Su Zhantao had to be carried out again this time. He had challenged Zhang Yang to a drinking contest, but his tolerance was naturally lower than Zhang Yang's, and having gotten too excited today, he inevitably met a tragic end.

However, Zhang Yang didn't fare much better; Long Cheng hadn't held back, and Huang Hai and Li Ya had been constantly backing up Su Zhantao.

After all, this was Mi Xue’s restaurant—essentially Zhang Yang’s territory.

By the time he returned home, Zhang Yang was also thoroughly drunk. He meditated for over two hours, only managing to shake off the effects of the alcohol by using his internal energy.

The next morning, after dropping Mi Xue off at the restaurant, Zhang Yang drove away alone.

He spent the entire morning visiting the homes of Su Shaohua and Director Zhao.

At both residences, he performed restorative treatments. Both men were in good condition now; they no longer required frequent acupuncture, once a month being sufficient.

At Su Shaohua’s place, Zhang Yang left behind some medicine—a new formula he had created after acquiring those medicinal herbs from Huatuo Ju.

These medicines would help with his existing ailments, but Zhang Yang also needed to prepare another synthetic drug that could most directly treat Su Shaohua's condition. However, that drug required preparation in a pharmaceutical factory, and Su Shaohua was currently unfit to take it.

In the afternoon, Zhang Yang went to the Third Hospital again. This time, he appeared not as an intern, but purely as a visitor.

Everyone else had already agreed yesterday; they would all come to see Wang Chen that afternoon.

That kid Wang Chen had been stuck in the hospital long enough. He called them daily, grasping whoever he reached, demanding they visit him. He was going stir-crazy being alone in the hospital.

For someone with his temperament, lying in a hospital bed for so long was genuine torture.

“You can’t be this shameless…”

The moment Zhang Yang pushed the door open, Wang Chen’s resentful shouting made him pause sharply.

Inside the room, Li Ya had already arrived; Huang Hai and Long Cheng had not yet shown up.

“What’s going on? Who are you cursing now?”

Zhang Yang waved the fresh flowers in his hand and asked with a smile. Wang Chen stared at him blankly for a moment.

“Zhang Yang, you’re here! Come, quick, let me hug Lightning! I miss him so much!”

Wang Chen stretched out his arms. Only one arm was free; the other was in a cast.

“Chirp chirp!”

Lightning immediately leaped from Zhang Yang’s shoulder, circled once in Wang Chen’s embrace, and then darted back, looking back at Wang Chen with a smug grin, clearly teasing him.

“You little pest, you bully me too!”

Wang Chen cried out with a crestfallen face. Lightning jumped back onto Zhang Yang, but this time didn't leave; instead, it affectionately nuzzled Wang Chen’s neck with its tail, seeming to comfort him.

Lightning’s action made Wang Chen burst out laughing, and he couldn't stop.

Behind Zhang Yang, Long Feng watched the scene with a slight smile, a hint of envy in his eyes.

Having spent so many days with Zhang Yang, Long Feng was gradually gaining some understanding of him. Many things he hadn't grasped before had become commonplace after seeing them so often.

For instance, Lightning—this creature was a Spirit Beast, a Venomous Beast at that. If his family possessed such a Spirit Beast, they would undoubtedly treat it with utmost respect, catering to it like royalty; how could they possibly play around with it so casually?

Initially, when he saw Lightning jump onto someone, he had been nervous for a long time, as he was acutely aware of Lightning’s lethality. He himself had been bitten by Lightning once and nearly died.

Later, seeing that the person was unharmed and Lightning seemed to be having fun, he finally relaxed.

In his heart, he truly envied these people for having the opportunity to hug and play with a Spirit Beast. He desperately wanted to hug Lightning too, but he simply lacked the courage.

Besides, Lightning wouldn't let him hug it. While Lightning no longer seemed hostile toward Long Feng, it always maintained an unnatural distance, as if remaining guarded.

“What’s wrong with this kid?”

Zhang Yang turned to glance at Li Ya, remembering Wang Chen cursing just moments ago.

“He heard we were planning a group trip and is throwing a fit, saying we aren’t real brothers for not taking him along. He insisted I find him an RV so he could join us in the mountains. When I refused, he called me shameless!”

Li Ya shook his head with a laugh and explained directly.

“He’s in this state and still wants to run off? He’s truly beyond saving!”

Zhang Yang also shook his head, laughing. A man wrapped up like a mummy still dreaming of heading into the mountains—Wang Chen’s request was truly shameless.

Who would dare take him out in his current condition?

“Who’s beyond saving?”

The door opened again, and Huang Hai, Su Zhantao, and Yang Ling walked in together, looking at Zhang Yang in confusion.

All three were holding flowers. Wang Chen’s room was nearly drowning in bouquets; fresh flowers were everywhere.

“Who else? Isn’t it this kid!”

Zhang Yang repeated what Li Ya had just said, and the three of them burst out laughing together.

With reinforcements present, Li Ya started joining in the teasing, urging Wang Chen to focus on recovering and stop thinking about jumping around all day, lest his injuries never heal completely.

