Mi Xue recovered remarkably fast; within a day, she could get out of bed and walk, and after two days, she was able to take short strolls in the hospital courtyard. By the third day, her mobility was nearly back to normal; outwardly, no one could tell she was a patient who had just had a bone fracture set and surgery.

Zhang Yang deserved much of the credit for her rapid recovery; this time, he had treated her with a combination of both traditional Chinese and Western medicine, which had taken considerable effort on his part.

During these days, Hu Xin and the others also visited the hospital frequently, coming by every day.

However, the only one who stayed by Mi Xue’s side day and night was Zhang Yang himself. After the first day, no one else mentioned staying overnight to care for her.

It was an unspoken agreement among them to leave that time and space just for the two of them.

“Zhang Yang, if you hadn't been here today! If only you could have been here!”

In the hospital garden, Xiao Bin was speaking excitedly to Zhang Yang. Since Mi Xue could walk again, Zhang Yang brought her to sit in the courtyard every afternoon when the heat subsided, allowing her to soak up some sunshine, which aided her recovery.

“Whether I’m here or not, it’s essentially the same!”

Zhang Yang sat beside Mi Xue, looked up, and smiled at Xiao Bin. Mi Xue offered the same smile. The biggest change in their dynamic over the last couple of days was the deepening of their tacit understanding; Zhang Yang often only needed to start speaking, and Mi Xue already knew his meaning and what he intended to say.

“How can it be the same? If you were here, you would have seen Zhou Yichen’s face turn green with rage!”

Gu Cheng chimed in quickly, his expression growing even more animated. He and Xiao Bin had arrived at the hospital together, running into Zhang Yang and Mi Xue in the courtyard, and had hurried over to tell Zhang Yang about the Student Union meeting earlier that day.

When Zhou Yichen learned of Mi Xue’s car accident and discovered Zhang Yang had been absent for the past two days, he immediately hatched a malicious plan. He convened an emergency meeting, hoping to reclaim control over the finances. His aspiration was grand, but unfortunately for him, Zhang Yang had already made arrangements for everything; even in his absence, Zhou Yichen’s ultimate goal remained unfulfilled.

“Gu Cheng is right, Zhang Yang, you have no idea. Zhou Yichen was so angry he looked like he wanted to smash the table!” Xiao Bin laughed loudly, recalling the events of the afternoon meeting with a distinct sense of satisfaction. Having been suppressed and bullied by Zhou Yichen for so long, they had finally managed to seize the reins for once.

During that meeting, Zhou Yichen attempted a trick—a sleight of hand—to divert funds Zhang Yang had secured into the Secretariat’s budget. The Secretariat also had a finance department, primarily tasked with managing the Student Union’s overall operational expenses.

Regrettably, the moment this proposal was put forward by one of Zhou Yichen’s cronies, it met with immediate opposition. The dissenter was none other than Gu Cheng, who was representing Zhang Yang at the meeting. The External Relations Department only had three members, and with both Zhang Yang and Mi Xue unavailable, only Gu Cheng could attend.

This time, the usually timid Gu Cheng completely let loose. He told everyone outright that these funds were sponsorship money raised by the External Relations Department, intended to serve the entire Student Union and the whole school. Far from allowing such a large sum to be transferred, he asserted that even a single cent could not be moved without the explicit consent of the External Relations Department.

Without their approval, any disbursement would be irregular. Furthermore, before these funds entered the Student Union account, they had cleared it with the school administration. There was also an agreement between Changjing Third Hospital and the school, stipulating that the school would assist in overseeing the use of such a large sum. If anyone dared to try and lay claim to this money, they could, through the school, have the funds frozen directly. The school possessed the authority to freeze the Student Union’s public accounts. Should there be any murky transactions, they would report the matter to the School Disciplinary Committee, which could initiate an investigation—at that point, it would cease to be a minor internal Student Union affair; it could easily escalate into a major problem, potentially even leading to jail time.

The statements Gu Cheng delivered stunned the cronies who proposed the motion and nearly caused Zhou Yichen to faint from rage. Zhou Yichen knew that although the words came from Gu Cheng, they were certainly dictated by Zhang Yang. These words were truly harsh. Ouyang Yu, the Finance Minister who had initially been swayed to cooperate with Zhou Yichen’s scheme to seize the funds, immediately switched sides, insisting the money must remain in the Finance Department and could only be moved with an approval slip from the External Relations Department.

Ouyang Yu was a finance major; he perfectly understood the consequences of improperly transferring over a hundred thousand yuan into other accounts. If he lost control of these funds, and Zhou Yichen diverted them elsewhere, the outcome for Ouyang Yu would range from expulsion from the school to being formally questioned by the Disciplinary Committee, or worse, detention. Over a hundred thousand yuan was enough to warrant several years in prison. Given how seriously Gu Cheng framed the situation and Ouyang Yu’s own understanding, he naturally refused to take such a risk for Zhou Yichen. With Ouyang Yu refusing cooperation, Zhou Yichen's sinister plan evaporated instantly.

To make matters worse, Xiao Bin seized the opportunity to attack, severely berating the crony who proposed the suggestion, accusing him of malicious intent and suggesting he should be expelled from the Student Union. Everyone understood that while Xiao Bin was verbally attacking the crony, he was actually denouncing Zhou Yichen. Gao Jie and Minister Liu of the Sports Department also voiced their agreement; they found Zhou Yichen despicable for trying to shamelessly claim the fruits of others' labor, causing them all to feel revulsion toward him.

