After being separated from my family, I became a darling of the military region thanks to my medical

This is not only going to ruin Ye Zhen's medical career, it's going to disgrace her, and even take down Zhou Hai, who is backing her!

"Isn't this... a bit too harsh?" Zhao Tiancheng swallowed hard, his hand holding the wine glass trembling. The pungent Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) churned in his stomach, but at this moment, a chill ran through him. He knew better than anyone the weight of those four words: a report, a named report, published in the *Internal Reference*. This was no longer a simple medical dispute; it was escalating to a political level, a case of trying to destroy someone.

Lin Wan noticed his hesitation. A cold glint flashed quickly in her watery eyes, so fast that Zhao Tiancheng couldn't catch it. Her tone, however, softened, carrying a compassionate understanding: "Brother Tiancheng, how can you think like that? We're not harming her; quite the opposite, we're helping her."

She reached out and gently placed her hand on Zhao Tiancheng's trembling hand, which was agitated and trembling from the alcohol. Her hand was cool and her skin was delicate; the icy touch made Zhao Tiancheng shiver, and his chaotic thoughts cleared up a bit.

"She's being praised too much, she's become too arrogant. The people around her, Gu Zheng and Zhou Hai, are all indulging her. If this continues, something terrible will happen sooner or later." Lin Wan lowered her voice, making it even softer, as if sharing a secret she couldn't bear to speak of. "She was lucky this time, but what about next time? And the time after that? If we don't teach her a lesson, make her stumble and fall, she'll never know her place. If an irreparable medical accident occurs, she'll go to jail. Helping her now is for her own good, and it's also about correcting this unhealthy trend and protecting more patients from harm in the future."

Every word of these remarks stood on a moral high ground, brimming with "righteousness." Zhao Tiancheng's confused mind was completely unable to discern the logical traps within them; he only felt that Lin Wan was right, absolutely right. Ye Zhen was too arrogant; he was truly upholding justice!

"And, Brother Tiancheng," Lin Wan gazed at him, her eyes filled with encouragement and expectation, "don't you want to reclaim the glory that rightfully belongs to you? Only when Ye Zhen falls will everyone wake up and realize who is the truly down-to-earth, technically skilled, and responsible doctor for their patients."

"My glory..."

That last sentence became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

The hesitation in Zhao Tiancheng's eyes vanished completely. That last vestige of his basic conscience as a doctor was burned away by the flames of jealousy and resentment. In its place was a twisted resolve and malice.

He grasped Lin Wan's hand in his own, her small, icy hand in his palm like the only lifeline a drowning person could hold onto. "You're right... Wanwan, you're so sensible and understanding," he murmured to himself, as if trying to convince himself. "This can't just end like this! I'm a surgeon, I have a responsibility to expose her! I'm going to write a report! I'll write it now! I'm going to file a formal complaint! I'll make that reporter Liu thoroughly investigate this monster!"

"Come on, Brother Tiancheng, let me have a drink with you to cheer you on." Lin Wan picked up the remaining half-bottle of Erguotou on the table and filled both glasses. The liquor was clear and cold, shimmering with a dangerous light under the dim yellow light.

In this run-down tavern filled with the smells of sweat, smoke, and mildew, two glasses with red lettering gently clinked together.

"bite."

A crisp sound rang out, which sounded rather eerie in the greasy and messy restaurant.

Zhao Tiancheng downed the glass of wine in one gulp, the burning sensation traveling from his throat to his stomach, making him feel like he had rediscovered his spirited self. He grabbed a pair of greasy chopsticks from the table and fiercely stabbed at the now-cold piece of pig's head meat on the plate.

"Just you wait, Ye Zhen... the higher you climb, the harder you fall. This time, I'll make sure you never recover!"

Lin Wan took a small sip with her lips, the spicy taste causing her delicate brows to furrow slightly. She put down her glass, looking at the man across from her who had regained his "fighting spirit," her lowered eyelids concealing all the emotions in her eyes.

Ye Zhen, no matter how fast your scalpel is, can it be faster than a pen that kills without drawing blood?

***

The next morning, before the sun had fully risen, the sky was tinged with a hazy, bluish-white light.

In the nurses' station of the inpatient department of the Beicheng Military Region General Hospital, it was so quiet that you could hear the ticking of the clock on the wall.

Ye Zhen was wearing a clean white lab coat over a turtleneck sweater that Gu Zheng had insisted she wear, with a glimpse of soft white fabric peeking out from the neckline. She held a medical record folder in her hand, looking down at the vital signs records from last night's surgery.

Her eyes remained as clear and focused as ever.

