In a sleepy daze, Yan Feifan felt a terrible tickle in his nose.

He opened his eyes to see a pair of smiling, crescent-moon-shaped eyes just inches away, and a small hand holding a lock of hair.

Last night, Yan Feifan hadn’t returned to Zuimo Court. Instead, he’d crashed for the night in Qin Ying’s medical research office again.

This lifestyle was much like his life before the accident that had left him in a coma.

Back then, whenever he worked late and the trip home seemed too far, Yan Feifan would grab a blanket and sleeping bag and find an empty lounge or office to crash in for the night.

Things were much more comfortable now, by comparison.

Even when sleeping in the research office, the sofa was plenty wide. There was a pillow and a thin blanket, and he even had pajamas and a change of underwear that he’d left here before. The comfort level wasn’t bad at all.

Most importantly, it was quiet here at night, so no one would bother him.

Yan Feifan closed his eyes and lay flat, taking stock of his physical condition. "What time is it?" he asked.

"Almost seven-thirty."

As the voice spoke next to his ear, Yan Feifan felt a pair of hands land on his shoulders and begin to knead them.

"Breakfast is milk and pan-fried buns. You can eat after you wash up."

Yan Feifan lingered on the sofa for a few minutes, letting himself wake up more, before climbing somewhat stiffly to his feet.

He took a change of clothes to the bathroom to relieve himself, wash up, and get dressed. By the time he came out, it was already seven forty-five.

Yan Feifan sat down on the now-tidy sofa. He first drank half a glass of warm milk, then started taking large bites of the beef-filled pan-fried buns.

"Feifan, my Uncle Youhai came to Zuimo Court last night. My sister and I had dinner with him."

Yu Suye said, unable to hide her excitement, "My uncle said Baining Hospital is going to build a branch campus, and Binhai is a top candidate city!"

"Feifan, if Baining Hospital builds its branch in Binhai, we won’t have to worry about being separated in the future!"

Yan Feifan shot her a look. "You’re really thinking far ahead."

"Even if they decide on Binhai, building a large hospital isn’t something that can be done in a year or two. There’s planning, site selection, construction, furnishing, and equipment installation."

Yu Suye huffed. "Feifan, what’s that supposed to mean?"

"I’m not with you on a whim, just looking for a fling or some simple fun."

"I’m in this with you for the long haul, so of course I’m going to plan for our future."

Oil dripped from one of the buns, and she pulled out two tissues and handed them to Yan Feifan.

"Feifan, you need to take this seriously and help out, okay?"

Yan Feifan took the tissues, wiped his fingers and the corner of his mouth, and asked nonchalantly, "I’m just a doctor. How could I possibly help with something as big as building a hospital?"

"Vice President Liu should be able to," Yu Suye reminded him.

"Given his position and connections, he should be able to get a word in with the senior leadership at the Health Commission."

"This is a major hospital with an investment of over two billion yuan. It will definitely need the Health Commission’s approval and support."

"Feifan, for you, it’s just one phone call..."

At Yu Suye’s request and urging, Yan Feifan had no choice but to call Liu Jin right after finishing breakfast.

"Feifan, is Mr. Wang still taking on junior doctors?"

Faced with Liu Jin’s urgent question, Yan Feifan answered honestly, "Mr. Liu, I haven’t found the time or opportunity to ask Mr. Wang yet. I’ll be sure to ask him today."

"But I’m calling about something else."

After a brief pause, Yan Feifan asked, "Mr. Liu, have you heard anything about Baining Hospital planning to build a branch campus in a city outside of Jingcheng?"

Before he had even finished speaking, Liu Jin’s voice shot back through the phone, "Feifan, are you sure? Is this information reliable?"

Yan Feifan glanced at Yu Suye and said, "Mr. Liu, Director Yu Youhai of Baining Hospital said it himself. It should be reliable."

"Ah, Feifan, tell me exactly what he said, in detail."

At these words, Yan Feifan relayed Yu Youhai’s words from the dinner to Liu Jin over the phone, with Yu Suye quietly prompting him.

