Zhang De chuckled lightly; it wasn't a deliberate attempt to comfort Mi Zhiguo.

Most of the others injured were out of danger. Including Mi Zhiguo, only five people remained hospitalized, and two of those five would be discharged today.

The truly troublesome cases were the three of them who were severely injured.

Before Zhang De arrived, they had been discussing transferring together to the Provincial Hospital. After all, the Provincial Hospital had stronger resources and a better reputation, and it would be easier for them to look out for one another if they were all in the same place.

"Can I rest easy? I came out here specifically to study, and I never thought something like this would happen!"

Mi Zhiguo sighed softly. With this accident, he could forget about studying now.

Those with minor injuries, or those who weren't hurt at all, could still go, but he doubted many of them had truly taken their studies seriously anyway.

Mi Zhiguo was convinced that without him accompanying them, the study results wouldn't be very good.

"Accidents happen unexpectedly. You should think of it this way: great misfortune averted brings great fortune later. You all got lucky this time; nothing major went wrong!"

Zhang De smiled. He knew Mi Zhiguo had only recently been appointed to the Standing Committee and was working hard, hoping for a chance to advance further.

People are like that: they don't strive when they see no hope, but they push themselves when hope appears.

Previously, Mi Zhiguo hadn't thought much beyond retiring as a Deputy County Mayor. But now he was on the Standing Committee and ranked relatively high among the Deputy County Mayors.

The Executive Deputy County Mayor ahead of him was nearing retirement age. As a Standing Committee Deputy County Mayor, a little effort might secure him the Executive Deputy position.

When the current County Mayor eventually retired, he might even have a chance to move up further in the line of succession.

Of course, that would likely be his final step; anything beyond that felt too distant for him to consider.

"Old Zhang is right. It’s a blessing that nothing major happened. Don't worry about work matters!"

Wu Fenglan quickly interjected. Mi Zhiguo had been even busier with work lately than before; this was a perfect opportunity for him to rest well.

"Mi Zhiguo!"

The door to the ward knocked again. The same nurse who had conducted rounds earlier walked back in, this time accompanied by a doctor who looked about thirty.

This doctor appeared quite young, wearing a white lab coat.

Zhang De looked at him and involuntarily began comparing him to Zhang Yang from before.

This thirty-year-old doctor, no matter how one looked at him, didn't measure up to Zhang Yang, even though he was a full decade older than Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang, in his white coat, possessed far more presence, giving people an instant sense of reassurance at a glance—unlike this one. This one looked somewhat showy, no matter the angle.

Thinking this, Zhang De shook his head again to dismiss the thought.

"Doctor Sun, this is Mi Zhiguo. His recovery doesn't look like it’s just after surgery; it looks like he had surgery several days ago. Could you take a look?"

The young nurse spoke deferentially to the doctor, who nodded, but his eyes weren't on Mi Zhiguo. Instead, they kept flicking toward Mi Xue standing nearby.

A repulsive, leering smile played on his lips.

"I see. Why are there so many people in this ward?"

Doctor Sun gave a brief nod, but his gaze remained fixed on Mi Xue as he spoke.

Though Mi Xue hadn't gone home yesterday and wasn't wearing makeup, she was naturally beautiful. Furthermore, having been a boss for a while recently had cultivated a certain air about her, making her highly captivating just by standing there.

This Doctor Sun wasn't old, but his lecherous nature was apparent. He had undoubtedly seduced numerous nurses using his position.

Even some female patients or family members with a bit of charm had been harassed by him.

People had reported him for this behavior before, but nothing ever came of it. He had connections; his father was the hospital's Vice President, a man with considerable real authority, which allowed him to act unchecked within the hospital.

"We are all family members!"

This man's demeanor made Zhang Yang uncomfortable as well. Zhang Yang stepped forward slightly, positioning himself exactly between the doctor and Mi Xue.

Having previously worked in a hospital, Zhang Yang immediately recognized the character of certain doctors. He knew at a glance that he had run into one of the rotten apples of the medical profession.

Back in the hospital he was in during his past life, anyone like this would have only one outcome: thrown out, no questions asked.

"Family members?"

Blocked by Zhang Yang, Doctor Sun became annoyed. He flipped through the notebook he held, which contained patient files and the names of accompanying guardians.

The patient's name was Mi Zhiguo. For the attendant guardian, only one name was listed: Mi Xue. She was the one who had signed the papers yesterday.

Doctor Sun wasn't looking at their names now, but at their listed residences. Both were marked with the same place name: Lieshan County, and their relationship was listed as Father-Daughter.

Doctor Sun's eyes darted around. By now, he understood that the daughter named Mi Xue was the one he was interested in.

There was only one young girl in the room; who else could it be?

"Only the registered guardian is allowed to stay. Everyone else must leave and adhere to the designated visiting hours!"

Doctor Sun announced loudly. The young nurse beside him looked at Mi Xue with a hint of jealousy.

She clearly understood that Doctor Sun had taken a liking to Mi Xue and was trying to dismiss everyone else for that reason.

This Doctor Sun was notoriously promiscuous. This nurse had seen him use his authority to bully people before, and she herself had eventually become one of his targets.

