The doctors at this hospital truly weren't much, but Mi Lan’s condition wasn't suitable for transfer. Moreover, she was only in the recovery stage. While the doctor had erred, the hospital itself was not at fault; the medical facilities here were adequate, and it was conveniently close to home, so she remained here.

Mi Lan had already awakened. She couldn't eat yet, but she could speak. She knew everything that had happened yesterday and was filled with gratitude toward Zhang Yang, who had saved her.

In another office at the hospital, Vice President Zhou Guoqing sat with a dark expression. Doctor Wang had been taken away by the police last night; that was entirely his own doing, and he had no one else to blame.

He had confessed everything himself; no one could protect him now.

The hospital itself was furious with him. His confession had essentially smeared the reputation of the entire institution, especially since the hospital had collectively helped him cover up a previous medical malpractice incident. This time, the whole hospital was suffering massive repercussions.

Many people were questioning whether Doctor Wang had taken the wrong medication, suggesting he had gone mad. Otherwise, why would anyone point the finger at himself and effectively send himself to prison?

As for a sudden attack of conscience, no one believed it; they were all keenly aware of what kind of person Doctor Wang truly was.

“Ring! Ring! Ring!”

The phone on the desk suddenly blared. Zhou Guoqing snapped his eyes toward it and hurriedly picked up the receiver.

Compared to Doctor Wang’s matter, the issue of Zhang Yang’s identity was what weighed most heavily on his mind. If Zhang Yang’s purported status was genuine, it would spell absolute disaster for their hospital.

“What did you say?”

Midway through the call, Zhou Guoqing shot up from his seat, shouting loudly.

“No, I didn’t mean to doubt you, sir! I apologize, I just got a little agitated!”

It sounded as if a reprimand was coming from the other end of the line. Zhou Guoqing quickly cupped his hand over the mouthpiece, whispering his explanation, nodding continuously as if the person on the other end were standing right in front of him.

A while later, he finally hung up the phone, standing there in a daze.

His face was utterly vacant. The call had come from the Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences whom he knew—a respected elder to whom he had previously reached out. He had asked the academician for help in verifying Zhang Yang’s identity.

Academician codes are unique; for someone within the Academy to check, it was naturally simple.

Unfortunately, the outcome was not what he had hoped for: Zhang Yang’s status as an Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences was real. Rumor had it he was specially approved last year, and his youth had caused some dispute, but he was ultimately confirmed.

And Zhang Yang genuinely possessed numerous accomplishments.

They hadn't specified what those achievements were; after all, the person willing to inquire on his behalf was already doing him a great favor.

“It’s real, he’s real…”

Several minutes after hanging up, Zhou Guoqing kept murmuring softly to himself. Clearly, he found this result difficult to accept.

It wasn't just an issue of Zhang Yang’s age. If Zhang Yang was truly a Medical Academician, their hospital was now facing a massive problem.

The word of an Academician carried significant weight. Especially since they had no moral high ground in this incident, Zhang Yang’s status as an Academician would make the matter of seizing the operating room seem trivial. With this title, the news, if it got out, might even bring Zhang Yang some positive fame.

Soon, Zhou Guoqing’s expression shifted again.

He recalled what Zhang Yang had said yesterday. If Zhang Yang had been an ordinary person, those words could have been dismissed, but given his status as a Medical Academician, he had to consider the implications. What if this matter were reported accurately to the Ministry of Health?

The thought sent a sudden tremor through Zhou Guoqing.

Yesterday, he had been the highest-ranking official present. If this matter was reported, he would be the first person held accountable. The hospital would certainly bear responsibility, and while the Dean would be impossible to absolve, he, as the acting Vice President, would fare little better.

This time, it was a genuine crisis; failure to manage it might invite a major upheaval.

“Immediately notify all department heads, convene a meeting in the conference room now!”

Snapping back to reality, Zhou Guoqing bypassed all other concerns and issued a direct command.

This was not just his problem; it belonged to the entire hospital. Those present yesterday were largely the hospital’s lower-tier leadership.

How to protect the hospital's reputation and secure their own positions moving forward would now depend on their collective effort.

The Vice President’s first thought was to gather everyone’s strength and rely on their combined wisdom to weather this storm. While this consideration was sound, this bureaucratic approach harbored a fatal flaw.

That flaw was time; Zhang Yang simply hadn't afforded them that luxury.

Half an hour later, just as all the attending department heads reached a startlingly unanimous decision to launch a public relations campaign, they received devastating news.

The Ministry of Health had received a report from Medical Academician Zhang Yang detailing their hospital’s severe disciplinary violations, including disregard for human life, dereliction of duty, and inaction. The Ministry had already begun reviewing the case and would dispatch an investigation team soon to clarify the situation.

This notification came from the Provincial Health Department, whose leaders had thoroughly berated them over the phone.

Their actions this time had caused embarrassment to everyone in the Provincial Department as well.

Reportedly, the materials the Ministry received were incredibly detailed. They included not only the testimony of the physician involved but also the doctor’s accusations against the hospital regarding several shady dealings, including accepting kickbacks, nepotism among some hospital leaders in placing their own children within the facility, and even installing many unqualified personnel.

