Sports Medicine Master System

Chapter 389 - 329: Return to Chicago

"Final Ratings 13.2, Chen Yu’s Scientific Weight Loss Method Takes the United States by Storm"

"The top superstar in the United States, Big Shark O’Neal, partnered with the Miracle Doctor and presidential medical consultant, Chen Yu. With a diamond combination like this, you could say that even if they did nothing but sit there and chat, casually revealing some NBA insider secrets, the ratings would have been explosive."

"But they brought us a brand-new show, the ’100-Day Rapid Weight Loss Plan.’ We saw Chen Yu’s professionalism. Just as he is as a doctor, there’s no doubt he is the best weight loss expert in the world."

From the Washington Post.

"Gourmet Food and Weight Loss: A Wondrous Fusion of Ice and Fire, Delivering an Incredibly Explosive Effect"

"When we turned on the TV and saw it was a weight loss show, and that the person losing weight was Big Shark O’Neal, well, we were already interested. His obesity problem had plagued the Lakers for years, but no one could solve it."

"When Chen Yu started talking at length about the underlying principles of weight loss, introducing the new concept of increasing metabolism, and using all sorts of incredible scientific equipment to assist with training, we knew he was the ultimate professional."

"Then we saw O’Neal, for a piece of braised pork—yes, that should be the name—clamoring that he was going on a hunger strike. For a single pan-fried dumpling, he casually said he’d take any amount of extra training. Finally, he was begging Chen Yu for a bowl of wontons and arguing nonstop. Good heavens, what kind of show were we even watching?"

"Isn’t this supposed to be a weight loss show? Why is there so much gourmet food? I’ll admit, watching O’Neal and Chen Yu bicker over food is entertaining, but before I offer my critique, please tell me: just how delicious is that stuff? So much so that after the show, they had to release a special segment where Chen Yu teaches everyone how to make pan-fried dumplings?"

"Braised pork, pan-fried dumplings, sweet and sour pork? I think those are the names. Are they really more delicious than caviar and foie gras?"

From the Los Angeles Times.

Chen Yu accomplished the great feat the Lakers never could.

The sour-grapes Los Angeles media was the first to raise doubts.

But very quickly, on the very next day, the Los Angeles Times responded to its own report.

"Alright, our editorial department found a local Chinese restaurant. Chen, you win. Chinese food is fucking delicious."

"Loses 6 Pounds in One Week, Nearly Twenty Million Viewers Tune In, Mark Burnett Creates Another Top Reality Show. 70% of Respondents Say They Will Try Chen Yu’s Recommended Weight Loss Method. CBS Announces Full-Season Renewal and Begins Preparations for Season Two."

From the New York Daily.

"Reason for O’Neal’s Slump Found: He Was Playing on an Empty Stomach."

From ESPN.

"Phoenix Suns Home Game Attendance Skyrockets; Fans Say They’re Curious How Many Pounds O’Neal Will Ultimately Lose."

From the Arizona Republic.

The final rating was 13.2. Coupled with massive media coverage, the show’s popularity was frighteningly high.

Burnett had already halted his other projects, recruited several new writers, and was feverishly beginning to film the second episode.

"Suing me?"

In the kitchen, Chen Yu had just finished filming the segment on making a cold-dish dressing when Burnett handed him a newspaper.

The Wall Street Journal.

One of the articles stated that the food giant Kraft had held a press conference, publicly declaring that their products, such as salad dressing and peanut butter, were absolutely not high in calories as Chen Yu had claimed on the show, but were in fact healthy condiments.

To that end, they were also preparing to sue Chen Yu and the production company.

"Are they serious?" Chen Yu said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Kraft had a product called "Miracle Whip," which had been popular worldwide since the 1930s. It had always been the best-selling salad dressing in the United States and was Kraft’s flagship product.

They had always marketed it as a healthy food product, so it was no surprise they were getting anxious now that Chen Yu was saying it was high in calories.

"What, are you scared?" Chen Yu retorted, seeing Burnett’s expression.

"No."