Huang Hai and Su Zhantao chipped in occasionally. After the group finished lecturing him, Wang Chen’s face had turned utterly glum.

A short while later, Long Cheng also arrived. He quietly nodded to Long Feng first before joining the circle, also directing his comments toward Wang Chen. During these days, Long Cheng had somewhat adapted to Long Feng’s presence. He maintained the necessary respect for this senior from the Inner Sect, but usually, he could afford to ignore his presence and revert to his usual self.

In fact, he wasn't the only one ignoring Long Feng. Su Zhantao and Huang Hai rarely paid attention to the man either.

A person who rarely spoke and simply followed Zhang Yang from a distance would naturally fade from memory over time. They had even once lamented where Zhang Yang had found such a strange bodyguard, concluding that they would absolutely never hire a bodyguard like that for themselves.

The group played with Wang Chen for the entire afternoon before heading back.

The departure date had been set: they would leave the day after tomorrow, gathering at Yang Ling’s vehicle dealership again. This would be their last visit to Wang Chen before setting off.

They expected to be away for about a week. Since they wouldn't have time to visit him for over a week, they naturally wanted to spend more time with him during this final visit.

Although Wang Chen complained loudly, he knew well that in his current condition, following them was impossible. He could only sulk there, wishing for a speedy recovery.

With only two days left for preparations, time was rather tight for Zhang Yang.

He had quite a few things to prepare. The others were just going into the mountains for a thrill and wouldn't stay long; Zhang Yang was different.

He needed to enter the mountains to try his luck, and might even have to spend a night there, thus requiring considerably more supplies.

Fortunately, having similar experience from his previous life, gathering supplies wasn't difficult. Moreover, once in the mountains, he wouldn’t need to specifically prepare extra food for Lightning; the mountains were full of venomous snakes.

The two days passed quickly. When the departure day arrived, Zhang Yang drove to Yang Ling’s dealership early in the morning.

Considering the potential danger of entering the mountains this time, Zhang Yang hadn't allowed Mi Xue to accompany them, using the excuse that the restaurant had just opened.

Mi Xue had thrown a small tantrum about this, but ultimately, she listened to Zhang Yang’s arrangement and obediently stayed behind.

Several SUVs were already parked outside the dealership.

Since the trip involved many mountain roads, everyone was driving an SUV. Zhang Yang didn't own one, but Long Cheng lent him his family’s Hummer, saving Zhang Yang the trouble of buying one.

Su Zhantao didn't have one either, but since Su Shaohua did, he could simply take whichever one he wanted.

Inside the shop, several people were sitting and chatting. Both Su Zhantao and Yang Ling were there, as were Li Ya and Huang Hai. Zhang Yang also noticed two unfamiliar faces.

Both men appeared to be around twenty-eight or twenty-nine. One wore glasses and looked quite refined, while the other was somewhat stout, resembling a plump local landlord.

“Zhang Yang, you’re here!”

From afar, Huang Hai waved enthusiastically at Zhang Yang. Everyone stood up.

Seeing them, Zhang Yang recalled the first time they had met—also at this location, just as they were about to set off on a long journey.

Zhang Yang remembered that Huang Hai had been very arrogant back then, seemingly unwilling to exchange many words with them. No one could have predicted how harmonious their relationship would become later on.

“Zhang Yang, come, let me introduce you!” As Zhang Yang approached, Huang Hai immediately grabbed his arm warmly.

“This is Chang Feng, Young Master Chang. Young Master Chang works at the Provincial Public Security Department. Despite his young age, he’s already a Section Chief; he’s the only official among us!”

Huang Hai pointed to the bespectacled man, and Zhang Yang paused slightly.

Most of these young masters came from business families, or were businessmen themselves. Very few worked within the system; those in officialdom usually weren't as flashy as them.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Zhang Yang. Don't listen to Old Huang’s nonsense; I’m no official, just trying to make a living!”

Chang Feng extended his hand directly to Zhang Yang. A radiant smile graced his face, giving off a very warm impression. His demeanor was unforced and natural; people like this usually made an excellent first impression.

Zhang Yang politely shook his hand. This man was clearly adept at handling people, which explained why he maintained such a good relationship with Huang Hai and the others, as the young masters weren't typically fond of officials.

The fact that he was here, ready to travel with them, was an endorsement in itself.

“Old Chang is just being modest. But Zhang Yang, don't underestimate his official position; he’s also a well-known tycoon. Old Chang’s uncle went to Taiwan years ago and built a substantial fortune there. But he had no heirs, so when his uncle passed away, Chang Feng inherited assets worth hundreds of millions. He’s richer than all of us combined!”

Huang Hai added with a laugh. Chang Feng himself shook his head helplessly.

It was true that he had inherited the estate. His uncle only had two sons, and his father only had him as a son, making him the closest living relative and the sole heir.

After inheriting the wealth, he hadn't liquidated it all but had instead structured it into various parts, hiring professional managers to oversee it. Although he held a job, in terms of personal wealth, he was indeed the wealthiest among the group.