Healing Doctor

Chapter 271 The Way Out

After Ji Xiang left, General Manager Wu took Lu Kai to the ICU to take another look at the patient.

The patient regained consciousness after anesthesia, and his vital signs were stabilizing. Light red bloody fluid was drained from the urine bag, which was relatively smooth and not much blood, so there was no problem.

Mr. Wu returned to the ward happily, humming a little tune along the way.

"Mr. Wu, why do you look so happy today?"

Lu Kai didn't go in for the surgery and didn't know what happened during the operation.

Mr. Wu didn't explain, but smiled and went back to the doctor's office to sit down, crossing his legs.

"Lu Kai, it's a real shame you didn't participate in today's emergency treatment. By the way, did you take what I told you the other day to heart?"

"What's wrong?" Lu Kai asked, startled.

Mr. Wu glanced at him and said, "What are you going to do in the future? Didn't I give you a suggestion? Become an escort for medical examinations. To put it more nicely, be an escort professional."

"..." The chubby boy hesitated, pressing his two index fingers together.

"Just say what you have to say, look at you like that," said General Manager Wu. "Hurry up and say it, don't act like you haven't finished relieving yourself."

"General Manager Wu, on my first day here, Colonel Wang told me that doctors become more sought after with age, with a low ceiling but a very high floor."

"Don't listen to Colonel Wang's nonsense," General Wu said disdainfully. "He sees things clearly and has already given up. Otherwise, why would he refuse to lead a team even if he had to die, and insist on being in a team with Professor Mo?"

"Is it to go out for surgery?"

"Of course," said General Manager Wu. "Our base salary is too low; we have to rely on performance-based pay to make money. What is performance-based pay? Let me ask you."

"The more patients you see, the more money you make," Lu Kai replied.

"As a doctor, can you hope your patients get sick?"

One question after another cornered Lu Kai.

"Colonel Wang has no hope for the future. He has too many sunk costs in the early stages and can't change careers, so he goes to the men's hospital to do some surgeries to earn some money."

"But... I've heard people say that doctors become more valuable as they get older since I was a child."

"Withdrawing money from Pinduoduo was so easy back then." Mr. Wu scoffed. "That was a golden age. When Wang Daxiao and his colleagues were young, there were few doctors, so they had more opportunities to practice. By the time they were in their forties or fifties, they had accumulated enough experience."

"But look at what's happening now."

"Even if you manage to get dozens of people to give you cash, withdrawing 800 yuan is like trying to run a mountain to death. I figured this out a long time ago. If I hadn't met Director Liu, I probably would have become an inspection escort by now."

"Ah!" Lu Kai let out a meaningless "ah".

Seeing that he didn't understand what he meant, Mr. Wu sat up straight and said seriously, "You and Ji Xiang came together. In ancient times, that would be called being classmates, born in the same year, and studying together. You couldn't be closer than that."

"Ji Xiang?"

"Stay close to Ji Xiang. Got Director Lu Gang?"

"I saw it." Although Lu Kai was puzzled, he still nodded honestly.

Mr. Wu smiled, feeling that he had said enough.

"Mr. Wu, please say more, I'm still not quite there." Lu Kai knew he had to be careful when facing such an important life event. He was still confused, and being thick-skinned and familiar with Mr. Wu, he continued to press for answers.

"Hospitals and doctors are considered gray areas in the country."

"Haha, look at what you're saying, I immediately thought of coconut trees." Lu Kai's face showed a knowing smile that all men understand.

"It's not like I made you drink all your life." Mr. Wu chuckled, then became serious again. "What I mean by 'playing on the edge' isn't what you think. Be serious, I'm telling you."

"Mr. Wu, please speak."

"Administratively, it's considered a public service sector, with the government providing funding. However, the money from the government is constantly being intercepted at the local level. Or the government might just say it's providing funding, then issue an administrative order, but the local government doesn't have the money, so it gets deducted at every level."

We're already lucky to get 30% of the government subsidy; it usually hovers around 15-25%.

"Is nobody going to do anything about it?"

Mr. Wu gave Lu Kai a disdainful look.

"As for hiring, those old men in our office building certainly won't hire more. Why should they share the capitalists' profits, right?"

"They seem to get the average prize."

"Average my ass! The average bonus for the top three departments in terms of performance, plus other factors like position, is a lie!" General Manager Wu said angrily.

"Oh, Mr. Wu, please continue."

"No matter how tough or tiring it is for doctors, they won't quit as long as they have food to eat, unless it's really sold to a private company," said General Manager Wu. "That mining hospital of that coal giant in the next province used to be so prestigious, a bit worse than our Second Affiliated Hospital but about the same, and its technical level was also high. After it was sold, those who were going to leave all..."

Mr. Wu immediately realized he had gone off-topic and steered the conversation back on track.

"Get out? All crows are black, unless you find a permanent job in outpatient clinic and work your way up until retirement."

"Oh, oh, oh."

Lu Kai is young after all, and Colonel Wang would understand if he said he would wait until retirement, but Lu Kai still has the spirit of a young man.

"Take advantage of your youth and the opportunity to build connections in the hospital. Our Second Affiliated Hospital, while not a top-tier hospital at the national level, is still one of the best in the province."

"It's all about connections. If a relative of your county magistrate gets sick, and you take them to the capital, Old Lu will give you the nerve to get a private room—enough for you to brag about for the rest of your life."

Lu Kai's eyes lit up, and he nodded.

"Many doctors come to our Second Affiliated Hospital for residency and internship, but at least 60% of them don't become doctors," said General Manager Wu. "So I suggest you think about it carefully."

"Mr. Wu, how would I know what the pros and cons are? Just tell me directly, and I'll think about it later."

"After graduating and returning home, it would be best to find a job, and then give gifts to the boss to get further education."

"I have time for further studies."

"Back when I was at West China Hospital, I met a senior visiting doctor. He had been working there for over ten years, and his official status was that of a visiting doctor!"

"!!!"

"There's a lot going on here. It depends on whether you can handle it," said General Manager Wu. "Do you think no one in your county wants to open a path for you outside? You might not even be doing your advanced studies at the Second Affiliated Hospital anymore; you could go straight to the capital, or even..."

Mr. Wu paused for a moment, then swallowed back the next sentence he was about to say, which was in line with Ji Xiangqian's.

As they talked, General Manager Wu even considered taking over the job himself, but he couldn't have left if it weren't for Director Liu's consistent belief that he was good at recognizing and appointing talent.

"Let me think about it." Lu Kai lowered his head, trying to remember what President Wu had told him.

"It doesn't matter. Anyway, no matter what, I'll definitely go if you ask me to do the surgery," Mr. Wu said with a smile.

……

……

In that familiar restaurant, Tang Yan was reporting to her boss.

Earning 100,000 yuan a month, Tang Yan is happy with her job. As long as she follows Ji Xiang to perform surgeries, Tang Yan really can't think of any job that is more comfortable than this.

Although Ji Xiang performs many surgeries, including some interventional procedures, he doesn't require the scrub nurse to come in and handle the sutures; he can simply stand outside and wait.

It was very easy, and Tang Yan even felt guilty for taking the money.

So when Feng Yuqing called her, she would come running out without hesitation.

(End of this chapter)