The Enhanced Doctor

This dinner party was a joyous occasion where both host and guests thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Although Liu Banxia was the one hosting, Qiu Huaili was the true center of attention.

Today, Qiu Huaili was once again a guest invited by Liu Banxia, and for Lawyer Gao and Jiang Tao, this was a significant gesture of respect.

One might claim to view money as mere dirt, remaining unmoved by it. However, these individuals still lived in the secular world, working hard each month precisely for this "dirt."

It was already past seven o'clock, and they had spent most of the evening chatting before any alcohol was even poured.

After seeing them off, Liu Banxia slipped back into the private room on the fourth floor where Qiaoqiao and her friends were. This room was even more boisterous, filled with drinking and singing.

"My goodness, you're finally here! I was about to go looking for you," Manager Qu said, hurrying to Liu Banxia's side as he entered.

"What's wrong? Aren't you all having a blast? I see even Jiaojiao is here," Liu Banxia said with a smile.

"Don't even get me started. These three girls are wilder than us old guys. The girl who arrived later drank less, but Qiaoqiao is completely unrestrained," Manager Qu said with a wry smile.

"She's singing right now, and none of us dare to leave. We wanted to find you but were afraid you were still busy. Yanzi tried to calm her down, but she insists on singing and wants everyone to join her."

Liu Banxia felt a headache coming on. Qiaoqiao was probably just overly excited from having so many people to play with.

When he first met Qiaoqiao, he'd thought her life was exciting every day. The reality, however, wasn't so simple. She spent most of her time at Langtaosha, and her closest companions were Wang Xiaoyan and Jiaojiao.

Her newest friends were Liang Xiaolin and Qing Kewa; otherwise, she wouldn't have taken them to a bathhouse together after only just getting to know them. She had only been in Binhai City for a few years, not much longer than him.

"Dr. Liu, I think you're the only one who can persuade her now. Please take her home quickly," Wang Xiaoyan chimed in, approaching him.

"How am I supposed to persuade her? If she gets angry, she might even take a swing at me," Liu Banxia said helplessly.

"How about this, Manager Qu, you guys leave first. She's singing so loudly she won't even notice you leaving. As for the rest... I'll play it by ear."

Manager Qu nodded gravely. Today, he had truly witnessed Qiaoqiao's intensity. She was certainly bold and uninhibited, but also genuinely boisterous.

In the large private room, only Liu Banxia and the three young women remained. Manager Qu and his group, despite their numbers, had all slipped out in less than half a minute.

They had essentially gathered their belongings much earlier but hadn't dared to leave while Qiaoqiao was in the full throes of her singing passion.

Liu Banxia was bold enough to let Manager Qu and the others sneak away, but even he didn't dare rush over and interrupt Qiaoqiao's burgeoning singing career. After she belted out two more songs, Qiaoqiao seemed thirsty and grabbed a bottle of mineral water, guzzling it down with a series of GULPS.

"How much did she drink? Is she always like this when she drinks?" Liu Banxia asked.

"She didn't drink that much, less than half a jin of baijiu and some beer. Right now, she's not exactly drunk, but she's not entirely sober either," Wang Xiaoyan said.

"Besides, it's been a long time since she was this happy. Everyone has their own struggles. She might seem carefree every day, but she can be quite lonely at times."

"So, what do we do? Is she going to keep singing?" Liu Banxia asked.

"Probably not. She's likely tired from singing and about to doze off. Dr. Liu, thank you again. Hearing what everyone said earlier was so satisfying," Jiaojiao said.

"Don't mention it. It just happened that I was there. Besides, I get paid for this, right? Got to be worth every shirt I earn," Liu Banxia said earnestly.

Jiaojiao was very amused. Then, Liu Banxia felt a chill run down his spine. He turned his head and saw Qiaoqiao leaning to one side, squinting at him.

"Where did everyone go? Why did they all run off? I haven't had enough to drink yet!" Qiaoqiao exclaimed.

"It's time to wrap things up. By the way, your singing is pretty good," Liu Banxia said, mustering his courage and approaching her.

"Exactly! If my dad hadn't stopped me from singing, I would've been a superstar back in the day!" Qiaoqiao declared triumphantly.

"Not just a superstar, you'd be Superwoman. Isn't it time to go home? Don't you miss Tang Dou?" Liu Banxia said.

"Oh, right, Tang Dou! I need to..."

At the mention of Tang Dou, Qiaoqiao seemed to sober up a little and tried to jump off the sofa.

But in her current state, what was she thinking, trying to jump? Her feet weren't steady at all. She intended to jump off the sofa but only used one leg. It was a good thing she was wearing pants; otherwise, it might have been a different story.

"Can you guys ride horses? I can! I knew how to ride when I was little!" Qiaoqiao, now perched on the sofa armrest, had apparently forgotten Tang Dou again and shouted proudly into the microphone.

Even this drunk, she didn't forget to yell into the microphone, making Liu Banxia's ears ring.

"Yanzi, Jiaojiao, what do you usually do in situations like this?" Liu Banxia asked.

"What can we do? If Tang Dou is around, it's easier. She'll play with Tang Dou for a bit and then fall asleep. Without Tang Dou, we just have to let her tire herself out," Wang Xiaoyan said seriously.

