Chapter 2

Oliver stepped forward, instantly reigniting hope in my parents.

Mom grabbed his hand excitedly and asked, "Oliver! Are you… Are you really confident you can do this?"

Oliver glanced at the two elderly people on the ground and then at me, his face showing a compassionate expression.

He said with heavy emotion, "I can understand why Amelia won't operate. After all, she carries the reputation of having the Hands of God, and she can't afford to fail. But I can't just stand by and watch Sonia die!"

His words appeared to show understanding for me on the surface. Yet, underneath, he was directly nailing me to the pillar of shame for "refusing to save a life to protect my reputation". The colleagues who had gathered nearby looked at me with even more contempt.

Oliver turned to my parents and made his plea again. "Mr. and Mrs. Baxter, please trust me! I've followed Amelia through every one of her micro-dissection procedures. I know her theories and techniques by heart. Let me combine her methods with a traditional approach and take this risk for Sonia!"

"Of course! You're amazing, Oliver!" Dad was so moved that tears streamed down his face. "Oliver, as long as you save Sonia, the Baxter family will give you half our family fortune!"

When I heard those words, I finally looked up. I watched my ecstatic parents and the righteous Oliver while silently calculating in my mind. Half of the Baxter family fortune was worth at least 100 million dollars.

However, I had other plans. I slowly stood up, met Oliver's gaze, and said mockingly, "You want to use my surgical method? Did I ever authorize that?"

Oliver was caught off guard. Then, he looked at me with anguish. "Amelia! At a time like this, you're still concerned about that? Saving lives is what matters!"

I shrugged casually, my tone firm. "A life is a life, but a patent is a patent. If you operate without my authorization, I'll sue you until you're ruined, and you'll never wear a white coat again."

"Amelia!" Oliver's face paled with anger.

Dad was trembling with rage and pointed at me, scolding me. "Amelia! You're being completely unreasonable! You're really going to let Sonia die over money and a patent?"

I looked at him coldly, as if looking at a stranger. "Make up your mind. The patient doesn't have forever."

Time passed minute by minute, and the surrounding discussions intensified. However, I showed no sign of urgency whatsoever.

Finally, Dad gritted his teeth and accepted my conditions. "Fine! I agree! As long as you give authorization, I'll immediately call a lawyer afterward and transfer half of all my shares to you!"

I smiled and pulled out a voice recorder from my pocket, pressing the record button. "Dad, please say it again… That you voluntarily give me half of your shares in Baxter Group as the licensing fee for my patent."

Dad's face turned purple with anger, but he still repeated the words through clenched teeth.

Satisfied, I put away the recorder and gave Oliver a slight nod. "Go ahead. I hope your hands are steadier than mine."

With that, I walked straight out of the office under my parents' disgusted looks and Oliver's disappointed gaze.

However, I didn't go home. Instead, I went to the coffee shop across from the hospital. There, I ordered the most bitter black coffee.

Through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, I could see the lights that had turned on in the surgical building.

They got what they wanted, and so did I.