The nurse who had been guarding him stood watching the person before her in utter astonishment. She knew the patient's condition intimately: there were so many people needing saving, this was a patient the hospital couldn't save, and without family to transfer him, he was effectively abandoned.

For such a patient to be brought back to life—she stared at the silver needles embedded in him, speechless.

This could only be called a miracle.

Watching the nurses take the patient, Zhang Yang finally let out a small breath of relief.

This patient was saved. He wondered how the surgery performed by the young doctor had gone, but given the doctor's confidence, it must have been fine.

Zhang Yang could sense the young doctor's sense of responsibility and his own resolve; his commitment was entirely to the patient. A man like that would surely push past obstacles to arrange surgery for that patient.

Twelve poisoned patients, all severely afflicted—this was undeniably a major incident.

When Zhang Yang stepped outside, relatives of the first patients had already arrived, weeping, with police officers nearby questioning them.

Notifying relatives back then wasn't as convenient as in later times when a mobile phone could locate anyone instantly. Many homes had telephones, but the person wasn't always there; other methods were needed for contact.

Some people had pagers, but they were still the minority. Most of the poisoned victims this time were men, and even pagers, in those days, were largely in the hands of men.

Zhang Yang walked out and finally caught some good news.

The seven who had undergone gastric lavage were now temporarily out of danger. The hospital likely felt confident enough to attempt the lavage; those seven were mostly out of the woods.

The three who had taken his pills would likely need lavage as well. However, if enough time were given, the detoxification pills would take effect, and even washing out their stomachs wouldn't diminish the pills’ efficacy.

It was a pity about the one person who couldn't be saved initially.

Zhang Yang was a doctor, but not an immortal. He had no way to help someone already deceased—a regret, one he could not remedy.

Making a round, Zhang Yang even spotted Mi Zhiguo from a distance.

Mi Zhiguo was directing operations on site, comforting some of the anxious relatives. Mi Zhicheng was nowhere to be seen, but Zhang Yang knew the fellow couldn't escape; he’d left a small measure on him.

This wasn't Zhang Yang seeking revenge. With so many people poisoned in his restaurant, Mi Zhicheng had to remain to give an explanation, especially since a life had been lost in this accident.

Zhang Yang didn't approach Mi Zhiguo. After taking a walk with Mi Xue, he headed back.

Mi Xue had followed Zhang Yang closely, remaining silent. She understood that Zhang Yang couldn't be disturbed while saving lives.

"Zhang Yang, that doctor—he won't get into trouble, will he?"

Mi Xue was also concerned about the young doctor, asking softly.

Mi Xue hadn't studied medicine, but she wasn't the naive student she once was. She’d worked, she’d managed a business, and she knew the consequences for a young doctor who defied hospital orders to save a life against all odds.

"He won't. What he did was right!" Zhang Yang smiled faintly, shaking his head gently.

He was comforting Mi Xue; he knew the doctor's situation better, having worked in hospitals for over a decade in his past life.

As the two walked, several people approached them. The doctor they had been discussing was among the foremost.

This doctor had just finished his surgery—a simpler tracheotomy—which hadn't taken too long. Zhang Yang's rounds after saving lives coincided exactly with the completion of the operation.

Now, the patient was saved. Though the surgery was unauthorized, his heart felt completely unburdened. He hadn't let his conscience be condemned; he had truly fulfilled the duty of saving the dying and healing the wounded.

"Congratulations on the successful surgery!"

Zhang Yang stepped forward and spoke quietly. He hadn't checked on the patient, but he had noticed the expressions of these people; if the surgery had failed, they wouldn't be escorting the patient here.

"Thank you, thank you for your encouragement!"

The young doctor grinned. He didn't move forward but instructed a nurse to take the patient to the intensive care unit; having just finished the operation, the patient required monitoring and further treatment.

"Oh right, what's your name? I haven't seen you at the hospital before."

The young doctor was relaxed now, seemingly not dwelling on the outcome of his irregular surgery. He had forged the department head's signature to get the operating room opened for him.

"My name is Zhang Yang. I'm not from this hospital. And you are?"

Zhang Yang said with a smile. The young doctor looked to be about twenty-six or twenty-seven—young for a physician.

At such a young age, to possess such a sense of responsibility and solid medical skills—this kind of person was rare indeed.

"Y-you said what? You're not from the hospital!"

The young doctor froze, stuttering slightly. When he first saw Zhang Yang examining the patient so skillfully, he had assumed he was newly assigned staff. While Zhang Yang was also young, the hospital wasn't without young doctors.

Hearing that Zhang Yang wasn't affiliated with the hospital left the young doctor unsure of what to say.

"Though I am not from this hospital, I am a doctor. When I encounter a patient in need, I will step in, no matter where I am!"

Zhang Yang said with a light smile. The young doctor was stunned again, then nodded silently.

Zhang Yang's words had struck a chord deep within him. As a doctor, one should act whenever someone needs saving, regardless of location.

"You are right. My name is Hao Xin. I'm from Shanghai. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

The young doctor extended his hand, smiling at Zhang Yang. He had been speaking Mandarin the whole time; Zhang Yang had already noticed he wasn't local, just hadn't expected him to be from Shanghai.

