Super Zoo

The next day, Suming personally accompanied Park Cheol-bin on a trip to the city hospital.

When they set out, Park Cheol-bin's arms held an extra cat.

Cats don't judge by appearance. Whether Park Cheol-bin looked like a little monster or Song Zhongji made no difference in the eyes of a feline. Perhaps it was the comforting aura of this sunlit youth with a disease that made Miao San, the usually rambunctious kitten, sit quietly in his lap.

In the hospital, Suming wheeled a frightfully-looking young man, whose lap cradled a serene tabby cat.

After a complete examination from head to toe, the results were disappointing, yet unsurprising.

The medical standards at Yangchuan City First People's Hospital weren't top-tier nationwide, but neither were they mediocre. However, the several chief physicians were utterly clueless, facing this bizarre illness for the first time.

One of the chief physicians, in his forties, marveled and claimed that he had read about such a disease in a foreign medical journal. There were only a few cases worldwide, and Park Cheol-bin might be the only one who has lived until now.

"Are you a family member?" the doctor asked Suming alone.

Suming thought for a moment and said, "Yeah, please speak directly."

"Judging by your attire, your family seems to be well off," the doctor worded his advice carefully, "If he has any wishes, you should fulfill them as much as possible. Given the rate of his condition's deterioration, he has about three to four years left."

"Is there absolutely no hope?" Suming asked.

Accustomed to life and death, the doctor shook his head with a smile, "That's not exactly true. Human bodies are quite amazing with a powerful self-healing capability. Even with terminal illnesses, one can't say death is certain."

"Then..."

"Of course, I'm speaking theoretically. Don't get your hopes up too much unless a miracle occurs," the doctor said, catching his breath before continuing, "Treatment isn't very effective, but you can bring him in regularly to monitor his cellular condition. If the cells' atrophy slows down or stops, it means the illness is stabilizing. In the extreme case where the cells start repairing themselves, it indicates recovery. But like I said, don't hold your hopes high. It's a slim chance."

Suming understood. The doctor was suggesting in a roundabout way to bring Park Cheol-bin for regular checkups to monitor how much longer he could live.

Though he had anticipated such an outcome, Suming still found it challenging to accept the doctor's calm discussion of someone's life and death.

To the doctor, it's a profession, and patients are likely just subjects of his work. But to ordinary people, like Suming, each one is a living person--and in this case, a child.

"Let's go, the doctor said it's pretty stable," said Suming, pushing Park Cheol-bin towards the exit, seemingly casual as he touched the feeding bag hanging on his wheelchair, "Is there a special recipe for your food? I'll have someone custom-make it at the hospital in the future."

Park Cheol-bin couldn't eat normally, so Suming planned to try adding some of the special meat into his liquid food; otherwise, there was no subtle way to feed him "Tai Sui."

It was a desperate measure, like treating a dead horse as if it could be cured. Even if it were poison, it had to be tried if there was the slightest chance of life.

"Not at all, it's just some common nutritional elements. Uncle Su, I'll tell you a secret, but don't tell my mom. To avoid worrying her, I always pretend it tastes good, but actually, it's horribly disgusting..."

Park Cheol-bin chuckled, startling several nearby patients who quickly distanced themselves.

Seeing their reactions, Park Cheol-bin sighed deeply. No matter how mature and sensible he might act when surrounded by people, he was a child at the end of the day. With no mother around, there was no need to feign strength.

"No problem!" Suming ruffled his hair and said, "I happen to own a catering company. Besides nutritional elements, I'll have them mix different ingredients every time to create flavors you'll like."

Park Cheol-bin, unlike a typical child, responded eagerly without politeness, "That's great! Just don't put any dog meat. My dad owns a dog meat restaurant, and we often have it at home. I feel sick to my stomach whenever I smell it."

The tabby cat that had been quietly lying on his lap raised its head and squinted at him, probably wondering how such evil creatures as dogs could be edible.

"Let's go, I'll take you out," Suming said, offering to show him around.

Park Cheol-bin's poor health prevented him from doing normal kid activities like going to amusement parks, watching movies, or eating out. So Suming decided to take him directly to the newly opened Hong's Restaurant to discuss his future 'menu' with Hong Feifei.

The young fellow, hearing about going to a restaurant, sensibly asked Suming to buy him a hat and a big mask along the way.

This gesture slightly saddened Suming; the child was worried about scaring other customers and affecting the restaurant's business.

Suming himself wasn't even 25 years old. According to Nangong, he matured early, possibly yearning for his own children, which made him especially tender-hearted towards kids.

Interestingly enough, since Suming no longer worried about life and with Nangong by his side without much concern, they often got carried away, resulting in frequent unprotected encounters. But despite the numerous attempts, Nangong never showed any signs of being affected.

Having a child would further stabilize the relationship between Nangong and Suming. Nangong was puzzled; they both went to the hospital for an examination and turned out to be perfectly healthy—in fact, healthier than one could be.

The doctor joked that with their physical condition, if they were willing, forming a football team would be hard, but a basketball team would be no problem.

Damn it.

Using Suming's words, it was like sleeping with a dog; using Nangong's words, it was like being ****...

