Chapter 712
When Tristan arrived at the medical association to pick Sophie up, he saw a group of people walk out from afar.
Sophie was wearing a black double-breasted coat while her hair fluttered in the wind. With one hand stuffed in her pocket, she used the other to put on her mask.
Tristan waved the moment he saw her.
“Georgina, can I bring my boyfriend along?” Since Georgina was the one treating them to a meal, Sophie thought she should seek the former’s permission.
“Of course you can! I’m not that stingy. In that case, the five of us should go in different cars.”
“Why don’t you go in Arius’ car, as the weather doesn’t look good. It’s going to be hard to get a taxi. You can decide where you want to go, and we’ll follow you from behind.”
It would be difficult for five people to fit in one car, and it would also be inconvenient to send everyone home one by one later on.
Since Arius was driving that day, it made better sense to go in two cars.
“Is it all right?” Georgina turned to look at Arius. Despite the man’s nonchalant demeanor, she knew that Arius was a man of principle.
“Sure, let’s go. It’s freezing cold today. The last thing I want is to stand in the chilly wind.” Everything was great in Jipsdale except for its weather during winter.
As Sophie walked over to Tristan’s new sports car, the man got down and opened the door for her.
“Georgina wants to treat us to dinner. I hope you don’t mind.” He would have to eat alone at home otherwise.
“Of course I don’t.”
Even though Georgina didn’t come from a rich family, she picked a high-end restaurant for the sake of Sophie and the others.
It was her way of expressing her gratitude to her companions.
Nevertheless, the prices on the menu still elicited a gasp of shock from her.
D*mn it, even the salad is so expensive. When she shifted her attention to the main courses, she was further taken aback by the ridiculous prices.
Unfortunately, they were already seated in a private room within the restaurant. It would be extremely embarrassing for her to suggest a change of venue.
Thus, she had no choice but to bear with the sky-high prices.
“Please feel free to order whatever you want from the menu, as I would like to thank all of you for the care you’ve shown me. Without your help, I wouldn’t have been able to settle down in the medical association.”
When Arius began ordering from the menu without holding back, Georgina forced herself to stay calm.
It’s fine. At most, I’ll just scrimp and save for the rest of the month. It’s not like I haven’t lived like that before.
After ordering a few dishes, Arius passed the menu on to Sophie. “You can order the rest.”
Subsequently, Sophie ordered two more dishes that were Tristan’s favorite.
Well aware that she did so for his sake, Tristan leaned in and said, “Thank you.”
Sophie responded by holding his hand.
“What are you thanking me for? Since I’ve invited you to join us, it’s natural that I take into consideration what you like.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
Sophie ordered the dishes for Tristan since the ones Arius had ordered were to her liking.
Although the meal cost Georgina a month’s pay, she was still happy to enjoy a meal with them.
Thus, she wore a gleeful smile throughout the evening.
“Georgina, this is my boyfriend, Tristan. You’ll be seeing him more often going forward.” Now that Georgina had joined their circle, all of them would constantly meet in the future.
Georgina reciprocated by introducing herself, “Hi, Mr. Tristan, I’m Georgina Bates.”
As Tristan had always treated Sophie’s friends with cordiality, he responded warmly, “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’ve heard Sophie mention you a few times.”
“Georgina, are you able to finish the assignment I have given you?” Barney finally had the opportunity to ask her about the task he assigned her after being busy the entire day.
“I can manage.” She had trouble settling in initially but had now gotten the hang of it.
“I’m glad to hear that. Let’s all enjoy ourselves tonight. As we’ll be very busy for the next few months, we might not get to chat and have a good meal moving forward,” Barney remarked with a smile.
Even though what they were doing was extremely noble and great, it also took them a huge amount of effort and sacrifice.
“Dr. Smith, work might be important, but so is taking a break. Going forward, we’ll work when necessary, but also take a break when needed,” Arius replied with a grin.
Meanwhile, Patrick brought Simon to the same restaurant. Their family’s hospital was facing some problems recently.
Thus, both of them were there to treat the opposing party to dinner.
“Simon, now that I’m getting older, the future of the hospital lies in your hands. You cannot behave wilfully anymore, do you understand?” Patrick instructed with a solemn tone.
“I know, Dad. I’m all grown up now and capable of sharing your burden.”
Simon’s heart ached when he saw how much his father aged overnight.
All this while, he had always seen his father as someone amazing. No matter what problems he encountered, the latter would always help him resolve them.
However, he finally realized how foolish he was after witnessing his father begging for help all over the city.
When Patrick stepped into one of the private rooms together with Simon, there were already a few patrons sitting inside.
At the sight of Patrick, one of them commented with a smile, “Well, well. Isn’t this Mr. Little? What brings you here? Aren’t you supposed to be busy at Jipsdale Hospital at this hour?”
Facing the person who had just spoken, Patrick replied apologetically, “I’m really sorry, Mr. Zane. What happened was our hospital’s fault, and I’ve come here to apologize. I’ll agree to any demands you have, so please forgive us this time.”
Jacob Zane sneered, “Forgive you? Mr. Little, aren’t you supposed to be extremely capable? I’m sure you can resolve the problem we have.”
“Mr. Zane, I beg of you. Jipsdale Hospital—”
“Actually, I don’t mind letting the matter slide if you show your sincerity by groveling for forgiveness.”
Seething at the unreasonable demand, Simon clenched his fists.
His father had done a lot of good deeds, and Jipsdale Hospital had helped a lot of people. Hence, Patrick was well-respected among the many patients they had. It never crossed Simon’s mind that his father would one day be bullied by such a jerk.
“What did you say?” Simon responded in a raspy voice.
“Oh, what’s wrong? Do you refuse to get down on your knees? I suppose this is that debauching son of yours, Mr. Little. Anyway, I think it’s pointless to beg for forgiveness, as your hospital will be ruined sooner or later.”
Patrick’s eyes were filled with disbelief, as he had never been bullied and humiliated like this in his entire life.
Simon’s heart broke when he saw the predicament his father was in. Walking over, he held Patrick’s arm.
“Dad, let’s go!” He didn’t see the need to beg those men.
“Mr. Little, I’ll give you one last chance. If you walk out of here today, you can forget about obtaining my forgiveness.”
