Chapter 1

In July, the capital city was stiflingly hot, like a giant steamer, with people inside it being like large meat buns, repeatedly steamed dry. Apart from the moisture being forcibly steamed out of their bodies, there was not a drop of water in the "steamer," and the dry heat could drive a person mad!

It was already six in the evening, but the temperature showed no sign of dropping. The heat was even more intense, and the sky was dim and gloomy, with the sun, invisible, continuing to radiate scorching heat somewhere.

Suddenly, a gentle breeze blew, causing the emerald green leaves of the trees on both sides of the road to rustle. This rare breeze should have brought a coolness, but for some reason, it still felt hot and made the heat even more unbearable. The sky, which had turned a murky yellow, began to darken, and a few raindrops fell to the ground!

The drizzle soon turned into a torrential downpour, which instantly quieted the bustling capital city. The streets were almost deserted except for the vehicles speeding by, as all pedestrians were busy finding shelter from the rain. However, in the small park behind Anhe Hospital, built for patients to take walks, a thin and frail young man sat motionless!

The young man's name was Su Hongwen, an intern at Anhe Hospital. However, his internship had ended today! Su Hongwen's wet bangs covered his forehead, and beneath them was a pair of thick, black-rimmed glasses. The left arm of the glasses seemed to be broken and was wrapped with a strip of white tape, which anyone who worked in a hospital could recognize as medical tape!

The thickness of the lenses was several centimeters, indicating that the wearer had severe myopia. Thanks to modern technology, such high myopia no longer required the thick, bottle-bottom-like lenses of decades ago!

Su Hongwen's facial features were not unattractive; in fact, they were quite delicate. However, all of this was overshadowed by the thick, black-rimmed glasses, which made him look very unsophisticated. No matter who saw Su Hongwen, they felt that he exuded a rustic air. There were many interns at Anhe Hospital, and those who enjoyed belittling others and elevating themselves had given Su Hongwen a nickname—Clay Turtle!

This nickname had followed Su Hongwen for a year. Some people called him this behind his back, but others, like Zhou Siyuan, who was handsome, wealthy, and had a guaranteed position at the hospital, called him this to his face!

Su Hongwen dared to be angry but not to speak out. Zhou Siyuan described Su Hongwen as a dirt-poor Clay Turtle, and this was indeed the case. Su Hongwen's parents were ordinary citizens who had used their life savings to send him to university. After that, they had no means to help him find a job at a hospital.

Although doctors were often criticized and treated like rats in the street, they were still considered a good profession by the general public. However, medical schools in China were already in excess, with 600,000 graduates each year. Ninety percent of these graduates, like Su Hongwen's family, could not afford to pay for connections to get a job at a hospital. Therefore, people like Su Hongwen had to change careers and could never become doctors.

To become a formal doctor at a county-level second-class hospital, even with connections, such as having a relative or friend who was the hospital director or a health bureau chief, or a leader in a powerful department, it would still cost at least 160,000 yuan! For a city-level hospital, this figure would be at least 500,000 yuan, and even then, with a low degree, one could only be assigned to a support department, not a key department like surgery or internal medicine.

For someone like Su Hongwen, who had no money or connections, the profession of doctor was completely out of reach. The only option was to go to a remote mountainous area for two years, but the monthly salary there was only 400 yuan, which was not enough to cover basic living expenses. However, food and accommodation were provided.

But after two years, if one still had no money or connections, they would have to find another job, wasting two years of their life!

As a student who had just stepped out of the school gate, Su Hongwen could not have known all this. Zhou Siyuan had told him all this today, and the reason was that Su Hongwen had looked at An Zinan a few times too many!

An Zinan was a fairy who seemed to have descended from the heavens. Her beauty was indescribable to a young man like Su Hongwen, who was just beginning to experience love. If one had to describe her, one might say that An Zinan was like the character Xiaolongnü in Jin Yong's novels, with her ethereal beauty, noble demeanor, and transcendent grace. Su Hongwen could only remember a few lines from the poems describing Xiaolongnü!