Ye Zhen walked towards Zhao Guozhu's ward, the head nurse following behind her, her steps extremely light, barely daring to breathe. Looking at Ye Zhen's profile, she was filled with admiration. This Dr. Ye was simply a miracle worker.

The ward door was gently pushed open.

Lying on the bed, Zhao Guozhu seemed to hear the noise, and his eyeballs under his eyelids moved slightly. His head was wrapped in thick gauze, but he looked much more energetic than before the operation. The anxiety and dejection caused by the excruciating pain had largely dissipated.

"Dr. Ye..." Zhao Guozhu's son, Zhao Gang, hadn't slept all night and his eyes were bloodshot. As soon as he saw Ye Zhen, he immediately stood up from the chair he was accompanying, his voice hoarse and excited.

"Shh." Ye Zhen raised a finger, signaling him to be quiet. She walked to the bedside, bent down, and first used a flashlight to check Zhao Guozhu's pupils for light reflex.

"Uncle Zhao," her voice was calm, with a soothing quality, "try opening your eyes slowly now. Don't rush, take it one step at a time."

Zhao Guozhu's chapped lips twitched, as if he wanted to say something.

He followed Ye Zhen's instructions, using all his strength to activate his already stiffened nerves.

The heavy eyelids, like two rusty iron gates, slowly and tremblingly lifted upwards.

At first, it was just a thin crack.

A sliver of light squeezed in through the crack.

Tingling.

Zhao Guozhu instinctively tried to close his eyes.

"Don't be afraid, get used to it slowly." Ye Zhen's voice rang out again, steady and clear. "The lighting is normal, it's just that your eyes haven't been used for too long."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Guozhu stopped closing his eyes. He tried, and tried again, to open the gap a little wider.

Vague.

Everything before him was a blurry patch of light, white and shimmering, like looking at the world underwater. He saw a figure dressed in white, its outline indistinct.

Zhao Guozhu's heart began to race. He could see... he could really see!

He blinked, and cloudy tears welled up in the corners of his eyes, washing over his dry eyeballs. The blurry spots of light seemed to become a little clearer.

He blinked again.

The white figure gradually became clearer. He saw the crisp white lab coat on the figure's body.

Finally, his gaze fell on that face.

It was a very young face, thin, clean-cut, and somewhat pale. Most striking were the eyes, clear and bright, calm like a deep pool, intently watching him.

"Dr. Ye... Dr. Ye..." Zhao Guozhu's voice trembled so badly that each word seemed to be squeezed out of his chest. He raised his calloused and scarred hand and reached it out shakily to Ye Zhen.

Ye Zhen did not dodge Zhao Guozhu's outstretched hand. She let that rough hand gently touch the cuff of her white coat.

"Welcome back, Mr. Zhao." She put away her flashlight, noted the examination results in the medical record folder, and spoke in a calm tone, as if she were remarking on the nice weather. "Your vision is recovering, which is a good sign. The next week is crucial; you need to strictly control intracranial pressure and make sure you get plenty of rest."

Zhao Gang bowed deeply to Ye Zhen at a perfect 90-degree angle.

"Dr. Ye...you are our family's greatest benefactor!"

"I just did what I was supposed to do." Ye Zhen stepped aside and handed the medical record folder to the head nurse behind her. "Proceed according to the postoperative level one nursing standard. Monitor vital signs every hour. Notify me immediately of any abnormalities."

"Yes, Dr. Ye!" the head nurse replied quickly.

After explaining everything, Ye Zhen turned around and prepared to leave the ward.

"Dr. Ye!" Zhao Guozhu, lying on the bed, suddenly called out to her again.

Ye Zhen stopped and turned to look at him.

This old hero, who shed blood but not tears on the battlefield, now had red eyes. He looked at Ye Zhen, his lips trembling for a long time, and finally only managed to utter one sentence.

"Daughter... thank you... for letting me... see the sky again..."

Ye Zhen looked at him, and something in his clear, cold eyes seemed to melt away for a moment. She nodded, said nothing more, and pushed open the door to leave.

In the corridor, the morning sunlight streamed through the huge glass windows, casting bright spots of light on the floor. A faint smell of disinfectant lingered in the air; it was clean and refreshing.

Ye Zhen walked to the window and looked at the winter chrysanthemums in the garden below, which were blooming in full glory despite the cold. The weariness in her heart seemed to be washed away by the sunlight.

Unbeknownst to her, while she basked in the sunlight, a vast web woven from lies and jealousy was quietly unfurling in another dark corner of the city. A harshly worded, veiled report was being painstakingly written by a disillusioned man, pen in hand, ready to be cast into the depths of that turbulent world.