Chapter 32: Zhou Can’s Rise

Some people just can’t stand seeing others excel.

Seeing Zhou Can suddenly shine while they couldn’t even secure an internship at Tuyu leaves them seething with envy.

Zhou Can simply chose to ignore these opportunists.

His teachers had all congratulated him individually—he surely owed them some acknowledgment!

“Sorry, I just got out of surgery and finally had time to check my phone. I owe my success to my mentors’ careful guidance. Thank you all for the congratulations and encouragement. I’ll never forget where I came from and will keep honing my craft, bringing honor to Class 512 alongside Yang Chan.”

After sending that message, he didn’t give it another thought.

Several private messages still awaited his reply.

These came from family or close friends and classmates.

“Ah Can, impressive! You even clinched first place in the Tuyu residency exam! When you head back home, don’t forget to treat us!”

This message came from his childhood friend, Cheng Dazhuang.

They had been classmates through high school, both with a passion for medicine. Unfortunately, Cheng Dazhuang’s college entrance score was a bit low, landing him at an ordinary medical college, while Zhou Can narrowly made it into Tuyu Medical University.

After all, it was a top-tier 985 institution.

After graduation, their fates diverged dramatically.

Zhou Can secured an internship at Tuyu Hospital and later landed a residency doctor position at Tuyu. His future looked incredibly bright.

Cheng Dazhuang, having attended only an ordinary university, had to rely on connections to snag a spot at the local county hospital.

By now, he’d likely wrapped up a year of internship and continued his residency training at the hospital.

Though both were residency doctors, their status and opportunities were worlds apart.

Cheng Dazhuang was like a beginner from a small school, while Zhou Can came from a prestigious background.

Over time, the gap between them would only widen.

Cheng Dazhuang might work for ten years to become an attending, yet his skills and status could still lag behind a junior resident at Tuyu Hospital.

This is exactly why countless people scramble to get into top schools.

Thinking of his old friend, Zhou Can couldn’t help but smile.

In life, you can’t do without family, love, or friendship.

These are the most beautiful things of all.

“Hehe, a surprise, right? I got lucky enough to pass. And about treating—if I head home, you’re on the hook!”

After replying to his friend, he turned to messages from close classmates and friends.

These folks were always in the know.

After quickly replying to each one, he opened the most important message.

It was from his mom.

“You little rascal, is work going well? You haven’t even asked for money from home all this time—I just transferred 50,000. Eat well.”

A warm feeling filled Zhou Can’s heart.

His mom truly cared about him.

His parents ran a food processing factory in their hometown county, specializing in deep processing of agricultural products. Thanks to their honest work and diligence, business was booming, even if the exact annual revenue was unclear.

Zhou Can only knew that his parents had never ever shortchanged him materially.

But unlike the overly indulgent approaches some parents take,

they had instilled in him a proper understanding of money—he never indulged in wild partying, drug use, gambling, or ostentatious displays of wealth.

The pocket money they gave him mostly went into investments and his education, aside from occasional treats for friends.

On his tenth birthday, his parents gave him 500,000 as a gift.

They told him he could spend it however he wanted.

In the end, Zhou Can used it to buy Penguin Company’s stock. Being a minor, he had to purchase it using his mom’s identity information. He bought about 5,300 shares at roughly 94 per share.

At his twentieth birthday, his parents once again gave him 1,000,000 as a gift.

And once more, they said he could spend it however he wished.

In truth, his parents were shrewd—they understood their son well enough to be this generous.

Moreover, now that he was of age, his mom suggested transferring the shares he bought at ten into his name.

By this time, Zhou Can was a university student with a broadened perspective.

He felt that Penguin’s stock price had peaked; it was time to cash in and reinvest in property.

So he had his mom sell those 5,300 shares at 586 per share, netting him over 3.1 million.

In ten years, his investment had grown more than sixfold—an exceptionally successful move.

Especially considering he was only ten when he made the purchase.

Many kids that age still think money is just for buying snacks at the corner store.

It goes to show that if wealthy children are properly guided, their insight and vision can far surpass those of poorer kids.

Zhou Can was essentially running on the shoulders of giants.

Later, with over 3 million from his stock sale plus the 1 million birthday gift, he carefully purchased four lake-view apartments in the provincial capital.

At the time, the lake-view project was in a remote area with basic infrastructure yet to be established.

As a result, the project wasn’t selling well.

Undeterred, he bought four spacious apartments—each between 121 and 142 square meters—at a low price of 6,500 per square meter, paying in full,

not through a loan.

He was just twenty that year.

The apartments were handed over in February this year. Once Zhou Can received the keys, he did some basic renovations.

Three of them were already rented out.

The remaining one he kept for himself.

Each apartment fetched about 2,000 in monthly rent,

which added up to over 6,000—a salary comparable to that of an average worker.

More importantly, prices had risen from the original 6,500 per square meter to significantly higher rates.

This was genuine property appreciation.

He wasn’t short on money now, nor did he plan to sell.

After all, this was the provincial capital, and the surrounding infrastructure was steadily improving. Metro Line 6 now runs right by his doorstep. Plus, the formerly shabby Baying Lake has been completely transformed after renovations.

