"It's very clever. Why didn't I think of this method before?" Holbrook's eyes sparkled, his admiration for John deepening.
He had originally thought that John was only skilled in acupuncture, but now he realized that his knowledge extended to pharmacology as well.
Holbrook, eager to express his admiration, started to speak but John cut him off with a smile.
"You have a good understanding. I just mentioned it briefly, and you were able to grasp the key," John said humbly.
"No, no, no. It's all thanks to you," Holbrook insisted, clearly humbled.
The two men exchanged pleasantries, basking in mutual praise. Meanwhile, Alton stood off to the side, feeling utterly stunned by the scene before him. He couldn't help but think how shameless both of them seemed to be.
After taking the prescribed medicine, Alton handed John a gold-plated business card, bowing slightly. "Doctor Lopez, I offended you earlier. This is my business card. If you ever find yourself in the State of New York, I will treat you with the utmost hospitality."
John accepted the business card without much fanfare, examining Alton's face for a moment. "I didn't want to speak much, but since you're being so sincere, I hope you will pay more attention to the people around you," John said cryptically.
Alton blinked in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"
John's expression turned serious. "Because I have a sinking feeling."
"What?!" Alton's eyes widened, his pulse quickening.
John nodded once, but didn't elaborate. Instead, he handed Alton a phone number. "If you feel something is wrong, you can call me. But I can't promise I'll answer right away."
"Thank you, Doctor Lopez," Alton said, deeply grateful but still unsettled as he left Feazer Medical Clinic.
Holbrook, his curiosity piqued, asked, "Teacher, what is this sinking feeling you mentioned? I didn't notice anything strange about him—just some eyelid edema."
John looked at him for a long moment, his eyes thoughtful. "How can I explain it? You can just think of it as a bad omen."
Holbrook was taken aback. "You can even predict things like that? That's amazing!"
John smiled slightly. "You're not bad yourself."
"No, you're the best," Holbrook insisted, clearly impressed.
For the next few days, things were calm, allowing John to spend more time at Feazer Medical Clinic. However, his greatest joy came from teaching Tracy acupuncture techniques.
It was undeniable that Tracy had an incredible ability to pick up new skills. Not only had she mastered the Nine Turn Back Yang Needle and the Ghost Door Seven Knock Sting, but she had also managed to extract two new techniques from John, leaving Holbrook feeling both envious and astounded by her rapid progress.
A few days later, Queenie found John and informed him, "Monica called. She's organizing a meal at the Royal Garden Hotel tomorrow at twelve o'clock. She said you can come with me."
John raised an eyebrow. "She said I could come?"
Although he had planned to travel to the State of New York with Queenie, he still felt uncomfortable at the prospect of Monica's invitation. Her intentions were too obvious, weren't they?
John's pride flared as he scoffed, "Let's go. I want to see what kind of woman thinks she can just—"
Queenie slapped him playfully on the back of the head. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing," John muttered, rubbing the back of his head as he let out a small laugh.
Early the next morning, John went out to his car and parked it in the yard. Queenie, confused, asked, "You're driving your car today?"
John grinned. "No, you drive yours. We'll each take one."
Queenie stared at him, baffled. "What's wrong with you?"
John went inside the house, and when he returned, he was holding a large bicycle. Queenie's confusion deepened as she asked, "What are you doing with that bike?"
John simply said, "The trunk of my car is too small for my bike, so I'm putting it in the back seat."
Queenie shook her head, bewildered. "I meant, what are you doing with a bike?"
She couldn't quite understand what was going on. Ever since Monica had appeared, John had been acting a bit strange.
John smiled, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "This bike is my treasure. I should take it with me."
Queenie blinked in disbelief. "What does your bike have to do with anything?"
John's expression softened slightly as he explained, "If I had taken my bike the last time we went to the State of New York, I would have returned earlier. I would have been able to solve my problems sooner."
It was clear now that John saw the bike as his emergency solution.
"All right, stop with the nonsense. Just put your bike in the back seat of my car," Queenie said, finally giving in.
With that, they both got into Queenie's car, leaving John's own vehicle behind.