Chapter 78: The Miracle Doctor of New York

Miracle Doctor of New York?

Upon hearing this title—which was even more exaggerated than what Coulson had just called him—Pepper Potts immediately gave Zhong Shenshu another quick once-over, taking in his youthful and almost unreal handsomeness. She simply couldn't reconcile such a young face with a reputation so resounding.

Sensing her disbelief, Happy perked up, puffing out his chest a little as he explained, "It's practically common knowledge among New York's elite circles. Ordinary folks might not know, but I heard it from a good friend. They say this Dr. Zhong runs the Zhong Divine Clinic—excellent service, reasonable prices. Spend just a day there, drop a few ten thousand dollars, and he’ll cure chronic ailments that even hospitals have given up on."

Reasonable prices... Zhong Shenshu almost felt offended by that description.

Maybe he was charging too little after all.

Seeing Happy so earnest, Pepper took another, more careful look at Zhong Shenshu. This time, she noticed something beyond his good looks—a faint glow in those pale blue eyes of his. A glow she had only ever seen in Tony: the quiet confidence of a true genius.

"Talk is cheap, so let me give you an example," Happy continued. "Take my friend, a former Navy SEAL. An accident displaced his spine, severed the nerves—paralyzed from the waist down. He went to all the famous hospitals in the world, even sought out Dr. Strange, the most renowned neurosurgeon. Even Strange told him there was nothing to be done—he'd better get used to life in a wheelchair..."

Happy was practically pitching Zhong Shenshu by this point.

"And then someone recommended this small place called the Zhong Divine Clinic. After just one visit, he could walk again! And the doctor only charged him forty thousand dollars. That's practically charity. My friend had spent millions on treatments all over the globe and got nothing—then for just forty grand, he was completely cured in a tiny clinic. This doctor is a true miracle worker!"

Happy finished with a grateful look at Zhong Shenshu. "Thank you for helping my friend. He'd been in a slump, but now he's a new man. He's even thinking about rejoining the SEALs. It's all thanks to you."

"It's nothing, just my duty as a doctor," Zhong Shenshu replied offhandedly, though he fell into thought. He did remember Happy’s friend—a rather unkempt man with dirty hair and beard. Zhong had assumed he didn’t have much money... What a miscalculation.

I really did undercharge. Next time, I’ll have to raise my prices! Zhong felt a pang of regret, as if he'd just lost a fortune. If a Navy SEAL had that much money, then all those wealthy capitalists must be far wealthier than the broke gangsters he’d been treating. His pricing strategy needed an overhaul.

Listening to Happy’s account, Pepper finally understood. The handsome young man before her wasn’t just a genius—he was even more capable than the legendary Dr. Strange, whose reputation in neurosurgery was well known to her. And if Happy was to be believed, Dr. Zhong excelled in other medical fields as well.

Such mastery truly deserved the title of "miracle doctor."

Compared to others, Pepper had seen plenty of geniuses while working with Tony for so many years. Most of them, however, shared a common flaw: arrogance. Their gifts often made them insufferable. Yet Dr. Zhong, according to Happy, not only performed miracles but charged less than big hospitals.

A rare good man, indeed.

Pepper’s gaze softened as she looked at Zhong Shenshu.

Coulson, who had been silent and smiling politely since Happy began his explanations, judged the time was right and finally spoke, "That's why S.H.I.E.L.D. has brought Dr. Zhong here—to treat Tony Stark."

Happy’s story had saved Coulson a lot of explanation. If he’d said this upon arrival, Pepper might have thought the two of them were insane—after all, even Coulson had to admit Zhong Shenshu looked far too young.

"Thank you for your concern," Pepper replied. "But I haven’t seen Tony yet myself, so I have no idea about his injuries..."

"According to our intelligence, they’re quite serious," Coulson said honestly.

At this, Pepper’s expression changed at once. She asked anxiously, "What’s wrong with Tony?"

She and Tony weren’t quite lovers yet, but after so many years together, feelings had certainly begun to grow.

"We're not sure, which is why we brought Dr. Zhong with us. We hope you can arrange for him to treat Tony Stark," Coulson said.

"Of course, I'll arrange it... But Tony's temperament..."

She hesitated, not wanting to openly criticize her boss. So she put it diplomatically, "He can be stubborn. If he refuses treatment, I can’t force him."

She added, "But I’ll do my best to persuade him."

With this assurance, Coulson’s early arrival had achieved its purpose. He’d read enough reports to know how headstrong Tony Stark could be, and that Pepper was perhaps the only one who might influence him.

"Thank you for your cooperation." Having accomplished his goal, Coulson smiled and stepped aside.

Pepper, too, ceased further conversation with Coulson, her attention returning to the handsome young man who had been gazing at the sky all this while. She was curious about this prodigy, so talented and kind-hearted.

But before she could speak, the roaring of airplane engines suddenly echoed from the sky above.

Pepper spun around instantly, her eyes locking onto the distant shape of an olive-gray military transport plane.

Tony... was coming home!