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

The woman's laughter was sharp and piercing, like a knife scraping against glass. "A million? Are you out of your mind? Who do you think you are?"

"I am Chen Ping, a doctor at Siping Township Health Center."

Chen Ping's gaze swept over the woman, finally landing on Zheng Chenggong's face. "Your son, Zheng Kai, committed a violent act with a weapon, striking someone on the head with a steel pipe, causing an open head injury. We will conduct a medical examination. If it meets the standard for minor injury, it constitutes intentional assault, and he must be criminally detained and held criminally liable according to law."

"I will record every word you say, every phone call you make, and every curse you utter, and we'll settle accounts later."

The woman opened her mouth, but the sound got stuck in her throat, and her expression caused wrinkles to appear on her thick foundation.

Zheng Chenggong's brows furrowed, his lips twitched, he pulled out his phone from his pocket, glared at Chen Ping, and pointed at him with his finger, "You just wait."

He pulled out a number and dialed it, then turned around and lowered his voice, addressing him as "Director Wang" and "Brother," his tone shifting from arrogant to familiar and ingratiating.

Chen Ping didn't look at him, but turned to Chief Zhou and said, "Chief Zhou, we will not settle. We will take the person back to the health center for a medical examination. After the examination report is completed, we will make two copies, one for the health center and one for the police station. You can follow the procedures as required."

Director Zhou placed the cup on the windowsill, nodded, and said, "Okay."

Chen Ping walked to the bench, pulled Xu Feng up with one hand, and patted Sun Xiaoyan on the shoulder with the other.

Sun Xiaoyan helped Xu Feng stand up, their hands clasped together, their fingers sweaty.

As the three men walked out of the police station, they could still hear Zheng Chenggong making a phone call and a woman's shrill shouts behind them.

When Chen Ping brought Sun Xiaoyan and Xu Feng back to the health center, it was already dark.

They spent half a day at the police station, but Chen Ping knew that these kinds of things usually dragged on.

If you drag it out until both parties are fed up, then it will be easier to handle.

The lights were on in the corridor of the health center, and many people were standing in the courtyard.

Zhao Guosheng walked around the flower bed with a jar in his hand, Li Fang leaned against the door of the pharmacy, and Wang Tao squatted on the steps.

Even Wang Jianguo hadn't left. He sat on the bench outside the clinic, his reading glasses resting on his knees, an old newspaper rolled up into a tube in his hand, tapping his leg idly.

Upon seeing the three people enter, everyone in the courtyard gathered around.

Chen Ping had Xu Feng sit on the examination bed in the clinic, turned on the operating light, and personally treated his wounds.

The cut on his forehead wasn't very long, but it was deep. When the steel pipe hit him, the flesh was torn apart, and the edges weren't very neat.

Chen Ping rinsed it twice with hydrogen peroxide, then disinfected it with iodine, and used needle holders to hold the suture needle, stitching it up one stitch at a time.

Xu Feng gritted his teeth and remained silent, while Sun Xiaoyan stood beside him, her hands gripping Xu Feng's sleeves.

Zhou Jie handed over gauze and adhesive tape from the side, her movements much gentler than usual.

After finishing the last stitch and applying the dressing, Chen Ping took off his gloves.

Sun Xiaoyan turned around and faced the people in the room, her lips trembling several times.

For the first time, a clear emotion appeared on her usually cold face.

Her eyes were red, her brows were slightly furrowed, she wanted to say something but didn't know where to start, and finally managed to squeeze out a "thank you" in a soft and hoarse voice.

Li Fang shoved the thermos of hot water she was holding into Sun Xiaoyan's hands, and patted her on the shoulder. "Don't thank me. We're all in the same boat. You're one of our hospital staff. If someone like us is being bullied by an outsider, can we just stand by and do nothing?"

Wang Tao nodded vigorously beside him, his fists still clenched. "Exactly! If that guy surnamed Zheng dares to come again, I'll be the first to go for him! I didn't get enough of beating those thugs last time!"

Zhao Guosheng walked in carrying a jar, stood by the examination bed, looked at the stitched wound on Xu Feng's head, then at Sun Xiaoyan's red eyes, and slammed the jar on the table.

With a loud bang, everyone was startled.

Then, Zhao Guosheng said with some anger, "Xiao Yan, listen to me. Our health center doesn't cause trouble, but we're not afraid of trouble either. If Zheng Kai has the guts, let him try shutting down our health center. I want to see just how capable he is. No reconciliation, absolutely no reconciliation!"

Wang Jianguo poked his head in through the doorway, his reading glasses perched on his nose, and slowly added, "Dean Zhao is right. What haven't we seen in over twenty years? Why would we be afraid of a mere kid like him?"

Chen Ping was putting the suturing instruments into the sterilization tray when his cell phone rang in his pocket as soon as he took off his mask.

He took out his phone and saw that it was Director Zhou calling. He listened for a few minutes, frowned slightly, said "We'll be right there," and hung up.

"Chief Zhou asked us to go to the police station again."

Chen Ping put his phone back in his pocket, glanced at Sun Xiaoyan and Xu Feng, and said, "Let's go, I'll go with you."

Sun Xiaoyan and Xu Feng exchanged a glance, both of them looking a little flustered.

He had just returned from the police station, his injuries hadn't even been properly bandaged, and he was being called back. Everyone knew this wasn't a good sign.

But Chen Ping had already picked up his coat from the back of the chair, so they didn't say anything more and followed him out the door.

When we arrived at the police station, the corridor lights were shining brightly.

Director Zhou stood at the entrance of the corridor. When he saw them come in, he quickly walked over, his expression much more complicated than before.

There was apology, helplessness, and a sense of being caught in the middle, caught in a dilemma.

He pulled Chen Ping aside, lowered his voice, and his lips were almost touching Chen Ping's ear, "Dr. Chen, what do you think? Can we settle this? It's not a big deal, just a young man's impulsive act."

Chen Ping looked at him. "Director Zhou, did someone from above call you?"

Director Zhou didn't say anything, but his expression said it all.

He sighed, rubbing his fingers along the seam of his trousers, his voice even lower, "Someone from the county bureau put in a good word for me, there's nothing I can do. You all know, I'm just a section chief, how much pressure can I withstand from above?"

Chen Ping nodded, not wanting to make things difficult for him. "I understand, Director Zhou. You don't need to worry. Just do what needs to be done; I'll handle it."

Director Zhou breathed a sigh of relief, raised his hand and patted Chen Ping's arm, a gesture that conveyed both gratitude and guilt.

Chen Ping turned around. The door to the office at the end of the corridor was open, and Zheng Kai and his family of three were sitting inside.

Zheng Chenggong leaned back on the sofa with his legs crossed, a cigarette between his fingers, the smoke drifting slowly under the fluorescent light.

The woman sitting next to him was wearing a bright red wool coat, touching up her lipstick in front of a small mirror, her expression as leisurely as if she were waiting for snacks in a teahouse.

Zheng Kai had already come out of the interrogation room and was lounging on the other side of the sofa, twirling his phone in his hand. When he saw Sun Xiaoyan and Xu Feng walk in, he grinned and gave a sly smile that said, "What can you do to me?"