When the leaders are corrupt, the subordinates follow suit. For a hospital driven by profit rather than medical ethics, these revelations were just the tip of the iceberg.

However, these details were enough to garner serious attention from higher-ups. Zhang Yang’s actions had merely been the catalyst.

This time, Zhang Yang hadn't just reported to the Ministry of Health; he had also incidentally brought the matter to the attention of Zhang Keqin.

Mi Lan was Mi Xue’s aunt, making her a relative of their family. While Zhang Yang had no direct connection to the Ministry of Health, the Minister of Health maintained a good personal relationship with him.

By simply presenting the situation, the Ministry would be precluded from any potential favoritism.

The final result was exactly as Zhou Guoqing had foreseen: the hospital experienced a massive earthquake.

The Dean was immediately removed from his post and soon placed under investigation, where ample evidence of his corruption and disciplinary breaches was uncovered. As the most directly responsible party for this incident, the Vice President’s official hat was instantly snatched away.

If his financial conduct hadn't been relatively clean and free of major errors, he likely would have been finished as well.

A batch of other hospital leaders and department heads were implicated. Out of so many departments in the hospital, only three officials escaped unscathed; the rest were taken down collectively.

These individuals had various problems; the serious cases resulted in detention, while the lesser ones faced dismissal from public office or were expelled from the Party and public service, with no chance of reinstatement.

As for the fuse and principal culprit, Doctor Wang, he immediately recanted his confession once he sobered up.

Unfortunately, his retraction was useless. The police displayed exceptional efficiency this time, quickly locating the victims' families. Furthermore, the hospital staff despised him; quite a few people seized the opportunity to give incriminating testimony against him.

Ultimately, Doctor Wang was sentenced to life imprisonment for dereliction of duty, involuntary manslaughter, and murder—a deserved retribution.

However, all this was later history. When Zhang Yang eventually learned of these consequences, he hadn't anticipated that a single letter of complaint would lead to such severe results, ultimately triggering a nationwide re-education campaign on medical ethics within hospitals. Doctors might not always treat saving lives as their absolute mission, but they had to be conscientious and responsible, because they directly controlled the safety of the common people's lives, serving as the angels in white, the bearers of hope for life.

One must never treat life lightly.

While Zhang Yang hadn't predicted this outcome, it was one he found satisfying. At least such education was not a bad thing.

Mi Lan recovered remarkably fast after taking the spiritual medicine, much quicker than an ordinary person.

In just three days, she could get out of bed and walk, and eat a variety of foods.

However, a day prior, Zhang Yang had already left the hospital and departed Pengcheng.

He was heading to the capital city to visit relatives and couldn't remain there indefinitely. After staying two days to ensure Mi Lan's condition was fully stabilized, he left with Mi Xue.

Mi Lan only needed rest to fully recuperate; if Zhang Chenggong and the others hadn't been worried, Mi Lan could have been discharged and gone home already.

Even so, on the fourth day, they too left the hospital. People kept coming to find them there daily—whether for investigation or to plead on someone's behalf—which had quickly made them feel repulsed.

For a place that nearly cost her life, staying that long was already a great feat.

“Zhang Yang, thank you!”

On the road to the capital, Mi Xue offered Zhang Yang a heartfelt word of thanks again. She had already changed back into her usual elegant and composed attire.

“You’re thanking me?”

Zhang Yang smiled as he glanced back while driving. Mi Xue’s face instantly bloomed with a sweet smile.

“If anyone should be thanking, it’s me. I never expected Uncle's side of the family held such important things!”

Zhang Yang murmured quietly. He still carried a thin booklet on his person.

This was given to him by Mi Xue’s Uncle, Zhang Chenggong. This booklet, like the one given to him by Old Man Xie, was written in the style of the Zhang family’s medicinal prescriptions.

Zhang Chenggong’s paternal uncle had been a hero during the Anti-Japanese War. Since he had no direct descendants, his possessions were inherited by Zhang Chenggong upon his passing.

According to his uncle’s account, this booklet was left by a benefactor who specifically entrusted him with its safekeeping.

And that benefactor was Zhang Daoqian.

Zhang Yang’s guess was correct: Zhang Daoqian had indeed separated the five layers of secret knowledge and entrusted them to various people to carry out, testing whether descendants of the Zhang family would have the affinity to reclaim these items, serving the same purpose as the items given to Old Man Xie.

Zhang Chenggong’s uncle had been one of those individuals. Reclaiming this booklet was, in a sense, returning it to its rightful owners.

Although Zhang Yang was already familiar with its contents, it was, after all, an item left by his ancestral predecessors. Being able to take it back held significant sentimental value.

Delayed by two days, Zhang Yang still managed to reach the capital. After exiting the highway, a car soon approached to greet them—a common Peugeot vehicle, driven by a young man who looked barely seventeen or eighteen.

In the front passenger seat sat another person: Zhao Min, the secretary of Zhang Keqin, whom Zhang Yang knew.

The two men got out of the car and walked toward them. RQ