Chapter 68: Purifying the Streets with Water

One week after the suicide incident from the building, the hospital began renovating its exterior walls and replacing the glass. Fortunately, the patient’s family did not cause trouble for the hospital. Instead of imposing a harsh, career-ending punishment on Ye Jing, the hospital adopted a rehabilitative approach, balancing discipline with care.

Ouyang simply could not stand Ye Jing’s perfunctory and slack attitude, and she seized this opportunity to teach her a harsh lesson. Half of Ye Jing’s bonus was deducted, while the on-duty doctor and nurse had three months’ worth of bonuses withheld.

Furthermore, they were required to make profound self-examinations at the department meeting. Most doctors and nurses worked themselves to the bone precisely for those meager bonuses. In truth, this outcome was the best-case scenario. Had the family kicked up a fuss, the penalties would have been far more severe.

Two weeks in the cardiology department passed quickly. Zhang Fan made rapid progress and was now basically competent for the role of a resident physician. After finishing her department self-criticism, Ye Jing applied for annual leave. When her request was denied, she threatened to resign on the spot, leaving Ouyang grinding her teeth in fury. Ouyang knew all too well how difficult it was to cultivate a cardiology attending physician; if a mere resident showed such willful insubordination, she would have long since banished them to some obscure corner and waited for them to resign automatically.

Although the clinical supervisor was on leave, there were still a few inpatient cases remaining. Initially, Ren Li intended to distribute the patients among the other doctors, but upon conducting rounds, she discovered that none of them were in serious condition and could be gradually discharged after a few more days of treatment.

That was when she set her sights on Zhang Fan. While there were slightly more female doctors in cardiology, male doctors still held a distinct advantage in this department. Zhang Fan had already passed the practicing physician examination, and once his license was registered in March, he would immediately be qualified to take night shifts alone.

An examination! An internal department test for doctors rotating through the specialty. Ren Li had designed the questions herself, tailored specifically to cardiology, spanning from the foundational to the clinical, from the simple to the complex, totaling twenty questions in all.

There were ten multiple-choice questions with variable correct answers and ten short-answer questions. The three rotating doctors had received zero preparation; they were suddenly called into the department office during work hours and told to start answering the questions immediately right upon stepping inside.

Zhang Fan had already chewed through internal medicine textbooks numerous times and reviewed all the fundamentals. While he couldn't recite them backward, he could apply them with complete fluency.

As a postgraduate graduate in cardiology and a head of the cardiology department for over three years, Ren Li was exceptionally skilled at setting exams. The first three questions tested basics, while the subsequent ones were purely practical clinical scenarios, designed with subtle traps that would catch an unwary student off guard.

Having spent two solid weeks working his fingers to the bone in cardiology, Zhang Fan had earned his progress through sheer hard work. Even so, he lacked absolute confidence in quite a few of the questions. It wasn't that Zhang Fan hadn't tried hard enough; rather, Ren Li was simply formidable. She had a crystal-clear understanding of the rotating doctors' weak points, and a single exam was enough to reveal who was excellent and who had truly put in the effort.

Grading and critiques were conducted on the spot. Fortunately, she showed some tact by reviewing each person individually; otherwise, it would have been profoundly embarrassing.

The two female doctors were reviewed before Zhang Fan. One performed averagely, while the other—a young doctor from the gynecology department—walked out in tears.

As soon as Zhang Fan stepped inside, Ren Li went straight to the point and asked, "What is the biggest difference between surgery and internal medicine?"

Zhang Fan was stunned. Everyone knew there were massive differences between surgery and internal medicine, but the *biggest* difference? After a brief moment of thought, Zhang Fan replied, "Much of the treatment in internal medicine is palliative, whereas surgery is primarily radical and curative."

Ren Li nodded and continued, "Are you interested in pursuing internal medicine? Don't get ahead of yourself yet—cardiology doesn't necessarily want you, I just want to know your personal preference."

Zhang Fan felt not a trace of joy. He genuinely disliked internal medicine. Pondering over a disease endlessly, deliberating back and forth over medications—it lacked all sense of decisiveness and thrill. Facing aging populations day in and day out was something he simply could not endure.

"I haven't thought about it. I've always practiced surgery, and I never rotated through internal medicine during my internship," Zhang Fan replied with calculated tact, while making it clear he had no intention of pursuing internal medicine.

Ren Li stared at Zhang Fan for a moment before saying, "Very well, then you may return to work. Temporarily take charge of Dr. Ye's patients, and once their treatments are complete, process their discharges."

