This miracle doctor just wants to be fired!

Zhou Cheng raised his head to meet Li Qiang's gaze, his tone firm: "Director Li, I'm sorry, I cannot apologize."

"I did nothing wrong. I have fulfilled my duties as a doctor, both in terms of medical principles and medical ethics. Prioritizing the treatment of critically ill patients is my duty, and there was nothing wrong with the communication. So I will not apologize."

"You..." Deputy Director Li frowned, not expecting such a straightforward refusal from him. "Zhou Cheng, why are you so stubborn?"

"Now is not the time to take things too seriously!"

"It's just an apology, it won't hurt you. It can quell the complaints, which is good for the hospital and for you. Why are you being so stubborn?"

"It's not stubbornness, it's a matter of principle," Zhou Cheng insisted. "I can accept any investigation from the hospital, but I will not apologize for something I did not do wrong."

At this point, the system did not block his behavior, which proves that his behavior was within the scope permitted by the system.

Seeing that Zhou Cheng's attitude was firm and he showed no sign of backing down, Li Qiang's face darkened, and he waved his hand.

"Alright, I understand what you mean."

"You can go back now. I'll report this to my supervisor and see how to handle it."

"You should think about it carefully. Don't act impulsively. Sometimes, it's not a bad thing to compromise appropriately."

"Thank you for the reminder, Director Li." Zhou Cheng stood up, then turned and walked out of the medical affairs office.

……

Stepping out of the administration building, Zhou Cheng felt refreshed.

For the first time, he was able to stand by his choice in the face of complaints!

I wonder how badly this complaint will affect Director Wang's impression of him.

Is it possible that I'll be fired before the three-month probation period even ends?!

Zhou Cheng almost burst out laughing, and walked briskly towards the emergency department.

But as soon as he returned to the emergency department and walked to the nurses' station, the head nurse called him over.

"Dr. Zhou, you're finally back. Director Wang is waiting for you in his office. He doesn't look too good. You should go over there right away."

Zhou Cheng was secretly delighted, and there was also a hint of anticipation in his heart.

It seems Director Li has already informed Director Wang of the situation; this drama is unfolding faster than expected!

He took a deep breath and pushed open the door to the director's office.

Director Wang was sitting behind his desk, his hands clasped on the table, his brows furrowed.

The complaint record was still on his desk, indicating that he had clearly already read it.

Upon seeing Zhou Cheng enter, Director Wang glared at him and said directly, "Zhou Cheng, what did you say to Director Li of the Medical Affairs Department? Is it so hard for you to apologize to the patient?"

Zhou Cheng stood in front of the desk, a faint smile on his face: "Director Wang, I didn't do anything wrong, why apologize?"

"I have already explained the situation to Director Li. Prioritizing the treatment of critically injured car accident patients is a medical principle, and I cannot violate this principle just to quell the complaints."

"Principles?" Director Wang slammed his hand on the table, his voice suddenly rising. "The hospital is currently at a critical stage of its tertiary hospital review process. A single complaint could render all our department's efforts futile!"

"You're talking to me about principles?"

"The patient is making such a scene, claiming to know hospital leaders. If this really escalates to the hospital director's office, can you take responsibility?"

He stood up angrily, walked up to Zhou Cheng, and said impatiently, "I don't care what your reasons are, you must apologize to the patient today!"

"Be sincere, withdraw the complaint, and this matter will be over."

"Otherwise, you'll probably have a hard time passing your probation period!"

Director Wang's words carried a clear threat, but Zhou Cheng felt no fear whatsoever; on the contrary, he was even more excited.

If I listen to you, I'll pass the probation period?

No, it will only make his work busier.

For him now, failing the probation period is exactly the result he wanted, isn't it?

Zhou Cheng thought for a moment and continued, "Director Wang, I can cooperate with the hospital in any investigation and explain the situation to the patient, but I cannot apologize."

"You really are stubborn!" Director Wang's face flushed with anger. Pointing at the office door, her voice trembled slightly. "Zhou Cheng, I'm asking you one last time, are you going to apologize or not?"

"Director Wang, I'm sorry, I can't go." Zhou Cheng didn't back down an inch, his tone firm.

