KUNLUN – The Little Lotus

The young girl walked through the arrivals terminal with quiet, unhurried steps. The airport bustled with life around her. Families embraced after long separations, travelers hurried past with rolling suitcases, and announcements echoed through the spacious arrival hall, but none of it seemed capable of drawing her attention. Her calm black eyes slowly swept across the crowd until they settled on a man holding a sign with her name written across it. Without changing her expression, she slipped her phone from her pocket and typed a short message. Minister Wu, did you send someone to pick me up at the airport? The reply arrived almost immediately. After reading it, she returned the phone to her pocket, adjusted the backpack resting comfortably on her shoulders, and walked toward the waiting man. Looking up at him, she spoke in flawless Mandarin. "Hello. Minister Wu told me you were here to pick me up." The man looked down at her, scratched the back of his head, and frowned. "Minister Wu told me to pick up someone extraordinary. That can't possibly be you. You're just a child." The girl tilted her head slightly, her expression remaining as calm as ever. "I am the person you're looking for." The man laughed and made a dismissive gesture, trying to wave her aside. "Run along. Stop joking." Without arguing, she quietly took out her phone once more and dialed Minister Wu's number. As soon as he answered, she said in the same calm, almost icy voice, "Minister Wu, would you please send me the address? I'll take a taxi instead. The person you sent doesn't believe I am who you told him I was. Thank you." Before he had the chance to reply, she ended the call, slipped the phone back into her pocket, and calmly walked past the man. Only seconds later, his own phone began to ring. He answered immediately, and even from several steps away she could hear the furious stream of words pouring from the receiver. Minister Wu was obviously far from pleased. It had nothing to do with her. Without paying the slightest attention to the commotion behind her, she continued toward the exit. Just before reaching the automatic doors, she noticed an elderly woman suddenly collapse onto the polished floor. People gasped and immediately rushed toward her, quickly forming a circle around the unconscious woman. Taking advantage of the confusion, the young girl quietly slipped between the adults and knelt beside the patient. She gently placed two fingers against the woman's wrist, carefully feeling her pulse. A man immediately reached for her shoulder, trying to pull her away. "Little girl, this isn't a playground!" he scolded. She ignored him completely. Instead, she calmly reached into her backpack, removed an identification card, and held it up for everyone to see. It was her license as a Traveling Physician, a credential Minister Wu had personally arranged before her arrival in China. The document legally authorized her to diagnose and treat patients anywhere in the country. Murmurs spread through the crowd before an astonished silence gradually settled over everyone present. Paying no attention to the people watching her, she opened a small wooden case, carefully removed several acupuncture needles, disinfected each one, and immediately began treating the elderly woman. Every movement was smooth, efficient, and astonishingly precise, revealing years of experience despite her young appearance. When she withdrew the final needle, the elderly woman's brow furrowed slightly. Moments later, her eyes slowly opened. She let out a weak groan and instinctively tried to sit up, but the girl gently pressed her back down. "You suffered a minor stroke," she said in a clear, emotionless voice. "Please don't move yet. Take this medicine and you'll feel much better." She then turned her head toward the man who had tried to stop her. "Please call an ambulance. Even so, I recommend that the lady undergo a thorough examination by a physician of her own choosing." Reaching into her backpack once more, she took out a small porcelain bottle, removed the stopper, and gently shook it until a single pill rolled into her palm. She handed it to the elderly woman, who accepted it without the slightest hesitation. Only moments after swallowing it, color gradually returned to her face. Her breathing became steady, the heaviness weighing on her body disappeared completely, and her eyes widened in astonishment. "Young doctor... what kind of medicine was that? I already feel so much better." Slowly, she sat up before carefully rising to her feet. Turning toward the man, she said, "Please don't call an ambulance. I have a personal physician. I'll contact him myself." The man silently nodded. Looking back at the girl, the elderly woman smiled gratefully. "Thank you, little doctor." The girl calmly packed away her medical instruments, closed her backpack, and gave a slight nod. "Now that you've taken my medicine, your heart condition should also be cured." She gave a polite bow, turned around, and continued toward the exit in search of a taxi. "Wait!" the elderly woman called after her. "At least tell me your name!" The girl never looked back. With her back perfectly straight, she simply continued walking. As she stepped through the terminal doors, she noticed a large group of people hurrying toward the entrance. Without giving them a second thought, she calmly walked past before they reached the doors and stepped aside to let them enter. She paid them no further attention. Instead, she hailed the first taxi she saw, gave the driver an address, and quietly settled into the back seat. Soon the taxi left the airport behind and merged into the traffic flowing toward the city. Silently, she watched the unfamiliar streets passing beyond the window. How beautiful... So this is China. At last I've arrived. Now I can finally begin searching for the place where my roots truly lie. Yet not the slightest emotion appeared on her face. Quite some time passed before the taxi finally stopped in front of a large estate. She paid the driver, left a generous tip, picked up her backpack, and walked toward the entrance gate before pressing the bell. After a short wait, she heard the crunch of gravel beneath measured footsteps. The gate slowly opened, revealing an elderly man dressed in a perfectly tailored suit. He looked down at the young girl in silence.