“I’ve reviewed the patient’s file in broad strokes and have a solid grasp of her condition,” Joseph replied at once.“Then let’s have Peggy’s attending, Dr. Forrest, outline the essentials for everyone—good for a quick recap,” Director Lorraine said, turning to Forrest.Forrest rose.“By this morning, we had broadly reached a consensus on the treatment plan,” he began. “There’s an intra-articular fracture combined with a dislocation, and the fracture line and the dislocation aren’t aligned—which markedly increases the difficulty of surgery.”“We proposed a single theoretically viable approach: preoperative intra-articular reduction.”“But achieving an intra-articular reduction by manipulation alone is extraordinarily difficult, especially with a concurrent fracture—the injured area can’t tolerate force. Practically speaking, manual reduction is almost out of the question.”“In sum, the rational choice is conservative treatment. Forcing a surgical reduction would almost certainly leave

“Dr. Forrest is a senior to me,” Joseph said after a brief hesitation. “I realize this may be presumptuous, but I’d like him to serve as my first assistant during the operation.”“Ah, Professor Wilson, that’s hardly an issue,” Forrest replied with an easy grin. “Being your assistant isn’t demeaning in the least. If you need me, I’m in.”“If Dr. Forrest himself has no objection, then neither do I,” Director Lorraine added.“Good. I’ll schedule Peggy’s operation for the day after tomorrow at two in the afternoon,” Joseph decided. “It may run long—likely until around six.”Heads nodded around the room, and the mood sobered. Even those not directly involved could feel the weight of what lay ahead. A procedure this difficult pressed on everyone’s nerves.“Professor Wilson, I hope you succeed,” someone said.“If it does succeed, this case will certainly become one of the most instructive in our hospital.”“With a surgery this challenging, even we veterans would have to study it carefully.”

“All you think about every day is eating, eating, eating.”Fiona shot Heidi a withering look.“Isn’t eating the first order of life? What’s wrong with liking food?”Heidi retorted, stubborn as ever, then dug back in with renewed vigor.It took them about an hour to finish. At last, the three of them were full and pleasantly tipsy.After resting a bit, Joseph parted ways with Heidi and Fiona and headed home.Fiona took Heidi back to the Cooper family estate.Sated and drowsy, Heidi was in excellent spirits. Sitting in the passenger seat, she even started humming a little tune.“Your mood is a little too good,” Fiona said, glancing over while driving.“What, if I’m in a bad mood I’m supposed to cry?”“Mom and Dad got themselves into this. I didn’t push them. They’re not children—there should be some sense of proportion.”“Like Grandpa said, they need to be taught a lesson. If Grandpa and Grandma couldn’t teach them, then the law will.”Heidi spoke as if it were the most natural conclusi

“Let’s go to Supreme Teahouse—a tea house that’s usually quiet. We can have lunch and then sit over tea and talk things through,” Fiona said after a moment’s thought.“Supreme Teahouse it is,” Joseph agreed at once.“Professor Wilson, let me handle the arrangements. Lunch is on me,” Fiona added.“That’s really not necessary,” Joseph said, a touch embarrassed.“Nonsense. You’re doing all this to help me. It’s just one meal. I’m covering the medical costs too—what’s a lunch compared to that?” Fiona said, generous to a fault.“Alright. Keep it simple—nothing extravagant,” Joseph reminded her.“I know where to draw the line. Don’t worry,” she replied.“I’ll send over the patient’s file in a minute—the digital version. Go over it when you have time, and tomorrow I’ll walk you through everything properly,” Joseph said.“Okay. Send it over and I’ll take a look,” Fiona nodded.With that, they hung up.Joseph immediately forwarded the file to Fiona, then sent a copy to Lindsay Anderson, giving

“Huh? You want me to order?” Lindsay Anderson froze for a moment, at a loss.“Maybe not. Mr. Wilson, why don’t you pick? I’m easy—really, I’m not picky.” After a brief hesitation, Lindsay shook her head and gently declined.“All right then, I’ll just choose a few things.” Unable to persuade her, Joseph relented and began ordering.He selected a handful of dishes and then passed the menu to Fiona. “Fiona, I’ve picked a few at random. See if there’s anything else we should add.” It was her treat today, after all; he wanted to defer to the host.“Sure, I’ll add a couple more.” Fiona responded with easy poise.She ordered several house specialties, and only then did they place the final order.Sitting opposite Fiona, Lindsay glanced at her once or twice without quite meaning to, quietly marveling at how striking Fiona was. In poise, features, and figure, she was exceptional—an undeniable beauty.How is it that there are always so many beautiful women around Mr. Wilson? It was