The situation was just as Boss Ma had predicted; before Shen Qiang had wandered off far, the people from the small stall had all been taken away, as had the onlookers, all under the pretext of assisting with investigations.

Afterward, Shen Qiang didn't go off on his own as he did every day but followed Boss Ma around the stalls instead.

His horizons were indeed broad.

In no time at all, he had bought three items. Shen Qiang discreetly used his Observation Skill and saw that among the three items he had purchased, two were genuine, and one was a fake, which he figured would still turn a profit.

Over there, Sun Kaiping was picking through a lot of stuff, buying all kinds of random things.

So Shen Qiang didn't even bother to look.

Because from a distance, Shen Qiang could see that at Sun Kaiping's stall, his little apprentice was busy selling jars, fifty thousand apiece. Open three jars, and at least two were guaranteed to contain something.

Where did the contents of the jars come from?

They were the same junk Sun Kaiping was collecting now!

Strolling with Boss Ma had its perks.

There were two items that Boss Ma was uncertain about, which Shen Qiang bought.

One was a snuffbox from the end of the Ming Dynasty.

The other was a damaged Qing Dynasty multi-treasure box.

After that, there were no more good items.

After making a round, Sun Kaiping had his eye on the Ming Dynasty snuffbox and bluffed and cajoled his way into buying it.

Shen Qiang indeed needed money, so he sold it to him on the spot for a quick profit: bought for one thousand five hundred, Sun Kaiping paid thirty-two thousand, netting a profit of thirty thousand five hundred.

The damaged Qing Dynasty multi-treasure box was more of a white elephant.

The item was genuine, but since it was damaged, Shen Qiang had bought it for one hundred fifty and ended up selling it for three hundred at the other end.

It looked like the profit had doubled.

But in reality, it barely made more than the small change earned from the Ming Dynasty snuffbox.

Beyond that, other gains had to do with the blood-soaked jade.

After all, if it hadn't been for Boss Ma bringing it up, Shen Qiang really would never have considered what was touchable and what wasn't in the antique market.

But luckily,

the trip wasn't a total waste.

He made a net income of thirty thousand six hundred fifty yuan.

It might not be enough for big ventures, but at least he didn't have to worry about money for the time being.

The time had reached half-past seven.

Shen Qiang took the bus back to the hospital.

When he arrived at the hospital, it was exactly eight twenty.

But as he had just entered the outpatient building lobby,

he was greeted by the smilingly beautiful assistant Su Xiaonuan.

Today she wore a white blouse, a deep blue suit jacket, and a matching pencil skirt below. With flesh-colored fishnet stockings and high-heeled sandals, she looked very sexy.

"Shen Qiang, I would still like to talk to you about the contract," Su Xiaonuan said.

Shen Qiang laughed. A trip to the old goods market had earned Shen Qiang just over thirty thousand.

Compared to the Spiritual Bone Relics and Blood Coral, this sum was indeed paltry, but compared to the basic salary of one thousand eight hundred, it was enough to last Shen Qiang two years at work.

So with a smile, Shen Qiang said in a straightforward manner, "If the conditions haven't changed, then I think there's no need for us to talk."

Su Xiaonuan said, "Shen Qiang, you must understand that you're only a bachelor's degree holder, and this is Provincial City, abounding with talent. If you refuse this contract, it's likely your next job won't even compare to this one."

Shen Qiang laughed, "We aren't close, so there's no need for you to worry about me like this."

Having said that, Shen Qiang didn't give Su Xiaonuan another moment's attention and turned to leave.

Su Xiaonuan frowned.

At that moment, Director Su approached from one side and said, "You can't talk to him like that. You should say it this way, either sign the contract, or get the hell back to your hometown and leave Provincial City."

"If you don't sign with Bikang, we will mobilize all our connections to make your life in Provincial City unbearable."

Su Xiaonuan was shocked, "Dad! Are you threatening Shen Qiang?"

Director Su chuckled and said seriously, "Shen Qiang's medical skill is incredible. Try your best to persuade him to stay with Bikang. If he insists on not staying with Bikang, then we'll have no choice but to drive him away."

Looking at the shocked Su Xiaonuan, Director Su laughed, "Isn't this what happens in Korean dramas? But I have faith in you. You're my daughter; you will definitely find a way to handle this Shen Qiang."

"He's young and has great potential. If he stays, for the next twenty years, Bikang's Tumor Surgery department should be top-notch in Provincial City."

Su Xiaonuan smiled sweetly, "Dad, you scared me to death. I thought you were really going to do that."

Director Su chuckled and walked away, saying solemnly "If you can't get him to sign the contract, then I think I would do that. If we can't outdo others, the simplest method is to drag them down to our level."

The entire morning passed.

The Tumor Surgery department had only two operations, neither of which was particularly difficult.

Shen Qiang did not get involved in either.

At noon, his mother called to say that a good day on the lunar calendar was three days away and suggested Shen Qiang move then.

Shen Qiang could only agree.

Afternoon.

There weren't any surgeries in the Tumor Surgery department.

Shen Qiang sat in the doctors' duty room, charging his phone and browsing the internet.

Punching out at the end of a dull day, Shen Qiang went home.

To his astonishment, he found that the Blood Ganoderma had grown to varying extents, but the Immortal Grade Jade Ganoderma that Shen Qiang had planted on the culture stick not only hadn't sprouted, but after inspection with the Plague Source, he was even more shocked to discover that those fungal filaments had died.

What the hell!

What's going on here?

Undeterred, Shen Qiang replanted that very night, and when he woke up the next morning, he found that the fungal filaments of the Immortal Grade Jade Ganoderma had died again.

This was really bizarre.

Determined to solve this mystery, Shen Qiang rushed to the agricultural materials market and bought the best mushroom sticks available, replanted them, and went to work. After finishing for the day, he came home.

The fungal filaments had died again!

On the third day, after re-planting in the early morning, Shen Qiang went straight to work.

After all, this was his last day living in the rental.

Then he would move to his new house.

If the Immortal Grade Jade Ganoderma didn't sprout by then, he would have to find a solution after moving.

At the hospital.

The entire day was exceptionally busy.

One surgery in the morning, two in the afternoon, and just as it was about time to leave, there was an unexpected complication in Dr. Li's surgery in the Tumor Surgery department.

Shen Qiang ended up helping him, and by the time the operation was finished, it was already past eight o'clock, nearly nine at night.

Coming out of the operating room, Shen Qiang immediately saw the young son of the beautiful woman who had given him the mystical encounter. The boy was anxiously pulling on his grandmother's hand, fretting, "Where's mommy, where's mommy? I want mommy."

Shen Qiang smiled and teased him, "Mommy went to buy you some treats, she'll be back soon, just wait for her."

Before the child could respond, his grandmother said with anxious eyes, "Dr. Shen, my daughter-in-law said she was going to the nurse's station to get a thermometer, and then she was to change my son's dressing. But it's been almost twenty minutes and she still hasn't returned, and we can't get through to her phone."

Shen Qiang was surprised.

Just then, Shen Qiang saw Dr. Liu, the trusted associate of Director Wang, looking pale and walking hastily toward the back elevator. Upon spotting Shen Qiang, he paused, then entered the elevator with his head low and an unsettled look.

The situation seemed unusual.

Doctors seldom use that elevator because it's often used to transport deceased patients out of the hospital to avoid affecting other patients. So, under normal circumstances, doctors wouldn't take that elevator unless there were exceptional circumstances.

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