Burnett quickly shook his head, but his expression was clearly a bit unnatural.

This was Kraft, the second-largest food company in the world, a giant with a market capitalization in the tens of billions.

Having been in Hollywood for so many years, Burnett knew one thing very well: you should never go up against big capital. Once you did, the consequences would be severe.

Chen Yu shook his head slightly.

In reality, when he said that during the show’s taping, Chen Yu hadn’t intended to expose Kraft’s dirty laundry. It was just that one thing had led to another, and the topic came up.

After all, anyone with any knowledge of the food industry’s inside secrets knew what was what.

From dog food, corn syrup, and vegetarian salads to Sisco’s school lunches, the food industry’s dirty business was truly no less rampant than the medical industry’s.

The key thing was, they didn’t even let you talk about it. The nerve.

"Let them do what they want." Chen Yu tossed the newspaper back.

Chen Yu had no desire to be some whistleblower hero, nor did he want to make enemies of these food giants. But now that the trouble had landed on his head, he wasn’t afraid.

’I’m not some small fry they can just push around. With the halo of prestige surrounding me, plus my natural status as a doctor, I’m not someone Kraft can slander just by slinging some mud.’

’I won’t mess with you, so you’d better not mess with me. I’ll say what I have to say, and how you handle your public relations is your own business.’ That was Chen Yu’s attitude.

"Alright." Burnett put away the newspaper.

He just wanted to give Chen Yu a heads-up.

If the show really got canceled because of this, CBS, who was backing it, wouldn’t stand for it.

The show was a massive hit. CBS was already preparing to ramp up promotions, adjust its time slot, and build it into a long-term program—a golden goose.

’If they really sue, then let them sue. A lawsuit like this could drag on for eight or ten years, and that wouldn’t even be considered long.’

Filming continued.

In the kitchen, O’Neal circled Chen Yu eagerly, watching him make sweet and sour pork.

"One bite, just one bite," O’Neal pleaded, holding up a single finger. "Chen, with my current training load, forget one bite—I could eat this entire plate and burn it all off in no time."

As he spoke, he suddenly looked up past Chen Yu and exclaimed, "Michael, what are you doing here?"

Chen Yu "instinctively" turned his head.

Meanwhile, O’Neal had already snatched a piece of sweet and sour pork and stuffed it into his mouth.

On camera, his face contorted from the heat, the epitome of a comedic gag.

"Cut! Excellent!"

Behind the camera, Burnett gave a thumbs-up.

Chen Yu asked speechlessly, "Wasn’t that hot?"

"It was!" O’Neal sucked in a sharp breath of cool air, then said with an expression of pure bliss, "But it was so delicious."

The sweet and sour flavor hit his weak spot perfectly.

Chen Yu shook his head slightly and paid him no more mind.

The title of this episode was "The Rebound."

Initially, the plan was to go from 373 pounds down to 340 pounds over 100 days.

Including the pilot, it was a total of seven episodes. They would film one episode every two weeks, with him losing five or six pounds per episode. As long as they controlled it, it would be a piece of cake.

But because the pilot was a massive hit, CBS requested an extension from seven episodes to eleven, which meant one episode every ten days.

With more episodes, they had to find a way to extend the content.

So for this episode, Chen Yu planned to film about the issue of rebounding.

During weight loss, suddenly restricting one’s diet will certainly lead to rapid weight loss.

But that kind of weight loss isn’t real. As soon as the diet returns to normal, even slightly, the weight will immediately and rapidly rebound.

Therefore, O’Neal’s task this week was very easy: he could relax his diet a bit and eat whatever he wanted.

Everything that just happened was all for the show.

After this segment ended, just as Chen Yu was about to film the interview portion, his phone rang.

It was a call from Chicago.

It was Tucker!

"What is it, Tucker?" Chen Yu answered the call.

On the other end, Tucker sounded a bit anxious. "Chen, your mother told me not to tell you, but I think I have to. She’s been injured."

"Injured?"

Chen Yu was suddenly alarmed.

