LRAB Chapter 26: Favor from a Big Shot
Chapter 26: Favor from a Big Shot
"Dr. Chen Yisen, right?"
The woman appeared to be around forty years old at first glance, but the fine wrinkles around her eyes and neck suggested that she was actually older.
Standing in the corridor without air conditioning, I was already sweating quite a bit, even though I was dressed in a well-tailored women's formal suit.
So much so that the tissue in my hand was completely soaked and turned into a ball.
Compared to Helena, who was simply dressed in a bright and youthful style, this woman exuded an aura of sophistication that almost overflowed from her, making her even more out of place in the Bronx and in this old apartment building.
"It's me, may I ask who you are...?"
Chen Yisen was a little unsure of where the other party came from.
Because it involves mailing tax forms, formal employment in the United States is mandatory and tied to one's place of residence.
But it's not common for someone to come knocking on your door specifically for work-related matters.
"Lema Beltran, Director of the Office of the Dorrance Foundation." The middle-aged woman straightened her shirt and took out a business card and a certificate from her pocket. "I don't know if Dr. Chen remembers, but we actually met once."
Chen Yisen took the business card and then glanced at the other person's work ID.
The Dorrance Foundation is one of the largest external sponsors of the NYC H+H system.
In addition to providing funding, several academic exchange or skills training activities for medical staff are held every year.
Of course, that's what they say in name only; in reality, it's just inviting promising young doctors to eat, drink, and travel.
It's usually done during the off-season, so it doesn't cost much. But for those struggling medical students who have just graduated or completed their residency training, it could be the first time in their lives that they've received preferential treatment because of their "doctor" status.
If someone becomes successful in the future, it could be a good entry point.
Chen Yisen searched his memory and found that the original owner had indeed participated in an academic exchange event held in South Carolina last year.
This Lema was the organizer of the event, who not only delivered the opening speech on behalf of the organizers, but also took charge of coordinating the itinerary of their group throughout the event.
We have indeed met.
"Of course I remember." Chen Yisen put away his business card. "Last September in Charleston, at the Atlantic Young Medical Scholars Winter Forum, you were in charge of contacting us and even spoke at the opening ceremony... Translational medicine and community health, I think that's it."
I do remember it.
But the need for vigilance is real.
As mentioned earlier, the reason this foundation invests in young doctors is to wait for them to "appreciate" and become department leaders or at least core attending physicians, thereby paving the way for subsequent academic resource exchanges or product promotion.
But his current situation is clearly one of rapid devaluation.
The attending physician at a community clinic and the attending physician at a large public hospital are completely different concepts.
"As expected of you, you even remember such details." Lema offered a polite compliment, then stated her purpose, "Dr. Chen, I am here on behalf of the Dorrance Foundation to extend an invitation to you to serve as a healthcare physician in the East Seraford Climate Adaptation Management Area."
This sudden turn of events was completely unexpected by Chen Yisen.
"East Seraford climate..." He couldn't even quite remember this tongue-twisting place name.
Lema slightly raised her chin, glanced around the apartment building, and, suppressing her discomfort, explained, "The East Seraford Climate Adaptation Zone, in neighboring New Jersey, is one of three 'Federal Ecological Improvement Pilot Zones' established under the Federal Land Management Concession Act of 2028. It belongs to the Beltran Foundation and is about 20 miles from New York."
"A place like this is hiring a healthcare professional?" Chen Yisen wondered if they had the wrong person. "It sounds like... they need veterinarians more."
"Of course we have veterinarians." Lema seemed amused by Chen Yisen, her lips curving slightly upward as she explained, "However... you know, humans are also part of the ecosystem, so we occasionally have a need to treat people."
Chen Yisen suddenly realized.
The meaning of this statement is actually quite straightforward.
The so-called "ecological improvement pilot zone" is just a name used to the outside world; in reality, it is a private territory controlled by the Beltran Foundation.
These areas enjoy a degree of legislative immunity, meaning they can disregard some state or even federal laws, which is why they are sought after by some wealthy individuals.
Then, Lema added another major bargaining chip: "The pay scale is similar to that of the hospital, depending on performance evaluation. However, the base salary is $40, and all income within the governance area is exempt from New Jersey state taxes. In addition, the Beltran Foundation is a federally certified self-owned closed economy, so it can also get a 75% federal tax refund."
