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

The bricklayers looked troubled.

"Dr. Ye, please have mercy and prescribe some inexpensive medicine. We can't even afford the registration fee at a regular hospital!"

Ye Zhen patted the dust off her hands.

"His ribs are broken, and his lung is ruptured. Medication won't save him; he has to go to the hospital."

Several people looked ashen-faced.

Ye Zhen didn't explain further and turned to step into the traditional Chinese medicine shop.

She looked at the old shopkeeper: "May I borrow your phone?"

The old shopkeeper quickly pushed the old-fashioned rotary telephone from the counter over.

Ye Zhen picked up the heavy black receiver, her fingers flying across the dial. She was dialing the dedicated line for the Mayo Clinic director's office. Stephen had personally given it to her yesterday.

The phone rang twice before being answered.

The phone rang with a formulaic English greeting from the dean's secretary.

"I am Ye Zhen."

The words had barely left his mouth when the sound of a chair overturning came from the other end of the receiver. Immediately following was a flurry of footsteps.

Three seconds later, Stephen's rapid breathing came through.

"Dr. Ye! What can I do for you?"

The voice of this titan of the North American medical community carried a respect that even he himself was unaware of.

"I'm in Chinatown in the Southern District," Ye Zhen cut to the chase. "There's a patient here with flail chest complicated by tension pneumothorax. I've already performed an emergency puncture to drain the air, but his condition is extremely unstable. He needs immediate closed chest drainage and internal rib fixation."

Stephen stood ramrod straight on the other end of the phone, nodding repeatedly.

"No problem, I'll immediately dispatch an ambulance and a team of thoracic surgeons to pick them up."

"Wait a minute." Ye Zhen looked at the several filthy bricklayers outside the door. "The injured man has no legal status and no medical insurance. Moreover, he can't afford the medical bills."

There was a brief pause on the other end of the phone.

Under the US healthcare system, undocumented individuals without insurance and proof of assets simply cannot enter the doors of top-tier private clinics like Mayo Clinic.

But Stephen didn't hesitate for even half a second.

"Dr. Ye, you're too kind," Stephen said firmly. "The patients you personally treated in pre-hospital emergency care are Mayo's most distinguished guests. This represents your trust in us."

"As for the expenses, they will all be covered by Mayo Clinic's special research fund. The injured party will not need to pay a single penny."

"Furthermore, the upcoming surgery will be performed by our chief thoracic surgeon himself. You can rest assured and leave it to us."

Ye Zhen responded.

"Ten minutes," Stephen assured him before hanging up the phone.

Ye Zhen put down the receiver and walked out of the Chinese medicine shop.

Several bricklayers stood desperately by the wooden planks, contemplating whether they should pool their money to try their luck at an unlicensed clinic.

"Wait here for a while." Ye Zhen sat down in the chair and picked up her teacup to moisten her throat.

The old shopkeeper leaned closer and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve: "Dr. Ye, were you calling some charity just now? Where in America can you find a hospital that performs surgery for free?"

Ye Zhen didn't say anything, and Gu Zheng added some hot water for her.

Time passed second by second.

A full ten minutes.

Suddenly, a deafening police siren blared from the direction of the Chinatown intersection.

The sound grew closer, and blinding red and blue flashing lights pierced through the evening mist.

Three massive Ford heavy-duty ambulances drove aggressively into the street and screeched to a halt in front of the Chinese-style archway. The Mayo Clinic shield logo, representing the highest level of medical care in North America, was particularly eye-catching under the neon lights on the vehicles.

The car door was pushed open.

Six emergency room doctors and nurses in neat white coats jumped out of the ambulance. They didn't even look at the bricklayer covered in blood on the ground; the white head of the emergency department, who was leading the group, ran straight to Ye Zhen.

Under the stunned gaze of all the Chinese people in the audience.

The emergency room director, who usually looked down on everyone when making house calls in the wealthy area, bowed deeply to Ye Zhen, who was sitting in a folding chair.

"Dr. Ye," he reported in an extremely practiced and respectful tone, "the Mayo Clinic's First Emergency Team is reporting to you on the orders of Dean Stephen. The thoracic surgery operating room is ready, and the chief surgeon is waiting on the operating table. Please give your instructions."

