Chapter 387: Turbulent Times in the Department

Over the past year or so, Zhou Can had been learning cardiothoracic surgery under Dr. Hu Kan while rotating through the various internal medicine departments as a trainee. He also had to worry about his girlfriend Su Qianqian.

You could say he’s been so busy he barely touched the ground.

He hardly had the mind to pay attention to anything else.

Xinxiang Maternity and Child Hospital had invited him for consultations twice, but Zhou Can ended up turning them down because he was just too overwhelmed.

After that, their contact pretty much faded away.

In his memory, Xinxiang Maternity and Child Hospital had always been half-dead, only recovering a bit but still struggling. Could it really have made a full comeback in less than a year?

If he had time later, he figured he’d ask around and see what was going on.

“Zhou, those patients you operated on yesterday—the appendicitis, the duodenal tumor resection, and the urethral dilation—they’ve all been admitted to the emergency department’s inpatient ward. Remember to do your rounds on time each day from now on.”

After the meeting, Dr. Xu reminded Zhou Can.

“Got it!”

All three of those surgeries were performed by Zhou Can yesterday. He was surprised they’d been admitted straight to the emergency department.

He figured they would be transferred to the specialized inpatient units after their emergency surgeries.

Looks like Director Lou and the others had everything arranged long before.

“Where’s the inpatient ward located?”

He couldn’t believe such a big development had happened without him knowing a thing.

Director Lou and Dr. Xu clearly had known about the addition of inpatient wards for some time. No wonder they’re so experienced—they kept their cool and didn’t say a word to Zhou Can yesterday.

“Right there, by the observation room! They sectioned off a temporary inpatient room.”

Dr. Xu pointed in the direction of the observation room.

Zhou Can walked over that way. This area belonged to Ye Tingting, though she hadn’t started her shift yet.

The observation room was quite spacious, actually more than just one room.

The one at the far end had already been partitioned off, becoming the first inpatient room in the emergency department.

When Zhou Can walked into the room, he saw four beds—only one was still empty.

All three of his patients had been settled in properly.

The young man who’d had urethral dilation was lying in the first bed.

“How are you doing? Have you been able to pee today?”

Patients who undergo urethral dilation are at risk of post-op infection and inflammation. Especially for female patients, it’s better not to take sit-down baths after this procedure.

On top of that, the newly widened urethra can easily narrow again or even get blocked.

In those cases, a second dilation might be needed.

Also, after the procedure, swelling can cause the urethra to narrow temporarily, leading to urine retention for a short while.

Some families and patients don’t understand this—they think the operation failed and might even curse the doctor.

“Yeah, I’ve peed already!”

The young man looked a little embarrassed.

“Did it flow out smoothly?”

Details like these are what Zhou Can needs to check during rounds.

“It was pretty smooth, just stung a bit.” As he talked about urinating, the young man couldn’t hide his discomfort.

“A little pain right after surgery is totally normal. I’ll prescribe you some antibiotics. If you can pee fine tonight, have the doctor handle your discharge papers in the morning. You can finish recovering at home.”

Urethral dilation is actually a very technical minor procedure.

It’s basically non-invasive.

Put simply, if the urinary channel is too narrow you just use tools to gently expand it.

After seeing to this young man, Zhou Can checked up on the other two patients as well. Fortunately, all three operations had gone well.

The most serious case was the patient who’d had part of their duodenum removed because of a tumor. That’s a major surgery involving multiple organs in the chest and abdomen.

Such a procedure takes a big toll, and there’s no way that patient’s leaving hospital in just two or three days.

Right now, they had to stay off food and water, relying on nutrition drips to get through the roughest patch.

Luckily, the patient was holding up all right after surgery.

Their spirits were decent and there were no complications or fever. With a little care, they should be back to health soon.

Of course, for this patient, making sure the tumor doesn’t come back is just as important.

When it comes to patients with small-area tumor spread, you can never be certain there won’t be a recurrence after surgery.

After finishing his rounds, Zhou Can went to work in the operating room—which goes without saying.

With the department supporting his work like this, making resources available wherever they could, he naturally threw himself into every surgery.

Not only was he able to rack up more surgical experience, he could keep advancing his skills, moving closer to the level of chief physician.

Around eleven in the morning, a call came in.

But he was in the middle of a surgery and didn’t answer.

It wasn’t until later, after finishing up, that he checked his phone.

It was a call from Director Xueyan.

It probably meant something important.

Zhou Can quickly called her back.

Dr. Hu Kan hadn’t been gone long, and had left the big decisions about cardiothoracic surgery to his two main students. Even though Zhou Can was technically back in the emergency department, if anything happened over there, he’d always step up to help.

“Sister Yan, sorry I couldn’t answer earlier—I was in surgery.”

He and Director Xueyan had a sibling-like bond, so there was no need to stand on ceremony.

A quick explanation was enough.

“Can you come to the cardiothoracic surgery conference room now? There’s been some heated arguments over who should be department director. Your position is special—come lend a hand.”

She was asking Zhou Can for help.

“Sure! I’ll let Dr. Xu know. If things aren’t too busy, I’ll head over now.”

