"It's noon now; how about I treat you to a meal?" The inspection was still ongoing, and before he knew it, it was already past twelve o'clock. As the last inspection came to a close, Jiang Hai couldn't leave yet since he still had to wait for the results. So, he thought for a moment, followed Bernice ahead, and pulled out his phone to order takeout.
Of course, the takeout Jiang Hai ordered wouldn't be ordinary. He planned to order from the hotel where he was staying.
"No, we have a cafeteria here, and the food is decent. If you're interested, you can come try it with me," Bernice said lightly, cutting him off before he could finish speaking.
For some reason, it always seemed like Bernice held a hint of hostility toward Jiang Hai.
"Oh, okay then..." Jiang Hai didn't know how to respond to her rejection, so he smiled and nodded.
Then, a group of eleven people, led by Bernice, took the escalator up to a large room.
As they approached, Jiang Hai could already smell the aroma of food. It was clear that this was mealtime. Following Bernice, Jiang Hai and the others quickly entered the cafeteria.
The cafeteria was large and looked no different from any other—there were windows for different types of food: one for dishes, one for rice, one for porridge, one for desserts, and one for drinks.
However, the people eating here weren't just doctors and nurses; patients were also present.
Jiang Hai took in his surroundings. Apart from the usual white rooms, white tables, and chairs, the staff were also dressed in white. The patients, too, wore white hospital gowns, but their appearance was strikingly different. They had skin whiter than the whitest people and hair as white as snow. They looked like the snow elves from fairy tales, blending seamlessly with the sterile, white environment.
As Jiang Hai and the others entered, the patients looked up curiously. When they saw that Jiang Hai and the others were ordinary outsiders, they gazed at them with a mix of curiosity and intrigue.
Jiang Hai couldn't help but study the patients. It was possible that this institution had been established fairly recently, or perhaps the cost of treatment was too high for older patients. Either way, the patients here weren't very old—most were in their twenties or younger, with the youngest in their teens. Generally, albinism doesn't affect life expectancy, but those with the condition must avoid sunlight. As a result, they tend to look different from regular people—especially their eyes.
But Jiang Hai noticed something different about the children here. Whether it was because of Bernice's treatments or not, their eyes were bright and normal, unlike the typical dullness found in those with albinism. If there was any difference, it was that their faces were devoid of any color, like something out of a vampire movie. White skin, white hair, and aside from their eyes and brows, there was no color on them at all, making them appear almost eerie.
"Let's go." Bernice waved at the others to continue eating and motioned for Jiang Hai to follow. Then, she and the others grabbed trays and made their way to the food windows.
Though the atmosphere felt a little strange, Jiang Hai and the others still sat down and ate. The food was surprisingly good—not quite up to the level of a top-tier restaurant, but certainly better than a buffet at a four-star hotel. It seemed like Bernice had put a lot of effort into this.
"Mr. Jiang Hai, do you really believe you can treat these children's conditions?" Bernice asked after finishing her meal quickly, as was her habit as a doctor. Good doctors don't waste time on meals, and she ate less because, being a woman, body management was inevitable.
After eating, she looked at Jiang Hai as she asked.
"You might not know this, but Chinese medicine is vast and profound. Conditions like congenital deafness and mutism can be cured with just a touch." Jiang Hai didn't know how to explain himself. Bernice looked Asian, but she had spoken to him in English from the start. He assumed she was either ABC (American-born Chinese) or from another Asian country, so he casually responded.
"I'm Chinese too. Do you think that's unbelievable?" But to his surprise, Bernice answered him in perfect Mandarin.
"Uh, haha... But I did cure it." Jiang Hai smiled awkwardly. It was no use explaining the scientific reasons now, so he just stood firm.
"I hope your treatment hasn't caused any harm to these children, or I won't be able to write this report." Bernice stared at Jiang Hai. If there was no issue with the children's health, she would issue the report, but if anything went wrong, she wouldn't hesitate to call the police.
Jiang Hai smiled brightly at her words. It seemed Bernice wasn't an easy person to deal with.
Despite his embarrassment, Jiang Hai wasn't shaken. He had complete confidence in his spiritual energy. Though it lacked scientific backing, sometimes science couldn't explain everything.
The meal, which had already felt a little dull, now seemed even more so.
The other ten girls ate less than usual, clearly concerned.
The only one unaffected was probably Jiang Hai, who continued eating as usual, even having two servings before feeling full.
Afterward, Bernice took Jiang Hai and the others to the reception room. But since there were no outside patients around, less than ten minutes later, a male doctor came in holding a stack of test results.
"Bernice, here are the test results for these girls," the doctor said, looking at her with a touch of tenderness in his eyes.
This man appeared to be in his thirties, about 1.8 meters tall with a solid build, though not overly muscular. He wore gold-rimmed glasses and had a gentle yet powerful aura.
In Jiang Hai's eyes, there were only four types of men: those uglier than him, and the others who were better-looking, either beasts, sissies, or hooligans. Of course, if he got along with these men, he wouldn't mind being friends, but he couldn't resist complaining about them. This doctor was no exception.
"Thank you, Dr. Maude," Bernice said, ignoring his gaze as she took the report and flipped through it, making him feel a little awkward.
"Well, I don't know if you're free tonight. I have two tickets for Avengers 2... Interested?" Dr. Maude, clearly used to Bernice's indifference, took out the tickets and asked with a hint of hope.
"I'm sorry, I'm not interested in movies," Bernice replied straightforwardly before he could even finish.
"Ah, I get it. Movies are boring. Why not come with me to a show? I've reserved a seat in the outer hall of Versailles. I heard you like Ulala there. After dinner, we can watch the killer whale show..." Dr. Maude, not giving up easily, continued with his offer.
But it was clear that Bernice, the elegant Oriental beauty in front of him, wasn't interested. After closing the report, she said softly, "Sorry, I have work tonight. If you really have a reservation, try asking someone else."
Dr. Maude smiled awkwardly at her clear rejection. The presence of Jiang Hai and the others made it impossible for him to salvage his image, so he simply nodded at them and left. Once he was gone, Bernice handed the report to Jiang Hai.
Jiang Hai scanned the report, which included comprehensive data on the girls' physical conditions—body weight, age, blood pressure, blood sugar, X-rays, chest X-rays, internal medicine and surgical comments, uric acid levels, and biochemical results.
After reviewing the data, Jiang Hai nodded to himself. These girls were in excellent health, which was the most satisfying part for him, especially the condition of their throats. There was virtually no damage to their vocal cords, trachea, or esophagus. It was clear that Jiang Hai's spiritual energy had indeed made a significant impact.
"Here's two million dollars. Thank you for your help, and this is a donation to your clinic." Since everything seemed in order, Jiang Hai took out a check he had prepared earlier and handed it over. Bribes were not accepted in the U.S., but a donation was another matter.
"Take your money back. I don't need it," Bernice said calmly, declining the check. "I agreed to help because of Cindy's situation, but don't you think something's off here?"
"What's the problem? Aren't they all healthy?" Jiang Hai asked, confused, pointing to the report.
"It's because they're too healthy that there's a problem!" Bernice's eyes narrowed as she pointed at the report.