Chapter 295: Night Shift Bonds and Temptations

After this lesson, she’d be twice as careful in her work from now on.

“Yes, yes, Dr. Zhou, your criticism is right. I sincerely accept it. I never imagined that such a huge problem could happen in just the time it took to make a call. We’re lucky we saved the patient, or this could have been a permanent stain on my record.”

She apologized with a smile, anxiety still lingering in her eyes.

“Alright, the patient’s vitals are stable now. I’m heading back to the hotel to shower and I’ll be back in about an hour. Whatever happens, do not let your guard down again.”

As far as Zhou Can could tell, the pregnant woman’s condition was overall stable.

A moment ago, her oxygen levels had plummeted—all because Dr. Pang’s rescue measures had backfired.

After giving his instructions, he left quickly.

Since the incident, Nurse Chen Qingling and Dr. Pang’s attitudes toward him had quietly changed.

Even the three medical staff from Xinxiang Maternity and Child Hospital in the resuscitation room shared a genuine respect for Zhou Can’s skills.

……

Around seven o’clock, Zhou Can walked into the resuscitation room holding a volume from the medical notes that Mr. Liu had given him.

He was pulling night shift with Ji You. Sitting around doing nothing would make the night drag on forever. But with Mr. Liu’s medical notes, he had mental nourishment to help pass the time.

“Hey, Ji You, you’re here early!”

Zhou Can found Ji You already in the resuscitation room.

She was chatting away with Chen Qingling.

Dr. Pang, still shaken by the earlier event, sat well-behaved at the pregnant woman’s bedside, standing guard like family.

“Nothing much going on, so after I showered and called home, I came straight here,” Ji You replied with a smile.

Doctors and nurses stay busy in the hospital—it’s normal to sweat right through several sets of clothes every day.

That’s why most doctors and nurses prefer to shower daily.

Looking presentable and staying clean comes with the job. Imagine how a patient would feel being around someone who stinks.

“You’ll be here for a whole week. You must be missing your husband and kid, right?” Zhou Can could relate to that homesick feeling.

“Ha! I’m only twenty-five—what husband and kid? My family set me up on a few blind dates, but the guys all brag too much, act macho, or are plain clueless. You wouldn’t believe it—after a few attempts, I started questioning everything.”

Ji You’s story sent everyone into fits of laughter.

These days, finding someone through blind dates is honestly tough.

It’s either the guy or the girl that’s unreliable.

It’s rare for both sides to actually click.

“Marriage is about fate. No need to rush. When the time is right, everything falls into place,” Zhou Can comforted her with a smile. “Where’s your home, anyway? It’s just been a week and you’re already homesick—you must be a filial kid.”

From intuition, she was probably from out of town.

“I’m from the north! Ever heard of Tuyuan City?”

As expected, she came from far away.

“I know, I know. I heard your city’s famous for its cave dwellings—warm in winter, cool in summer.” Zhou Can had never visited, but he’d heard about it.

“Oh please! Caves like that are just in the countryside. Tuyuan City now is packed with tall buildings. You won’t find cave houses in the city anymore.”

Her hometown was just one of many modern cities across Huaxia.

Even fifth- and sixth-tier small counties now had skyscrapers, buzzing with a sense of modern life.

“Dr. Pang, Nurse Chen—you two can head off first. If possible, come back tomorrow morning around seven-thirty for the shift change. I’ll take a break at the hotel.”

Zhou Can said to the two of them.

“Alright, goodbye, Dr. Zhou!”

They waved goodbye to Zhou Can and left quickly.

Zhou Can turned to Ji You. “Let’s take turns on watch. You can catch some sleep in the duty room if you want, and I’ll call you for the second half of the night.”

With both of them on night duty, they could swap breaks.

That way, tomorrow’s work wouldn’t suffer.

This pregnant patient was a special case. Two nights’ observation should see her through the worst.

“Sounds good! Call me if you need anything!”

She agreed readily.

“Dr. Zhou, can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead!”

Zhou Can nodded.

“Why not just transfer this patient to the intensive care unit? That way, we wouldn’t need to do round-the-clock shifts.”

Chances are, Dr. Pang and the others wondered the same thing.

The specialists from Tuyu Hospital were only here at Xinxiang Maternity and Child Hospital to diagnose and recommend treatment. Hospitalization and nursing weren’t their job.

