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

Ye Zhen's fingers lingered on the cool cover of "Schwarz's Principles of Surgery," remaining motionless for a long time.

bride price?

madman.

This man is a complete madman.

He used the most direct and brutal method to pile up what she desired most, and what was most deadly, in front of her. This knowledge was the foundation upon which she stood at the top of the world in her previous life, and it was also the only weapon that allowed her to secure her survival in this life.

He wasn't trying to curry favor; he was investing.

He invested in one of his chosen "housewife" types.

Ye Zhen closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, the tremor in her eyes had disappeared, leaving only the coldness and clarity of the operating room. She picked up the note that read "betrothal gift," went to the kitchen, turned on the tap, and let the water wash away the flamboyant handwriting until it became a wet, soft pulp, which she then threw into the trash can.

She needs these books, but she won't appreciate the "kindness" she's shown.

This house is the hospital's recognition of her abilities. These books represent her pursuit as a doctor. They have nothing to do with him, Gu Zheng.

She changed into a white coat, locked the door, and walked towards the battlefield that had already become turbulent because of her—the Department of Surgery at the General Hospital of the Military Region.

Sure enough, the moment she stepped into the surgical office, everyone's eyes were immediately drawn to her like searchlights. There was awe, jealousy, curiosity, and speculation.

A young nurse, blushing, carefully handed over a cup of freshly brewed hot tea: "Dr. Ye... Dr. Ye, here's your water."

This treatment was a world of difference from when she first arrived and was treated like she didn't exist.

"Thank you." Ye Zhen accepted it, her expression unchanged.

The calmer she remained, the less likely those around her dared to cause trouble. The surgery had become legendary in the hospital. And the news of her moving into the specialist ward added countless risqué tales to this legend overnight.

Lunchtime, in the cafeteria.

Ye Zhen had just finished getting her food and found a corner to sit down when a sarcastic voice rang out behind her.

"Oh, isn't this Dr. Ye, our hospital's greatest contributor?"

It's Zhao Tiancheng.

He had lost a lot of weight in just a few days, his eyes were sunken, his complexion was sallow, and his eyes were filled with resentment. He carried his food tray and sat down directly opposite Ye Zhen, his bloodshot eyes fixed on her.

"No, shouldn't I call her Mrs. Gu now?" He deliberately raised his voice, drawing stares from the people eating around them. "How does it feel to live in the best specialist building in the entire hospital? Is the bed soft, or... is your backing strong?"

The moment those words were spoken, the air in the entire cafeteria seemed to freeze. Whispers began to circulate like mosquitoes buzzing in the air.

"See? I told you there was something wrong. What right does an intern have?"

"I've heard that Commander Gu is quite handsome and promising at such a young age..."

"Tsk tsk, these days, good skills are not as important as good looks, and good looks are not as important as... knowing how to find people."

Ye Zhen didn't even look up. She slowly and methodically picked out a shredded ginger from her food with her chopsticks, as if the person sitting opposite her wasn't a person, but a pile of disgusting garbage.

Her disregard completely enraged Zhao Tiancheng. He slammed his chopsticks on the table, stood up, and pointed his finger at Ye Zhen's nose.

"Ye Zhen! What are you pretending to be so high and mighty for! You're nothing but a woman who climbed the social ladder by relying on men! Do you dare say in front of everyone that that house has absolutely nothing to do with you and Commander Gu?!"

He acted like a madman, his voice hoarse, drawing everyone's attention.

This time, Ye Zhen finally reacted.

She slowly put down her chopsticks, raised her head, and her clear, cold eyes, like X-rays, saw right through Zhao Tiancheng.

"Dr. Zhao," her voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout the noisy cafeteria, "it seems you didn't copy a single word from 'Campbell's Orthopaedics.' Instead of barking here, you should spend more time on your professional work."

She paused, her tone as calm as if she were reciting a medical report: "After all, being kicked off your own operating table and causing a patient to nearly die—that's a record that will shame you for the rest of your life."

"You!" Zhao Tiancheng's face turned a deep shade of liver when his most painful wound was touched.

Ye Zhen stood up. Although she was shorter than him, her aura was like a mountain, making it hard for him to breathe.

"My house was specially approved by Dean Zhou himself. Because I can perform surgeries that you can't."

"My abilities are appreciated and affirmed by Deputy Commander Li's entire family, because I saved his father's life."

