This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

”Confrontation?” Sun Jiaxiang said nonchalantly. ”You mean I’m being shameless, right?”

The old man next to him chuckled but said nothing.

Sun Jiaxiang glanced around. Seeing they were only surrounded by their own students and assistants, he said confidently, ”First of all, I’ve been unable to stand that bastard for a long time. If he didn’t have someone backing him, I would’ve lost my temper and gotten rid of him ages ago.”

The old man beside him nodded. ”Sir Li does indeed go too far in some matters.”

”Is ’going too far’ even the right way to describe it?” Sun Jiaxiang glared at the old man. ”He forces his own PhD student to delay graduation for up to eight years and even puts someone else’s name on the student’s paper! All because the student doesn’t know how to flatter, doesn’t suck up, didn’t offer gifts, and has no family connections? He even demanded the student settle for a master’s degree graduation, and when they refused, he tried to get them expelled! Is that something a human being is capable of? Can you really dismiss that by just saying he ’went too far’?”

The old man opposite him fell silent, but Sun Jiaxiang, thoroughly displeased, continued to stare at him. ”You’re one of those types too. To put it nicely, you’re too considerate of others’ feelings. To put it bluntly, you have no backbone! Even now, you still call him ’Sir Li.’ Does he even deserve the ’Sir’ honorific? Calling him Li is already an insult to all the years he’s lived.”

The old man before him looked embarrassed and tried to explain, ”He is older than me, after all. If I call him Li, it’s just too...”

”Too what?” Sun Jiaxiang retorted, clearly annoyed. ”Some turtles in the river are older than you! I’ve never seen you catch one and call it ’Sir Turtle.’ You just care too much about face, terrified someone will say you’re impolite. You’re almost eighty years old! You’re an academician, a Tenured Professor at the School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the Clinic Director of the Acupuncture Research Institute! What in the world are you afraid of? At your stature, if you spat in someone’s face right now, they’d have to take it with a smile! Fussing about this and that—aren’t you tired of living like this?”

The assistants and students of the two men lowered their heads and quietly began to edge backward; they didn’t dare listen to another word.

A man in his nineties scolding a man nearly eighty, both of them academicians... TSK, TSK. News like that would scare people to death if it got out.

But they didn’t dare. Not only did they not dare spread it, but they were also afraid to hear another syllable.

The old man facing Sun Jiaxiang looked thoroughly awkward.

Although they were both old men, the other was ten years his senior, and there was some history between them. So, even being scolded like this, he had to bow his head and take it.

However, being a man who valued his dignity, the old man whispered, ”Sir Sun, let’s stick to the main topic, shall we?”

Seeing the old man like this, Sun Jiaxiang grew even more exasperated. ”Look at you! I’ve said all this, and you’re still playing the part of Mr. Nice Guy. I’ve really had it with you! Proper matters? What damn proper matters are there to discuss? Go home and get what you promised me ready.”

Seeing Sun Jiaxiang about to turn and leave, the old man quickly caught up, his gait surprisingly spry for someone approaching eighty. ”Sir Sun, don’t be angry. You still haven’t told me why you were so forceful this time. I couldn’t keep up with your rhythm at all.”

”Why would you want to keep up? Are you actually going to swallow your pride and join me in cursing that bastard?” Sun Jiaxiang shot back without any courtesy.

However, Sun Jiaxiang truly just couldn’t stand the other old man’s constant ’Mr. Nice Guy’ persona. But, as an old comrade, there were things he still felt compelled to say.

Therefore, after a brief pause, Sun Jiaxiang spoke again. ”My dislike for him is one thing. Another is that this young man, Du Heng, is genuinely worth recommending. He has the skill and the reputation now, but he’s just lacking a bit in terms of solid grounding.”

The old man beside him sighed in agreement with Sun Jiaxiang’s words. ”Yes, he’s still a bit too young. I felt Little Wang was a bit too hasty with this.”

”Hastily my ass! You’re almost eighty, and I’m past ninety. To put it bluntly, how many good days do we have left?” Sun Jiaxiang’s tone grew somber. ”Perhaps tomorrow, a simple cold or an upset stomach could lay us low, maybe even finish us off. Little Wang is preparing for a rainy day, and I think that’s excellent. Otherwise, if the day comes when we’re both bedridden and no longer have our current influence, what good will come to the School, the Research Institute, or those good-for-nothing students and juniors of ours?”

Sun Jiaxiang paused, walking a few steps before continuing, ”I’ve met this young man, Xiao Du. He’s very steady, and his skills are top-notch. Even the two of us right now might not necessarily match his abilities. Currently, Xiao Du has projects and accomplishments, and he already has significant public recognition. If we give him a hand, a push, he might just make it. When that time comes, not only will it resolve our worries about the future, but it will also be even better for Xiao Du’s own development. And ultimately, we’ll be the ones who benefit from that.”

”That’s true, but Xiao Du is still a bit too young,” the other old man said with some regret. ”Let’s not even talk about others. Look at Su Nan from the military. He just turned fifty-one this year. He’s in his prime, strong and vigorous—perfect for advancing his career. He has connections, ability, achievements, and certainly no lack of experience or seniority. Then there’s Clinic Director He from the research institute in Yangcheng; he’s in a similar situation to Su Nan. Compared to them, Xiao Du’s advantages are far less obvious.”