Chapter 390 Not Up to the Task?
So, Eryx gave James a quick, half-hearted handshake and pulled his hand back like he touched something hot.
He was seriously wondering if Edwin was pulling a prank on him or if he sent one of his students as a joke.
After all, Eryx had been around for decades and had never seen a doctor this young who was already a professor. Usually, guys this age were still grinding through their training.
Even the youngest professor at his school wasn't this fresh-faced.
James had a major glow-up after the fire, his skin looking so good he could pass for a twenty-two-year-old, like he just walked out of college.
To Eryx, James was just a kid. Saying he had the chops to be an honorary professor was like a slap in the face to his intelligence.
And, he wasn't a big fan of Edwin, either.
But out of respect for Edwin's status, he still politely asked, "Edwin, are you sure this Dr. Smith you recommended is this young man here?"
Edwin got the hint and wasn't shocked. He knew Eryx would react this way, given how young James looked. In the medical world, age usually meant respect. Young docs were usually still figuring things out. But James was a unicorn, a real medical whiz.
"Eryx, don't let Dr. Smith's baby face fool you. His skills blow mine out of the water. Calling him a genius is no stretch," Edwin said with a grin. He had mad respect for James, especially after James cured Derek without asking for anything in return. That made Edwin admire him even more.
Considering Derek's status, even Edwin couldn't have been as chill and selfless as James. That was the kind of integrity and ethics a doctor should have, and Edwin felt a bit ashamed, realizing he was just a young doc.
But Eryx wasn't buying it. He thought Edwin was hyping James up too much and got even more skeptical, his old-school mindset clouding his judgment.
"Edwin, I think you should be the honorary professor. Everyone knows your rep in Serenity State, and only you can get the respect an honorary professor deserves," Eryx said, and the other leaders nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, Edwin. You're the big shot in Serenity State with the miracle doctor title. Only you can make this work. Name your price for the salary. Just drop by once a week for a lecture. Piece of cake."
"Edwin, we all think you're the better fit for the honorary professor job. Honestly, Dr. Smith is just too young to get the respect needed."
Everyone in the office chimed in, backing Edwin for the honorary professor role and brushing off James.
James just smiled quietly. He never wanted to be the honorary professor anyway; he was just there out of respect for Edwin.
Edwin frowned, waved his hand, and cut Eryx and the others off, "Eryx, I get it. You think Dr. Smith's too young to handle the job, right?"
Eryx and the crew nodded, not saying a word. Edwin kept going, "Look, you can chill. I'm telling you straight up, Dr. Smith's skills really impressed me. Anything I can fix, he can. Anything I can't, he still can. And if he can't, then no one on this planet can."
Edwin's words were solid, like he was stating a fact.
But, they sounded so over-the-top, it was hard to swallow.
Eryx and the others exchanged weird looks, doubt written all over their faces.
Honestly, they started thinking Edwin might need a doctor instead of recommending one.
How old was James, anyway? Even if he hadstarted learning medicine as a baby, it was only been a bit over twenty years. No matter how much of a prodigy he was, his skills couldn't be that top-tier. It was not that they didn’t believe in geniuses, but they knew how tough and complex medicine was. To be a top doc, years of experience and practice were necessary. That was just how it always had been.
So, hearing Edwin talk like that, they all figured he must be too old to think clearly.
This was the worst-case scenario for them. It meant their plan to snag a big-name honorary professor was a bust.
And that was a major letdown for the school.
Everyone here, including Eryx, was a doctor with a serious passion for medicine.
Finally, Eryx spoke up, "Edwin, I just remembered the vice principal already invited an honorary professor recently. I've been swamped and forgot. So, no need to trouble Dr. Smith. My bad."
His words made it clear he still didn’t buy into James.
James didn’t care. He never wanted the honorary professor gig anyway and couldn’t care less about what people thought of him.
But Arianwen couldn’t hold back and stood up, "The master's medical skills are off the charts. No one’s better than him. You guys should be lucky he even considered your school, and you don’t even get it. That’s just sad."
Since they walked in, Arianwen had been standing quietly next to James, blending into the background, so Eryx and the others didn’t even notice her. Now, with her speaking up, they were all taken aback. And the second glance at her nonplussed them even more.
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