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

Chapter 279 Dong Chang visits!

The moonlight is bright, and the lamplight casts dappled shadows.

At 8 p.m., Lu Cheng and Mu Nanshu put down their books and laptops. Lu Cheng sat on the sofa and held Mu Nanshu on his lap.

The two sipped their coffee slowly. After putting down his coffee, Mu Nanshu said, "I met Professor Qu today. He's a very interesting old man."

As Mu Nanshu spoke, she got up from Lu Cheng and gave him a strange look.

Lu Cheng straightened his back, his expression calm, and offered no explanation: "Isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to call Professor Qu 'old man'?"

Mu Nanshu's expression was beaming: "What a little old man, isn't he? He's extremely competitive."

“Professor Dong learns faster than him, so he tries to find out the problems and flaws in Professor Dong’s learning process.”

"To nitpick, just to prove I didn't lose."

Lu Cheng and Qu Daowen had performed surgery together in the operating room, but they had only met a few times and didn't know each other well.

"As you get older, your energy and physical strength will decline."

“At this age, it’s no wonder that I can’t learn new things as well as younger people,” Lu Cheng remarked.

As for Lu Cheng, if we disregard the interface, he feels that his learning efficiency is not as good as it used to be.

However, Lu Cheng doesn't need to disregard the panel; he hasn't upgraded his technology independently of the panel for a long time.

Relying on the panel might feel good for a while, but it's also good to keep relying on it. Having gotten used to taking shortcuts, Lu Cheng rarely bothered to hone his skills naturally after the skill points became more plentiful.

“Also, Professor Dong is being dishonest, he…” Mu Nanshu’s voice was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"I didn't order takeout." As Lu Cheng got up to open the door, Mu Nanshu was tidying her bathrobe.

As soon as the door opened, Lu Cheng saw Dong Chang standing outside, carrying a bag in her hand. His expression immediately changed slightly: "Director Dong? What brings you here?"

"Is it too much?"

Dong Chang, acting as if they were old friends, stepped inside: "Xiao Lu, let's go inside and talk. It's not convenient to talk here."

Lu Cheng stopped Dong Chang directly, his tone cold: "Director Dong, there's no need to come in. The fact that you came here shows you don't consider me a human being."

"We've already made everything clear on the phone and in the department yesterday, everything we should and could say."

After Dean Yao Xin made the call, Dong Chang called Lu Cheng separately and also went to the emergency department to look for Lu Cheng.

Now they've even come directly to Mu Nanshu's home, which has crossed Lu Cheng's bottom line.

“Dr. Lu, we can talk things over. I’ve come with sincerity. A guest is a guest…” Dong Chang said.

Lu Cheng pushed the door open and slammed it shut, yelling, "What the hell is this 'guests are welcome' nonsense?"

"What do you want to do? What do you want to do today?"

This house belongs to Mu Nanshu's family. Although the name on the house isn't Mu Nanshu, Lu Cheng is just staying here temporarily.

If Dong Chang had found his home in Gaojiapo Community, Lu Cheng wouldn't be so angry.

Lu Cheng rolled up the sleeves of his pajamas: "Do you want to be forceful or gentle?"

Dong Chang's smile turned sinister: "Lu Cheng, are you not giving me any face at all?"

Lu Cheng smirked: "Only those with a sense of shame give face. I've already given you face! You're the one who doesn't treat me like a human being!"

Dong Chang can conduct background checks on himself, but there should be limits.

Mu Nanshu opened the door abruptly: "Should we call the police?"

“You’ve closed the door, report it!” Lu Cheng turned around.

"I don't believe he can step over me and walk in today."

Dong Chang was the first person Lu Cheng encountered who didn't even follow the most basic code of conduct. Lu Cheng wasn't a coward either; whether he fought or not was up to him.

Lu Cheng is over 1.8 meters tall with strong muscles, so he's really not afraid of him.

Although Lu Cheng, who hails from western Hunan, received higher education, he would not rule out choosing the most direct way to solve problems.

Dong Chang naturally dared not make a move: "Lu Cheng, you are still young, why do you insist on occupying this position?"

"You can't listen to either good or bad advice, aren't you afraid of getting a lecture?"

“I’ve told you, I really need this identity as a stepping stone. If you compromise, I’ll give it to you.”

Lu Cheng stretched out his right hand: "Do as you please!"

"As long as you can convince the hospital leaders, the state leaders, or any level of leaders in the province, you can perform whatever you want, and I'm willing to be the audience."

What do you want from me?

Dong Chang laughed: "You think you have that ability? Didn't you get to where you are by using connections?"

Lu Cheng: "Don't worry about how I got this position. I messed up, and I don't need you to take responsibility."