Hong's Restaurant had been packed to the brim every day since its opening, initially drawing in a crowd fascinated by Whisperwind Pavilion's reputation and the draw of the comic parrots. It's said that now, they have many repeat customers. Arriving in the private room on the third floor, Suming calls over your head chef and, not recognizing that Suming was the big boss, the newbie waiter was startled and stuttered, "The head chef is the boss lady, if there's any issue, I'll try my best to solve it for you."

Great, another addition to the legend of the 'boss lady'. Initially wanting to reprimand the waiter, the words were on the tip of his tongue when he suddenly remembered that this wasn't a rumor after all.

It was all his own doing!

When he pretended to be Hong Feifei's boyfriend to deceive her father, Hong Bo may not have completely believed it, but now, investing in Hong Family Cuisine had solidified the relationship.

Without a close relationship, how could someone invest tens of millions without a second thought?

Hong Bo was in charge of a restaurant group, and it was inevitable that his speech would reveal this kind of information. Once it spread among the various managers and waiters below, it became 'the boss lady'.

That was careless!

The boss lady, now with her own enterprise, looked even more radiant and walked with a confident stride, just like when he first met her at the cooking competition during the fishing ceremony in Huayin County.

Confident to the core.

Most people's first reaction upon seeing Park Cheol-bin was as if they'd seen a ghost, especially women. The female clerk who shrieked like a banshee when she saw Park Cheol-bin coming out of the ladies' restroom in the office building, her scream seemed to echo in his ears.

Hong Feifei, worthy of being a woman who wields a knife, had a boldness not comparable to ordinary people. Park Cheol-bin took off his hat and mask in front of her, revealing his true face, and she was only slightly stunned before she began discussing business as usual.

"A menu? Needs to be delicious and liquid? Hmm, and it needs to be nutritious..." Hong Feifei stroked her chin, her eyes spinning.

"Is it difficult?" Suming asked, not very reassured.

Hong Feifei gave him a puzzled look and muttered, "Isn't this just an upgraded version of eight-treasure porridge... Oh, if you think the name isn't grand enough, just call it medicinal cuisine. Meat and vegetarian medicinal dishes, with various Chinese herbal medicines, delicious and healthy, this is too easy."

"Ah?..." Suming and Park Cheol-bin were both stunned. What seemed like a difficult problem was simply resolved by her in one sentence, becoming 'too easy'?

"Specialization is key. Like an appendectomy for doctors, that's the simplest minor surgery, but try asking a layman to open up someone's stomach and have a look?" said Hong Feifei.

"Yes, yes..." Suming realized that with Nangong Yan leading these women, each of them, once they showed their spirit, acted like tough customers in front of him, nodding and smiling, "Right, right, you all wield knives."

"Spare me." Hong Feifei stood up, "Perfect timing, my family has a few secret court medicinal recipes, truly fit for an emperor to replenish the body, balanced and moderate in nature, and they even taste pretty good. I used to make them for a late-night snack when I had some free time. I'll make a pot this afternoon; you guys come to have a taste after seven-thirty tonight."

Medicinal cuisine wasn't like frying a dish that could be done in a few minutes; without the right heat, the flavor and medicinal properties wouldn't be released.

Looking at his watch, there were almost ten hours left until seven-thirty that evening. Suming wasn't usually one for shopping and strictly speaking, aside from work, he was reluctant to go out. If he had time, he would rather stay in at his Waterside Residence to nap and 'nourish his health.' Considering Park Cheol-bin wasn't in good health, he really wasn't sure where to take him next.

After some thought, it was better to stick with what he knew rather than guessing, so he decided to take him in the car for a tour of the companies under his name.

Fortunately, each company had its own unique features, and they weren't just ordinary offices. Whether it was the fish farm, the distillery, or the live-streaming platform, each offered something fun. Even the most 'normal' looking film company had a decent screening room.

It was a good opportunity for him, the boss, to make a surprise inspection, killing two birds with one stone.

After the tour, he even took Park Cheol-bin to see a bustling '97 version of "All's Well, Ends Well," the original Cantonese version.

The original version, without subtitles. Suming could barely understand it, but Park Cheol-bin understood everything, which made Mr. Su feel quite embarrassed.

That evening, back at Hong's Restaurant, Hong Feifei truly brought out a pot of 'porridge' stewed in a white clay pot, with a mixture of meat and vegetables. As soon as the lid was lifted, the entire private room was filled with an appetizing aroma.

The three of them sat down together, with Suming and the others using spoons, while Park Cheol-bin's equipment was a large straw. The sound of slurping filled the room, and the pot of medicinal cuisine was quickly emptied.

"This is so delicious, I admire Sister Hong's cooking skills. If only I had come here earlier," Park Cheol-bin praised as he leaned back in his wheelchair.

Suming rolled his eyes, this kid had no sense of loyalty; why was he calling me Uncle but calling her Sister?

"Mr. Su..."

He brought up the very thing he shouldn't have mentioned. After finishing his meal, Park Cheol-bin said, "The companies you took me to today, do you own a controlling stake in them?"

"Yes." Suming nodded, wondering what he was getting at.

"Hmm..." Park Cheol-bin hesitated before speaking, and Suming said with a smile, "It's okay to speak up, no worries."

"Well, it's like this, I think those are all good companies, but the way they are combined, the structure isn't very rational, it may not be beneficial for future development," Park Cheol-bin said.

Suming was startled, "Go on, I'm listening."