Chapter 316: Testing Character: Strength, Humility, and the Healing Touch

The couple took their child for tests—which needn’t be mentioned further.

Ever since Zhou Can set them straight, they hadn’t dared cut in line again. They waited their turn just like everyone else.

It takes people willing to stand up to those who trample on decency and rules to make society a more harmonious place.

It’s like certain kids—spoiled rotten at home—who step outside and become insufferable little troublemakers.

One day they’re picking on this person, the next they’re bullying that one.

Eventually, they run into someone who stands up for what’s right, get a good lesson, and finally fall in line.

Everyone’s the main character in their own story out in the world, but no one will coddle people like that.

The queue at Zhou Can’s desk just kept growing.

If you have skills and the patience to endure loneliness, you’ll get your moment to shine.

…

By a little after four in the afternoon, Zhou Can had tended to nearly all the patients he needed to see.

At the very least everyone had been seen once, with any needed tests ordered.

Zhou Can made sure to give his best right up to the end, hoping this expert consultation event would wrap up smoothly.

Just then, the same arrogant driver as before showed up with the child, looking nothing like his earlier self.

The ‘official’s wife’ kept her head down, too embarrassed to meet anyone’s eyes.

It wasn’t that they had no backbone; the child’s injuries had turned out to be worse than they expected.

They spent the whole morning waiting in line for tests.

By afternoon, once they finally got results, they hurried excitedly to see the specialist—only to be told the child needed surgery as soon as he looked at the scans.

That news terrified the official’s wife.

Her child was still so young—how did a simple twisted ankle from playing end up requiring surgery?

The specialist could see their identities were unique, as well as their suspicion and dissatisfaction.

So he called in his superior for another opinion.

The supervisor agreed—the ankle was complex, the injury unusual. Conservative treatment might well leave the child limping for life.

Surgery was the best fix.

After much agonizing, the official’s wife made a tough choice. For her son’s sake, she swallowed her pride and decided to seek out that famously prickly, sharp-tongued but highly skilled Dr. Zhou.

It was simply too frightening for a child this small to face surgery.

Returning to the outpatient hall, she kept her head down and queued quietly, not daring to cut in or let her husband know what had happened.

At least she still had some sense, unlike some foolish women who’d just ruin their husband’s careers outright.

After a whole day of running around, the kid had suffered plenty, she’d spent a small fortune, and most crucially—his condition hadn’t improved at all. She was absolutely kicking herself with regret.

The polite, flattering doctors hadn’t managed to help her son one bit.

She finally understood—she was here to get her child treated, not to enjoy special privileges or empty praise.

“Dr. Zhou, please, could you take a look at my child!”

She dropped all airs and sincerely begged Zhou Can for help.

“Hey, it’s you again! Has it really taken the whole day and your kid still isn’t getting properly treated?”

Zhou Can couldn’t help but smile when he saw the trio.

This morning, those two had been off-the-charts arrogant—especially the driver, who acted like he owned the place.

“Please forgive us. Don’t stoop to our level.”

All the woman could do was keep her head down and speak softly.

She’d never felt so thoroughly humiliated before.

“I wouldn’t hold a grudge against patients or their families. But your driver here threatened me earlier, demanding I treat you well. As for us doctors—our monthly salaries are barely enough, so I was really scared!”

Zhou Can glanced over at the driver.

He talked as if he was scared, but his expression didn’t betray a single hint of fear.

There was no way someone like Zhou Can would be intimidated by a driver.

He’d even saved Cao Zhengguo’s daughter and unborn grandchild, after all. If anyone dared cross the line with him, they’d have to see if Tuyu Hospital’s brass would allow it—and Cao Zhengguo certainly wouldn’t just stand by.

“I was out of line earlier—just forget what I said, please! I apologize!”

Xiao Xu, the driver, was the sort who always went with the tide.

When you’re not in a position of strength, you have to bow your head sometimes.

Zhou Can mentioned it in passing, but he didn’t push things.

“How’s the child doing now?”

“We took him to see the orthopedic pediatrician at Xinxiang Maternity and Child Hospital and were told he needed surgery. I know you’re highly skilled, Dr. Zhou—could you see if there’s a better approach?”

Her face was full of hope.

“Let me see the test reports first.”

Zhou Can took the thick stack of examination results and flipped through them.

“Pretty thorough set of tests you’ve got here.”

To him, the ultrasound and CT really weren’t necessary.

The receiving doctor probably wanted to check for ligament or tendon damage. But if you have solid clinical skills, you can tell just by touch, sight, and asking the child to move the injured ankle.

