Wang Lu, Gao Fei, and the other students from Changjing University all felt their hearts hammering against their ribs. Fifty thousand yuan was an unimaginable fortune to them as students. At that time, fifty thousand could buy a small house in Changjing—it meant establishing a home here. It wasn't just them; the doctors from the hospital were also feeling their pulses quicken. Fifty thousand yuan represented several years' worth of their salaries.

“On behalf of all of us, thank you, Mr. Su!”

Zhu Zhixiang paused for a moment, then nodded gently. He saw no reason to refuse Su Shaohua’s generosity, nor did he have any grounds to do so. Hearing Zhu Zhixiang agree, everyone exchanged glances again. They all understood that this fifty-thousand-yuan bonus was theirs—and it was after tax. A major boss like Su Shaohua never went back on his word; he certainly wouldn't shortchange them. The project wasn't even fully successful yet, and they were already reaping such massive rewards.

“Yes! We’re rich!”

Wang Lu suddenly shouted, drawing stares from many people, which made her feel a little embarrassed. Watching her, the others started laughing too. No one disliked receiving an extra fifty thousand in bonuses; even Wang Guohai felt a surge of happiness. Fifty thousand yuan—even he, the director, wouldn't earn that quickly in this era.

Su Shaohua watched their joyful expressions, and the smile on his face broadened. This bonus of fifty thousand per person was only for the project team. He had a separate kind of gratitude reserved for Zhang Yang. He knew Zhang Yang’s net worth, understood his status, and had witnessed the sheer wonder of Zhang Yang’s medical skills. No matter how one looked at it, he could not possibly treat Zhang Yang poorly, especially since Zhang Yang had just cured his chronic ailment—an affliction that had tormented him for decades.

“So much excitement?”

A voice sounded from outside the door. Zhang Yang walked in with a smile. He had heard Wang Lu’s shriek from far away, though he regretted missing the preceding exchange.

“Zhang Yang, Zhang Yang, we’re rich!”

This time it was Gao Fei who cried out. He rushed excitedly up to Zhang Yang, shouting loudly, then relayed the news that Su Shaohua was rewarding each of them fifty thousand yuan. Fifty thousand! Their usual best scholarship was barely a thousand; a single payout exceeding ten thousand was unheard of. Fifty thousand yuan was an unimaginable fortune to them. Gao Fei was already calculating how he would spend it.

“Only fifty thousand yuan makes you that ecstatic?”

Zhang Yang chuckled lightly. Gao Fei froze for a moment, then sheepishly shook his head. He had forgotten—Zhang Yang was someone who didn't lack money. Talking about fifty thousand in front of him was pointless; even five hundred thousand, or five million, probably wouldn't warrant a second glance from Zhang Yang.

“Director Wang, later, please allocate a sum from the research funds. Add another fifty thousand bonus for each person,” Zhang Yang said with a slight smile, addressing Wang Guohai.

“Another fifty thousand?”

Wang Guohai was stunned this time as well. Their research group had its own dedicated budget, allocated by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The Academy had initially approved three million yuan for them, and they still hadn't used it all—less than one million had been spent. That was even after purchasing some equipment; otherwise, they wouldn’t have used even a million.

“Yes. The money is going to be leftover anyway. Now that we’ve made such significant progress, it’s only right to issue some bonuses. After all, everyone has worked so hard for so long!”

Zhang Yang nodded, smiling. Su Shaohua had been generous, and he couldn’t be stingy. Besides, issuing bonuses was within his authority. A portion of these funds could always be set aside for bonuses. With such major progress achieved, no one would object to him distributing the money.

“Understood. I will prepare it immediately!”

Wang Guohai immediately agreed. Zhang Yang’s word was law concerning this money. If Zhang Yang decided on bonuses, he naturally couldn't stop it. If he did, he would offend more than just one person. Moreover, given the massive breakthrough and everyone’s happiness, handing out some cash was inconsequential.

Everyone froze again. Their feelings had shifted from pleasant surprise to outright euphoria. Another fifty thousand! The happiness had arrived too suddenly. In the blink of an eye, their bonuses had collectively reached one hundred thousand yuan each. For any of them, one hundred thousand was a massive sum. In those times, having one hundred thousand meant you were wealthy; one hundred thousand yuan was enough to buy a decent house.

“Since everyone is so happy, let me add a bit more cheer. The hospital will reward each of you an additional twenty thousand!”

Zhu Zhixiang called out again. Given the previous hundred thousand, this additional twenty thousand didn't spark the same level of frenzy, but more money was always good. Twenty thousand yuan was an amount they couldn't earn over a long period through regular work. After all, this project belonged to the Third Hospital, and its success brought glory to the institution. Zhu Zhixiang wasn’t the only one in charge, but allocating several hundred thousand for rewards was well within his means.

One hundred and twenty thousand! The research wasn't even finished, only a major breakthrough achieved, and they each already had a 120,000 yuan bonus. At this point, even Shi Yan and the others understood why so many people were desperately trying to get into this research group. Joining meant reaping not just honor, but also fortune. They now felt even greater gratitude toward Zhang Yang; it was Zhang Yang who gave them this opportunity to gain both fame and wealth.

