“Did the old master really say that? Is that even possible? Xu Ze can’t be more than twenty-one or twenty-two, can he?” After hearing Tang Guorui’s words, Secretary-General Lin couldn’t help but take a long breath. While he was deeply impressed by the ability Xu Ze had just displayed, that impression was limited to his acupuncture skills. How could he possibly have such profound accomplishments in both internal and surgical medicine as well?
With Secretary-General Lin’s experienced eye, honed over many years, he could naturally tell that Xu Ze was definitely not old. He reckoned that at such a young age, it should be impossible to have mastered both internal and surgical medicine…
Tang Guorui understood the implication behind Secretary-General Lin’s question and couldn’t help but smile. Hadn’t he thought the same thing initially?
Secretary-General Lin was one of his trusted confidants, so there was no need to hide anything. He shook his head and sighed, “The old master said it himself. Moreover, I heard Tang Zhi confirm it. The report from Director Qu of the First Affiliated Hospital’s Emergency Department to the old master shouldn’t be false… And judging by that kid’s demeanor today, it seems likely true.”
“And… my father’s illness was also cured by this kid…” Tang Guorui continued softly, revealing this astonishing news with a hint of pride.
“What? The old master’s illness is cured? Really?” Upon hearing this, Secretary-General Lin was indeed stunned for a moment, then overjoyed. This was wonderful news, absolutely wonderful.
For the Tang faction, this was truly the best news. The most powerful pillar behind the Tang faction was naturally the old master. Although the old master had been semi-retired for several years, his influence hadn’t diminished in the slightest. On the contrary, because of his retirement and his reluctance to interfere easily in political affairs, the higher-ups tended to respect the old master’s wishes even more on certain matters.
For someone like himself, who was already completely marked as part of the Tang faction, this was truly wonderful news. As long as the old master was around, as long as he could hold on for a few more years, the current rising star and leader of the Tang faction standing before him had hope of reaching the pinnacle… And loyal Tang faction members like himself could naturally rise along with the tide in the future.
Watching the excited smile on his capable subordinate’s face, Tang Guorui nodded with a smile. The old master’s chest pain problem was now completely cured. Moreover, under that kid’s care and recuperation, his health seemed to be even stronger than before. It looked like there wouldn’t be any major issues for the next decade or so. That kid had really done the Tang family a huge favor.
While feeling excited, Secretary-General Lin couldn’t help but feel a sense of gratitude towards Xu Ze as well. In recent years, due to the frequent attacks of Tang Laoye’s illness, some opponents of the Tang faction had been growing restless. Even the Executive Vice Mayor, Zhang Yi, had become somewhat audacious. It wasn’t until recently, after apparently being firmly put in his place by Tang Laoye, that he quieted down a bit.
If the old master were truly gone, who knew to what extent these people would stir up trouble…
Secretary-General Lin said with a smile, “I heard Vice Mayor Zhang has been frequently traveling to the capital recently, seemingly visiting the Zhang family…”
“The Zhang family?” Tang Guorui frowned slightly as he looked at Secretary-General Lin, his thick eyebrows raising a little. “Has Zhang Yi latched onto the leg of the Yanjing Zhang family?”
“Most likely. I noticed Vice Mayor Zhang has been in very high spirits lately, looking quite triumphant within the government, completely different from his low-profile demeanor a while back. It seems he has connected with the Li family!” Secretary-General Lin nodded with a light laugh. He had been somewhat nervous about this matter previously, but now, he didn’t need to worry at all.
Tang Guorui raised his eyebrows and smiled faintly, “That person from the Li family has been gradually gaining a more prominent position in the capital over the years since the old master retired. However… our Tang family naturally has no fear of them. Even if Zhang Yi has latched onto this connection, it’s not his turn to throw his weight around in Star City.”