The nurse had fantasized about one day securing a permanent position. Doctor Sun wasn't married; regardless of his character, his family background was good. Marrying him would guarantee her job security, offer potential promotions, and eliminate all worries about her future livelihood.

Unfortunately, she had no idea that all this was merely a fantasy, completely unattainable.

"Doctor, please be accommodating. I am the Propaganda Minister of Lieshan County, and I am quite familiar with Director Li at your hospital!"

Zhang De stepped forward. The Director Li he mentioned was a leadership figure at the Provincial Hospital. Individuals holding certain positions usually had connections across various sectors, and Zhang De was no exception.

"What Director Li, what Director Wang? I don't know any of them. Everyone out immediately! Too many people are not allowed to stay here!"

Doctor Sun shouted, his face arrogantly set.

There were several Directors surnamed Li in the hospital, but every single one had to defer to his father's wishes. This person bringing up some "Director Li" only made him look down on them more.

What did a County Propaganda Minister matter? This wasn't Lieshan County; this was the Changjing Provincial Hospital—this was his territory.

"You!"

Zhang De froze momentarily, exclaiming the word, his face flushing with anger.

In Lieshan, as a Propaganda Minister, he usually received at least some measure of respect; he was, after all, a leading official. To be treated with such disdain was unheard of. Enraged, he stepped aside and immediately began dialing a number on his phone.

Seeing him call someone, Doctor Sun paid it no mind and turned his attention back to Zhang Yang.

"Didn't you hear me telling you to leave quickly? Do you want me to call security to throw you out?"

His sole objective now was to clear out everyone else and keep only Mi Xue. Once only Mi Xue remained, it would be convenient for him to act.

As for how he planned to act, he already had experience.

The method was simple: the patient was Mi Xue's father, the person she cared about most. After a subsequent examination, he would claim the patient's condition had suddenly worsened and required certain procedures.

How it worsened was entirely up to him. He could tamper with the patient, making him appear close to death. Wouldn't this woman's composure instantly shatter?

Once she was distressed, he wouldn't have to worry about her resisting him. To save her father, she would have to obey willingly. With a mix of soft persuasion and hard pressure, the prey would be secured. This trick wasn't new to him; he was intimately familiar with it.

"And if we don't leave, what then?"

Zhang Yang suddenly smiled faintly and spoke quietly.

He had long since grasped what kind of person this Doctor Sun was and knew his desire to dismiss them all was ill-intentioned.

Zhang Yang treated people according to who they were. Since this doctor was scum, Zhang Yang certainly wouldn't offer him any pleasantries.

"You—what did you say?"

Doctor Sun jolted, looking at Zhang Yang in disbelief. In all his time here, no one had ever dared speak to him that way.

Normally, the patient's family members treated doctors with extreme caution, as their relative's health and safety were entirely in the doctors' hands.

"I said get lost. Go wherever you need to go, or you will definitely regret it!"

Zhang Yang repeated himself, his tone still calm, but the words were undeniably rude.

At this point, not just Doctor Sun, but Mi Xue and Wu Fenglan all turned around, looking at Zhang Yang with surprise.

The usually gentle and refined Zhang Yang actually had another side to him.

"Zhang Yang!"

Mi Xue walked over and quietly tugged at Zhang Yang's arm, her face showing concern.

She wasn't worried about anything happening to Zhang Yang; her concern was for Doctor Sun. She hated seeing Zhang Yang angry.

"I'm fine, don't worry!"

Zhang Yang squeezed her hand and offered a slight smile.

His bluntness this time was directly related to Doctor Sun's intentions.

Zhang Yang had seen long ago that Doctor Sun was making designs on Mi Xue. Mi Xue was Zhang Yang's red line. Forget him; any man who realized someone was harboring wicked plans to take advantage of his girlfriend couldn't possibly remain composed.

To do nothing would mean he wasn't a man.

"Fine, fine, you have guts! Xiao Liu, call security! Hurry up and call security! Someone is causing trouble here, and this ward is being recalled—throw the patient out!"

Doctor Sun yelled in fury. He had forgotten all about Mi Xue in that moment, focused only on regaining his lost dignity.

Expelling them and throwing out the patient was something he could actually accomplish.

As soon as he said this, the expressions of Wu Fenglan and Mi Xue changed, as did Mi Zhiguo's in the bed.

He had just undergone surgery. Kicking him out now, even if they found another hospital, would cause massive disruption. He could not withstand such turmoil right now.

"This is nonsense! By what right do you kick us out? What qualification do you have?"

Mi Zhiguo was angry now too. He wasn't stupid. This doctor hadn't looked at him once since entering, only staring at his daughter and trying to dismiss everyone else—it was obvious his intentions were impure.

Far from opposing Zhang Yang’s actions, he now wholeheartedly supported them. If he could move, he would gladly get out of bed to slap this guy a couple of times himself.

Mi Zhiguo was a Deputy County Mayor, and his words carried a measure of authority. Unfortunately, this authority had zero effect on Doctor Sun. The nurse named Xiao Liu had already run out to summon help.