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

Grandpa Gu stood up, leaning on his cane, his feet wide apart, standing steadily. He ignored the hospital leaders around him who were barely daring to breathe, and turned directly to his second son, Gu Jianguo.

"Nation-building".

"Yes, Dad." Gu Jianguo immediately stepped forward.

"Call the security department. This matter can't be left like this tonight." Old Master Gu slammed his cane heavily on the terrazzo floor, making a dull thud. "Where did that brat Wei Peng get his gun? Who gave him the guts to act so recklessly? Investigate him."

Gu Jianguo nodded: "I already had someone inquire about it. Wei Peng is currently being held in the military region's interrogation room. He's injured, but he won't die."

"Whether he lives or dies is unimportant." Old Master Gu raised his voice. "Old Man Wei raised a son like this, he can't escape responsibility. Go investigate the Wei family's recent activities and expose everything."

"Understood, I'll take care of it right away." Gu Jianguo turned and strode out, his military boots making a crisp sound in the corridor.

Dean Zhang Guohua stood to the side, holding a freshly completed surgical report in his hand. He was just about to suggest that the old man go to the rest room for a while when a nurse from the duty room rushed over.

"Dean Zhang! Dean!" The nurse ran out of breath. "Vice Minister Li from the Ministry of Health called the dean's office, saying he needs to find you and Dr. Ye immediately!"

Zhang Guohua's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately turned and walked towards his office. Ye Zhen put down her enamel mug and stood up to follow him.

In the office, the telephone receiver lay on the desk. Zhang Guohua picked it up, but before he could even exchange pleasantries, Vice Minister Li's thunderous roar came through the receiver.

Even without speakerphone, Ye Zhen, who was standing by the table, could hear it clearly.

"Zhang Guohua! I just received news that someone attacked Xiao Ye with a gun?"

Zhang Guohua, sweating profusely, replied repeatedly, "Vice Minister Li, the person has been subdued. Xiao Ye was unharmed; Comrade Gu Zheng took a bullet for her and just came off the operating table."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by the sound of a heavy slam on the table.

"This is utterly outrageous! What is Comrade Ye Zhen's status now? She is the core of our country's medical strategy, a bridge for Sino-foreign medical cooperation! The whole world is watching! If anything happens to her, it will become an international laughing stock and will jeopardize our medical development!"

Vice Minister Li spoke faster and faster, his anger escalating: "Who committed the crime?"

"He is Wei Peng, the son of the Wei family," Zhang Guohua answered honestly.

"The Wei family? Very well." Vice Minister Li sneered. "The Ministry of Health will not stand idly by. I will contact the Ministry of Public Security and the military leadership immediately. Sabotaging a key national project is a capital offense!"

The phone slammed down.

Zhang Guohua put down the receiver and took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He turned to look at Ye Zhen, whose expression hadn't changed much, except that she had put her hands into the pockets of her white coat.

"Xiao Ye, go and rest."

Ye Zhen did not refuse; she did need to rest.

When it got light, the snow outside stopped.

Gu Jianguo, radiating a chill, pushed open the door to the small conference room outside the intensive care unit. Old Master Gu, who had been dozing on the sofa, immediately sat up straight upon hearing the noise. Ye Zhen, who was leaning back in her chair reviewing Gu Zheng's morning lab results, also looked up at the sound.

"Dad, it's all done." Gu Jianguo unbuttoned his military overcoat, poured himself a glass of water, and gulped down half of it.

"Speak," Old Master Gu uttered only one word.

Gu Jianguo put the cup on the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

"During the overnight interrogation, Wei Peng confessed everything. He found out he had acute leukemia and knew he didn't have long to live, so he blamed all his recent misfortunes on Zhengzi and Zhenzhen. He got the gun from the black market."

Gu Jianguo paused for a moment and looked at Ye Zhen.

"Attempted murder, armed attack, has enraged the higher-ups. Vice Minister Li called the internal reference team directly last night. This matter has already been classified."

