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

After the business was concluded and the three bigwigs had left, Ye Zhen turned around and faced the group of medical students in the square who hadn't dared to breathe a word from beginning to end.

Dozens of young faces, some frozen purple, some with bloodshot eyes, but every pair of eyes were staring straight at her, their eyes shining brightly.

As Ye Zhen looked at them, a deep part of her heart was gently stirred.

"Don't be too happy yet."

Ye Zhen raised her chin and looked around at each face from left to right.

"What you tore up today were letters of introduction from Xuanwu and Tongren Hospitals. Those were the top hospitals in the country, the most secure futures, and the most respectable resumes."

She paused for a moment.

"Follow me, and none of that will remain."

The square was so quiet that you could hear the wind blowing from the chimney of the cafeteria in the distance.

"What you are facing is two years of hell."

"In the first year, the difficulty of the anatomy and suturing simulation assessment alone will be enough to make you suffer three layers of skin. If you don't meet the standard within three months, I will personally send you packing and leaving."

"No leniency, no second chance."

Her voice wasn't loud, but every word she uttered landed like a nail.

Have you thought it through?

The wind swept across the square, making the old newspapers used as bedding rustle loudly.

No one said a word.

Li Hong was the first to stand up straight and shout at the top of her lungs, "I've thought it through, Teacher Ye!"

Lin Yi took half a step forward, his back ramrod straight, his voice hoarse but each word firm: "We're not afraid of hardship, we're just afraid of not learning truly life-saving skills!"

The crowd behind him seemed to have been set ablaze.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was layered, deep, and orderly, with an unstoppable force that rolled from one end of the square to the other.

Ye Zhen stared at them for one second, two seconds, three seconds, four seconds, five seconds.

Then she slightly raised her hand and pointed in the direction of the cafeteria.

"Everyone, go and have something hot first. After you're done, go to the logistics department to get your white coats."

Dozens of people bent down in unison and picked up their bedding rolls.

The footsteps were chaotic, but each step was heavy and firm, and they surged toward the cafeteria.

Ye Zhen looked at the large group of people walking away, then turned to look at Zhang Guohua, her stern expression softening slightly.

"Dean Zhang, there's something I need to discuss."

Zhang Guohua was still basking in the joy of this windfall—so many promising talents, all for free! When Ye Zhen called him, he eagerly came over: "What's up?"

"Where will these seventy-odd people sleep?"

In short, it was like a bucket of ice water being poured over my head.

Zhang Guohua's smile shattered into pieces with a "crack." He rubbed his face vigorously: "Don't mention this! I've been worrying about it since this morning! The specialist building is full, and the guesthouse was completely occupied by family members seeking medical treatment last week. I've already crammed three cots into the duty room; if I add another one, the door frame will crack!"

He got more and more agitated as he spoke, and stamped his foot: "These kids, would it be so hard to just say hello before they come?! They were blocking the main gate before dawn, I couldn't just let them sleep in the hallway, could I? In the dead of winter, who's going to be responsible if they get sick from the cold?"

Ye Zhen didn't reply, but turned her head to glance at Gu Zheng.

Gu Zheng adjusted the brim of his military cap and asked slowly, "What was that courtyard opposite the west gate of the main hospital used for before?"

Zhang Guohua was taken aback: "You mean the one in Heping Lane?"

"That one." Gu Zheng tilted his head slightly. "I glanced at it when I passed by last time. It was empty. The courtyard wall was quite large, and there were two rows of bungalows inside."

"Oh, that place used to be a warehouse for the military region's clothing factory. The factory moved away the year before last, and it was abandoned. The building is still there, but many of the doors and windows are broken, and it's drafty from all sides." Zhang Guohua said, rubbing his fingers together. "Now it's under the management of the logistics department, and it's just been abandoned and nobody's taking care of it."

Ye Zhen quickly ran through the information in her mind: "Two rows of single-story houses, how many rooms?"

