Chapter 306: Very Talented
At 2:00 PM, Shi Lan arrived at the Director’s medical studio right on time.
Ye Ming had driven her over in his hovercar. As they neared their destination, he hesitated, unsure if he should get out.
Shi Lan reached out her hand. "Ye Ming, come with me. It’s my first time here, and I’m a little nervous."
"Okay."
Hearing his wife’s words, Ye Ming immediately cast aside his reservations and walked inside, his hand firmly gripping hers.
The Director’s medical studio was rather low-key. The name was carved in blue on the outer wall: Zhenxin Hospital.
Ye Ming gazed at the characters and told Shi Lan, "My mother’s name has ’Zhen’ in it."
Shi Lan nodded. She felt that for a medical facility, the name was heartwarming and inspired a great sense of trust.
The two of them walked in. Though called a studio, it wasn’t just a single room. It was more like a small, three-story hospital. The decor was simple and clean, and the first-floor lobby had large, transparent glass windows, much like an ophthalmology clinic she had seen before.
Just then, the Director walked over.
"Lanlan..."
She addressed Shi Lan first, then paused as her gaze fell upon Ye Ming. Her eyes flickered slightly. "Ming’er, you came too."
Ye Ming felt a bit awkward facing his mother. The last time they had seen each other was a few months ago, just after they had left Black Star.
He was silent for a moment before quickly making an introduction. "Teacher, this is my wife, Shi Lan."
Perhaps because he always addressed her that way, the Director quickly recovered. Her lips curved into a gentle, kind-eyed smile. "I know. This is wonderful. In the blink of an eye, Ming’er has his own wife."
Then she looked back at Shi Lan. "And you’re a fine young woman."
Shi Lan’s face warmed slightly. It seemed the Director praised her every time they met. She returned the smile. "Hello, Director."
The Director nodded. Her gaze swept over their tightly clasped hands, and the smile in her eyes deepened.
She was overjoyed that Ming’er had met someone he loved.
The Director looked away and began to lead them upstairs, chatting with Shi Lan as they walked. "Lanlan, is your spiritual power S-level?"
"Yes, it is."
"That’s wonderful. My medical team has been lacking an S-level member. There are just too few S-level females these days, and the ones we’ve found in the past all have other, more important things to do. They don’t have the energy for healing. With you here, I can finally rest easy."
Shi Lan said humbly, "Director, thank you for your high expectations. But I have no experience with healing, so I still have much to learn."
"Mm, I understand. Don’t worry, I’ll teach you myself."
The Director was also an outstanding S-level female. Hearing that she would be her personal instructor, Shi Lan was rather overwhelmed. "Won’t that be too much trouble for you?"
"Not at all. I have a lot of free time lately. I’d be happy to have something to do."
The Director was used to a busy life. Even if Shi Lan hadn’t come, she would have found other work to occupy her time.
"Okay, thank you, Director."
Upon hearing this, Shi Lan no longer demurred. This was a great opportunity to learn, which had been her original intention. There was no reason to turn it down.
Their conversation flowed naturally. While the Director could seem a bit distant when quiet, she was actually completely down-to-earth. Furthermore, in her eyes, Shi Lan was a junior, an outstanding female with a promising future, and the beloved of her own son. She was more than willing to be accommodating.
Of course, in the presence of an elder, Shi Lan was the very picture of a well-behaved and intelligent young woman.
The Director truly did like her.
For a moment, they both forgot about Ye Ming beside them. He didn’t mind. His hand remained entwined with Shi Lan’s. Listening to the conversation between his mother and his partner gave him a sense of familial warmth.
Relaxed. Natural. He didn’t have to maintain the formal etiquette of an heir as he did before his father, nor did he have to overthink anything.
It was as if someone had hit the brakes on his usually hectic life. He just had to be a quiet companion, letting his mind go blank, free of distracting thoughts.
A short while later, the Director led Shi Lan to the testing room.
"First, I need to get a baseline for your control over your spiritual power. There’s a virtual assessment next that requires you to use it. All you have to do is grasp the small balls as instructed. Don’t worry, just perform as you normally would. It’s just a simple test. With spiritual power as high as yours, this kind of test will soon be of no use to you."
"Okay."
Shi Lan nodded, temporarily letting go of Ye Ming’s hand, and put on the holographic device as the Director instructed.
Just as the duration one could use a gaming pod was related to it, the use of many holographic devices was actually tied to the strength of one’s spiritual power. Spiritual power itself could be described as a virtual thing—intangible and invisible. Through the perception of different individuals, however, Beastmen possessed varying degrees of sensitivity to it, allowing them to manifest this virtual power with tangible effects.
It was difficult to describe the specific feeling in words, but it could be trained within the virtual space of a holographic device.
And now, the Director wanted to use this sort of training to first test Shi Lan’s perceptual abilities.
The Director reminded her again, "Lanlan, remember to use your spiritual power."
"Okay."
Shi Lan nodded. She checked the holographic device she had put on, and soon a button appeared before her, asking whether to start the game.
She thought about what the Director had said, closed her eyes, and tried to recall the feeling of using her spiritual power to heal Ye Ming and the others.
Her spiritual power seemed to condense into an invisible hand and press ’Yes’.
Once the game started, sure enough, one fist-sized red ball after another began wobbling toward her eyes.
Shi Lan was a bit clumsy at first, frantically missing two of the balls.
The Director and Ye Ming watched the holographic projection off to the side. When she saw Shi Lan miss the balls, the Director said nothing. After all, Shi Lan was just starting out. Even with high spiritual power, as a newcomer, her control was bound to be clumsy.
Still, the Director was a little worried. She was afraid that if Shi Lan missed too many, it would damage her self-confidence.
Ye Ming, on the other hand, was perfectly calm and relaxed. He even took the initiative to say to the Director, "Lanlan is very skilled."
The Director suspected her son was looking at his wife through rose-colored glasses, but she didn’t argue.
But then, she discovered that after the first five balls, Shi Lan caught every single subsequent one with perfect accuracy. Not only that, the game lasted a total of three minutes, and its speed increased every fifteen seconds. Even as it gradually accelerated, Shi Lan didn’t miss once.
The Director could also clearly sense the improvement in Shi Lan’s control over her spiritual power. To change so much in such a short amount of time was a talent only a genius possessed.
The Director’s eyes grew brighter and brighter as she stared at Shi Lan’s focused back. She had finally found a promising talent. The studio would have a successor.
This medical studio was where the Director had started her career. Over the years, she had never given up on running it. Even as it was squeezed out by the Imperial First Hospital, with fewer clients and revenues that couldn’t cover expenses, her love for it was not diminished.
She had always worried that she wouldn’t find an outstanding female to take over after she retired. Now that she had found Shi Lan, her heart was finally at ease.