Chapter 32

Zeng Hongwen lifted his wrist to check the time and said somewhat gloomily, "What's going on? It's been fifteen minutes already. Should we call them?"

Zhou Wenbin shook his head. Every negotiation with a patient was a psychological battle, and this was far from the first time. The other party was simply trying to wear them down, making them passive in the waiting.

Zhou Wenbin almost laughed. This tactic was too childish. They would have to face each other eventually, and they would have to present their conditions sooner or later. Why go through such a roundabout way when a straightforward approach would be much better?

At half past ten, Shi Zhiwei and his wife finally arrived. They came into the meeting room without even an apology. Tong Meili immediately noticed that Cai Rongjuan was not there and shouted, "Where's Cai Rongjuan? Why isn't she here?"

Zhou Wenbin replied, "According to our hospital's procedures, Dr. Cai needs to be recused today. This is the director of the beauty center, Director Zeng, who can fully represent Dr. Cai." In fact, Cai Rongjuan had been invited to today's meeting, but she insisted on not attending, and Zhou Wenbin couldn't force her to come.

Zeng Hongwen smiled at the couple and said, "Please take a seat."

The couple exchanged a glance and sat down in the seats prepared for them.

Zhou Wenbin introduced the members of the expert panel to them.

Tong Meili said, "Who asked you to get people to appraise it? Your Changxing Hospital is really something, already preparing to put on a double act, setting a trap for us, right?"

Zhou Wenbin explained, "These are all authorities in the beauty industry in Dongzhou..."

Shi Zhiwei retorted, "Don't give me that. What kind of authorities? Don't try to fool us."

The experts were so angry that their faces turned red. The couple's behavior was truly deplorable. If it weren't for the money, who would want to get involved in this mess?

"I don't believe in the appraisal team you've brought in from Changxing Hospital. Make them leave, or we won't talk today." Tong Meili stood up as if to leave.

Zhou Wenbin had no choice but to ask the experts to leave. The money spent on the experts today was wasted, and he had to apologize to them.

After the experts left, Zeng Hongwen said, "I am the director of the beauty center. What are your demands?"

Zhou Wenbin asked Cheng Xiaohong to bring two bottles of mineral water, chilled, to help cool down the couple's tempers.

Shi Zhiwei unscrewed the cap and took a few sips, then pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

Cheng Xiaohong reminded him, "Mr. Shi, I'm sorry, but smoking is not allowed here."

Shi Zhiwei ignored her and lit a cigarette anyway. Zhou Wenbin gave Cheng Xiaohong a look. The focus today was on negotiating and understanding the couple's bottom line, so he decided to overlook the smoking.

Tong Meili took out a copy of the bracelet receipt from her handbag and handed it over.

Zeng Hongwen took it, found the amount, which was 888,888, and the invoice date was three years ago. She realized that the other party was trying to use this to extort a large sum. She pushed the copy back and smiled, "What do you mean by this?"

Tong Meili said, "What do you mean? Don't pretend with me! My jade bracelet was broken by your Dr. Cai. It was a gift from my husband three years ago, worth that much at the time. Do you know the market for jade in recent years? They offered me 8 million for it."

Zhou Wenbin thought the couple was really daring, asking for 8 million. He looked at Zeng Hongwen, who probably hadn't earned that much from running the beauty center. She definitely wouldn't agree.

Zeng Hongwen thought the other party was extorting: "The bracelet issue is not under my jurisdiction. You can report it to the police, and let them handle it. If the police can't handle it, you can go to court."

Tong Meili slammed her hand on the table and stood up, furious. "Isn't Cai Rongjuan part of your beauty center? Didn't you just say you could fully represent her?"

Zhou Wenbin interjected, "Let's not get too excited. Our goal today is to resolve the medical issue. We can discuss the bracelet later."

Tong Meili said, "Fine, let's talk about the surgery. My eyes are now different sizes, itchy, and painful. I can't even close them at night. All of this is due to Dr. Cai's surgical error. She has disfigured me and ruined my life. What do you say about that?"

Zeng Hongwen said, "But the previous appraisal showed that your surgery was fine, and your postoperative recovery was within the normal range."

Tong Meili said, "Of course your appraisers would say that. I know my own condition better than anyone."

"If you don't trust our appraisal, you can go to any authoritative institution for an appraisal. If it shows that our surgery was indeed problematic, we will definitely take full responsibility."

Shi Zhiwei grabbed the bottle of mineral water and threw it to the ground, startling everyone.

Shi Zhiwei pointed at Zeng Hongwen and said, "So you're not admitting it?"

Zeng Hongwen was a bit scared but tried to remain calm. "Whether it's a surgical error or not, it's not up to me or you to decide. It should be based on the results of an authoritative appraisal."

Shi Zhiwei said to Tong Meili, "I told you not to come. What can you expect from these people? They won't admit anything unless they're forced to."

Zhou Wenbin said, "That's not fair. Our Changxing Hospital is sincere. According to our appraisal, Ms. Tong's surgery does not constitute a surgical error. If you don't accept our appraisal, you can choose any authoritative institution in the country, and we will cover the appraisal fees. Would that be satisfactory?"

Shi Zhiwei said firmly, "No, it's not satisfactory!"

Zhou Wenbin said, "Then how do you propose to resolve this? What are your conditions?"

Shi Zhiwei handed over a prepared list of claims, which Zeng Hongwen took and read.

- Acknowledge the surgical error and publicly apologize to Tong Meili.

- Refund the full surgery and treatment fees of 38,000 yuan.

- Cover all future cosmetic surgery costs.

- Compensate for mental distress with 500,000 yuan.

- Compensate for the loss of the bracelet with 1,000,000 yuan.

Although they didn't ask for 8 million to compensate for the bracelet, the amount was still exorbitant.

Zhou Wenbin read through the list and was not surprised by the amount. Many people asked for more. The previous Wang Dali had asked for 3 million, but it was eventually settled for 30,000 yuan.

The list was very detailed, and it seemed the couple had consulted a specialist. What surprised Zhou Wenbin was the surgery and treatment fees. He couldn't believe a simple double eyelid surgery cost 38,000 yuan.

The beauty center's fees were so high? No wonder Cai Rongjuan could afford a Mercedes.

Zeng Hongwen said, "Don't you think your demands are too outrageous? I can't possibly agree to these conditions."

Zhou Wenbin inwardly sighed. Negotiations shouldn't be like this. Zeng Hongwen lacked experience in handling disputes. The correct approach would be to de-escalate the situation and stabilize the couple first.

Zhou Wenbin suggested, "Why don't we put this document aside for now and discuss it?"

"No need to discuss. There's no room for negotiation on these terms." Zeng Hongwen thought, "I worked hard for my money. It's not that easy to extort from me."

Shi Zhiwei laughed, "So there's no room for negotiation?"

Zhou Wenbin said, "We can still talk, but we need to be rational and focus on reality."

"Don't say we didn't warn you!"

Shi Zhiwei stood up, and Tong Meili followed. The couple left without looking back.

The meeting had just begun and was already over. Zhou Wenbin said to Zeng Hongwen, "You shouldn't have refused them outright."

Zeng Hongwen said, "How could I agree to such unreasonable demands? Oh, I see, it's not your money, so you don't care."

Zhou Wenbin said, "That's not what I meant. There are methods and techniques to solving problems. Your approach will only escalate the conflict."

"Let it escalate. What can they do?" Before Zeng Hongwen finished speaking, the phone rang.

There was trouble at the beauty center. A group of elderly women were blocking the beauty department, disrupting medical order. One problem after another, Zeng Hongwen hurried back.