This doctor is already middle-aged, and he's only just started practicing medicine.

Chapter 187 Turmoil!
On Ziyuan Road, directly opposite the Second Xiangya Hospital, the crescent moon hangs in the east, and the stars twinkle.

Zhang Boyuan politely distributed cigarettes to his superiors.

After a series of crackling sounds of ignition.

Xiang Dongshan glanced at Zhang Boyuan and said in a low voice, "Little Zhang, it seems your junior brother has quite a bit of affection for you, his senior brother."

"They spoke and acted as if we had a medical dispute."

Zhang Boyuan's almond-shaped eyes narrowed into slits with flattery, and his nostrils were as smooth as his temper: "Director Xiang, the main thing is that Lu Cheng has never been here before, so we've never met before. This is our first time meeting."

"You already have some understanding of the general situation."

"Besides, if Xiao Lu hadn't brought his girlfriend here today, things might have been much easier to talk about."

"Didn't you often say that the girls from western Hunan are quite feisty?"

"Just now, Xiao Lu said that his wife is of Miao ethnicity, right?" Zhang Boyuan looked at Peng Zhengyu.

Peng Zhengyu, an associate professor in the department, was slightly younger than Chen Song. He nodded slightly and said, "Director Xiang, I think Lu Cheng is actually quite easy to talk to. It's mainly because of his girlfriend. She knows too much and has a lot of support."

"That's why she's so powerful; even when you step in, she's not intimidated."

Not many people came to see Lu Cheng this time. If Chen Song hadn't been absent, Peng Zhengyu wouldn't have come at all.

This was also a deliberate arrangement by Xiang Dongshan: "Chen Song told me that Lu Cheng's girlfriend's family is rich. Even if she doesn't earn money in her life, as long as she doesn't spend money extravagantly, she can live quite comfortably."

"Peng Zhengyu, do you have a total of two million in research funding right now?"

Peng Zhengyu immediately shook his head: "No."

"That's it. This Dr. Mu has only just joined Peking Union Medical College Hospital, yet he has already received two million yuan in research start-up funding. It's not as simple as they said, that it's just ordinary."

"I thought I remembered it wrong. When my research funding reached two million, I was almost promoted to full professor."

"She is a full-time researcher, so she has a deep understanding of scientific research and is therefore very clear about the scientific practicality of this splenic solid organ suturing technique."

"Indeed, there's a reason why female PhDs are in a league of their own."

Peng Zhengyu said, "Director Xiang, I think what Brother Song said makes a lot of sense. We should try to win over Lu Cheng as early as possible."

"Otherwise, given his personality, he wouldn't be someone so easily won over."

"He speaks tactfully, and when he's being hypocritical, he's utterly cunning."

Xiang Dongshan said, "I've told you many times, don't underestimate the people in grassroots hospitals. Their daily lives consist of interpersonal relationships, not professional skills."

"You are not as good as them when it comes to dealing with people."

"Moreover, there's a saying that goes, 'Even if a deal falls through, goodwill remains.' With the relationship between Chen Song and Xiao Zhang, if Lu Cheng produces anything new in the future, we'll have the advantage of being the forerunner."

Peng Zhengyu's eyes flickered, and his tone became somewhat distorted: "Director Xiang, is that even possible? Like a sow?"

“One hundred percent!” Xiang Dongshan’s expression calmed down.

According to Chen Song, Xiao Lu has only been studying in a more formal academic field for about half a year. Generally speaking, the innovation lifeline of a formal scientific researcher can last at least ten years.

"Do you think Lu Cheng won't be able to come up with anything new within ten years? I don't think so."

"Last month, sigh!" Xiang Dongshan finally regretted it.

He originally had a very good opportunity.

If Lu Cheng had listened to Chen Song's advice and made a trip to Longxian People's Hospital before going to Han City, none of this would have happened.

It's a pity that Xiang Dongshan felt Chen Song's perspective was too narrow, that he hadn't seen many good things...

Peng Zhengyu said, "Director Xiang, this spleen-preserving technique is mainly well-suited to the types of diseases we treat in the emergency department. We may not have spleen suturing techniques available."

"Such a huge influence, right?"

"Who said that?" Xiang Dongshan retorted immediately.