"Fine! Fine, you say 'can't go'!" Director Wang paced back and forth in his office twice in anger, finally stopping to stare at Zhou Cheng, gritting his teeth as he said, "If you don't apologize, you don't need to come to work! Starting tomorrow, you don't need to come to the emergency room!"

The words "You don't need to come to work anymore" exploded in Zhou Cheng's ears.

He was stunned for a moment, then an overwhelming joy welled up from the bottom of his heart, almost making him laugh out loud!

Did his long-cherished dream of being fired and receiving a reward actually come true?

It was faster than he expected!

He suppressed his excitement and tried his best to make his tone sound calm: "Director Wang, are you sure?"

Director Wang was so angry she didn't want to say another word to him. She waved her hand and said, "You can leave now! Someone will contact you regarding your resignation procedures!"

Zhou Cheng gave a soft "oh," turned around, and walked out of the office, his steps somewhat unsteady.

This wasn't because I was scared, but because I was too excited!

As he walked to the door, he made a point of turning back to look at Director Wang. Seeing that Director Wang was still glaring at him angrily, he was secretly overjoyed.

But just then, another notification popped up from the system.

[The host has received explicit instructions from superiors that they are not required to work, but has not yet received a formal termination notice from the hospital, and therefore does not currently meet the eligibility criteria for the bonus.]

[Note: You must wait for a written termination certificate from the hospital or a formal notification from the human resources department before you can be considered successfully "dismissed".]

Zhou Cheng's initial elation subsided slightly, but he was still excited.

Although I haven't received the official notice yet, Director Wang has already told me not to come to work anymore, so how far away can the official dismissal notice be?

……

In the emergency department director's office at this moment.

Director Wang was holding his phone, calling Deputy Director Li of the Medical Affairs Department, his tone still filled with anger.

"Old Li, Zhou Cheng is too stubborn. I asked him to apologize, but he refused. I've already told him not to come to work anymore! You should talk to the hospital leaders and see how to handle this."

Li Qiang on the other end of the phone was silent for a few seconds, his tone clearly showing helplessness.

"Old Wang, don't get agitated. I've already reported the situation to the hospital leadership."

"But it's against the rules to dismiss Zhou Cheng now just because he didn't apologize."

"Improper?" Director Wang paused, his tone becoming more urgent. "He disregarded the importance of the hospital's tertiary hospital review and insisted on letting the complaint escalate. Isn't that enough?"

"Not enough." Li Qiang's voice was calm. "Zhou Cheng's actions were not wrong from a medical principle point of view. Prioritizing the treatment of critically ill patients is in accordance with regulations, and he also fulfilled his obligation to inform."

"We can't just fire a doctor who hasn't violated medical ethics or hospital regulations just because of a patient complaint and we need to quell the storm, can we?"

"If this really escalates, not only will the review for the top-tier hospital be affected, but it might also be deemed an illegal dismissal, which would cause even more trouble."

Director Wang stood in his office, holding his phone, his anger gradually cooling down.

He wasn't unaware of this principle, but he had been so angered by Zhou Cheng's stubbornness that he blurted out that he didn't need to come to work.

Only after Li Qiang reminded him did he realize...

I really have no right to dismiss Zhou Cheng in advance. The dismissal of a probationary employee is either due to a serious violation of the rules and regulations or failure to pass the assessment. Zhou Cheng obviously does not meet the former criteria.

"Then tell me, what should we do about this? We can't just let it go like this, can we?" Director Wang's tone softened, tinged with frustration. "The patient is still making a scene, and the complaint hasn't been withdrawn. This is not good for our department or for the hospital."

"I have already spoken with the patient, explained the emergency situation to her, and promised to arrange for a psychiatrist to provide her with free counseling to help her adjust her emotions. The patient has already relented."

Li Qiang sighed and continued.

"As for Zhou Cheng, don't even think about firing him early; it's against regulations. Wait until the three-month probation period ends, and there's a comprehensive evaluation, right? At that time, based on his performance recently, give him a failing grade and let him go through the normal process. It's compliant with regulations, and no one can say anything about it."

Director Wang remained silent for a moment. Although he was still uncomfortable, he knew that this was the safest solution at the moment.

He reflected on Zhou Cheng's performance over the past few days.

His refusal to work overtime, his lax work attitude, and the huge commotion caused by the complaint are enough to make him fail the evaluation, even without deliberate targeting.