"If you want to become the head of the trauma center, you should just agree to it yourself! Go to the hospital leaders and make a pledge. You're an associate chief physician, you have plenty of ways to get things done."

Dong Chang put down what he was holding: "You're a kept man and you're still so arrogant? You just have a good wife and good connections, so you can get people to cover for you? What are you pretending for?"

Lu Cheng turned around, unwilling to talk to this idiot any longer. He opened the door with his fingerprint, went in, and closed it behind him!
Dong Chang continued, "Lu Cheng, don't be so arrogant. Arrogance will eventually be punished!"

Mu Nanshu, inside the door, met Lu Cheng's gaze with a bewildered expression: "What's going on?"

"A complete idiot, more brainless than any idiot I could ever imagine, a lunatic."

"Ignore him." Lu Cheng waved his hand.

After Dong Chang had a falling out with Lu Cheng, he didn't say much more. He just muttered a few more words at the door before Lu Cheng and Mu Nanshu finally had some peace and quiet.

"Won't something bad happen?" Mu Nanshu asked, a little worried.

Lu Cheng's temper flared up as well: "What could possibly happen? I'm not afraid of him in a one-on-one fight, and I'm not afraid of him in any other way either."

"If he can make a big deal out of this little thing, then I'll just have to accept it. I'll just avoid those powerful figures who have connections everywhere."

Mu Nanshu was still a little worried, but it seemed like there wasn't much she could do.

Lu Cheng had told Mu Nanshu about this 'annoying person,' who was so shameless that he had almost no bottom line.

……

March 18th was Lu Cheng's standby day, which meant he could rest.

However, Lu Cheng and Mu Nanshu did not sleep in. Thursday was still a workday, and the people in the research group continued to work. Lu Cheng also had a surgical mission in Long County.

During this preparation period, Lu Cheng's surgical tasks were not heavy. He only had one surgery, which was a spleen fibroma resection and spleen preservation surgery performed by Professor Chen Song, who invited him to set up the operation.

"I'll take you to the lab first, then go back to Longxian County. I'll come find you guys tonight and we can have a barbecue together."

"I've already told Dai Linfang that he'll go buy ingredients this afternoon," Lu Cheng told Mu Nanshu.

"Okay...yes." Mu Nanshu nodded in agreement.

"Will what happened last night cause any trouble?"

Lu Cheng smiled and said, "Actually, I don't want to bully others by taking advantage of my power, but if he insists on doing it, then I won't mind taking advantage of my power."

"Even if he makes a scene at the National Health Commission, I can still get some information through Professor Lu in Kyoto."

"How far can he go for the sake of the head of a trauma center?" During the period before Lu Cheng gained power, he was actually making some preparations, including but not limited to preparations for procedural justice, as well as a considerable network of contacts.

This Professor Lu was, to some extent, someone whom Lu Cheng himself 'built' through Xiao Mingqi.

……

One of the president's offices in the administration building of the State People's Hospital.

When Xiang Kun saw Dong Chang crawl in, he rubbed his face hard and said, "Dong Chang, don't even think about it. You can't win against Lu Cheng."

"Uncle, is it?" Dong Chang hesitated before speaking.

Xiang Kun is one of the vice deans. He is not responsible for the suspension of the trauma center and did not strongly support its reopening, but he did consider whether he could squeeze someone in.

"The trauma center must be rebuilt. This is something that Director Huang and the leaders in the state have decided on, and it must be done."

"The responsibility is heavy, and someone needs to take responsibility. It's not a good position! And the nature of the trauma center is special, so it can't be a haphazard job."

"Since Lu Cheng is unwilling to make a deal with you and is just stalling you, let's just forget about it."

Dong Chang grinned and cursed, "This is like a rock in a latrine, smelly and hard, it doesn't make any sense at all."

"I really don't know why he has to occupy this position."

"Does he even have that ability himself? We're all just getting by!"

Xiang Kun's eyes darted around: "Not necessarily. Lu Cheng didn't show any fear in front of the two professors from the Provincial People's Hospital who were invited by Dean Huang and his team."

"And they get along very well right now. It doesn't seem like a relationship built simply through team building activities."

"Wasn't it Dean Yao who acted as a go-between?" Dong Chang's gaze was cryptic.

In Dong Chang's view, Lu Cheng was on Yao Xin's side and was supported by Yao Xin.

If Yao Xin can help Lu Cheng, why can't Xiang Kun help Dong Chang? We're all just trying to make appearances work, right?
If someone truly possessed extraordinary abilities, who the hell would be willing to spend their days studying interpersonal relationships and licking other people's boots?
Isn't social etiquette precisely the kind of accommodating environment that people navigate when their abilities are limited and everyone's skill level is roughly the same?

"Dean Yao is just facilitating things!" Xiang Kun had a deeper understanding.