The entire Chinatown fell silent instantly.

The old shopkeeper dropped the rag in his hand onto the ground.

The bricklayers stared, mouths agape, their faces filled with disbelief. They had toiled on this land for half their lives and knew all too well how doctors from these big hospitals behaved.

Now, these high and mighty white doctors are treating a Chinese female doctor with utmost respect, like subordinates waiting to be ordered around.

"Take him away." Ye Zhen pointed to the injured person on the ground. "A simple one-way valve has been placed on the left side. Be careful not to touch it when moving him."

"clear!"

At the wave of the emergency room director's hand, the nurses immediately rushed forward with a mobile stretcher, efficiently transferring the bricklayer onto the stretcher and connecting him to oxygen and a monitor. The entire process was orderly and extremely professional.

The ambulance sirens blared again as it sped away from Chinatown.

The street was quiet for a few seconds.

Then, someone in the crowd shouted out.

The deafening cheers instantly swept across half the street.

Many Chinese laborers were so moved that their eyes welled up with tears, and some even took off their dirty hats and threw them high into the air. This was not just about treating the sick and saving lives; it represented an unprecedented sense of dignity.

Here, they, who were considered the lowest class, saw for the first time their own country's doctors, with their skills, make those arrogant foreign doctors bow down.

National pride reached its peak at this moment.

The sky grew completely dark.

Ye Zhen and her group politely declined the old shopkeeper's request to hold a banquet and took a taxi back to the hotel.

The penthouse suite at the InterContinental Hotel at dusk.

The main lights were not on inside; only a few dim wall lamps emitted a soft glow.

Ye Zhen stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window. The night view of Rochester unfolded beneath her feet, bustling yet unfamiliar.

After a whole afternoon of running around, she was indeed quite tired.

Gu Zheng walked up from behind and placed his broad hand on her slender shoulder.

"Go take a hot shower and change your clothes." Gu Zheng's voice sounded particularly deep and mellow in the quiet room. "There's a tough battle to fight later."

Ye Zhen turned her head away.

Gu Zheng was holding an exquisitely crafted black velvet bag. This was another outfit he had secretly picked out at Macy's today, besides the trench coat.

Ye Zhen took the bag and went into the bathroom.

Half an hour later.

The bathroom door was pushed open, accompanied by a burst of warm steam.

Gu Zheng was sitting on the sofa looking through the itinerary submitted by Secretary Li when he heard the noise and looked up.

The movement stopped abruptly.

Ye Zhen wore a long, pure black velvet evening gown. The extremely fitted cut perfectly accentuated her slender yet graceful curves. The neckline was a retro square, revealing her beautifully shaped collarbones. There were no superfluous embellishments, not even a necklace.

The more minimalist the design, the more it accentuates her captivatingly beautiful and serene face.

Gu Zheng stood up and strode over to her.

He lowered his head slightly, his gaze lingering on Ye Zhen's collarbone for half a second, his Adam's apple bobbing uncontrollably.

"It fits perfectly." Gu Zheng's voice was a little hoarse.

He reached out and, with an extremely natural movement, smoothed the slightly wrinkled fabric at her shoulder. His fingertips inadvertently brushed against the delicate skin of her neck, sending a slight shiver down her spine.

The two were very close.

The fir-like aura emanating from Gu Zheng, mixed with a uniquely masculine sense of oppression, enveloped Ye Zhen without reservation.

Ye Zhen did not dodge.

She slightly raised her head, looking at the man who was so close to her.

On this foreign night, the atmosphere gradually warmed up in the stillness.

Gu Zheng's breathing became heavier. He lowered his head, his lips barely touching Ye Zhen's earlobe.

"After we finish our business tonight and return home..."

He didn't finish his sentence.

Suddenly, there was a series of urgent knocks on the door.

Officer Li's loud voice pierced through the thick wooden door.

"Dr. Ye! Commander Gu! It's almost time!" Officer Li's voice trembled with excitement. "The convoy downstairs has arrived! Good heavens, a black Cadillac! They've even arranged for a police escort!"