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

Chen Ping nodded and walked out of the ward.

The light in the corridor was much brighter than inside the room, and he squinted for a couple of seconds to adjust.

At the end of the corridor stood two people: the middle-aged man in the dark jacket from last night and the woman whose eyes had been red the whole time.

When the woman saw Chen Ping come out, she went to greet him.

She was wearing a dark blue cashmere coat, and her hair was neatly styled, clearly indicating that she had taken great care of herself before going out. However, the dark circles under her eyes were still visible despite the multiple layers of foundation she wore.

She walked very fast, her high heels clicking loudly on the floor tiles, a sound that could be heard throughout the entire corridor.

But when she got to Chen Ping, she suddenly stopped, as if she didn't dare to get too close, afraid of hearing some bad news.

His lips moved twice, but he didn't make a sound. He gripped the bag strap tightly, looking somewhat nervous.

The middle-aged man followed behind her, his steps slow but steady, his leather shoes making a soft but solid sound on the paving stones.

He walked up to Chen Ping, stood still, and without shaking hands or exchanging pleasantries, began to speak directly.

His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, carrying the tone characteristic of someone accustomed to being a leader.

"Dr. Chen, my surname is Fang, Fang Jianguo, the county magistrate of Cangyang County. How is the child? Tell me the truth, don't try to comfort me," Fang Jianguo asked.

Chen Ping looked into his eyes.

Those eyes held weariness, anxiety, and a deep-seated fear—the fear of something happening to the child, a fear that any father understands.

Chen Ping studied at medical school for eight years and worked at the city's People's Hospital for five years. He had seen too many of those kinds of looks, and every time he saw them, he felt uncomfortable.

"County Chief Fang, I can cure the child's illness."

Chen Ping said firmly, "I'm not just trying to comfort you, I'm telling you the truth. If you get two more injections today, your temperature should drop to normal by tomorrow."

Within a week, you'll be able to get out of bed. However, you need to take care of yourself after discharge, as this disease is prone to relapse and requires at least three months of consolidation treatment.

Fang Jianguo relaxed his shoulders after hearing this.

The woman next to me finally burst into tears. She didn't make a sound, wiped them with the back of her hand, then wiped them again, but they weren't completely dry, so she simply stopped wiping and let them flow.

Fang Jianguo took a deep breath, turned around, and waved towards the end of the corridor.

A young man wearing glasses walked briskly over. He was in his early thirties, his hair was neatly combed, and he was carrying a briefcase. His gait was disciplined and upright.

He stood behind Fang Jianguo, bowed slightly, and waited without saying a word.

"This is Xiao Li, my secretary."

Fang Jianguo pointed at the young man, then at Chen Ping, "If Dr. Chen needs anything these days, just do it directly without asking me."

Xiao Li nodded, took a business card from his briefcase, and handed it to Chen Ping with both hands.

The business card was very simple: a white background with black text, containing only the name and phone number, no title, no company name, and not even a logo.

Chen Ping took it, glanced at it, and put it in his pocket.

"Dr. Chen, please feel free to call me anytime. My phone is on 24/7," Xiao Li said very respectfully.

Fang Jianguo didn't say anything more. He glanced at Chen Ping, nodded, and turned to leave.

The woman followed behind him, took two steps, then stopped, turned around, glanced at Chen Ping, her lips moved as if she wanted to say thank you, but she didn't, and turned away.

The two figures disappeared around the corner at the end of the corridor.

Standing next to Chen Ping, Xiao Li adjusted his glasses and smiled, "Dr. Chen, which room are you staying in? I'll write down your contact information so we can communicate easily if needed."

Chen Ping told Xiao Li the dormitory building and room number, which Xiao Li wrote down on his phone, checked again, and nodded.

"Dr. Chen, please go ahead with your work, I won't bother you any longer." He left too, his steps quick but steady, following the rhythm he had been trained to maintain while following his leader.

Chen Ping stood in the corridor and glanced out the window.

It was already broad daylight, and sunlight streamed in through the windows, shining brightly on the corridor floor tiles.

He stood there for two seconds, then turned around, went downstairs, and left the hospital.

The road in front of the county hospital is not wide and there are not many cars. The paving stones on the sidewalk are a bit loose and wobble when you step on them.

Chen Ping walked to the right along the road, without any particular purpose, just wanting to get some fresh air.

The smell of disinfectant in the ward all morning made my head feel a bit stuffy.

He walked for about ten minutes and then turned into a side street.

The road is lined with old residential buildings, the ground floors of which have been converted into shops. The shops selling breakfast, repairing bicycles, and selling groceries are not yet open. The roller shutters are pulled down and covered with little GG stickers.

He heard footsteps behind him, not just one person, but several.

He didn't turn around and kept walking.

The footsteps grew closer and faster. He stopped and turned around.

Five people.

The one leading the group was Ma Hu, who was wearing a black leather jacket and had a scar on his face from the last fight. The scar ran from his left eyebrow to his cheekbone; it was a fresh, pink scar that stood out against his dark face.

Behind him were four young men, one with a bandage wrapped around his head and another with a sling on his arm. They were all familiar faces, the same ones who had been beaten by Chen Ping in Sunjiagou last time.

When Ma Hu saw Chen Ping turn around, he paused for a moment, but quickly regained his footing.

He stood three steps away from Chen Ping, lit a cigarette, took a drag, and exhaled, the smoke dissipating between the two of them.

"Chen Ping, what a small world!"

Ma Hu held the cigarette between his fingers, a smirk playing on his lips. "My brothers are hospitalized in the county hospital. I never expected to run into you. Isn't that a coincidence?"

Chen Ping looked at him without saying a word.

Ma Hu took a step forward, and the four behind him followed suit.

He looked Chen Ping up and down, his gaze lingering on the gauze on his head. He laughed, "Your head injury hasn't healed yet? You suffered a bad loss at the hands of my brothers last time. Now that you're all alone, let's see where you run."

Chen Ping looked at him, his lips twitched, and a cold smile appeared on his face.

"Careless. Last time, more than a dozen people didn't do anything to me. Today you only brought four, and they're the same four I beat up before. Do you think that's enough?" Chen Ping asked.

Ma Hu's smile froze for a moment.

He knew, of course, that it wasn't enough, but he had the confidence that it wasn't the people under his command, but something else.

He didn't reply, threw the cigarette on the ground, stomped on it, took a step back, and waved his hand.

"Get them!"

The four people hesitated for a moment.

The person with the bandage wrapped around their head took a step forward, then shrank back.

The man with the sling on his arm stood still, his face showing a mixture of hatred and fear.

Ma Hu glared at them, cursed, and rushed forward first.

He clenched his fist and slammed it towards Chen Ping's face.