Liu Qianqian was stunned speechless by Guo Yong’s answer, grabbing his arm as he prepared to leave, preventing him from walking out.

"Liu Qianqian, I gave you a chance. Our shabby little hospital cannot afford a nurse whose boyfriend has millions invested in him by others. Our patients also do not deserve to be served by a nurse whose boyfriend has millions invested in him."

Guo Yong certainly hadn't forgotten the arrogant and smug way Liu Qianqian had acted just moments ago, backed by Su Qifeng. In Guo Yong’s view, it wasn't wrong for a girl to rely on material wealth, but the saddest thing was having no capital to boast about, yet lacking any self-awareness.

Guo Yong felt no sympathy for Liu Qianqian and certainly wouldn't miss this opportunity to kick her while she was down. Every word he spoke was like the sharp tip of a needle, piercing Liu Qianqian's heart until it bled.

"Hmph!"

Guo Yong spun around abruptly, shaking off Liu Qianqian’s grip. Facing the crowd still gathered in the lobby, especially the other doctors and nurses, he said sternly, "What are you all doing, not working? Those who should be on duty, get to work. Those off duty, leave!"

With that, Guo Yong turned, hands clasped behind his back, and returned to his office.

The ground floor lobby, moments before packed solid, quickly emptied until hardly anyone remained. The two reception nurses had reached their shift change; they didn't even glance at the dumbfounded Liu Qianqian standing there, treating her as if she were invisible as they walked past her. Even the young doctors who used to be close to her now looked at her with disgust; not a single one considered pleading on her behalf.

This time, no one would give her a second chance. She was only a nursing school graduate, capable of nothing but being a nurse in a hospital. This incident would certainly spread among the hospitals in Nanjing, ensuring no other institution would hire someone like her in the future.

"Serves her right…"

"Exactly, she totally deserves this!"

Liu Qianqian was dazed. Her ears seemed filled with the sounds of people condemning and cursing her. At that moment, she completely broke down, collapsing onto the floor of the hospital and weeping uncontrollably.

Outside the lobby, Zhang Yang, with Mi Xue by his side, drove his Mercedes out of the hospital grounds. Wang Chen and Li Ya’s BMW and Land Rover followed closely behind.

Yan Liangfei couldn't join them as he had work that afternoon. Hu Tao rode with Xiao Xiao in Su Zhantao’s car. Xiao Xiao sat alone in the back seat, feeling awkward in such a luxurious sports car for the first time, though Su Zhantao’s easygoing manner helped her relax considerably.

The procession of luxury vehicles, led by the Mercedes, stopped in front of a restaurant not far from the hospital.

This establishment was no four- or five-star grand hotel; it didn't even match the scale of Kai Xuan Lou or Wang Yue Lou. However, Zhang Yang had overheard many colleagues privately discussing how good the food was here during his time at the hospital, so he opted for this nearby location.

When the luxury cars pulled up to the restaurant entrance, they immediately drew considerable attention. Even the restaurant staff couldn't help but sneak outside to look. When had such a humble eatery ever gathered such a collection of high-end cars?

Seeing Zhang Yang and Mi Xue step out of the leading Mercedes, the staff members who had slipped out could barely contain their envy. Handsome man, beautiful woman, luxury car—they were inhabitants of completely different worlds from this small restaurant worker, yet that didn't stop the worker’s gaze of intense longing.

Soon after, several young masters stepped out of the cars behind them. Only Xiao Xiao, bringing up the rear, looked comparatively ordinary. The staff member then noticed that after exchanging greetings, the group walked toward him. The server’s eyes widened, and he stared in disbelief at Zhang Yang and the others approaching, wondering if these young elites had grown tired of exotic delicacies and decided to sample home-style cooking here.

"Do you have any private rooms still available?"

Zhang Yang, walking at the front, spotted the young server and asked with a smile.

"Yes, yes! Please, come in!"

The young server quickly snapped back to attention, rushing to hold open the restaurant door for Zhang Yang and the group, then called inside, "Private room on the second floor!"

Saying this, the server led Zhang Yang and the others upstairs.

The second floor of the restaurant had four private rooms. The young server ushered Zhang Yang’s party into the farthest one, the Long Xiang Hall. This room was the largest, and its windows overlooked the lush lawn behind the restaurant, offering beautiful scenery. It was clear the server was going above and beyond, determined not to slight these wealthy young patrons.

"We won't look at the menu. Just bring out all your most famous and distinctive dishes," Wang Chen said impatiently as soon as he sat down, not bothering to look at the menu, directly telling the young server.

"Got it! Right away!"

The young server’s eyes lit up. Without waiting for others to speak, he nodded and withdrew. He was already planning to personally instruct the kitchen staff not to cut corners on ingredients, ensuring only the best and most expensive dishes were prepared.

