Chapter 9 Smooth Transfer
Just as Larry was on the phone with Gael, James Scott, the head of the Oceanbridge City Health Department, was in his office.
Suddenly, the office phone rang.
"Hello?" James picked up the phone and held it to his ear.
James was 45 years old, with thinning hair and deep eyes. Not a lot could be where he was at his age.
"It's me, John," John Rusk said in a deep voice.
"Mr. Rusk!"
James turned serious and respectful at once.
He hadn't expected John to call him personally. After all, John was such an important figure.
John was the head of the Family Financial Management Center, controlling a quarter of Starlight City's economy. Everyone regarded him as the high and mighty figure in Starlight City.
And he was the head of the Health Department. Of course, he was nothing compared to John.
"A favor?" John said.
"Whatever you need, Mr. Rusk!" James said, his face brightening.
He thought, 'If I do Mr. Rusk a favor, he'll be in my debt.
'Play it right, and I might be one of the core powerful figures in the city within 5 years!'
Meanwhile, John said, "Tell Royalty Hospital to transfer a patient named Daniel Wilson to the highest-level ward as quickly as they can."
"I'm on it!"
James said immediately. For him, such a matter was a piece of cake.
"Good. Mr. Anderson won't forget about you," John said before hanging up.
"Mr. Anderson?"
James' eyes flickered as he thought of something. In the next second, his pupils shrunk, and he was shocked. Even his breathing became rapid.
"Could it be..."
Taking a deep breath, he tried his best to keep his cool. If it was indeed what he was thinking, he might become the mayor!
Immediately, he shouted, "Bob! Get me Royalty Hospital! No, wait! I'll call them myself!"
***
At Royalty Hospital, Larry was still on the phone.
Gael said, "Sorry, Larry, but I don't think I can pull it off." Though he sounded apologetic, his voice was as cold as ever.
"What?" Larry's expression changed, and he hesitated. Then he said, "But before..."
"As you said, it was before. Things have changed. The highest-level ward is exclusive to big shots, federal directors at least, whereas Daniel is just a nobody.
"I might be able to pull it off a few days earlier, but not anymore."
Then Gael hung up the phone.
"Well?"
Seeing Larry put the phone away, the others gathered around him, wondering.
Larry was a sophisticated man after all. Though he was turned down by Gael and was a bit disappointed, he remained composed.
Smiling, he said, "Mr. Locke said that he would see what he could do, but there was no guarantee."
"Makes sense. After all, the highest-level ward isn't just for anyone."
"Well, Larry, I'm impressed that you've managed to be friends with the director! Good for you! You're so well-connected."
One of the relatives gave Larry a thumbs-up, looking envious.
"My son wants to work at the government this year. Larry, can you do something?"
Larry said confidently, "No worries. Consider it done!"
Meanwhile, a doctor in a white coat walked in.
He looked about 50 years old, radiating an aura of authority, and his eyes behind thick glasses were sharp.
Upon entering, he scanned the room and asked, "Who's Mr. Anderson's family?"
"Me!"
Larry's eyes flickered as he stepped forward promptly. "I'm Larry Crichton, his son-in-law."
"Hi, Mr. Crichton," the doctor looked at Larry and said in a flattering tone. "I'm Robert Dunbar, the hospital's director. I just got the news a minute ago and am here to personally see to Mr. Wilson's transfer."
"What?"
Larry was stunned, suspecting he'd heard wrong.
He thought, 'Mr. Locke said there was nothing he could do. What's happening?
'And if I'm not wrong, Mr. Dunbar is kinda buttering me up!
'He's the hospital's director, whereas I'm just a patient's family member. How come he's buttering me up?'
"Larry is really something!"
The Wilson family's relatives heard Robert's words, too. Their expressions changed rapidly as they started to discuss.
"With a call he made, Daniel gets to be transferred!"
"Didn't you hear? Larry was on the phone with a high-level government official!"
"I'm impressed! Larry is so well-connected!"
"Noah may have 16 thousand dollars, but so what?"
"You're right. Having money doesn't make him Larry."
Larry had reacted and grinned right away.
"Thanks, Mr. Dunbar!"
After speaking, he bowed to Robert.
"Don't mention it!"
Robert's expression changed as he hastened to hold Larry up, beaming.
"It's my honor to be of help!"
Then he wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking flattered indeed.
"I can get it done within 15 minutes. Mr. Wilson will be transferred to the best ward we have!"
In the next second, several nurses came in, helping Daniel prepare.
"OK then..."
Puzzled, Larry thought, 'Mr. Dunbar indeed treats me with great respect. Why?
'I guess it's because of Mr. Locke. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been like this at all.
'I owe Mr. Locke a proper thank you!'
Soon, Daniel was transferred to the hospital's most advanced ward.
His relatives tagged along.
They checked out the surroundings, whispering.
"The room lives up to its reputation indeed. It's so spacious, and the lighting is great. See the instruments? They're state-of-the-art!"
"I heard that there are professional nurses around the clock here. Ordinary wards are so shabby compared to this!"
"Daniel only gets to be here because of Larry!"
"Noah is also Daniel's son-in-law, but he could pull this off."
Larry waved his hand. Though he looked smug, he said, pretending to be modest, "You're flattering me. As the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. What Noah can do is limited, and I'm sure chipping in is already the best he can do. As his brother-in-law, of course, I ought to contribute more, even though it means I've got to use all my connections.
"Besides, it's Mr. Locke we should be thanking. He's the one who makes this happen."
One of the relatives gave him a thumbs-up. "Larry, you're understating.
"Noah should look up to you as a role model!"
Noah looked on indifferently at everything unfolding before him, not exposing Larry. A plan began to form in Noah's mind. Given Larry's capabilities, he didn't know the dean, and now Larry's admission that the transfer was of his own doing carried considerable risk.
Larry and Sarah often insulted him, and his in-laws had never believed in him. At this point, for Noah to explain that it was he who orchestrated the transfer would be meaningless.
All he had to do was wait, wait for the moment when the dean of the Royal Hospital would arrive to expose Larry.
That moment would not only reveal Larry’s lies but would also erode the goodwill and trust everyone had towards Larry.
This was Noah’s complete strategy.
Larry thought he had gotten the better end of the deal, but in reality, he had fallen into the elaborate trap that Noah had set. Now, Noah just had to wait to unveil Larry, to ensure that this deceiver received his just punishment.
