The meeting that followed her decisive takedown of Director Han had shifted in tone.
Every board member sat straighter, voices lower, eyes sharper. No one dared to interrupt Su Ning again.
And as if to seal her dominance further, she began to address the company's unresolved issues — ones that had lingered on the agenda for months.
Zhao Qi presented a slide outlining stalled projects: delayed equipment shipments, rising staff turnover, incomplete partnerships, and a dip in pharmaceutical sales due to poor supply coordination.
Su Ning leaned slightly forward, her finger tracing invisible patterns across her tablet screen as she listened. Then she began to speak, calm, precise, and terrifyingly efficient.
"Regarding the logistics delay," she said, tapping a section of the report. "I've already reviewed your supplier contracts on my way here. The distribution delay stems not from customs, but from duplicated authorization channels between your internal departments. Merge authorization points under the supply division head and cut three unnecessary signatories. You'll reduce delays by sixty percent."
Her tone carried no doubt, just certainty.
Before they could process that, she continued.
"For staff turnover, the report says 'low morale.' Yet your shift rotations exceed twelve hours. Redesign the scheduling matrix to six-hour rotations for high-intensity departments like emergency and surgery. It will lower burnout. You can compensate with night-shift incentives from the administration budget."
The two HR directors exchanged shocked glances. One of them whispered under his breath, "We've been debating that for months…"
Su Ning wasn't finished.
"As for your pharmaceutical partnerships—cancel the upcoming contract with Xinle Biotech. Their quality standard dropped last quarter, and your internal testing data already reflects contamination traces in three batches. Partner with Lianhua Pharmaceuticals instead. Their facilities meet WHO certification."
Director Han, still pale from his earlier embarrassment, blinked in astonishment.
"How do you… know this?" he asked before he could stop himself.
Su Ning glanced at him. "Because I read," she replied coolly.
In truth, her photographic memory was working beyond her expectations. Every medical term, business article, and research journal she had skimmed during her flight was clear in her mind, stored perfectly, like files on a screen.
Her thoughts flowed like lightning. Every chart, every phrase from the reports, every flaw in the institution's system appeared vividly before her eyes.
By the time the meeting ended, the entire boardroom was dead silent. Not out of fear this time but shock and awe.
Zhao Qi stood, bowing slightly. "Chairwoman Su, that was…" He searched for words. "Extraordinary."
Su Ning merely nodded and rose from her seat. "I expect progress reports within seventy-two hours."
When she walked out of the boardroom, the older executives followed her with their eyes, the skepticism completely gone. Respect, admiration, and a little fear had replaced it.
Outside the boardroom, Zhao Qi hurried after her.
"Would you like to see your office now, Miss Su? It's been prepared on the ninety-eighth floor."
Su Ning shook her head lightly, her dark hair swaying behind her. "Not yet. I'll tour the facility first."
Zhao Qi hesitated. "Then… should I accompany you?"
She gave him a faint, knowing smile. "No need. I prefer to see things as they are — not as people show them when they're being watched."
He nodded and stepped aside. "Understood."
She began her quiet inspection, moving from floor to floor. Her presence was discreet — no guards, no entourage, just the soft click of her shoes echoing through the corridors.
Everywhere she went, staffs greeted her politely, though most assumed she was some young relative of a visiting official. Her simple but exquisite outfit and composed grace made her seem untouchable, a girl who didn't need to speak to be respected.
By the time she reached the thirty-second floor, the inpatient department, she began to notice small cracks beneath the hospital's pristine façade.
Nurses rushing back and forth, anxious. A few patients waiting outside consultation rooms with frustrated expressions. A mother soothing her crying child in a hallway, ignored by passing staff.
Su Ning's brows furrowed slightly.
Then she heard a raised voice.
From inside one of the consultation rooms, a woman's harsh tone rang out:
"Didn't I tell you people before? If you don't have an appointment, I won't see you! I'm not a servant!"
Su Ning turned toward the door. Through the narrow glass pane, she saw a middle-aged woman in a white coat, a senior doctor, judging by her badge, standing over a trembling nurse and an elderly patient in a wheelchair.
The nurse looked on the verge of tears. "Dr. Lin, the patient's condition worsened—"
"That's not my concern!" the doctor snapped, arms crossed. "He should've booked through the VIP queue. Do I look like I handle street cases?"
A murmur of discomfort spread among the nearby patients.
Su Ning opened the door. The sound was soft, but the air shifted instantly.
The doctor turned, frowning. "Who are you? Family member? We're busy, come back later."
Her tone was dismissive, clipped with irritation.
Su Ning stepped inside calmly. Her gaze swept over the doctor, the nurse, and the patient who was breathing heavily, face pale.
"This patient needs immediate care," Su Ning said quietly.
Dr. Lin rolled her eyes. "Listen, little miss, I don't know which department you belong to, but this isn't a playground. Don't meddle in matters you don't understand."
The nurse gasped softly. "Dr. Lin—"
But the doctor continued, glaring. "If his family can't afford private treatment, they shouldn't be here wasting my time. Do you know how many patients I handle every day? Don't talk to me like you know better."
The words hung in the air, heavy and unpleasant.
Su Ning's eyes turned cold. Her calm expression didn't change, but her voice dropped several degrees.
"Your name and position" she said softly.
The doctor blinked, taken aback by the tone. "Lin Mei. Senior doctor of—"
"Good," Su Ning interrupted. "As of this moment, you're dismissed from Zongsheng Medical Centre."
The room went dead silent.
"What?" Dr. Lin scoffed. "Who do you think you are? You think you can—"
The sound of approaching footsteps cut her off. The floor's senior administrator had arrived — drawn by the commotion. When he saw Su Ning, his face blanched slightly.
"Chair—Miss!" he stammered, instantly recognizing her from the internal orientation memo Zhao Qi had circulated that morning.
Dr. Lin noticed his reaction and frowned. "What's the meaning of this?"
Su Ning didn't bother to explain. She simply turned to the administrator. "Fire her. Immediately."
The administrator didn't hesitate. "Yes, Miss Su."
The color drained from Dr. Lin's face. "No, wait, that's impossible, you can't—"
Her protest was cut short as two security guards appeared. They moved in swiftly, ignoring her pleas as they escorted her out of the room.
The other patients and staff looked on, wide-eyed. Whispered gasps filled the corridor.
When the room fell quiet again, Su Ning turned to the trembling nurse. "Get the patient into treatment immediately. I'll authorize the cost under the emergency welfare fund."
The nurse nodded rapidly, still shocked. "Y-Yes, ma'am."
The elderly man's daughter, a woman in her thirties, bowed deeply, tears in her eyes. "Thank you… thank you, miss. We didn't know who else to turn to."
Su Ning gave a faint smile. "You don't need to. Just get him treated."
As she turned to leave, she could feel their eyes on her — not with suspicion, but admiration.
Whispers followed her through the hallways.
"Who is she?"
"She must be the daughter of one of the directors…"
"No, did you see how the admin bowed? She must be someone important."
Su Ning didn't correct them. She simply walked away, her presence once again fading into quiet authority.