It seems one needs a bit of thick skin to get by in this life. Just asking for recommendation votes in a single chapter the day before yesterday boosted me up more than ten spots—you all are amazing, I love you, mu~~

Are there any recommendation votes left for today? Hongchang (Red Sausage) is shamelessly begging for votes again; do you have any for me?!!

Early on the first morning of military training, Wang Zhuo had just finished washing up when he received a call from Qin Siqing.

"Brother Wang Zhuo, my grandfather is hospitalized. The doctor says he needs surgery, and he asked me to bring you to see him."

This development was somewhat within Wang Zhuo's expectations. He quickly inquired, "What is the situation now? Is it serious?"

"Localized liver fibrosis, with an unidentified foreign object. The doctor suspects it’s a shard of rib, just like you mentioned. They need to operate to cut out the necrotic tissue." Qin Siqing's voice held a tremor of anxiety; the grandfather who adored her needed surgery, and at his advanced age of eighty-nine, his life was in danger.

"Wait a moment, I need to request leave from the Department Head first." Military training was a major school-wide event. Getting leave couldn't be handled by the class advisor or counselor; it required someone at least at the level of the Department Head to have the authority to grant it.

"No need. Uncle Xiao has already spoken to him. You prepare yourself; we'll be there to pick you up in ten minutes!"

The person driving Qin Siqing and Wang Zhuo was Zhou Tielong, the second driver for Qin Xue. He was a retired non-commissioned officer who looked remarkably sharp and capable.

For some reason, Qin Siqing was wearing her military training camouflage uniform. Because she was short and hadn't fully developed yet, even the smallest size uniform hung loosely on her, making her look rather comical.

Once in the car, Wang Zhuo asked her curiously, "Why are you wearing this? Are you coming back later?"

Qin Siqing pouted helplessly, "Grandpa requested it."

Wang Zhuo frowned slightly, "Is his condition very serious?"

Qin Siqing sighed, "Actually, it’s not that serious. The doctor said it was fortunate they found it in time. But any ninety-year-old going under the knife carries risks."

...

The Mayor's father being hospitalized had stirred up countless people from various sectors. A dedicated quarantined area had been sectioned off within the VIP ward section of the Second General Hospital to prevent visiting guests from disturbing the patient’s rest.

However, visitors were received by designated personnel. Except for high-ranking officials with deep personal connections to the Old Master or those who came specifically for condolences, others were barred from entering the ward.

As soon as Wang Zhuo, Qin Siqing, and Zhou Tielong arrived in the corridor, they were stopped by security personnel.

Zhou Tielong stepped forward and murmured quietly, "Brother, this is Governor Qin’s daughter, and someone the Old Master specifically requested to see."

The guard hesitated slightly. "Could you wait a moment, please? The specialists are currently consulting with the Old Master."

"Then we shall wait," Qin Siqing replied understandingly.

Wang Zhuo also nodded. He noticed there were easily eight guards in the corridor, and the two young men chatting over cigarettes at the stairwell bend earlier also looked like plainclothes officers. It seemed the Old Master’s protection detail was exceptionally thorough.

Zhou Tiesheng paused, then said, "I'll head downstairs then. Call me when you need a ride back."

Wang Zhuo and Qin Siqing waited in the corridor for a while. When the specialists emerged and saw the two preparing to enter the ward, a middle-aged doctor with a square face quickly extended his hand to stop them, asking, "You cannot enter. The Chief is resting."

"Resting? Grandpa never sleeps in the morning!" Qin Siqing sounded surprised.

The doctor looked even more taken aback. "You are Governor Qin's daughter?"

The other specialists paused; they had heard Governor Qin had a daughter but hadn't expected her to be this young.

Seeing Qin Siqing nod, the square-faced doctor turned to Wang Zhuo and inquired, "And you are?"

He observed Wang Zhuo's outstanding demeanor—a maturity and composure beyond his years—and assumed he must be a direct relative of Governor Qin or the son of some high-ranking official, so he dared not treat him lightly in his tone.

Wang Zhuo smiled and pointed toward Qin Siqing, "I'm her classmate."

The specialists' mindset instantly plummeted like a parabola. This was not an occasion for modesty. Since this young man identified himself as the governor's daughter's classmate instead of mentioning his own background, they concluded he must just be an ordinary student.

Given the appearances of both Qin Siqing and Wang Zhuo, they clearly couldn't be a couple, and the specialists immediately categorized Wang Zhuo as an irrelevant passerby.

