Chapter One: The Car Accident and the Urgent Rescue

“Fang Zhiyan—wait, just an undergraduate?”

“Who called him in for this interview? We’re a People’s Hospital, at least a tier-three grade B institution.”

“Bringing in a fresh graduate with only a bachelor’s degree—what a waste of my time!”

“Next!”

Inside the Jiang’an People’s Hospital of Donghai Province, Fang Zhiyan slowly raised his head, a shadow of gloom flickering in his eyes.

Opposite him sat several lead examiners from Jiang’an People’s Hospital.

The one who’d spoken was Du Yu, the head of the Emergency Department.

At this moment, Du Yu glanced at Fang Zhiyan with undisguised irritation and waved his hand dismissively.

A colleague next to him, however, spoke with a hint of apology, “I’m sorry—even though your interview scores are excellent…”

“But your academic credentials don’t meet our hospital’s requirements, so…”

“I suggest you try at a community clinic.”

At these words, Fang Zhiyan sighed lightly. He wanted to argue his case, for now he desperately needed a job to support his family.

“I know my degree is a bit low, but my abilities are second to none. Couldn’t you reconsider?”

“Do you not understand plain language? Your education level is too low. You don’t meet the requirements. Out! Next!”

Du Yu looked up again, his irritable temper and frosty gaze shattering the last of Fang Zhiyan’s hopes.

Fang murmured his thanks, turned, and left.

Behind him, Du Yu’s voice could still be vaguely heard.

“No wonder his credentials are so low—can’t even understand simple instructions. Told him he’s unqualified, and he’s still going on!”

Fang Zhiyan pressed his lips together as he walked through the hospital’s front doors.

The People’s Hospital might only have been tier-three grade B, but in a fourth-tier city like Jiang’an, it was already the best hospital available.

Yet, even in such a place, not even a hospital in a small city would accept a bachelor’s graduate.

Fang Zhiyan sighed and hurried toward the next hospital.

Watching the buildings of the early twenty-first century flashing by outside the window, he still felt as though he were in a dream.

After all, just yesterday, he had been a renowned master surgeon, respected throughout the world as the Sage of Surgery, a giant in traditional Chinese medicine!

But now, he had crossed into the body of an ordinary young doctor in the early twenty-first century.

Not only had his name become Fang Zhiyan, even his degree was reduced to a mere undergraduate in medicine.

The original owner of this body had died from an electric shock while using an immersion heater to boil water.

All Fang Zhiyan could do was live on in his stead.

To give credit, the original owner had been a man of principle. He was the third child in the family, with an older half-brother and half-sister, and a younger sister.

His mother, Jiang Xu, was the second wife of his father, Fang Jianjun.

As for the first wife, after bearing him a son and a daughter, she was driven away by domestic abuse.

Fang Zhiyan and his younger sister Fang Zhixia were Jiang Xu’s children.

But life in the Fang family was far from easy for them.

Their father was a drunkard and an abuser. After marrying Jiang Xu, his violence only worsened—not only beating his wife, but forcing her to handle all the household chores and meals.

For eight family members, including grandparents, every meal and every piece of laundry fell to his mother alone.

Even so, she had to endure constant nitpicking from the grandmother and ridicule from the older siblings.

Finally, when his mother once forgot to empty the grandmother’s chamber pot, she was beaten with a stool until her head was bleeding.

It was this that finally pushed the original Fang Zhiyan to break with the family after graduating from university. He split from them in a fit of rage, taking his mother and sister away.

Had they stayed, his mother and sister might have been beaten or starved to death at any time.

His mother had originally been against separating from the family, as it meant no roof over their heads and nothing to eat.

The only reason the original Fang Zhiyan had been able to attend university at all was because his mother did endless needlework to support him, with occasional help from his grandfather and a generous teacher who paid his tuition and encouraged him to stay in school.

And finally, out of pity, the neighbors chipped in.

Four people together scraped together enough for him to finish his five-year medical program.

On top of that, he worked odd jobs the whole time, barely scraping through to graduation.

He had thought that life would improve once he graduated, but as a graduate from an ordinary university, he couldn’t find a good job.

Even his rented room was paid for by a loyal friend.

This left the original owner deeply discouraged.

Ultimately, it was while boiling water with an immersion heater, distracted and with wet hands, that he touched the socket and died instantly.

By luck or fate, Fang Zhiyan’s soul crossed over at that moment, taking on this new life.

Having borrowed another’s identity, he knew he must bear its responsibilities.

The old Fang Zhiyan was gone; the new one lived on.

So now, he resolved to help care for the family on the original owner’s behalf.

And so, he went out, seeking employment everywhere.

But the original owner’s resume was, frankly, unimpressive.

Just a regular undergraduate medical school!

Hospitals in big cities wouldn’t even consider him; he could only try his luck back home in Jiang’an.

But the People’s Hospital had turned him down, and not without a few cutting remarks.

Still, Fang Zhiyan was undeterred. He knew the resume belonged to the original owner.

In his previous life, he had been a master surgeon who’d conquered countless surgical frontiers. All he needed was one chance, and he would shine.

What Fang Zhiyan lacked now was simply an opportunity.

So, he turned and headed straight for the Jiang’an Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital.

The TCM Hospital had once focused mainly on traditional treatments, but with the rise of Western medicine, it too had reformed.

In addition to keeping its unique TCM departments, it had added many Western medical specialties and techniques.

Now it was not much different from the People’s Hospital.

The original owner’s grandfather had been a rural TCM doctor, so Fang Zhiyan thought he might have better luck there.

But dreams are always beautiful, while reality is harsh.

After carefully reviewing Fang Zhiyan’s case, the chief examiner at the TCM Hospital, He Dongfang, gave a helpless smile.

“Young man, your abilities are impressive.”

“But your hard qualifications just don’t meet our standards. It’s the hospital’s rule—I can’t change it.”

“If you want, you could try a community clinic or a private practice?”

At these words, Fang Zhiyan exhaled quietly.

Another failure.

He forced a bitter smile, stood up, and prepared to leave.

Behind him, He Dongfang sighed regretfully.

If even the TCM Hospital wouldn’t take him, where could he go? Was he really doomed to work in a community clinic?

Those places paid a pittance—he could never feed three mouths on that.

Leaving the administration building, Fang Zhiyan walked slowly through the newly reformed hospital, a trace of melancholy on his face.

As he pondered his next move, a sudden commotion erupted from the emergency hall in the distance.

“Hurry, open the emergency passage!”

“Another ambulance full of injured!”

“There’s been a traffic accident nearby. Most of the patients are being sent here. Anyone free, get over here now!”

Standing at the entrance to the emergency hall, Fang Zhiyan saw victims filling the corridors.

Patients with varying degrees of severity were being triaged into different areas.

Many were wailing, their cries gut-wrenching, the scene utterly tragic.

Blood, splintered bone, and various unidentifiable fluids were everywhere.

It was a catastrophic traffic accident!

Perhaps because the emergency department was new, the hospital was desperately short-handed—even interns were being pressed into service.

But they lacked any experience with disasters like this, and now they were clearly at a loss.

If only I were in charge, Fang thought.

Wait!

He looked up.

He might not have a practicing physician’s license, but he possessed the experience of a master surgeon from his previous life.

Handling a scene like this was hardly a challenge.

Even saving just one extra life would be worthwhile.

More than anything, this was his chance to prove himself!

After all, even his current apartment was being paid for by his friend Lu Mingtao!

Fang Zhiyan desperately needed a break.

With that thought, he gritted his teeth, summoned his courage, and strode toward the chaos.