The very next morning, Zhang Yang was up before dawn. Though Guo Yong had gotten the last word in, a promise was a promise. Since he’d agreed to work at least half a day, Zhang Yang fully intended to keep his word.
His Zhuifeng was far too conspicuous in the city, so Zhang Yang opted for discretion, driving his own Mercedes-Benz to Jinghe Hospital.
Even so, that Mercedes caused quite a stir within the hospital grounds!
As Zhang Yang’s Benz rolled into the parking area, many doctors and nurses actually came out just to sneak peeks in his direction. Zhang Yang’s name had spread throughout the hospital the day before, and that morning, Guo Yong had posted an official notice announcing that Jinghe Hospital had gained a new intern: Zhang Yang.
The most peculiar part was that Guo Yong hadn't assigned Zhang Yang to any specific department. Instead, Zhang Yang could choose, or he would be sent wherever a patient presented a particularly intractable problem.
“Look, that’s the intern who got Director Wang fired yesterday just by the’s word.”
“Wow, it’s him. Driving a Benz, he must be rich...”
“Right? I also heard that Director Zheng from the Police Bureau knows him—and their relationship seems rather close.”
“Hey, between this new intern and little Yan, who do you think is better?”
“I bet it’s this intern. Yan’s treatment is way below what this guy is getting...”
...
Zhang Yang stepped out of the car, hearing every whisper from the nurses. Especially when they mentioned that 'Little Yan'—presumably the other intern whose surname was Yan.
It seemed this hospital had another outstanding intern besides himself.
Zhang Yang let out a self-deprecating smile before walking toward the entrance. He still needed to ask Guo Yong about his actual assignment; Zhang Yang had no idea what the director had planned.
As soon as he entered the hospital building, Zhang Yang felt a young man charge directly toward him.
Zhang Yang frowned slightly, then delicately shifted his footing. In a flash, his body sidestepped, passing the young man so closely that they narrowly avoided colliding!
“Sorry, sorry!” The young man, who had nearly slammed into Zhang Yang, braked instantly and spun around, bowing repeatedly while apologizing profusely.
Zhang Yang glanced at the young man and found the situation genuinely interesting.
This wasn't an accidental bump. The young man had intentionally aimed for him. Furthermore, Zhang Yang recognized immediately that this young man was also a master of Neijin (Internal Strength), having reached the initial stage of the second level.
Crucially, the young man was wearing white scrubs, clearly identifying him as a doctor as well.
“See, Little Yan is stepping up to give the newcomer an early warning!”
“If Little Yan hadn’t taken leave yesterday, this intern wouldn’t have stolen the spotlight!”
“Who says? Little Yan and Director Wang have been feuding for ages, and Director Wang never got fired. I still say Zhang Yang is better than Yan!”
...The surrounding chatter rose again. Although the voices were distant and soft, with Zhang Yang’s current power, it was difficult not to hear them.
The corners of Zhang Yang’s mouth curved upward. It seemed this young man was indeed the intern surnamed Yan that Deputy Director Zheng Qimo and Guo Yong had mentioned.
This young man, Yan Liangfei, looked barely twenty, with a hint of youthful immaturity still on his face. Yet, the presence of Neijin within him was impossible to hide from Zhang Yang’s perception. It explained why his deep-tissue massage and manipulation on Zheng Qimo had been so effective—using Neijin to soothe lumbar soreness yielded remarkable results.
Reaching the second level of Neijin so young, and not being the disciple of some great established family, earned Zhang Yang a silent nod of approval. Zhang Yang recalled that he himself was already over twenty when he reached the second level.
No wonder the doctors and nurses at Jinghe Hospital were comparing him to this young man. A doctor with second-level Neijin cultivation was certainly hard to overlook in a place like Jinghe Hospital.
“Hello, my name is Yan Liangfei, I’m one of the newer interns.” The young man scratched his head, seemingly puzzled as to how he failed to collide with Zhang Yang, though he showed no outward sign of it.
It was indeed the intern surnamed Yan. So young, and possessing such Neijin cultivation...
Zhang Yang waved his hand, indicating it was fine. He wanted to see what tricks this young man had planned next.
“Um, are you here for treatment, or perhaps visiting a patient?” Yan Liangfei played dumb, acting as if he had no idea who Zhang Yang was, much like a zealous physician.
“I’m not here for treatment, nor to visit anyone. I’m here to intern. My name is Zhang Yang,” Zhang Yang replied, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he looked at Yan Liangfei.
“What! You’re also an intern here?” Yan Liangfei feigned exaggerated surprise, then asked knowingly, “You must be the Zhang Yang that Director Guo mentioned?”
Zhang Yang nodded.
“Are you truly skilled in everything? A versatile doctor?” Yan Liangfei continued, his voice intentionally raised as if afraid others wouldn't hear. “It really is you! What an honor, what an honor!”
