He fully believed that in the near future, more specialists would successfully leverage traditional medicine during major surgeries.
For now, however, Claire was the sole pioneer in this frontier, and she needed to be fiercely protected.
It was not as though the authorities had not considered recruiting the young woman into their official ranks.
But this girl was not just a prodigy in traditional practices; her expertise in Western medicine was equally staggering.
Rumor had it that the higher-ups had tried to approach her, but someone powerful had intervened and blocked the request.
That intervention allowed Claire the freedom to forge her own path.
She had secured a gold medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad, yet she completely bypassed any math-related majors.
She chose to study medicine, but instead of focusing on her unparalleled traditional skills, she threw herself into Western medical science.
The girl absorbed knowledge like a sponge, deliberately choosing only the most grueling, challenging disciplines.
As a result, certain files regarding Claire's background had been classified as top secret.
Even Dr. Sterling did not have the security clearance to access them.
All he knew was that when he submitted the application for her clearance, the approval came through at lightning speed.
The sheer efficiency of it had left Dr. Sterling utterly stunned.
But upon discovering that she had already assisted in a similar high-stakes
operation for the Hawk family, it all made perfect sense.
The authorities knew her inside and out; working with her was practically the same as working with one of their own internal operatives.
"You still have plenty of fight left in you, Dr. Sterling," Claire offered gently.
There was nothing crueler than a hero watching their own twilight approach.
Dr. Sterling waved a dismissive hand. "Your mentor is already six feet under, and you're telling me I am not old?"
Claire was speechless. There was really no need to use her late teacher as the baseline for everything.
"Maybe he just went ahead to scout the path," she quipped.
"If he ends up becoming the chief medical officer of the underworld, when your time finally comes, you can waltz right in and claim you have connections down below!"
It was rare for Claire to crack such a lighthearted joke.
It sent the old doctor into a fit of hearty laughter.
"Good, good! You certainly know how to cheer an old man up."
"In that case, I will make sure I live a long, full life up here before heading down. I have VIP access in the afterlife, after all."
Claire smiled, insisting that this was exactly the kind of spirit he should maintain.
As they chatted, they continued to meticulously review the General's diagnostics.
After analyzing the charts, Claire could only conclude that the elderly veteran's body was as fragile as a worn-out sieve.
Pushing for surgery seemed entirely unnecessary and reckless.
The risks were astronomical, and the potential payoff was tragically low.
"You are against the surgery?"
Seeing the tight furrow of Claire's brow, Dr. Sterling easily deduced her stance.
It was perfectly logical for her to oppose the procedure.
He was vehemently against it himself.
The General's physical state simply could not endure the trauma of the operating table.
But Dr. Sterling could not permanently station himself by the General's bedside just to manage his pain.
Dr. Sterling cast a deeply meaningful
look at Claire. "If a critical pain flare-up like today happens again,
can you rush to the hospital in time, to stabilize him?"
"I cannot guarantee that."
Claire genuinely could not make such a sweeping promise.
"What if I am already in the middle of treating another patient?"
She would never abandon one critical patient just to rush to the General's side.
"But if it is not an absolute, conflicting emergency, I can come."
"Good." That was exactly the commitment Dr. Sterling had been waiting for.
"I suspect the General will refuse the surgery anyway. He would rather live in relentless agony to secure a future for his descendants."
"So moving forward, whenever I am unavailable, I might need you to step in and handle his pain management."
"Claire, I have immense faith in you. I know you are more than capable of handling this."
"But you must prioritize your own schedule and boundaries."
"If you ever feel unwilling to take the call, no one will force you."
"As for the Darwin family..." Dr.
Sterling paused, choosing his words carefully
✓ have produced
nothing but disappointments for generations."
"Even if they discover you are treating him, they won't dare cause trouble for you."
"You do not need to worry about them."
"Looking solely at the General's own merits, I genuinely hope you will help him."
"General Darwin has made
monumental sacrifices for the,
security and progression of net
our
country. Easing his suffering is a solemn duty for us as physicians!"
Claire could feel the absolute gravity in the old doctor's words.
"Alright. I promise to help."
She gave her word with unwavering, resolute conviction.