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

Inside the presidential suite at the Adlon Kempinski Hotel in Berlin.

Outside the window, the lights of Brandenburg Gate were already on, casting a dim glow on the night sky of this divided city. Inside, in front of the full-length mirror, Ye Zhen held the dark blue velvet cheongsam in her hand, her brows furrowed in worry.

"Is it absolutely necessary to wear this?" She held the cheongsam up to herself, then put it down with a look of disdain. The fabric was as smooth as water, and it was embroidered with large lotus scrolls in silver thread. When the light shone on it, it was so dazzling that it made one's eyes spin.

Gu Zheng was fastening his cufflinks with his back to her. He wasn't wearing casual clothes today, but a crisp, dark green military uniform, perfectly pressed without a single wrinkle. His broad shoulders and narrow waist were cinched in a belt that created a striking silhouette, and the top button was fastened tightly just below his Adam's apple. Hearing Ye Zhen's complaint, he turned around, his gaze lingering on her for a few seconds, his eyes deep.

"That old man Schroeder invited the entire German upper class. Tonight's gathering is more than just dinner." Gu Zheng walked over, took the cheongsam from her hand, and shook the collar with two fingers. "We're going to collect debts, and we can't lose in terms of momentum. This cheongsam was made by a master tailor right before we came. We can't let down the old comrade's hard work."

Ye Zhen rolled her eyes at him, annoyed: "I find that cumbersome even on ordinary days, let alone on occasions like this where I have to be proper."

"Consider it for the equipment on that ship." Gu Zheng chuckled, reaching out to ruffle her hair. His palm was dry and warm. "Go change. If you're cold, I'll put a coat on you."

Ye Zhen sighed and resignedly took the clothes into the dressing room.

Ten minutes later, the door to the changing room opened.

Gu Zheng was adjusting his cuffs when he heard the noise and looked up.

The movement stopped there.

Ye Zhen usually wore a loose white lab coat or a faded shirt, her hair casually tied in a ponytail, exuding an aloofness that seemed to emanate from her very bones. But now, a dark blue cheongsam clung tightly to her body, outlining her waistline, which was usually hidden. A slit in the cheongsam revealed a glimpse of her calves, dazzlingly white. Her previously disheveled long hair was simply tied into a bun, without any hair accessories, only adorned with a warm, white jade hairpin.

She stood there, the light shining on her face, without any excessive makeup, yet her beauty was breathtaking. It wasn't a delicate beauty, but a refined elegance with a sharp edge, like a knife hidden in brocade.

Gu Zheng's Adam's apple bobbed twice. He strode over, stood behind her, and looked at the two figures in the mirror.

The contrast between green and blue is unexpectedly harmonious.

"It looks good." His voice was a little hoarse. He placed his hand lightly on her waist, not daring to use any force for fear of wrinkling the fabric. "If this were to walk around our compound, all those boys would be ecstatic."

Ye Zhen slapped his hand away and straightened the buttons on her collar in front of the mirror: "Stop talking nonsense. Let's go, don't keep the shipping magnate waiting."

……

The dinner was held in the hotel's largest room, the Louis Adlon Room.

This is a gathering place for Berlin's elite, with crystal chandeliers hanging from the dome, oil paintings on the walls, and the air filled with the scents of expensive perfumes and cigars.

The once noisy hall fell silent for a moment when the waiter pushed open the heavy oak door.

Various gazes swept over them like searchlights. The room was mostly filled with gentlemen in black tailcoats and ladies in puffy skirts adorned with extravagant jewelry. In this sea of ​​black, white, and gold, the two figures at the doorway stood out incongruously, yet were strikingly conspicuous.

Ye Zhen, arm in arm with Gu Zheng, chin slightly raised, walked in down the red carpet without looking to the side.

She walked slowly, each step steady and deliberate. Her dark blue cheongsam shimmered under the lamplight, the silver lotus pattern appearing and disappearing with each step. A polite, aloof smile graced her face; her aura completely overshadowed the European socialites around her, who were holding champagne glasses.

"My God..."

