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

Two military ten-wheeled trucks, like two iron towers, completely blocked the already narrow dirt road. Soon after, a long line of vehicles behind them were stopped.

A crowd quickly gathered by the roadside to watch the spectacle. There were workers riding their old-fashioned bicycles home from get off work, and rough men pushing wooden carts after finishing their work in the commune's fields.

At first, everyone only dared to stand at a distance, whispering among themselves to find out what was going on. In the crowd, an old man wearing an old forward-facing cap pushed his cart forward and shouted at the soldiers behind the police line:

"Comrades of the People's Liberation Army, what's up with those big-nosed guys in Western suits up ahead? Have they committed some serious crime in our territory?" The old man's loud voice immediately made everyone's ears perk up.

Upon hearing this, Gu Zheng immediately turned around. The face that was icy cold towards Parker just a second ago instantly switched to a look of deep sorrow and righteous indignation.

He strode to the front of the crowd, put his hands on his hips, and used his usual loud voice to "educate" everyone on the law.

"Fellow neighbors and fellow villagers! Everyone, come and witness what happened today. It's absolutely outrageous!" Gu Zheng pointed at the three men behind him, Parker and his companions, who were trembling like leaves, his voice louder than the wind. "These foreign devils, under the guise of helping us publish a medical journal, are actually trying to steal our country's most advanced medical secrets! They want to monopolize life-saving technology; aren't they deliberately cutting off our livelihoods?!"

These words were both offensive and defensive, and a huge accusation of "stealing technology and cutting off livelihoods" was slapped on him, instantly raising the banner of national righteousness high.

The crowd erupted in uproar when they heard that the foreign devils dared to steal our life-saving technology.

The men pushing the cart were so angry that they rolled up their sleeves, revealing their dark arms; the old woman carrying a vegetable basket was spitting as she began to curse loudly.

"Shameless foreign spies! Down with these capitalist bloodsuckers!" A passionate young man in blue overalls raised his fist and shouted.

These words were like a spark thrown into a pot of boiling oil. The crowd joined in, raising their arms and chanting slogans. The shouts rose in waves, shaking the dry branches of the roadside trees until they crumbled. A few hot-tempered individuals even grabbed carrying poles and hoes, pushing aside bicycles blocking their path, ready to break through the defenses and attack the people.

Parker pressed himself against the Volga, watching the raging mob outside, ready to devour them alive. Those flushed faces, those raised hoes and carrying poles. He was terrified; his legs cramped violently. A spasm in his stomach, and he slumped against the car door, his whole body limp.

He now truly understood what the legendary "vast ocean of people's war" meant. These Chinese people had gone mad! If this anger couldn't be quelled, forget about getting on a plane back to London; they probably wouldn't even have a trace of their bones left on this yellow earth today!

"Mr. Gu! Please, please, let them calm down!" Parker no longer cared about the dignity of the British Empire, grabbing Gu Zheng's green military uniform sleeve tightly, almost crying with anxiety.

Lin Qi, who was standing next to him, had already shrunk into a quail and translated the words at a snail's pace, afraid that if he was even half a second late, the old lady's rotten vegetable leaves would be slapped in his face.

Gu Zheng lowered his eyes, coldly watching Parker tugging at his sleeve. A glint of triumph flashed in his eyes. He observed that the crowd outside had been sufficiently stirred up. If things continued like this, things would get really out of control.

He raised his hand and waved to the soldiers on guard. His men immediately understood, stepped forward, leveled their rifles, and pulled the enraged civilians back slightly.

Then, Gu Zheng grabbed Parker's wrist like a chick, squeezing it from behind. He applied pressure with his knuckles, causing Parker to groan in pain. Gu Zheng then dragged and pulled the trembling Parker to a slightly quieter spot behind the jeep.

"Hey Parker, did you see that?" Gu Zheng released his grip and sighed deeply. His face was full of trouble and regret. "The eyes of the masses are discerning. Everyone knows who the good guys and the bad guys are."

He reached out and patted Parker's expensive suit, now covered in dust, heavily on the shoulder. Parker's knees buckled, and he almost knelt. Gu Zheng adopted the style of a political commissar conducting ideological work, launching a frenzied psychological attack.

"It's tough being a soldier. It's not easy to be on the opposite side of the people. If we really went along with what the people wanted, and just handled things officially, transferring you directly to higher authorities..." Gu Zheng drawled, glancing sideways at Parker. "You're definitely going to be in a police station cell today. Stealing state secrets is a serious crime. Forget about going back home; whether you can even afford to eat Western food in jail for the rest of your life is another story."

Parker frantically wiped the cold sweat pouring down his forehead with a once-white silk handkerchief. He wiped and sweat poured again, the handkerchief quickly becoming soaked. His Adam's apple bobbed laboriously as he stammered out a sentence.

"Mr. Gu! Our company's actions were indeed inappropriate! We didn't consider this carefully! How do you think this should be resolved?" Parker, as if grasping at a last straw, hastily threw out a monetary bait. "As long as we can quell the public's anger today and let us get to the airport smoothly, we're willing to accept the penalty! We're willing to pay a hefty fine in US dollars! Five thousand! No, ten thousand US dollars!"

