Secretary Zhao sighed. He had served as the leader's secretary for many years and knew that the leader's greatest worry was his son.

Father and son were like strangers now, even worse than strangers, because of something that happened long ago. When strangers meet, they can at least exchange a greeting, but Zhang Yang had always actively avoided his father, never speaking to him upon encounter.

"I know. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave now," Zhang Yang nodded dismissively.

Secretary Zhao’s brow twitched again. This time, Zhang Yang hadn't yelled and stormed out in a rage the moment his father's name was mentioned, as he usually did.

The current Zhang Yang had indeed changed, but this change made Secretary Zhao even more apprehensive.

He clearly sensed that Zhang Yang had become much more mature than before. While maturity was generally a good thing, he worried that this newfound maturity would only deepen the conflict between him and his father, making reconciliation even harder down the line.

"Secretary Zhang is very proud of you. After learning everything, he praised you for growing up!" Secretary Zhao hurried to say, stating the absolute truth this time.

Zhang Yang’s father had learned about his trip to Jiayi and how he made a fortune trading futures through other channels.

Initially worried, he had dispatched people to investigate the entire sequence of events thoroughly. Furthermore, he had taken the initiative to contact Su Shaohua to inquire about the specifics.

It was at this point that Su Shaohua learned Zhang Yang actually had such a father—both Zhang Yang's father and his younger brother were rising talents in the domestic political arena, with limitless prospects.

This discovery made him even more gratified and delighted. It was partly for this reason that he would proactively step in to help Zhang Yang settle the score regarding the bank matter later.

Zhang Yang’s father had certainly approached the right person; Su Shaohua knew every detail of what had transpired.

This time, Zhang Yang, accompanied by Su Zhantao, had fought a brilliant futures battle in Jiayi. They bought in heavily, even at the lowest points, and sold at the peak, timing their moves with uncanny precision.

After Zhang Yang and his group departed, the price of Sanqi (notoginseng) began to drop—day after day—eventually falling from twenty-something to around fifty, which was closer to its normal market rate. The prolonged drought in Yunnan had caused a moderate price increase, which was understandable.

In this Sanqi speculation, many people lost significant money, while a few who followed the trend made a small profit. However, Zhang Yang was the biggest earner. Afterward, many small-time speculators noticed their long positions and made inquiries through various channels about them.

Of course, these inquiries only led them to Su Zhantao; they never uncovered the real situation.

"I understand. Class is starting soon; I must go," Zhang Yang nodded again. He saw Mi Xue in the distance looking increasingly anxious and scanning around. He couldn't waste any more time here.

With that, Zhang Yang left directly. Watching his retreating figure, Secretary Zhao let out a soft sigh before pulling out his phone to dial a number.

While dialing, he glanced self-consciously at the Mercedes sedan.

He knew exactly how Zhang Yang acquired the car and was aware of Zhang Yang's current net worth, which filled him with amazement. Like father, like son—Zhang Yang, who could secretly master a profound medical art while earning tens of millions during his studies, was, in some respects, even more remarkable than his father.

"Zhang Yang!"

The anxious Mi Xue finally spotted him and called out sweetly.

She even ran towards him. Some passersby witnessed this scene and subtly shook their heads. Rumors had long circulated that Mi Xue was dating Zhang Yang from the Medical School, and now, the rumor seemed confirmed.

Mi Xue’s demeanor was instantly recognizable as that of a young woman deeply in love.

"I'm sorry, something urgent came up; I made you wait," Zhang Yang smiled at her. Mi Xue shook her head vigorously; for her, Zhang Yang’s arrival was all that mattered.

Before heading to class, Zhang Yang briefly mentioned Nannan's situation to her, omitting the part about Nannan's mother being deceived. Such matters didn't need to be widely publicized; telling people would only embarrass Nannan.

Hearing that Nannan’s mother was hospitalized, Mi Xue also looked concerned. They agreed to go to the hospital on the day of the surgery to offer assistance.

The afternoon classes passed quickly. During a break, Zhang Yang discussed their plan with Mi Xue and the others to visit Nannan's mother together after dinner. Now that Zhang Yang had a car, traveling anywhere was convenient.

As soon as class ended, Gu Cheng and Xiao Bin approached Zhang Yang. Monday was the day for the Student Union regular meeting, and now that Zhang Yang was back, they were preparing to attend.

Mi Xue would also be attending this time. In fact, since Zhang Yang left, Mi Xue hadn't attended any meetings. Gu Cheng, however, had settled in well within the Student Union and was living comfortably.

The External Relations Department held the approval authority for all funds; anyone needing money had to go through him. Since the department had three members but only one actually did the work, this power was considerable.

"Zhang Yang, are you certain about this?"

Gu Cheng asked softly, his face still carrying a trace of worry.

Zhang Yang had already decided to move against Zhou Yichen, intending to put an end to the guy completely. He had dug a pit for Zhou Yichen—a pit so deep that the latter wouldn't be able to resist jumping in.