Professor Helmut Bauer, who was standing in the middle of the crowd talking to a few colleagues, saw this scene, adjusted his glasses, and murmured to himself, "This is not only the Hand of God, this is... the goddess of the East."

The German doctors standing next to him were also staring in disbelief. The female doctor who had been on the operating table yesterday, wearing a mask, with blood-stained hands, and as cold as a killer, was completely different from the beautiful Eastern woman in front of him who looked like she had stepped out of an ancient painting.

"Is this the person from that country that only has 'herbs and witchcraft'?" a young doctor muttered. "She seems more noble than a Bavarian princess."

Just then, a hearty laugh came from the main table.

"Dr. Ye! Mr. Gu!"

Schroeder, leaning on his signature ivory-handled cane, strode forward, surrounded by a group of bodyguards and assistants. The old shipping magnate looked remarkably well today, his face glowing, showing no trace of his previous dejection.

"I'm so sorry, I was just dealing with some paperwork." Schroeder walked up to Ye Zhen, not even bothering to kiss her hand, but solemnly extending both of his own. "I have some great news for you: Alice is awake! She just drank half a glass of milk and didn't throw up! It's a miracle!"

Ye Zhen reached out and shook hands with those large, calloused hands.

"The first 48 hours after surgery are critical. Try to replace the milk with a semi-liquid nutritional solution to reduce the burden on the intestines," Ye Zhen said businesslike and calmly. "I have already written a care plan and given it to your housekeeper."

Schroeder paused for a moment, then laughed even louder: "Listen to this! That's professionalism! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the man who snatched Alice back from the jaws of death!"

The surrounding crowd applauded in response, but the applause carried a hint of scrutiny and inquiry.

In the corner, the American representative, Jason, held a wine glass, his face so gloomy it looked like it was about to drip water. Standing next to him was Williams, who also looked equally disgruntled.

"These Germans are insane," Jason scoffed, swirling the red wine in his glass. "They're just lucky to have stumbled upon a case that's still alive, yet they're praising her so highly. I wonder how Schroeder will handle things when that child develops post-operative complications."

Williams didn't respond, but stared intently at Ye Zhen's hand holding the champagne glass. The finger that had nimbly moved before his eyes yesterday, ultimately completing the "window to God," had become the protagonist of his nightmare last night.

Gu Zheng, like a dutiful bodyguard, stood half a step behind Ye Zhen. His gaze swept across the room, lingering for a second on Jensen's dark corner, his eyes as cold as ice. Jensen felt a chill run down his spine from that look and instinctively looked away.

Schroeder ignored the undercurrents. He turned around, took a silver spoon from the waiter, and gently tapped the crystal goblet in his hand.

Ding--

The crisp sound pierced through the noisy crowd, and the entire venue fell silent instantly.

All eyes were on the old man who controlled one-third of Europe's ocean shipping.

Schroeder cleared his throat, his sharp eagle eyes scanning the surroundings before finally settling on Ye Zhen.

"Ladies and gentlemen, besides celebrating my granddaughter's new life, I have two other important announcements to make at tonight's dinner."

He paused, then snapped his fingers.

The butler behind him immediately handed over a document with the Schroeder family’s famous trident emblem printed on the cover.

"The first thing," Schroeder said, holding up the document in a loud voice, "is that next month the Schroeder Shipping Group will officially launch a 'green route' directly connecting the Port of Hamburg to the Port of Tianjin in China."

A commotion arose in the crowd.

Everyone present understood what the "green route" meant. It was the highest level of cargo channel, bypassing complicated transshipment and inspection, and even enjoying priority customs clearance.

Before anyone could process this, Schroeder dropped another bombshell: "From today onwards, any medical equipment bearing the name 'Ye Zhen' will be escorted by the Schroeder family's private fleet. No inspection required, direct passage! Anyone who dares to block my ships on the high seas or seize my cargo in port will be declaring war on the Schroeder family!"

Wow!

This commotion was impossible to suppress. Jason's wine glass fell to the ground with a "clatter," and red wine splattered on the expensive carpet, looking like a pool of glaring blood.

