Chapter 38: Self-Taught Genius

“You need to help him recover quickly. Once he’s fully recovered and cleared by the military doctor, he can retake the assessment,” said the person on the other end of the line with a booming voice. “He’ll resume his previous post immediately!”

If it weren’t for him saving the day back then, more people would’ve died during the rescue. Even though Shen Mengzhou believed Shen Qingyan deserved all of this, hearing it said aloud still stirred emotions in his heart.

“Alright,” he nodded. “I’ll make sure he trains properly and gets back to the team as soon as possible.”

“By the way, old Shen,” the man’s tone turned curious after business was handled, “who’s this incredible person that healed Xiao Shen? Their medical skills must be amazing, right?”

Shen Mengzhou immediately knew the sly old fox was fishing for information. He teased, “Let’s not talk about that for now. I’ll tell you once I’m back at the base. I need to go tell Qingyan the good news.”

With a click, he hung up.

The man on the other end stared blankly at the phone for a few seconds before cursing in frustration, “Old fox! What’s the big deal in telling me now? Making me wait for days!”

His wife, overhearing him swearing, walked over and gave him a smack. “What are you rambling about now?”

“Shen Qingyan’s recovered! He’ll be returning to the team soon!” He grinned from ear to ear.

His wife was equally stunned. “That’s amazing!”

…

After the call, Shen Mengzhou went straight to bed.

Qi Yuan asked, “Should we give Commander Zhou a heads-up?”

Shen Mengzhou waved it off. “No need. With that blabbermouth Old Zhao, by the time I get to the base tomorrow, everyone at the top will already know.”

“Won’t it be bad if too many people know?”

“Don’t worry. Old Zhao may talk a lot, but he knows what’s appropriate to say and to whom.” Shen Mengzhou turned over. “Let’s just sleep. Don’t overthink it.”

And sure enough, the next day, right after Shen Mengzhou arrived at the base and finished his tasks, Commander Zhou and Old Zhao came over.

Seeing them, Shen Mengzhou sighed.

Old Zhao, fully aware, pulled out a chair and sat down. “I only told a few people. Until Xiao Shen comes back, this stays under wraps.”

Commander Zhou also sat. “So what’s the story? Who did he meet?”

They weren’t just curious—they had their own motives.

Seeing their faces, Shen Mengzhou knew he couldn’t dodge it. “It was my daughter-in-law who healed him.”

“Your daughter-in-law?”

“Let me tell you about her,” Shen Mengzhou said, full of pride. “She’s truly amazing. Lost her parents young, grew up with her uncle’s family who constantly bullied her, yet she stayed strong and taught herself everything.”

“She had her college spot stolen but my wife helped her get it back. Now she’s enrolled and recently passed an exam to skip grades—from freshman year straight to senior year!”

“It’s been a hard road, but finally things are turning around.”

“And she’s the one who healed Qingyan’s leg.”

Even Shen Mengzhou’s voice caught with emotion at this point.

Commander Zhou and Old Zhao listened, eyes widening in disbelief.

“She really skipped from first year to fourth?” Commander Zhou couldn’t hide his shock.

Shen Mengzhou raised his eyebrows. “Exactly. She’s now studying with the senior-year students.”

The two exchanged looks, completely convinced.

After a pause, Commander Zhou said, “Then… how about you pull some strings?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, when Qingyan’s leg went untreated across several hospitals, they all said it was hopeless. But your daughter-in-law healed him, which clearly shows she’s highly skilled.”

“And skipping from year one to four also proves her level. Once she graduates next year, how about you convince her to join the military as a medic?”

Such talent should not be lost.

Someone who can heal the ‘unhealable’ could save countless others in the army.

In this era, excellent doctors are far too rare. Many injured soldiers are forced to retire due to inadequate treatment—even those who’ve made great contributions. Shen Qingyan was one such case: a young regiment commander with excellent performance, sidelined due to injury.

If someone like Gu Siqing became a military doctor, it could change everything.

Shen Mengzhou nodded thoughtfully. “I think it’s a good idea, but I’ll need to ask her if she’s willing.”

Being a military doctor is respectable, but it’s still her choice.

“Great, great! You ask her first. We’re reserving her in advance,” Zhou said. “If other hospitals find out about her, they’ll try to poach her.”

“It’d be great for her to be in our military hospital. Since she’ll be accompanying Xiao Shen when he returns, this way, the newlyweds can stay close too. I bet they’d want to stick together every day!”

Commander Zhou finished, and Old Zhao nodded beside him.

…

Gu Siqing attended classes daily. The senior students were once again impressed.

Some people really are just different.

“Gu, are you already reading the second half of that textbook?” a classmate asked, noticing her quietly reading.

Gu Siqing nodded, wary of running into another Zhang Yanran-type.

“There are two more books after this one,” the classmate said warmly. “We’ll finish two semesters’ worth of material this term, then go to the hospital for internships next semester.”

Unlike Zhang Yanran, this girl was genuine and patient.

Gu Siqing glanced up—it was a plain-looking girl with a ponytail and an honest face. Very different from Zhang Yanran.

She nodded politely. “Thank you.”

Gu Siqing already knew this, but appreciated the reminder.

“No problem. I’m Liu Xiaomei. If I don’t understand something, can I ask you?”

Since joining the senior-year class, Gu Siqing had been effortlessly keeping up, which Liu Xiaomei admired. She also liked her as a person and wanted to get closer.

“Sure.” Gu Siqing briefly introduced herself, and Liu Xiaomei was happy but didn’t bother her. The two quietly read their books side by side.