Chapter 29 The Lecture

I was under the notion that Old Man Xie had refused the director's offer because he did not want any more relation to strangers. Even so, as we were on our way to the restaurant, the old man revealed to me that the dinner was only a guise for the director's ulterior motive. Then again, Old Man Xie's bizarre way of curing the patients had indeed sent ripples of wonders across everyone at the hospital. It should have been expected that they would most certainly want to know the truth behind the old man selection of the herb. With Lin Feng behind us, we followed the director's car and came to a restaurant. From the design of its outer facade, it seemed that the director had decided no price was too high to learn a thing or two from the great Xie Bingyi. The meal here would surely hardly be able to escape a three-figure bill. Once we got to the table, the director began pouring wine for Old Man Xie in earnest. "Master Xie," he said, "Your reputation precedes you. To think that we have the fortune to receive you today..." Beside him, Old Man Xie looked more interested in quaffing his wine than responding to his theatrics. But the director was hardly a simple person. Realizing Old Man Xie's frostiness, he turned to me and raised his glass. "Still, we have you to thank, young man. If it were not for you who had help enlisted Master Xie for his help, we would still be neck-deep in trouble!" He immediately emptied his glass respectfully and I too drained my tumbler in a gulp. Seeing this, the director commended. "You drink well, young man." I flashed a thin smile in reply, saying nothing. "Long have we heard that Master Xie prefers a quiet and simple life," the director continued, "A talented recluse who never leaves his abode to treat a patient. But yet, Master Xie chose the humble vocation of serving as a counselor at a National Studies Institute. Since you are able to request for Master Xie's immediate help, I wager that you are also hardly unextraordinary yourself, young man!" You clearly heard how Old Man Xie had spoken to me, I thought quietly. Surely the pompous imbecile had more or less surmised our closeness. By complimenting me, the director, now swelling with fetid flatulence, was obliquely giving Old Man Xie a raving ovation. Instead, Old Man Xie, after hearing his portentous words of tribute, merely snorted morbidly, sending a wave of chill across the table and everyone's smile froze, embarrassed and flustered. Pretending that nothing had happened, the director begged meekly. "Earlier, I heard Master Xie addressing you as 'my boy'... Are you..." "My father is the head person of the Institute," I said sharply, cutting him off as he returned with a bewildered "Oh".