Knowing the severity of the injury in the car, the taxi driver pushed the speed, arriving at the hospital in less than ten minutes.

Zhang Yang rushed out of the cab carrying Mi Xue, sprinting toward the Emergency Room. He moved so fast that Gu Cheng, trailing behind to settle the fare, lost sight of him the moment the payment was made.

The summer sky faded late; the sun had only just set after their meal, and by the time they reached the hospital, darkness had fully settled.

There weren't many people by the ER entrance. Zhang Yang had already managed to staunch Mi Xue’s bleeding, but her half-red appearance was unsettling, especially contrasted against her pristine white dress, evoking a strange sense of poignant regret.

“Is anyone here!”

As Zhang Yang burst into the emergency room, he let out a loud shout. Of all the departments at the Third Hospital, he was somewhat familiar with most—except for the ER.

In truth, he had been here before, but that was as the former ‘Zhang Yang.’ The original Zhang Yang had been brought into the ER when he was knocked out, only later transferred to another ward once doctors confirmed he was stable.

“Yes, what happened to her?”

A young nurse happened to be walking by the entrance. Seeing Mi Xue and Zhang Yang, she jumped slightly but immediately rushed forward.

“She was hit by a car. She needs surgery immediately!” Zhang Yang said, his voice low and curt.

“A traffic accident? Please, let a doctor examine her first!”

The nurse was responsible and immediately started to guide Zhang Yang toward an examination room to find the doctor on duty, fully aware that accident victims could not afford delays.

“No, she needs surgery right now. Contact Director Zhu immediately; tell him Zhang Yang needs him!”

Zhang Yang shook his head firmly. He had already checked Mi Xue’s condition: a wound on her leg and trauma to her head. All the blood loss stemmed from these two points.

But that wasn't the main issue. Zhang Yang had stopped the external bleeding. The critical danger was that Mi Xue had two fractured ribs, one of which was pressing against her abdominal cavity. A slight misstep could cause it to pierce her internal organs, leading to internal hemorrhage and possibly death.

What frustrated Zhang Yang most was that this displaced rib could only be set correctly through surgery. He could not fix it with his own techniques. If not for this, he would never have needed to rush to the Third Hospital; he could have handled all of Mi Xue’s injuries himself.

Therefore, there was no need for examination now, and no time to waste. Holding Mi Xue, he dared not relax his grip for an instant, terrified that any careless movement might cause the broken rib to shift again.

“The Director, he’s already off duty!”

The young nurse instinctively replied, not even realizing why she gave Zhang Yang that answer. Normally, when such a patient arrived, protocol dictated bringing them to the doctor on duty first—that was the established ER procedure.

“Zhang Yang, what are you doing here? And, what happened to her?”

A person emerged directly across from Zhang Yang, paused briefly upon seeing him, and then strode quickly toward them.

“Director Li!”

The young nurse immediately called out and bowed respectfully, stepping aside.

“Director Li, you’ve arrived perfectly. I need an operating room, and I need it fast, immediately!”

The newcomer was Li Xiangyang, the Deputy Director of the ER. He was the one who first treated Director Zhao’s father last time. After Zhang Yang arrived later, Director Li had kept a close watch on him and was deeply impressed by the young man. A patient deemed incurable by a provincial hospital expert—a case that seemingly no one else in the country could fix—was healed by a few needles from this youngster. It was impossible for him not to have a profound impression.

Zhang Yang also vaguely recognized Director Li; this was the man who had accompanied Wang Guohai when they escorted him previously, so he instantly recalled his name.

“An operating room is no problem. I will arrange the best specialist for you right away, but let her get examined first!”

Director Li nodded immediately. He recognized the girl Zhang Yang was holding as the beautiful young woman who had been with Zhang Yang last time. A hint of regret crossed his mind; how could such a beautiful girl end up in this state?

“No specialist, and no examination needed. I need an operating room, and just an assistant!”

Zhang Yang immediately shook his head. He knew Mi Xue’s condition better than anyone; there was no need for checks, and no point in wasting time on them. Furthermore, Mi Xue could not be moved carelessly right now. He did not trust any other doctor to handle this; only by taking charge himself could he be completely certain.

“You—you’ll perform the operation?”

Director Li was slightly stunned, gazing at Zhang Yang with surprise. He knew Zhang Yang’s needling skills were excellent, possessing a deep foundation in Traditional Chinese Medicine that even Wu Youdao envied. But he had never heard that Zhang Yang excelled in Western medicine.

Western medicine, especially surgery, was entirely different from TCM; it demanded extensive experience. Every master surgeon built their reputation slowly, starting with minor procedures before ascending. Zhang Yang’s TCM prowess could be attributed to lifelong study and high innate talent, but surgery was no child’s game. At his age, he logically couldn't possess much surgical experience. More critically, someone had to be brave enough to let someone like him operate.

“Yes, me. We don’t have time to waste, please prepare it immediately!”

Zhang Yang nodded again, a trace of impatience flickering across his face. If Director Li didn't agree, he would have no choice but to contact Director Zhu first. Regardless of the method, securing an operating room to save Mi Xue was the priority.

“This…”

Director Li hesitated again. The young nurse had fallen silent, her gaze fixed on Mi Xue cradled in Zhang Yang’s arms. Despite the pain of her injuries, her beauty remained undeniable.

“Fine, no problem. Wait a moment, I’ll have someone prepare it for you right now!”

Director Li mulled it over for only a moment before grimly agreeing. The young nurse beside him looked up, staring at him in shock.

“Director Li, this violates our regulations, doesn’t it?”

The nurse seemed genuinely afraid of Director Li, but she voiced her concern anyway. Allowing the person who delivered an ER patient to perform the surgery was preposterous, something unheard of.

“Zhang Yang is not an outsider; he’s a doctor at this hospital, hired directly by the Director. You don’t need to ask questions. Whatever problems arise, I will take responsibility!”

Director Li shot the nurse a sharp look and said softly. With that, he led Zhang Yang away immediately, momentarily forgetting that Zhang Yang was technically just an intern at the hospital. Rules are static, but people are dynamic; he couldn't worry about regulations now.

Of course, if the person requesting this hadn't been Zhang Yang, Director Li would never have agreed to such a breach of protocol. While he doubted Zhang Yang possessed the skills of a formidable surgeon, he could not afford to offend this young man. Furthermore, he was personally curious: could a master of TCM like Zhang Yang truly perform surgery?

Also, Zhang Yang’s tone had been resolute. Director Li could see that Zhang Yang was absolutely determined to operate on his girlfriend. If he refused, Zhang Yang would certainly seek out the Director, who was known to favor Zhang Yang immensely. It was better to agree now than to create an enemy.

Moreover, Director Li had already decided to serve as Zhang Yang’s assistant. Director Li himself was a capable lead surgeon; with his assistance, any minor issue shouldn't become catastrophic. He had confidence that if Zhang Yang made a small mistake, he would be able to correct it.