"Eight rooms on the east side, six rooms on the west side, fourteen rooms in total. The ceiling height is good, and the area is sufficient." Zhang Guohua counted on his fingers, "Each room can fit four bunk beds, accommodating eight people, more than enough for a hundred or so people."

Ye Zhen immediately approved: "This is it. Fix the doors and windows, paint the walls white, and run a main power line over it. That'll do for now."

"It must be habitable within three days."

Zhang Guohua pursed his lips and glanced at Gu Zheng: "Xiao Gu, renting the courtyard needs the logistics department's approval. Can you pass on the word for me? Otherwise, following the normal procedure will take at least half a month."

Gu Zheng straightened up from the front of the car, put one hand in his pocket, and took out his notebook from his chest with the other. He quickly tore off a page, signed his name in a few strokes, and handed it over.

"Take this to Old Zhou in the logistics department, and we'll finalize it this afternoon."

He paused for a moment.

"The rent will be deducted from my allowance first."

Zhang Guohua's hand trembled slightly as he took the note: "Deduct it from your allowance?"

Before he could finish speaking, he had already carefully stuffed the note into the inner pocket of his Zhongshan suit.

But then he turned and worried again, looking at Ye Zhen with a pained expression: "What about the construction workers? The doors and windows of that house are all open, leaking air and water, and they need to be repaired. These students are more suited to wielding scalpels; can they handle this kind of work?"

"Someone who can recite the 206 bones of the human body and the pathways of all the arteries and veins by heart, how could painting a wall be a problem?"

"Let them fix it themselves."

Ye Zhen put her hands back in her pockets, her tone crisp and decisive.

"You can take the class after you finish your studies. Consider this your first introductory lesson. I don't cater to those presumptuous young masters and ladies who are all talk and no action."

Zhang Guohua slapped his thigh, and his laughter shook the rearview mirror of the jeep.

"Amazing! Not only does it save on construction costs, but anyone who finds painting walls too tiring should just get lost and go home. Don't come here and talk to me about your ideals of wielding a scalpel."

After discussing the matter, Ye Zhen went to the outpatient clinic, while Gu Zheng walked towards the jeep.

He paused briefly as he passed Zhang Guohua. He didn't turn around, but merely raised his chin and casually uttered a sentence behind him.

"Notify the cafeteria to give those brats an extra main dish at lunchtime."

"Put the food expenses on my tab."

Zhang Guohua opened his mouth, but the tall figure had already walked far away.

The early spring sun peeked through the thick clouds, casting a golden glow on the mottled red brick walls of the military hospital.

The five large characters "Serve the People" painted at the base of the wall for so many years, when illuminated by this light, looked old but dazzlingly bright.

A queue formed in front of the logistics department's window.

The neatly folded white lab coats were handed out one by one.

The medical students took the white coats, unfolded them with a "whoosh," and forcefully covered themselves with them.

The buttons were fastened one by one from bottom to top, fitting perfectly.

No one spoke. But as each person fastened the last button, their hands were steady and their eyes were bright.

The aroma of steaming white steamed buns wafted from the other end of the canteen, along with the smoky scent of stir-fried cabbage coated in lard.

The crowd gradually dispersed, bustling about.

In the corner, Li Hong stood alone without moving.

She looked down at the brand-new white lab coat she was holding in her arms.

Above my left chest, it was empty; there was nothing there.

She bit her lip.

Then she took out the old fountain pen that she had kept for three years from her pocket and removed the cap.

If there are no printed badges, then write them yourself.

The pen tip rested against the left chest of the white coat, trembling slightly.

She took a deep breath, and with each stroke, her strength penetrated the fabric—

Beicheng Military Region General Hospital.

Six characters.

Li Hong pressed the pen cap back on, gripped the pen tightly, and tilted her head back.

The early spring wind was so cold it felt like it was cutting your face.

But she smiled.