The small bowl was held aloft in Hu Xin's hand, swaying slightly as he looked at Su Zhantao with suspicion in his eyes.

Xiao Bin and Gu Cheng also stared at the bowl, shaking their heads in unison, and Little Dai and Nannan did the same. Only Mi Xue showed a flash of surprise, though it was quickly overshadowed by confusion.

"Brother, be careful!"

What Hu Xin didn't realize was that his casual action sent Su Zhantao and Zhang Yang’s hearts leaping into their throats. Su Zhantao even called out, hurrying to Hu Xin’s side to gently take the bowl from his grasp.

Hu Xin had been holding the bowl delicately between two fingers, suspended just above the hard floor. If he had slipped, the entire thing would have been shattered.

"Are you guys really that stingy over a mere bowl? If you want one, I’ll buy you some later. You don't need to give Zhang Yang a gift like this!"

The bowl snatched away, Hu Xin’s mouth kept moving as he muttered indignantly.

He was a straightforward person, speaking whatever came to mind. Zhang Yang had gone out to treat someone and returned with a mere eating bowl, which Hu Xin felt suggested Zhang Yang was being looked down upon, hence his outburst.

"Hu Xin, stop talking. Even I couldn't afford this bowl right now, let alone you!"

Zhang Yang called out urgently, shaking his head at Hu Xin. He understood Hu Xin was trying to stand up for him, but this time, Hu Xin was seriously mistaken.

"Can't afford it? How expensive can a bowl be? There are plenty on West Street; a decent one is only a few yuan. We could buy dozens!"

Hu Xin paused, then called out again. The West Street he referred to was a sundry market next to the school, which indeed had many cheap bowls for sale.

"Brother, that bowl isn't the same as this one. Those are modern. This bowl dates back to the Qianlong period; it's over two hundred years old!"

Su Zhantao carefully placed the bowl away, smiling wryly as he shook his head.

"Two hundred years? Is this an antique?"

Hu Xin instantly jumped up, spinning around to stare in astonishment at the small bowl he had just been holding.

Mi Xue turned to Zhang Yang, her eyes asking the question.

Zhang Yang nodded. "It’s an imperial kiln blue-and-white small bowl from the Qianlong era. It truly is an antique!"

"Imperial kiln blue-and-white? Zhang Yang, this porcelain piece must be worth a lot, right?"

Mi Xue called out softly. She didn't know much about these things, but she had heard whispers. Imperial kiln blue-and-white porcelain, especially from the Qianlong period, wouldn't be cheap.

"Its current value isn't extremely high—maybe just over a hundred thousand at most. But blue-and-white porcelain has great appreciation potential; its future value might exceed a million!"

Zhang Yang thought for a moment before speaking slowly.

An imperial Qianlong blue-and-white, and a fine example at that, naturally commanded a high price. However, this was '98, not the era where speculation drove prices wildly high later on. In the future, fine blue-and-white pieces selling for millions or tens of millions would be common. Zhang Yang's valuation of this bowl was not excessive.

"My heavens, this little bowl is worth over a hundred thousand?"

Before Mi Xue could respond, Hu Xin was already bouncing. Though he had been skeptical, he now believed Zhang Yang’s words. His heart began to race as he recalled nearly dropping a bowl worth a small fortune.

Over a hundred thousand! Even selling himself wouldn't cover the loss. Thankfully, he hadn't done anything truly reckless.

Xiao Bin, Gu Cheng, Little Dai, and Nannan all stared blankly at the small bowl.

A small bowl valued at over a hundred thousand—the shock of this realization was immense, perhaps even greater than when Zhang Yang secured twenty thousand in sponsorship from the Third Hospital.

Moreover, the domestic economy was just beginning its rapid ascent. Collecting antiques wasn't as widespread as it would be later, and the internet hadn't fully permeated society. Few students understood antiques, and for Hu Xin and his friends, this was the first time they had encountered a genuine antique.

"Brothers, are you still calling us stingy now?"

Su Zhantao lightly clapped Hu Xin on the shoulder, chuckling good-naturedly.

"Ah, no, not stingy, not at all! Over a hundred thousand, my goodness!"

Hu Xin snapped out of his daze, rapidly waving his hands and shaking his head, his face a mask of astonishment. He realized he had made a complete fool of himself, dismissing a precious gift as junk.

Xiao Bin and Gu Cheng glanced at Zhang Yang again, their eyes filled with envy.

Just for making one house call, he brought back a gift worth over a hundred thousand. The impact on them was staggering. They knew that even after graduation, a monthly salary of a thousand yuan would be considered high—and it would take them over a decade, without spending a dime, to save up that much for a single gift.

The disparity was simply too vast.

However, at this moment, they harbored no jealousy. They finally understood that a massive gap separated them from Zhang Yang, a gap so wide they couldn't bridge it, so they stopped trying.

"Zhang Yang, isn't this gift a bit too valuable?"

Mi Xue quietly moved closer to Zhang Yang and whispered, a faint concern lingering in her brow.

Mi Xue always believed there was no such thing as a free lunch, nor pie falling from the sky. If someone treated Zhang Yang this well, there had to be an agenda. She worried about someone attempting to use material wealth to unduly influence him.

This time, it wasn't like the recruitment at the Third Hospital. The Third Hospital, being a state institution, genuinely valued Zhang Yang's talent, and his saving the Director of the Health Bureau’s father justified the special treatment.