Ye Zhen closed the test report: "How was this determined?"

"He sabotaged the construction of a key national medical project, seriously endangering public safety." Gu Jianguo said calmly, "It was an expedited procedure, and Wei Peng was sentenced to death."

Grandpa Gu nodded.

"What about Old Man Wei?" the old man asked again.

Gu Jianguo sneered: "Old man Wei received the news in the middle of the night last night and was still making calls everywhere, trying to find connections to get people out of trouble. But before he could even finish the calls, the disciplinary inspection and security personnel broke down the door. Following the trail, they found out that Old man Wei had been embezzling money he shouldn't have over the years. He was dismissed on the spot and taken away for questioning overnight. The Wei family is completely finished."

A family that once dominated the North City compound was uprooted without even a ripple.

Grandpa Gu sighed and said to Ye Zhen, "Zhenzhen, do you still remember Political Commissar Zhang who died at Beicheng Hospital?"

Ye Zhen was startled, but nodded: "I remember."

"That matter was related to the Wei family, but it was suppressed by the higher-ups. However, this time, no one can protect him!"

Ye Zhen made no comment on the Wei family's fate. She put away the test results and stood up.

"Grandpa, it's good that Gu Zheng is alright. Things are finally over. Don't get angry all the time; it's bad for your health." He then said to Gu Jianguo, "Second Uncle, thank you for your hard work."

"We're all family, no need for formalities." Gu Jianguo waved his hand. "Go check on Zhengzi, the nurse just said he's awake."

The door to the intensive care unit was pushed open.

The smell of disinfectant was strong. The lines on the monitor were jumping rhythmically.

Gu Zheng lay flat on the hospital bed, his left shoulder wrapped in thick gauze, with a drainage tube attached to it, containing a small amount of dark red liquid.

He was staring at the ceiling with his eyes open. Hearing footsteps, he turned his head.

The anesthetic had worn off completely, and the pain from the wound was now surging. He saw Ye Zhen walking over, and forced a rather unpleasant smile.

"Wife." His voice was hoarse.

Ye Zhen walked to the bedside, and the first thing she did was check the readings on the monitor. Heart rate 85, blood pressure 115/75, blood oxygen saturation 98.

Very stable.

She lowered her head, her gaze falling on his face.

"Does it hurt?" she asked.

"It doesn't hurt."

Ye Zhen ignored his stubbornness and reached out to feel his forehead. He didn't have a fever.

"The bullet has been removed. It damaged a branch of the circumflex scapular artery, which I ligated. There was a slight contusion to the brachial plexus; my hand will feel a little numb in a few days, but it will gradually recover." Ye Zhen reported the surgical situation to him in a very formal manner.

Gu Zheng didn't understand the technical terms; he just stared at Ye Zhen's face.

"You performed the surgery on me?"

"Um."

"Is your hand steady?"

Ye Zhen glanced at him: "When have I ever been unstable?"

Gu Zheng chuckled, which pulled on the muscles in his left shoulder, causing him to gasp in pain.

"Don't move." Ye Zhen pressed down on his right arm.

Gu Zheng, not to be honest, grabbed Ye Zhen's hand with his right hand. His palm was sweaty and burning hot. He used some force to pull Ye Zhen's hand to his chest.

"You cried last night," Gu Zheng said.

Ye Zhen tried to pull her hand back, but couldn't, so she just let it go.

"I didn't cry."

"I saw it," Gu Zheng persisted, looking at her stomach. "You didn't hurt yourself in that fall yesterday, did you?"

"I protected her, she's fine," Ye Zhen replied.

Gu Zheng let out a long sigh of relief.

Where is Wei Peng?

"He was sentenced to death. The Wei family has also fallen." Ye Zhen briefly explained the situation.

"This kind of mess won't happen again," Gu Zheng said.

Ye Zhen nodded without saying anything, but simply squeezed his hand tighter.