"Chengzi, don't worry. It's all temporary, and this will be a good exercise for you too," Zhang Yang said, patting Gu Cheng with a cheerful laugh. Once Zhou Yichen was down and Xiao Bin was elevated, Zhang Yang wouldn't linger in the Student Union, as it wasn't his nature to stay.

However, if he were to leave, he would certainly leave a helper for Xiao Bin—and that helper would be Gu Cheng.

Being able to train properly within the Student Union would greatly aid Gu Cheng's future growth. Over the past month, Gu Cheng's demeanor had clearly become more outgoing and self-assured.

Gu Cheng nodded, "I understand. After the regular meeting, I won't eat with you all. I need to buy some things, and then I'll go to the hospital by myself."

"Good. We'll be there later; you need to manage yourself well," Zhang Yang said, a hint of an ambiguous smile playing on his lips. He knew what Gu Cheng intended to do.

Gu Cheng's face flushed slightly. He indeed wanted to get to the hospital earlier to make a good impression in front of Nannan's mother.

Zhang Yang instantly guessed this little thought of his, but he felt it was a positive sign that Gu Cheng was thinking and acting this way; the former Gu Cheng used to be incredibly shy, so this was huge progress.

As they spoke, the group walked forward together, arriving at the Student Union meeting room shortly after.

Zhang Yang and the others were among the first to arrive. As soon as they entered, many people proactively greeted him, their enthusiasm palpable.

Even though he had been absent for over a month, his influence hadn't waned. Everyone knew that Zhang Yang was the true controller of the External Relations Department, which currently managed the financial lifeline of the Union. Anyone wanting funds needed his support.

Zhou Yichen was still the last to enter. He froze momentarily upon seeing Zhang Yang but said nothing, sitting down by himself.

After witnessing someone delivering a car to Zhang Yang a few days prior, he had become increasingly hesitant towards Zhang Yang and gradually abandoned any thought of competing with him.

"Let's begin the meeting," Zhou Yichen stated quietly. Careful observers noticed that Zhou Yichen lacked his usual confidence this time; he seemed to carry a hint of resignation.

Zhou Yichen had already understood that his era of sole dominance in the Student Union was surely over—that was reality. Unable to change it, he could only accept it for now.

"Before we start the meeting, there's something I need to say!" Zhang Yang suddenly stood up. Zhou Yichen glanced at him, his eyes showing a flicker of anger mixed with more pronounced helplessness.

The regular meetings were always presided over by him, the Chairman, and only after he spoke could others talk. Now, just as he announced the start of the meeting, Zhang Yang stood before him, effectively seizing the position of dominance.

If anyone else had done this, he certainly would have made a remark, but against Zhang Yang, he could only hold back for the moment.

"Then Minister Zhang, please speak first," Zhou Yichen said softly. Since he wasn't going to contest Zhang Yang, he might as well let Zhang Yang do whatever he wanted, as long as Zhang Yang didn't act too outrageously. The Chairman of the Student Union was still him.

"Recently, due to personal reasons, I have rarely participated in Student Union activities. I apologize to everyone for that," Zhang Yang spoke slowly, glancing at everyone's face.

The ministers who were neutral or friendly towards Zhang Yang nodded silently. In contrast, Zhou Yichen's few cronies looked dispirited. With Zhou Yichen losing power, their own positions weren't as secure, so they naturally weren't eager to please Zhang Yang.

Their lives had indeed become difficult. They faced the most frequent denials when applying for activity funds approved by the External Relations Department, leading to complaints from people in their respective departments who couldn't secure funding.

If Zhou Yichen hadn't remained in power, they might not even have been able to keep their ministerial positions.

"Minister Zhang, everyone knows you were absent due to health issues, and we all understand. Health is the foundation of all work; only with good health can one work better!" Wang Guohua was the first to chime in with agreement.

He was now the Director of the Secretariat. With the Chairman’s power waning, the Secretariat’s authority had naturally increased somewhat. The current Wang Guohua was no longer Zhou Yichen's man; he was subtly forming his own faction. However, he wasn't foolish enough to believe he would have a chance to rise without the opposition between Zhang Yang and Zhou Yichen, so he immediately spoke up to support Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang smiled faintly and continued, "Director Wang is correct; health is the foundation of all work. For this reason, I have decided to resign from my position as Minister of the External Relations Department to properly recuperate."

Zhang Yang finished speaking quickly, and only after the words left his mouth did everyone react, staring at him in astonishment.

The smile on Wang Guohua's face vanished instantly upon hearing Zhang Yang’s words; his mouth finally fell open.

Everyone knew that the External Relations Department was currently the hottest department in the Student Union, and the Minister of the External Relations Department was a position capable of directly challenging the Chairman. Yet, Zhang Yang was giving it up voluntarily.

This outcome was more unbelievable than a meteor hitting the Earth. After all, the current standing of the External Relations Department was the direct result of Zhang Yang's efforts. This was equivalent to Zhang Yang abandoning his own achievements.

If they were in his shoes, they certainly wouldn't do such a thing.

Second update, requesting a few monthly votes. Currently, there are 6 votes. If the monthly votes exceed ten today, Little Yu will add an extra chapter!