The young nurse stammered her assent, sneaking a glance at Zhang Yang, her eyes shining with astonishment and admiration. By now, she had guessed his identity. The news about the Third Hospital hiring a young miracle doctor had already spread throughout the staff. Everyone knew they now had a young prodigy among them.

This divine doctor had successfully treated a patient whom the provincial hospital specialists had deemed beyond saving. Coupled with the patient's high profile, it was impossible to keep quiet about him. Still, the nurse hadn't expected him to be as incredibly—almost frighteningly—young as the rumors suggested; he looked barely older than she was.

"No need, I'll carry her. Straight to the operating room!"

Zhang Yang gently shook his head, refusing the offer. Mi Xue's current condition was unsuitable for a gurney.

"You take Zhang Yang to OR Number Three. I'll be right there!"

Director Li gave the instruction. Operating Room Three belonged to the Emergency Department, and as the Vice Director, Li had the authority to allocate it, though proper procedures still needed to be followed. Besides, he wanted to use this brief window to report the situation to the (Hospital Director); this was something he absolutely had to inform Zhu Zhixiang about, as he owed his own career advancement to Zhu.

"Dr. Zhang, please, follow me!"

The nurse nodded again, still visibly flustered. Compared to Zhang Yang’s composure, she felt worlds apart.

The operating room was close by, right within the Emergency Department area. As the nurse led him there, two staff members rushed out to meet them, immediately taking the patient inside to prepare. It seemed they had been alerted beforehand.

At the operating table, Zhang Yang carefully laid Mi Xue down, gently adjusting her body to a slight side tilt. This was to prevent the broken bone fragment inside her from shifting further and potentially injuring her internal organs.

Zhang Yang was no stranger to surgery. Although he studied Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), he had performed many surgical procedures. In fact, many great TCM masters were also skilled surgeons. Two thousand years ago, the ancestor of TCM, Hua Tuo, could scrape bone to heal injuries and perform cranial surgery. Successive generations of TCM masters had achieved notable feats in the surgical field. As for Zhang Yang's own ancestor, Zhang Zhongjing, his history of surgical interventions was well-documented. In Zhang Yang's current generation, this aspect received even greater emphasis. In his previous life at the hospital, Zhang Yang had assisted in numerous surgeries; some ailments simply demanded an operation for treatment.

After securing Mi Xue, Director Li hurried over. Director Li, whose name was Li Xiangyang, was forty-five and considered a relatively young expert at the Third Hospital.

"Zhang Yang, everything is arranged. I'll be your assistant today!"

Director Li entered after changing into scrubs, smiling warmly at Zhang Yang. Zhang Yang understood his motivation but didn't mind at all. To him, who assisted was irrelevant; the priority was to operate on Mi Xue as quickly as possible, repair the fracture, and lift her from danger.

"I also need a set of silver needles. Can someone bring them quickly?"

"Needles? No problem, I'll send someone for them right away!"

Director Li paused momentarily, then nodded immediately. He wasn't surprised by Zhang Yang's request for needles; he had personally witnessed Zhang Yang's miraculous acupuncture skills. The first time Zhang Yang treated Bureau Chief Zhao’s father with needles, Li had been among the small crowd crammed against the glass window outside, watching intently.

"Good, thank you very much."

Zhang Yang finished speaking, lowered his head, and stared intensely at Mi Xue. He vividly recalled the sense of relief that washed over him when he first examined Hu Xin and saw only superficial injuries. But that relief was instantly swallowed by an overwhelming wave of tension. When the motorcycle hurtled toward Mi Xue, he wished desperately that he could step in and take the impact himself. In that instant, an extreme dread and regret seized him: he had known Mi Xue might face danger recently, yet he hadn't taken it seriously enough, leading to this tragedy.

It was in that moment he finally understood that this young girl had truly entered his heart—not due to the residual memories left by the previous 'Zhang Yang,' but because of his own genuine affection for her. He could not bear to see Mi Xue in any danger, not even a fraction of it. When rescuing Mi Xue, he had exerted every ounce of his strength. At that time, he also realized that the so-called system mission, 'Mi Xue’s Peril,' had finally materialized. This mission was precisely as the mechanical female voice had stated: as long as Zhang Yang remained by Mi Xue’s side, the mission would be completed. At the very least, Zhang Yang felt confident in his ability to save Mi Xue; barring any surgical complications, she would survive.

With all surgical preparations complete, Zhang Yang administered a few preliminary acupuncture points to Mi Xue—a measure intended to prevent excessive bleeding during the procedure and to provide anesthetic effects.

Watching Zhang Yang expertly manipulate the surgical equipment, Director Li showed a flicker of renewed astonishment. Based on his own experience, he could tell that these movements belonged to someone who performed surgery frequently. He truly could not fathom where someone as young as Zhang Yang had acquired such extensive practice.

The surgery proceeded smoothly and concluded in just half an hour. The fractured rib was successfully set, and after suturing all the incisions, Zhang Yang let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Ding-dong!"

"Congratulations, Host, for completing the trigger mission 'Mi Xue’s Peril.' This mission was rated Level Three. The Host receives three Luck Points and three Freedom Points!"

The long-silent mechanical voice finally chimed in while Zhang Yang was still in the operating room.

"You're finally showing up. Damn it, I don't want any rewards! Don't ever give me a mission like this again! If I had known Mi Xue would face such danger, I wouldn't have taken this mission even if you beat me!" Zhang Yang fumed internally. However, his hands didn't stop moving as he assisted the nurses in placing Mi Xue onto the gurney, preparing for transport to the ward.

"I apologize. Even if you had refused the mission, Mi Xue would still have been in danger. All system missions are predicated on the Host's real-life experiences. If you refused the mission, Mi Xue might not have survived this peril."

The mechanical female voice spoke slowly, and this time, Zhang Yang felt she sounded mocking. Zhang Yang paused slightly. The system was correct; it had repeatedly warned him that similar events would occur even if he refused the mission. In that light, accepting the mission was perhaps better, as it allowed him to know of Mi Xue’s danger in advance and prepare accordingly. Yet, the situation left Zhang Yang feeling deeply awkward—Mi Xue had faced a terrible accident, and now he felt obligated to thank the system.

"Fine, you win every argument, don't you? Besides the rewards you just mentioned, what else do I gain?" After a moment, Zhang Yang conceded internally. Arguing with the system was a guaranteed loss, and he had no desire to quarrel with a mechanical entity whose voice he could hear but whose form he couldn't see—it was meaningless.

"There are many benefits. You now possess five Freedom Points, which is sufficient to upgrade the system to Level Two. Upon reaching Level Two, many new permissions will unlock, and a Level Four mission will be initiated, offering greater and more diverse rewards. If you upgrade to Level Three, you will be able to activate the system freely, rather than being forced into activation only when a mission is encountered."

The mechanical voice continued as Zhang Yang pushed Mi Xue out of the Emergency Department. The moment they emerged, Gu Cheng and several others rushed forward, surrounding them.