“Peng Zhengyu, I’ve told you many times that clinical and scientific research thinking should be separated.”

"Admittedly, this suturing technique is most suitable for emergency spleen injuries, but is it limited to spleen injuries?"

"You still know too little about the diseases and surgeries in general surgery."

When Xiang Dongshan noticed that neither Peng Zhengyu nor Zhang Boyuan had responded, he added, "But it's not your fault. The current medical system is all about specialization."

"Our emergency department doesn't handle elective cases!"

"Actually, whether or not the spleen is there is not a big problem. I'm just hesitating because Lu Cheng is very skilled in the basics of suturing and has also mastered spleen suturing techniques."

"If he can further expand liver-preserving and pancreas-preserving surgeries in the future, that would be great."

"It can't be that bad, can it?" Zhang Boyuan was starting to lose his composure.

As his senior, he should have encouraged Lu Cheng instead of saying discouraging things behind his back. Even if he had his own thoughts, it would have been best not to express them.

In the field of liver surgery, the late Academician Wu Mengchao is widely recognized as having made significant contributions.

"I can only say 'maybe' for now!"

"To make this possible, every hospital's general surgery department has invested a lot of human and material resources."

"Currently, the diagnosis and treatment of liver, pancreas, and other related diseases are what patients seek, what society needs, and what we are striving to overcome," Xiang Dongshan said.

……

"You even drove to the high-speed rail station? How much is the parking fee?" Mu Nanshu asked while fastening her seatbelt.

Lu Cheng said, "The parking fees in Longxian County are not high, and it's even cheaper than taking a taxi back and forth. The main advantage is the convenience."

"They don't use meters here, it's just twenty yuan per person or thirty yuan per vehicle."

"You do the math, it's sixty yuan, and parking for a day is only ten yuan. If you don't park for a week, you won't lose money."

"Shall we go get something else to eat?" Lu Cheng asked after replying.

Mu Nanshu smiled calmly and said, "No, you're wearing your anxiety on your sleeve. Take me back to my apartment complex first, and then you can go to the hospital."

"You're on the night shift today, which is wasting time."

"I'll take a bus to Enshi by myself tomorrow morning, and then I have to go back to Hanshi."

"Well, no matter what, we should still help Xie Yuan'an if we need to."

Mu Nanshu did not mention that she had contacted Professor Zhong Junyun, mainly because Mu Nanshu did not express her opinion, but only communicated some details with Professor Zhong Junyun.

Ultimately, it's up to Lu Cheng to decide.

"Why don't you come to my house and bring some local specialties with you? Fermented bean curd, fermented soybeans, these are just a small token of my appreciation."

“Actually, if it weren’t for Teacher Xie’s ‘gossip’, I might not have had so many opportunities now,” Lu Cheng suggested.

"Okay." Mu Nanshu agreed without hesitation.

Lu Cheng took Mu Nanshu directly back to his Gaojiapo residential area, then let Mu Nanshu go upstairs by herself, while he rode his electric scooter directly to the hospital.

At 9:40 p.m., Lu Cheng arrived at the doctor's office in the emergency surgery department.

"Brother Zhang, I'm so sorry, thank you for your hard work. I could have gotten back before the night shift, but something came up and I was delayed." Lu Cheng quickly apologized.

"I ordered some barbecue before I came to work, and I'll be there soon. If you're not in a hurry, Brother Zhang, why don't we eat together before you go back?"

Zhang Tiesheng was sitting and playing on his phone. After listening, he put his phone away and said, "Xiao Lu, you're being too polite."

"Come, come, sit down first."

Lu Cheng had already changed into his work clothes and asked, "Brother Zhang, how many patients have come in the last few days?"

Lu Cheng went to Shashi on Friday afternoon, so it only took him two days.

"We haven't admitted many patients; most have been referred. We've only performed one appendectomy and one gallbladder removal, and both patients are recovering quite well."

Zhang Tiesheng finished his casual reply, then looked around and lowered his voice: "A major incident has occurred at our hospital again."

"Besides that matter?" Lu Cheng paused as he adjusted his collar.

Zhang Tiesheng nodded slowly: "You know that a new hospital has been built in Feng County, Hubei Province?"

