Chapter 642: Chapter 641: A Slap and a Sweet Date

Yan Feifan slowly opened his eyes, unsure how much time had passed.

Darkness was all he could see.

After letting his eyes adjust for a moment, he could make out the room’s decor with the help of the light seeping through the curtains and the crack under the door.

It was so familiar, and the smell was familiar too...

Yan Feifan was suddenly wide awake. ’This is my bedroom. Am I home at Binhai Zuimo Court?!’

For a moment, he felt a sense of temporal dislocation.

The last thing he remembered was having a meal with the General, Mr. Wei, Feng Jian, and the others.

’How did I get home just by opening my eyes again?’

Yan Feifan sat up in bed and glanced at the digital clock on his desk. The time was already 11:05 PM.

But the date was still today, Sunday, the same day as in his memory.

Just then, a RUMBLE came from his stomach, and a wave of ravenous hunger washed over him.

Yan Feifan remembered it clearly.

Around noon, he had been eating lunch with the General and the others, faced with a huge table piled high with dishes.

The General had even made a point of telling him that the table featured classic dishes from all eight of China’s great culinary traditions.

’Could it be that I just dreamed up that lavish lunch? That I didn’t eat a single bite in reality, which is why I’m so hungry now?’

Just then, Yan Feifan heard soft voices talking outside his door.

He listened for a moment and recognized the voices of his sister, Su Ye, and Director Wang Chuan.

Yan Feifan got out of bed. He felt a bit dizzy, his feet feeling as if they were treading on soft cotton.

He noticed he was wearing his usual summer pajamas, so he didn’t bother changing before opening the door and walking out.

As his eyes adjusted to the light, he heard his sister’s voice.

"Ah, Feifan, you’re awake! I thought you were going to sleep for another twenty-four hours this time."

Once his vision cleared, Yan Feifan nodded at Wang Chuan, who was looking his way. He walked over to the living room sofa and sat down between his sister and Su Ye.

He rubbed his face, asking groggily, "Sis, Su Ye, how did I get from Jingcheng back home all of a sudden?"

Yu Suye reached out and massaged Yan Feifan’s temples, chuckling softly. "Feng Jian told us that a general from the base invited you to a meal."

"But you couldn’t hold on and got all drowsy after just a few bites of a whole table of food."

"The military wanted to let you rest at the base, but you just kept muttering, ’Home, sister, Su Ye.’"

"In the end, they had no choice, so they arranged for some people and Feng Jian to take you to the high-speed rail station, get you back to Binhai, and then bring you home."

Yan Ziruo added, "Feifan, the two military officers who brought you here were very responsible. They stood guard over you the whole time."

"They didn’t leave until Su Ye came back and they completed the handover."

Yan Feifan let out a long "Ohhh" and rubbed his stomach. "That explains why I’m so hungry. So I barely touched that feast after all."

He looked at his sister pitifully. "Sis, I’m starving to death."

Yan Ziruo smiled. "Food’s been ready for you for a while. I’ll go heat it up. You go wash up..."

After relieving himself in the bathroom and taking a quick shower, Yan Feifan returned to the living room to find four dishes and a soup already laid out on the coffee table.

After stuffing most of the food into his stomach, he finally felt his soul return to his body. His mind was clear, and his feet felt firmly on the ground again.

Yan Feifan downed the remaining half bowl of soup in one gulp and exclaimed, "Damn, I finally feel alive again!"

"That bizarre mission for the military nearly took half my life."

Wang Chuan couldn’t help but ask, "Feifan, what kind of mission was it?"

Yu Suye quickly interjected, "Feifan, Director, when the two officers handed you over to me, they specifically said it must be kept strictly confidential."

Hearing this reminder, Yan Feifan gave a vague explanation, "Director, what I did this time was actually quite similar to surgery, just that the subject wasn’t a person."

He changed the subject, "Director, did you come here because you were worried about me?"

"That’s not the only reason..."

Wang Chuan explained briefly before pulling out a medium-sized manila envelope and handing it to Yan Feifan.

Yan Feifan took the envelope, pulled out the paper inside, and saw the prominent title "Order of Special Pardon," along with the bright red seal of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.

Yan Feifan suddenly realized that Wang Chuan hadn’t tried to hide this from his sister and Su Ye. He asked for confirmation, "Director, you told them about this...?"

Wang Chuan grunted in affirmation. "Ziruo and Su Ye aren’t outsiders. Now that this matter is behind me, they deserve to know about my past."

After a pause, he sighed again. "Besides, it’s not something that can be hidden anymore. A lot of people at the Health Commission and the hospital already know."

Before Yan Feifan could even ask, Yan Ziruo said indignantly, "Feifan, some scoundrel reported the Director. He had no choice but to use the special pardon to explain himself."

Wang Chuan smiled with a hint of relief. "It’s for the best. Now that it’s all out in the open, I don’t have to hide it anymore. It’s a huge weight off my shoulders."

He paused, then said, "Alas, from now on, you all shouldn’t call me Director anymore."

"I’ll only be in this Director’s position for a few more days before I have to hand it over."

"But don’t you have the special pardon?" Yan Feifan asked, confused.

Wang Chuan gave a slight smile. "The special pardon only absolves me of criminal liability. But I did, after all, do something wrong."

"I violated the professional code for doctors and harmed the hospital’s interests. It’s not right for me to continue sitting in the position of department director."

"They didn’t revoke your medical license, did they?" Yan Feifan asked worriedly.

Wang Chuan shook his head and chuckled. "No, I can still stay on as a doctor at the plastic surgery center."

"Without administrative and management duties, I can spend half my time doing charitable surgeries and the other half on cosmetic ones."

"Earning money with one hand, doing good with the other—neither gets in the way. And I’ll have more time to spend with Yanyan."

Yan Feifan said, "Oh. It’s great that you’re able to see it that way, Director. So, the director position at the plastic surgery center?"

"Dr. Qiu Ming!"

Wang Chuan elaborated, "I recommended Dr. Qiu to the hospital leadership as my replacement. Although he has an eccentric habit of cross-dressing, he’s always been discreet about it, and it’s harmless."

"Most importantly, his skills are excellent. You could say he’s second only to me."

"He’s a choice that people will respect."

Yan Feifan nodded, and then heard Wang Chuan speak again.

"Feifan, someone hinted to me that regarding Xv Fang’s unauthorized use of an experimental therapy on a patient, both you and Dr. Qiu Ge, as heads of the research project, will face some sort of punishment."

Yan Feifan said nonchalantly, "I was mentally prepared for that. Let them punish me however they see fit. It’s not like they’ll revoke my medical license, right?"

"They wouldn’t dare, unless they have a death wish!"

Wang Chuan joked, then continued, "Feifan, they also mentioned that, given the major medical significance and application value of your research project..."

"The Health Commission is looking into upgrading your project to a major annual scientific research project and providing significant funding."

Yan Feifan couldn’t help but laugh. "Is this what people call ’a slap on the wrist, then a sweet date’?"

Wang Chuan chuckled. "In this case, they’re giving you a whole watermelon."

"They’re not stupid. They can naturally see the significance and value of this research project."

"What’s more, that kid Xv Fang managed to get lucky and succeed once, proving the practical feasibility of it all..."

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