Lin Qi hurriedly finished translating, his voice trembling. He stared expectantly at Gu Zheng, praying that the young Chinese officer would relent in the face of the enormous sum of US dollars.

To everyone's surprise, Gu Zheng showed no delight after hearing the translation. Instead, he clicked his tongue in an exaggerated "tsk," his brows furrowing into a deep frown. His gaze was as if he were looking at the most filthy bedbug in a sewer.

"A fine?" Gu Zheng shook his head vigorously. His voice suddenly rose eight octaves, making sure the crowd around him could hear him. "What do you take us Chinese soldiers for? Our People's Liberation Army has always had iron discipline! The Three Main Rules of Discipline and the Eight Points for Attention! We will not take a single needle or thread from the people!"

He suddenly straightened his back, chest puffed out, and stood ramrod straight. His right hand pointed to the gleaming red star on his military cap. He resolutely refused the bribe.

"Who cares about the stinking money in your capitalist pockets! You think you can use dollars to slap us on the back? Dream on!"

This resounding gesture drew another round of cheers from the surrounding crowd. The applause was thunderous. The old man even rang his bicycle bell loudly.

Parker was completely dumbfounded. Soldiers who wouldn't even take money—that was a real threat! He looked at the tall Chinese officer in front of him in despair, utterly unable to fathom how many layers of skin the other man intended to rip them off.

Seeing that the foreigner's psychological defenses had completely collapsed, Gu Zheng leisurely strolled to the back of the Volga.

He raised his hand, bent his knuckles, and knocked twice on the closed trunk lid.

"Of course, our country's policy has always been lenient and inclusive, and we always look for a way out." Gu Zheng turned around, a sly smile playing on his lips. "As long as you can take concrete actions to prove that you genuinely want to support our country's lagging medical development... the organization might be willing to make an exception."

Upon hearing that there was a chance, Lin Qi hurriedly translated it, his voice trembling.

Parker was startled and stared intently at the trunk following the tapping of Gu Zheng's finger, instantly realizing what the bandit officer had his eye on.

Inside was the top-of-the-line, high-precision hemodynamics instrument they had specially brought from Europe. They originally intended to use it to publicly humiliate Ye Zhen, but it didn't come in handy.

This thing is extremely expensive to manufacture, costing as much as several copyright contracts signed today. It is the culmination of Gore's proud research efforts!

But right now, they're facing angry mobs blocking the road with carrying poles in front of them, and tough military officers ready to send them to jail at any moment. This isn't a business deal; it's a matter of survival!

After agonizing for a good ten seconds, Parker painfully closed his eyes, tears of humiliation welling up in them. He shakily pulled out his car keys.

As if he were getting old, his legs went weak as he moved to the back of the car, and with a "click," he opened the trunk with a face full of grief and indignation.

"Mr. Gu...we sincerely support China's medical cause." Parker gritted his teeth, forcing out each word with deliberate force, "We, on behalf of the company, are voluntarily and unconditionally donating this high-precision hemodynamic instrument to the Beicheng Military Region General Hospital as a testament to Sino-British friendship!"

When Lin Qi was translating, he felt like his heart was bleeding.

Upon hearing this, Gu Zheng's icy expression instantly melted away, and he beamed and waved to the person behind him.

"Xiao Wang! Quickly bring your two brothers over! On behalf of the people of our health center, let's properly thank our foreign friends for their generous donation!"

Xiao Wang quickly led two burly men over, carefully carried out the heavy instrument case, and hoisted it onto the truck bed of the Green Army truck.

Gu Zheng stood by with his hands behind his back, supervising the work. He shouted, "Keep your hands and feet down! This is a gift from foreign guests. If any of the precious parts inside are damaged, you'll be held responsible!" His protective manner made it seem as if the machine was born to his Gu family.

As the large equipment was being moved away, Gu Zheng glanced around and fixed his gaze on Van der Hearst, who was sitting in the car trembling.

At the foot of this foreigner was a high-end first aid kit made entirely of silver aviation aluminum, with a red cross printed on it. It was clearly a sturdy and durable high-end product.

Gu Zheng's heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself that the size of this box was just right. His wife was worried about not having a decent thing to carry her belongings. This box was shockproof and moisture-proof; he would definitely like it as a medical bag for Ye Zhen when they went out for house calls.

"Wow, that medicine box under the old expert's feet looks incredibly sturdy." Gu Zheng opened the car door without a word, pointed at the silver box and grinned, "Our hospital doctors are just worried about not having a sturdy metal box to hold medicine bottles when they go on rural rounds. My fellow countrymen, since you've already donated the big machines, what's a little something extra? Consider it an extra act of kindness you've done in China!"

Van der Hearst's eyes widened, but before he could even voice his protest, Gu Zheng swiftly reached in halfway and snatched the heavy, high-end medicine box, tossing it to Xiao Wang beside him.

"Xiao Wang! Please keep this safe! The foreign guests are so kind!"