"I've heard of it, but I haven't paid much attention to it, since it's in the neighboring province."

“At least three department heads in our hospital resigned at the beginning of the month, and the resignation will be completed by the end of this month. The 600,000 yuan will be given directly to them.”

Lu Cheng: "???"

"Which ones?"

After a moment of shock, Lu Cheng calmed down and said, "The economic level of Feng County in Hubei Province is better than that of our Long County, so it is understandable that the treatment there is better."

Personnel changes are a normal occurrence.

Feng County is not far from Long County, and the Chengxin Plaza residential community where Mu Nanshu lives is adjacent to Hubei Province.

Even some people in the emergency department bought houses in the neighboring Feng County and then came to work in Long County.

There must be patients from Longxian County who go to Fengxian People's Hospital for treatment.

“Du Qiang from general surgery, Zhou Bin from neurosurgery, and Chen Guangming from respiratory medicine.” Zhang Tiesheng bent three fingers in succession.

"Director Du Qiang resigned?" Lu Cheng's heart skipped a beat.

"What happened at the beginning of this month?"

Good heavens, Du Qiang is truly a genius. Even as the person is about to leave, he still manages to leave with a full load of favors. He's a real shrewd operator.

You could say he used his position to his advantage, but he did Lu Cheng a favor by cursing him, almost like cursing his mother.

It could even be interpreted as his outburst of frustration before leaving the company.

Yes!

"So, many people in the department are now saying that the reason Director Du is scolding you so irrationally was because he had already made arrangements."

"Anyway, I don't plan to work in this county or province anymore, so let them curse me if they want."

"But he probably didn't expect that scolding you wouldn't have much of an impact on you," Zhang Tiesheng reassured him.

The conversation between Lu Cheng and Du Qiang did not reach Liu Er's ears.

Zhang Tiesheng was unaware of the things Du Qiang had said to Lu Cheng in private. In Zhang Tiesheng's view, Du Qiang and Lu Cheng were enemies because Lu Cheng did not listen to Du Qiang's orders.

"This time, our hospital is having a tough time. One group of department heads has fallen ill, another has left, and we don't know if the hospital can bring in any more people..."

“Otherwise, some surgeries that could be performed before will have to be discontinued again,” Zhang Tiesheng sighed.

That's how county hospitals are; their technology is fragmented, and they simply lack the capacity to withstand risks. If a department head leaves, a particular surgery might become unavailable.

This is different from hospitals in prefecture-level cities, where cutting out an ordinary person wouldn't significantly affect the types of surgeries performed.

Unless it's a special kind of surgery, only one or two people could do it, and their major arteries would be cut off.

While Zhang Tiesheng and Lu Cheng were enjoying their food, their takeout arrived.

Lu Cheng was on the night shift in the ward, which meant he wasn't required to sit in the office. He went to get some takeout and shared some with Tian Zhuang, who was on the night shift in the emergency room.

Then they returned to the doctors' lounge.

As soon as he pushed open the door, Lu Cheng saw that Zhang Tiesheng looked a little flustered: "Director Bao, you can't just say things like that. This is not good news."

Lu Cheng restrained his movements: "That's the current situation. Our medical affairs department hasn't been able to persuade Director Lin Qianlong of your emergency department either."

"Therefore, starting next month, Huang Haibo, the director of the emergency department, will act as the director of the emergency department, and you will act as the director of the surgical group."

"You need to be mentally prepared."

In the surgical team, besides Lin Qianlong, only Zhang Tiesheng is an associate professor, so it is reasonable for him to take on the role of acting director.

Zhang Tiesheng never expected to be promoted to the position of director so early: "Why, Director Bao?"

Through the conversation, Lu Cheng roughly knew that the caller was Bao Liming from the medical department.

“There aren’t that many whys. Director Lin Qianlong’s daughter is going to Fengxian People’s Hospital to look for a job!” Bao Liming replied.

"Didn't they say Lin Qian came to our hospital?" Zhang Tiesheng asked.

"She just came looking for a job, she doesn't necessarily have to work here, that's basically it."

"Dr. Zhang, Director Huang in your department is a talented person. You should learn more from him."

"This time, as far as I know, your emergency department, which should have had the most problems, had the fewest issues found."

