He had intended to settle the bill for the tea, but Zhang Yang refused, and in the end, Wu Youdao didn't press the issue. A few pots of tea weren't worth much, and he still needed to return to the hospital to thoroughly discuss the matter with the Director.

Here, he had given his promise to Zhang Yang, but whether the Director would agree remained an unknown. No matter how one looked at it, Zhang Yang’s two conditions were extremely demanding; getting the Director to assent would not be easy.

“Zhang Yang, what’s wrong with you today? Are you genuinely clueless or just pretending?”

As soon as Wu Youdao left, Hu Xin rushed over, grabbed Zhang Yang, and demanded loudly. His face was flushed with agitation. Gu Cheng and Xiao Bin also crowded around. With the three girls waiting outside, Zhang Yang was suddenly surrounded by his friends.

“Hu Xin, stop using so much force! Let go of me!”

Zhang Yang quickly shook off Hu Xin’s hand. This big fellow possessed considerable strength, and when Zhang Yang wasn't bracing himself, being grasped like that was genuinely uncomfortable.

“What are we supposed to say about you? You refuse the special recruitment offer but agree to be a contract worker, telling them you’ll only work one day a week, and then demanding a sponsorship of two hundred thousand? Do you think they’re fools, that they need you that desperately, that they can’t do without you?”

Hu Xin released Zhang Yang but maintained an anxious expression, clearly wishing he could land a few punches on Zhang Yang’s head.

If it weren't for the lingering nature of Zhang Yang’s external injuries, he might have actually followed through on that urge.

“It doesn’t matter. Honestly, I really don’t want to work at their hospital!”

Zhang Yang chuckled lightly. Xiao Dai and Nannan both lifted their heads simultaneously, looking utterly defeated by Zhang Yang’s attitude. Mi Xue’s eyes held a flicker of worry, but she remained silent.

Zhang Yang felt helpless about this. It was the truth emanating from his heart, yet no one ever seemed to believe him when he spoke plainly.

“Just wait, you’ll definitely regret this!”

Hu Xin grumbled angrily, sitting down nearby. He was still vexed by Zhang Yang’s rejection of the special recruitment.

The special recruitment! That was a golden opportunity. They assumed Zhang Yang refused it because of some pedantic scholarly stubbornness; they couldn’t truly grasp what was truly on his mind.

Unfortunately, Zhang Yang couldn't reveal his true thoughts to them. How could he tell these people that he had already been a doctor, even rising to the position of Vice Director of a hospital, gaining nationwide fame? Now, this small Changjing Third Hospital held no attraction for him. He no longer wanted to be a doctor; he wanted to seize his youth and make up for the years of life he had missed.

If he actually said that, these friends would probably consider sending him to a psychiatric ward.

“Don’t worry, I absolutely will not regret this!”

Zhang Yang laughed again, patting his pocket to go pay for the tea. At this point, he only had a few dozen yuan left to his name. Even without the hospital job, he needed to figure out a way to earn some money, or the great Doctor Zhang would soon experience the feeling of a hero being rendered helpless by poverty.

“No regrets? You just wait! If you don’t regret it, I’ll twist my head off and use it as a ball for you to kick!”

Hu Xin spat out another annoyed remark. Despite his fierce appearance, he was warm-hearted, and his intense concern and anger now stemmed entirely from worrying about Zhang Yang’s well-being.

“You should keep your head, just in case. If you’re free tonight, come over to our place for dinner. But a disclaimer: there’s no Western feast today!”

Zhang Yang said cheerfully. Mi Xue immediately nodded in agreement, inviting everyone to their small rented place along with him.

Having lived together for a few days, Mi Xue was no longer as reserved as she was at first; now she was quite open and relaxed.

Xiao Dai and Nannan both clapped their hands in approval. Any meal cooked by Zhang Yang or Mi Xue was infinitely better than the mass-produced fare from the school cafeteria; they had been craving good food for days.

The group headed straight for the apartment Zhang Yang and Mi Xue were renting. They picked up groceries on the way. Once home, the girls ushered Zhang Yang out while they busied themselves in the kitchen. Hu Xin immediately resumed giving Zhang Yang a lecture, urging him to face reality and not to be overly arrogant, while Gu Cheng sought advice from Xiao Bin about matters concerning the Student Union; he genuinely wanted to succeed within its structure.

While these friends were occupied, the Third Hospital was in an uproar.

Upon returning to the Third Hospital, Wu Youdao immediately went to the Director’s office. Fifteen minutes later, the Director convened an emergency Party Committee meeting. The hospital’s several Vice Directors and the heads of key departments gathered in the conference room.

Wu Youdao was also present, attending as a guest. Though not a formal employee of the Third Hospital, no one there would dare to slight him; everyone afforded him due respect.

The Director had called them together specifically to discuss Zhang Yang’s situation.

“A sponsorship of two hundred thousand for their Student Union, only working twice a week, and only half a day each time—who does he think he is? An internationally renowned physician?”

The Director slowly recounted Zhang Yang’s refusal of the special recruitment, then revealed the conditions Zhang Yang had set. Before he could finish speaking, Vice Director Fan Ming, seated to his right, burst out.

Everyone else exchanged glances, their faces etched with utter disbelief.

Only the Director of Gynecology, Wang Guohai, showed a trace of worry. He knew Wu Youdao had gone personally to persuade Zhang Yang, but he hadn’t anticipated such an outcome.

For a student—a student without even a physician’s qualification—to dare lay down such terms to the hospital was a shock that was easy to imagine.

“Vice Director Fan, please remain calm. Let the Director finish speaking!”

On the left, Vice Director Li Jiu cleared his throat and said softly. The Director, interrupted by the Vice Director, looked at Li Jiu with clear displeasure.

Fan Ming paused briefly, then quickly said, “Director Zhu, Vice Director Li, my apologies. I lost my composure just now. This young man is simply too arrogant. I have worked at the Third Hospital for over twenty years, and I have never encountered such an impudent youth!”

The Director of the Third Hospital was named Zhu Zhixiang. He was in his fifties and trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). His personal relationship with Wu Youdao was excellent; without that connection, he couldn’t have brought Wu Youdao in over numerous other contenders.

He always placed great weight on Wu Youdao’s opinions. That Wu Youdao held such high regard for this young man was precisely why he had offered Zhang Yang the special recruitment spot. Even Zhu Zhixiang hadn't expected Zhang Yang to refuse the offer and instead propose these two conditions.

Zhu Zhixiang also found these two terms difficult to accept, but Fan Ming interrupting him made him even more displeased.

Suppressing his irritation, Zhu Zhixiang spoke quietly, “It’s alright. I gathered everyone here so we could deliberate on this matter together. Both Department Head Wang of Gynecology and Elder Wu from the TCM Department hold this young man in very high regard!”

His words caused everyone to look toward Wang Guohai and Zhu Zhixiang. It was the vigorous support of these two that had initially pushed for Zhang Yang’s special recruitment. Now, with Zhang Yang rejecting it and proposing a method of cooperation unacceptable to them, the atmosphere shifted.

Wang Guohai commanded high prestige within the hospital, and Wu Youdao was even more renowned. This naturally bred a degree of jealousy among some less broad-minded individuals. Seeing that the person championed by the two had turned out to be so arrogant, many inwardly harbored a sense of waiting for a spectacle.

…………

Chapter Two, one more chapter slightly later. Xiao Yu needs to pick someone up from the train station, so the update might be past midnight. My apologies to my readers! C