Chapter 318 - 215: National Doctor

Chapter 318: Chapter 215: National Doctor

Jiang He had no intention of going over to say hello.

He averted his gaze, pretending he hadn’t seen a thing.

’I don’t care who you are. Buy it if you want; it has nothing to do with me.’

In his previous life, as a top figure in his field, Jiang He had encountered this sort of thing countless times.

He’d be eating out, and midway through the meal, a server would often rush over to tell him his bill had already been settled.

Some of them were former patients who, upon a chance encounter, simply wanted to express their gratitude.

Others were the family members of patients, clutching piles of medical records, hoping to get him to squeeze them in for an appointment or pull some strings, trying to make an impression on him beforehand.

There were even representatives from major pharmaceutical companies.

In those situations, rashly engaging with them would often invite a whole host of problems.

Ignoring them was, without a doubt, the wisest way to protect himself.

Jiang He wiped his mouth and stood up to leave.

Chen Hao, who was beside him, was stunned.

"Huh?"

Seeing Jiang He already pushing open the restaurant’s glass door, Chen Hao didn’t have time to think twice and hurried to catch up.

He said, "Old Jiang, what’s the rush? Someone just paid our bill for several hundred yuan. Shouldn’t we at least go over and thank them?"

"I did," Jiang He said.

Chen Hao asked, "When did you do that?"

"Didn’t I nod at him?" Jiang He said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Chen Hao: "?"

He had no words.

Then he sighed to himself.

’When will I ever be able to cultivate an aura like Jiang He’s?’

’So cool. He pulls off the badass act so naturally.’

Chen Hao thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Nope. If that were me, I’d definitely have to go over and thank him. And not just that, if I ever ran into him again, I’d have to make sure I picked up the tab for him. Otherwise, I’d feel like I owe him something, and it just wouldn’t sit right with me."

Jiang He just smiled without a word after hearing this.

He was suddenly reminded of a popular piece of internet lore from his past life: the rules of Freljord.

For example, no matter what happened, if the other person called you "bro," you had to immediately apologize and forgive them...

Or for instance, when a bro needed to borrow money, you first had to treat him to an expensive meal and chew him out, and only then could you transfer the money. You could never, ever help him directly...

It was all pretty bizarre, anyway.

The two of them reached the intersection.

Suddenly, a voice called out from behind them. "Dr. Jiang, please wait!"

The man who caught up to them was the same one who had paid their bill in the restaurant.

"Dr. Jiang, I’m sorry to bother you."

The man took a business card from his trench coat pocket and offered it with both hands. "It wasn’t convenient back in the restaurant. I didn’t expect you to leave so quickly."

Jiang He looked at him. "And you are?"

"My surname is Qiao. Qiao Guanlin." The man smiled. "I work for the Science and Education channel at CCTV. I’m a show producer."

"CCTV?" Chen Hao let out a gasp. "Whoa, impressive!"

Jiang He offered a compliment of his own. "Very impressive. Mr. Qiao, is there something I can help you with?"

Qiao Guanlin said, "Well, Dr. Jiang, during the Canton Fair, I happened to be on a business trip in Yangcheng. Through some friends at the provincial health department, I was able to learn a bit about the situation from the inside..."

"Okay, and?"

"Dr. Jiang, to be perfectly honest with you, CCTV has been interested in launching a talk show focused on public health and wellness since 2001. However, for various reasons, the project has been on hold for the past few years. It wasn’t until the recent H1N1 incident that the station’s leadership finally decided we must fast-track the show’s launch. The show’s working title is *Path of Health*. Its core concept is to invite authoritative experts into the studio to explain medical knowledge and perform scientific demonstrations for a national audience."

"So..." Jiang He prompted.

Qiao Guanlin said, "So, I’d like to invite you to be on the show. You not only have superb professional skills, but you’re also young, sharp, and the kind of face that can represent the future of medicine in China. Dr. Jiang, if you’re willing, I want to build you into a true ’national doctor’!"

A national doctor.

’That’s a bold claim.’

Jiang He, however, remained calm.

One of his superiors had just recently reminded him of the old saying: "The tree that stands tallest in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind."

He had just been unconventionally promoted to the leader of an independent medical team. Going on CCTV to put himself in the spotlight right now would be asking for trouble.

However, this was an opportunity worth keeping in his back pocket.

If he wanted to completely conquer pancreatic cancer and save Shen Yu...

...he would eventually need a massive number of clinical samples.