Once the server left, the private room was filled only with their own party. Wang Chen, Su Zhantao, and the others finally let their guard down.

Li Ya pulled Zhang Yang aside, insisting they drink until they were dead drunk to excuse Zhang Yang’s absence and lack of contact since returning. Su Zhantao and Wang Chen heartily agreed, but Xiao Xiao remained stiffly seated, still unable to integrate into Zhang Yang’s circle.

Mi Xue was the first to notice Xiao Xiao’s awkwardness and immediately pulled her into a conversation about things between women, specifically pointing out Hu Tao. Within a few minutes, Xiao Xiao’s initial rigidity melted away; she flushed crimson, lowering her head shyly.

"Jeejee!"

"Squeak squeak!"

The two little ones, Wuying and Shandian, scampered directly between Xiao Xiao and Mi Xue, chirping happily. Girls generally have no resistance to small animals, and seeing these two adorable little creatures, Xiao Xiao burst into a laugh. Mi Xue joined in with hearty laughter too, and the atmosphere immediately became warm.

Seeing Xiao Xiao finally relaxed, Hu Tao also felt a significant wave of relief.

"By the way, Boss Wang… ah, Brother Wang, are you really planning to take revenge on Su Qifeng?"

With Zhang Yang present, Hu Tao stopped stubbornly calling Wang Chen "Boss Wang." However, hearing Wang Chen tell Su Zhantao earlier that he would ruin the man, Hu Tao couldn’t help but ask out of lingering concern for Su Qifeng.

Wang Chen curled his lip dismissively. "Do I have time to bother with that brat? I was just saying that to scare him, so he doesn't get too arrogant if he ever makes it big."

"Don't waste time on people like that," Su Zhantao chimed in. "There are plenty of more talented people out there; we won't fail to find a second one!" He assumed Hu Tao was still trying to plead for Su Qifeng.

Hearing Su Zhantao say this, Hu Tao understood that Su Qifeng was truly finished this time. Of course, he couldn't blame anyone else; Zhang Yang had ignored him from the start. Su Qifeng had pressed the issue himself, and now he had lost the investment he was about to secure—this outcome was self-inflicted.

"Zhantao, don't let it bother you too much," Zhang Yang said with a slight smile, then turned to Hu Tao. "Regarding Su Qifeng, if you genuinely think he has some talent, you can continue engaging with him. But if he stays with that woman, then you should ignore him."

"What!"

Hu Tao froze upon hearing Zhang Yang's words. Zhang Yang clearly intended to let Su Qifeng off the hook.

"Zhang Yang, you're letting that kid go?"

Wang Chen was also stunned by Zhang Yang’s statement, not expecting him to withdraw his threat.

Zhang Yang genuinely did not intend to trouble Su Qifeng further. Although Su Qifeng had stormed into the hospital without rhyme or reason, he was, after all, acting out of concern for his woman. Furthermore, the boy’s disheveled appearance suggested he had been struggling for a long time, and this entire affair might crush him completely. If the boy showed repentance, giving him a chance wouldn't hurt.

"I trust the judgment of Su Zhantao and Li Ya. Someone they both value must have some talent. This incident will serve as a lesson for him. As long as he doesn't continue associating with that woman, we can still give him an opportunity."

Hearing Zhang Yang, Su Zhantao jumped up excitedly. This was Zhang Yang praising his judgment! How could Su Zhantao not be thrilled? When he first started his internet company, everyone was skeptical. He had even tried to get Zhang Yang involved, but Zhang Yang had only recommended Hu Tao to him. Yet, time proved Zhang Yang’s insight was excellent; Hu Tao was now a talented manager in his company, and it was Hu Tao who recognized the commercial value of Su Qifeng’s software and personal website. If not for this entire incident, with their original arrangement, Su Zhantao's subsequent profit would easily have been hundreds of millions—which was why Li Ya dared to invest millions right away!

"No problem. Then Hu Tao, the next time you speak to that kid, our conditions will change. It won't be an investment anymore, but a direct buyout of his software and personal website." Li Ya abandoned his initial concession, making the terms much harsher, though it was still much better than Su Qifeng ending up with nothing at all.

"No problem, no problem!" Hu Tao was overjoyed that Zhang Yang was willing to spare Su Qifeng. If Su Qifeng's software and website became successful in the future, this outcome would certainly be added to his own list of achievements, considering the effort he had put into this matter previously.

The restaurant’s signature dishes soon arrived, culminating in a final, uniquely signature soup. By that point, Li Ya, Su Zhantao, and the others were already reeling and giddy. Only Zhang Yang, and the non-drinking Xiao Xiao and Mi Xue, remained perfectly clear-headed.