Few people from major cities came to small counties to develop their careers in those days.

"So your name is 'Hao Xin'—you truly are a good-hearted person!"

Mi Xue said with a smile. The young doctor's face flushed suddenly, and he shook his head vigorously. "My 'Xin' uses the character for gold made of three metals (), not the 'xin' for kind-heartedness (). I'm not exactly a saint!"

"Haha!"

Zhang Yang and Mi Xue both burst out laughing; this young doctor was quite amusing. Mi Xue quickly explained herself after saying it.

Still, his name was excellent; he was indeed a good-hearted person, living up to his name.

"Dr. Hao, that..."

The nurse who had been with Zhang Yang earlier rushed over. She stopped dead halfway through her sentence when she saw Zhang Yang standing nearby.

"What is it? Speak clearly!"

Hao Xin asked urgently. He worried another patient was in trouble. Handling so many poisoning cases had put immense pressure on the hospital; if the Bureau Chief and Deputy County Magistrate hadn't been present, they likely would have transferred several patients to other hospitals already.

But then again, other hospitals wouldn't want to admit patients in this condition either.

"That patient earlier, the one with the most severe lung infection, is much better now. He was... was saved by this doctor!"

The young nurse lowered her head, sneaking a glance at Zhang Yang, before speaking softly.

She had intended to report to her superior, and just happened to run into Hao Xin on the way, which is why she told him. However, she hadn't noticed Zhang Yang standing there because he had been momentarily blocked earlier.

"The patient with the lung infection—saved?"

Hao Xin's eyes widened in shock as he looked at Zhang Yang. He knew how critical that patient's condition was; he was helpless, and the hospital staff had refused to treat him—effectively someone awaiting the Grim Reaper’s call.

And that call wouldn't take long.

"Yes!"

The young nurse nodded again, firmly. She didn't know the full extent of the patient's recovery, but at least his breathing was smooth, his complexion normal, and his vital signs like blood pressure were steady. If not for being unconscious, he would have seemed no different from an ordinary person.

"Dr. Zhang, Dr. Zhang, did you perform surgery earlier too?"

Hao Xin turned to Zhang Yang urgently. He remembered Zhang Yang saying he was a doctor too; calling him Dr. Zhang was certainly appropriate.

Zhang Yang smiled faintly. "No, I used some ancestral traditional Chinese medicine techniques. I have encountered this kind of illness before and have experience dealing with such conditions!"

Hao Xin’s eyes widened even further. "TCM? So, Dr. Zhang comes from a lineage of traditional Chinese medicine. I never realized TCM had such effective methods for dealing with the complications arising from acute poisoning!"

Hao Xin’s words clearly showed a degree of disbelief, though he phrased it tactfully.

TCM had its strengths, but when dealing with such diseases, especially post-poisoning complications, TCM methods were indeed sometimes inferior to Western medicine.

If Zhang Yang hadn't possessed miraculous medicine, he would have had to adopt a conservative approach first, stabilizing the patient before proceeding to surgery.

But he had the Elixir; the Elixir itself was heaven-defying. The Regeneration Pill was famed for restoring even rotten bones, so dealing with these acute poisoning complications was naturally not an issue.

Formulating Elixirs was indeed a traditional Chinese method, so Zhang Yang describing his treatment today as TCM was entirely accurate and not at all wrong.

Zhang Yang noticed Hao Xin's skepticism; he merely smiled and offered no further explanation.

Many who studied Western medicine didn't quite trust TCM—that was the current reality. Zhang Yang was aware of this and saw no need to explain or argue.

"Hao Xin, who authorized you to perform surgery? Do you have any respect for your superiors?"

The middle-aged man appeared from somewhere, his face filled with fury upon seeing Hao Xin, and he questioned him loudly.

He had already learned that Hao Xin had forged his signature for the surgery. This enraged him; even though the patient was saved, Hao Xin's actions were a severe breach of protocol. He had firmly decided that this habitually insubordinate doctor must face severe disciplinary action this time.

"Director Wu, I only did what I was supposed to do. I saved the patient!"

Facing his superior, Hao Xin showed no concern, standing calmly as he spoke.

"So what if you saved the patient? That patient was fine to begin with! You acted without organization or discipline—do you even want your job anymore? Just wait, your punishment this time won't be small!"

The Director fumed, shouting incoherently. Even Mi Xue, standing nearby, looked angry. What did he mean the patient was fine? Even though she didn't understand medicine, she knew that without earlier surgery, that patient would have been in grave danger.

918 votes, a slight regret; it was just a handful of votes short, and Xiaoyu ultimately didn't get his wish. Perhaps heaven wouldn't grant Xiaoyu his desire all at once. Xiaoyu won't be discouraged; he will redouble his efforts and never give up.

Thanks to the friend 'Fu Chen De Xin' for the 100,000 Qidian coin reward. Congratulations to 'Fu Chen De Xin' on becoming a Book Alliance Lord. Despite the small regret, Xiaoyu's heart is extremely happy and deeply grateful. There is one more chapter coming, an extra chapter added for the Alliance Lord. It's a bit late, but Xiaoyu will definitely work hard to type it out. (To be continued) RQ