Secretary-General Lin nodded with a faint smile that conveyed agreement. However, his thoughts had already drifted elsewhere… Mayor Tang’s nephew, named Xu Ze, seemed to have gained some notoriety a while back. Wasn’t he the one who drove Vice Mayor Zhang’s youngest son half-mad?…
This young man is truly remarkable. His acupuncture skills seem excellent; he even managed to get the better of Zhang Lide. And he even cured the old master’s illness… Perhaps I could find a way to ask him to try treating my own chronic back pain…
As an important figure within the Tang faction, if I approach him, he should give some face…
Drunk driving is truly a violation of the law. Although this amount of alcohol had no effect on Xu Ze, considering the country’s recent severe crackdowns in this area, Xu Ze naturally drove with extreme caution.
Fortunately, the journey went smoothly without encountering any traffic police checks. He safely delivered Lin Yumeng to the school gate.
Returning home, he took a good, hot shower, washing away all traces of the bloody smell, and changed into clean clothes before finally relaxing.
Although he was long accustomed to the smell of blood, it didn’t mean he didn’t detest this nauseating odor. If someone actually liked this smell, Xu Ze would definitely consider that person a pervert.
As usual, wearing comfortable long sweatpants, he walked out onto the balcony. The cool night breeze gently brushed over his bare upper body. Feeling the slight chill, Xu Ze stretched lazily, let out a long breath, and leaned lightly on the railing, gazing down at the night view of North Lake…
He loved this feeling, this sense of unconstrained relaxation…
However, he had never truly relaxed. Thinking of Sun Lingfei and the Sun family’s attitude, an intangible pressure always seemed to linger around him, to a greater or lesser degree.
Therefore, he had been diligently training, strengthening his abilities to deal with various possible situations and surprises in the future, equipping himself to protect his relationship with Sun Lingfei…
“If it weren’t for her… perhaps my life would be much easier now…” A trace of confusion flashed in Xu Ze’s eyes. But it quickly solidified into determination. No matter what, Sun Lingfei was his choice. Her image, her voice, her smile still occupied his heart. He would never give up…
Xu Ze let out a soft sigh, released his grip on the railing, slowly stood up straight, and gently closed his eyes. He focused his consciousness inward, into his dantian, and once again began the energy cycle cultivation.
Today, the energy that had already been fully accumulated was once again depleted by nearly thirty percent due to the daytime emergency rescue. Refilling it would take at least another two or three days. Whenever he thought of this, Xu Ze couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious. Each full accumulation of energy could only sustain a few uses, let alone power other system functions.
His current level was still somewhat low. If he could advance to a higher level, the amount of energy he could accumulate would increase. Moreover, when using those functions, energy consumption would correspondingly decrease. The higher his level, the less likely he would face problems due to sudden energy depletion, even if encountering situations requiring massive energy consumption in the future.
Currently, the energy mass in Xu Ze’s dantian had condensed to an extremely viscous state. Through his recent efforts, he had also managed to complete twenty-four cycles of the energy loop in a single session. He wasn’t too far from the twenty-seven cycles required for the next advancement.
Driven by Xu Ze’s will, the energy mass moved quietly, slowly yet steadily, through his Ren and Du meridians. One cycle, two cycles… the speed gradually increased…
After completing two major cycles, a total of forty-eight minor cycles, Xu Ze slowly opened his eyes. The energy mass in his dantian was now slightly more condensed than before. Moreover, the energy level, which had been less than seventy percent initially, had now risen to around eighty percent.
Feeling the fullness in his dantian, Xu Ze nodded in satisfaction. He glanced at the dimly lit North Lake, let out a soft sigh, and began to gently move his limbs. He was very satisfied with his current state. Maintaining an upright posture for several hours provided excellent physical training.
After stretching his limbs, Xu Ze returned to his room and lay down on the bed. Now it was time to enter the virtual space.
Through his recent hard work, he had finally managed to pass the several language courses Xiao Dao had assigned. Whenever he remembered that he had actually learned seven foreign languages, Xu Ze couldn’t help but feel a bit proud.
