"Professor Chen, please tell Dean Tao not to feel guilty!"

Lin Jie said with a calm tone, "In a society built on connections, sometimes things are beyond our control."

"Besides, even if he doesn't operate, there will probably be other doctors who make breakthroughs in nerve repair over time that will operate on Hu Yuanqing."

"I'll convey your words to Old Tao."

Although Chen Shi was smiling as he said this, he sighed softly in his heart.

While Lin Jie's words sounded nice, he also noticed the indifference in Lin Jie's tone.

Tao Taqing and Lin Jie are already drifting apart, and now with this incident, their relationship will probably never be the same again.

Chen Shi intended to explain further for Tao Taqing, but Lin Jie's current rising status made it inconvenient for him to say more.

After some hesitation, he changed the topic and said, "Lin Jie, how is your master's thesis coming along? Among the six students graduating this year, you're the most prominent one."

Lin Jie smiled and said, "I already have a research topic and am applying for financial support from the Health Commission. A few students are preparing for animal experiments according to my instructions."

Chen Shi couldn't help but be amazed, "With funding support from the ministry and doctoral doctors as your assistants, you're like the most privileged master's graduate."

Lin Jie laughed, "If it weren't for wanting a diploma, I wouldn't go through all this trouble."

Chen Shi chuckled, "A diploma means nothing to you now."

"If you go abroad and give a few presentations at medical colleges, you might come back with several honorary doctorates from foreign universities."

Lin Jie softly replied, "It's about finishing what I started. It took a lot of effort to get into medical college back in the day."

Thinking about the assessment interview a few years ago, Chen Shi reflected with some regret, "I knew you were exceptional, but I really didn't expect that within two years you could grow to this extent."

"Trying to suppress you, old Hu ended up losing his reputation and dying, and even Kangning Hospital, his life's work, is going to disappear."

Lin Jie said with a hint of pride, "The current misfortunes of the Hu Family are all of their own making."

"I basically didn't do much against them, which made me miss out on most of the satisfaction and experience of successfully exacting revenge."

Chen Shi laughed and shook his head, "You!"

"Even if you didn't do anything, your mere existence put enormous pressure on the Hu Family, and they lost many allies who originally supported them."

"Otherwise, the Hu Family wouldn't have fallen to the point of selling their hospitals and properties and leaving Binhai in disgrace."

He sighed, "Old Hu, who was wise all his life, in his later years made a mistake by choosing the wrong opponent and thereby buried his lifelong wisdom and efforts."

Lin Jie smiled and said, "The thing is, there's no remedy for regret in this world."

He took a sip of juice and then asked, "Professor Chen, how is the pharmaceutical side progressing?"

Chen Shi replied happily, "Research and experiments are going smoothly according to plan. We expect to have qualified industrial products by the end of the year."

At this moment, An Kexin came over and said, "Uncle, Ajie, why don't we get something to eat first? We can talk while eating."

Today's cocktail party adopts a buffet style.

It's dinner time, so most people chose to eat a bit to fill their stomachs before drinking and chatting.

As the main discussion with Chen Shi was over, Lin Jie and An Kexin went to the serving area, took some tasty-looking foods, and sat down with An Kemeng, Lin Miao, Yu Momo, Ling Mengjiao, and others.

An Kexin took a bite of pan-fried fish fillet, nodded, and said, "These fish fillets taste pretty good, Ajie, you should try them too."

"Brother, the Tai Chi Soup they made is not only visually appealing but also tastes good."

"Brother Jie, the beef fillet is also good."

Lin Jie nodded and said with a smile, "I will try everything you recommend."

Seeing that Yu Momo, Ling Mengjiao, and others had almost finished their food, Lin Jie encouraged them, "Once you're done, don't hold back. Have fun however you want."

"Just pretend those older fellows aren't there."

He further instructed, "Kemeng, Miao Miao, you two should liven up the mood!"

"Okay, we'll do it after we're done eating!" An Kemeng and Lin Miao replied reluctantly.

Looking at the situation in the banquet hall, An Kexin noticed one or two hundred people divided into several distinct groups.

The group led by Cheng Xingguang and Yuan Guangxi.

Employees from Anlin Hospital, the charity foundation, and Lin Jie's studio formed another group.

Then there were the friends and students who interacted more frequently with Lin Jie.

Due to unfamiliarity with each other and hierarchical differences, the atmosphere in the banquet hall felt a bit subdued.

An Kexin expressed with frustration, "I really didn't think this through. There are so many diverse attendees with varying backgrounds, making the atmosphere somewhat awkward."

Lin Jie reassured her, "It's fine. Once they're done eating and have had a drink, the atmosphere will naturally warm up."

"I hope so!"