"My value lies in enabling the surgical skills of the General Hospital of the Military Region to advance by at least ten years."

With each sentence she spoke, she took a step forward, her icy gaze fixed on Zhao Tiancheng's eyes.

"Dr. Zhao, what about you?"

"What do you have?"

"Besides the humiliation of being forced to step down, and spreading rumors and causing trouble like a resentful woman, what else can you do?"

Zhao Tiancheng was forced to retreat repeatedly, his face turning from red to white, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word. Everything he was so proud of had been shattered by Ye Zhen with the cruelest truth.

The cafeteria was deathly silent. Everyone was stunned by Ye Zhen's words.

Just as tensions were about to rise, a dignified voice rang out at the cafeteria entrance.

"What are you all doing gathered here? Don't you have to work this afternoon?"

Dean Zhou strode in, his face ashen, a document in his hand. Behind him followed the stern-faced head of the department.

"Dean Zhou!" Zhao Tiancheng cried out as if grasping at a last straw, rushing forward, "You have to stand up for me! This Ye Zhen, she... she thinks she can do whatever she wants just because Commander Gu is backing her up!"

Dean Zhou didn't even glance at him, but walked straight up to Ye Zhen. His face instantly brightened, revealing a smile of extreme appreciation.

"Xiao Ye, I've been looking for you. Come here, in front of everyone, I'll announce a joint decision made by the hospital's Party Committee and the military region's health department."

He cleared his throat, unfolded the official document in his hand, and read aloud in a loud voice: "To commend Comrade Ye Zhen for her outstanding contributions in the 'October 10.12' major medical incident and to introduce special medical talent, it has been decided, after careful consideration, to formally appoint Comrade Ye Zhen as a specially appointed expert in surgery at our hospital, enjoying the待遇 of a senior professional! The appointment document shall be issued to the entire hospital immediately!"

After saying that, he personally handed the letter of appointment, stamped with a bright red seal, to Ye Zhen.

boom!

The entire audience erupted in uproar!

Specially appointed expert! Salary and benefits equivalent to a full professor!

This is practically a meteoric rise! Let alone Zhao Tiancheng, even the head of surgery might not reach this level by the time he retires!

Zhao Tiancheng was completely dumbfounded, as if all his bones had been removed, and he collapsed limply to the ground.

Dean Zhou then turned his gaze to him, his eyes as cold as ice.

"As for you, Zhao Tiancheng," he sneered, "given the serious mistakes and negative impact of your last surgery, the hospital has decided, effective immediately, to suspend all your clinical surgical qualifications for six months and relegate you to the medical records room to organize files and deeply reflect on your actions! Now, get over there immediately!"

One is a specially appointed expert with a bright future ahead of him.

One was an archivist who had fallen from grace and whose future was ruined.

Heaven and hell are but a moment apart.

Seeing Zhao Tiancheng being carried away by his colleagues, looking completely disoriented, and then looking at Ye Zhen holding the employment contract and looking completely composed, no one in the cafeteria dared to utter a single word of gossip. The jealousy in their eyes had turned into deep awe and fear.

The turmoil subsided.

Holding the heavy letter of appointment, Ye Zhen returned to the empty expert building.

She placed the offer letter and the massive original English book side by side on her desk, and suddenly felt a pang of irony. He paved the way for her in his own way. And she, in her own way, proved herself. They were like two straight lines that intersected and then quickly diverged, each extending its own path, yet bound together by an invisible force.

A thermal lunchbox had appeared on the desk sometime during the day.

Ye Zhen opened the container; inside was a warm soup, emitting a faint aroma of herbs. Underneath the lunchbox was a note, still in Gu Zheng's domineering handwriting.

But this time, what was written on it wasn't any grand pronouncements.

"The soup in the kitchen has licorice and poria cocos added; drink it while it's hot."

Not a word of concern, not a single word of love.

This is more like a doctor's order—cold, hard, and professional.

But it struck Ye Zhen's heart more precisely than any sweet words.

This man understands her.

Just then, the brand-new black telephone on the wall emitted a piercing ring, like a thunderclap, shattering the silence of the room.

Ye Zhen walked over and grasped the cold microphone.

"Feed".

On the other end of the phone came Gu Zheng's voice, which carried a hint of a low laugh and left no room for argument.

"Not bad acting." He paused, a dangerous glint in his eyes, "Want me to help you clean that mad dog up even more?"