Tucker quickly said, "Chen, don’t worry. It’s not serious. She was at the clinic when some bastard pushed her over, and she sprained her ankle. Don’t worry, we’ve already taught that bastard a lesson."

After the clinic was built, his mother had been helping out at the front desk. The original intention was to keep her from being idle and give her something to do.

He never expected an accident like this would happen.

After asking for details and learning that she was still resting in bed after five days, Chen Yu sighed. "Alright, don’t tell anyone, especially not the Captain. I’ll come back to Chicago tomorrow to check on her."

He had returned to Chicago last summer, but after the new season started, he hadn’t been back.

It had been a long time. It was about time he went back for a visit.

The next day, Chen Yu returned to Chicago with Lexi.

Tucker drove to pick them up.

First, they went home to see his mother.

His mother was very happy to see Lexi and, of course, didn’t fail to bring up the matter of them getting married.

"Of course, I hope it’s as soon as possible," Lexi said, glancing resentfully at Chen Yu.

She had tried to pressure him into marriage many times.

"We will, we’ll get married this summer," Chen Yu said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

It was the off-season, and there was no World Cup, so he should have time.

There was nothing seriously wrong with his mother’s foot; it was just a sprain. But due to her age, she was recovering slowly.

However, with a few rehabilitation treatments, she should recover quickly.

Chen Yu went out, taking Tucker with him to the clinic.

It was located near Murray Park, a red, two-story building that wasn’t small, covering nearly two thousand square meters.

The sign for the Chen Memorial Clinic hung above.

They arrived in the afternoon. The open space outside the clinic was a mess, with cars parked haphazardly.

Some people were even arguing over parking spots.

There was even graffiti on the wall across the street.

He entered the clinic with Tucker.

The reception area was chaotic, like a crowded marketplace.

Behind the front desk, a middle-aged female nurse was banging on the counter, yelling at a patient over the queueing number system.

The scene was identical to many community clinics Chen Yu had seen before.

It was a little better, but not by much.

The clinic’s scale was actually decent, with four specialists, seven nurses, and all the basic equipment.

But this situation before him...

Chen Yu sighed, slipped back out without alerting anyone, and directly called Captain Vogel.

Before long, the Captain arrived by car.

"Chen, I saw your weight loss show! Do you know how famous you are? Everyone knows your name," Vogel said, stepping forward to give Chen Yu an enthusiastic hug.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Vogel glanced at Tucker and said, "Chen, are you here because of what happened to Mary? That was an unfortunate accident, but rest assured, I’ve already made the bastard who hurt Mary pay the price."

Chen Yu understood the specifics of the incident. It was just a crazed drug addict.

As for what price he paid, Chen Yu didn’t ask, but he was sure it wasn’t small.

In a place like this, for someone to mysteriously disappear was nothing at all.

"Captain, this won’t do," Chen Yu said, gesturing around them. "I funded this clinic hoping to change things, but look at this. It’s chaos. There’s no order. You really need to do something."

He wouldn’t have known if he hadn’t come. It was basically a total mess.

At the very least, you need to assign some people to maintain order and prevent more trouble.

If Vogel couldn’t do it, then Chen Yu would go to Toliver.

If that still didn’t work, he would just shut the clinic down.

Vogel’s expression turned serious. "Chen, rest assured," he said in a low voice. "I understand."

Chen Yu nodded and said no more.

They chatted a bit longer before Chen Yu prepared to leave.

"Oh, right, Chen, one more thing," Vogel called out to stop him. "Do you remember I told you before about Mrs. Old Morris from 59th Street? Her grandson, the one who plays basketball for Marquette University and is supposed to be in the draft this year, got injured last Sunday in the game against St. John’s University. It’s pretty serious."

"He’s a good kid, I’ve met him. The day before yesterday, his father even called me to ask if he could get a referral through the clinic to get treatment in Phoenix."

Chen Yu stopped and asked casually, "He’s in the draft this year? What’s his name?"

"Dwyane Wade. And I think he injured his knee."

Vogel replied immediately.