“I can tell you this: the other directors who resigned may not be able to do so gracefully.” Bao Liming’s voice was also a little stiff.

The People's Hospital was already in chaos when the inspection team came to Xiangzhou. Now, someone is causing trouble and resigning. Doesn't this make things even more difficult for the hospital's administration?

The hospital can't retain its staff, and the administration definitely bears a lot of the blame.

The person who resigned was at the director level, which means the dean himself resigned. Otherwise, wouldn't the dean be in a terrible position?

There weren't many senior doctors in Longxian County to begin with, and now several have left. This is like undermining the county health bureau.

Zhang Tiesheng replied, "Yes, Director Huang is quite knowledgeable about the rules, and sometimes he even takes care of things in our surgical group."

Huang Haibo is knowledgeable about law and has even obtained a lawyer's license through self-study. He has also personally handled lawsuits.

"That's settled then. As for Director Lin's resignation, it can only be said that fate wasn't on our side."

“Right now, what our hospital is considering is that we hope you can step up, make good use of the talent in the department, and try not to affect the normal operation of the emergency department,” Bao Liming said.

“But Director Bao, Lu Cheng from our department will also be leaving eventually, won’t he?” Zhang Tiesheng said directly.

"The future is a matter for the future, the present is the present. Even if we want to recruit people, it will take some time."

"Where can our hospital find a suitable department head in such a short time?"

“Lin Qianlong reported this to us several months ago. We’ve contacted some people during this gap period, but haven’t found a suitable one…”

After the call was disconnected, Zhang Tiesheng noticed that Lu Cheng was looking at him with a rather puzzled expression, but he didn't ask directly.

Zhang Tiesheng succinctly stated: "Director Lin resigned and went to Fengxian People's Hospital. Director Huang will be the director of our emergency department next month, and the hospital has arranged for me to be the acting director of the surgical group."

"I feel numb right now."

A doctor who doesn't want to become a department head isn't a good doctor, but Zhang Tiesheng never imagined he would become a department head right now.

Where does he get such strength and ability?

Zhang Tiesheng's eyes were crooked at this point, and he tried to straighten them several times but couldn't. So he simply took off his glasses and started rubbing his eyes vigorously.

"Director Lin is going to resign?" Lu Cheng found it somewhat unbelievable.

Lu Cheng also knew that Director Lin had a daughter named Lin Qian. Lin Qian was not a doctor, but a nursing student.

I had heard from people in the department before that Lin Qian came to Longxian People's Hospital, but she definitely wouldn't come to the emergency department.

Family members cannot work in the same department.

"Yes. Wait a minute, Xiao Lu, let me calm down first, I'm really a little nervous."

"This is too sudden." Zhang Tiesheng reached out and pressed Lu Cheng down.

Lu Cheng was silent for a moment, then Tian Zhuang called: "Brother Lu, a patient with appendicitis has come to the clinic..."

"Okay, I'll be right there." Lu Cheng replied and went out.

Tian Zhuang could distinguish the different grades of appendicitis. The caller with appendicitis definitely needed emergency surgery.

"Brother Zhang, another patient with appendicitis has come in. I'll go take a look."

“Okay!” Zhang Tiesheng nodded.

"Xiao Lu, I won't eat barbecue with you. Why don't you call Zeng Huanqi over? I need to go back and ask Director Lin about this." Zhang Tiesheng was genuinely flustered, not just pretending.

Whether being a director brings happiness or not is another matter, but the pressure and responsibility on my shoulders are definitely several times greater than they are now.

The appendectomy was not difficult; with Lu Cheng and Zeng Huanqi working together, it only took about forty minutes.

However, Zeng Huanqi had obviously heard the rumors as well, after watching the patient leave the operating room!
As Zeng Huanqi took off his gloves, he walked to the sink to wash his hands and said, "Xiao Lu, you should know what happened in the department, right?"

Lu Cheng nodded: "I happened to be right next to Director Bao of the Medical Affairs Department when he called Brother Zhang."

"This news just came as a surprise."

"Of course it's sudden. The personnel department and the medical department wouldn't release this kind of information in advance, lest we panic."

"The contracts for Director Lin and his team were all signed in October and will expire in November."

