Zhang Yufei looked at Lin Jie with a solemn expression and asked softly, "Expert Lin, should we wait here or head back first?"

Lin Jie slowly put his phone into his backpack and said, "Neither, hand me the train ticket. I'm sticking to the original plan and going back to Binhai."

"Oh...what?"

Zhang Yufei was taken aback and asked for confirmation, "Expert Lin, did you say, going back to Binhai?"

Lin Jie nodded firmly, and having made his decision, he said with some relief, "Yes, back to Binhai."

"This morning, my student is getting engaged to her fiancée's cousin, and I need to hurry back to officiate the ceremony."

Zhang Yufei found it hard to believe and couldn't help reminding, "Expert Lin, I heard you were just enlisted not too long ago and became a soldier."

"As a soldier, the foremost duty is to obey orders from superiors. That General Meng, wasn't he on the phone..."

Lin Jie chuckled and said, "No worries, my case as a soldier is somewhat special, and I have the right to refuse."

At this moment, he had thought this through thoroughly.

Just like newlyweds, when issues arise, one side plans to create harmony through compromise.

But often, the result is that the other side is not as sensible and understanding as imagined and tends to press on harder.

In such compromise after compromise, one side completely loses the initiative, making the other the dominant ruler of the household.

"Unity achieved through struggle, and unity persists; unity sought through compromise, and unity perishes."

Lin Jie found this saying to be very reasonable.

He decided that this event must serve as a reminder to the other party that he is not someone who can be summoned and dismissed at will. According to the agreement, he can choose to agree or refuse as he wishes.

Lin Jie extended his hand and said, "The train ticket?"

"Oh, the train ticket, the train ticket!"

Zhang Yufei pulled a train ticket from his pocket and handed it to Lin Jie, "Expert Lin, I'll see you into the station..."

The business class seat on the high-speed train was indeed comfortable.

The seat reclined, and Lin Jie lay down, feeling the fatigue in his body quickly seep away. Before long, he dozed off...

"Sir, wake up! Sir, please wake up..."

Hearing someone calling next to his ear, Lin Jie groggily opened his eyes to see a pretty female attendant bending over to call him.

"Have we arrived at Binhai?"

Lin Jie couldn't help yawning widely.

He felt as though he had just closed his eyes, the speed of the high-speed train was truly fast.

The attendant smiled and handed over a phone, saying, "No, it's a call from a high-ranking officer looking for you, saying it's an urgent matter."

Lin Jie vigorously rubbed his face to wake himself up a bit more before taking the phone, speaking softly, "Hello, it's me."

"I'm not okay, not okay at all! Expert Lin, can I take this as you having a grudge, throwing in the towel?" Meng Yang's angry voice came over the phone.

Unexpected scolding in such a loud voice gave Lin Jie a sense of security, and he replied calmly, "General Meng, I'm merely exercising my right to refuse."

"Right to refuse?"

This reminder evidently made Meng Yang recall the previous promise given to Lin Jie by a superior.

He suppressed his dissatisfaction, and his tone became more measured, "Expert Lin, this time it's to treat an international friend. Although his status is somewhat special, the illness is not particularly severe. Perhaps for you, it would be an easy task."

"Even for such a small request, would you refuse?"

Lin Jie countered, "General Meng, would you prefer I use the refusal for significant and critical requests?"

There was silence on the other end, evidently, Meng Yang was at a loss for words by Lin Jie's response.

After a long pause, Meng Yang's voice once again drifted over, "Alright, I'll convey your views to the superior."

"Expert Lin, I wish you a smooth journey."

Lin Jie handed the phone back to the attendant, suddenly feeling a pang of hunger and asked, "Do you have anything to eat?"

The attendant took the phone back with a sweet smile, "Sir, for business class passengers, we provide complimentary breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

"Please wait a moment, I will bring you breakfast right away..."

The high-speed train arrived at Binhai, near ten in the morning. Lin Jie first took the subway, then rode in the car Qin Gang had specially come to pick him up in, changing into formal attire on the way.

He hurried to Chunhua Hall at Junyue Hotel, managing to catch the engagement ceremony of Xiao Ganghao and Zou Manqing just in time, without missing his turn to speak as the officiant.

For this speech, Lin Jie had racked his brains, wanting to write stirring and deeply moving words that could move heaven and earth to tears.

But as it turns out, aside from being able to talk endlessly about medicine without a hitch, his literary skills in other areas were indeed lacking.

Helpless, Lin Jie had to turn to the internet for help, finding a wedding speech that suited the occasion and the theme.

Facing the more than fifty guests in Chunhua Hall, as well as the newly dressed and radiant Xiao Ganghao and Zou Manqing, Lin Jie recited the speech with full spirit.

Afterward, with everyone as witnesses, Xiao Ganghao put the engagement ring on Zou Manqing, and they exchanged gifts with each other.