This area’s muscle groups, ligaments, and tendons are all densely packed.

They’re built to withstand a lot—usually nothing serious.

“Were some of those tests kinda pointless?” The woman had already been frustrated about this, so Zhou Can’s passing comment only deepened her resentment toward the previous doctor.

Of course, Zhou Can wouldn’t badmouth another doctor.

He reassured the family, “Being thorough isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It helps avoid surprises.”

After reading through everything, he frowned and carefully started to work out the best treatment.

Both the mother and Xiao Xu watched him anxiously. The boy had been through so much he’d fallen asleep right there in Xiao Xu’s arms.

His right ankle was badly swollen.

“The problem is a dislocated ankle—it’s pressing on nerves and blood vessels, making the swelling worse. It has to be fixed soon. If you delay or just use a plaster cast, he could easily be left with a limp for life.”

Zhou Can’s bone-setting technique had just advanced to level four—perfect timing.

He hadn’t been able to handle such tricky dislocations before, but now he could give it a try.

“That’s what the pediatric orthopedic doctor said too. What should we do now?” The woman’s poise was gone—she was panicking.

Her son was her everything.

With two doctors warning her that a limp was likely, fear gripped her heart.

“Don’t panic. Xiao Bao will be fine. Let’s hear what Dr. Zhou recommends,” Xiao Xu quickly comforted the official’s wife.

Serving as a driver for a leader was no easy gig.

It wasn’t just about chauffeuring—you had to be resourceful, too. Once you earned the leader’s trust, you might be entrusted with errands, even gifts, gradually building your own connections.

If you got this far, you could start wielding influence and networking at every opportunity.

Some clever drivers even built lucrative side businesses from those contacts.

Or, if they had the right education and capability, they could end up promoted into official positions. At that point, they’d really made it.

Gaining a leader’s trust is never as simple as it seems.

The surest, fastest way is to run yourself ragged whenever the leader’s family needs something—treat yourself as part of the family.

Why the quotes?

Well, think of it as being like a servant in ancient times.

It might sound degrading, but if you’re willing to humble yourself and work selflessly for their family, it’s surprisingly easy to win the leader’s appreciation and trust.

Xiao Xu might be a bit difficult to like, but people like him often make it in the working world.

“Dr. Zhou, you’re the expert—please, you have to help us!”

Prompted by Xiao Xu, the official’s wife pleaded again with Zhou Can.

No matter how wealthy or powerful you were, once in the hospital, you had to rely on the doctor in the end. Of course, doctors needed their own networks to climb the social ranks.

So, usually, doctors stayed humble and polite to the influential people they met.

Everyone ended up interacting almost like friends.

It was rare for people to come in screaming and shouting at the doctor like these two had.

But if there were such people, doctors still had their pride.

They always found a way to stand their ground.

But in the end, it was the patient who suffered most.

“I’ve checked his case multiple times. The specific site of the dislocation’s incredibly complex, making manual realignment tricky. But if you trust me, I’d suggest we first try manual reduction. I have to be honest—success isn’t guaranteed, but I’ll give it my best.”

After several days of independent consultations, Zhou Can’s bedside manner had noticeably improved.

He learned to clarify risks and highlight challenges—it’s a way of protecting himself.

“Yes, I absolutely trust you, Dr. Zhou! Please, try manual reduction on my son right away!” The chance to fix things without surgery made her eager to try.

“Wait!”

Suddenly, Xiao Xu spoke up.

Both Zhou Can and the boy’s mother turned to him, confused.

“Sorry for interrupting, but there’s something I have to ask.”

He explained to the official’s wife first, then looked at Zhou Can.

“Dr. Zhou, may I ask—in the event that manual reduction fails, what are the possible consequences? Could it make the injury worse, or something even worse happen?”

That was actually a reasonable concern.

The official’s wife started worrying all over again.

“Manual reduction won’t cause the scary complications you’re imagining. The techniques, angles, everything’s standardized. A professional wouldn’t accidentally break the kid’s foot or anything—if it doesn’t work, it’s no worse than before. There will be pain, your child will shout and cry, but that’s perfectly normal.”

Zhou Can thoroughly explained everything to the two adults.

Part of a doctor’s duty is to ease families’ worries.

If amateurs try these things, yes, the risk skyrockets.

But his bone-setting skills were at level four—the real deal. With him doing the procedure, the risks were fully manageable.

“Sorry, I was overthinking!”

Xiao Xu quickly apologized.

“Dr. Zhou, can we proceed now?” With her worries eased, the boy’s mother was impatient to start.

“Hold the child steady! We absolutely can’t let him struggle and fall during the procedure.”

