Chapter Twelve: 145

Hearing the response from inside, Zhang Mingyang pushed open the door and entered. Upon seeing him, the two men and two women in the room immediately stood up. Before Zhang Mingyang could speak, an elderly gentleman approached and grasped his right hand, saying, "Mr. Zhang, we've been waiting for you a long time. Please come with me."

"Waiting for me?" Zhang Mingyang barely had time to react before the old man dragged him into another room, with the other three following behind. As the door opened, Zhang Mingyang was startled by the sight of medical equipment filling the room. A sudden chill crept over him—had he been sold to an illegal clinic, perhaps to have his organs harvested?

Panicking at the thought, Zhang Mingyang began to struggle. "Sir, I think I've entered the wrong room. I was supposed to go to Bureau 10," he said, turning to make his escape. At that moment, a tall, broad-shouldered man in a black suit walked in, blocking his way and shutting the door behind him.

"Mr. Zhang, you’re overthinking this. We’re just here to give you a medical examination," the old man explained quickly as he saw Zhang Mingyang attempt to flee.

"A medical examination?" Zhang Mingyang pressed himself against the wall, his face showing a hint of fear as the four people approached. "Don’t come any closer! If you do, I'll call the police!"

Seeing Zhang Mingyang’s distrust, the old man hurriedly produced a badge. It read, "Chen Yuan, Chief Medical Officer of the Space Agency." Zhang Mingyang glanced at the badge, still wary. "You say you’re from the Space Agency, but how can you prove it?"

The old man chuckled. "If you’re not convinced, you can call Mr. Wang and confirm with him."

"Wang? Which Wang?"

"Of course, Academician Wang Bowen, our Deputy Director at the Space Agency!"

Upon hearing Wang Bowen’s name, Zhang Mingyang’s alarm eased somewhat. He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Wang Bowen’s number.

"Beep beep!"

"Mingyang, have you arrived yet?" Wang Bowen’s distinctive voice rang out.

"Grandpa Wang, help me! There’s a man named Chen Yuan here who wants to take my kidney!"

The four people in the room stifled their laughter, covering their faces.

"Huh? Old Chen wants your kidney? What are you talking about! Old Chen is there to give you a health check. Some of our visiting units have strict physical requirements," Wang Bowen explained.

Zhang Mingyang was bewildered. "So it's really a medical exam? I thought it was an illegal clinic trying to steal my kidney!"

"What are you thinking, boy?" Wang Bowen laughed through the phone.

"Let Old Chen finish your checkup, and at six tonight, I’ll meet you at the restaurant on the ninth floor of the hotel. We’ll have a good talk then."

"Alright, alright!"

After hanging up, Zhang Mingyang looked at the four with embarrassment and forced a smile. "Alright, let’s begin!"

Two young women approached. "Mr. Zhang, please take off your shirt."

"Take off my shirt? Isn’t that inappropriate? Especially since there are others present..."

"What are you imagining!" The two women replied, blushing. "We just need to check your basic physical data."

"Oh! I was overthinking things."

"Height—178 cm."

"Weight—73 kg."

...

Once his basic data had been measured, Zhang Mingyang moved to the 'multifunctional examination chamber.'

"Blood pressure—normal."

"Heart rate—normal."

...

"Mr. Zhang, do you smoke or drink?" they asked.

Zhang Mingyang shook his head. "My parents never taught me to."

Chen Yuan walked over, reviewing the data on the instruments. "Mr. Zhang, you’re in excellent health, nothing to worry about."

Zhang Mingyang replied with pride, "Of course—what health problems could a young man in his twenties possibly have?"

"However... your kidneys aren’t in the best shape."

Hearing this, Zhang Mingyang became agitated. "I’m single, no girlfriend, and I don’t engage in any questionable activities—how could my kidneys be unhealthy?"

"You stay up late often, don’t you?"

"Stay up late?" Zhang Mingyang recalled the past few years, frequently burning the midnight oil for his team’s projects. He nodded.

"Staying up late greatly damages kidney function. From a traditional medicine perspective, it depletes kidney essence and kidney yin, leading to symptoms such as fever in the palms and soles, night sweats, insomnia, vivid dreams, soreness in the waist and knees, a red tongue with little coating, and a thin pulse."

"I recommend you exercise more, and eat more goji berries and yam."

Hearing Chen Yuan’s explanation, Zhang Mingyang wished he could jot it all down immediately. For a man, other parts could fail—but the kidneys must never fail; they are a symbol of masculinity.

"Alright, Mr. Zhang, there are no other issues. You’re free to go."

"Go? Where to?" Zhang Mingyang looked at Chen Yuan in confusion.

"Xiao Li, please escort Mr. Zhang. Director Bai will arrive shortly."

"Understood."

"Mr. Zhang, let me take you out."

Zhang Mingyang bid farewell to Chen Yuan and followed Xiao Li out.

"Brother, may I ask where we’re going?"

Without turning his head, Xiao Li replied, "Mr. Zhang, first we’re visiting the 'Propulsion Laboratory' in the northern suburb. It’s almost noon, and traffic in the capital will be heavy. To save time, we’ll head straight to the fifth floor and take a helicopter."

"A helicopter?" Zhang Mingyang was secretly delighted. This trip to the capital was already worthwhile—first an airplane, now a helicopter, and who knows what new experiences await!

Xiao Li led Zhang Mingyang to the fifth floor, where a small helicopter was already idling, ready for them. After boarding, Xiao Li helped him fasten his seatbelt and put on a noise-cancelling headset.

"Takeoff!"

With Xiao Li’s command, the helicopter gently lifted off, climbed to a certain altitude, and headed toward the northern suburb.

Looking down at the cityscape, Zhang Mingyang was filled with excitement. The view of the capital from above was nothing like the view from below.

As he gazed around, Zhang Mingyang happened to notice Xiao Li’s suit sleeve, embroidered with three golden numbers: 145. His suspicious nature compelled him to ask.

"Brother, what does 145 mean?"

Xiao Li saw Zhang Mingyang eyeing his sleeve and replied lightly, "It’s nothing special. 145 is just our reception office’s code, to help us identify our own people."

"Oh, I see! So what’s your department’s full name?"

Xiao Li answered quickly, "Reception Office of the Space Agency’s General Affairs Division."

"And what are your responsibilities? Just reception?"

"We only handle visitor tours and arrangements for officials."

...

Xiao Li’s answers were fast and flawless, leaving Zhang Mingyang unable to glean any more details. Yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that the 145 code had a deeper meaning.

"Prepare to land..."

"Prepare to land..."

The pilot announced their arrival.

All the way, Zhang Mingyang kept firing off questions and was surprised they had arrived so quickly.

"Whoosh..."

"Squeak..."

The helicopter landed smoothly. Zhang Mingyang unfastened his seatbelt, removed the headset, and jumped out.

"Mr. Zhang, you’re finally here!" A sweet voice sounded in his ear.