In the dark night, Shawn opened his eyes and silently looked at the woman beside him, lost in thought. The next day, Ivy arrived early at the office. After receiving guidance from Shawn, Ivy quickly completed the project proposal and submitted it to Director Malcom. "Not bad, Dr. Jones. You finished the project proposal in just one night! Love is indeed the greatest human motivator!" Director Malcom praised. Ivy's lips twitched. She preferred dealing with patients, okay?! "Quickly send the electronic version of this proposal and see what DT Investments have to say," Director Malcom instructed. "Director, Dr. Ticko..." Dr. Ticko, who was standing nearby, gritted his teeth in secret but still couldn't help but suggest, "Dr. Jones doesn't have experience in this field. Maybe we should all review it together. If there's any offensive language or terminology, it could offend Mr. Cato Alter..." "Yes, Director Malcom, Dr. Ticko is a genius in this field. Perhaps, considering the proposal we submitted to the Alter Group earlier, we can revise and consolidate it as the final version?" Jenny chimed in. "No need," Director Malcom waved his hand. "Send it first; we'll make changes if necessary." After the meeting, Dr. Ticko returned to his office, with Jenny following closely behind. With a loud bang, Dr. Ticko pounded his fist on the desk. "For over a decade, I've poured my heart and soul into the clinic, and it's come to this!" Jenny hadn't expected Director Malcom to place so much trust in Ivy this time. She asked with a dejected look, "Doctor, what should we do now?" "What should we do?" Dr. Ticko smirked. "If she dares to snatch my things, I'll make her reputation in this industry utterly tarnished!" Ivy's project proposal unexpectedly went smoothly. DT Investments quickly called her, saying, "Mr. Cato Alter has reviewed the proposal and loves it. We'll send you the contract soon, and our group project manager will visit the clinic next week to begin our collaboration." After hanging up the phone, Ivy felt surprised and somewhat unreal. Her mind was filled with Shawn's evaluation of Cato Alter. "His money is easy to swindle." She wasn't one to underestimate herself, but to be honest, an ordinary clinic didn't seem to have much investment value. However, this was no longer her concern. What mattered most was completing the project quickly so she could focus on taking care of her patients again. After reporting DT Investments' response to Director Malcom, Ivy got up and headed to the inpatient department. A few days ago, a young boy named Max came to the clinic. While his parents were working near their home, he was playing on a tractor and was accidentally thrown from a height, injuring his knee by hitting a metal gate. After Dr. Ticko performed the surgery, he handed the boy over to Ivy for observation, claiming it was for her "practice." However, Ivy was quite concerned about Max's condition and paid extra attention. "Dr. Jones, Max has gone for an examination and will be back in half an hour," said Maya, a nurse in the inpatient department. "Okay, I'll come back after lunch," Ivy replied expressionlessly and left. "Goodbye, Dr. Jones," Maya said with a smile on her face, but her eyes revealed a strong dislike for Ivy. Why did this emotionless woman get such a good project? Why was Dr. Ticko, who was known for his kindness, being targeted? "I just can't understand Director Malcom's perplexing behavior," Zaya complained as she entered Jenny's office. Zaya and a few other nurses were snacking on melon seeds in Jenny's office, sighing in sympathy for Dr. Ticko. "Isn't it because she's having an affair with Director Malcom?" "Let it go; we don't have the nerve for that," Maya said, suddenly perking up. "I heard from Director Malcom's assistant that he's having lunch with Dr. Jones today. Should we go and take a few sneaky photos?" "Great idea!" Jenny raised her head and pretended to get up, but she quickly sat back down, feigning a difficult expression. "Oh, I can't do that. I have to follow up with a patient later. Zaya, Maya, why don't you two go instead? I'll join you after I'm done." "Sounds good."The three of them made a plan and went off to carry out their respective tasks. Ivy and Director Malcom waited together outside the office, planning to grab a quick meal at a nearby fast-food place. She intended to take this opportunity to discuss the collaboration proposal with Director Malcom regarding DT Investments. "Dr. Jones, I listened to what you said, and I believe that DT Investments is genuinely looking to do something significant. In this county, our clinic is the only one of its kind. If we can seize this opportunity and develop it, when it matures, it might not be a bad thing to have it integrated into the system," Director Malcom played his cards well, as the benefits of having it integrated would mean no more worrying about profit and loss. "Well, I'll go discuss with Dr. Ticko to clarify the technology and resources we need to upgrade and introduce, and when the time comes, we'll send it all to DT Investments," Ivy replied. After she finished speaking, Director Malcom couldn't help but look at her with an appreciative glance he couldn't hide, "It's rare to see you so open-minded and not wanting to take all the credit." Ivy was speechless. She was eager to give all the credit to Dr. Ticko and didn't want to spend too much time on matters unrelated to patients. "Dr. Jones, you may have many good qualities, but there's one thing you're not so good at," Director Malcom ate his fill and started discussing her career, "you're too straightforward, single-minded, and easily offend people." Ivy fell silent for a moment. "Director Malcom, I don't understand." "Do you know why I asked you to take over this collaboration?" Ivy shook her head. "Besides Dr. Ticko's qualifications, there's another reason. You care about the patients. You're always concerned about what the patients need. But, Ivy, why can't you see the essence of this collaboration when you know the patients should come first?" "The essence...?" Ivy murmured thoughtfully. Her once confused eyes suddenly brightened, as if the clouds had parted and she saw the sun. "Director Malcom, I understand." Director Malcom smiled with satisfaction. "You need to work hard to maintain this collaboration. In the future, patients will have the opportunity to access better medical resources and technology. Isn't this better than using the clinic's current, worn-out equipment to treat them?" "Yes!" Ivy's spirit was immediately invigorated. "Thank you, Director Malcom. I will do my best to make this collaboration a success."Director Malcom patted her shoulder and said, "Good, now get back to work." The two of them walked out of the fast-food place together without noticing that Maya and Zaya were in the corner, surreptitiously capturing their inappropriate moments on camera. They quickly returned to Jenny's office, satisfied with their work. "Later, I'll make sure that everyone in the entire clinic knows about their affair!" Maya happily said before running off. Jenny looked at the photos in her hand and forwarded them to her mentor. "Dr. Ticko, Maya did a great job, and she quickly got you what you wanted." Dr. Ticko: “Well done” Jenny: “Doctor, what should we do next?” Dr. Ticko: “How can small rumors from a little clinic be enough to harm Ivy? I want her family to be in turmoil!” Jenny's red lips curved slightly. "Then I'll help you." In a small town, rumors spread quickly. In the afternoon, when Ivy arrived at the ward to visit Max, Max's mother pushed her away with anger. "Get out of here! You homewrecker, don't dirty my son with your hands!" ***