"Who is this woman? She looks so young. Why is she sitting in the center seat?"
"Don't you know? She's the eldest lady of the Yao Family. Rumor has it that she owns the entire Yao Family enterprise."
"No way. To own the Yao Family at such a young age—it's enough to make anyone green with envy."
"Jealous, are you? She's an heiress; we’re not in the same league."
...
The lights in the medical summit dimmed suddenly, and a spotlight focused on the center of the stage. The host began an enthusiastic introduction of the guests, the cameras frequently panning to Yao Can in the front row. Her fingers were unconsciously rubbing the armrest of her chair, and from the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Lin Zhiyue whispering to Zhang Tailin, both of them wearing faint, inscrutable smiles.
As the conference officially began, the eyes focused on Yao Can began to drift elsewhere. Everyone turned their attention to the presentations by the industry heavyweights. This continued for an hour. When the host finally introduced Zhang Tailin to the stage, the venue erupted in thunderous applause.
Seeing this, a cold sneer tugged at the corner of Xu Wuyan’s mouth. He turned off his phone and headed toward the venue.
Meanwhile, in the center of the hall, a sudden tightness gripped Yao Can’s heart. She rose to leave, but Yao Wanqing grabbed her by the arm.
"Sister, the highlight of the summit hasn't even arrived yet. Where are you going?"
"Let go." Yao Can’s eyes turned cold. Before she could shake herself free, a spotlight suddenly hit her.
"Next, let us invite Ms. Yao Can, heiress of the Yao Group, to the stage to assist Professor Zhang in sharing insights on the future development of the medical industry!" the host suddenly announced in a loud, clear voice.
Yao Can froze—this wasn't on the agenda. Applause thundered through the room, and the cameras were already trained on her face. Subconsciously, she looked toward Lin Zhiyue, who feigned concern and gave her arm a nudge: "Xiao Can, don't keep the guests waiting too long."
Amidst the roaring applause and countless lenses, Yao Can took a deep breath, suppressing the sharp pain in her chest, and walked slowly toward the stage.
On stage, Zhang Tailin had already begun his lecture.
"Ladies and gentlemen, in the field of cardiac research, we have always been committed to eliminating heart disease, especially the suffering caused by congenital heart defects. During this research process, we accidentally discovered that patients with congenital heart defects are prone to cognitive decline."
"So today, I will use a real-life case study to share my findings on cognitive decline in patients with congenital heart defects."
Yao Can stopped in her tracks. Every camera in the room suddenly swiveled to point directly at her.
"This next case is heartbreaking," Zhang Tailin said, looking at Yao Can with feigned pity. He pressed a button on his remote, and case details began to appear on the giant screen.
"Patient, 18 years old, congenital ventricular septal defect leading to long-term cerebral hypoxia."
Yao Can felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Her blood seemed to congeal, and she gasped for air. She had never imagined that, at this high-profile medical summit, she would be the case study.
The audience erupted in a buzz of whispers. All eyes were on her—some filled with pity, others with triumph, still others with cold indifference.
Zhang Tailin walked slowly down from the podium, his compassionate gaze resembling that of a scientist examining a laboratory rat. "Ms. Yao, please come up and assist us with our explanation."
"No," Yao Can said, turning to retreat. Seeing her own name on the giant screen, she realized all too well that this summit was a grand conspiracy against her. She just hadn't expected Lin Zhiyue to be able to sway Zhang Tailin to such an extent.
"Are you not afraid of being exposed?" she gritted out, staring at the man who projected such an air of integrity. Only now did she clearly see the venom on Zhang Tailin’s face.
"Ms. Yao, there are so many cameras watching. You can't escape. Be a good girl and go up to fulfill your purpose."
Lin Zhiyue had appeared behind her at some point. She reached out to "help" Yao Can, digging her nails deeply into the crook of her elbow. "Be good. Let the experts show everyone just how sick you really are."
Stumbling, Yao Can was pushed onto the lecture stage. Cold sweat soaked her back, and the intense gasping made her feel suffocated. Below the stage, snickers rippled through the crowd. Yao Wanqing was choking back sobs for the live stream cameras.
"Sister has been like this since she was a child. We’ve always tried to keep it hidden..."
Yao Can dug her nails into her palms, a ringing sound filling her ears. She could feel her heart hammering wildly against her ribcage, as if it might shatter at any second. She forced herself to calm down. She was under the eyes of the world; she wouldn't lose her composure, and she certainly wouldn't let them nail her to the cross here.
Just as she was spiraling, the sound of Xu Wuyan’s voice came through her Bluetooth earpiece. Her body jolted, and she began to regain her calm. She stood quietly to the side, looking like someone resigned to her fate. This left many in the audience shocked.
"Yao Can has accepted her fate. She’s given up."
"I suppose it makes sense. Who would have thought the infighting of the Yao family would spill over into the summit? This is a public execution. From today on, the Yao family will have a new master."
"What a pity. I had high hopes for Yao Can, but her health... the outcome is set."
The audience was filled with the movers and shakers of Lucheng. How could they not see the layout of this trap? They were simply choosing to tacitly accept it. They had no interest in the Yao family’s internal struggle; to the victor went the spoils—that was the law of the business world. Now that Yao Can’s defeat was inevitable, some were already reaching out to the Lin Family to discuss future partnerships.
Yao Can seemed oblivious to it all, watching Zhang Tailin’s performance with detached silence.
"As you can all see, regarding Ms. Yao’s case, we used AI to reconstruct a model of her hippocampal atrophy. The facts show," Zhang Tailin paused, casting a pitying glance at the young woman beside him before continuing, "the patient, Yao Can, suffers from a congenital ventricular septal defect accompanied by severe pulmonary hypertension. Her cognitive levels are in continuous decline; an IQ test shows only 67. She no longer possesses the capacity for civil conduct..."
Yao Can noticed that on her brain CT scan, the images were covered in red warning zones. The AI-simulated neuronal activity looked like a candle flame about to be extinguished.
She sneered, her eyes filled with such mockery that it made Zhang Tailin feel a sudden, creeping unease.
Following his words, the audience erupted into a frenzy.
Lin Zhiyue took out a handkerchief to dab at her eyes, squeezing out a few tears. Yao Wanqing was covering her face in grief before the cameras.
"Is Sister’s illness really that severe? No wonder she had to just find some random man to marry..."
Perhaps realizing she was on camera, she hurriedly added, "We kept it hidden from the shareholders because we were afraid of affecting the Group's stock price..."
Lin Zhiyue also spoke toward the cameras again, "The child even has difficulty with basic communication. Our family truly couldn't bear to watch her continue to suffer like this anymore."
The media lenses turned once more, all aimed squarely at Yao Can. Yao Wanqing even rushed onto the stage, embracing Yao Can in a show of concern, tears streaming down her face.
"Sister, Professor Zhang is a world-class expert. Please, just let him check you. Perhaps he still has some way to treat you?"
Online, the internet was boiling over. A post titled "Yao Heiress Confirmed Mentally Disabled" was trending with terrifying speed.
"Have you finished your performance yet?"
A cold, clear voice made everyone freeze. Yao Can’s expression was icy. In that instant, the sense of fragility she had been projecting vanished, replaced by the sharp, cold poise of a powerful woman.