Zhang Village.

The clinic entrance was crowded with curious onlookers. No one was there to seek medical help; they were all here to witness the spectacle. Zhang Village had brought in equipment they had never seen before, and everyone was abuzz with excitement.

The county hospital had sent two doctors to support them. One was Dr. Tian, a young doctor learning under Qiao Zheng. The other was Dr. Miao Ran, who had a reputation for clashing with the county’s traditional medicine practitioners.

Gao-Yuan approached and asked, “How has the clinic been performing these past few days?”

Zhao Huanzhang replied, “There have been a few cases of adenoviral pneumonia among children, but after treatment, the outcomes have been quite positive.”

Standing nearby, Liu Sanquan chimed in, “Just two days ago, a critically ill child came in. Honestly, I thought we wouldn’t be able to save them. But Dr. Zhao stayed up all night, adjusted the prescription three times, and managed to pull them through.”

Gao-Yuan glanced at Zhao Huanzhang.

The latter gave an awkward laugh, scratching his head.

It was becoming increasingly clear that Zhao Huanzhang had a “panda personality.” Whenever Gao-Yuan was around, he would appear cautious and submissive. But once Gao-Yuan left, Zhao’s courage and competence emerged, allowing him to handle situations independently.

Zhao Huanzhang was still worried that Gao-Yuan might scold him.

Instead, Gao-Yuan nodded approvingly. At least Zhao had held the fort in his absence. That was already good enough. After all, you couldn’t expect a doctor who was constantly fearful to completely transform overnight.

Relieved by Gao-Yuan’s reaction, Zhao Huanzhang discreetly exhaled.

He gestured toward Dr. Miao, who was busy working, and said nervously, “Who is that?”

He hadn’t attended the meeting earlier and wasn’t aware of the new developments.

Gao-Yuan glanced back and said, “From now on, this clinic will be the critical care centre for adenoviral pneumonia cases. Critically ill children from half the county will be sent here.”

“Wha—?” Zhao Huanzhang gasped audibly. This was mind-blowing. Last time, they had rushed hundreds of miles to assist with the influenza outbreak in Huo Township, which was already incredible. Now, half the county’s critical cases were coming to them?

In all the years of running Zhang Village’s United Clinic, Zhao had never imagined it would become such a big deal.

His smile was weighted with responsibility.

Gao-Yuan patted him on the shoulder and said, “Dr. Zhao, we have a heavy burden ahead.”

Zhao Huanzhang hurriedly replied, “I… I’ll just assist you. I can handle the routine cases.”

Gao-Yuan countered, “I can’t be here all the time. I’ll need to leave for consultations elsewhere. When I’m gone, the critical cases will be in your hands.”

Zhao Huanzhang almost burst into tears. You, Lao Gao, go out there bragging, and I, Lao Zhao, have to clean up after you.

Meanwhile, Shen Congyun was bustling around excitedly. He darted to and fro, occasionally peeking out the door and muttering, “Why aren’t they here yet?”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Liu Sanquan approached and asked, “Dr. Shen, what are you waiting for?”

“I’m waiting for an opportunity to serve the people!” Shen Congyun declared earnestly.

Liu Sanquan turned away, shaking his head. Dr. Shen’s gone mad.

Since they were now preparing to admit critical cases, the clinic needed to be reconfigured. Previously, patients had to go home after receiving their medications, as there were no inpatient facilities. Now, however, children from across the county’s townships needed not only care but also the detailed monitoring that only Western medicine could provide.

The young men from Huo Township took charge of the heavy lifting. In this era, people had strong hands-on skills. With a little tweaking and effort, they managed to set up rows of hospital beds. They worked quickly, even carrying large oxygen tanks into place with ease.

Still, their faces were clouded with worry.

“What’s wrong? Is something troubling you?” Gao-Yuan asked.

The young men exchanged glances. Wang Jinliang, the leader of the group, furrowed his brow and said, “Dr. Gao, the flu just passed, and now there’s this pneumonia outbreak. We don’t know how things are back home. What if someone’s fallen ill? We’re still just learning medicine and can’t do much to help, so we’re stuck here worrying.”

The others nodded in agreement, their concern evident. They were carrying the hopes of their entire villages and, though not fully trained, were deeply invested in their communities’ well-being.

Wang Jinliang looked toward Huo Township with a painful expression. “My baby boy was just born recently. I don’t even know how he’s doing.”

Gao-Yuan addressed them, “When we were in Huo Township, I promised that it would have its own doctor. I don’t make empty promises. While you may not yet be fully independent, you’ve already become a great help.”

Hearing this, the young men straightened their backs with renewed determination.

Gao-Yuan continued, “As before, we will send a doctor to the township. However, this time, we can only send one person because we’re responsible for the county’s critical cases and can’t spare too many.”

The young men were a bit disheartened but nodded in understanding.

At the mention of only one doctor going to Huo Township, Shen Congyun rushed back into the room and stood firmly in front of Gao-Yuan.

Gao-Yuan gave him a brief glance before addressing the others, “Although we can only send one doctor, you will still have vital responsibilities to carry out.”

The young men’s spirits lifted at the mention of a mission, and they stood at attention.

“First,” Gao-Yuan explained, “Huo Township is short on medicine. I’ve already spoken with Director Qi Dongsheng of the pharmaceutical company. He’ll allocate some supplies, and you will be responsible for transporting them to the township. Second, you need to survey the village for sick children, perform preliminary diagnoses, handle emergencies, and bring critical cases to the clinic.”

“Third, if a child doesn’t recover after seven days and their condition worsens, you must bring them here for treatment immediately. Remember, you are now health workers, not ordinary villagers. The lives of these children rest on your shoulders!”

Thanks to his past experiences, Gao-Yuan had focused heavily on training these men for such situations. Now they were ready to step up.

Understanding the gravity of their mission, the young men brimmed with enthusiasm.

Wang Jinliang exclaimed, “Dr. Gao, don’t worry. We’ll get the job done and take care of our fellow villagers. They’ll be so happy to see us return with medicine and a doctor!”

Their smiles were contagious.

One of them asked, “Dr. Gao, which doctor will accompany us back to the township?”

Shen Congyun leaped forward, glancing around to ensure Li Shengli wasn’t nearby, and shouted, “Me! It has to be me!”

Gao-Yuan questioned, “Are you sure? Huo Township is far, the patients are numerous, and you’re not young anymore. What if you can’t handle it?”

Shen Congyun, afraid Gao-Yuan might reject him, swore an oath. “Nonsense! I’ll save the children of Huo Township, even if it means skipping meals and sleep. Even if something happens to me, I won’t let anything happen to those kids!”

The health workers from Huo Township were deeply moved.

Gao-Yuan smiled faintly. Last time, it had taken so much effort to ignite Shen Congyun’s fighting spirit. Now, he was practically begging to go. If denied, he might even throw a tantrum.

Both Zhao Huanzhang and Liu Sanquan were in awe.

Gao-Yuan said, “Dr. Shen, I’ll entrust Huo Township’s children to you.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll get the job done!” Shen Congyun declared, pounding his chest.

Wang Jinliang added excitedly, “Thank you, Dr. Shen. We’ll set off first thing tomorrow morning!”

“Tomorrow?!” Shen Congyun scolded. “Are you even from Huo Township? Your villagers are suffering, and your children are sick, yet you can sleep? We leave now, immediately!”

He stormed to the door and shouted at the top of his lungs, “People of Huo Township, I, Shen Congyun, have come to save you!”

The health workers were moved to tears.

Zhao Huanzhang and Liu Sanquan looked at Shen Congyun as if they’d seen a ghost.