"Ding! Congratulations to the host for intercepting Kangda's opportunity, rescuing Zhao Zhiren, and receiving a big gold treasure chest."
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for gaining 10 luck points."
As soon as Qi Lin arrived at the hospital entrance, the long-awaited system reward echoed in his mind.
By now, Qi Lin had grown accustomed to these surprises. With a calm mind, he silently thought, Open the big gold treasure chest.
System: "Ding! The big gold treasure chest has been opened. Congratulations to the host for acquiring Phelps' swimming skills!"
As soon as the system finished speaking, a wave of heat surged into Qi Lin's body, and his limbs felt refreshed as if they had been washed.
Everyone knows who Phelps is, right?
Winning Olympic gold medals was as easy for him as drinking water. A true "flying fish" in the water, akin to Usain Bolt on land.
"This is interesting. Last time, I was rewarded with Bolt's speed, and now I've got Phelps' swimming skills. Looks like the system wants me to be the fastest human on both land and water," Qi Lin chuckled, shaking his head.
"Well, as long as I'm not aiming to be the fastest in other, less desirable ways, we're good."
Qi Lin had always been a landlubber and couldn't swim, so this new skill conveniently filled in a gap for him.
---
Host: Qi Lin
Protagonist Level: G
Upgrade Experience: 40/100
Luck Value: 7 (max value: 100)
Love Value: 9 (max value: 100)
Power Value: 6 (max value: 100)
Wealth Value: 9 (max value: 100)
---
As the system displayed Qi Lin's property panel, he smiled.
"Without realizing it, my experience has already reached 40. I can't wait to see the rewards I'll get when I upgrade to an F-class protagonist."
Still smiling, Qi Lin continued walking and soon arrived at the Central Hospital.
Upon entering the cardiac surgery department, he noticed Tang Shu and her companions standing outside an office door, clearly having just been turned away. They were hesitating, unsure whether to enter or not.
Despite seeing them, Qi Lin had no intention of going over to greet them. He pretended not to notice and walked straight toward Zhao Zhiren's office.
"Sir, without an appointment, you cannot enter Dr. Zhao's office," the security guard at the door stopped Qi Lin.
This small scene caught the attention of several patients and their families nearby, who all looked on with interest.
They had seen people like Qi Lin try to force their way in to see Dr. Zhao countless times.
Not once had someone succeeded without being escorted out by security.
"This poor guy probably has a family member in serious condition and is desperate," one bystander whispered.
"Everyone knows Dr. Zhao is strict about his schedule. You have to register and wait your turn."
"Exactly. We were just like that when we first got here—crying and begging to see him, only to end up registering like everyone else."
"Yeah, but after waiting a month, I'm finally getting my surgery."
The commotion even caught the attention of Tang Shu and her group.
Tang Shu immediately recognized Qi Lin. "Isn't that the young man who saved Yin Xuan? Why is he here too?"
Kangda, who stood beside her, was momentarily taken aback but quickly regained his composure. "Maybe someone in his family had a heart attack, and he's panicking. But he doesn't stand a chance. If we couldn't get in through the back door, neither can he."
If Qi Lin had overheard Kangda's comment, he would have smiled and said, Yes, my little wife has a heart condition, and I'm here setting things up for her.
Tang Shu, agreeing with Kangda's assumption, debated whether to go up and inform Qi Lin that Dr. Zhao wouldn't see him.
Meanwhile, Qi Lin remained calm in the face of the security guard's obstruction.
Casually, he pulled out Zhao Zhiren's business card and showed it to the guard. "Here's Dr. Zhao's business card. I'm an old friend of his."
Despite only having known Zhao Zhiren for less than two hours, Qi Lin confidently called himself an "old friend."
The security guard hesitated for a moment, staring at the business card. The phone number and Dr. Zhao's signature were genuine, but he wasn't sure if he could trust the young man in front of him.
"Could I take your card inside and confirm with Dr. Zhao? If it's real, I'll let you in right away."
Qi Lin smiled, "Of course," and handed over the card.
From a distance, Tang Shu and her group watched the scene unfold.
"What did he hand to the security guard? The guard seems to be treating him with respect," Tang Shu wondered aloud.
Kangda smirked. "He's probably putting on a show to gain sympathy. No way he has any real connections here. I refuse to believe Dr. Zhao would meet him."
However, what happened next left Kangda utterly speechless.
Within moments, the security guard returned, and following right behind him was none other than Zhao Zhiren himself.
Zhao's face lit up when he spotted Qi Lin. Rushing over, he clasped Qi Lin's hand warmly.
"Haha! I knew you'd come back! Our hospital is full of beautiful nurses—are you here looking for a girlfriend?"
Qi Lin grinned. "Dr. Zhao, you do make a tempting offer, but no one does it quite like you."
Zhao Zhiren chuckled. "There's quite a crowd here, come inside where we can talk."
He grabbed Qi Lin by the arm, almost as if afraid he would escape, and led him into the office.
Everyone standing nearby, including the families of patients, was left utterly stunned