"Director Lin submitted her resignation in August of this year. It seems that Lin Qian originally wanted to take an administrative position, but it was not approved."

"Whether this is the specific reason or not, it's hard to say for sure at the moment," Zeng Huanqi guessed.

Lu Cheng thought about it seriously: "It can't be that bad. Director Lin doesn't seem like the kind of person who would resign just because he's angry about something like this."

"Perhaps it's because Fengxian People's Hospital is offering more."

Zeng Huanqi sighed: "From Director Lin's position, I can understand it. People always want to move up in the ranks!"

"The counterpart support unit of Fengxian People's Hospital is Tongji Hospital, which is no weaker than Xiangya No. 2 Hospital. It will be more convenient for us to learn the technology."

"That's right, now that Director Lin is gone, what are we going to do about the hernia and bowel rupture surgeries that our emergency department was supposed to perform?"

“Neither Zhang Tiesheng nor I know how to do this, and you, Xiao Lu, have never been in contact with it before,” Zeng Huanqi said with some worry.

However, after complaining, Zeng Huanqi added, "Oh, by the way, Xiao Lu, Professor Tong Yuan'an called me yesterday."

"The content of the phone call was a bit strange, but it has something to do with you."

"What did Professor Tong ask?" Lu Cheng quickly asked back.

Professor Tong asked, "When will your contract with the hospital expire?"

Zeng Huanqi looked Lu Cheng up and down: "Little Lu, are you about to take off? Or is Xiangya Hospital planning to transfer you there?"

Lu Cheng himself revealed that he had a collaboration with Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

Xiangya Hospital and Peking Union Medical College Hospital are institutions that Zeng Huanqi would never even dare to dream of working for. Even if he were offered a job there, he would hesitate and wonder if he had the ability to do so.

Now, it seems the two companies are even fighting over it?

Lu Cheng shook his head: "I don't know, Brother Zeng."

“Direct transfer is impossible; none of them meet their educational requirements.”

"That's true. In the current environment, without a doctorate and without published papers, it's simply impossible to get into a unit like this."

“No exceptions are possible. I’m heading back now. If you need anything else later, just call me,” Zeng Huanqi said.

"Brother Zeng, you should get some rest."

……

After returning to the lounge, Lu Cheng ate some barbecue by himself, and then decided to talk to Mu Nanshu about the matter.

Mu Nanshu was speechless upon hearing this, but did not offer any opinion: "This situation is a bit chaotic. But for matters that are not our concern, we should just do our own thing honestly."

"Whether it's the central inspection team investigating violations or the director's resignation potentially causing a sharp decline in the department's strength, it has nothing to do with the individual."

"This is something that administrators and leaders need to consider."

Lu Cheng replied, "Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. Have you taken a shower? If you have, you should get some rest."

"I still have some information to process."

"I don't have to reply to hospitals I'm not familiar with, but I still need to reply to information from hospitals like the Provincial People's Hospital, Shashi Central Hospital, and the First Affiliated Hospital of Hengda University."

Mu Nanshu suddenly asked, "Have you considered going to a relatively poor prefecture-level city hospital before jumping?"

Lu Cheng replied, "Don't think too much about it. Our path is very clear: we'll start with a research project and then go to a different institution."

"Let's both get promoted to better professional titles and break down the barriers of geographical distance."

"I'll take advantage of these opportunities to learn more skills. If I can climb a ladder to success, that would be perfect."

"Even if Union Hospital can't sign a contract with me directly, I will find a suitable unit in Wuhan."

"Don't waver on this basic point; it's the same whether you go to Shashi or stay in Wuhan."

Mu Nanshu replied: "I don't mean it the way you understand it now. Didn't you tell me that you could create a few more research topics?"

"With that kind of ability, why follow someone else? Go solo!"

After reading the message, Lu Cheng was stunned. He realized that Mu Nanshu was actually bolder and more daring than himself.

"Let's rest and talk about it later."

"There are different optimal solutions at different times, but that's a matter for later. Right now, the most important thing is to find a suitable place to put the project aside."

“Without research output, there are no real conditions for negotiation; it’s all about selling an unpredictable future,” Lu Cheng replied.

(End of this chapter)