He would also need to overturn the existing treatment guidelines.

He would even need to get his peers and patients across the country—and even the world—to accept his ideas.

Therefore, having access to a national media platform with public credibility would be a strategic asset.

With this in mind, Jiang He accepted the business card.

"Mr. Qiao, thank you for your confidence in me. However, I’m currently in the middle of two very important research projects, so I don’t have any plans to film a show in the near future."

Qiao Guanlin’s eyes lit up at the first half of the sentence, but his expression fell slightly at the second half. He quickly recovered, however.

"I understand. Your research obviously comes first. Our show is still in the planning stages anyway. I just wanted to start on the right foot and get acquainted with you today."

Jiang He nodded. "If the need arises, we’ll have opportunities to work together in the future. Let’s stay in touch."

"Of course, of course! Well, I won’t keep you from your work any longer, Dr. Jiang. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

After Qiao Guanlin left,

Chen Hao was practically bouncing with excitement. "Holy shit! Old Jiang! Do it! You have to go! CCTV! A ’national doctor’! Isn’t that awesome?!"

Jiang He gave him a deadpan look. "Can you try not to be so excited?"

"How can I not be excited? Old Jiang, you’re going to be a star! You should totally do it! From now on, your fans can be called ’Droplets,’ and as the fan club president, I’ll be ’The Estuary’!"

"Why?"

"Because a river (Jiang He) flows into an estuary."

Jiang He gave Chen Hao a couple of light smacks on the back. "Cut the crap," he said, annoyed.

Chen Hao took the two smacks and ran off with a silly grin to hail a taxi.

’Become a celebrity? The thought had never crossed Jiang He’s mind.’

’Actually, once he returned from his ’challenge’ at Johns Hopkins University in the United States at the end of December, his reputation in the medical community was bound to get a boost.’

The full clinical rollout of the SAP early prediction model, plus the miRNA early screening project...

’Those two little projects are just too damn revolutionary.’

When that time comes, there would be no shortage of media coverage. He could discuss it with his superiors then and see what they thought.

If his superiors agreed.

’Then, if he really had no other choice, he supposed he’d just have to reluctantly take on the role of the ’national doctor.’’

...

After going back to the university to pack their bags, the two headed straight for Baiyun Airport.

When Jiang He wasn’t looking, Chen Hao furtively typed out and sent a text message.

...

「Meanwhile.」

「Capital City.」

Special Agent Xiaoxu successfully received the message:

[The River is flowing to the sea. Flight CZ... ETA 6:45 PM. Proceed as planned.]

After reading the text, Xu Juan shouted, "Shen Xiaoyu, hurry up, hurry up!"

Shen Yu had put exceptional care into her outfit today.

An elegant little dress, a chic little jacket, sweet white socks, and elegant leather shoes.

She looked graceful and elegant, poised and at ease.

And Liu Xiaotian had even given her a top-tier "no-makeup" makeup look. Of course, such a professional term didn’t exist back then; Liu Xiaotian called it: The "Absolutely Natural Look"!

Shen Yu walked up to Xu Juan, did a little twirl, and asked cautiously, "Is this okay? Does... does this look good on me?"

Xu Juan replied with a deadpan expression, "Wow, so beautiful. Drop-dead gorgeous. Absolutely stunning. I think I’m about to faint from all this beauty."

"Really?" Shen Yu was still uncertain.

"Yes, really. How many times have I told you that today?"

Xu Juan sighed. "Have a little confidence, will you? Shen Xiaoyu, if you’re this anxious about your looks, what hope is there for the rest of us girls?"

"True that," Liu Xiaotian added.

Xu Juan adjusted Shen Yu’s collar. "Besides, Dr. Jiang likes you so much. To him, you’ll be the most beautiful person in the world no matter what you wear."

At this, Shen Yu finally broke into a sweet smile. "You’re right~"

"Let’s go, my dear Shen Xiaoyu. No, wait... after today, you might be *someone else’s* Shen Xiaoyu..."

"Of course not. If you and Chen Hao start dating, the four of us can still hang out all the time."

"?"

Xu Juan averted her gaze. "I’m not interested in a guy that immature."

She said that, but it was obvious Xu Juan had also taken extra care in dressing up today.

Shen Yu didn’t call her out on it. She stifled a laugh and said, "Let’s go! Our plan for today can be summed up in three words—"

Liu Xiaotian, Yan Tong, and Xu Juan all chimed in: "Surprise airport pickup!"