Normally, the medical care during inpatient stays didn’t require very high expertise from the staff.

“After her resuscitation today, when we were taking turns to eat, do you know what I saw?”

Zhou Can asked.

“No idea!” She shook her head.

“I saw her husband squatting in a corner outside, eating a steamed cornbread. Judging by the size and color, you can’t buy that here, so he probably brought it from home. Two things really moved me about him: first, he dropped to his knees without hesitation and begged Director Zhang to save his wife. For a man, that’s a big deal—nobody wants to kneel in public unless it’s desperate.”

The pregnant woman had been carried in by her husband and father-in-law on a simple stretcher.

After the rescue, Zhou Can hadn’t seen the father-in-law outside.

He only saw the husband crouched against the wall with that cornbread.

Judging by their clothes and skin, the family was almost certainly poor farmers from a remote village.

“The second thing: even though he had that food with him, he didn’t eat the cornbread until after he knew his wife was safely out of danger. That shows he truly cares. As doctors, we’re not saviors. We can only do so much. Sparing them the sky-high ICU fees is the one thing I could do to help. That’s why I didn’t transfer her.”

Normally, Zhou Can would never have shared this with anyone.

But with Ji You asking now, he explained his reasoning.

After all, they were teammates.

Pulling night shifts can make the group grumble sometimes.

Deputy Director Shi was always cold about these things. Even as team leader, he never once checked in on the patient—even if it was just a formality.

After the resuscitation, Deputy Director Shi just sat in the outpatient hall, never coming back.

He didn’t visit, not even after work.

Zhou Can could read him easily—if he showed up in the resuscitation room, he might have to join the night shift.

Many doctors, especially associate chiefs and chief physicians, carry this sense of superiority. It’s hard to explain, but you see it in the little things.

For example, in treatment, the chiefs rarely dirty their own hands with the grunt work.

Almost all of them order junior doctors around.

Even attending physicians have the same habit.

Big fish eat little fish—little fish eat shrimp.

Attending physicians push the exhausting jobs onto resident doctors.

If the risk isn’t too high, residents push those jobs to trainees and interns.

This invisible hierarchy exists in every hospital.

Ji You said nothing after hearing Zhou Can’s explanation.

“The family is already struggling. If we put her in the ICU, it’d only crush them further. Honestly, I just want to get her off the ventilator soon. Prolonged use leads to all sorts of complications and skyrocketing costs—and her condition could spiral.”

Overuse of a ventilator often causes airway infections.

Then comes bronchitis, pneumonia, and other issues.

Plus, staying on a ventilator too long slows recovery. It’s easy to get dependent, and after extubation, she’ll take longer to adapt.

“Dr. Zhou, you’re a good person! A good man! A good doctor!”

With that, Ji You turned and left.

The lesson Zhou Can gave her tonight would likely stick with her for years on the job.

In any department or medical team, the lead doctor’s style shapes everyone else’s attitude and work ethic.

Zhou Can’s kindness, always putting himself in the patient and family’s shoes, left a deep impression on Ji You.

Chances are, she’d quietly adopt the same mindset in her own practice someday.

If she could help a patient or their family, she’d do it in her own small way.

After Ji You left, Zhou Can sat by the pregnant woman’s bed, reading his book in peace.

The doctors and nurses from Xinxiang Maternity and Child Hospital kept their distance from those from Tuyu Hospital, focusing solely on their own duties.

By a little after nine that night, the resuscitation room was all but silent.

Occasionally a doctor or nurse would come in to check on a patient.

Not every patient in the resuscitation room was in critical condition. Many were there under observation, having been assessed as high risk needing close watch or aggressive treatment.

“Evening, Dr. Zhou!”

Section Chief Tang strode in with a smile, heading straight for Zhou Can.

When he neared, his smile was bright as he greeted Zhou Can.

“Section Chief Tang, you’re still here this late?”

Zhou Can closed his book and stood up to chat.

“You’ve seen our hospital’s situation. It’s not easy being in management! No wonder you’re so outstanding, Dr. Zhou—I saw tonight just how hard you work, cramming every bit of time to study. Not many people have that drive. Take me, for example—I buy all these books with great intentions, but after a few pages, they just gather dust.”

