The doctor who had just finished his self-declaration was still standing there dumbfounded, his thoughts a mystery. He would remain in that state until Zhang Yang undid his technique. With Zhang Yang’s current strength, maintaining the technique for an hour or two would be no problem at all.

“How is this possible? This can’t be real!”

Finally, one of the doctors across the table shouted out, his voice filled with astonishment.

What Zhang Yang had shown them was his academician certificate—a Fellowship of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Medicine, issued by the CAS. This certificate had been in Zhang Yang’s possession for some time, but he had never produced it. Today was the first time he had revealed this credential publicly, and even Zhang Yang hadn't anticipated unveiling it under such circumstances.

“Of course, it can’t be real! The Chinese Academy of Sciences doesn’t have a medical academician this young. It’s fake! This must be a forged certificate!”

Another person stepped forward, yelling loudly, and many others nodded in agreement.

Zhang Yang remained silent, watching them coldly, allowing them to question and speculate with such agitation. Many insisted Zhang Yang’s certificate was fake; some even threatened to call the police, arguing that forging an important document was a serious crime. A few people seemed particularly excited, shouting animatedly, as if they had finally caught Zhang Yang in a critical error. The initial confession from the other doctor had placed their hospital at a severe disadvantage, and now, many saw Zhang Yang’s supposed low-level mistake as their chance to salvage face and influence.

Among the people from the opposing hospital, only Vice President Zhou remained silent. The corner of his brow twitched occasionally, a subtle, unnatural movement. He was different from the others; he knew a real CAS academician and had seen their certificates, though that individual was not a medical academician. Zhang Yang’s certificate looked almost identical to the one he remembered, with no discernible difference other than the specialty classification. This document looked very much real. Furthermore, this young man had indeed saved the patient who had nearly died due to medical malpractice. His medical skill was beyond doubt; even he might not have managed that situation. This suggested the young man possessed genuine substance. It was possible such a person held a different status. Yet, for him to be a CAS academician—that possibility seemed too remote. There were only a few dozen medical academicians nationwide, mostly holding senior positions in major hospitals or research institutes, and almost all of them were elderly. An academician as young as Zhang Yang was practically impossible, and Vice President Zhou felt a strong sense of hesitation.

“Director Zhou, call the police. Forging a CAS academician certificate and seizing our operating room—either way, it’s a grave offense that violates the law!” said one of the men next to Vice President Zhou loudly. This was the third person to suggest it; those around him were clearly agitated.

Vice President Zhou finally looked up at Zhang Yang and spoke softly, “Young man, do you realize the penalty for document forgery is severe enough to warrant imprisonment? Tell the truth now, and I can choose not to pursue the charge of document forgery!” After careful consideration, he ultimately sided with his colleagues. Zhang Yang’s academician certificate could not possibly be genuine. The reason was simple: Zhang Yang was far too young; becoming an academician was not an easy feat that many people failed to achieve in a lifetime. He could not believe Zhang Yang had attained such success at such an early age. This was not just his opinion, but the consensus.

“Director, isn’t letting him off the hook too lenient?” Before Zhang Yang could speak, someone next to Vice President Zhou muttered, but Vice President Zhou shot him a fierce glare and remained silent. His offer not to pursue responsibility came with a condition; subconsciously, it meant, ‘I won’t pursue your liability if you drop the medical malpractice issue.’ Although it had been malpractice, the patient was saved, and mutual discretion would benefit both parties. At this critical moment, the Director chose the interests of his hospital over professional medical ethics.

Watching him, Zhang Yang let out a slight sigh, stood up again, and slowly shook his head. He had been observing him; this man was the only one different from the other doctors, and he was a leader. Now, it seemed, he had overestimated this man, and the entire hospital staff. At their core, they possessed only selfishness, lacking the medical virtue of saving lives.

“I will report today’s events truthfully to the Ministry of Health. As for whether I forged the document, I have an academician code, which you can verify through various channels immediately!” Zhang Yang spoke quietly. He was completely disillusioned with the hospital now and didn't wish to waste any more words on them. Reporting to the Ministry of Health was well within his rights; every medical academician was registered there, Zhang Yang included, granting him the authority to communicate directly with the Ministry. For Zhang Yang, this hospital was no longer a personal matter; when trouble arose, instead of seeking rectification or improvement, their instinct was to cover it up. Such a hospital was rotten to the core.

