This miracle doctor just wants to be fired!

Zhou Cheng and Fang Hang originally planned to have lunch at the cafeteria, but in the end they went to a small restaurant across from the hospital.

The food in the staff canteen is almost the same every day, with the same taste and the same presentation.

Eating in the cafeteria a few times in a short period of time is fine, but after a while, people don't want to eat there anymore.

Last time Fang Hang treated Zhou Cheng to barbecue, today Zhou Cheng is treating.

The two ordered three home-style dishes and chatted about what was happening in their department, including the electrocardiogram competition.

"Junior, how difficult was the electrocardiogram competition?"

Zhou Cheng smiled as he picked up a piece of lean meat. "It's alright, not too difficult. If you participate, you'll definitely make it to the semi-finals."

Fang Hang smiled and shook his head: "That won't do. I know my own level."

Zhou Cheng replied, "Senior brother, your theoretical foundation is very good. Just look at the diagrams more often in clinical practice, and you should be fine."

Fang Hang nodded: "Before I went to clinical practice, I always thought it was very simple, something that you could learn by doing. I thought that as long as you stayed for a while, even a fool could learn it. But now I feel differently."

Zhou Cheng paused slightly, listening to Fang Hang continue.

"Take the patients I've recently encountered, for example. None of them are sick like the ones in textbooks. They are all living, breathing individuals. You have to analyze each patient's condition. This isn't something you can learn just by reading textbooks. It requires clinical thinking like yours, junior."

Perhaps it's because Fang Hang has been spending a lot of time in the clinic recently, and he has a deep understanding of it.

However, Zhou Cheng could tell that his senior brother Fang Hang really enjoyed working in the clinic; otherwise, he wouldn't have given up scientific research to come to such a demanding clinical job.

"Senior, don't you find clinical work tiring?" Zhou Cheng asked, taking a bite of rice.

"It's quite tiring," Fang Hang said noncommittally, "but seeing the patients I've been working with recover and be discharged from the hospital gives me the best sense of satisfaction."

"Yes." Zhou Cheng smiled as well.

"By the way, I'm going to publish a paper soon, and I'll include your name in it," Fang Hang suddenly said. "It should be useful for your promotion or something."

Zhou Cheng was slightly taken aback. His name was included in the published paper?

Such a good thing?

In the past, he wouldn't have dared to even imagine it; he would probably have been overjoyed.

However, Zhou Cheng wasn't too excited now. Instead, he said, "Senior brother, it shouldn't matter if you include my name, right? If there are any negative consequences, then forget it."

Fang Hang waved his hand, "It's just a paper, and you're only the second author. What impact could it have?"

Seeing this, Zhou Cheng didn't say much, but simply thanked him a few more times.

In general academic papers, only the corresponding author and the first author have some benefit for promotion or evaluation. Other authors are just listed as authors, which doesn't really bring any advantages.

Zhou Cheng noticed that the favorability rating on Fang Hang's attribute panel had risen to 62 points.

It seems that after spending these days together, their relationship has grown closer without them even realizing it.

After finishing their meal, the two parted ways at the restaurant entrance.

Zhou Cheng returned to his rented apartment, while Fang Hang went back to the hospital's staff dormitory.

……

Back to the rental house.

The room was quiet; Lin Wei probably hadn't returned. Zhou Cheng went straight back to his own room.

The workload this morning was very heavy. Although he was sitting the whole time, it took a lot of mental and physical effort.

Zhou Cheng took off his coat and lay down on the bed. Exhaustion instantly overwhelmed him, and he fell into a deep sleep within minutes.

He didn't know how long he had been asleep when a sudden, urgent cell phone ringtone abruptly pulled Zhou Cheng out of his sleep.

He groggily fumbled for his phone, pressed the answer button with his eyes closed, and said in a hoarse voice, still sleepy, "Feed?"

"Zhou Cheng! Are you still sleeping?!" came the suppressed anger of Li Qiang, deputy director of the medical department, from the other end of the phone. "Do you know how serious this is?!"

Zhou Cheng instantly became more alert, sat up, rubbed his eyes, and frowned as he asked, "Director Li? What happened?"

"What else could have happened? It's that patient you refused to see this morning before you left work!" Li Qiang's voice suddenly rose. "He filmed several videos and posted them online, saying things like 'The emergency room doctor at the Municipal People's Hospital has no medical ethics, refusing to see a patient and rushing to leave work.' Now a lot of people are forwarding and commenting on it, all cursing our hospital and you! You need to explain to me clearly what exactly happened!"

Zhou Cheng then realized what was happening and explained calmly, "Director Li, this is what happened. It was already past closing time, and I had already seen all my morning appointments. That patient didn't have an appointment with me and wasn't within my scope of care."

"His complexion was rosy and his breathing was steady. He had no symptoms of an acute illness. I had clearly told him that Dr. Wang, who was taking over the shift, was in the next examination room and could see patients normally. But he insisted on stopping me and asking me to see him. I did not agree and went to eat."

"I don't care if he registered or if it's an emergency!" Li Qiang interrupted him directly, his tone firm and unyielding. "The public opinion has already escalated, affecting the overall reputation of our hospital! Do you know that if this blows up, it won't do you or the hospital any good? Every time there were those complaints before, wasn't it me who suppressed them for you? Can't you just give me a break?"

Zhou Cheng remained silent. He knew all too well the hospital leadership's style of doing things; they always prioritized "keeping the peace" and, regardless of right or wrong, would get the doctors to compromise and quell the incident.

Sure enough, the next second Li Qiang made a request: "I've already got the patient's contact information. Call him right now, apologize to him, be sincere, and try to get him to delete the video and calm this down."

"I won't apologize." Zhou Cheng refused without hesitation. "Director Li, I haven't done anything wrong. Leaving get off work on time is my legal right, and I clearly informed him of the location of the relieving doctor, fulfilling my obligation to inform him. He's the one who unjustly prevented me from leaving get off work and even filmed a video maliciously smearing me and the hospital. The fault isn't mine, so why should I apologize?"

"What did you say?!" Li Qiang seemed not to have heard him clearly, his voice rising several decibels. "Zhou Cheng, do you know what you're saying? Is this the time to argue about right and wrong? Asking you to apologize isn't about admitting your mistake, it's to calm public opinion! It's for your own good! If you don't apologize, this matter will blow up, and the hospital will definitely deal with you seriously!"

"Director Li, I know the hospital wants to quell the incident, but this is an unreasonable request." Zhou Cheng insisted on his point of view. "I have not violated the treatment guidelines, nor have I violated medical ethics. I cannot accept such unfounded accusations in order to quell public opinion, and I cannot abandon my principles."

Zhou Cheng knew perfectly well that the core rule of the system was "not to violate medical ethics and not to violate treatment guidelines".

My actions were completely in compliance with the requirements and would not trigger any penalties.

There's absolutely no need for me to humble myself and apologize to that man!