In truth, he probably would have woken up even without reaching the hospital; his injuries weren't severe, and Zhang Yang had seen to them beforehand, so his emerging first was only natural.

Seeing someone emerging, and hearing a coherent voice, Cai Zhelian let out a small sigh of relief.

Things weren't as dire as he had imagined. This meant his punishment later might be lighter. Right now, he could only curse his rotten luck for being caught up in this mess.

“Hai Ge, how are you feeling?”

As the gurney was pushed out, Yang Ling rushed toward it, her face etched with concern.

Yang Ling and Huang Hai had known each other for a long time; in fact, Long Cheng, Li Ya, Wang Chen, and Huang Hai had all met through her. When Yang Ling was first starting her business, Huang Hai had offered her considerable help.

In her heart, Huang Hai was like an elder brother. When the accident happened to him, she had been so anxious she was nearly in tears.

“I’m fine, just a little uncomfortable in my chest, a heavy feeling, like I cheated death. I wonder if this means good fortune will follow!”

Huang Hai lay on the gurney and grinned, a brilliant smile spreading across his face.

That smile wasn't forced. He was genuinely happy. Since waking up, his mind had been fixed on the moment the crash occurred.

The speed had been high, and everyone was clustered together. Huang Hai had spotted the danger first, but the velocity left him no time to react.

He had fought the steering wheel, but still ended up crashing, vehicle and all, into the roadside ditch.

In that instant of impact, his mind had been frighteningly clear. He had seen Wang Chen’s car split in two and spin wildly, and witnessed other vehicles scraping the ground and bursting into flame.

At that moment, he had only one thought: he was done for, completely finished.

Upon waking and seeing himself in the hospital, his first feeling was that he had been granted a new life. Next, he immediately began a self-assessment, checking if any limbs were missing.

This was a natural human reaction; at the time, he had never expected to survive unscathed.

The examination results were startling. Not only were his arms and legs intact, but not a single bone was broken. If not for the lingering tightness in his chest, he would have felt perfectly fine.

This outcome naturally brought him joy, resulting in the smile now on his face.

Led by a nurse, Long Cheng and the others took Huang Hai to his ward first. Regardless of his current condition, the comprehensive examination scheduled for the next day was unavoidable.

About an hour after Huang Hai was settled, Shao Yuping and Li Ya were also brought out.

Their injuries weren't major either, but they weren't as fortunate as Huang Hai; all of them had fractures and would need to remain in bed for a period.

The girl who had been with Li Ya, and the girl from the other car, were also sent to rooms. They too had no serious issues. Someone had already settled their hospital fees, so they had no immediate worries.

Around midnight, the surgeries for everyone else were complete, leaving only Wang Chen.

Two more hours passed before his surgery concluded. He was wrapped up like a mummy and immediately transferred to the Intensive Care Unit.

After Wang Chen was moved, everyone involved in his surgery, including the nurses, did not leave; they all gathered in the conference room. The hospital director and the Party Secretary of the hospital were also present.

“Professor Hu, what exactly is going on? You weren't clear on the phone, and you made it sound so secretive?”

In the conference room, the Director sat at the head of the table. Once everyone was seated, he immediately addressed one of the senior doctors.

The Director’s surname was Liu, named Liu Zhen. He was only in his early fifties but possessed strong operational abilities and had held the director position for several years.

The man he called Professor Hu was the hospital’s renowned ‘Hu Yidao’ (Hu the Sharp Knife), recognized as the most skilled surgeon, famous throughout Shanghai.

Professor Hu had also authored several significant texts and was a leading surgeon nationwide. Furthermore, he was the Director of General Surgery at Baotuo Hospital, and even the Director treated him with considerable deference.

“This matter, I don’t quite know how to explain it. Xiao Wang, you’re quick-witted, why don’t you explain the situation to the Director?”

Professor Hu shook his head and deferred the problem to his assistant, Wang Yong, standing beside him.

Wang Yong was the Deputy Director of Orthopedics, a highly respected doctor within the hospital. He had studied under Professor Hu previously. Initially, Wang Yong was supposed to be Wang Chen’s primary attending physician, but he sensed something was wrong, which led him to call in his mentor.

“Director, here’s the situation. When the patient arrived, he had seventeen different bone injuries of varying severity. The worst was the right femur, which was basically completely fractured, along with severe internal bleeding. Additionally, his liver, spleen, and even his kidneys sustained considerable damage!”

Wang Yong looked up and spoke slowly, his eyebrow twitching continuously as he talked. Wang Chen was the strangest patient he had encountered in years.

“This patient was in a traffic accident, and he was the most severely injured among them. It’s normal for him to have such extensive injuries, Dr. Wang. Please focus on the key points!”

