections.

At that moment, the door to the private room opened.

Chen Ping and Cui Ying entered the private room one after the other, instantly extinguishing the lively atmosphere that had been barely maintained.

The entire private room instantly fell into a state of coldness and oppression.

Cui Ying's face was pale, her eyes filled with grievance and coldness, clearly still angry.

Chen Ping's expression was solemn, with a hint of helplessness in his eyes. Anyone could see from the tug-of-war and argument in the corridor that the two had a falling out.

Mr. and Mrs. Cui exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with heartache and a hint of difficulty, and they dared not say a word.

Only Ding Peng's face darkened completely.

What he disliked most was the intimate and entangled relationship between Chen Ping and Cui Ying.

Even though the situation was clear—that the Cui family needed him to get out of trouble—Chen Ping still stood firmly by Cui Ying's side, causing his possessiveness and jealousy to surge.

The air was eerily quiet; no one touched the dishes on the table, and no one spoke.

The crisp sound of the bell broke the silence, and everyone's eyes instinctively focused on Chen Ping.

Chen Ping glanced down at the screen; the caller was Guo Changlin.

Without hesitation, he answered the call directly in front of everyone, his tone calm and natural: "Director Guo."

Guo Changlin's polite and respectful voice came from the other end of the phone: "Dr. Chen, have you finished dealing with your personal matters? If you have, I'll drive over to pick you up and take you back to the hotel. Just let me know whenever you want."

Guo Changlin was humble and respectful, behaving like a junior to a senior or a subordinate to a VIP.

"No need to trouble yourself, I'm not finished here yet, I'll go back by myself later."

Chen Ping replied casually, his tone indifferent.

"Okay, then you go ahead with your work. Call me anytime if you need anything, I'm available 24/7."

Guo Changlin responded immediately, his attitude extremely considerate.

Chen Ping hummed in agreement and hung up the phone.

The entire conversation was clear, and those who were nearby could hear it perfectly.

Mrs. Cui spoke first, tentatively asking, "Xiao Chen, who called? If you're busy with work, you can leave first; you don't need to stay here."

She phrased it tactfully, but in reality, she felt the atmosphere was awkward.

On one hand, the Ding family could help them out of their predicament; on the other hand, they were their saviors. Weighing the two options, they had already made their choice.

Now that things have been said clearly, Chen Ping staying here will only create more awkwardness.

Chen Ping shook his head slightly: "It's nothing, no need to go. It was Director Guo calling to ask if I need a ride."

A simple sentence, but it struck everyone like a thunderbolt.

"Which Director Guo?!"

Mr. Cui's body stiffened abruptly, and he looked up instantly, his pupils shrinking, his tone urgent with disbelief.

The embarrassment of being ignored and rebuffed when Ding Peng made the phone call was still fresh in his mind. At this moment, his heart was pounding, and he had a vague guess, but he dared not be sure.

"Guo Changlin, Management Committee of the Development Zone," Chen Ping replied truthfully.

As soon as the words were spoken, Mr. and Mrs. Cui were completely stunned, their faces filled with astonishment.

Who is Guo Changlin?

The top official of Tianhai Development Zone holds the power of life and death over enterprises in the area. A random inspection or a single order can bring the Cui family's factory to a complete standstill.

Just now, Ding Peng tried to build a relationship by calling and asking for help, but was coldly and directly rejected, and the other party was too lazy to even attend the dinner invitation.

But now, this important figure actually took the initiative to call Chen Ping and ask if he needed a ride, his attitude extremely respectful.

The Cui family parents' minds went blank for a moment, completely unable to process this huge contrast.

After a brief moment of surprise, Ding Peng suddenly burst out laughing, his laughter filled with sarcasm and disdain, breaking the silence.

His eyes were filled with disdain and mockery; he didn't believe what he was seeing at all.

"What a joke."

Ding Peng leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, looking down at Chen Ping with a mocking tone: "The director of the Tianhai Development Zone Management Committee, a powerful cadre at the division level, would he take the initiative to call you, an ordinary doctor at a township health center?"

"He even personally drove you around?"

"Chen Ping, there's a limit to bragging. Is it really meaningful to put on such an outrageous act in this kind of setting?"

Upon hearing this, the shock in Mr. and Mrs. Cui's eyes subsided slightly, and a hint of hesitation arose.

Indeed, the two are worlds apart in status; one is a lowly rural doctor, and the other is a powerful city director. It seems impossible for them to have such a close relationship.

Chen Ping remained calm and expressionless. He simply took out an elegant business card from his pocket and gently placed it on the table.

"This is a business card that Guo Changlin gave me personally."

The business card was neatly and exquisitely printed with Guo Changlin's name, position, and contact information, clearly showing no signs of forgery.

Upon seeing the business card, Ding Peng's smile deepened, his sarcasm intensified.

He reached out and glanced at it, then curled his lip in disdain: "It's just a business card, what can it prove?"

"These kinds of government business cards are easy to get from anyone outside. You might have just picked them up or had them printed. How dare you use them to pretend you know someone?"

"Chen Ping, I really admire your shamelessness."

Ding Peng pressed on relentlessly, his words sharp and unforgiving: "If you really know Guo Changlin and have that much influence, then call him over right now."

"If he's willing to sit in this private room for even a minute, I'll admit defeat on the spot."

He was convinced that Chen Ping was just putting on airs and trying to appear powerful, and that he could never possibly command someone of Guo Changlin's stature.

Moreover, he had just made a phone call himself, and Guo Changlin didn't even give him face. How could Chen Ping, a village doctor, possibly have that kind of ability?

Chen Ping looked up at him calmly: "And then?"

Ding Peng's lips curled into an arrogant smile, brimming with confidence, as he blurted out, "If you can get Guo Changlin here, I'll call you 'Dad' in public!"

"If you can't come when called, then you're lying and bragging. From this day forward, you'll voluntarily and completely leave Cui Ying, never again getting involved in anything between me and her, and never appearing in front of Cui Ying again!"

In short, a bet was made, completely forcing the situation into a dead end.