In truth, Zhang Fan's test results were impressive, fully meeting Ren Li's standards. Moreover, being a male doctor, he was precisely what the department needed. However, since Zhang Fan had no desire to stay, Ren Li was not one to force a cow to drink by holding its head down; cardiology was never short of people eager to work there.

Ouyang attended the Friday morning briefing—an unusual occurrence, as she rarely showed up on Fridays. Once the meeting concluded, Ouyang asked the doctors and the head nurse to stay behind.

"We have received notice from higher authorities that a senior leader will be coming this weekend for a cardiac checkup. We must make thorough preparations to ensure zero mistakes and avoid leaving a poor impression on the leadership," Ouyang said, glancing around the room.

She continued, "Doctors will not rest this weekend; work as usual. The head nurse should arrange for several experienced senior nurses to stay on duty. Spruce up the department's hygiene and present our best mental outlook to welcome the inspection from above."

A retiring member of the Standing Committee was coming for a routine cardiac checkup. In the past, he always underwent medical examinations in the capital. Because his retirement was imminent, confidentiality was no longer an issue, so he had his secretary notify the Health Bureau and Ouyang.

The department was already packed with patients, and now having to host a VIP leader over the weekend plunged the ward into chaos.

They hired a professional cleaning service to handle the deep cleaning. Everyday items like water cups and books were neatly packed away. Worn-out white lab coats were discarded in favor of brand-new ones. Normally, each room held two patients, and cardiology patients required peace and quiet. Yet, to accommodate the leader, an extra bed was crammed into every single room, and even patients from the corridors were moved inside. Patients who were borderline ready for discharge were rushed out the door.

They polished windows and scrubbed surfaces; the only thing missing was a fresh coat of paint on the walls.

On Sunday afternoon, the leader, accompanied by the Director of the Health Bureau, Ouyang, and several vice presidents, arrived at the cardiology department in a bustling entourage.

Ren Li led the doctors in standing up collectively to welcome the distinguished guest. The Standing Committee member proved to be quite amiable, delivering a brief speech right there in the department.

He acknowledged the contributions of the hospital leadership and praised the medical treatment standards of the doctors. After shaking hands with every single doctor, Ren Li personally performed the routine examination for him—an electrocardiogram, an exercise treadmill test, and every other applicable diagnostic procedure.

There were no major issues, save for a mild arrhythmia. After reviewing the treatment plan prescribed by the capital hospital, Ren Li chose not to make any alterations, as the efficacy was already optimal and required no adjustment.

Lasting a little over an hour from start to finish, the examination concluded, and Ouyang personally escorted the guest all the way out to the hospital gates.

A simple routine checkup had kept the cardiology department on tenterhooks for two whole days. Every doctor and nurse in the department had operated under wartime readiness for forty-eight hours. Was there resentment? Naturally. But dared anyone voice complaints? Not a chance; Ren Li and Ouyang would likely find out before the words even left their mouths.

Zhang Fan had truly been running on a treadmill lately; had it not been for the system, he would have collapsed from exhaustion long ago. The general surgery director in Quake County had recently admitted several cases of cholecystitis and appendicitis.

As a seasoned department director within the local health system, and because Zhang Fan was never greedy—sharing half of his surgical fees with him after every operation—the director enthusiastically helped Zhang Fan connect with general surgery directors across multiple neighboring counties.

Every three or four days, a surgery would pop up requiring Zhang Fan to travel to a county hospital. Meanwhile, the cardiology department was overwhelmingly busy, and upon returning home at night, he still had to squeeze in time to study. While his income had grown substantially, Zhang Fan had also grown noticeably thinner.

Li Xiao's third round of treatment was also about to commence. Following the completion of her first two treatments, Li Xiao had made a special trip to Hong Kong. After undergoing follow-up scans and comparing them with the previous results, she discovered—well, would you look at that! Her lumbar spine showed clear signs of repositioning.

The doctors in Hong Kong were utterly astounded and pressed Li Xiao repeatedly about her treatment methods. Naturally, Li Xiao kept her cards close to her chest; Zhang Fan was her secret weapon.

The treatment for Shao Hua's mother had also concluded with excellent results. Upon completion, Shao Hua's mother tried to hand Zhang Fan a red envelope stuffed with cash, which he adamantly refused to accept. Yet, figuring out how to see Shao Hua again remained a formidable puzzle for Zhang Fan.