"Hahaha."
At the sound of his little sister's voice, Fang Zhiyan felt all his fatigue from the day dissolve away.
He carried Fang Zhixia into the house. "Alright, our little sister isn't fat at all; she's just as skinny as a little monkey."
"Second brother, you're the monkey!"
Fang Zhixia protested indignantly, twisting her body with her big eyes puffed up in annoyance, which only made her look cuter.
"Hahaha."
Fang Zhiyan couldn't help but laugh again, setting his little sister down.
Inside the house, Jiang Xu was tidying up.
Seeing the two children playfully bickering brought a smile to her face.
"How was your first day at work, Zhiyan?" she asked.
"It went well." Fang Zhiyan nodded. "My mentor is Cao Chong. He praised me several times, saying I have great potential."
"I think my instructor values me; I should be able to achieve something at the TCM Hospital."
Fang Zhiyan was the type to share only good news and omit worries.
After all, worrying wouldn't help his mother; it would only add to her burdens.
Besides, what happened with Gu Tao was minor and wouldn't stoop him too low.
With a bit of luck, Fang Zhiyan believed there would be a breakthrough soon.
However, the next day, he would have to work the night shift.
The emergency department was unlike other departments.
His night shifts were extremely stressful.
If he was lucky, he might sneak in a short nap; otherwise, it was a continuous grind.
Nevertheless, the most important thing for Fang Zhiyan remained mastering his medical skills.
As a surgeon, one needed not only theoretical knowledge but also mastery over the surgical instruments.
Fang Zhiyan realized that despite having extensive experience from his previous life, he was still a novice in this body.
When he operated on Luo Yun that morning, though it seemed swift and steady to others, he felt a long way from his former skills.
Consistent practice was necessary to fully leverage his past experiences.
As for how to practice, Fang Zhiyan had a little secret: he utilized pork.
Of course, meat was pricey, making it difficult to buy every day.
While he pondered these matters, he noticed the time already late.
Turning to see his little sister completing her homework and getting ready for bed, he smiled.
After tucking her in, Fang Zhiyan added, "Mom, you should sleep too."
"Don't stay up too late; it's not good for your eyes. I'll work hard, and we will have a better life."
Jiang Xu looked up, gently holding Fang Zhiyan's hand as she scrutinized her son.
Nodding vigorously, a proud smile spread across her face. "I know, and I'm proud of you, my dear child."
Fang Zhiyan felt a lump in his throat, but he quickly returned a sweet smile.
The next day, he returned to the hospital.
However, this time he was on night shift duty, from 5 PM to 2 AM.
Colleagues finishing the night shift would come in from 2 AM to 8 AM.
However, Fang Zhiyan noticed the atmosphere at the hospital was oddly tense upon arrival.
The room where Luo Yun was admitted had been sectioned off, with even Gu Tao being denied entry.
Moments later, Gu Tao was finally called inside.
Inside the room sat none other than Mayor Luo Dongqiang.
He remained silent, his cold gaze fixed on Gu Tao, while Tang Ya, Luo Yun's mother, wore an angry expression.
Instead of speaking, Secretary Xue Shan stepped out from the room.
"Doctor Gu, you claim you rescued our Miss Luo, don't you?"
Gu Tao lowered his head, his eyes darting back and forth.
He hesitantly nodded. "Yeah, so what?"
"Then, Doctor Gu, could you please explain the details of how you saved her?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Tao was momentarily dumbfounded. Details of the rescue? How could he articulate that?
"It involves professional knowledge, and you wouldn't understand the medical jargon; it was a case of traumatic pneumothorax. I just followed Director Jin's instructions."
Gu Tao struggled to explain.
Xue Shan, however, was unimpressed and pressed on, "What type of instrument did you use? Where did you make the incision?"
"What supplies did you take from the pharmacy, and how did you use them?"
At that point, Gu Tao felt his mind spinning.
What?
They're questioning me?
They began to cast doubt on his actions?
Cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.
He stammered, struggling to articulate a proper response.
Gu Tao was just an intern, clueless about most things; everything he did had been suggested by Jin Mingcheng.
Seeing Gu Tao's silence, it was obvious to everyone what was happening.
Mayor Luo snorted coldly.
At the same time, Tang Ya stood, saying, "So, you're implying my daughter was not actually saved by you?"
Gu Tao looked up at the two powerful figures, his legs feeling weak from fear.
"I… I don't know! I didn't do anything wrong! This isn't my fault!"
"Humph! Get out of here!"
Tang Ya shouted angrily.
Gu Tao was nearly in tears of relief as he fled the room.
Inside, Xue Shan continued to brief the mayor on what had transpired that day.
Luo Dongqiang's eyes narrowed, revealing his cold demeanor.
"Gu Tao has some audacity; how dare he steal credit?"
"Does he think I'm a fool? How could an intern have the nerve to act this way? There's definitely someone behind him!"
No one said a word.
Tang Ya added, "So the person who saved our daughter was this Fang Zhiyan?"
Xue Shan nodded, confirming his investigations had indeed clarified the situation.
He also confirmed from several fellow interns, Zhu Zixiao and Yin Jing, who could testify that Fang Zhiyan was the true hero.
Luo Dongqiang shook his head slightly. "Let's not jump to conclusions, let's observe this Fang Zhiyan first."
Meanwhile, Gu Tao, panic-stricken, rushed out of the single room and directly to Jin Mingcheng's office.
"Director! Director Jin! It's bad!"
He burst into the office, his face a mask of distress.
"The mayor found out the truth! He knows it wasn't me who saved his daughter!"
"What?" Jin Mingcheng stood in shock.
"What happened? How could you be exposed? Can't you even handle the fortune handed to you?"
Jin Mingcheng scolded him, exasperation evident in his voice.
Gu Tao burst into tears, his voice trembled. "What should I do, Director? Is the mayor going to arrest me?"
"Enough!"
Jin Mingcheng shouted, cutting Gu Tao off and halting his sobs.
"This doesn't make sense! How could this have slipped out? Could it have been Fang Zhiyan?"
At once, Jin Mingcheng's thoughts turned to Fang Zhiyan.
Yet, Fang Zhiyan hadn't done anything that could have unveiled the truth.
How could this have happened?
Baffled, Jin Mingcheng fretted over Gu Tao's panicked state.
"Stop crying! If it weren't for the fact you're my nephew, I wouldn't waste my time on you."
"What's there to fear? I'll handle this for you."
As Jin Mingcheng spoke, just then, his phone rang abruptly.
"Director! It's urgent! We have a patient in the emergency department with an esophageal foreign body! You need to come quickly!"