Jiaojiao, standing beside her, glanced at Wang Xiaoyan but didn't dare to say anything.

Liu Banxia glanced over again. I can't waste all my time here. I still need to take over Shi Lei's shift. Are they really planning to rest for a full twenty-four hours?

But he couldn't just abandon the three girls there. It would be one thing if he didn't know them, but they had become quite close.

"Why don't you carry Qiaoqiao to the car? Then drive her home? If you're going to work, you can take Qiaoqiao's car. We've all been drinking, so we don't dare drive," Wang Xiaoyan suggested.

"Would she behave if I carried her?" Liu Banxia frowned.

"That'll be tricky. Her reaction when she drinks is different every time," Wang Xiaoyan commented rather irresponsibly.

"What are you two whispering about? Are you plotting against me?" Qiaoqiao demanded, microphone still in hand, her voice a challenging query.

"We're taking you home to find Tang Dou. Come on, I'll carry you," Liu Banxia said, then walked over and squatted beside the sofa.

"Damn it, I knew it! You're after... MMPH MMPH..."

Wang Xiaoyan, quick-witted and nimble, clapped a hand over Qiaoqiao's mouth. Jiaojiao, beside them, helped lift Qiaoqiao's arm onto Liu Banxia's shoulder. Together, they pushed Qiaoqiao off the sofa and onto his back.

As her friends, this was all they could do. The rest was up to Qiaoqiao's own 'fortune' now.

Qiaoqiao struggled a bit at first. However, after discovering that Liu Banxia's head felt somewhat like Tang Dou's furry head, she stopped resisting and seemed quite happy, playfully ruffling his hair.

When they came downstairs, it became quite a scene.

Qiaoqiao was their actual boss, and now Liu Banxia was carrying her downstairs. The crucial part was that Qiaoqiao kept yanking Liu Banxia's ears back and forth while yelling "VROOM VROOM!" or something similar. It was hard to tell if she was pretending to fly a plane or drive a car.

The staff at Jinbao were all perceptive people. Even though this was only Liu Banxia's second visit, they had already marked him as someone important.

After all, not everyone could carry their boss like this. You'd need the desperate courage of someone who fears death not once, not twice, but not even a third time.

Although Qiaoqiao wasn't heavy, she was squirming. Even with Liu Banxia's enhanced physique, it was quite an effort. The journey downstairs was incredibly arduous, more tiring than his boxing match with Zhou Yang.

Once outside, they encountered a new problem.

Liu Banxia did have a driver's license, but he hadn't touched a car in years. More accurately, he hadn't driven at all since coming to Binhai City.

Moreover, Qiaoqiao had driven her Porsche Panamera today. Liu Banxia broke into a sweat just trying to adjust the driver's seat, finally managing it with Wang Xiaoyan's guidance.

"How about... we call a designated driver?" Liu Banxia ventured, summoning his courage.

"It's okay, just drive slowly. We all trust you," Wang Xiaoyan said. Even if she wasn't entirely confident, for Qiaoqiao's sake, she felt it was worth a shot.

At the very least, Liu Banxia hadn't just jumped in and started driving, which showed he had some awareness. Slow was fine, as long as he could get them home.

It took him over four minutes, a considerable effort, just to back the car out. Liu Banxia felt that gripping the steering wheel was far more nerve-wracking than holding a scalpel during surgery.

And once on the road? That was another story. Other cars honked impatiently, but he remained calm. His speed was stuck at thirty, absolutely pegged there, and occasionally he'd stomp on the brakes.

"Dr. Liu, you really haven't driven in a long time, have you?" Wang Xiaoyan asked, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

"I'm starting to get the feel for it. I hope Qiaoqiao doesn't get carsick from my driving, right?" Liu Banxia asked.

"She should be fine, but please try to be as steady as possible. It's still a long way to Linyu Villa. It'll be better once you get on the expressway," Wang Xiaoyan encouraged.

Normally, the drive from here to Linyu Villa took over half an hour, assuming good traffic. At Liu Banxia's current speed and considering the road conditions, they wouldn't reach the Linyu Villa gates for at least an hour and a half.

However, both she and Jiaojiao admired Liu Banxia's good temper. Several cars had already sped past, their drivers shouting curses.

The hot weather made people irritable. Encountering a 'roadblock' like Liu Banxia easily set off their tempers.

As Wang Xiaoyan and Jiaojiao saw it, they might as well take a nap in the car; they probably wouldn't even be at Linyu Villa by the time they woke up. But as they continued, they noticed the car seemed to pick up speed, and Liu Banxia was even starting to overtake other cars.

"Dr. Liu, are you getting used to it?" Wang Xiaoyan asked curiously.

"Yeah, pretty much. I'll speed up a bit more in a moment," Liu Banxia replied with a smile.

The benefits of body strengthening are truly immense, he marveled inwardly. I didn't expect to adapt so quickly.

When I first got into the car, I was just at the 'able to drive' level. Truthfully, after getting my license, I hadn't really driven much at all.

But as I kept driving, I developed a feeling, as if I could sense the position of the two front wheels. This probably also falls under 'Equipment Mastery,' even though driving is complex.