Sports Medicine Master System

Chapter 423: Chapter 360: Why Are You Angrier Than Me?

On the way to the clinic, Chen Yu was also figuring out how to strike back.

’They’d slung mud at him, and while he was mentally strong enough to ignore it, was he really expected to just take the abuse and do nothing?’

You had to fight back when necessary. If you didn’t, people would just think you were a pushover.

Take Michael Jackson’s first case involving a child. It had reached a stalemate, with repeated investigations turning up no hard evidence. But Michael Jackson was too soft. He was swayed by those around him, as well as his insurance company, and ultimately chose to settle out of court, paying to make the problem go away.

He got his peace, but to anyone with ulterior motives, it just looked like a sign of a guilty conscience.

’If it were him, Chen Yu would’ve sooner burned the money or thrown it into the ocean than pay a single cent to the other party.’

So as for the newspapers that had slandered him? No question about it. Chen Yu had a list of every single one. He would count them all, and sending out one less lawyer’s letter than there were papers would be a dereliction of his duty.

The clinic had a law firm on retainer.

But Chen Yu felt that wasn’t enough.

They weren’t a top-tier firm in the country.

’If he was going to hire lawyers, he’d hire the best.’

A name popped into Chen Yu’s head: Johnny Cochran.

He was a member of the "Dream Team" from the infamous O.J. Simpson case. That case had made him one of the top lawyers in the nation.

But a moment later, Chen Yu dismissed the idea.

If Chen Yu recalled correctly, Cochran had represented Michael Jackson in his first child abuse case.

The decision to settle was largely due to the insurance company, but Cochran had surely done his fair share of persuading Michael Jackson as well.

Just then, his phone rang. It was Ryan from the Eli Lilly Company.

"Dr. Chen, your weight-loss show has been canceled."

Chen Yu just hummed in acknowledgment and said nothing more.

When Chen Yu didn’t elaborate, Ryan cleared his throat and pressed, "Dr. Chen, with all this brazen slander and them canceling your show, aren’t you furious?"

From his tone, you would think it was his own show that had been canceled.

Chen Yu chuckled. "Whether or not I’m angry is one thing. You, on the other hand, sound even more furious than I am."

"Of course I’m furious! I’m furious on your behalf. You’re innocent!" Ryan said at once.

"That’s enough."

Chen Yu cut him off. "I’m driving. If you have something to say, just say it."

’What’s the point of all this nonsense?’

Ryan got straight to the point. "Dr. Chen, CBS canceling your show doesn’t just hurt your interests; it hurts the interests of us at Eli Lilly, too."

Chen Yu was counting on the show to promote his sports science lab, and Eli Lilly was counting on it to expand the market for their weight-loss drug.

They’d already come up with a name for the drug and even finished the packaging design.

It was called the "Little Magic Slimming Bottle!"

One dose every three days, with a projected monthly cost of 429 US dollars.

It wasn’t cheap, but it was far from the most expensive weight-loss drug on the market.

The profit margins were enormous. The cost of production was a rounding error; the rest was pure profit.

With the right promotion and advertising, raking in tens of millions of US dollars a week would be a piece of cake.

So with the show’s cancellation, Ryan was even more anxious than Chen Yu.

"Dr. Chen, if CBS won’t air it, we can find another network. ABC, for example. I’ve already spoken with them. If you just give the word, they can air the fifth episode as early as tomorrow night."

’That was fast,’ Chen Yu thought. He considered it for a moment, then asked, "Aren’t you worried about being implicated and damaging your company’s reputation?"

The show was canceled because of the fallout from the Michael Jackson controversy, after all.

He had a massive fanbase and huge influence; anyone who got caught up in his orbit was bound to get singed.

Ryan replied, "Of course we’re afraid of being implicated, but we’re even more afraid of not making money! And to be perfectly frank, even if we do get caught in the crossfire, so what? We’re a pharmaceutical company. We sell medicine. Are those brain-dead fans really going to stop taking their meds just to chant a few slogans? If so, then let them die."

In front of Chen Yu, Ryan was brutally honest, not mincing his words in the slightest.

"And as for the media outlets slandering you, when they slander you, they’re slandering the Eli Lilly Company. If you agree, I can have our legal team immediately file lawsuits against every media outlet and individual who has defamed you, as well as that Kraft Group."

"Completely free of charge!"

As one of the world’s top pharmaceutical companies, Eli Lilly already had a formidable legal team on its payroll.

Besides, this was a personal investment in Chen Yu.

If they could form a close partnership with a world-renowned medical authority like him, it would be a huge win for Eli Lilly.

Chen Yu thought it over quickly, then said, "Let me think about it."

Just as Ryan said, if CBS wouldn’t air the show, Chen Yu could find another network.

There were five major networks, after all; it wasn’t like CBS was the only game in town.

For a show this popular, if CBS didn’t want it, plenty of others would.

The main issue was that Chen Yu felt he was already too busy. His energy was stretched thin, and he didn’t want filming a show to interfere with his primary work.

"By the way, I’m looking for an investment," Chen Yu added, remembering something else.

On the other end of the line, Ryan’s eyes lit up. He quickly asked what kind of investment Chen Yu needed.

’It wasn’t a problem if he wanted money; the real problem would be if he didn’t.’

Ryan still regretted that Chen Yu hadn’t let him invest in the weight-loss show.

"Here’s the situation. I’ve assembled my own team, and we’re researching a brand-new stem cell technology for cartilage regeneration. It uses mesenchymal stem cells implanted into a specific scaffold to achieve autologous cartilage repair. The procedure involves specialized scaffolds and periosteal patches, as well as the cultivation of the patient’s own stem cells, so there are a lot of surgical consumables."

