Chapter 555 Pressure
Chen Yang held the coffee cup, his thoughts drifting. He suddenly startled awake, a chill like reality and illusion passing through him.
He recalled that cold winter, adrift in the darkness, helpless in the river.
He had been saved by that angelic girl, and he had bitten her arm, drinking her blood to replenish his strength. In the heavy snowfall, two small children had clung together, huddled under a down jacket for warmth.
These scenes flashed by, and Chen Yang couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile. His fate with his wife had been sealed from that moment on.
After finishing his coffee, Chen Yang prepared to return to Qingzhou City. The business here had been settled; the express delivery matters were resolved, and he had also learned the identity of his father's killer. This trip had been very fruitful.
Just then, his phone rang. Chen Yang picked it up and saw it was Zhou Shanshan. He answered, "Dr. Zhou, what are your instructions?"
Zhou Shanshan's voice came from the other end, "Hurry to the hospital. You brought so many wolf children at once, are you planning to just walk away and leave all this trouble for me?"
Chen Yang chuckled guiltily and quickly said, "How could I? We'll pay. Whatever the cost. Besides, you said you were very busy and had important meetings to attend, why are you going to the hospital now?"
Zhou Shanshan on the other end laughed triumphantly, "Yes, I was supposed to have an important meeting, but it was canceled at the last minute. They're having some kind of banquet tonight, and I can't be bothered to go. So I came to the hospital to deal with all the problem children you sent over."
Chen Yang put down his phone and hailed a taxi, heading straight for the hospital where Zhou Shanshan was.
He couldn't entirely leave the loose ends of the express delivery business to Zhou Shanshan; after all, he was just an outsider.
Entering Zhou Shanshan's consulting room, Chen Yang couldn't help but be a little surprised. The psychologist's office was incredibly luxurious, resembling a large hotel suite equipped with all sorts of modern smart home technology.
Over a dozen children were currently unconscious. Zhou Shanshan, wearing a white coat, saw Chen Yang approach and waved him over, "Come, help me. I'm going to use hypnosis to remove all the fear and resentment these children have towards humans from their hearts."
Chen Yang walked over, and the two of them began to work.
While working, Zhou Shanshan was serious and aloof. Apart from a professional smile when facing patients, she rarely showed any emotion.
After more than three hours of treatment, all the children had been treated. However, they would still require further intervention to help them reintegrate into life as quickly as possible.
At this point, Zhou Shanshan was the only person these boys could fully trust.
Just as Zhou Shanshan was formulating a plan, her phone rang. Zhou Shanshan looked at the caller ID and answered immediately. An old man's voice came from the other end, "Shanshan, you must attend the banquet tonight. You know that this banquet is hosted by Dahua Tianxia Group. The funding for our laboratory for the next three years depends on this banquet."
Zhou Shanshan reluctantly and stubbornly replied, "Teacher, I know our laboratory needs the funding from Dahua Tianxia Group, but you also know I dislike such social events. Moreover, Lu Hua and I have had some disagreements, so I won't be attending this banquet."
Zhou Shanshan's mentor on the other end was silent for a few seconds, then sighed and said, "Shanshan, although we are teacher and student, we are also friends. In terms of academic achievements, I may not be much higher than you."
"But in terms of life experience, I certainly have much more than you. Teacher wants to advise you, being too straightforward may not always be a good thing."
"You need to consider Lu Hua's pursuit of you from a different perspective. Teacher is not advising you to be insincere or to yield to him, but I must admit that the Lu family can provide you with opportunities for rapid advancement."
"Conversely, they also have the ability to reduce you to dust. All of this is in your thoughts, in how you handle it. So, you must be extremely careful in managing this relationship."
After speaking, the mentor on the other end hung up.
Zhou Shanshan sighed and said to Chen Yang, "See? These troubles were all caused by you. It's obvious that that bastard Lu Hua has already put pressure on my mentor. Even someone as rigid as my mentor is advising me like this now, which shows he's really under a lot of pressure!"
As she was speaking, Zhou Shanshan's phone rang again. This time it was an unknown number.
Zhou Shanshan answered, and a woman's voice came from the other end. The woman directly said, "Hello, Dr. Zhou. I am the current president of Hanwu University. Regarding tonight's banquet, please attend, Dr. Zhou. Do not be absent."
Zhou Shanshan's brows knitted fiercely, and she asked, "This banquet doesn't seem to have much to do with me, does it? Why must I attend? Is the school so concerned about every student's private life?"
The old woman inside said impatiently, "If you're told to attend, then attend. Otherwise, your studies will be affected."
With that, she hung up the phone with a "snap."
Zhou Shanshan gritted her teeth in anger. Just then, her phone rang again. Zhou Shanshan saw that it was the current dean of the affiliated hospital, and the call was coming from the dean's office phone.
Zhou Shanshan dared not be careless. After connecting the call, an old man's voice spoke kindly, "Dr. Zhou, you don't need to be on duty today. Please rest well. You are required to attend the banquet tonight."
"As an outstanding employee of our hospital, the best and youngest psychiatrist, we hope Dr. Zhou will fulfill this requirement according to the hospital's regulations."
Zhou Shanshan said aggrievedly, "Dean, there's no need for me to attend such a banquet, is there? Why are you all calling me to pressure me?"
The dean on the other end chuckled, "Dr. Zhou, please don't misunderstand. This is not pressure, it's just an invitation. Moreover, this is also hospital policy."
"As a hospital employee, you are obligated to abide by this agreement. In any case, please be punctual at tonight's banquet, otherwise, the hospital may have to terminate Dr. Zhou's employment."
With that, the phone was also hung up.
It was clear that despite the dean's kind and gentle tone, his attitude was firm. If Zhou Shanshan did not attend, she would not be able to keep her job at the hospital.
Zhou Shanshan stood up abruptly, her chest heaving with anger, "They are going too far! They are forcing me to attend a time-wasting banquet. If I don't, I'll lose my doctor's job, I won't get my doctoral degree from Hanwu University, and I'll be expelled. They are leaving me no choice!"
Chen Yang sat aside and rubbed his chin, "Alright, since they are forcing you to attend some banquet, then we'll go. I want to see what methods that Lu Hua, who is pursuing you, has to force you to comply."