Ivy put her phone aside and started to focus on planning the second phase of Shawn's surgery. "Don't you see it yet?" This day, Roland brought doctors to reevaluate her and announced that she could leave the hospital and return to the clinic. "Rumors say that the city is selecting the most promising young doctors in City A, and that old man Bob Alter is trying to boost his daughter-in-law's candidacy!" Ivy chuckled. "But why does supporting her require defaming me?" "Because you're shining right now," Roland said mysteriously, "thanks to DT Investment's operation. You're now considered the most promising female orthopedic surgeon in the entire City A. If Shawn's surgery is a major success, your achievements will be world-class." "Senior, this is the surgical plan for the second phase of Shawn's operation. Can you take a look to see if any adjustments are needed?" She handed the plan to Roland, showing little interest in the earlier conversation. Roland stared at her and gave her a reproachful look before taking the plan and leaving in frustration. On the other hand, in Shawn's hospital room, Jasson was peeling an apple for him, a rare act of kindness. "Grandma needs to leave for a while, so let me take care of you," he offered the apple to Shawn, but the man's face remained unresponsive. "Why isn't she worried after such a major surgery?" Shawn suddenly asked. "Huh?" Jasson fell into silence for a moment, taking several seconds to realize that "she" in Shawn's question referred to Ivy. "No, Shawn. Why are you sulking here?" Jasson was exasperated. "She does care about you. Didn't you see how she looked after completing your surgery? She was sweating as if she had carried several pounds of weight. I felt sorry for her." "Then... why when I woke up, she wasn't the first person I saw?" Shawn looked puzzled as he stared at the apple in his hand. His grandmother had said that the wife of the patient in the neighboring room, was always by his side, never leaving. But in his case, he could hardly see his wife, except for her regular morning checkups. "Because she doesn't love you," Jasson replied casually. "You two have only been married for a few months, and your relationship isn't deep enough. If you want her to be with you all the time, I think..."He began to calculate on his fingers, "you'll have to wait for the final surgery." "..." An unpeeled apple was thrown into Jasson's arms. "I don’t want to eat the apple." Jasson wasn't offended, saying, "Don't get angry with me. You know your wife has a straight personality. Her world revolves around patients, and you're now one of her patients. So, she treats everyone the same." Shawn's face darkened, and he grumbled, "Get out!" With Jasson gone, Shawn received a call from Director White. "Cato, when will you be back from your business trip?" "I'll be back in a while." "Well, Cato, the City Health Committee plans to select a rising star in City A's medical field from ten young doctors. You have a wealth of experience in the medical field and have interacted with many people in the healthcare system. We would like you to recommend a candidate for the rising star. What do you think?" Director White's voice had a sly undertone. "Alter Group is preparing to recommend Tanya from City A's First Hospital..." Shawn silently cursed the old fox. Bob Alter was recommending Tanya, and Director White wanted to make sure he couldn't be blamed for this. So, he called Shawn to discuss the situation and give him a heads-up. He was asking Shawn to recommend a candidate as well, making it clear that DT Group and Alter Group would be competing. Since Alter and DT couldn't cooperate under any circumstances, this was what Director White wanted to see. If that was the case, Shawn would gladly comply. After some thought, he readily agreed, "Since Director White has requested it, what reason do I have to refuse?" Director White paused for a moment, then chuckled with a deeper meaning. "I like working with clever people like you. Whom do you plan to recommend?" Director White asked. "Ivy." "Ivy?" Director White repeated in disbelief. "Ivy Jones from the County Clinic? I've met her. She's a smart and skilled doctor, but... she has a history of accidents." Director White’s voice revealed his hesitation. "It would be very helpful. The County Clinic is located in the poorest and most bustling county in City A. If they have an excellent doctor, wouldn't it benefit your work?" Shawn replied thoughtfully. "That's true." Director White clapped his thigh, pondered for a moment, and agreed, "I will send the notice, asking the County Clinic to prepare the necessary documents." After a few more pleasantries, they hung up the call. Jasson entered the room with an apple he favored and saw that Shawn was still in a gloomy mood. He pouted and said, "Don't say I don't care about you. Your Doctor Jones is in the neighboring ward, checking on a child named Max." "Max..." Shawn frowned. Why did Max need two check-ups in one day? He had been in the hospital for several months, and his condition wasn't serious enough to warrant both morning and afternoon check-ups. And... Shawn glanced at the clock. At this hour, it should be his turn! Shawn felt frustrated. He was a well-respected man, and yet he wasn't given any special treatment. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Jasson saw through Shawn's thoughts, and his eyes sparkled mischievously. He asked, "Do you want Doctor Jones to come over right now?" Shawn's gloomy eyes suddenly brightened. "Since Doctor Jones is attending to another patient, it means that patient needs her more than I do." "Tsk!" Jasson was speechless. "I asked you to pretend! Now, go ahead and pretend. Hurry up, pretend for me!" He got up and returned to the door of the ward, where he issued a crafty smile to Shawn. Shawn raised an eyebrow, "What are you planning?" "I want to see if she cares about you!" Jasson replied. "And also, I want to assess whether she's worthy of me calling her 'sister-in-law.'" With those words, Jasson suddenly began shouting loudly, "Help, help! Doctor Jones, something's wrong! Shawn has passed out! Doctor Jones, help!" Shawn's mouth twitched, and he prepared to scold Jasson. However, from the corridor, he heard a rush of hurried footsteps. "What happened? Is Shawn okay?" Ivy's voice approached from a distance. Shawn's complexion paled, and he rapidly lay back on the bed, closed his eyes, tensed his muscles, and ‘fainted’ instantly. Simultaneously, Jasson, who was having a good time, ran to the bedside and began frantically shaking Shawn's body, imitating the frantic actions he had seen on TV. The man was now extremely irritated, but he waited for Jasson with his piercing gaze. "Don't overdo it!" Jasson was startled, and he quickly toned down his shaking. He had gone overboard, and the gentle shaking motion returned. At that moment, Ivy arrived with Alyssa and witnessed the scene. A bad feeling welled up within her as she took a sharp intake of breath. "Shawn!" She rushed forward quickly, forcing herself to remain calm. She gestured for Jasson to step aside and, with Alyssa's assistance, prepared to begin resuscitation efforts. However, no matter what she tried, Shawn didn't regain consciousness. "Dr. Jones, all of Mr. Tate's vital signs are stable, but he's not waking up," Alyssa fretted as she paced around the room. Ivy's eyes involuntarily welled up with tears. Taking a deep breath, she suppressed her unease. "Alyssa, go call Dr. Rolland. Nurse Zaya and Maya, prepare for surgery." "Surgery?" Jasson's voice came from outside the room, and he realized that things had taken a wrong turn. He thought they were playing a simple prank, but it seemed to have backfired in a big way. "Do we really need surgery?" he asked, trying to ease the heavy atmosphere. Ivy noticed his guilty expression and immediately understood what had happened. She lifted the blanket from Shawn and sternly said, "You don't have to pretend." With those words, she saw Shawn move slightly, and he reluctantly opened his eyes. Ivy's gaze turned icy, and her face showed a trace of anger.In the background, Jasson felt extremely awkward. "You didn't understand. I'm playful, I'm childish, and I didn't consider his objections. Ivy, don't be mad at him; be mad at me instead. Punish me!" Ivy didn't respond to Jasson. She turned her attention to Shawn, and her expression grew cold. Alyssa realized she had been fooled and scolded Shawn in a low voice. "Mr. Tate, you're not a child anymore. Can't you distinguish between seriousness and jokes? Don't you understand?" "He understands!" Jasson chimed in urgently. "I'm the one who didn't understand. I was playful and didn't care about his objections. Ivy, don't be mad at him; be mad at me. You can punish me!" Ivy paid no attention to Jasson. She stared at Shawn's face, making his heart pound for no reason. Shawn instinctively wanted to escape her gaze, but Ivy asked in a cold voice, "Is this fun?" The man felt his throat tighten, and he coughed lightly. "I... I..." He was about to apologize, but Ivy had already turned and walked toward the door. "Alyssa, stay here and handle things." Sensing Ivy's genuine anger, Shawn’s body reacted unconsciously. He tried to get up from the bed and stand on the floor. His legs, which had just been operated on, thumped onto the floor, causing him to grimace in pain. ***