Hearing Zhang Yang, Vice President Zhou’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. There were indeed many ways to check the credentials of a CAS academician. Zhang Yang was correct; a certificate could be forged, but his academician code could not—it could be checked instantly. Seeing Zhang Yang speak with such confidence, he began to waver again.

Zhang Yang stood up, and Qu Meilan stepped forward to retrieve his academician certificate. Whether they believed it or not was up to them; Zhang Yang only needed to present his status. Before a nationally recognized physician qualification certificate became standard, this document served as the best form of passage.

“Where are you taking Dr. Wang?” another doctor from the opposition shouted as Zhang Yang prepared to leave. The others made no move to stop him; regardless of whether the academician certificate was real, they needed time for verification. However, as he departed, Zhang Yang took the doctor from the previous surgery with him, leaving the rest behind. All the errors in Mi Lan’s surgery lay solely with that one man; taking him was sufficient.

“He must pay the price for his actions; naturally, I am taking him where he belongs!” Zhang Yang left those words hanging and exited the conference room, leaving a room full of hospital staff staring blankly. For some inexplicable reason, no one dared to stop him.

“Where does he belong?” someone murmured softly, only to earn sharp glares from colleagues. Dr. Wang caused medical malpractice that nearly killed someone, and he confessed everything himself. Where else could he be going? It was obvious, and whoever couldn't guess must be clueless to have even gotten hired. They figured Zhang Yang was taking Dr. Wang straight to the police station.

Their guess was correct. Zhang Yang did turn the man over to the police, even arranging for an on-site statement to be recorded at the hospital. Police officers maintained order, but when a case involving potential homicide arose, they had to investigate. Dr. Wang’s conduct went beyond professional quality issues; his actions clearly bordered on criminal negligence, possibly murder. Problems arose during his surgery, and he chose to let the patient fend for himself, nearly resulting in death. His culpability in this matter was significant. Moreover, he had confessed that previously, his mistakes had led to two accidental deaths; however, since he was a doctor and the families signed waivers, those matters had been settled quietly. If these two incidents were confirmed, Dr. Wang was in serious trouble; escaping this would be difficult.

After concluding these matters, Zhang Yang proceeded to the ward. Mi Lan had been moved to a premium room. This wasn't Zhang Yang's specific arrangement; the nurses were genuinely impressed and awed by Zhang Yang’s miraculous medical skills, prompting them to make the arrangement themselves. A premium room was better, at least guaranteeing privacy without the disturbance of others.

Zhang Jing and Zhang Chenggong were both at Mi Lan’s bedside. They had stopped crying, but their eyes were still red-rimmed, filled with anxiety. A pleasant family gathering had unexpectedly spiraled into this situation.

“Brother-in-law, you’re back!” Noticing Zhang Yang enter, Zhang Jing quickly stood up. Her previous playful demeanor was gone, replaced by a new composure. She had processed much during this time. She knew her mother’s survival was entirely due to this brother-in-law she had met for the first time, and she felt nothing but profound gratitude toward Zhang Yang. The doctors had previously stated they had done all they could, that the surgery had failed, and her mother’s face had even been covered with a white sheet. It was Zhang Yang who forcefully dismissed the doctors and stayed behind to save her mother. The nurses had confirmed this detail to her, speaking of Zhang Yang’s skill with reverence. Some nurses had even told her that without Zhang Yang’s intervention, her mother might never have returned.

“It’s very late; you two should rest now. We can discuss anything tomorrow!” Zhang Yang smiled faintly. Today’s events were unexpected, but thankfully, there were no tragic outcomes. However, this incident would inevitably affect his plan to travel to the capital tomorrow. He would have to call Zhang Keqin to explain the delay—plans change when one stumbles into such a mess.

“I’m fine. My dad and I will stay watch; you should go back and rest,” Zhang Jing managed a rare, slight smile. Zhang Chenggong also stood up, offering Zhang Yang words of thanks, urging him to leave and rest for now.

After a brief conversation, Zhang Yang left with Mi Xue. Before departing, however, he left Qu Meilan behind. Her strength had not fully recovered, but she was still an internal energy practitioner; she could provide assistance if necessary. Furthermore, she could notify him immediately if any issues arose. Zhang Yang wasn't entirely comfortable leaving things to chance at this hospital; who knew what other appalling things they might attempt? Having extra preparedness was always wise—better safe than sorry.