As soon as they arrived in Changjing, Zhang Pinglu separated from them. Zhang Pinglu's nature still abhorred living closely with others; he preferred to remain hidden in the periphery, silently serving as a guardian.

Back home, the peace didn't last two days before Zhang Yang was once again swamped with business, much to his weary consternation.

By now, who in Changjing didn't know that Changjing Third Hospital had skyrocketed to fame entirely because of Zhang Yang? Though Zhang Yang had long since moved on from the Third Hospital, now he was completely fair game. Changjing First, Second, and Fourth Hospitals, not to mention the illustrious Provincial Hospital and several renowned private institutions, all sensed an opportunity.

Though they were all aware of Zhang Yang and held some understanding of his capabilities, Zhang Yang knew none of them. Consequently, the hospital directors, while lamenting not having befriended Zhang Yang sooner, were constantly scheming to gather intelligence on him.

Zhang Yang's return to Changjing was not difficult news to acquire with a little inquiry.

These hospitals dispatched their representatives, each hoping to secure Zhang Yang's internship before the others. As for the terms, naturally, they were open to anything Zhang Yang proposed. One private hospital even secretly prepared a check for a colossal sum, instructing their recruitment agent that if Zhang Yang agreed, the check was his immediately, separate from any future salary.

This private hospital only knew of Zhang Yang’s supreme medical skill; they clearly hadn't grasped the true extent of his wealth. Relying on methods used to poach other promising interns was, predictably, doomed to fail.

Meanwhile, representatives from several smaller hospitals took a different, more desperate route: they tracked down the villa where Zhang Yang resided. While marveling at his extravagance, these individuals tried every imaginable means to sneak past security and gain an audience, hoping a personal appeal might convince Zhang Yang to intern at their modest facility.

Alas, Zhang Yang's villa was guarded not only by spirit beasts like Lightning Shadowless Wind Chaser but also by the formidable presence of Qu Meilan, who styled herself as the Zhang family’s Chief Eldest Disciple. Getting past her was simply out of the question for these hopefuls.

Trying to fish in troubled waters? Absolutely impossible!

This was also one reason Zhang Yang remained utterly oblivious to their efforts.

Another private hospital, however, proved decidedly more astute.

This hospital was named Jinghe Hospital, also a prominent private aristocratic establishment in Changjing, catering exclusively to the scions of wealthy and influential families—ordinary patients simply couldn't afford such high-end care.

Crucially, Guo Yong, the director of Jinghe Hospital, was an old university classmate of Zhu Daoqi, the Vice Dean of Zhang Yang's medical school. Back in their student days, Guo Yong had often lent Zhu Daoqi a helping hand. Although they ended up working in the same city after graduation, due to their differing professional paths, their meetings were few and far between.

Guo Yong picked up his phone and dialed a familiar number.

“Hello,” the call connected quickly. Guo Yong squinted slightly, grinning as he spoke, “Daoqi, remember me?”

“Guo Yong?” A surprised voice responded almost immediately, “What prompted this call?”

“Got time for a chat over lunch?” Guo Yong cut straight to the chase.

“Lunch?” The voice on the other end sounded hesitant.

“Busy?” Guo Yong frowned slightly.

“Oh, it’s just that... I have a lunch appointment set with someone from Changjing First Hospital.”

“What about tonight?”

“Tonight? The Vice Dean of Changjing Second Hospital already booked me for then!”

“Dean Zhu is that busy, eh? Haha, no worries, how about tomorrow noon then?”

“This... tomorrow noon...”

“You don't mean to tell me you’re unavailable tomorrow noon as well?” Guo Yong started to feel a flicker of annoyance. Being booked for lunch and dinner was plausible, but having tomorrow noon already scheduled seemed like an overly elaborate refusal.

“No, no, no,” Zhu Daoqi’s voice on the other end sounded quite bitter and troubled. “Guo Yong, you have no idea; we’ve been near swamped lately.”

Guo Yong pursed his lips but said nothing as the voice continued explaining, “Our school has a batch of students starting their internships soon, and recently, because of one particular student, all the major hospitals in Changjing have been fiercely vying for him...”

Guo Yong paused. Vying for an intern?

Then, the voice on the other end stopped abruptly, before catching on, “Wait a minute, Guo Yong, you didn’t call me about this intern, did you?”

Guo Yong subconsciously nodded toward the phone and inquired, “Zhang Yang?”

“It is him!” Zhu Daoqi sounded utterly vindicated. He then decided instantly, “How about this: tomorrow evening, let’s meet up. I’ll tell you all about him. This student, Zhang Yang, is absolutely extraordinary.”

Guo Yong readily agreed and hung up. Zhu Daoqi’s words only solidified Guo Yong’s resolve to secure Zhang Yang, adding an extra layer of determination.

A day later, at the agreed-upon time that evening, Guo Yong tidied himself up and headed to the hotel where he was meeting Zhu Daoqi.

He reserved a private room and sat alone, waiting for Zhu Daoqi to arrive.

When Zhu Daoqi finally showed up, he was already more than half an hour past the appointed time, leaving Guo Yong decidedly displeased.

