"So it's Young Master Ye, a pleasure to meet you," Tian Yongchun said obsequiously, his waist bent low.
Ye Tian, uninterested in such people, said, "Uncle Lin is in construction. I hope you won't make things difficult for him in the future."
Tian Yongchun quickly replied, "Never, never. From now on, President Lin's projects will have a clear path."
After a string of pleasantries, Tian Yongchun took his leave.
The entire family was stunned. How could Ye Tian possess such influence that Tian Yongchun would be so wary of him and even come to make amends in person?
With his deception exposed, Zhang Weiguang, despite his thick skin, felt a flush of embarrassment and dared not look at Lin Jinsheng.
Lin Jinsheng shot him a glare, then turned to Ye Tian and asked, "Ye Tian, do you know Liu Deming?"
He certainly knew who Liu Deming was – the third-highest-ranking official in the province, with a formidable background!
Ye Tian replied, "I do. I treated him while he was in prison."
Zhu Yuting exclaimed in surprise, "Ye Tian, you can also treat illnesses?"
Lin Ziyi chuckled, "Mom, Ye Tian's medical skills are incredibly impressive."
Zhu Yuting asked, "Really? Ye Tian, are you a doctor?"
Ye Tian responded, "You could say that."
Lin Jinsheng frowned, "What do you mean, 'you could say that'?"
Ye Tian clarified, "I haven't obtained my physician's qualification certificate yet, so I'm not a true doctor at the moment."
Zhang Weiguang, still smarting from his earlier embarrassment, couldn't resist interjecting, "So he's just a quack."
Lin Jinsheng asked, "Ye Tian, you've just been released from prison. Have you thought about what you'll do next?"
Ye Tian, who had already made plans, answered immediately, "Practice medicine. My medical skills are quite good."
Lin Jinsheng hummed in acknowledgment, "Being a doctor is good. I know people at Haicheng Hospital. If you're willing, you can work there."
Lin Ziyi quickly chimed in, "That would be great!"
Ye Tian actually preferred not to work in such a small hospital, but since Lin Ziyi had agreed, he didn't object. He said calmly, "Alright."
Lin Jinsheng suddenly stood up and said, "Ye Tian, come with me."
Ye Tian silently rose and followed Lin Jinsheng into the study.
Closing the door, Lin Jinsheng's expression turned serious. He said, "Ye Tian, tell me the truth. How did you cure Liu Deming's illness?"
Having lived a long life and possessing extensive social experience, he had discovered something incredibly shocking from Ye Tian's brief remarks. Therefore, he felt compelled to get a clear answer.
Ye Tian explained, "Liu Deming was diagnosed with liver disease shortly after his promotion to Deputy Prime Minister last year. His liver had become cancerous. Not only could he no longer hold office, but he would have also lost his life. I prescribed him a few doses of medicine and performed a few acupuncture treatments, and his illness was cured."
Lin Jinsheng immediately expressed disbelief, "You can cure cancer?"
He knew that human medicine had not yet conquered cancer, so he naturally found Ye Tian's words hard to believe.
Ye Tian began, "Cancer isn't incurable. As long as the body's immune system is activated, one can..."
Lin Jinsheng waved his hand, his eyes filled with impatience, and said coldly, "Enough, you don't need to say more. For something like this, I can only say you were very lucky."
Ye Tian knew that no matter how much he explained, Lin Jinsheng wouldn't believe him, so he said no more.
Lin Jinsheng continued, "Tomorrow is my mother's birthday banquet, and Ma Shijue from the Ma family will also be attending to formally propose to the Lin family."
Ye Tian had already known about this, but hearing Lin Jinsheng mention it still caused him some displeasure.
Lin Jinsheng then turned to Ye Tian and said, "Regarding Ziyi's marriage, as her father, I cannot control it; the matriarch makes the decisions. How about this: you come with me to the banquet tomorrow. You need to perform well then, perhaps you can change the old lady's mind."
Although he said this, he didn't have high hopes for Ye Tian. After all, compared to the young master of the Ma family, Ye Tian had no advantages. He was letting Ye Tian go more to make him give up.
Ye Tian replied, "I will do my best."
A hint of mockery flashed across Lin Jinsheng's lips. "Very well, let's go eat."
The two returned to the living room. Ye Tian noticed that the jade bracelet he had given was casually placed on the table, seemingly mistaken for a fake. He didn't argue and quietly sat beside Lin Ziyi.
Zhu Yuting said cheerfully, "A friend of my close friend opened a restaurant nearby, and I heard the food is good. Shall we go there for lunch?"
Lin Jinsheng replied indifferently, "Whatever you wish."
Zhu Yuting then asked Ye Tian, "Ye Tian, are you... going too?"
Lin Ziyi felt a pang of sadness. Even if Ye Tian were a stranger visiting, basic courtesy would dictate an invitation to dine. How could her mother say such a thing?
She suddenly grabbed Ye Tian's hand and said coldly, "Mom, we're not eating." With that, she pulled Ye Tian, intending to leave.
Zhu Yuting quickly said, "Alright, alright, let's all go. We've already reserved a table, so one more person won't make a difference."
Lin Jinsheng didn't object. Ye Tian's connections could be beneficial to his business, so he said, "Ye Tian should come along too."
Before leaving, Lin Jinsheng took two bottles of wine that Zhang Weiguang had given them, and the family headed to a nearby hotel.
Seeing that Lin Jinsheng had ultimately taken the wine he bought, Zhang Weiguang felt a surge of smugness. No matter how good the wine Ye Tian gave was, if the Lin family didn't accept him, even if he were a gem, he'd be considered worthless!
After leaving the residential area, they walked for a few minutes to the hotel Zhu Yuting had mentioned.
Flower baskets and banners were displayed at the hotel entrance. The welcoming hostesses warmly ushered the group inside.
Upon entering the hotel, they were greeted by luxurious decor, with two giant vases, over two meters tall, placed on either side, looking quite beautiful.
As they passed a vase, Zhu Yuting couldn't resist reaching out to touch it, saying with a smile, "It's so beautiful..."
Before her words had even finished, the vase tilted to the side. Zhu Yuting quickly reached out to steady it, but the vase was too large, and her attempt only accelerated its fall.
"CRASH!"
With a crisp sound, the enormous vase shattered into pieces.
Zhu Yuting was stunned and turned to Lin Jinsheng, her face a picture of distress. "I just touched it, why did it break?"
Lin Jinsheng glared at his wife, blaming her for her carelessness. Such large vases in hotels were custom-made and quite expensive.
Soon, the lobby manager hurried over. Dressed in a suit with impeccably styled hair, he first glanced at the shattered vase on the floor, a glint of shrewdness in his eyes. "My apologies for the disturbance," he said.
Lin Jinsheng, being somewhat affluent, replied, "It's alright. How much is this vase? We'll pay for it."
The manager smiled, "This vase is custom-made, a collaboration between a master ceramicist and a master painter. Its cost was eight million eight hundred thousand. And that was three years ago; it's likely more expensive now."
"What? Eight million?" Zhu Yuting yelped as if she had been stepped on, nearly jumping out of her skin.
The manager reiterated with a smile, "Eight million eight hundred thousand."
"You... you're extorting us!" Zhu Yuting cried out in distress, her words becoming reckless.
The manager's expression immediately darkened. "Madam, please mind your words, or I won't be so polite!"