“Today… let’s play with something you’ll probably really like…” Xiao Dao’s words filled Xu Ze with excitement and anticipation.
With a wave of Xiao Dao’s hand, a long table appeared before Xu Ze. On the table, arranged from short to long, was a row of various firearms: pistols, submachine guns, rifles, sniper rifles…
“As a super medic, besides medical capabilities, the most important skill is combat ability…” Xiao Dao lightly tapped the table, looking at the array of weapons. He sighed softly, “The weapons of your era are too backward. I’ve searched through the databases of all military institutions and found that the vast majority are still these old-fashioned gunpowder firearms. Energy weapons are extremely rare…”
“Energy weapons?” Xu Ze looked up at the few oddly-shaped weapons at the far end of the table, a flicker of pleasant surprise crossing his face. He naturally knew what Xiao Dao meant by energy weapons, but he hadn’t expected Xiao Dao to simulate all these weapons.
“Alright… Let’s start with the basics… These are all things you must master…” Xiao Dao picked up a very familiar-looking piece from the table and handed it over…
“Uh…” Looking at the small, short firearm in his hand, Xu Ze couldn’t help but sigh softly. He looked at Xiao Dao and said, “Not many people use these anymore, right? Can we skip this one?”
Xiao Dao chuckled and said, “This is the most basic. Although rarely used now, you still have to master it. After all, it’s still in use in quite a few places…”
Looking at the revolver in his hand, which resembled the cap guns he played with as a child, Xu Ze could only sigh and start figuring out how to use it…
Fortunately, Xu Ze had seen a few Western cowboy movies. After examining it for a bit, he figured out the operation. Taking the two boxes of bullets Xiao Dao handed him, he started loading…
Once Xu Ze finished loading, Xiao Dao waved his hand, and a target appeared opposite them. Xiao Dao said with a smile, “Give it a try… Fifteen meters… Don’t embarrass yourself too much…”
Looking at the target, which only had three holes despite six shots… Xu Ze felt his face flush slightly with embarrassment…
Xiao Dao, watching from the side, chuckled. For a first attempt at a fifteen-meter target, missing three shots… wasn’t actually too bad…
“Lower your arm a little, raise the barrel slightly…”
Under Xiao Dao’s guidance, after firing over a hundred rounds, Xu Ze finally started getting the hang of it. Every bullet hit the target, and influenced by Tao Jun’s experience, his accuracy seemed to improve more and more towards the end…
Seeing Xu Ze’s progress, Xiao Dao was also quite satisfied. For Xiao Dao, Xu Ze’s improvement was naturally what pleased him the most…
“Alright, alright, now familiarize yourself with this one…” Xiao Dao said with a smile, picking up the second gun and handing it over.
Reluctantly putting down the revolver, Xu Ze took the new gun from Xiao Dao. Looking at its even more familiar shape, he couldn’t help but sigh again: “Our signature Type 54… Of course, it’s this one…”
After practicing with firearms all night, Xu Ze only barely managed to get familiar with some of the light weapons. As for sniper rifles and machine guns, he hadn’t had a chance to touch them yet.
Nevertheless, Xu Ze was still extremely excited. As a guy, every male enjoys these cold, steel contraptions. Getting to play with a variety of them all night was enough to keep him thrilled for a long time.
The morning class was another Internal Medicine lecture. Sitting in the large classroom, listening to the professor passionately explaining the etiology and pathological changes of coronary heart disease, Xu Ze found it as dull as reheated leftovers. Waves of drowsiness washed over him, and he couldn’t help but yawn repeatedly…
His buddies like Luo Zi nearby were already accustomed to Xu Ze’s act of holding a book and pretending to pay attention in class. For most of the past year, Xu Ze always seemed listless during lectures, yet he always passed exams easily. So, everyone was used to it. It wasn’t strange if Xu Ze yawned; even if he slept, it was perfectly normal.
