“Leo, what are your thoughts?” Brennen asked, his eyes narrowing with a hint of deeper meaning.
Leo looked at Brennen and responded with a question, “Mr. Holland, if I’m not mistaken, you must have contacted the House of Albion to seek treatment for the little princess, right?”
Brennen was slightly taken aback by Leo’s question but replied, “Yes, we did, but the House of Albion refused.”
Brennen sighed deeply. “The current international reputation of Atrarian traditional medicine is… complicated. If it weren’t for Monica, the Vice President of the United States Medical Research Society, recommending you, the House of Albion would have likely chosen Korean Medicine.”
“Leo, I didn’t expect you to have such a close relationship with the Vice President of the United States Medical Research Society,” Brennen said with a hint of surprise.
It’s worth noting that most of the work at the United States Medical Research Society is currently overseen by Vice President Monica.
Monica’s international reputation and status are something Brennen could only dream of achieving.
Leo smiled faintly. “I’m not that familiar with Monica; we’re barely friends.”
A glint flashed in Brennen’s eyes as he spoke with anticipation. “Leo, if you can defeat Seung Kim and gain recognition from the House of Albion, Atrarian traditional medicine will gain worldwide fame, effectively promoting it globally!”
Leo understood this but remained humble. “Mr. Holland, I will do my best in the competition against Seung Kim.”
After seeing Brennen off, Leo received a call from Arlene.
The results of the Langstel antique shop rankings were out. RH Auction Company remained first, followed by Seven Treasures Trading Company.
Spirit Moon Antiques had surged to the eleventh position, and Triple Element Commerce Association had significantly improved its ranking to twentieth.
“Arlene, what about Bonham Auction House’s ranking?” Leo asked.
Arlene laughed heartily on the other end of the line. “The news about Bonham Auction House selling fake goods has been confirmed. Many buyers who purchased antiques from them have come forward to testify.”
“Additionally, the failure to sell The Dragon Pearl has broken Bonham Auction House’s financial chain. They even owe rent for Spring Dawn Garden now.”
Leo hadn’t expected his actions to lead to Bonham Auction House’s delisting so quickly.
Arlene continued, “The ranking committee decided to delist Bonham Auction House. Now, there are only twenty-six officially recognized Langstel antique shops.”
“Does the ranking committee have that much power?”
“Of course, the ranking committee, also known as the Evaluation Committee, is essentially a semi-official antique association with significant authority.”
Leo then understood why David had acted so deferentially towards Landon that day.
After hanging up the phone, Leo immersed himself in his busy clinic work.
By 5 PM, Leo’s phone rang again. This time it was Rosemary calling.
It had been a long time since Leo and Rosemary had seen each other.
Rosemary hadn’t contacted Leo either, likely because of Sophia.
Sophia had told Leo that she had visited Rosemary and they talked all night, but she didn’t disclose the details to Leo.
To be honest, seeing Rosemary’s call made Leo feel a bit guilty.
After all, he was a major shareholder in Leo&Rose Cosmetics but had done nothing aside from providing the Beautiful Visage formula.
Like Sophia, Rosemary was a woman managing a large company on her own; it wasn’t easy.
Leo answered the call and joked, “Miss Fanny, what brings you to call me today?”
“What do you mean by ‘I have time’? It seems you’re the one who’s always busy!” Rosemary retorted playfully on the other end.
From Rosemary’s tone, Leo sensed a hint of resentment.
“Is something wrong?” Leo asked with concern.
Rosemary hesitated for a moment before saying, “Nothing’s wrong. Do you have time tonight to come over for dinner?”
“Dinner at your place? Did you invite anyone else? Are you hosting a party?”
Leo knew Rosemary lived in a large mansion now. If she only invited him, it might seem a bit inappropriate.
Rosemary snorted lightly and teased, “From your tone, it sounds like you wouldn’t dare come if I didn’t invite others. I won’t do anything to you; are you afraid of your wife?”
“Come on, it’s just dinner. Even if you wanted to do something to me, I wouldn’t be scared!” Leo willingly fell for Rosemary’s provocation.
Rosemary laughed and said in a teasing tone, “Seven o’clock tonight. Be on time; I’ll be waiting.”
After hanging up, Leo frowned slightly.
It seemed he would have to lie to Sophia. Although there was nothing between him and Rosemary, making a woman jealous was never a good idea.
At seven o’clock sharp, Leo knocked on Rosemary’s door.
The door opened to reveal Rosemary, whom he hadn’t seen in a while.
Today, Rosemary wasn’t wearing her usual high heels and black stockings office attire; instead, she wore casual home clothes and held a spatula in her hand.
“You’re right on time. Come in and sit,” Rosemary said with a sweet smile before turning back and calling out, “Grandpa, Leo is here!”
Leo was surprised. Dr. Rudolph was here too?
“You chat with my grandpa while I finish cooking. Dinner will be ready soon,” Rosemary said before heading back to the kitchen.
It was Leo’s first time at Rosemary’s new home-a luxurious flat with elegant and cozy decor.
The most distinctive feature was the scenic balcony connected to the living room. The large floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of Little Clear Lake.
“Leo, come sit and have some tea,” Dr. Rudolph said, pointing to the seat beside him.
Leo greeted Dr. Rudolph and sat down next to him.
Dr. Rudolph handed Leo a cup of tea and smiled. “I heard about your speech at Traditional Medicine University. Thank you for bringing great honor to Atrarian traditional medicine!”
“Dr. Rudolph, you’re too kind. As an Atrarian doctor, it’s my duty,” Leo said as he accepted the tea.
Dr. Rudolph continued, “I heard that Seung Kim from Korean Medicine has challenged you?”
“Yes,” Leo nodded.
“Do you have confidence in winning?”
“I’m not one hundred percent sure,” Leo replied cautiously.