The banquet room’s clock showed less than an hour until midnight. Yan had heard the deadline twice. He still hoped Zhao might change one part of the offer, but the contract remained open on the table with the same clauses.
“Your sister’s review will return to the ordinary queue if you decline,” Zhao said. “The private physician will not be assigned outside this arrangement.”
“Her ordinary clinic review stays open?”
“It returns to the ordinary queue.”
“Then keep her name on the list.”
Yan felt the threat land. Ning had waited months for better care. The ordinary clinic could take time to schedule her, and no one had promised a quiet room or a specialist. He looked at the clean paper catalog and remembered the gold-edged manuals behind the locked cabinet.
He knew exactly what he would lose: treatment sooner, money for their household, and years of access to knowledge. The list hurt because each item mattered. The contract still gave Zhao authority over his body and tied Ning’s care to his compliance.
“Can you promise the physician will see her even if I refuse?” Yan asked.