"It's fine, you don't need to worry!"

Zhang Yang glanced at Mi Xue, a touch of tenderness in his eyes.

He saw Mi Xue's concern and knew she acted out of kindness and care for him.

But there was truly nothing to worry about. Su Shaohua was seeking his help to treat an illness, not the other way around.

Furthermore, given his medical skill, his consultation fees were inherently high. In his previous life, any house call he made demanded a minimum starting fee in the six figures from wealthy individuals, sometimes paid in USD or Euros. The blue-and-white bowl, valued at over a hundred thousand, was simply a standard fee in Zhang Yang’s eyes.

"Okay, I trust you. But you need to be careful yourself too!"

Mi Xue murmured softly. While Hu Xin and the others were still reeling from the bowl’s value, none of them noticed their exchange. Only Su Zhantao winked at Zhang Yang, a hint of playful amusement in his eyes.

Zhang Yang finally placed the small bowl safely inside its box.

Hu Xin and the others cautiously touched the bowl, then sighed again. They had actually touched an antique worth over a hundred thousand. At this time, an antique of that value was comparable to treasures that would later fetch millions or tens of millions. It was no wonder they were so excited.

Having delivered the item to Zhang Yang, Su Zhantao’s task was complete. He exchanged polite banter with Hu Xin and the others, handing each of them a business card before taking his leave.

Su Zhantao’s business card was exquisitely printed, bilingual in Chinese and English. His title was imposing: General Manager of Jiaoyi City Grand Mansion Trading Company, followed by an office line, pager, and mobile number.

This card immediately stunned Hu Xin and the group, deepening their respect for Su Zhantao. They escorted him all the way to the hospital parking lot.

When they watched him smoothly enter a luxurious BMW, their jaws nearly dropped.

"The old man said it right: never judge a book by its cover. This guy doesn't seem much older than us, but he’s already a boss driving such a nice car?"

Watching the car drive away, Hu Xin smacked his lips and muttered enviously.

"I guess his family must be wealthy!"

Xiao Bin added, glancing at Zhang Yang. If one's family could casually gift an item worth over a hundred thousand, it made perfect sense for the son of a rich family to be a boss with a fine car.

"Stop overthinking it. His family does have money, yes, but his current success is built on his own hustle!"

Zhang Yang smiled slightly and turned toward the inpatient building. Since the others had seen the guest out, he felt awkward staying alone in the ward.

However, there were things he didn't say aloud.

It was true that Su Zhantao came from wealth and was indeed working hard, but that car was not entirely earned by him; all his current assets were probably close to the value of that car alone. Still, explaining that held no meaning. Family, for many people, was a form of capital in itself.

"If he can achieve so much through his own efforts, I need to learn from him. After graduation, I’ll go into business, become my own boss, and buy a nice car!"

Hu Xin nodded thoughtfully, muttering to himself. When he looked up, he realized Zhang Yang and the others were already far ahead, so he quickly hurried to catch up.

As Zhang Yang and his friends were seeing Su Zhantao off, several people were seated in a small conference room in the hospital. Presiding at the head was Director Zhu Zhixiang, with Wu Youdao seated next to him.

Beside them were Xu Wu, Director of Internal Medicine, Li Jiu, the Vice Director, and Tang Xiaojuan, Director of Respiratory Medicine.

Of the five, Director Tang Xiaojuan, the head of Respiratory Medicine, was the only woman and the youngest, though she was still over forty.

"Old Wu, please share what you learned today," Director Zhu Zhixiang finally said slowly after a moment of silence in the room. Wu Youdao immediately nodded and began recounting the results of taking Zhang Yang out for treatment that morning.

The treatment itself wasn't the critical part; the most crucial element was Zhang Yang’s words.

Zhang Yang had stated he was confident he could cure Su Shaohua’s illness. Everyone present had some understanding of Su Shaohua's condition, as he had undergone treatment at their Third Hospital previously. It was precisely because they knew the prognosis that they grasped the profound meaning behind Zhang Yang's declaration.

After Wu Youdao finished speaking, the others froze, looking at each other with expressions of utter shock.

Zhu Zhixiang observed their reactions, nodding silently. After Wu Youdao told him this news, he sensed its immense gravity, realizing it was beyond his personal jurisdiction to decide. Hence, he had urgently gathered these key personnel for this brief meeting.

"Old Wu, do you truly believe Zhang Yang can manage it?"

Li Jiu cleared his throat softly before asking, while Xu Wu and Tang Xiaojuan also fixed their gazes on Wu Youdao. They had heard of Zhang Yang before and knew of some of his seemingly miraculous feats, but what Wu Youdao described this time was so stunning that they, like Li Jiu, harbored doubts.

"To be honest, I’m not certain either. But you all know Zhang Yang is a young man who excels at creating miracles, and he never speaks carelessly. I have a feeling—he can do it this time, he truly can!"

Wu Youdao first shook his head, then nodded emphatically, before affirming the statement twice with conviction.

………… Chapter Three, continuing the effort tomorrow. I sincerely hope friends will continue to support Xiaoyu! Thanks to Haiyi_ZhiXin, Jiyuqing, rickyzai~ and other friends for their tips. Special thanks to YanHuiMan for another massive tip of 1888 Qidian coins. Xiaoyu thanks you all for your support! C