Zhou Can believed property prices here would continue to rise. Currently, his four apartments were valued at around 9 million; if prices climb further, they’d easily hit over 10 million.

Besides these investments, he also spent a good portion of his pocket money on himself.

From attending martial arts school to joining a special program in high school, and later buying medical equipment, books, and supplies in college—these intangible investments were the most valuable.

They kept him competitive in the cutthroat medical field.

“Thank you, Mom and Dad!”

Zhou Can knew that whether it was the pocket money his mom sent or the lavish cash gifts on his tenth and twentieth birthdays, his father was undoubtedly in the loop.

But his father was rather strict, and they rarely talked.

When they met, all it took was a quick ‘Dad’ from Zhou Can and a curt ‘Mm’ from his father.

Especially after high school, the distance between them only grew wider.

“You little rascal, still working so late?”

His mom was still up.

“Being a doctor means you can’t just turn your back on a patient in need,” Zhou Can chatted with his mom, feeling completely at ease.

“Your dad and I only have you, so take care of yourself—do you hear me?” Her stern tone was the kind reserved just for him.

That’s why he felt so relaxed talking with her.

“Got it! But you’re still up so late—”

“Our factory landed a big overseas order and we have a meeting arranged for tomorrow. With a 2 AM flight tonight, I’m just here passing time and scrolling on my phone!”

His parents worked incredibly hard for every penny they earned.

To secure that overseas order, they even had to catch a red-eye flight.

Yet when it came to giving their hard-earned money to him, not even a second’s hesitation.

This is the unmistakable love of Chinese parents.

“Wow, our factory’s products are being sold overseas! That’s so impressive!”

Zhou Can even sent a big thumbs-up in response.

“Haha, you have no idea! If you hadn’t insisted on studying medicine, you’d be running the factory—and it’d be even more successful. So, how’s it going with girlfriends? Your dad’s mentioned it countless times. Even if you never take over the family business, at least have a few kids so one of them can eventually carry it on.”

His mom continued, launching into a familiar marriage pitch.

That was the part that bothered Zhou Can the most.

He was only 24—what was the rush?

With his credentials, finding a beautiful wife wouldn’t be hard, but a lifelong partner can’t be chosen solely on looks.

When you meet the right person, everything will fall into place.

“Mom, I’m out—the phone’s almost dead!”

Zhou Can quickly ended the conversation.

“You rascal, always dodging the girlfriend talk. Stop being so picky and bring someone home already!”

Ignoring his mom’s nagging, Zhou Can pretended not to hear her.

Logging out of WeChat, he noticed a message from the hospital.

It had been sent to his phone at 4 PM.

“Hello, as part of our employee benefits at the hospital, as a residency doctor you can now enjoy upgraded accommodation. If interested, please visit the Logistics Support Department within a week to pick up your twin apartment move-in card. If you have any questions, please contact 139… Chen Qin.”

Previously, as an intern, he could only stay in a dorm shared by eight people.

Now promoted to residency doctor, his status was nearly that of a full-fledged staff member, with greatly improved benefits.

He could now move into a two-person apartment.

Zhou Can had visited it once—it was upstairs.

It featured a private bathroom and air conditioning, and its interior far surpassed that of the shared dorm. Typically, two residency doctors shared one.

Since most doctors had to work shifts,

if one took the night shift and the other the morning shift, they rarely crossed paths.

Thus, compared to the shared dorm, the twin apartment offered far better privacy and less noise.

Zhou Can decided he’d sort out the card when he went to work tomorrow.

He pushed open the dorm door to find it quiet and empty.

He assumed his roommates were already asleep.

Not turning on the lights, he used his phone as a flashlight to find his bed.

Suddenly, someone flipped on the dorm’s light.

“Welcome back, Hero 211! Welcome! Haha…”

His roommates hadn’t slept at all—they’d been waiting to celebrate his return.

Grinning, they gathered around Zhou Can.

“Thank you, guys!”

Zhou Can was genuinely moved by their gesture.

“We’ve ordered some late-night snacks—come join us!”

Two square tables had been pushed together, laden with more than a dozen disposable food boxes.

As soon as they were opened, an enticing aroma filled the dorm.

There were braised chicken feet, crayfish, grilled lamb skewers, cabbage, and other dishes.

The food was still hot—his roommates had really gone to the effort.

Three bottles of beer lay on the floor.

It looked like this was both a celebration dinner and a farewell feast.

“When friends gather, it’s fate. Even if our shifts keep us apart most months, the bond we share is real. Let’s toast to fate for uniting us and forging deep friendships.”

Gu Jie, always living up to his leader status like his accomplished father, delivered a high-spirited toast.

He had long acted as the big brother of Dorm 211.

Everyone grabbed a bottle of beer—no glasses needed.

They clinked bottles together.

Gu Jie’s gaze rested on Zhou Can,

laden with both blessings and envy.

“You sly guy, hiding your talents so well! Everyone thought you were just average, but you snagged first place in the residency exam. If you don’t have a drink on you as punishment, it just won’t do!”