Chương 601: Ch 601 - A Confrontation
Ferdinand was furious that Alex had struck him in public. He was a famous martial arts expert, and he didn't like being treated this way.
Alex gestured at him to continue their fight, but this time, Ferdinand didn't respond. Instead, he stepped back and refused to engage. He knew Alex would not be easily beaten, and he wouldn't make the same mistakes as his brother had. Although his family and Alex were still at odds, Ferdinand would have to let this go. Alex was extremely skilled and had important connections, making him difficult to defeat.
"Ferdinand, this land is special, and I don't want to spill blood here, so get out!" Alex's eyes were fixed on him. He wasn't afraid of Ferdinand at all, so he faced him with confidence.
Ferdinand realized the danger Alex posed and knew he had to cut his losses, so he simply gritted his teeth and walked out.
Several people were checking out the various properties, and they saw Ferdinand walk away, dejected. Stunned, they began to speculate among themselves about Alex's background and his strength. They looked at Alex in awe, amazed that he had sent away a man as powerful as Ferdinand Thornton. In half an hour, the news had spread all over Baltimore that the owner of Birchwood House was not someone to be messed with.
The more cynical of the gossipers, however, said that the episode was a free advert for Alex and his business. The fame of Birchwood House rose instantly, becoming a topic of discussion around many dinner tables.
**
After Alex had finished his business at Birchwood House, he went back to the Woodside Clinic, intending to achieve three things.
The first was to rebrand the main part of his clinic as a wellness suite to make a clean break from Isaiah's management of the clinic.
The second task was to ask the four Moon Maidens to send a group of people to work in the new wellness suite, freeing up Alex to oversee everything.
The third job was to ask Oscar Steadman to send over a batch of high-quality medicines. Oscar's family had been dealing in medicinal ingredients for many years, and they were loyal to Alex, so he wanted to give them his business. Besides, they were specialists and knew how to source some rare medicines. Alex had some ideas for how to improve on some of the standard drugs on offer, so he wanted to know if the Steadmans could provide some special ingredients for him.
Alex knew that once his arrangements were in place, the clinic would run very efficiently. He called the Moon Palace, and they agreed to send someone over that afternoon.
When Celeste arrived with a few other disciples, Alex greeted them and showed them around, explaining how everything was going to work and assigning jobs. Celeste was thrilled to see him, and when it was time to go, she didn't want to leave and go back to the Moon Palace.
Finally, Alex agreed Celeste could stay and help for a few days. At the end of that period, she would have to go back to guarding the Moon Palace, but it would be good to have her support until then.
Everyone got straight to work, and the clinic was now bustling with activity. Celeste went up to Alex's room, tidied up the mess she found there, and then washed several of his shirts by hand.
**
The next morning, Alex got up early, keeping everyone away from the redesigned hall until he was ready. When he was, he gathered everyone around.
He gave a brief speech, and then he pulled a cord to open a red curtain, revealing a shiny new plaque embossed with the words "Wellness Suite." The crowd broke into a round of applause.
By this time, nearly a hundred patients were waiting at the door. The story of Alex bringing Teddy back to life after he had taken poison had spread through the neighborhood. In addition, everyone was talking about Alex helping the baby girl, and many patients had rushed to attend the clinic that morning.
As they waited, they could see the hospital was fully staffed, and when they learned the price of medicine had been halved, the patients praised Alex, talking among themselves about how pleased they were that he had taken over the clinic.
A sudden loud roaring of car engines was followed by seven or eight cars pulling up in front of the hospital. The doors opened, and more than a dozen men and women got out. Alex looked at them and recognized Michael Murdoch.
"Look, everyone, see how quickly the great Alex Ambrose has made his mark," Michael said, sneering at Alex.
Compared with the last time they had met, Michael appeared more polished and in control. "It's such a shame though, Alex," he continued. "You couldn't even keep Isaiah's legacy intact for five minutes. I don't know who you think you're going to impress with all these changes."
Several of his companions smiled.
"Michael, are you here to pay me off again?" Alex asked, stepping forward.
Michael's smile froze, showing his annoyance at Alex referring to the compensation the Murdochs had paid him. He hated being reminded of failure, so now he hated Alex even more. "Alex, are you challenging me? You can't just waltz in and take over in Baltimore. I could destroy this place with one phone call."
"Really, Michael?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why are you spouting so much nonsense? You know you'll ruin your tough-guy image when you lose to me, again. At least your uncle was smart enough to give in. Apparently, you're not quite as bright."
Michael felt a flash of doubt, but he tried to brazen it out in front of his lackeys. "Whatever. I'm not scared of you. How can a small-time punk like you get the better of me?"
To deal a heavy blow to both Alex and the clinic, Michael and Ferdinand had forked out a lot of money to find a cure for many things, including poison. They had wanted to gain the reputation for being the greatest, but they had struggled to find answers, and then Alex had cracked it easily. Now Ferdinand had faced Alex and had been forced to walk away in shame, so Michael knew it was time for him to get involved.
"Stop wasting my time, Michael," Alex said, his tone indifferent. "Get back in your car and drive away. I don't want to see you here again."
From inside, the staff all started shouting, "Get out of here! Go away, Michael!"
"You heard them," Alex said. "It's time for you to leave."
Michael sneered. "You think you can get the better of me? You have no idea who you're dealing with, Alex."
With that, Michael clicked his fingers, and the doors of the four mobile medical vans that had driven up while they were talking opened. A dozen medical staff in white coats filed out of the first vehicle.
From the second van, Ann Glover appeared, along with the other doctors who had previously walked out on Alex.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Michael said, looking around at everyone. "I assume you know Dr. Glover, who was the chief physician of the Woodside Clinic, and these other doctors, who also worked at this clinic for many years. They were not satisfied with Alex, a layman, telling them how to run the clinic and how to treat patients, and they were also unimpressed with the high fees being charged. When they criticized Alex and Sophie, they were dismissed as a result. They should not be treated this way."
Michael opened his car door. Before stepping in, he turned and called to the crowd. "Dr. Glover and her team are excellent doctors and kind-hearted people. They put their patients first, and they've decided to fight back against Alex and his new team."
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