An Kexin, feeling a bit deflated, remembered something and said, "Ajie, as far as I know, most of the Hu family's properties were purchased by Luo Wantong. The main estate of the Hu family is quite nice and suits Luo Wantong's identity and wealth."

"Guess who recently bought Hu Xinyi's Xiangtai Apartment?"

Lin Jie, who had a mouthful of food, shook his head, indicating he didn't know.

"Feixue!"

An Kexin snorted, "That guy said she wants to be our neighbor. I guess she plans to use that apartment as her new home."

Lin Jie swallowed his food, took a sip of water, and asked, "Chen Qiuhua and Du Feixue are planning to get married?"

"From what I know, they've already met each other's parents."

Lin Jie responded with an "oh" and said, "Kexin, hurry and eat. After eating, I'll invite you to dance!"

"The atmosphere of this party requires the two of us to lift it up."

An Kexin's eyebrows arched, and she sped up her eating pace...

A few minutes later, a space in the center of the banquet hall was cleared, and cheerful dance music began to play.

Under the gaze of everyone, Lin Jie and An Kexin stepped into the makeshift dance floor hand in hand, dancing gracefully to the rhythm of the music.

An Kexin had a great figure and solid dance skills.

Although Lin Jie seldom danced, some dance memories remained clear.

He just needed to be very careful not to step into the female role; when he danced seriously, his steps were seemingly perfect with smooth, standard dance moves like sliding, turning, kicking, twisting and tossing his head.

Their dance moves, at first glance, seemed to have a certain professional standard, easily fooling nonprofessionals.

Filled with excitement, Lin Jie shouted to those clapping in a circle, "If you can dance, invite your partner beside you to join in..."

In response to his call, a dozen young couples immediately stepped into the dance floor, followed by another dozen joining in...

The party atmosphere became lively, and Lin Jie turned into a professional dance partner.

First with An Kexin, then with An Kemeng, Lin Miao, Yu Momo, a blushing Xue Linlin who invited him eagerly, and the thick-skinned Fang Huanru.

He danced through six dances in a row before he got a break...

"Teacher, brother-in-law!"

Lin Jie turned to see Xiao Ganghao and Zou Manqing walking over hand in hand, saying, "Aren't you going to dance or drink? Is there something you need from me?"

Xiao Ganghao's eyes flickered, and he tugged at Zou Manqing's hand.

Zou Manqing gave him a sidelong glance and, smiling with her eyes, said to Lin Jie, "Brother-in-law, we've discussed it and decided to get married, tentatively planned around the Dragon Boat Festival."

Lin Jie responded with an "oh" and said, "Got it. I'll prepare a big red envelope for you. Just one thing you should know in advance, I won't be your witness this time."

"Brother-in-law, how can you be like this!" Zou Manqing complained discontentedly.

Lin Jie disdainfully ignored their complaints, waved a dismissive hand, and chased these two off...

Lin Jie went to the restroom, and just as he returned to the banquet hall, he was cornered by Gao Yanhong.

"Teacher, I… I… Can I invite you for a dance?"

Looking at the blushing, visibly anxious Gao Yanhong, Lin Jie couldn't help but say, "Gao Yanhong, as I recall you were always confident and outgoing, why are you suddenly so shy and nervous?"

Gao Yanhong glanced around, stammering, "Because… because… I didn't really come to ask you for a dance, but rather..."

"But what?"

Just as Lin Jie said this, Gao Yanhong suddenly stepped forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek like a dragonfly skimming the water.

His mind immediately went blank, watching the fleeing back of Gao Yanhong, feeling a bit at a loss.

Could it be that Gao Yanhong has fallen for him?

Just as Lin Jie was lost in thought, he saw Fang Huanru, Yan Beichen, Lu Xiaoyu, Ma Hongmin, Zhao Fang, and He Yimin all approach, surrounding him.

"Teacher, we played a game with those annoying boys and lost."

"So..."

Seeing the eager eyes of Fang Huanru, Yan Beichen, and others, Lin Jie suddenly understood, and with a stern face, he said, "What do you think you're doing? I'm your teacher."

"I'm warning you..."

At this moment, Lin Jie's authoritative presence as a teacher seemed to have no effect; he was directly grabbed by these crazy girls and received a forced kiss from each.

Watching them scatter and run away, Lin Jie was left fuming, staring slack-jawed.

An Kexin walked over, handed Lin Jie a tissue, and asked with a smile, "Feeling good? Enjoying yourself?"

Lin Jie snorted, wiping his cheeks, and said, "What's wrong with them? Did they all get drunk?"

"They were playing truth or dare."

An Kexin chuckled, leaned closer to Lin Jie, and said, "Maybe this truth or dare game is just what they wanted!"

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