Xiao Ganghao's mother, who hadn't fully recovered yet and was in a wheelchair, personally put earrings and a necklace on Zou Manqing to show her recognition of her daughter-in-law.

With that, the entire engagement ceremony concluded, moving on to the banquet and celebration time.

Lin Jie sat at the main table with Xiao Ganghao and Zou Manqing, along with Xiao's mother, Zou Manqing's parents, Pan Xinli, An Weize, Chen Shi, and others.

As for Lin Miao and Zhang Xiaoxiao, they were arranged at a table with An Kexin, An Kemeng, Ling Mengjiao, and others.

Once everyone was seated, An Weize, sitting next to Lin Jie, asked with concern, "A Jie, was everything smooth during your trip to the Capital City? Are you tired, did you have time to rest?"

Lin Jie replied softly, "It went pretty well. I caught a short nap on the train back, so I'm feeling alright."

Seeing that he seemed to be in decent spirits, An Weize didn't ask further.

"Lin Jie, the new academic year will start in a few days."

Chen Shi reminded him, "Quite a few new masters and doctoral students have expressed through various channels their desire to become your students. Do you have any plans for that?"

Lin Jie thought for a moment and said, "According to my plan, this current batch of students will complete their theoretical courses by the end of the year. In the first half of next year, they will rotate through various departments in the Affiliated Hospital for internships."

"So, I'm not going to take in new students for the time being. Other matters will wait until Anlin Hospital opens and stabilizes for some time."

Chen Shi gave a light "oh," turned to look at the table where Song Licheng, Lu Xiaoyu, and others were sitting, and joked a bit sourly, "They've been with me for one to two years, some even three to four, and have only been with you for half a year."

"If you were to ask now, you'd probably find that you are the one they truly recognize as their teacher, maybe even their only teacher."

An Weize smiled with pride and teased unabashedly, "You can't blame them for choosing this way."

"Everyone has an inner scale. How much you've given them compared to A Jie, don't you have a clue?"

These words made Chen Shi so angry that he wanted to splash a cup of tea in An Weize's face, retorting, "I've been dedicated to them too, considered one of the most conscientious and competent teachers in the department."

Looking at Lin Jie, he said somewhat sheepishly, "Just... a little less when compared to Lin Jie."

Seeing this, Pan Xinli interjected to mediate, "Master's and doctoral education should be a kind of elite education like a master-apprentice relationship. However, with the sharp increase in student numbers and some orientations led by universities, there's been a greater focus on papers, research projects, and research funding."

"This has caused some issues in doctoral and graduate education. Advisors have become like bosses, and students have become cheap labor for them..."

He lamented, "This is a big issue. The schools are continuously improving, and the nation is as well..."

At the engagement banquet, it was evidently not suitable to discuss such lofty issues.

After a brief touch on the topic, the conversation shifted to weddings, houses, cars, jobs, and even children.

After forty to fifty minutes into the banquet, Pan Xinli, Chen Shi, An Weize, and others all bade farewell, leaving the banquet hall to Xiao Ganghao and Zou Manqing and their peers to enjoy.

Lin Jie also felt tired and told Lin Miao and An Kexin that he was thinking of heading back first.

An Kexin stopped Lin Miao, An Kemeng, Zhang Xiaoxiao, Qin Gang, and others who wanted to leave with Lin Jie, looked at the somewhat weary Lin Jie, and said, "I'll accompany A Jie home. He looks like he'll just go to bed once he gets back, so there's no need for extra care."

"I have some work to rush as well; it won't affect us mutually."

"Mengjiao has also planned some activities, so you guys stay and take this chance to enjoy yourselves..."

Before Lin Jie and An Kexin could leave the banquet hall, Zhao Fang ran over and said, "Teacher, teacher, I've finished writing the research paper with Dr. Pang."

"Oh, just send the paper to my email. If I have time tonight, I'll read it."

Lin Jie didn't forget to remind, "Today is a day to celebrate, you guys should have some fun instead of always thinking about studying and research topics."

Zhao Fang gave an "oh" and then asked timidly, "Teacher, may I ask, when you talk to us next time, will you be as strict as this time?"

"That depends on your performance!"

Lin Jie gave a non-committal answer and left the hotel with An Kexin...

On the way home, Lin Jie told An Kexin about refusing General Meng Yang.

An Kexin, who was driving, pondered for a moment and said, "You have the guarantee documents they gave you, if they hold a grudge because of your refusal and then take some actions, wouldn't they be essentially slapping themselves in the face?"

"Besides, A Jie, your medical skills are irreplaceable; it's only they who need you."

"A Jie, don't worry about any bad consequences."

"Hehe, that's what I thought too. We really are on the same wavelength. By the way, take a look at this watch and see how much it's worth? This was the thank-you gift from them."

Lin Jie took out the Rolex watch box from his backpack, opened it, and showed it to An Kexin.

An Kexin looked at it for a few moments and said, "This is a Rolex Day-Date, an automatic mechanical platinum watch, valued at around four to five hundred thousand..."

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