9 Chapter 9: Is This the Sorcerer Supreme?!

New York Presbyterian Hospital.

"Thank you for your hard work, Dr. Strange."

A doctor, dressed in surgical attire, breathed a sigh of relief and expressed his gratitude to his colleague, Dr. Stephen Strange.

According to the usual schedule, this type of surgery would take at least thirty hours.

However, under Dr. Strange's expertise, the surgery was successfully completed in just three hours.

Although Dr. Strange's arrogance was off-putting, his colleague had to admit that he indeed possessed a pair of "miracle hands."

"Sorry, I have something else to attend to. I must leave now."

Dr. Strange, unaware of his colleague's thoughts, removed his gloves and massaged his sore shoulders.

As he pushed open the door of the operating room, before he could even exhale, he saw a couple anxiously approaching him.

"Doctor, our daughter..."

"The surgery was very successful. She will be able to speak and walk soon."

Without waiting for them to ask, Dr. Strange informed the patient's family directly.

Upon hearing that their daughter was safe, the couple burst into tears of joy.

"That's wonderful, truly wonderful. Thank you, Doctor, thank you!"

The husband shook Dr. Strange's hand, expressing his gratitude excitedly.

Dr. Strange calmly withdrew his hand and said to the couple, "Due to the anesthesia, she will wake up a little later. You can go home and rest for now."

The wife shook her head excitedly, saying, "No, I want to stay with our daughter until she wakes up."

Dr. Strange nodded and said no more, turning to leave.

Just as he stepped out of the hospital corridor, he heard a voice behind him, "Please wait, Dr. Strange."

Dr. Strange turned around to see his female colleague, Christine, from the emergency room, approaching him.

He stopped and waited for her to approach. "You look good today, Christine."

Christine shrugged. "I always look good. I heard you comforting the patient's family earlier, which is quite different from the Dr. Strange I remember."

"Hmm."

Dr. Strange smiled and said, "I told them to go home and rest for a moment because I was concerned they might collapse and be unable to pay for the surgery due to the anesthesia."

Christine was taken aback by his words.

After a moment, she said softly, "That's the Dr. Strange I know."

Arrogant and brilliant, but not someone people like.

"After all, they need a doctor to cure their daughter, not a psychiatrist to comfort them, right? Christine."

Unfazed, Dr. Strange quickly changed the subject, "By the way, there's a medical lecture at New York University tonight. Can I invite you?"

Christine smiled, exchanged greetings with passing colleagues, then turned back to him, "Although I'm interested in medical lectures, I have to work tonight, so I'm sorry."

Although she could ask her colleagues to cover her shift, she felt she needed to carefully consider going on a date with such an arrogant guy.

The invitation was declined, but Dr. Strange didn't mind.

For a successful man who lived in a big house and drove a Lamborghini, he was not lacking in female companionship.

As they chatted, they reached the elevator.

*Ding*!

The elevator door opened.

Peter looked up.

Standing at the elevator entrance were Dr. Strange and Christine.

Doctor Strange?

His gaze was immediately drawn to Dr. Strange's very distinctive face.

Originally, Peter had found the name Stephen Strange familiar from the introduction at the New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Now he remembered that the person in front of him was the brilliant doctor who had not yet become Doctor Strange.

Numerous thoughts raced through his mind, but Peter's expression remained unchanged as he quickly averted his gaze and stepped into the elevator.

At this point, the other party did not know magic yet, nor was he the sorcerer with the Time Stone.

He wasn't interested in this kind of Doctor Strange.

After the two passed each other, Dr. Strange frowned and looked at Peter's back.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing Dr. Strange's gaze fixed on a stranger, Christine couldn't help but ask curiously.

"Nothing."

Dr. Strange shook his head, pressed the button for the basement floor, and asked Christine, "Which floor are you going to?"

"The second floor."

Christine pressed the button for the second floor, "Second floor, Anesthesiology. I need to attend a small meeting, hopefully won't take too much time."

In the elevator, the atmosphere suddenly became quiet.

Dr. Strange recalled the strange feeling he had just experienced, and his brow almost furrowed into a knot.

When he brushed past the other person earlier, his heartbeat quickened, his breath momentarily heavy, as if an invisible, terrifying pressure had suddenly descended upon him.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed aside this strange feeling and forced his attention to focus on the medical lecture tonight.

Hospital.

"Ryan Brown, you can call me Dr. Ryan."

In the examination room, a white doctor smiled and introduced himself to Peter.

"As we discussed on the phone, Dr. Ryan."

Peter glanced around the room and sat across from Dr. Ryan.

Dr. Ryan Brown wore glasses, appeared to be in his early thirties, and had a gentle smile on his lips.

He showed no signs of being offended by Peter's slightly offensive words. Instead, he stood up, walked to the door, and locked it.

"Yes, just as we agreed, I will keep your condition confidential, absolutely confidential, and I will be compensated accordingly."

Peter nodded, "That's good to hear. It's clear that Dr. Ryan is a smart and flexible doctor."

The Dr. Ryan in front of him was the consulting doctor Peter had contacted in advance.

Before entering the hospital, he had already investigated the other party's background.

Due to unauthorized acceptance of gratuities from patients' families and non-compliant operations, he had been warned by the hospital and had a poor reputation among colleagues.

It was for these reasons that Peter chose him as his doctor.

After all, doctors who could be easily bribed with money were the most suitable for his transactions.

"As per your request, I will not document this consultation, and I will destroy and erase any medical records of you in the hospital. In other words, only the two of us will know the results of this consultation."

Dr. Ryan pushed his glasses and assured Peter.

Although he didn't understand why the patient in front of him was going to such lengths for a medical consultation, adhering to his professional ethics of not asking too many questions, he forced himself to suppress his curiosity.

Moreover, although Peter's appearance seemed unusually young, the cold and dangerous aura emanating from him made Dr. Ryan instinctively regard him as someone not to be trifled with, so he cooperated fully.

"Very well, I hope we have a pleasant cooperation!"

Peter was very satisfied with his professionalism.

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