Chapter 784: Showing True Abilities

The classroom was quiet for only a brief moment.

"Senior Li Xu, the students of Feng City Medical College naturally know how to respect others. However, to win respect, you still need to show some real skills," a provocative voice called out loudly from the crowd.

The speaker was a male student wearing thick, black-rimmed glasses. He stood up and declared, "Those who can teach in a grand lecture hall like this at Feng City Medical College have always been national-level Medical Masters or chief physicians from top provincial tier-three hospitals.

"Today is your first time teaching a major class at our school, Senior Li Xu, and so many students have shown up to support you. We're all looking forward to it.

"We hope you can show us your true caliber, rather than spouting empty theories from textbooks that anyone can memorize!"

In truth, Li Xu had already been here once before and had even shown off a little of his diagnostic skills through observation. However, that was during a small-scale exchange in a seminar room arranged by Director Liang. Very few students had been present—only twenty or thirty, all of whom were postgraduates. Although news of that incident had spread within a small circle, the vast majority hadn't seen it with their own eyes.

But this time, it was an official, university-wide open lecture. The audience included not only undergraduates and postgraduates from all years but also quite a few young professors. This was a true test of a person's comprehensive abilities and command of the room.

"Exactly." As the boy's voice faded, multiple voices of agreement immediately echoed throughout the classroom.

These young, hot-blooded medical students were naturally rebellious. At this moment, they were just joining in the commotion without saying anything too out of line. But if Li Xu failed to deliver any real substance next, they would no longer hold back. If he lacked actual skill yet dared to spout hot air in an academic sanctuary like Feng City Medical College, he would definitely be labeled as a privileged hack padding his resume through connections with Director Liang or some other school official. For the vast majority of students who pored over medical texts and fought hard on their own merits, such nepotism was what they despised and detested the most.

"A lecture at Feng City Medical College is not an easy one to give," Dean Ai remarked with a smile to the administrators sitting beside him in the back row.

The others nodded in profound agreement. Although their medical college wasn't as famous as those top-tier national universities, it was absolutely full of hidden talents in the field of traditional Chinese medicine, having produced many clinical and academic outstanding figures. The students here had lofty standards. Without true skill, trying to command the room here was purely wishful thinking.

Meanwhile, at the podium.

"Thank you." Facing the provocation from the audience, Li Xu wasn't the least bit angry. Instead, he smiled and nodded. "I heard what this junior just said. And he's absolutely right.

"This is a school, a pure sanctuary of learning.

"Moreover, it is the renowned Feng City Medical College.

"Since I am standing at the podium of Feng City Medical College today, I absolutely cannot disgrace its name. Otherwise, wouldn't I be lowering the standard of our school?

"It would also be a disservice to all the students who took the time out of their busy schedules to come and support me."

As soon as Li Xu spoke, some of the more perceptive people in the audience instantly noticed a subtle shift in his demeanor.

Back when Li Xu was studying here, his grades had always ranked near the top of his year; he was an absolute top student. Yet, he had possessed an introverted personality and never sought the spotlight. Later, after graduating and taking over a clinic, he had honed himself in the muddy trenches of grassroots medicine and experienced the fickle nature of human relationships. Because of this, even after he unexpectedly acquired the intelligence system and his medical skills advanced by leaps and bounds, Li Xu had always maintained a humble and restrained attitude. He rarely provoked anyone and never flaunted his strength.

However, the male student's shout from the audience just now had made Li Xu thoroughly realize something.

This was Feng City Medical College. The people sitting below were all students of Feng City Medical College. They were a group of young, vibrant, and exceptionally talented top students. They were the future hope of traditional Chinese medicine, but they were also a bunch of defiant firebrands with intense competitive streaks. Facing a crowd like this, simple humility would be completely useless. In their eyes, excessive modesty was just a sign of a guilty conscience. It would only make them look down on him and refuse to listen to a word he said.

There was only one way to win them over—by utterly crushing them with absolute skill.

As Li Xu's words echoed through the room, many students' eyes lit up, some even cursing in their minds, "Fuck! Holy shit!"

Originally, the boy who spoke up had genuinely wanted to put Li Xu in his place. When Li Xu had mentioned that the students of Feng City Medical College should be cultured and know mutual respect, the boy had seized the opportunity. His underlying message was clear: if Li Xu wanted everyone's respect, he had to show his true colors first; without skill, he shouldn't expect them to respect him as their senior.

To their surprise, Li Xu's attitude wasn't the least bit timid. In fact, he was incredibly firm. Though his words were polite and completely devoid of profanity, they carried an overwhelming presence and immense confidence.

His subtext was equally unmistakable: "The standards at Feng City Medical College are indeed high, and your expectations are lofty. But since I, Li Xu, dare to stand here and teach you, I absolutely possess the caliber and confidence to back it up. I am not afraid of your tests; I am only afraid you won't understand what I teach."

Although it was just a brief verbal exchange, both sides had conveyed profoundly complex intentions. Only someone with low emotional intelligence would fail to grasp the hidden metaphors in such an expert clash.

Sitting in the middle-back rows of the classroom, Song Sisi watched the radiant man on the podium. She pulled out her phone and quietly snapped a photo of Li Xu. Then, she opened WhatsApp and posted an update to her Moments with just two simple words:

"So handsome!"

Because it was a large lecture hall, Song Sisi hadn't sat in the front row to avoid drawing attention. As a result, the photo she took had a very wide field of view. It clearly captured the packed rows of students ahead of her—even the aisles were crammed with people—along with Li Xu standing in the center of the podium, his posture straight and his expression composed. The large screen behind him was lit up, displaying the crest of Feng City Medical College and the lecture's title. Any local would be able to recognize at a glance that this was the iconic grand lecture hall of Feng City Medical College.

As the person closest to him, Song Sisi felt the shift in Li Xu's aura most distinctly.

In that moment, she truly felt that her boyfriend was devastatingly handsome. That sheer confidence and the commanding aura with which he controlled the room made her heart melt, filling her with immense pride and sweetness.