Since Ryan had taken the initiative to extend an olive branch, Chen Yu figured he should show some goodwill in return.

Most importantly, the research team he’d assembled had run out of funds, and their work had hit a bottleneck.

At this point, the only option was to increase investment and expand the team.

While he had his own money, with the research at this stage, Chen Yu was also worried it might all come to nothing. So he might as well bring in an investor to share the risk.

If the technology proved successful, the related scaffolds and periosteal patches would be medical consumables that required exclusive sourcing.

Most importantly, cartilage deterioration is a common orthopedic condition with enormous market potential.

Ryan knew his business. He immediately grasped the commercial opportunity and understood why Chen Yu was bringing up investment at this particular moment.

"Okay, here’s the plan. I’m in New York right now. I’ll bring a team to Phoenix tomorrow morning. We can discuss the specifics when we meet in person," Ryan said eagerly.

"Sounds good."

Chen Yu hung up.

It wasn’t that he absolutely needed Eli Lilly’s help, but working with them would save him a lot of trouble.

The car arrived at the clinic.

Unsurprisingly, the area outside the clinic was still swarming with reporters and protesting fans.

’Especially these fans,’ he thought. ’They must have too much time on their hands. Don’t they have jobs? Wives and kids to support?’

The moment Chen Yu’s car appeared, reporters swarmed it.

The police and the clinic’s security guards on site immediately moved in to maintain order.

The fans, however, kept their distance, watching from the periphery. Perhaps they knew Chen Yu wasn’t someone to mess with, or maybe he wasn’t their target.

Seeing the sea of reporters pressing in, constantly slapping his car window, Chen Yu thought for a moment and then suddenly rolled it down.

"Dr. Chen, why was your weight-loss show canceled?"

"Is the show’s cancellation related to the recent scrutiny you’ve been under?"

"Is this related to Michael Jackson? Do you think it was a mistake to have him on the show?"

"What are your thoughts on the reports about Michael Jackson?"

"Yahoo Sports is questioning the results of your potential tests, especially regarding Dwyane Wade. What’s your response to that?"

In an instant, a barrage of questions flew at him.

"Quiet!"

Chen Yu held up a hand, signaling for silence.

The reporters actually complied, shutting their mouths instantly and staring intently at Chen Yu.

Without getting out, Chen Yu leaned against the open window and surveyed the reporters. "By the way, are you all afraid of getting sued?"

The reporters exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of emotions.

"We’re not afraid," one answered, his face a mask of self-righteousness.

They were uncovering the truth, exposing the darkness that others tried to hide. When they first started, their mentors had told them: a reporter who’s never been sued isn’t a good reporter.

"That’s good to hear."

Chen Yu smiled, his eyes landing on one specific reporter. "What was your question again?"

’He thought he’d heard someone ask a serious question.’

The reporter he’d pointed to quickly repeated his question, adding, "Dr. Chen, do you really believe Dwyane Wade has the same level of potential as LeBron James?"

Chen Yu’s potential analysis report had attracted a lot of attention, and now that the results were out, it had sparked widespread debate.

Especially concerning Wade.

The key thing was, reporters had even gone to interview Wade, and he himself had humbly stated that he didn’t deserve Chen Yu’s praise, feeling he didn’t possess that level of potential.

"No," Chen Yu said, shaking his head. "Your phrasing isn’t quite accurate. Without a doubt, LeBron’s potential is greater. He has the potential to become a legend. As for Dwyane, while his natural talent might not be on par with LeBron’s, like I said, he will still become a Hall of Fame-caliber player."

"Of that, there is no doubt."

The reporter silently took notes, wondering to himself. It wasn’t just him; right now, almost every sports media outlet was debating why Chen Yu was so high on Wade.

They certainly agreed that Wade had plenty of potential and talent.

But nowhere near the level Chen Yu was describing.

Before he could ask another question, Chen Yu had already rolled up the window, and the car proceeded into the clinic compound under the protection of security.

After parking, Chen Yu walked into the medical center and found the front desk empty.

He glanced around and saw Jamie emerging from a room down the hall.

"Where is everyone?"

Chen Yu glanced at his watch. It was still business hours.

Jamie pointed down the hall and led Chen Yu toward the staff lounge.

The medical center had a large lounge that was used for clinic meetings and other activities for staff or patients.

As they approached, Chen Yu heard singing.

When he looked inside, he saw the room was packed.

Patients, nurses, and orderlies—everyone was there.

At the front of the room, Michael Jackson sat in a wheelchair, singing his heart out.

A few of the clinic’s child patients sat on the floor in front of him, listening, completely entranced.

Chen Yu also spotted Lexi standing near Michael Jackson, her gaze fixed on him, unable to look away.

"He seems to be in a good mood today," Jamie whispered.

’A free Michael Jackson concert. They’d really hit the jackpot.’

Leaning against the doorframe, Chen Yu nodded.

It seemed their conversation yesterday had really worked.

"Heal the world."

Listening to the incredibly familiar song, a strange thought inexplicably crossed Chen Yu’s mind.

Chen Yu had often wondered why so many people wanted to slander Michael Jackson. Was it really just a case of "more fame, more problems"?

But as he matured, saw more of the world, and dealt with more people and situations, he had come to his own understanding.

Take this song, for example.

"Heal the World." To put it bluntly and cynically, perhaps in some people’s eyes, the real question was: ’As a Black man, just who do you think you are, trying to heal?’