Zhou Can sternly warned Xiao Xu.

“Understood! I’ll hold him tight, you can count on me, Dr. Zhou.”

Xiao Xu hugged the boy as if he were his own son—maybe even more carefully.

The child’s mother stayed close, ready in case anything happened.

This kid really was loved.

He got more care and attention than most.

As soon as Zhou Can took the injured right foot, the boy woke up in alarm.

“Don’t touch me! Leave me alone…”

He was wild, kicking at Zhou Can with his left leg.

This kid probably ruled the roost at home—completely spoiled.

“Xiao Bao, don’t fuss! The doctor’s here to help you. Be good…” His mother hurriedly soothed him, afraid to anger Zhou Can.

But the boy was too used to getting his way and didn’t listen to a word.

Zhou Can looked around for another male doctor—he’d need an extra set of hands to keep the left leg steady.

Getting kicked by this little rascal would be a real pain.

Ji You was slim, with slender arms, probably not strong enough to control him.

“Gao Jian, can you help restrain this boy’s leg?”

Of the doctors on Zhou Can’s level, Gao Jian seemed to be free.

“Sure!”

Gao Jian was a big guy from the north—just walking over was enough to settle most kids.

“This little guy’s got some strength!”

Gao Jian waited for the right moment, then grabbed the left leg tight.

No need to control the right one.

If the kid dared kick with that, the pain would teach him a lesson.

Now that the patient was under control, Zhou Can took hold of the left heel with one hand and gripped the foot arch with the other.

The pain agitated the boy even more.

He started wailing and struggling like crazy.

Xiao Xu got punched in the face several times, but he just gritted his teeth and took it—he was the leader’s driver, after all.

“Oww… don’t pull my hair!”

The boy yanked a handful of Xiao Xu’s hair, making him yelp.

His mother coaxed and scolded him until he let go, then grabbed both his hands tight.

What a handful this little emperor was.

It really took a whole team of adults to hold him down.

Once everything was under control, Zhou Can carefully sought out the best angle for the reduction.

Now and then, the boy still struggled, forcing him to start over with the positioning.

Finally, Zhou Can found the optimal angle.

He pushed and twisted firmly.

“AH! I’ll kill you! Let go of me! Let go!”

The boy was enraged.

Pain from the reduction made him scream and threaten the doctor at the top of his lungs.

Thank goodness he was a kid—otherwise, that would’ve been worrying.

If the parents didn’t start disciplining him soon, who knows how he’d turn out.

Zhou Can used to doubt those wild stories about second-generation rich and officials’ kids being totally lawless, but after meeting this boy, he believed it.

The old saying goes: by three, you can see a person’s nature.

Those early years are crucial to a child’s upbringing.

This kid was already six—hopefully, his parents could curb those nasty habits before the rebellious teen years hit.

Once the reduction was finished, Zhou Can checked everything again.

Through observation and palpation, he was sure it had worked—but to be safe, an X-ray was a good idea.

“Thanks, Dr. Gao! You can get back to your work now.”

Zhou Can thanked Gao Jian.

“I’m all done. And seriously, Zhou, you’re something else! Watching you realign a shoulder seemed simple, but even this ankle dislocation you handled by hand! I’m impressed.”

As a doctor, Gao Jian understood just how tough this was.

Shoulder reductions aren’t too bad—master the tricks and even new doctors can do it, as long as they’re willing to persevere.

“No need to flatter—I just have my strengths, and you have yours. When it comes to internal medicine, I’ll need your advice.”

He turned to the boy’s mother.

“It feels like the joint’s back in place, but let’s take an X-ray to make sure everything’s right.”

After completing the bone-setting, he was pleasantly surprised to earn 101 experience points—including a rare bonus of 100 for the procedure.

No surprise there—the challenge was sky-high, and it was his first time. The extra reward made sense.

Tackling a single high-difficulty reduction like this was worth more than a hundred ordinary ones.

Becoming a better doctor isn’t just about repetition—it’s about pushing boundaries, constantly challenging yourself with something new.

Like learning to walk, then trying to run or jump. Every leap forward sharpens your balance and abilities.

That’s how you progress in life—by taking on new challenges, surpassing yourself, and eventually succeeding.

“Thank you so much, Dr. Zhou! You fixed my son’s ankle with manual reduction—he won’t need surgery now. I can’t thank you enough…” The official’s wife was so emotional her voice trembled.

Zhou Can couldn’t help but sigh—overly doting mothers breed troublesome children.

This mother spoiled her child far too much.

But it’s a mistake many mothers make.