Sent to the countryside, I turned the health center into a top-tier hospital.

Chen Ping hung the last shirt in the closet, closed the closet door, and sat on the edge of the bed for a while.

The leaves of the pothos on the windowsill were a glossy green, and when the sunlight shone on them, they looked like they were coated with oil.

He took out his phone and glanced at it. Just as he was about to get up and go downstairs, his phone vibrated.

A name popped up on the screen: Lao Wang.

We were roommates in college, sleeping in the lower bunk. We were the best of friends back then. After graduation, we got busy with our own things and gradually lost touch, but we would still send each other messages during holidays.

He accepted it.

"Chen Ping! You're still alive, kid?"

The voice on the other end of the phone was the same as always, carefree and with a hint of smoking and drinking: "I've arrived in Tianhai City. I'm leaving tonight. Are you free at noon? Let's grab some food. It's been a long time."

Chen Ping smiled and said, "I'm free. Where are you?"

"The usual place, Donglaishun. I've booked a private room. Twelve o'clock, don't be late."

"OK."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Ping went downstairs.

Cui Ying was standing at the kitchen doorway, her apron half-tied, staring blankly at the refrigerator.

Hearing footsteps, she turned around, her face slightly flushed, and took off her apron, draping it over the back of the chair.

"You want to cook? I'll do it," Chen Ping said.

"No... I just wanted to check what was in the fridge." Cui Ying's voice sounded a little weak. "Are you going out?"

"Yeah, a college classmate came to Tianhai City and asked me to have dinner with him."

Cui Ying walked over, her eyes lighting up: "I'll take you."

"No need, a taxi will do, it's not far."

Chen Ping changed his shoes, picked up the canvas bag by the door, took out the dark blue T-shirt from inside, glanced at it, put it down again, and went out wearing the one he was wearing.

Donglaishun has been operating in Tianhai City for over twenty years, expanding from a small storefront to a three-story building, but the signboard has remained unchanged—it's still that red wooden plaque with gold lettering.

When Chen Ping arrived, there were already quite a few cars parked at the entrance. He glanced around and saw a brand-new black Mercedes-Benz E-Class with temporary license plates, parked in the best spot at the main entrance.

He glanced at it again, but didn't pay any attention, and pushed the door open to go inside.

The private room was on the second floor, the door was open, and there were already five or six people sitting inside.

As soon as Chen Ping entered, the man sitting directly opposite the door stood up first. He had a square face, thick eyebrows, and his eyes narrowed into slits when he smiled. His belly was three times bigger than it had been in college.

Old Wang walked over and punched Chen Ping on the shoulder. Only after punching him did he notice the gauze on Chen Ping's forehead. He paused for a moment, his hand hanging in mid-air.

"What happened? Did you get into a fight?"

"I fell off my bike," Chen Ping said with a smile.

"You can fall off a bicycle and get this badly hurt?" Old Wang didn't believe it, but didn't press for details. He pulled Chen Ping inside, saying, "Come on, have a seat. We've been waiting for you."

Chen Ping recognized most of the people in the private room.

The guy on the left wearing glasses is our squad leader, Lao Liu. He's now an associate chief physician at the district hospital, and he's lost half his hair.

The fat guy on the right is Da Xiong. Chen Ping has forgotten his real name. He only knows that he works in sales at a pharmaceutical company. His beer belly makes his shirt look tight.

There were two other girls, one named Lin Fang and the other named Sun Yue, who were in the same class but hadn't seen each other since graduation.

At the very back sat a man in a dark blue suit, his hair slicked back and shiny, a watch on his wrist reflecting the light as he looked down at his phone.

Chen Ping glanced at him and recognized him as Zhao Pengfei.

Chen Ping was deeply impressed by him.

A few months ago, when Chen Ping was still the purchasing director at the Municipal People's Hospital, Zhao Pengfei came to see him, carrying a briefcase containing a stack of documents and a bank card.

He said he was an agent for a type of coronary stent that was low-priced and had high profit margins. He would give Chen Ping a 3,000 yuan kickback for each stent, as long as Chen Ping agreed.

After reviewing the documents, Chen Ping discovered that the registration certificates for that batch of stents had expired and the test reports were forged, so he refused on the spot.

Zhao Pengfei looked very grim when he left. He stood at the door for two seconds, said "Director Chen, you're good," and then left.

Later, Chen Ping heard that he had made connections with other hospitals and was doing quite well in business.

Zhao Pengfei looked up, saw Chen Ping, and the corners of his mouth slowly turned up.

Chen Ping had seen that smile before; it was exactly the same as Xiao Lei's—not one of happiness, but one of schadenfreude.

"Oh, Director Chen is here?" Zhao Pengfei's voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the private room heard it.

Old Wang pulled Chen Ping down to sit, poured him a cup of tea, and then stood up, saying, "Come on, come on, it's been so long since our class got together. Let me toast everyone first..."

"Old Wang, don't rush to offer the toast."

Zhao Pengfei put down his phone, leaned back in his chair, and looked at Chen Ping. "Director Chen, what happened to that head injury? In a place like Siping Township, conditions are harsh and the security is poor. You have to be careful."

The private room fell silent for a moment.

Old Wang's hand, holding the cup, froze in mid-air. He glanced at Zhao Pengfei, then at Chen Ping.

Old Wang coughed, put down his cup, patted Chen Ping on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Come on, let me formally introduce you all. This is Chen Ping, my best brother from college."

Back in school, we called him "Chen the One-Cut," because he always got full marks in anatomy class. Later, he became the purchasing director at the city's People's Hospital, and his wife became the deputy director of the Health Bureau...

"Old Wang."

Zhao Pengfei interrupted him, his voice not loud, but every word was barbed, "Your information is too outdated. Director Chen is no longer the purchasing director, and his wife is no longer his wife."

The private room fell silent again.

Lin Fang held her teacup but didn't drink it.

Sun Yue's hand, which was holding a chopstick, froze in mid-air.

Big Bear chewed on a peanut, chewing it more than a dozen times, but didn't swallow it.

Old Liu pushed up his glasses, looked at Chen Ping, and then at Zhao Pengfei.

Zhao Pengfei stood up, straightened his suit collar, took a car key out of his pocket, and placed it on the table.

The Mercedes logo is gleaming silver.

He turned the key on the table, making a crisp sound.

"Chen Ping is now a doctor at the Siping Township Health Center. His monthly salary is a little over three thousand yuan, which is probably not even enough to pay off my car loan."

Zhao Pengfei smiled, a very kind smile, as if he were talking about something very ordinary, "This car of mine costs over 400,000 yuan. Chen Ping couldn't afford it even if he worked his whole life."

Chen Ping picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said nothing.

Old Wang's expression changed. He put down his chopsticks and looked at Zhao Pengfei: "Pengfei, you've gone too far with what you said."

"Did you pass?"

Zhao Pengfei laughed. "Which part of what I said wasn't the truth? Is he divorced? Was he exiled to Siping Township? He earns over three thousand a month. Which part of what I said was wrong?"

Old Wang's face turned bright red. Just as he was about to stand up, Chen Ping held him down.

Chen Ping glanced at Zhao Pengfei, smiled, picked up his teacup, and took another sip.

"What are you laughing at?" Zhao Pengfei frowned.

"It's nothing." Chen Ping put down his cup. "You're right. I am indeed divorced, I am indeed in Siping Township, and my salary is indeed not high. You're right."