In Su Hongwen's eyes, An Zinan was a hundred times more beautiful than Xiaolongnü. After all, Xiaolongnü was just a character in a novel, and her beauty could only be imagined through the words in the book. An Zinan, on the other hand, was a real person, and anyone who saw her, regardless of age or gender, would be momentarily stunned by her beauty.

Faced with such a beautiful woman, a young man like Su Hongwen was naturally captivated. However, Su Hongwen was not without self-awareness. He knew that a girl like An Zinan was far beyond his reach, so he could only silently admire her. During their year of internship, Su Hongwen had spoken to An Zinan no more than five times!

Zhou Siyuan, on the other hand, had spent the entire year trying to win An Zinan's favor, but the fairy-like An Zinan showed no interest in the wealthy and handsome Zhou Siyuan. On the last day of the internship, Zhou Siyuan had once again tried to win her over, but he had been rejected again!

Su Hongwen, standing nearby, knew that this was the last time he would see An Zinan. After today, he would have to struggle for a living, possibly as a pharmaceutical representative, a job related to his major, or he might have to change careers entirely. He did not know what he would do, but he knew it would not be a good job.

An Zinan, on the other hand, would stay at this best hospital in China and become a doctor. From tomorrow, they would be worlds apart. He would be a lowly weed, while An Zinan would be the brightest star in the sky!

Su Hongwen knew that he might spend his life in mediocrity, while An Zinan, with her family background and talent in medicine, would surely become the best doctor. Thinking of this, Su Hongwen felt a mix of sadness and envy. He looked at An Zinan a few more times, not with any impure thoughts, but simply to engrave her beautiful face in his heart as a cherished memory. However, these few glances infuriated Zhou Siyuan, who had just been rejected by An Zinan!

Without a second thought, Zhou Siyuan stepped forward, grabbed Su Hongwen by the collar, and dragged him out. He did not want to show his violent side in front of An Zinan! An Zinan, who was focused on the patient files she would be responsible for the next day, did not see Zhou Siyuan drag Su Hongwen out.

Although Su Hongwen was thin and weak, and was considered a Clay Turtle and a complete pauper by Zhou Siyuan, this did not mean he lacked courage. In the past, Su Hongwen had endured Zhou Siyuan's ridicule and insults to complete his internship and obtain his internship evaluation, which he needed to graduate. But today, he had already received his evaluation, so he no longer had to tolerate Zhou Siyuan's abuse.

However, Su Hongwen did not want An Zinan to see his violent side, so he did not make a sound as Zhou Siyuan dragged him out.

Zhou Siyuan, who was also staying at the hospital, did not want to cause any trouble, so he dragged Su Hongwen to the park behind the hospital. As soon as they were outside, Su Hongwen pushed Zhou Siyuan's hand away and stared at him like a wounded animal. He had endured a lot of abuse from Zhou Siyuan over the past year and was fed up with it!

Seeing Su Hongwen's defiant look, Zhou Siyuan sneered and said, "Clay Turtle, do you want to fight? Just you? Fine, I'll give you a chance. Let's see if you dare to come!" With that, Zhou Siyuan walked out.

Su Hongwen said nothing and followed. When they reached a secluded corner in the park behind the hospital, Zhou Siyuan suddenly turned and punched Su Hongwen in the stomach. Zhou Siyuan was much taller and stronger, standing at 182 cm, while Su Hongwen was only 170 cm. The punch knocked Su Hongwen to the ground.

Despite the pain in his abdomen, Su Hongwen still stared defiantly at Zhou Siyuan. He had not expected Zhou Siyuan to be so despicable and to attack him from behind!

Seeing Su Hongwen's defiant look, Zhou Siyuan's anger flared up. He stepped forward and kicked Su Hongwen, who was struggling to get up, back to the ground. He shouted, "You piece of trash, you dare to glare at me? What are you, a piece of garbage!"

Zhou Siyuan's kicks rained down on Su Hongwen's body. As he kicked and beat him, he shouted, "A poor guy like you wants to stay at the hospital? You also have the nerve to think about An Zinan? Wake up, trash! Go home and ask your father why he couldn't afford to raise a son. If a father can't provide a good future for his son, he shouldn't have had him. You and your damn father are both trash!"