Even many teachers, mostly familiar with the recently prominent Xu Ze, tended to turn a blind eye to such an excellent student. As long as he passed exams and had decent grades, they let him be…
However, the old professor teaching Internal Medicine below was a dedicated academic, not particularly concerned with many campus affairs. Moreover, Internal Medicine had just started this semester. Seeing Xu Ze brazenly yawning while slumped at his desk, the professor felt displeased. In his decades of teaching, no one had ever dared to be so inattentive in his class.
The old professor was quite confident. Internal Medicine was essentially the foundation for these students’ future careers. Without mastering it, no one could fare well out there.
Therefore, during Internal Medicine lectures, few students daydreamed. The vast majority listened intently, afraid of missing anything. He rarely encountered someone who showed such disregard for his subject.
Frowning slightly, his graying eyebrows knitting together, the professor spoke into the microphone with a light hum, “That student in the white shirt, please stand up…”
Hearing the professor’s sudden call, everyone was taken aback. Following the professor’s gaze, they looked toward the back.
Xu Ze, however, hadn’t quite registered it. He was holding the Internal Medicine textbook, pretending to shield his eyes, planning to doze off during class.
Luo Zi, seeing Xu Ze’s nonchalant demeanor, even seeming about to rest his head on the desk, finally couldn’t stand it. The old professor was glaring at you from below… How could you be so disrespectful?
He quickly nudged Xu Ze and whispered, “The professor is calling you…”
“Huh? Me?” Xu Ze was startled, suddenly recalling that the professor had just called on someone to answer a question. Did he call on me? What a coincidence!
He quickly peeked over the top of his book, glancing downward. He finally noticed the students in the rows below, looking at him with a mix of concern and faint excitement…
Looking more carefully, Xu Ze realized… they weren’t just looking in his general direction; they were staring right at him. Feeling a pang of guilt, he quickly looked toward the old professor at the podium.
Sure enough, one look confirmed it. Xu Ze smiled wryly. The old professor’s graying eyebrows were twitching slightly below, his sharp eyes fixed on Xu Ze, full of annoyance.
“Gah… He really is calling on me…” Xu Ze hurriedly stood up. He was an elder after all, and respecting elders and caring for the young was a fine tradition. He shouldn’t keep the elder waiting any longer…
Student Xu Ze looked somewhat awkwardly at the old professor below, scratching the back of his head. Facing the professor’s obvious displeasure, he summoned his nerve and asked with an embarrassed smile, “Professor… Are you calling on me?”
“Yes… you,” the old professor said, looking at this brazenly shameless student who slept in class and stood up without a hint of shame. He felt his temper rising. He had never encountered someone so inattentive in class, yet so unrepentant when called out.
However, being a seasoned professor, his composure was well-honed. Although quite angered by Xu Ze, no obvious signs of rage showed on his face. He just looked at Xu Ze with a cool glint in his eyes and said with a faint smile, “Student… The weather is quite nice today, isn’t it?”
“Ah… Ha… Yes, very nice, very nice…” Xu Ze naturally noticed the suppressed anger in the professor’s eyes but could only agree with an awkward smile.
“Hmm…” The professor nodded slowly, still smiling. “Indeed… The weather is cool, not hot. Perfect weather for sleeping.”
Hearing the professor’s slightly sarcastic remark, the wry smile on Xu Ze’s face deepened. He could only reply helplessly, “You’re right, professor… The autumn breeze and atmosphere make one sleepy.”
Seeing that Xu Ze still showed little sign of shame and was instead being glib, the old professor snorted inwardly. He knew this kid’s face was thick enough; bantering like this was a waste of breath.
Finally unable to contain himself, he directly reprimanded, “You can even compose poetry… But do you know where you are?”
Seeing the old professor finally drop the pretense, Xu Ze actually felt relieved. He promptly bowed his head and apologized, “Professor… I was wrong!”
“Wrong? You finally admit you’re wrong?” The professor snorted. “Sleeping in my class… Do you think my lecture is poor?”
