Medical and Martial God

Chapter 38: Chapter 38 The Plastic Brotherhood

”There’s no tuition fee?” Ming Yue had never heard of this before. ”Then who pays the salaries for the faculty, cooks, and other staff members?”

”Me!” Ye Xiu said. ”I funded both Shenghe Medical Academy and Shenghe Hospital. I also pay the salaries for all the faculty and staff.”

Ming Yue was stunned. ”What’s in it for you?”

”To cultivate masters of the Medicine Path who possess high medical ethics,” Ye Xiu replied.

Ming Yue was even more puzzled. ”What do you need so many masters of the Medicine Path for?”

”Too many famous doctors were involved in framing me back then, and that group of scum is doomed to utter ruin, beyond redemption,” Ye Xiu said casually as he ate. ”With so many famous doctors suddenly gone from the nation’s medical community, someone has to fill the vacancies.”

Ming Yue understood now. Ye Xiu would eliminate one batch of famous doctors and cultivate an even more elite group to replace them. This wouldn’t just leave the Xuanse medical community unaffected; it would actually improve its overall quality.

However, Ye Xiu’s words gave Ming Yue a real scare. Since he had said that, it was obvious he already knew the list of famous doctors involved in framing him back then. If he could find out about that, there was no reason he couldn’t find out about the Ming Family.

So why hasn’t he?

”Miss Ming?” a surprised voice called out just then.

Ye Xiu and Ming Yue looked toward the voice and saw a middle-aged man, about forty years old, walking over with a tray of food, a look of pleasant surprise on his face.

Ye Xiu frowned when he saw the man. What’s this guy doing at Shenghe Medical Academy?

”And you are...?” Ming Yue didn’t recognize him.

”Oh, forgive me. I forgot to introduce myself.” The middle-aged man placed his tray on their table and sat down uninvited. ”My name is Ma Tengkong. I’m a student here at Shenghe Medical Academy.”

”Hello, Dr. Ma,” Ming Yue said with a strained smile.

”Hello, hello!” Ma Tengkong beamed. ”The Ming Corporation is a pharmaceutical company, but as I recall, Miss Ming isn’t a medical student. What brings you here?”

A flash of annoyance crossed Ming Yue’s eyes. This man is far too familiar, she thought, before giving a perfunctory reply, ”I heard the food in the Shenghe Medical Academy cafeteria is excellent, so I came to try it.”

”Well, you’ve come to the right place!” Ma Tengkong said. ”The chefs here are Five-Star chefs. The food is incredible, and the prices are very low.”

Ming Yue forced a faint smile, at a loss for how to respond.

Ma Tengkong, however, felt no awkwardness at all. He looked at Ye Xiu and asked, ”Is this gentleman Miss Ming’s boyfriend? So handsome and distinguished. Clearly, he’s no ordinary man.”

”Big Brother, it’s been ten years. Don’t you recognize me?” Ye Xiu asked with a smile.

Ming Yue’s mind seized up, and she whipped her head around to stare at Ye Xiu. Ma Tengkong is Ye Xiu’s Big Brother?

Ma Tengkong’s expression changed instantly when Ye Xiu called him ’Big Brother’. He stared at Ye Xiu in shock, scrutinizing his face for a long moment before finally finding a hint of familiarity. ”You... you’re Ye Xiu?” he asked, astonished.

”I am,” Ye Xiu nodded. ”It’s been ten years. How have you been, Big Brother?”

Ma Tengkong was Ye Xiu’s sworn brother! This man was quite the character—arguably the world’s number one opportunist, with skin as thick as a fortress wall.

Ten years ago, when Ye Xiu had just started out, he went to Ma Tengkong’s clinic looking for a job and was promptly thrown out. Later, after Ye Xiu defeated the famous doctors of Jin Ye City, Ma Tengkong came scurrying over to congratulate him, shamelessly latching onto Ye Xiu and telling everyone he was his sworn brother. Whenever reporters showed up, he’d ride Ye Xiu’s coattails for publicity. When people brought Ye Xiu gifts, he would accept them on his behalf. Ye Xiu was naive back then and, after some time, they actually became sworn brothers.

But when Ye Xiu challenged the Medicine King and needed help, Ma Tengkong was nowhere to be found.

After Ye Xiu defeated the Medicine King, Ma Tengkong was the first to appear, claiming to the media that his own significant contributions were the reason for Ye Xiu’s victory.

When Ye Xiu lacked a medical license and was barred from practicing, he tried to ask Ma Tengkong for help, but the man had vanished again.

Once Ye Xiu managed to get a license on his own, Ma Tengkong suddenly reappeared.

Later, when Ye Xiu was framed and blacklisted by the entire industry, his first call to Ma Tengkong went unanswered; the man was once again unreachable.

Then, when Ye Xiu was on the run from assassins and tried to hide at Ma Tengkong’s house for a few days, he discovered Ma Tengkong had already moved.

In short, Ma Tengkong was always present for the good times but reliably vanished whenever Ye Xiu was in trouble.

”Things are good, really good!” Ma Tengkong said, looking incredibly awkward as he stood up. ”Uh, you two go on and eat. I just remembered I have something urgent to do. We’ll talk another day.”

”Why not finish your meal before you go?” Ye Xiu teased.

”No time, no time! Business is more important.” With that, Ma Tengkong fled as if Ye Xiu were the plague, terrified he might get infected by lingering too long.

Ye Xiu scoffed. Ma Tengkong is still the same as ever, completely unchanged.

”Big Brother Ye, Ma Tengkong seems to be really afraid of you,” Ming Yue said quizzically, watching his retreating figure.

”Some people are only there for the good times, not the hard times. Ma Tengkong is one of them. He’s afraid of being dragged down with me,” Ye Xiu said with a smile.

”I see,” Ming Yue said, finally understanding. ”If he knew you were the Ghost Doctor’s master and extremely wealthy, he’d probably be kicking himself.”

”He would immediately remember I’m his ’brother’ and start sticking to me like glue,” Ye Xiu said.

Ming Yue’s eyes widened. ”That shameless?”

”What truly successful person has time for ’face’?” Ye Xiu replied.

Ming Yue considered this and had to agree. If you can’t even let go of your pride, success will only slip further away.

After their meal, Ye Xiu led Ming Yue to Shenghe Medical Academy’s Ancient Medicine 2 classroom.

Shenghe Medical Academy was different from regular schools. It didn’t have a set lunch break. Moreover, students weren’t required to attend classes on a fixed schedule. Teachers would typically send out the next day’s lesson content the evening before. Interested students would attend the lecture, while those who weren’t could skip it.

Furthermore, the classrooms at Shenghe Medical Academy were different from those in conventional schools. The Ancient Medicine classroom, for instance, resembled a large conference hall. The difference was that the tables were covered with various experimental supplies, and the walls were lined with countless small drawers filled with medicinal herbs.

When Ye Xiu arrived at the Ancient Medicine 2 classroom, Ma Tengkong was already there.

What a coincidence.

”Big Brother, what a coincidence. We meet again so soon,” Ye Xiu said, his tone playful.

Ma Tengkong frowned. ”What are you two doing here?”

”I’ve been so broke lately I can barely survive. I was hoping to borrow some money from you, Big Brother,” Ye Xiu said.

Ming Yue was speechless. I know he’s testing Ma Tengkong, but this is so blatant and unsophisticated!

”I don’t have any money,” Ma Tengkong refused flatly.

Ming Yue chuckled to herself. What an idiot. He actually can’t see that Ye Xiu is testing him.