CHAPTER 8
Author: Ace Wolf
last update2026-02-16 20:42:48

For a few long seconds after Greg said the pain was gone, the whole hall felt frozen. No one clapped. No one spoke. They just stared at me like I had done something impossible.

Then suddenly, Doctor Han snapped out of his shock.

“This is not right,” he said quickly, rushing forward. “There must be a mistake somewhere.”

He pushed past two guests and knelt beside Greg again. His movements were hurried now, nothing like the calm and confident doctor from earlier.

“There is no logical explanation for salt water healing an unknown lung condition,” he said loudly, almost like he was trying to convince himself. “It does not make medical sense.”

I remained where I was. Calm and quiet.

Doctor Han grabbed the medical device his assistant had brought earlier. He began checking Greg’s pulse, blood pressure, breathing, all over again…

“Check it again,” he told his assistant sharply.

“I am checking, Doctor,” the assistant replied nervously. “His vitals are… normal.”

“Normal?” Doctor Han repeated.

“Yes. Heart rate is steady. Breathing is stable. Oxygen level is good.”

The numbers on the small monitor were clear for everyone standing close enough to see.

Completely normal.

That silence returned again, but this time it felt different. It wasn’t mockery anymore. It was fear.

One of the guests whispered, “He was screaming like he was dying a few minutes ago.”

Another said quietly, “How can he just be fine like that?”

Sonia was staring at me like she had never seen me before. Her lips parted slightly, but she said nothing.

Doctor Han stood up slowly, looking unsettled. “Sometimes symptoms disappear temporarily,” he explained, forcing a small laugh. “It happens. The body can react strangely under stress.”

Greg suddenly inhaled deeply and opened his eyes fully. He blinked a few times, looking more alert than he had all night.

“Greg?” his mother said, rushing forward again. “Are you okay?”

He looked around at the crowd, confused at first, then slowly focused.

“I feel… fine,” he said.

“Fine?” his father asked.

Greg nodded. “Yeah. The pain is gone. Completely gone.”

People stepped back to give him space.

Doctor Han still looked unsettled. “Move slowly,” he instructed. “We need to observe you.”

He stretched his arms slightly and took another deep breath again.

“I’m fine,” he repeated firmly. “Really.”

Murmurs spread through the hall again.

“I told you,” someone whispered. “Maybe that man really knows something.”

“Could he actually be trained?” another guest said quietly.

“I heard he failed school,” someone else replied. “But maybe that was just rumors.”

Sonia’s parents looked completely confused. Her mother’s face had lost all its earlier anger. Her father kept glancing at me like he was seeing a stranger.

Doctor Han cleared his throat loudly, trying to regain control. “Ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm. There is still no scientific proof that what just happened is connected to… that.”

He didn’t even say my name.

I simply watched.

Greg suddenly laughed weakly.

“Everyone relax,” he said, waving his hand. “It wasn’t that serious.”

His mother looked shocked. “Not serious? You were screaming!”

Greg scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, but sometimes pain just passes on its own.”

The crowd quieted to listen.

He looked around, then added casually, “I think I just panicked. The water helped me calm down, that’s all.”

Doctor Han’s expression shifted immediately. Relief washed over his face.

“Yes,” he said quickly. “That makes sense. Anxiety can cause sharp chest pain. Once the patient relaxes, the symptoms disappear.”

A few guests nodded eagerly.

“That’s true. Stress can do that.”

Greg continued, now sounding more confident. “Yeah, I was probably overreacting. The pain stopped naturally.”

Sonia frowned slightly. “But you said it felt like your chest was being crushed.”

Greg glanced at her briefly, then shrugged. “It just felt worse than it was.”

He then looked at me.

“And let’s not exaggerate things,” he added. “He just gave me water. Anyone could have done that. He did not heal me at all.”

The shift in the room was immediate.

It was like everyone grabbed onto his explanation because it was easier.

Of course it was just panic.

Of course it passed naturally.

Of course the elite doctors were still superior.

Another guest chuckled. “He almost stole credit for a coincidence.”

Doctor Han straightened his coat. “Exactly. The human body can self-correct. We should not confuse coincidence with skill. This man here knows nothing, he definitely did not heal Greg.”

The earlier admiration in the room vanished quickly.

Sonia looked from Greg to me, confusion filling her face.

Greg suddenly looked at me directly.

“You almost embarrassed me, you know that?” he said with a weak smile. “Trying to make it look like you saved me.”

I raised an eyebrow slightly. “I did save you.”

“No you didn’t,” he replied. “Everyone saw you acting like some expert  and believed that your knowledge could cure me.”

A few people laughed again.

“Yes, he was so confident,” someone said mockingly.

“Talking like he was better than Doctor Han.”

Greg shook his head dramatically. “Next time, don’t try to steal someone’s spotlight.”

The crowd seemed relieved to have someone to laugh at again.

It was easier to mock me than to question their own beliefs.

Doctor Han cleared his throat and addressed the guests. “As I said earlier, there is no medical evidence that salt water cures unknown lung conditions. Let us not spread foolish ideas.”

The guests nodded quickly.

“Doctor Han is right.”

“Of course.”

“Modern medicine exists for a reason.”

Sonia’s mother finally spoke again. “See? I knew it. He just wanted attention. This man will never amount to anything.”

Her father sighed in relief. “This is why uneducated people should not speak out of turn.”

The word *uneducated* hit harder than it should.

Sonia didn’t say anything.

She just kept looking at me feeling embarrassed.

Greg walked closer and lowered his voice so only I could hear.

“You know what really happened,” he said quietly.

I met his eyes.

He gave me a slow, arrogant smirk.

“But who’s going to believe you?” he whispered.

He straightened and turned back to the crowd with a bright smile.

“Doctor Han saved me,” he announced loudly. “Let’s not forget who the real professional here is.”

Applause broke out almost immediately.

Doctor Han gave a modest nod. “I only did my duty.”

The admiration returned to him just like that.

People crowded around him again, praising his expertise.

I stood alone again.

Sonia stepped forward toward me and spoke directly. “You embarrassed me tonight in front of everyone, and I didn’t expect that from you.”

My brows furrowed in shock as her words hit me hard. “Sonia?” I said in a low, surprised tone.

But before I could finish what I was saying, she cut me short.

“Please just leave. Go back home,” she said harshly, shocking me to my core.

I turned and walked out without saying another word.

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