Chapter 188 Academician Li's Request

"call……"

Qin Lang leaned back in his chair, patted his round belly, and let out a long burp.

"I'm alive again. After eating this meal, I feel like I could stay up for two more nights without any problem."

Shen Man also put down her chopsticks and wiped her mouth with a tissue.

She looked at Lin Fan, her eyes less arrogant than usual, and more filled with earnest gratitude.

"Lin Fan, thank you for the meal."

"You're welcome. Last night, thanks to the two of you running around the hospital."

Lin Fan said calmly as he cleared away the empty plates.

Qin Lang waved his hand: "Hey, what's the big deal? It's better that Tuantuan is alright. But Brother Lin, there's something I have to say."

Qin Lang's smile faded, and his expression turned serious.

"You heard what Dean Li and Director Sun said at the hospital."

"That immune system failure, although you've managed to suppress it with medicinal cuisine, the root cause is still there. We can't take this lightly."

Shen Man nodded in agreement, her brows furrowing slightly.

"Yes. Although what you did is indeed amazing, what if it doesn't work one day? I think we should listen to the doctor and take Tuantuan for a comprehensive genetic screening once her condition stabilizes."

Hearing their advice, Lin Fan paused for a moment while clearing the plates.

He turned his head and looked at Tuantuan, who was sitting on the sofa and playing with the legs of a hairy crab.

"Um"

Lin Fan picked up the tray, looked at the two of them, and said calmly:

"I will keep an eye on her health. If anything seems wrong, I will take her to get checked out immediately."

"That's good." Qin Lang stood up and stretched. His gaze fell again on the empty celadon plate on the table, and he couldn't help but smack his lips.

"By the way, Brother Lin, the shrimp dish you tried today, 'Orchid in a Secluded Valley,' was absolutely amazing!"

"The aroma of tea paired with the freshness of shrimp—I dare say you won't find another place like it in the entire city. When are you planning to add this dish to the menu? Can you add it? I'd better bring a few buddies to see it for myself!"

Shen Man looked over expectantly. This dish was light and refreshing, with a deep tea aroma that was incredibly appealing to women.

Lin Fan picked up the tray and shook his head: "Not for now."

"Huh? Why?" Qin Lang was stunned. "Isn't it a waste to keep such good vegetables sitting on the shelf without selling them?"

"The key to this dish isn't the shrimp, it's the tea," Lin Fan said calmly.

"The current production of that tea is far too low. This small batch today is already the limit of what I can offer right now. With the current customer traffic in the store, if we put it on the menu, we could empty my tea supply in half an hour."

Hearing Lin Fan say this, Qin Lang could only sigh regretfully:

"That's true, good things are always scarce. You must let me know as soon as production increases."

Shen Man picked up her bag, checked the time, and asked:

"So, when do you plan to reopen your shop?"

"We'll be open as usual tomorrow," Lin Fan said. "One day of rest is enough."

"That's good." Qin Lang nodded. "Alright, I've finished eating. I need to go back and catch up on some sleep."

Shen Man also stood up and picked up her bag.

She glanced at Lin Fan, hesitated, and ultimately said nothing.

"Tuantuan, Auntie's leaving now. I'll come play with you again next time." Shen Man walked to the sofa and patted Tuantuan's head.

"Goodbye, Auntie! Goodbye, Uncle Qin!" Tuantuan waved obediently.

After seeing the two off, Lin Fan locked the shop door again.

"Xiaoxiao, you should go back and rest too. We're not open today. We'll resume normal business hours tomorrow morning," Lin Fan said to Su Xiaoxiao, who was wiping the table.

"Okay, Brother Lin."

After everyone left.

Lin Fan took a rag and walked to the water bar.

As he slowly wiped the table, he mentally outlined his next plan.

"bite."

My phone, which was in my pocket, suddenly rang.

Lin Fan took it out and saw that it was a WeChat friend request.

The applicant's headshot is a blank landscape photo.

The remarks information is only a few words long:

"Hello Mr. Lin, I am Li Zhenhua from the First Municipal Hospital. I apologize for bothering you, but I have something important to discuss with you."

Lin Fan narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at the friend request.

Lin Fan looked at the blank profile picture on his phone screen, tapped the screen lightly with his finger, and accepted the friend request.

Almost the instant the verification was approved, a message popped up from the other party, clearly indicating that they had been waiting in front of their phone the whole time.

"Master Lin, I apologize for bothering you. Are you available now? I have a matter of life and death that I would like to ask you in person."

Lin Fan glanced at Tuantuan, who was curled up asleep on the sofa, and typed back: "I'm at the store."

"I'll be there in ten minutes!" Li Zhenhua replied instantly.

Lin Fan put down his phone and covered Tuantuan with a blanket. He walked to the cashier and poured himself a glass of water.

My WeChat buzzed again. This time it was a message from Su Xiaoxiao.

"Brother Lin! The reservation list in the group has already reached number 200! Many girls are afraid they won't be able to get a spot, so they insist on transferring their money to me first. I currently have almost 170,000 yuan stuck in my WeChat Wallet! I don't even dare to hold my phone anymore; this money is too hot to handle. Shall I transfer it to you?"

You could feel Su Xiaoxiao's panic even through the screen.

It's perfectly normal for an ordinary female college student to feel uncertain when suddenly given a huge sum of money, such as tens of thousands of yuan.

Lin Fan typed with one hand: "No need to transfer. Take the money first and organize the list. The packaging cans from Qin Lang's side will arrive first thing tomorrow morning, and then we'll ship the goods in order. This money is your safety net, don't panic."

After replying to Su Xiaoxiao, a slight braking sound came from outside the shop a short while later.

Lin Fan walked over and pushed the roller shutter door up to a height of one person.

An ordinary black Passat was parked on the side of the road.

Li Zhenhua changed into a gray casual jacket, clutching a heavy file folder tightly in his hand, and walked over quickly.

When he saw Lin Fan, he bowed slightly, adopting an extremely humble posture: "Master Lin, I'm sorry to disturb your rest."

"Come in and let's talk." Lin Fan stepped aside to let Li Zhenhua into the store.

Li Zhenhua felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly went inside with the file bag.

"Splash—"

Lin Fan pulled the roller shutter down again.

The main lights in the shop were not on; only a warm light above the bar was lit.

The dim yellow light shone on the solid wood tables and chairs, creating a sense of tranquility that put people at ease.

Lin Fan pulled out a chair and pointed, "Sit."

Li Zhenhua did not sit down.

He stood by the table, not even bothering to catch his breath, and immediately unzipped the sweat-soaked file bag in his hand.

He pulled out a thick stack of medical records, densely packed lab reports, and various CT scans all at once, and handed them to Lin Fan with slightly trembling hands.

"Master Lin, I have never asked anyone for a favor in my life."

…