Zhu Daoqi bustled into the room, sweating profusely. Before Guo Yong could speak, he forced a wry smile. “My apologies for the thirty-minute delay. If I hadn't run, I might not have made it at all.”

Thinking some major incident must have occurred, Guo Yong immediately asked, “What happened?”

Zhu Daoqi grabbed a glass from the table, drank some water, and then began, “It’s that Vice Dean from Jingren Hospital; he actually camped out at our school gates...”

“Jingren Hospital?” Guo Yong startled. That was also a private hospital, a high-end one serving the elite, placing it as a direct rival to Jinghe Hospital.

Zhu Daoqi offered a wry smile, realizing Guo Yong was still unaware of the extent of Zhang Yang’s current desirability. He sat opposite Guo Yong and began, “You came to me because of Zhang Yang too. Since we were classmates, I won't beat around the bush. Let me explain Zhang Yang’s situation. Right now, our school’s Principal, the Department Head, and even just any instructor who once had Zhang Yang under their watch is being invited out for meals and chats under various pretexts.”

“The purpose of these dinners and cozying up is singular: Zhang Yang. Now you understand why I couldn't spare a moment when you called the day before yesterday, don't you?”

“And yet you came to me today, also for Zhang Yang,” Zhu Daoqi finished, glancing at Guo Yong.

“Zhang Yang is that sought after?” Guo Yong whistled, astonished that a mere intern could provoke such a massive effort from so many hospitals. At this, Guo Yong’s gaze toward Zhu Daoqi became even warmer. He quickly urged, “Old classmate, you really must help me out here.”

“I can’t help you,” Zhu Daoqi waved his hands repeatedly. “Zhang Yang is a very special student. The school is in a genuine bind over his internship. It requires his direct word; otherwise, even if the school arranges something, it will be useless.”

Guo Yong’s eyes widened, a hint of disbelief flashing across them. An intern whose placement couldn’t even be decided unilaterally by the school? That was incredibly powerful.

However, after a moment’s reflection, Guo Yong conceded it made sense. He had privately looked into Zhang Yang’s background. Putting aside Zhang Yang’s excellent personal relationship with Bureau Chief Zhao of the Health Bureau, Zhang Yang’s research projects alone were enough leverage for him to choose his path freely. In fact, if Zhang Yang chose not to intern at all, the school wouldn’t lodge a single complaint.

“How about this, old classmate: help me speak to Zhang Yang. If he agrees to come to Jinghe Hospital, he can name his terms. Furthermore, I can immediately issue a cash payment of five hundred thousand yuan as an advance on his salary.”

Zhu Daoqi scoffed upon hearing this, clearly dismissive. “Old classmate, don’t blame me for not warning you, but a paltry five hundred thousand yuan to get Zhang Yang to intern at your hospital? You underestimate him far too much. You probably don't even know that when Zhang Yang was still a student, Changjing Third Hospital was willing to sponsor our school with twenty thousand yuan just so Zhang Yang could start interning with them early.”

Guo Yong was left speechless. Zhu Daoqi continued smugly, “Do you know what Jingren Hospital did? They took a check with seven digits straight to Zhang Yang. If he had nodded, the check would have been his instantly, not counting toward any future pay. And what was the result? The Vice Dean they sent couldn't even get a glimpse of Zhang Yang; he was stuck outside Zhang Yang’s residence, not even allowed past the front door.”

“Old classmate, then you must help me figure out how to get Zhang Yang to intern at our hospital.” Guo Yong no longer hesitated; he was prepared to pay any price now to secure Zhang Yang.

Zhu Daoqi fell silent for a moment. Guo Yong had helped him significantly during their student years; he might as well repay that debt now.

“Alright. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to meet Zhang Yang. But whether Zhang Yang agrees with you, I certainly can’t guarantee,” Zhu Daoqi finally said, after some thought. He added a stern caution, “When you meet him, you must mind your attitude. Don’t even think about throwing money at him to secure an agreement; otherwise, I guarantee Zhang Yang will refuse to intern at your hospital.”

Guo Yong nodded quickly, a bright smile spreading across his face.

By this time, the table was laden with dishes. Guo Yong immediately beckoned Zhu Daoqi, and the two fell upon the feast with voracious enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, Zhu Zhixiang, the Director of Changjing Third Hospital, was pacing restlessly.

When Zhang Yang left Changjing Third Hospital, Zhu Zhixiang hadn't felt it was a major issue—at most, the loss of one excellent physician. After all, even if Zhang Yang departed, the research project on asthma remained a tangible honor for the Third Hospital. However, when Zhang Yang later unveiled two additional research topics, it had caused Zhu Zhixiang envious agony for days. In fact, Wang Guohai harbored no doubt that Zhang Yang would conquer those two subjects.

Now, Zhu Zhixiang clearly understood that this was a competition where every power sought to excel. It wasn't just Changjing or the major provincial hospitals; representatives from many hospitals in other provinces had arrived. Just before coming here, he had heard the latest intelligence: several famous international hospitals had reportedly dispatched envoys to negotiate with Zhang Yang’s school, hoping to secure his internship under terms so generous they made everyone intensely jealous.

A student who hadn't even graduated, simply looking for an internship, was causing such a frenzy among major hospitals—Zhang Yang was a phenomenon unmatched in history.

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