!!!
$40 million!
And you hardly have to pay any taxes!
For Chen Yisen, who had no money to pay next month's rent and loan and whose salary was almost gone as soon as it came in, this temptation was like putting a person who had been abstinent for ten years into a land of women.
He almost nodded.
However, the national anti-fraud app he had installed in his previous life served as a timely warning in his mind.
Be wary of things that seem too good to be true.
"So...why me?" Chen Yisen asked. "I mean, this salary is enough to poach a general internal medicine specialist from almost any major hospital, and I haven't even completed subspecialty training."
Lema slightly adjusted her posture, her high heels scraping against the concrete floor with a sizzling sound: "Our foundation's director, Ms. Dorrance, believes that an excellent doctor should first have empathy, and only secondly medical skills."
We happened to have seen your paper published in the *Journal of the American Medical Association*, and we believe you meet our requirements better than those well-known colleagues. Regarding subspecialty training… there is a federally accredited advanced medical center within the jurisdiction, which can provide you with ample opportunities to further develop your professional skills.”
Perfect, so perfect.
The impoverished protagonist, on the verge of despair, gains the favor of a powerful figure due to his past acts of kindness, and from then on, rises against all odds to the pinnacle of fame.
That's how those classic Hollywood movies from the golden age of the last century were portrayed.
The key point is that it's also quite reasonable.
Indeed, no obvious flaws could be found.
"I need to think about it. Is that alright?" Chen Yisen decided to use delaying tactics.
Generally speaking, if it is a fraud gang, they will definitely want their target to make a decision as soon as possible, so as to prevent the other party from calming down or verifying the information from multiple sources.
But Lema nodded without hesitation: "Of course, no problem. The terms we've offered are valid indefinitely. You can contact me or the Beltran Foundation's personnel office at any time before the end of this year."
After saying that, he even pulled out a folder: "This is a public contract that can be found on the foundation's website. Of course, the specific details will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis, but you can refer to it."
?
This whole ordeal made Chen Yisen a little insecure.
He hesitated for a moment before taking the document, then watched Lema leave the apartment and get into a Cadillac Escalade in the temporary parking area, where it sped away.
"Could it really be true?"
Chen Yisen rushed home as fast as he could, and without even washing his clothes, he turned on his computer to start verifying.
First is the Beltran Foundation's IRS 990-PF form, which is the tax register.
It was discovered that this organization does exist and is quite wealthy.
However, the destination of the large donations in the past three years is very strange—they are not going to traditional hospitals or medical schools, but to vague projects such as "climate-adaptive community planning," "social behavior intervention models," and "resilient population health," making it difficult to determine the specific content based on the names alone.
On the official website of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, "East Seraford" is indeed a special district that will be formally recognized by the state legislature in 2028. Its judicial status is even similar to that of a "city," with independent tax and policing powers. The local county sheriff's office and county attorney can only intervene in cases involving serious criminal offenses.
The "East Seraford Advanced Medical Center (ESMC)" mentioned by Lema can also be found on the list of programs accredited by the Federal Medical Centers, and even has some very niche subspecialties, such as "Disaster Medicine and Climate Health". However, it does not seem to be very large, with only a dozen or so registered staff members, which is very much in line with the characteristics of an institution that serves a small circle of elites.
He even contacted the New Jersey Medical Board under the guise of "consulting on out-of-state licenses and employer qualifications." The staff confirmed that the organization's license was valid, but stated that ESMC is a special practice site in a controlled environment and never recruits in the open market, so they could not provide any advice.
After ending the call, Chen Yisen picked up his phone and began to consider whether to contact the career development counselor's office at NYU School of Medicine.
The other party possesses data on the employment destinations of most graduates over the past few decades, and may have access to information that is not easily found through public channels.
However, he has already completed his residency training and is theoretically no longer considered a client.
Just as I was hesitating, a new notification sound suddenly rang out.
Chen Yisen subconsciously pulled down the notification center, only to find that there was no content.
Then I realized it was Eva's phone.
He quickly unlocked the screen.
The message came from the pump party group on that onlyfans site.
Or, more precisely, it was an announcement from Rita Blonde.
The party is scheduled for next Tuesday on Staten Island, at the former site of a tuberculosis hospital with a sea view. If you'd like to attend, please reply below.