With that judgment made, the square-faced doctor told Qin Siqing, "Perhaps you should go in alone. The Chief needs quiet right now; it’s best if outsiders do not disturb him."

"Grandpa specifically asked me to bring him. He is not an outsider," Qin Siqing shook her head and said to Wang Zhuo, "Brother Wang Zhuo, let's go."

Just as the square-faced doctor was about to interject again, he was gently nudged by an elbow from a female doctor beside him and fell silent.

After the two entered the ward, the female doctor quietly remarked, "Did you hear that? That young man is Wang Zhuo."

The square-faced man suddenly understood, forcing a wry smile as he waved his hand. "Let's go. We can discuss this in the conference room."

...

The name Wang Zhuo had become legendary among many doctors at the hospital during the three days Qin Jingzhong had been admitted.

In this era where Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) was in decline, Western medicine reigned supreme, especially in physical examinations where it held the technological advantage, completely sidelining TCM.

Although traditional 'Observation, Listening/Smelling, Inquiry, Palpation' were still used, no matter how skilled the doctor, they couldn't observe a tumor, smell a cyst, inquire about a hidden ailment, or palpate a lesion.

Yet, suddenly, a young man appeared who overturned this common knowledge. Without even relying on any high-tech equipment, he diagnosed the ailment of an elderly man—it was simply unbelievable!

From the moment he entered the hospital, Qin Jingzhong had constantly mentioned Wang Zhuo. Especially after receiving his test results, he praised Wang Zhuo ceaselessly, wearing out the doctors' ears.

At first, everyone assumed the Old Master had been duped by a quack. Those trained in medicine understood many fraudulent tricks; they thought the fellow named Wang Zhuo had wheedled the information about the old gunshot wound out of the man and then fabricated a lie. They were all doctors; they didn't believe in the supernatural or the inexplicable. Who would believe that a young man under twenty could diagnose a condition that even an eighty-year-old TCM master couldn't see? What else could it be but a scam!

When people grow old, their intellect declines, and being misled is normal; everyone was quite understanding. However, later on, what Secretary Xiao Wanjun, Governor Qin's second secretary, said sparked endless speculation among them.

This was because Mayor Qin Xue was present when Xiao Wanjun made the statement: "He truly diagnosed the Old Chief's illness. Vice Principal Ma and Wang Taiping, the Head of the Clinical Medicine Department, were also there, and we were all extremely surprised."

The specialists were instantly stunned. Had this charlatan managed to fool the city government’s second secretary, as well as Ma Dehai and Wang Taiping?!

They were all medical professionals; some specialists were even longtime classmates of Ma Dehai and knew Department Head Wang Taiping well. Immediately, someone called to verify the matter with both men. Unexpectedly, Ma Dehai and Wang Taiping were even more shocked when they learned that Elder Qin did indeed suffer from liver disease. After cross-referencing, they realized everything Wang Zhuo had said was precisely correct!

At this point, no one believed Elder Qin had become senile anymore. Wang Zhuo’s status among the specialists instantly rose from "street charlatan" to "mysterious figure." Everyone wanted to meet this kid and see what kind of person he truly was.

In the conference room, after a brief discussion about Qin Jingzhong's condition, the conversation quickly shifted to Wang Zhuo.

The Old Master's illness was, in fact, quite simple—just a routine hepatology surgery. The only difference was the Old Master's identity and his relatively dangerous age. But Wang Zhuo was what everyone was most curious about right now; everyone has a gossipy side!

A dark-skinned, lean doctor suggested, "Director Wei, perhaps we should have a chat with him later?"

Director Wei was the square-faced middle-aged doctor, the chief surgeon for Qin Jingzhong’s operation this time. He considered it, then shook his head. "Not yet. The Old Chief values this person highly, and even Mayor Qin is paying attention to him now. I should go and meet him first."

Director Wei had his reasons. The previous consultations for Qin Jingzhong were led by the hospital director himself. He didn't want any misunderstandings or trouble during his first major assignment, as that would jeopardize his future career advancement.

Everyone nodded in agreement. If the hospital's top brass found out about this, they would all receive a severe reprimand; it was better to keep things low-key.

The female doctor quickly handed Director Wei a small notepad. "Go now, take this!"

This notepad was merely a pretense. Director Wei's stated purpose of visiting the patient was false; his real goal was to meet Wang Zhuo.

Director Wei stood up, clutching the notepad. "Let's disperse for now. The next consultation is at three this afternoon; we can talk then!"