This is blatant factionalism!

This is like tearing a huge hole in that blockade net that, though riddled with holes, still exists!

Standing beside Ye Zhen, Gu Zheng listened to these words, and his previously tense lips twitched almost imperceptibly. He turned his head to look at Ye Zhen and found that his wife didn't even raise an eyebrow, still maintaining her indifferent expression.

But it's not over yet.

Schroeder handed the document to Ye Zhen, and then took another, thicker document from the butler.

This time, his expression became extremely solemn.

"The second thing," Schroeder took a deep breath and held up the folder in his hand, "is to thank Dr. Ye for giving Alice a second life, and also to ensure that more children like Alice can live. I have decided to establish the 'Alice-Ye Cardiovascular Disease Research Foundation' in the name of the Schroeder family, with an investment of 100 million marks!"

One hundred million marks.

These words were like a thunderclap, exploding in the hall.

What does 100 million marks mean? That's enough to buy half of Berlin's shopping district or support ten top-notch medical laboratories for twenty years!

Many of the doctors present began to breathe heavily. Even Professor Bauer, who had always held Ye Zhen in high esteem, was somewhat stunned by the number.

Schroeder handed the documents to Ye Zhen with both hands, his posture almost reverent.

"Ms. Ye, you will serve as the lifetime honorary chairperson of this foundation and have absolute control over these funds." The old man's voice trembled slightly. "Wherever you want to build a laboratory, whatever projects you want to research, whatever equipment you want to buy, this money is at your disposal at any time. The only condition is that you do not stop wielding the knife."

The hall was deathly silent.

All the jealousy, doubt, and disdain transformed into naked envy and awe at that moment.

With this money, coupled with Ye Zhen's extraordinary skills, the future world's cardiac surgery center will likely shift from Berlin and New York to that distant Eastern country.

Ye Zhen looked at the heavy document in front of her.

She didn't answer immediately.

Her gaze passed over Schroeder's shoulder, landed on Jensen in the far corner, and then swept over the once arrogant Western experts. Finally, she turned to look at Gu Zheng beside her.

Gu Zheng was looking at her, his eyes full of smiles and indulgence. He nodded slightly, as if to say: Take it, this is what you deserve.

Ye Zhen turned around, reached out her hand, and steadily took the document.

The moment her fingertips touched the paper, she felt a long-lost weight. It wasn't the weight of money; it was the weight of responsibility, the hope for countless children like Alice to live, and the ticket for Chinese medicine to break through the blockade and go global.

"Mr. Schroeder," Ye Zhen spoke, her voice clear and crisp in standard German, "I will accept this money on behalf of the future patients. But I have a request."

Schroeder paused, then said, "Please go ahead."

"The laboratory must be located in China," Ye Zhen said, emphasizing each word with an unquestionable tone. "Furthermore, all research findings must be unconditionally shared with Chinese doctors."

Schroeder looked at her eyes, which shone brightly under the light, and suddenly smiled.

"That's your foundation," the old shipping magnate said, spreading his hands. "Even if you want to build it on the moon, I'll take care of building the spaceship for you."

Ye Zhen smiled too. She took two glasses of champagne from the waiter's tray, handed one to Gu Zheng, and then turned to face the entire room.

She raised her wine glass, and her dark blue sleeve slipped down, revealing a section of her fair wrist.

"For life."

Ye Zhen's voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

Gu Zheng stood beside her, raised his glass as well, and gently touched it to the side of her glass.

The crisp sound of glass colliding seemed to bring this war without gunpowder to a perfect close, and also to sound the first battle drum for the medical empire that was about to rise in the East.

"For life!" Schroeder shouted in agreement.

"For life!" Professor Bauer raised his glass.

Immediately afterwards, all the guests, whether they liked it or not, and whatever they were thinking, had no choice but to raise their glasses and pay tribute to the oriental woman in the cheongsam.

Jansen stood in the shadows, watching Ye Zhen and Gu Zheng surrounded by the crowd in the center, his face turning green.

Nobody paid any attention to him.

Tonight, this place belongs to Ye Zhen only.