Name Your Price
903 Words
Dr. Su Su trembled, but still tried to defend herself. “It… it was Dr. Tang’s idea. He said if anything went wrong, he’d take full responsibility…”
Aoki turned toward her slowly, his voice as cold as a glacier. “And how exactly will he do that? With your lives?”
Her knees nearly buckled. For once, Su Su had nothing to say.
“Mr. Lancaster,” Aoki continued, “please allow our specialists to take over the surgery immediately. I’ll handle that girl and her so-called ‘assistant.’ None of these people leave this hospital until we sort this out.”
But then—
Gasps echoed across the room.
“Did you see that?”
“She separated all the adhesions!”
“Not a single blood vessel was damaged! And she’s using her left hand!”
“She’s… she’s doing it flawlessly!”
Even the experts Seren had brought from overseas looked stunned.
“It’s like she’s done this a hundred times.”
“She’s moving faster than any specialist I’ve ever seen.”
“And her precision… it’s unbelievable.”
Inside the OR, Eliana calmly lifted her eyes after finishing the most difficult part of the operation. Her beauty struck even through the surgical mask, a quiet confidence radiating from her every move.
“Professor Zhang,” one of the foreign doctors asked in broken Mandarin, “who is she? A new hire? Do you think I might… speak with her later?”
“I didn’t catch how she made the incision, but that level of skill? She’s better than me. No doubt.”
“I have several questions I’d love to ask her…”
Aoki was stunned. So were the others.
How could a teenage girl handle a surgery that most senior specialists wouldn’t dare attempt?
Just as the room buzzed with shock, Su Su scoffed.
“Even if she managed the separation, she still has to stitch the artificial valve onto what’s left of the mitral ring. After so many surgeries, that tissue’s practically non-existent. The suture is nearly impossible.”
Professor Zhang shot her a glare. “Su Su—enough.”
But she went on, feigning righteousness. “I just want everyone to understand: even if the surgery looks clean now, the chance of long-term success is slim. If her suturing fails, Mr. S will face severe complications. This is not over.”
Trying to salvage the situation, Zhang turned back to Seren. “Mr. Lancaster, I… I believe in her. The girl’s medical skills are extraordinary. And Dr. Tang is her assistant. He’s the grandson of the great Dr. Charles Tang.”
Seren’s sharp gaze flicked to Tang Yiyang.
So this was Charles Tang’s heir.
He didn’t speak, but his silence was heavy. Everyone held their breath.
Then the suture work began.
And what Eliana did next silenced every critic in the room.
Her hands flew with graceful precision, her movements faster than any of them could comprehend. The needlework was exquisite, every stitch seamless.
The impossible… was being done.
She was saving him.
For two hours, the operating room was frozen in time.
When it was over, she washed her hands and exited the OR, her posture relaxed. She removed her mask, revealing a breathtaking face that made every heart skip a beat.
People clapped. Even fellow doctors.
She’d done it.
Su Su stood frozen, her fingernails digging into her palms.
That girl really pulled it off…
A moment later, Mr. S was wheeled out of surgery. The color had returned to his face. His chest rose and fell steadily—alive, breathing, stable.
“He’s okay! His vitals are holding!”
“We need to move him to recovery!”
As the crowd dispersed, only Seren Lancaster and his top experts remained. Professor Zhang stepped up nervously.
“Miss Eliana,” he said, “who should we speak to about your compensation?”
She blinked once, turning her gaze to Seren, who stood tall, broad-shouldered and absolutely still. With sharp features and dark, intense eyes, he looked like a man carved from ice and stone.
“I’m the family,” he said simply, stepping toward her.
Eliana lifted her chin, meeting his gaze without a flicker of fear.
“She’s owed more than just thanks,” Zhang cut in, eager to defend her. “Mr. Lancaster, I promised—if she saved Mr. S, you’d honor it. Any amount. That was the deal.”
Seren’s eyes didn’t leave Eliana’s.
Then, without a word, he nodded to Aoki.
The assistant immediately stepped forward, offering a crisp, blank check.
“A token of Mr. Lancaster’s gratitude,” he said. “Fill in whatever amount you think is fair.”
Gasps rippled again.
A blank check—from Seren Lancaster?
Eliana raised a brow. So he’s that kind of man… Interesting.
Everyone around her looked stunned, jealous, awestruck.
This wasn’t just wealth. It was a door—a future filled with power, protection, and limitless opportunity.
“I’ll accept it, then,” she said with a faint smirk, slipping the check into her coat pocket like it was pocket change.
Straightforward. Unapologetic.
Like a queen accepting tribute.
“Mr. S will be off the ventilator by tomorrow,” she added casually.
And just when the air seemed to relax—
A sharp, bitter laugh rang from the corner.
Su Su.
Still refusing to admit defeat.
- Writer
