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

At nine o'clock the next morning, Gu Jianguo and his group prepared to leave.

The military jeep was parked in the open space outside the outpatient building. The driver had already started the engine, and a plume of white smoke was coming out of the exhaust pipe.

Gu Zheng and Ye Zhen stood beside the car.

Gu Yue carried a net bag containing a few apples and two cans of malted milk powder and handed it to her second aunt.

"Mom, we'll eat on the way."

The second aunt took the net bag and reached out to tug at Gu Yue's collar.

"Turn your collar up tight, it's windy in the north of the city, don't let the wind get in."

Gu Jianguo had already opened the car door, with one foot on the running board, ready to get in.

Zhao Zheng stood at the back of the jeep, holding a black leather suitcase in his hand, with a polite smile on his face.

He nodded to Gu Yue politely and respectfully, preparing to walk around to the other side of the car to get in.

"Comrade Zhao Zheng, wait a moment."

Lin Yi ran down the steps in two quick steps.

The shout drew the attention of several people in the open space.

Ye Zhen saw that Lin Yi was holding a brown paper envelope in his hand.

She did not speak.

Lin Yi ran up to Zhao Zheng and stood in front of him, his chest rising and falling slightly. He held the envelope up to Zhao Zheng's chest height.

"Comrade Zhao, here's your five hundred yuan back."

Zhao Zheng's smile froze on his face.

"Sun Jianjun is a stubborn mule; I can't persuade him."

Lin Yi's voice was neither too loud nor too soft, and two nurses and a soldier carrying a medicine box who were passing by all stopped and listened intently.

"He insists on being with Gu Yue, so I can't spend this money. Here you go."

Zhao Zheng's Adam's apple bobbed up and down suddenly.

He took a half step back, quickly put both hands into his pockets, and forced a stiff smile onto his face.

"Comrade, are you sure you haven't mistaken me for someone else? I don't know you. What, five hundred yuan?"

Lin Yi did not back down.

"Yesterday evening, next to the water tap outside the interns' dormitory."

Lin Yi spoke slowly and deliberately, raising his voice by half a notch.

"You hand this envelope to Sun Jianjun yourself, tell him to take the money and leave Gu Yue."

"You said five hundred yuan would be enough for him to go back to northern Shaanxi, build two brick houses, and marry a country wife."

Jianjun didn't want it.

"I accepted it in front of you."

"You asked me who I was, and I said I was Sun Jianjun's roommate."

Zhao Zheng's face turned white rapidly, starting from his cheekbones and continuing all the way to his lips.

He opened his mouth, but only a mumbled syllable came out of his throat; he couldn't form any complete words.

Gu Jianguo pulled his foot back from the pedal.

He turned around and faced Zhao Zheng.

"Zhao Zheng." Gu Jianguo's voice was low.

"Is it true? Five hundred dollars to bribe an intern doctor to leave my daughter?"

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Zhao Zheng's forehead.

He released his hands from his pockets, adopting an explanatory posture.

"Uncle Gu, this is a misunderstanding, I—"

Gu Jianguo took a step forward.

"He repeated the time, the place, and every single word you said. You're saying you don't know him?"

Zhao Zheng's lips moved twice, but no sound came out.

My second aunt stood to the side, her expression changing from surprise to embarrassment.

Gu Yue turned her head and glanced in the direction of the outpatient building—Sun Jianjun was not there.

She knew that person must have been pinned down in the dormitory by Lin Yi, because given Sun Jianjun's temperament, he would rather bear it himself than use such a thing to step on someone else's foot.

Gu Jianguo extended his hand.

Lin Yi immediately handed over the envelope.

Gu Jianguo took the envelope, opened the seal, glanced at the stack of brand-new ten-yuan notes inside, and then slapped the envelope onto Zhao Zheng's chest.

"Take it."

Zhao Zheng instinctively caught the envelope with both hands, then froze on the spot.

He clutched the envelope, unsure whether to clench or loosen his fingers, as if he were holding a hot piece of coal.

Gu Jianguo turned and glanced at Lin Yi.

"What's your name?"

"Reporting to the commander, this is Lin Yi, an intern at the Beicheng Military Region General Hospital."

Gu Jianguo stared at him for two seconds without saying a word.

He turned around, opened the car door, bent down, and climbed into the back seat of the jeep.

My second aunt hurriedly got into the car.

Zhao Zheng stood there, the envelope still clutched in his hand, unable to find a place where he could stand with dignity.

Finally, with his head down, he quickly walked around to the other side of the car, opened the door, and got in.

The sound of the car door closing was dull and hurried.

The jeep shifted gears and started moving, driving out of the iron gate of the military hospital, turning onto the main road and accelerating away.

White smoke billowed from the exhaust pipe dissipated into the dry air of early autumn.

Gu Yue stood in the open space, turned to look at Lin Yi, and her lips trembled slightly.

"Lin Yi... how dare you..."

Lin Yi scratched the back of his head and grinned.

"I know Jianjun well. He can't bring himself to expose others, but if this matter isn't exposed, that guy surnamed Zhao might come back."

"Words spoken are easily forgotten, but five hundred yuan is solid evidence. Inspecting the goods in person is the safest way."

Gu Zheng remained silent.

He then tapped Lin Yi on the shoulder.

"Okay, Lin Yi."

Gu Zheng smirked, his tone carrying a hint of frivolous praise.

"Compared to your classmates who only know how to memorize and practice tying knots all day, you're pretty quick-witted."

Lin Yi chuckled twice, then suddenly remembered something and slowly turned his head towards Ye Zhen.

Ye Zhen stood two steps away.

She had her hands in the pockets of her white coat, her face revealing neither joy nor anger.

Lin Yi's smile was stuck on his lips and he couldn't take it back.

The person he feared most was neither Commander Gu nor Gu Jianguo.

It's Teacher Ye standing in front of me.

"Teacher Ye..." Lin Yi's throat was dry.

Ye Zhen looked at him for two seconds.

"You're quite smart."

Lin Yi just breathed a sigh of relief.

"But you're bolder than you're smart."

Ye Zhen's tone was flat.

"You embezzled someone else's money without asking permission or reporting it to anyone. What if Zhao Zheng turns around and accuses you of defamation?"

Lin Yi straightened his back.

He really hadn't considered this consequence.

Last night, all he could think about was how to expose Zhao Zheng's true colors in front of Gu Jianguo, without considering the risk that the other party might deny it or turn around and accuse him.

Ye Zhen didn't wait for his reply.

"You're in charge of cleaning the interventional catheterization lab for a week, starting today."

Ye Zhen turned around and walked towards the main building.

"I wipe down the floor, work surface, and lead coat rack every day after get off work, and then I check them the next morning."

Lin Yi stood there, opened his mouth, but swallowed back all the words of his defense.

"Yes, Teacher Ye."

Gu Zheng followed Ye Zhen's steps, and the two walked back side by side.

He glanced at Ye Zhen, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"The punishment wasn't severe."

Ye Zhen did not turn around.

"If you act on your own again, you'll be fined two weeks."

In the open space behind him, Lin Yi squatted down, covered his face with his hands for two seconds, then slapped his thigh, stood up, and strode towards the interventional catheterization room to find a rag.

Gu Yue stood there for a while, then suddenly smiled.

After laughing, he turned around and walked quickly back to his office.

The stack of letters that arrived this morning on the table is still unopened.