Saying this, Yan Liangfei extended his hand to shake Zhang Yang’s. Looking at Zhang Yang, he spoke with manufactured humility: “I didn’t attend university; I learned medicine from my father. You could say it’s ancestral knowledge. I’m nineteen, so I’m younger than you. I’ll call you Brother Zhang from now on, and Brother Zhang must teach me your medical skills well in the future!”
Yan Liangfei adopted an extremely low posture. To outsiders, it looked like this young Dr. Yan was humbly seeking guidance from Zhang Yang. But only Zhang Yang knew that the moment their hands met, a surge of Neijin flowed from Yan Liangfei!
Unfortunately for Yan Liangfei, this internal energy instantly dissolved into nothingness. Yan Liangfei was only an initial-stage, second-level Neijin master. While this might impress ordinary people, for Zhang Yang, who was at the Great Perfection of the fourth level and just a hair’s breadth from the fifth, it was child's play.
Yan Liangfei’s move was akin to an egg striking a stone.
At this moment, Yan Liangfei was utterly bewildered. He had channeled his Neijin into his hand, intending only to teach Zhang Yang a small lesson, using just enough force. But this energy reaching Zhang Yang’s hand felt like a stone sinking into the ocean—not even a ripple was stirred.
Just like when he tried to bump Zhang Yang earlier and mysteriously missed, Yan Liangfei felt a surge of resentment and slightly increased the flow of his Neijin while speaking.
Still, the internal energy flowing into Zhang Yang’s hand remained like a stone sinking into the sea, without any response.
This finally infuriated Yan Liangfei. He refused to believe it! He immediately mobilized all his Neijin, concentrating it entirely in his hand, determined to have a showdown with Zhang Yang!
Meanwhile, Zhang Yang politely maintained the handshake, his face beaming with a smile. He spoke kindly to Yan Liangfei, “Don’t worry, I will take very good care of you.”
As he emphasized the word “care,” Zhang Yang subtly increased the pressure in his grip—just a tiny bit more than the Neijin Yan Liangfei was using. Enough to cause Yan Liangfei pain, but not enough to injure him severely.
“Ah!!!” Yan Liangfei cried out in sudden pain and immediately yanked his hand away, clasping it behind his back.
“What’s wrong?” Zhang Yang obviously knew what happened, but in front of the crowd of secretly watching doctors and nurses, he asked with practiced concern.
“N-nothing! Nothing is wrong!” Yan Liangfei forced a strained smile. The hand hidden behind his back was trembling slightly, and it would likely take a while to return to normal.
Yan Liangfei finally realized he had gravely misjudged the situation. From the Neijin he had felt in Zhang Yang’s hand, he could assess that Zhang Yang possessed at least the strength of a mid-stage second-level master.
When Zhang Yang first stepped out of the Mercedes, Yan Liangfei had observed him closely, yet detected absolutely no trace of Neijin radiating from him. That’s why he had only intended a minor warning to the newcomer who stole his thunder. He never expected things to turn out this way.
“Well, if Dr. Yan is alright, I’ll head upstairs to report to Director Guo now,” Zhang Yang said with a chuckle, looking at Yan Liangfei.
“Y-yes, yes, okay...” Most of Yan Liangfei’s focus was still on restraining his shaking hand. He could barely pay attention to Zhang Yang’s words.
Zhang Yang gave a slight laugh and headed toward the stairs.
Watching Zhang Yang’s retreating back, Yan Liangfei felt tears welling up. Failing to give the newcomer a warning and instead receiving one himself was humiliating enough. If the crowd saw his hand still trembling now, all the reputation he had built at Jinghe Hospital would be utterly ruined.
Of this, Zhang Yang remained completely unaware.
Arriving outside Director Guo Yong’s office, Zhang Yang knocked lightly before pushing open the slightly ajar wooden door.
Guo Yong was currently wearing reading glasses, engrossed in a document, his brow deeply furrowed. One finger tapped rhythmically on his desk, completely missing Zhang Yang’s arrival.
Zhang Yang coughed slightly, drawing Guo Yong’s attention. Guo Yong looked up, and the deep frown instantly smoothed out upon seeing Zhang Yang.
“Ah, Zhang Yang, you’re here.” Guo Yong quickly stood up, simultaneously pouring a glass of water and offering it to Zhang Yang.
Zhang Yang did not take the glass. Instead, he asked with a strained smile, “Director Guo, what is the exact arrangement for me?”
On his way in, through the gossip, Zhang Yang had learned about Guo Yong’s unusual arrangement for him. He couldn’t help but feel it was somewhat whimsical. Did they really expect him to handle problems in the Gynecology department if something went wrong there?
Guo Yong smiled warmly at Zhang Yang but avoided discussing the internship details. Instead, he asked with genuine curiosity, “By the way, Zhang Yang, did you happen to see that intern I mentioned yesterday? The young man surnamed Yan?”