[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-from-the-god-of-medicine-a-journey-through-film-":3,"chapter-from-the-god-of-medicine-a-journey-through-film--from-the-god-of-medicine-a-journey-through-film--chapter-20":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","From the God of Medicine: A Journey Through Film and TV Worlds",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2333946,4564,"Chapter 20: Chapter Twenty: Return, Routine","from-the-god-of-medicine-a-journey-through-film--chapter-20",20,"\u003Cp>June 30, 1997.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today is a day of universal celebration across the nation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Kong Island, a child separated from its motherland for a hundred years, is about to return to its mother’s embrace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world’s gaze is fixed on Hong Kong Island; dignitaries from all walks of life have gathered at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At 23:56, the Chinese and British flag bearers entered the hall, marking the beginning of the lowering and raising ceremony symbolizing the transfer of Hong Kong’s governance between the two governments. All foreign and domestic guests stood. Every eye in the hall focused on the flagpoles standing on the east and west sides of the main podium.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At 23:59, the foreign flag and the Hong Kong flag slowly descended to the tune of the foreign national anthem. As the Union Jack descended, Britain’s century-long colonial rule over Hong Kong came to an end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At exactly 00:00 on July 1, 1997, the moment of profound emotion arrived: the PLA military band played the stirring national anthem of China as the national flag of China and the regional flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region rose together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire hall stood in solemn silence; thousands of eyes paid tribute to the bright five-star red flag and the bauhinia regional flag. This was a moment long awaited by the Chinese nation; this was an instant etched forever in world history!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hall erupted; many had tears glistening in their eyes, and thunderous applause lasted without pause. Cameras and video recorders flashed continuously, capturing this solemn historical moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although in real life he was a nobody, the country was still the same country—here, Wang Yan’s status and position could influence many things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Teng, in truth, is no different from a terrorist organization; neither is anything good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little prince fears neither China, for a great power values its face. But he fears men like Wang Yan—if Wang Yan gets worked up, he might just blow him up for fun. Even if Wang Yan ends up dead in the end, so does he. Life is only one, not worth risking over a common man’s anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the two nations had long agreed on the negotiations; he had no reason to stir up petty tricks to annoy others, lest he end up annoying himself to death—what a terrible trade-off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the process went smoothly enough. Of course, the little prince now harbored a grudge against Wang Yan and would inevitably join the ranks determined to destroy Long Teng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s just that Wang Yan’s status has grown higher and his cultivation deeper over time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the time that followed, Wang Yan’s life returned to normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Teng had developed for so many years that it had a sound system in place—Wang Yan didn’t need to worry about it. He would review the group’s reports periodically and occasionally promote outstanding personnel; the rest required no attention from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With nothing pressing, he naturally devoted himself to constant study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now Wang Yan primarily studied sinology; he had visited nearly all the renowned sinology masters in China. His current level was roughly equivalent to that of a graduate student in the field. His Chinese proficiency had reached Level 3 professional standard—not because of grammar or vocabulary, but because of his depth of understanding and expression of language.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this period, Wang Yan also began studying Daoism. The masters themselves had some understanding of it, and he learned much. But these masters were sinology masters, specialists in their own narrow fields—not all-rounders. Moreover, these sinology masters mostly studied Confucianism and Western philosophy, still falling far short of the actual level of Daoist priests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Precisely because of this, Wang Yan began visiting Daoist sages across China.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scholars have their circles; the sinology masters knew well who among the Daoists had real ability. Through their introductions, Wang Yan was able to precisely locate Daoists with sufficient depth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the same old routine: although the Daoists had cultivated for many years and were more detached, they had no reason to refuse Wang Yan’s goodwill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So whenever Wang Yan arrived at a place, he didn’t waste time—he donated money first to repair and build Daoist sites, then entered the temple to pay respects and seek guidance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sinology was already a bit mystical; Daoism was even more so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Void, non-action, opposition, unity—all of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It left Wang Yan utterly bewildered, dizzy, and he lost all interest in practicing shooting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with his strong mind, it was useless—this required intelligence and accumulated insight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more he studied, the more he felt its profundity. Isn’t there a saying that knowledge is a circle—the more you know, the more confused you become? Wang Yan was the same: his circle was growing larger, the things he didn’t understand were increasing, and the road ahead was still very, very long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more Wang Yan learned, the more he felt his own ignorance. And this ignorance drove him to keep learning, plunging him deeply into it, unable to extricate himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time passed slowly as Wang Yan studied; now it was already 1999.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this period, Wang Yan’s Daoist knowledge was barely at the threshold of entry—he hadn’t even mastered any skills. But after consulting various masters, his foundation was solid; now he could learn and comprehend on his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One day, Wang Yan was handling affairs at Long Teng’s headquarters when he received a system task completion notification.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, he never thought he’d complete it—he assumed he’d have to die naturally in this world to return. He never expected it to be completed silently; it was an unexpected joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t rush to return; instead, he had his subordinates investigate what had happened to Chen Yongren that triggered the task completion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, Chen Yongren’s dossier lay before Wang Yan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Wang Yan arranged for Chen Yongren to become a probationary inspector, he was promoted to full inspector in less than half a year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And soon after, as fate would have it, he met A Mei, just as in the original plot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their meeting was like a turtle spotting a bean—swiftly falling in love.