When he finished his account, the other end of the line went silent.

Yan Feifan knew better than to rush him, so he simply waited.

A minute or two later, Liu Jin’s voice finally came slowly through the phone.

"Baining Hospital wanting to build a branch... that resolution probably hasn’t been passed within the Baining Group yet. And I’d imagine the opposition is quite strong."

"Otherwise, news like this would have spread like wildfire, and cities all over the country would be knocking on their door, trying to win the project."

"Then, Baining Hospital could take the offers from those other cities and use them as leverage when negotiating terms with major cities like Binhai. That would give them the upper hand."

Liu Jin chuckled over the phone. "That sly old fox... he didn’t just say that casually. He told you two that on purpose."

"He knew the message would get to me through you."

"Heh. To build a hospital that large, it’s best to have local partners."

"And our Affiliated Hospital, along with the Medical College, would undoubtedly be excellent partners."

"If they could operate under the name ’The Second Affiliated Hospital of Binhai University Medical College,’ their public appeal and credibility would increase significantly."

"Heh heh..."

Liu Jin’s laughter over the phone grew louder.

"Yu Youhai is trying to stir things up to force the Baining Group’s hand and get them to quickly approve the decision to build the branch."

"And I need to stir things up myself, to increase my leverage in the running for Hospital President..."

"Feifan, I’ll contact him directly about this..."

After ending the call with Liu Jin, Yan Feifan and Yu Suye exchanged a look. Yan Feifan couldn’t help but sigh, "Mr. Liu’s ability to read between the lines is truly incredible."

Yu Suye nodded her little head. "Vice President Liu is a natural at politics and management..."

It was Thursday, so Yan Feifan hurried to the Neurosurgery Department.

He didn’t bother contacting Qiu Ge to ask about Ren Xiaobao’s post-operative condition.

Yan Feifan knew that Ren Xiaobao wouldn’t wake up for at least two or three days while he recovered.

In the Neurosurgery Director’s office, Mr. Lo tossed two case files over to him.

"Feifan, as your reputation spreads, we’re getting patients with particularly difficult intraspinal tumors coming here specifically for you."

"These two patients pulled a lot of strings to get to me, so I couldn’t really turn them down."

"Take a look at their files over the next couple of days..."

Yan Feifan put the files away for the time being. That morning, he followed Mr. Lo on his rounds, discussing patient conditions and treatment plans.

At lunchtime, Yan Feifan hurried over to the director’s office at the Plastic Surgery Center.

Pushing the door open, Yan Feifan saw Mr. Wang arranging takeout containers on the coffee table in the reception area.

"Feifan, you said you had something to talk to me about!"

"Come and sit. We can talk while we eat."

Yan Feifan sat down across from Mr. Wang and got straight to the point. "Mr. Wang, Mrs. Yu and Vice President Liu have all been asked to put in a good word, so they had me ask you if you had any intention of taking on more junior doctors."

Wang Chuan picked up his chopsticks, only to set them back down.

He gave a wry smile. "Feifan, you know? At least ten people have already asked me that same question."

"I never thought that taking on Lin Qian on a whim would cause such a chain reaction."

Feeling a little sheepish, Yan Feifan offered a rare bit of flattery. "Well, plastic surgery is a top choice for many junior doctors, and you, Mr. Wang, are a nationally renowned master. It’s only natural they’d all come running at the first sign of an opportunity."

"Mr. Wang, if you really don’t want to take on any junior doctors, just turn them all down. The most they can do is grumble behind your back. It’s not like they can do anything to you."

Wang Chuan shot Yan Feifan a sideways glance and said with a note of resignation, "They can’t do anything, it’s true, but I can’t just act on my own whims either."

"After all, everyone needs to ask for a favor sooner or later."

Wang Chuan sighed again. "The center has lost quite a few staff members recently for various reasons. We really do need to bring in some new people."

"Feifan, tell them I’ll take on five more."

"Also, tell them that since too many people are pulling strings, I can’t bring myself to refuse anyone without offending someone. So, I’ve decided to hold a public examination."

"I’ll choose the best candidates from the results..."