Of course, Hill couldn't possibly say this to Gabriel.
"I'm sorry, John. Chen is my friend, and I trust him completely. I'm just doing this to be safe."
Gabriel sighed. Since Hill had put it that way, what more could he say?
"Then I'll go with you."
Hill nodded.
Meanwhile, Chen Yu found a private clinic.
The place was luxurious, prioritized patient privacy, and had advanced equipment. Everything about it was great, except for the price. A single MRI cost five thousand US dollars—it was practically highway robbery.
When Hill arrived by car, three other people were with him.
Gabriel, along with Billings and Houston, had all come.
Gabriel greeted Chen Yu warmly.
Unable to change Hill's mind, he had thought it over carefully on the way there.
Getting Hill a second diagnosis wouldn't hurt Hill or the team in any way.
If there was any downside, it was that Billings probably wouldn't be happy.
On the way over, Billings had been stone-faced and barely said a word.
It was the same after seeing Chen Yu; he didn't even offer a greeting.
Chen Yu, on the other hand, extended his hand proactively after hearing that Billings was the Magic's team doctor.
Unexpectedly, Billings acted as if he hadn't seen it.
Getting the cold shoulder, Chen Yu frowned slightly but didn't say anything.
After a day of ice treatment and a compression bandage, the swelling in Hill's left foot looked less severe. Sitting in his wheelchair, he tried to stand on his tiptoes, but Chen Yu stopped him immediately.
It was the same procedure as before: X-ray, then an MRI.
Because it was a private clinic, the results came back quickly. Chen Yu and the others were in the MRI room watching as the results came in.
Chen Yu already knew the extent of the damage thanks to his Eye of All-Seeing, but he still leaned in front of the computer to carefully examine the scanned images.
Beside him, Gabriel asked with a smile, "How does it look, Dr. Chen? Nothing serious, I hope?"
Before Chen Yu could speak, Billings cut in, "Of course there's no problem. It's just a common sprain."
He had personally overseen the first examination. He knew the results better than anyone.
It was just a normal sprain, nothing more.
Chen Yu glanced at Billings.
'This old man sure is aggressive.'
Chen Yu didn't waste any words, pointing to a spot on the screen. "Look here."
Billings rolled his eyes, pretending he hadn't heard.
Gabriel, however, leaned in and anxiously asked what was there.
A radiologist from the clinic also came over. Hearing Chen Yu, he took a look and asked, puzzled, "Is there a problem here?"
Chen Yu nodded. "Right here. The cartilage is damaged."
At these words, the clinic's doctor was taken aback.
Gabriel's heart skipped a beat. The words he feared most right now were "damage" and "strain."
Beside them, the color drained from Billings' face as he quickly bent down to look at the screen.
His brow furrowed deeply. He tilted his head to examine it closely, then breathed a secret sigh of relief and scoffed, "Are you kidding me? Where do you see any cartilage damage?"
The area with the cartilage was clearly fine, with no issues whatsoever.
Chen Yu smiled calmly. "What, you can't see such obvious damage?"
The single sentence left Billings speechless and wanting to curse. 'I've been a doctor for over thirty years, and this rookie who just got his license dares to question my skills?'
"John."
Billings couldn't be bothered to argue with Chen Yu any further. "Trust me, there's nothing wrong with Grant. He can resume training in two weeks, tops. Don't let this guy fool you. Do you know who he is? He's just a rookie who barely got his medical license. You can't trust a word he says."
"Resume training in two weeks?"
Chen Yu laughed. "Mr. Gabriel, if that's the case, then I should congratulate you in advance."
"Congratulate me?"
Gabriel was stunned for a moment. 'Congratulate me for what?'
Chen Yu said, "For watching your 93 million dollars go down the drain."
Those words made Gabriel's face change drastically. He waved a hand to silence Billings, who was beside him, and said with a grave expression, "Dr. Chen, what exactly are you trying to say?"
'They just signed Hill to a seven-year max contract, and he's only played two games. If something major really does happen later, the Magic are finished, and so am I!'
Chen Yu tapped the computer screen. "I don't need to tell you that he's had surgery on his left foot before. This sprain has caused damage to his talar cartilage. This area is critical. If it doesn't heal properly, he'll experience chronic pain, which will eventually lead to ankle instability and directly impact his athletic ability!"
"I assume you spent all that money hoping to get an All-Star-level Hill, not a Hill whose athletic ability has plummeted and who has lost his speed and explosiveness."
Chen Yu wasn't just fearmongering.
A thousand-mile dike can crumble from a single anthill.
If Hill really followed Billings' plan, rested for two weeks, and then hastily returned to training, the cartilage damage would only deepen until it was a complete mess. Then, at some unknown point in the future, the problem would resurface, and his ankle would be completely ruined for good.
"Enough!"
Billings rudely cut Chen Yu off.
"John, this guy is talking nonsense. Grant's condition isn't nearly that serious."
"Right, where's your proof?"
An idea seemed to strike Billings. He pointed at the computer screen and said, "You keep saying Grant has cartilage damage, so I'm asking you, where's the evidence? Why don't I see any sign of cartilage damage on this scan?"
Gabriel also looked at Chen Yu anxiously. At that moment, he didn't know who to believe.
Chen Yu pointed to the space between the talus and the fibula. "Right now, it's because of the swelling, so I don't blame you for not seeing the problem. But we can wait. Give it a week. The swelling should start to go down. We can do another scan then, and it will be perfectly clear whether there's a problem or not."
Billings was about to go insane. 'You don't blame me? You might as well just say I'm incompetent!'
"Fine! One week it is. We'll do another scan in a week and see who's really at fault!"
Billings stormed out of the room in a rage.
Gabriel didn't stop him. He wasn't really concerned with the argument between Chen Yu and Billings, nor did he care if Billings had lost face. He cared more about Hill's health.
"Dr. Chen, let's say Hill really does have cartilage damage. How long would he need to recover? I mean, to make a full recovery?"
Having spent big in the summer on their Twin Stars, the Magic's goal was clear: make a run for the playoffs.
If Hill's recovery took too long, they might as well give up on that idea and just tank the season.
Chen Yu had already been thinking about this problem since yesterday.
Hill's sprain wasn't a major issue; with enough rest, it would heal completely.
The more troublesome part was the cartilage damage. That kind of injury is almost irreversible.
However, Chen Yu felt that perhaps the healing effects provided by his system could work some miracles.
Then there was the steel plate in Hill's fibula. Because it wasn't ideally positioned, it was now actually holding Hill back and needed to be removed as soon as possible.
But with the season in full swing, having surgery to remove it was obviously not realistic.
After a moment of thought, Chen Yu said, "If you leave it to me, he'll need at least two months!"
Gabriel sucked in a sharp breath.
Two months of recovery, plus the time for training afterward... that was equivalent to missing half the season!