032: A queue has already begun to form at Li Cha’s clinic...

"Pop!"

Madam Lisa planted a kiss on the top of Ram's shiny, bald head, then said softly, "My dear Ram, don't you get drunk. I'm not strong enough to carry you home."

Lisa poured a drink for Ram—just half a glass, as she had promised. Tonight, she was heavily made up and oozed charm. However, her allure was reserved solely for her husband; she wouldn't spare anyone else so much as a glance. Furthermore, while her new outfit was as beautiful as ever, its modesty factor had skyrocketed by seven or eight hundred percent.

Having finished her little interaction with Ram, Lisa departed, leaving behind only a graceful silhouette.

The rough men at the table began to jeer: "Whoa, our Ram... Whoa, look at our Ram standing tall!"

"Repeat after me: Lord Ram is the best!!!"

"Come on, let's drain our glasses!"

"Clang, clang, clang!"...

Large gulps of beer disappeared into the bellies of the boisterous men.

At this, Ram felt proud—he felt glorious. As an unremarkable man, there was little more satisfying than having a young, beautiful wife who was devoted to him and treated him like an emperor.

Ram downed three large mugs in a row, his cheeks flushing crimson. He then pulled the pistol tucked into the back of his waistband, placed it on the table, and spun it twice until the barrel pointed directly at the sharp-featured adventurer sitting opposite him.

Ram said, "Rondo, pull your eyeballs back in, or I’ll blow your head off."

The lively atmosphere instantly turned cold. Rondo, the adventurer, looked as if he were seeing the usually honest Ram for the first time.

Then, Ram slapped the table and laughed, "Hahaha, I'm just kidding! Rondo, you were looking at the landlady, not my wife, right?"

Rondo replied, "Of course, heh heh, of course."

For a moment, not just Rondo, but the two or three other men whose eyes had been drifting toward the bar silently retracted their gazes. Ram had changed. This realization was deeply branded into everyone's minds.

The Ram family was actually quite influential; his father worked for the Adventurers' Guild, and he held a position there too. Though this bald man was neither the guild master nor the vice-master, dealing with a few adventurers would be effortless for him.

Previously, Ram had been the "honest Ram," a man almost everyone could joke around with. If they teased his beautiful wife, Ram might have been unhappy, but he would never have shown it. Yet today, when the muzzle of his gun pointed at Rondo, the look in his eyes for that split second seemed to say, "If you dare answer 'no,' I will actually kill you!"

Gradually, Ram became the focus of the Old Shock Tavern. It was easy for him to deal with anyone present, and conversely, granting favors was just a matter of saying the word.

Some asked Mr. Ram why he had become so strong. Ram offered a mysterious smile.

"For a man, being powerful is the ultimate truth!"

After saying this, he maintained his mysterious smile.

***

Elsewhere, Lisa was also drinking, though hers was fruit wine. Marie, who stood behind the bar, was seeing Lisa for the first time. She held no ill will toward her, but Marie the landlady scoffed at the groups of rough men in the distance.

"Men, they're all the same."

Lisa took a sip of her drink and said, "Landlady, I agree with you about others, but my Ram is a very good man."

Marie replied, "Your husband has been here a few times before; he was quite honest. But people change, especially men."

Hearing this, Lisa blinked, as if she had just heard something extraordinary. Just as men are fond of drinking and boasting, women are born with a heart for gossip. She asked if it had to do with Boss Shock.

Marie said it didn't. Lisa became even more intrigued.

***

On the weekend, the Old Shock Tavern saw a significant rise in foot traffic. The seats were packed, people were coming and going, and it was bustling with excitement.

On the stage, the young girl Wendy danced gracefully to the music. Even though few were watching, she danced with great focus. It was her job.

However, the girl's gaze would drift toward the bar from time to time. She was a woman, so she wasn't interested in Lisa. She also knew Lisa's past—she had been a very flirtatious woman. But today was also Wendy's first time actually seeing Lisa, and she felt the rumors had been exaggerated. But that was all.

The girl's main subject of observation was her foster mother, Marie. Since her deal with that fellow Li Cha, he hadn't returned to the tavern. Wendy intended to use this opportunity to play matchmaker for her father and her foster mother. Unfortunately, her father had only stayed in the tavern for two days before getting busy again.

"Sigh... these adults, they really give me such a headache," Wendy thought as she danced.

***

Charlie's Psychological Clinic.

Li Cha woke up at eight, washed up, and ate breakfast. His life had stabilized. Sunday was a day off; he finally didn't have to wander around the Inner City. But before he could relax for long, customers began lining up outside his shop.

"Doctor Li Cha, hello. I am Feld, a colleague of Ram's."

"Doctor Li Cha, I am Tony, a loyal customer of the Old Shock Tavern, heh heh."

"Doctor, you must help me. I am Morgan, a second-tier adventurer!"

Information is contagious. Even in an otherworldly place without the internet, once something reached the point of word-of-mouth, it spread tenfold, then a hundredfold. Before long, Li Cha’s reputation as the "Saint of Men's Health" would surely echo throughout the entire Holy Saint-An City.

"..."

"..."

Damn it!

Li Cha really wanted to say: I am a high-class psychologist, this is Charlie's Psychological Clinic, not Charlie's Men's Health Hospital!

Subsequently, the three men—who were unsure if they knew each other or not—swore to the Goddess that they knew this place only by accident and that everything that happened here would never be disclosed.

Li Cha said, "Actually, I feel it doesn't matter whether you spread it or not. But treatment is a very time-consuming and exhausting process. On weekends, I can only see one client per day."

The patients seeking help, even Morgan, a level 25 warrior, bowed slightly when facing Doctor Li Cha. But when it came to the queue, he immediately perked up.

Holding up two fingers, he said, "I'll pay 100 copper coins! I was here first!"

Tony: "I'll pay 150!"

Feld: "I'll pay 200!"

...

It could only be said that in order to become stronger, they were truly willing to spend money.

There had been three previous clients at Charlie's Clinic. Old Shock didn't count; his case was pure boasting. But Landlady Marie's reputation for beauty was famous far and wide, and as the stories spread, they became miraculous. Randolph was just a craftsman, and his story was unremarkable, but he was even better at bragging than Old Shock, making it sound as if he were a god descended to earth.

Finally, there was the most impactful story of all: the Ram family. Turning a fickle wife into a virtuous one and a timid, honest man into a pillar of strength—these were not mere medical issues; not even magic was this miraculous!

Even for those without wives, even for the single guys, being able to arrive in Red Alley as a powerful man was an immensely glorious thing.

Just as the three were arguing intensely, a middle-aged gentleman dressed in a black formal suit walked into the shop. "Doctor Li Cha, Lord Kevin requests your presence."