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As an inspector, Chen Yongren earned a high salary under Hong Kong’s policy of paying well to ensure integrity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This diverged from his original fate: upon discovering A Mei’s pregnancy, they married immediately and had a daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last year, due to some meritorious service—though his seniority was slightly lacking—the authorities promoted him to Senior Inspector, partly as a gesture of goodwill, given that everyone knew Chen Yongren had been elevated by Wang Yan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over these years, Chen Yongren’s career had flourished and his life had become fulfilling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recently, watching his lively daughter, Chen Yongren reflected on his past and felt a deep sense of emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he thought, he recalled the words Wang Yan had once spoken to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, he hadn’t cared at all. Now, after many years, Chen Yongren had matured; his passions were no longer the same as before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling that time, what would his life have been without Wang Yan?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most likely, he would have been tricked by Huang Zhicheng into continuing his undercover work until death—only the path would differ.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yongren imagined many possible outcomes, but no matter how he imagined, the end result would never be good. He might die in some unknown corner, with no one to handle his funeral. Or he might endure a life of hardship and die alone in despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking this, he truly thanked Wang Yan—for saving him from a potentially tragic life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Wang Yan possibly having ulterior motives toward him, he had long since seen through it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What level was Long Teng now? Competing on the global stage, facing world-renowned conglomerates and organizations. What was he, a mere inspector, in comparison?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, he finally understood everything—something the system might also interpret as redemption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Wang Yan, simply surviving was the greatest redemption for Chen Yongren, let alone a happy family and successful career.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was why Wang Yan had anticipated Chen Yongren’s need for experience—and why he had so forcefully unified Hong Kong’s underworld over four years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All mistakes were Wang Yan’s fault for being too powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After reviewing the dossier, Wang Yan roughly guessed Chen Yongren’s thoughts—nothing more than reminiscing on past suffering to appreciate present fortune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He no longer dwelled on such trivialities; he had spent nine years here—he had stayed long enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pulled up the system panel and selected return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A blue light flashed, and Wang Yan vanished from the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yan awoke, enduring violent clashes and shocks in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had stayed too long in the world of *Infernal Affairs*, experienced too much, learned too much. The return shock was far stronger than the last time—he had barely survived the previous one; this was worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sensation nearly broke him. The system awarded attribute points; he gritted his teeth, pulled up the system panel, and frantically allocated points to his Spirit attribute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, a cool spring flowed into his spirit, cleansing his chaotic mind and soothing the ceaseless turmoil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a short while, Wang Yan felt much better. The massive boost in Spirit had raised his tolerance threshold—effectively neutralizing the memory shock entirely. The remaining side effects of the memories he would have to digest himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These side effects could be likened to:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man who has seen the world, transcended worldly desires, yet still lives immersed in them—how does he continue facing the mundane?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Retreat to the mountains, ignore the world?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or continue floating and sinking in the sea of material desires?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yan would remain in the mundane world—so how would he face it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having just experienced two worlds, and having filled his mind with sinology, philosophy, and Daoism, he now had many thoughts on society, human nature, and life. As he experienced more and understood more, what kind of person would he become?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How to perceive the world and himself—this was a question Wang Yan would spend his lifetime answering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yan was no fool; he was destined to grow. The more he understood, the higher his realm, and his views on these two would never remain static—they would constantly shift and evolve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took a deep breath and opened the system panel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yan\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Attributes: Strength 20\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Agility 20\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Constitution 20\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spirit 18\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unallocated points: 0\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Storage space: 2m³\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Skills: English LV3\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Combat LV3\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Management LV3\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sales LV3\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sinology: LV2\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Philosophy: LV2\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>... [other skills omitted]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most importantly, the storage space had been upgraded—its volume increased by one cubic meter, allowing him to store more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strength, Agility, and Constitution had long been at 20; over the years, he had merely maintained his condition through daily exercise, since further training yielded diminishing returns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The task completion rewarded four attribute points, all of which he had just allocated to Spirit, raising it to 18. His memory and logical thinking had greatly improved. He had reached Combat LV3 seven or eight years ago; Management and Sales had long been professional. Sinology and Philosophy were both at LV2.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yan had studied Daoism for two years and felt he was nearly at the threshold of entry—but it was only a feeling. This path relied on awakening; he would enter only when he truly understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides these, he hadn’t wasted the years—he had learned many other skills: psychology, sports medicine, and a host of miscellaneous things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yan learned everything, read everything. As always: more skills never weigh you down. In the martial world, knowing more never hurt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Additionally, the system granted a reward: “After completing the next world’s wish task, you may remain for up to one additional year.” To him, this was a vacation—perhaps the system wanted him to relax properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took a deep breath, rose from bed, poured himself a glass of water, and walked to the window, gazing at the night outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his newly increased Spirit, he wasn’t tired at all—he felt alert and awake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After calming down, he picked up a book at random and began reading. The night was long, sleep eluded him—better to read and pass the time.\u003C\u002Fp>",2026,"2026-06-20T21:08:40.823Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","661b8c2a591de8701e3c0b1d72981e4c9bb6da8f01d2c60b0b10bb59d398e06b","from-the-god-of-medicine-a-journey-through-film--chapter-21","from-the-god-of-medicine-a-journey-through-film--chapter-19",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Ffrom-the-god-of-medicine-a-journey-through-film--cover.jpg"]