What made Dr. Shen choke on the piece of roasted chicken was the first sentence that was written on top of the list of medicinal items.
Each of the following products should be prepared in an equal quantity of 100,000 pieces.
He didn’t even got to read any further as just the six-digits number written there made him forgot about everything else.
Seeing him choking up and coughing so badly, Grace quickly offered him water that he immediately gulped down. It took a few minutes before he was able to return to normal.
The private dining room was filled with silence as Dr. Shen stared at his phone while Grace sat opposite him, waiting for him to speak. Then, all of a sudden, he started reading the list out loud.
"Each of the following products should be prepared in an equal quantity of..." he stopped to inhale deeply before continuing, "... 100,000 pieces."
He spared her a quick glance before once again returning his attention to his phone.
"Basic First Aid Supplies - Adhesive bandages, Gauze pads and rolled gauze, Medical tape, Elastic bandages, Butterfly closures or steri-strips, Cotton balls and cotton swabs, Alcohol prep pads or antiseptic wipes, Scissors, Tweezers, Safety pins."
"Wound Cleaning and Care supplies - Saline solution, Hydrogen peroxide, Antiseptic solution, Antibiotic ointment, Burn ointment, Hydrogel pads, Sterile wound dressings, Hemostatic agents, and Sterile saline eye drops."
The list seemed never-ending as Dr. Shen kept reading.
"Instruments and Tools - Thermometer, CPR face shield, Splints, Sling, Instant cold packs and heat packs, Nitrile or Latex Gloves, Rescue blankets, and Finger splints."
"Medications and Pain Relief supplies - Pain relievers, Antihistamines, Hydrocortisone cream, Antacids, Oral rehydration salts, and Antidiarrheal medications."
"Burn Treatment Supplies - Burn cream, Aloe vera gel, Hydrogel dressings, and Non-stick dressings."
Dr. Shen stopped to let out a deep breath and without wasting any time, he once again continued, "Breathing and Circulation Supplies - Tourniquet, Epinephrine auto-injector, Blood pressure cuffs and stethoscope."
"Mobility and Comfort Supplies - Crutches and canes. Sanitation and Hygiene Supplies - Hand sanitizer (alcohol-based), Soap, Wipes, Face masks, Disinfectant spray, and Bleach wipes."
"And finally... First Aid Manual - only 100 copies."
Dr. Shen put down his phone on the table and finally turned his full attention toward Grace. All of a sudden, his expression was unreadable that made it hard for Grace to predict what he was thinking about after reading the list of supplies.
Is he suspecting me? Has he seen through my lies? She found herself wondering as the silence stretched on for way too long.
Finally after five long minutes of silence, he asked her his very first question - one that she wasn’t expecting at all. "Don’t you think 100 manuals is way too less for such a huge bulk of supplies?"
"Huh?" Grace stared at him in confusion, feeling slightly lost as she had no idea where this question came from. "Well... not many people need an entire manual just for first-aid, right? Or do you think I should get 100,000 copies of it as well?"
She probably had asked the wrong question because it resulted in him throwing his hands up as if he was ready to give up on her.
There was another long minute of silence before Dr. Shen asked his second question. "Don’t you think buying 100,000 pieces of each of these items is just... too much? It’s not like you are planning to sell them to each person living in the city."
His question finally made Grace feel relieved. He was indeed questioning her list of supplies, but it wasn’t because he had started suspecting her, but because he believed that she was buying way too much just for a supermarket.
"Dr. Shen, didn’t I just told you that I’m going to open multiple supermarkets?" She asked.
In response, Dr. Shen nodded his head but asked another question in return. "How many supermarkets are you planning to open?"
Grace pretended to appear excited while answering, "For now, I’m planning around twenty-"
"Twenty?"
Dr. Shen appeared at a complete loss for words. He just sat there staring at Grace as if he was seeing her for the very first time.
Continuing her act, Grace asked innocently. "You too think that twenty is too few, right? Should I increase it to fifty for now?" Once again her voice was filled with excitement as she asked the question.
She watched as Dr. Shen stood up from his seat and walked away to the other side of the room. His back was facing her which didn’t allow her to see his expression, but she already knew that her plan had succeeded.
"Dr. Shen?"
She called him and he did turn to face her. Slowly, he returned to his seat and settled down. "I will take care of this. I’m sure you will receive your order within next two working days. I’ll let you know for sure once I have talked to my contact."
"Thank you, Dr. Shen." Grace quickly thanked the man, internally feeling happy that the task was successfully accomplished.
In response, Dr. Shen nodded his head before adding, "I wish you all the best for your next adventure. Though I did question your ideas just right now, but I can feel that I was wrong to judge you. After all, you have successfully led the Blackwood empire for more than twelve years. Handling just a bunch of supermarkets can’t be that hard for you."
Grace smiled gratefully at the man. "Thank you, Dr. Shen, for believing in me."
The two continued to chat while enjoying the food. Half an hour later, they finally bid farewell to each other and headed to their respective destination. Just as Grace was about to climb into her car, her gaze landed on a certain person.
"I didn’t know Ms. Blackwood is so close with CEO Shen." Dr. Kian commented as he made his way to where Grace was standing next to her car.
"Nice to meet you too, Dr. Kian." Grace greeted in response, fixing her gaze on the man who was suddenly everywhere in her life.