“Zhang Yang, may I speak with you privately?”

Su Shaohua approached Zhang Yang and spoke softly. Looking at Zhang Yang, he knew that he, the one cured of a chronic disease, benefited the most. His gratitude was beyond words.

“Certainly!”

Zhang Yang smiled faintly and invited Su Shaohua directly into his office—an office he had barely ever used. After seating Su Shaohua, Zhang Yang went to brew two cups of tea.

Su Shaohua’s recovery had been slightly faster than he had anticipated, mainly because Zhang Yang’s inner energy continued to grow. Increased inner energy enhanced the treatment effect, naturally shortening the duration. While Su Shaohua recovered quickly, the ten volunteers could not. With the aid of medication, they would require at least a year for complete recovery. This meant the project would still require about another year to conclude fully. However, the timeline was less critical now. Having a successful case proved they could succeed again, and within that year, they still needed to compile various data for submission to the Academy of Sciences, transforming it into useful material. In the future, the Academy would rely on this information to formulate a complete therapeutic system to benefit all of humanity.

“Zhang Yang, I never thought—I truly never imagined there would be a day this disease could be completely cured. Thank you so much,”

Once seated, Su Shaohua spoke first, his tone filled with profound emotion. Back then, when Zhang Yang said he could cure him, he had taken it as mere comfort and hadn't believed it, even though Zhang Yang had demonstrated excellent medical skills. Now that the fact was laid out before him, he had no choice but to believe.

“Mr. Su, you are too kind!”

Zhang Yang smiled gently. He knew how shocking his words must have been back then, and he didn't care if others believed him or not.

“Zhang Yang, I heard you’ve been looking for land to build a villa on your own?”

Su Shaohua subtly shifted the conversation away from his illness to inquire about Zhang Yang’s affairs. Zhang Yang seemed slightly bewildered but nodded. “That’s right. The place I live now is a bit small, and not the style I prefer. I want to buy land and build a house exactly to my liking, but I haven't found a suitable location yet!”

He had mentioned the land purchase to Su Zhantao and others, asking them to keep an eye out. More eyes meant more help, which would allow Zhang Yang to quickly find a place he liked. Unfortunately, Zhang Yang’s requirements were too high. Several locations they scouted failed to meet his satisfaction, so the search continued.

“I have a piece of land at the foot of Mount Anyue, about twenty mu [approx. 3.3 acres]. I originally intended to develop it into a high-end villa area, but the size is a bit small. If you want it, it’s yours,”

Su Shaohua stated slowly, and astonishment flashed across Zhang Yang’s face again.

“At the foot of Mount Anyue? Are you referring to the area near the Fanshang Club?”

“Yes, just east of the Fanshang Club property, right by the main road,” Su Shaohua confirmed with a smile.

The Fanshang Club was Changjing’s most exclusive business and leisure venue. It wasn't merely a five-star hotel, but its rates were far higher than one. Moreover, it wasn’t a place one could just enter; a certain level of status and standing was required. The environment there was exquisitely elegant, nestled by the mountains and water, boasting natural hot springs, and remarkably quiet. Another factor was its proximity to the city center; the drive time was comparable to his current residence, and the transportation access was excellent. Zhang Yang had certainly looked at that area before, but all the usable plots had already been claimed; he couldn't acquire any.

After a moment’s thought, Zhang Yang realized this was Su Shaohua’s gesture of profound thanks, compelling him to offer this land. Twenty mu—Su Shaohua certainly wouldn't consider developing a high-end villa complex on such a small parcel. This must have been land he kept for himself, perhaps for another purpose. He offered it precisely because he knew Zhang Yang needed a suitable place.

“Mr. Su, that land isn’t easy to acquire, is it?” Zhang Yang asked quietly, not accepting immediately.

“I bought that land several years ago. It cost very little, only two million yuan in total. If you want it, I’ll add one million in interest—three million for you. How about that?”

Su Shaohua smiled lightly and quoted a price directly. Zhang Yang knew perfectly well that the land’s value was far greater than three million. Even though the real estate market wasn't booming yet, that area was already highly sought after—otherwise, Zhang Yang wouldn't have been unable to buy it. Three million was the preferential price Su Shaohua offered as a favor. Considering the location, that was practically dirt cheap, about 150,000 yuan per mu. Once the real estate market appreciated in the future, the value of those twenty mu would soar, easily reaching astronomical figures just for the land itself.

“Don't think it’s too expensive. Three million is the lowest I can go. If you don't take it now, someone else will buy it immediately!”

Seeing Zhang Yang hesitate slightly, Su Shaohua added. Zhang Yang looked up, gazing at him with a trace of surprise.

“Mr. Su, thank you very much. I will take this land!”

After a moment, Zhang Yang spoke softly. He understood that Su Shaohua was making a gesture of goodwill; the land was his to give, and if he didn't accept, Su Shaohua would simply sell it to someone else.