The meeting ultimately concluded without resolution. Zhou Yichen failed to achieve his objective; instead, he was thoroughly embarrassed by the combined efforts of Gu Cheng and Xiao Bin. He finally stormed out, while Xiao Bin and Gu Cheng treated the meeting as a major victory, rushing to find Zhang Yang to claim their credit.

They took turns recounting the events of the meeting, and eventually, even Mi Xue couldn't help but laugh. Mi Xue was also a member of the Student Union now, but sadly, her injury prevented her from attending such meetings. She genuinely wished she could have witnessed Gu Cheng’s outburst and seen exactly how enraged Zhou Yichen became.

Regarding all this, Zhang Yang merely smiled, offering neither praise nor criticism for their actions.

Zhang Yang’s detached attitude left Xiao Bin and Gu Cheng feeling somewhat disappointed. They both knew that the confidence they had to confront Zhou Yichen in the meeting stemmed entirely from the backing Zhang Yang provided. They had expected a few words of commendation upon reporting back, but Zhang Yang remained silent.

What they didn't realize was that Zhang Yang had already filed it all away mentally; to him, these were trivial matters that warranted no specific commentary. His primary purpose in remaining in the Student Union was to fulfill the old ‘Zhang Yang’s’ aspirations; he held no personal interest in the Union’s internal affairs. He felt he would rather enjoy his current life than waste time on petty power struggles. Besides, the executives in the Student Union were still just students, capable only of minor maneuvering. Engaging in a fight for power and profit with them held no appeal.

What he intended to do was simple: secure control of the finances. Supervisory power combined with approval authority acted like a tight golden fillet—a restrictive band placed around the entire Student Union. As long as this fillet remained under his control, the overall direction of the Student Union would have no choice but to follow their lead, effectively placing the entire organization under Zhang Yang’s indirect command. Then, no matter how Zhou Yichen plotted, it would be useless.

“Little Zhang, do you have a moment?”

Wu Youdao slowly walked over from not far away, hands clasped behind his back, smiling faintly while still dressed in his white coat.

“Old Wu is here. Even if I didn’t have time, I’d have to make time!” Zhang Yang smiled. Wu Youdao had been visiting him daily these past two days, even observing the recovery treatment for Director Zhao’s father alongside him, which had made them much more familiar. Hence, Zhang Yang offered the joking reply.

“I have something I need to ask for your help with. Can we speak privately?”

The smile on Wu Youdao’s face softened slightly, replaced by a serious look. Zhang Yang regarded him with surprise, then slowly nodded. Wu Youdao had not displayed such a demeanor in the past few days; this must genuinely be something important.

Wu Youdao led Zhang Yang to a secluded corner of the garden where no one else could overhear them.

“It’s like this: I have a very close old friend who has been tormented by asthma for decades. He’s been to countless hospitals and taken copious amounts of medicine, but nothing has truly helped. I even treated him according to my methods, but it had absolutely no effect!” Wu Youdao spoke slowly, a slight, bitter smile on his face. For a doctor, being unable to cure a close friend’s illness was hardly a source of honor.

Zhang Yang was first surprised, then broke into a smile: “Old Wu, you seemed so serious, I thought it was some major catastrophe. Asthma, you say? I can certainly take a look at him!”

“Then I thank you first. However, this is a private friend, not a hospital client. Also, he is very busy with his business and might not have time to come to the hospital. Could you possibly accompany me there?” As he spoke, Wu Youdao showed a hint of embarrassment, mixed with helplessness.

Not being a hospital patient meant Wu Youdao was essentially asking Zhang Yang for a personal favor, which wasn't the main issue. The core difficulty was that the man needed medical attention, and he needed Zhang Yang’s help, yet Zhang Yang would have to provide house-call service. Even Wu Youdao felt awkward making such a request.

Yet, he had no choice. This friend ran a large business, far exceeding that of Zhou Yichen’s uncle, Zhou Mingqiang. It was a legitimate enterprise, and the man was recognized as an outstanding entrepreneur in the province, even holding the title of Vice Chairman of the Political Consultative Conference. Wu Youdao had once received significant help from this friend during his most difficult period, a debt he remembered deeply.

Wu Youdao had genuinely dedicated effort to treating his friend’s illness but was limited by his own capabilities. He had even researched the condition extensively afterward, ultimately reaching a dead end. Zhang Yang’s arrival offered him a new beacon of hope; if Wu Youdao himself couldn't manage the disease, perhaps Zhang Yang could—in his eyes, Zhang Yang was someone capable of creating miracles.

Unfortunately, when he shared this with his old friend, the friend showed little enthusiasm. First, he had sought help from too many people for his ailment; many famous doctors internationally had been consulted, and repeated hopes turning into disappointment had long since numbed him. Second, Wu Youdao had mentioned Zhang Yang’s age—a student in his early twenties—which made the friend deeply skeptical that a young man still in university could offer a cure. He thanked Wu Youdao for his kindness but did not agree to come to the hospital. Consequently, Wu Youdao devised this plan to bring Zhang Yang along. This friend was truly important to him and had provided immense aid in the past, which was why Wu Youdao was investing so much effort; for anyone else, he certainly wouldn’t have gone to such lengths.

………… Supplementing the chapter from two days ago. Two days ago, Xiao Yu had finished and uploaded a chapter, but due to some unknown operational error, it failed to post, resulting in a break in updates. Xiao Yu apologizes again to everyone! C