"If I can help you, can you handle the situation yourself? If you can be sure of that, it's not too late now."

Dong Chang immediately cowered: "Uncle...I..."

"Can Lu Cheng really hold his own? Isn't it because of connections? Isn't it because he's paid people to help him?"

"Then the trauma center will become a bottomless pit. Whoever is in charge, it's still a bottomless pit, isn't it?"

The trauma center has been established and must be restarted. If Lu Cheng is not capable after restarting, won't the hospital have to spend money to constantly invite experts to oversee things?
Long-term employment means you have to pay money to hire them!

Since it's all about spending money, I, Dong Chang, am not someone who doesn't know how to use money.

"Why would you think that?" Xiang Kun asked, puzzled.

"Isn't that right?" Dong Chang retorted.

"Dong Chang, are you out of your mind? Why is it that every issue you deal with is about interpersonal relationships and how you have to spend money to solve problems?"

"Didn't you ever consider whether Lu Cheng could really handle it?" Xiang Kun raised his voice.

I need to give my nephew a good talking-to, otherwise he'll definitely go astray in the future.

Dong Chang listed his reasons: "Why? Because he's an undergraduate? Because he's an attending physician? Because he's in his thirties?"

"If he really had that ability, he would have gone to the provincial capital long ago. What is he still doing in Xiangzhou?"

Xiang Kun was a little angry: "Then I'll tell you exactly what he's doing."

“Lu Cheng could have gone to the provincial level a long time ago. He stayed in Xiangzhou to use our hospital as a stepping stone to get the title of associate chief physician.”

"His abilities, compared to his peers in the province, are no worse than others."

Dong Chang straightened up, trembling slightly, her expression one of utter astonishment: "The hospital would agree to this?"

“If Lu Cheng hadn’t refused to continue signing the contract, no one would have known that he had this thought in his mind.”

"Of course the hospital disagreed, but someone put a rock in their path! Otherwise, how do you think the reopening of the trauma center was even initiated?"

"The trauma center is a thorn in the side of many leaders. If this thorn can be removed, and Lu Cheng can be used to remove it, then it can be considered that he has made the best use of him."

"Otherwise, what do you think we should do?"

"Like when Director Xiao Zhaoxi was in office, will they hide Lu Chengxue away and prevent him from getting a promotion?"

"When did our state hospital ever need a chief physician who doesn't do his job?"

Lu Cheng is using Xiangzhou People's Hospital, and the People's Hospital is also using Lu Cheng; this can be considered a kind of hidden transaction.

The state hospital certainly doesn't lack attending physicians, but it lacks an attending physician who can handle the situation.

If the problem can be resolved, even if he is being used, the college leaders believe that it is acceptable to "compromise" if Lu Cheng needs a normal promotion!

Dong Chang said, "So that's how it is! I was wondering why Lu Cheng insisted on holding onto this position!"

"I understand now."

After Dong Chang understood, he trembled all over: "But, Uncle, can one person really do that?"

It took Dong Chang a while to realize how big the gap was between him and Lu Cheng.

He just wanted to take advantage of the trauma center's popularity to promote himself, but Lu Cheng wanted to use the entire hospital as a consumable for "promotion".

Moreover, the hospital leadership agreed.

Are you kidding me?
"Otherwise, why do you think I had you and Lu Cheng talk privately, instead of giving you a direct order unilaterally?"

"You're not young anymore, Dong Chang. You're thirty-six years old this year, how can your thinking still be so childish?" Xiang Kun was so angry that he felt a little dizzy.

Dong Chang felt extremely wronged: "Uncle, is this something you can come up with just by using your brain?"

"Let me give you an example. If you, Uncle, were to tell me now that you want to use the State Health Commission as a stepping stone to climb the corporate ladder."

"I just think you've gone mad, Uncle."

How dare you! You think you can use an administrative unit as a stepping stone for your promotion?

Unless you are extremely crucial, irreplaceable, and have the right timing, location, and people.

Otherwise, no unit, not even an entire department in the county, will play along with you in this grand show.

Xiang Kun remained silent for a moment: "Danger and opportunity coexist. I don't think that way, so I'm not Lu Cheng."

Whether Lu Cheng can do a good job or not depends entirely on his ability.

……

In Long County, after Lu Cheng arrived ahead of time, he even went to help his mother sell vegetables at the market for a while.

It wasn't about making more money; I just wanted to spend time with Tian Hui.

Because of work, I can't spend much time with my parents, which is something I can't help but regret.

Just as Lu Cheng arrived at the old location of Longxian People's Hospital, he noticed that the atmosphere was a bit off, and Professor Chen Song's expression was clearly annoyed.

"You've grown wings and dare to be used as a pawn now?" Professor Chen Song suddenly remarked, then walked straight to the director's office and closed the door.

(End of this chapter)