This time, the speaker was Guo Tao, the hospital’s Party Secretary. When so many important patients arrived, the Director had to come, and so did he.

However, he truly didn't want to be here. Hospitals were different from other institutions; Party Secretaries at other units held enviable positions, but due to the unique nature of hospitals, the Director held the most real power.

Generally, many hospital Directors and Party Secretaries held both posts concurrently, though exceptions existed.

Guo Tao was one such exception. He was here for political seasoning, scheduled to leave after a year or so, usually concerning himself only with Party affairs and ignoring everything else. But today’s patient’s status was too unusual for him to skip the meeting.

In his mind, he genuinely wished not to be involved in these matters.

“Yes, Secretary Guo!”

Wang Yong nodded and continued, “Given his condition, such severe injuries should have meant he wouldn't survive long enough to reach us. Yet, not only did he arrive alive, but during surgery, we discovered he possesses incredibly vigorous vitality!”

Wang Yong had revealed the core issue. Wang Chen was the patient who puzzled them the most. Forget him—even his mentor, Professor Hu, had never encountered a patient like this in all his years of practice.

“Dr. Wang, please continue!”

Director Liu Zhen’s brow twitched. Unlike Guo Tao, he genuinely cared about the patients, as this reflected on the hospital’s reputation.

At the same time, he was beginning to grasp the implication of Wang Yong’s words.

How could a critically injured patient, one who should have been beyond saving, possess such robust vitality? It was like a man who had been starving for days, on the verge of death, suddenly possessing the strength to lift a hundred pounds—it made no sense.

“Yes, Director. Besides his vigorous vitality, we discovered that the bleeding inside his body had been attended to. Many key areas of contusion had been cleared out—either expelled or temporarily shifted to less critical areas, making our surgical solutions much easier. Furthermore, his damaged internal organs showed signs of automatic healing!”

Wang Yong spoke slowly, his brow furrowing again.

“Exactly! That’s right. In my decades of medical practice, performing countless surgeries, this is the first time I have encountered a patient and a surgery like this!” Professor Hu chimed in, equally perplexed by Wang Chen’s condition.

“Perhaps something was done at the previous hospital? He did go to another hospital before coming here. Maybe your operation was simply easier to perform?” Guo Tao interjected, a hint of impatience coloring his tone.

He didn't really want to get involved in medical matters, and he wouldn't have come tonight if it weren't necessary.

He felt he was being forced to shoulder responsibility and was displeased, unwilling to continue discussing things in this meeting. His tone became less courteous as he spoke.

“Secretary Guo, this is not a question of being simpler; this is profoundly important. Otherwise, why would we summon both of you leaders here? Are we intentionally wasting your time in the middle of the night?” Professor Hu retorted sharply. Guo Tao’s breathing hitched, and his expression became extremely ugly.

However, he said nothing more, only letting out a cold snort before turning back to his cigarette and tea, choosing to spare himself further embarrassment.

Professor Hu was the backbone of the hospital, the most famous figure in Baotuo Hospital’s surgery department; most of its accolades were his doing. His standing within the hospital was no less than that of the Director or himself, the Party Secretary with little direct authority.

Guo Tao understood this perfectly and thus remained silent, letting them continue their discussion as they saw fit.

“Professor Hu, Secretary Guo meant well. Professor Hu, you are anxious; please don’t mind him,” Liu Zhen interjected, trying to smooth things over. Then, he immediately pressed on, “Professor Hu, are you suggesting someone treated the patient beforehand, and that person wasn't from the preceding hospital?”

Liu Zhen was intelligent and instantly grasped the crux of the matter.

If the initial hospital had achieved such results, there would have been no need to transfer the patient here. Saving a critically endangered patient was a major achievement and a source of pride for any hospital.

Transferring the patient would mean handing over credit to another facility—only a fool would do such a thing. Liu Zhen certainly never would.

“That is correct!”

Professor Hu nodded, glancing at Wang Yong.

Wang Yong immediately picked up, “I had someone investigate just now. All the injured from this incident were involved in the same traffic accident. The previous hospital only provided rudimentary treatment without detailed examination before sending them here. However, before they arrived here, someone treated them at the scene!”

“I see. The key is this person who treated them. The fact that this severely injured patient has these inexplicable characteristics could be due to him!” Liu Zhen nodded gently, saying slowly.

He now understood the point Professor Hu and Wang Yong were making: someone had provided emergency treatment to this group of injured parties at the scene before they were taken to the first hospital.

But that wasn’t the main focus. The critical element was that one patient, who was nearly beyond saving, not only managed to hold on until they reached the hospital after receiving treatment but had his crisis averted before he even arrived—that was far from simple.

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