Section Chief Tang spoke to Zhou Can as warmly as a friend.

He was actually head of the hospital’s propaganda and united front department—a solid position.

Done right, a role like his could land him a job in Administration.

Moving from a regular department to Administration counts as a promotion—at the very least a lateral move, so his title wouldn’t drop.

There weren’t many top roles in Administration.

Anyone who made it there usually started as deputy director, rising to director after a year or two.

So Section Chief Tang’s status was actually higher than most imagined.

If he pulled off this round of expert consultations, helping Xinxiang Maternity and Child Hospital through its troubles, he’d be a huge asset.

That kind of contribution would almost guarantee a spot in Administration.

A bright future, no question.

No wonder he worked so hard handling guest specialists—when there’s something in it for you, you give it your all.

“Honestly, I’m just bored during the night shift, so I read to pass the time.”

Zhou Can answered modestly.

Normally, this would be where their conversation ended with a polite goodbye.

Instead, Section Chief Tang pulled over a chair and motioned for Zhou Can to sit too.

“With skills like yours, Dr. Zhou, you’re still only a trainee at Tuyu Hospital?”

“Where am I ‘powerful’? Look, here’s my trainee badge—real and official. I only got my physician’s certificate a few months ago, so I’m really just a junior doctor.”

If you had a license, you were called a physician; without one, you were merely a medical scholar.

It’s a clear distinction.

“You’re young, but your pathology diagnosis, surgical skill, and rescue ability are all top notch. Ever thought about switching? We’re hiring at Xinxiang Maternity and Child Hospital, and we need doctors like you.”

So Section Chief Tang’s real reason for coming out was this.

No wonder he was hanging around past nine, making small talk.

Tuyu Hospital sent a team to prop up Xinxiang’s reputation, and here they were trying to poach one of Tuyu’s best.

Pretty much a real-life farmer-and-snake story.

In the adult world, nothing matters more than personal gain.

All that talk about loyalty and feelings? Just for show.

“I’m happy at Tuyu Hospital, never thought about leaving.”

Zhou Can wasn’t about to turn his back on his team.

Tuyu Hospital had trained him well. Their chief physicians taught him everything, hoping he’d someday bring Tuyu even more prestige.

If he jumped ship now, those mentors would be so disappointed. Even Dr. Xu would be let down.

How could Zhou Can ever do something like that?

For him, life wasn’t just about money. What mattered was friendship, love, and family. If anything, it was about adding value to society.

“I know Tuyu Hospital values you and treats you well. But if you come to us, we’ll give you higher status—and a salary several times beyond Tuyu’s. Trainees there get two to three thousand a month, right? With us, you’d get thirty thousand, plus bonuses for performance.”

Section Chief Tang, being just the department head, couldn’t promise that salary himself.

So, who was really behind it?

Zhou Can quickly figured it out.

Tang was just the face; the real poachers were Director Tian and Xinxiang’s management.

Of course, these things are sensitive—Director Tian would never extend the offer in person until negotiations were settled.

A thirty-thousand base salary was a big temptation.

Even in top-tier cities, it was rare.

Add in bonuses, and annual income might top half a million.

But Zhou Can wasn’t short on cash.

Becoming a doctor was never about the money for him.

“Ha, offering that much for a trainee… your hospital really thinks highly of me. I do appreciate it, but I have no plans to leave Tuyu.”

Without even blinking, Zhou Can refused.

Section Chief Tang misread him, thinking it was the salary that wasn’t high enough.

Considering his talent, in a few years Zhou Can could become a renowned doctor with prestige, academic clout, and high income at Tuyu.

Trying to poach a genius for thirty thousand a month was too low an offer.

“Why do people work so hard? It’s to earn more, make life better for ourselves and our families. If thirty thousand isn’t enough, Dr. Zhou, we can go higher. If you work hard, we’ll make sure you clear at least fifty thousand a month. Deal?”

Tang increased the offer.

But there was a catch—the fifty thousand wasn’t a base salary, but based on good performance.

“What if I told you I don’t practice medicine for money—would you believe me?” Zhou Can raised an eyebrow.

“Well… that’s hard for me to believe. Isn’t everyone out to make money? So what’s your target, Dr. Zhou?” With little power to hire, Tang fished for a number to take back to his higher-ups.

He’d report it up the chain and see what they’d say next.