The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 223

I should have known. Running into Ferris here was both unexpected and entirely logical.

After all, in the realm of top-tier neurosurgery, it was impossible to avoid him at an event like this.

If Leon and I were here by a stroke of luck, Ferris was here purely on undeniable merit.

Even his name tag was stamped in glittering gold lettering, and his seat was undoubtedly reserved at the VIP table on the main stage. He wasn't lumped in with the regular attendees like we were.

And because of Ferris, Zoey had easily breezed into a high-level summit that interns almost never gained access to.

The invitation Leon and I had fought so hard to earn had just fallen right into her lap.

Thanks to Ferris's presence, she was soaking up the flattery of the elites from the moment she walked in.

"Ah, so this is Director Sterling's assistant. Her skills must be exceptional. The younger generation is truly formidable."

"Dr. Zeller is both brilliant and beautiful. Seeing you standing next to Director Sterling brings a certain phrase to mind," one guest fawned with a sycophantic smile. "A match made in heaven."

"Exactly, you two look absolutely perfect together."

I couldn't exactly blame them for kissing up to Zoey. Prior to this, Ferris had never brought a female companion to a summit. Even during the trip to Skye City, Zoey had merely been there in a professional capacity as his intern assistant. She hadn't been clinging to his arm so brazenly like she was right now.

These people were seasoned socialites. For Ferris, the famously strict and impartial neurosurgical legend, to bring an unknown, beautiful intern to such an important event meant he was publicly backing her. There was no other explanation.

When the untouchable legend started showing favoritism, everyone knew exactly what it meant.

In an instant, a crowd of guests swarmed over, staring at Leon and me like we were animals in a zoo exhibition.

"So this is the rising star of Anesthesiology, Dr. Hayes," one guest sneered, his eyes brimming with disdain. "Have the entry standards for the Summit dropped so low that a mere intern can crash our gathering?"

"Now, that's not fair," another guest chimed in smoothly. "She did just publish a paper in a top medical journal. She must have some skills."

"To spot the neurological impact of that psychiatric drug in such a short amount of time does require talent," a third guest said, looking at me with a mocking grin. "But then again, fake data and plagiarism run rampant in academia these days. Who knows if she actually has what it takes?"

I had always heard that the medical academic circle was obsessed with seniority and pedigree. Seeing it firsthand was certainly an eye-opener.

I had no desire to argue with them, but Leon had already lost his patience. He fired back, "You're absolutely right. Fakes and copycats are everywhere these days. It's just a shame that some people can't even manage to get their plagiarized work published in a journal. Tragic, really."