Zhou Can readily agreed.

Before Dr. Hu passed, he’d already made plans for who would take over as department head. The only regret was that his sudden passing meant there was no chance for a proper handover.

Dr. Hu knew his health was bad but wouldn’t give up his post. Not because he didn’t want to, but because any shift at the top risked destabilizing the entire department and damaging its reputation.

It’s just like how a senior executive change at a public company can send the stock price tumbling.

Rumors had been swirling that Dr. Hu’s health was failing and that Tuyu’s cardiothoracic surgery skills had dropped off a cliff. Yet there was no strong successor in the wings.

In these complicated circumstances, both the higher-ups at Tuyu Hospital and Dr. Hu himself wanted to maintain stability.

So Dr. Hu had no choice but to hold on, staying on as director.

He quietly evaluated the chief and associate chief physicians who might be ready to step up. In the end, he chose Director Xueyan as his successor.

Sadly, he never lived to oversee the transition, and this is why there’s so much contention now.

“I need to head out for a bit. You two go help out in Dr. Xu’s OR for now!”

Zhou Can made arrangements with Qiao Yu and Luo Shishen before heading for the other operating room.

Dr. Xu was stitching up a leg wound for a patient at that moment.

“Doctor, there’s something urgent in cardiothoracic surgery. I need to head over for a bit.”

“Is it for surgery or to talk things over?”

Dr. Xu didn’t look up as he kept focused on the suture, answering Zhou Can with a question.

“It’s a meeting.”

Zhou Can replied honestly.

He knew full well Dr. Xu had become quite the tactician in recent years.

The addition of the inpatient ward in the emergency department was his and Director Lou’s handiwork.

“Go on then. Just make sure to stick to what’s your responsibility.”

Dr. Xu gave him some advice.

As Zhou Can’s mentor, Dr. Xu not only taught him medical skills but also guided him through dealing with people and handling crises.

“Understood!”

Zhou Can nodded and hurried off.

He stopped by the changing room to put on his white coat before rushing to cardiothoracic surgery.

Tuyu Hospital was actually pretty large.

The walk from emergency to the surgical building wasn’t far.

Still, it took about seven or eight minutes on foot.

…

Before long, Zhou Can arrived at cardiothoracic surgery.

He could instantly sense morale was shaky. Doctors and nurses alike seemed distracted and unmotivated.

Cardiothoracic surgery was already in a precarious state, and with the staff off their game, things were only getting worse.

Zhou Can saw all this and grew anxious.

It all stemmed from the lack of a department head—no clear direction, no new unity.

Outside the conference room, he could hear heated arguments coming from within.

He knocked and went in.

All the cardiothoracic department’s senior staff were gathered.

Director Xie from surgery, Deputy Director Ye who oversaw medical affairs, and Deputy Director Bai Ziran in charge of administration—all sitting front and center.

The fact that both deputy directors were present showed just how important this meeting was.

“Perfect timing, Dr. Zhou! You’re one of Dr. Hu’s two chief protégés. Take part in the discussion about who should be department head!”

Deputy Director Ye perked up at Zhou Can’s arrival.

Just like that, Zhou Can was pushed squarely into the spotlight.

These deputy directors were ruthless operators with deceptively kind faces.

When dealing with hospital affairs, they always approached minor issues gently, but the bigger the situation, the harsher their methods.

“Thank you, Director Ye, for letting me speak!”

Zhou Can’s eyes settled on the three most senior figures in the room.

Director Xie’s hair seemed noticeably grayer, and he looked far older than before.

Deputy Director Bai, on the other hand, still looked as sharp as ever.

Zhou Can knew all three of these key figures well; meeting them didn’t faze him in the least.

Truth be told, there weren’t many rank-and-file doctors at the hospital who could move in these circles.

Most trainees or residents would consider themselves lucky just to know a department director, let alone brush shoulders with deputy directors.

Hospital leaders were the real powerhouses, the very top of the pyramid.

They belonged to that tiny group at the summit.

“Just as I came in, I heard Associate Director He voicing the strongest objections about department leadership. Let me share what Dr. Hu believed while he was alive.”

Zhou Can walked to the front, face serious as his eyes swept the room.

His look wasn’t piercing or aggressive—what came through was a genuine warmth for the team.

He knew almost everyone here.

Most days when he saw them, they’d exchange warm greetings or at least a quick hello.

“Dr. Hu’s greatest wish was for cardiothoracic surgery to survive this crisis and one day flourish again. Let me tell you all—even on the night before he passed, he was urging me to give everything I could to help the department through these trials. Most of you watched me grow up; nearly everyone here has mentored or helped me in some way. My feelings for this department run deep.”

He started by appealing to emotion, quickly winning over most people in the room.

He needed everyone to see he was one of them, genuinely invested in the department’s future, or else no one would take him seriously.

Otherwise, they’d just laugh him off.

“Enough with all that—just tell us what Dr. Hu actually said while he was alive.”

Associate Director He was in his fifties and knew every trick in the book.

He noticed how everyone’s eyes had softened as they looked at Zhou Can, full of warmth, and immediately sensed danger.

【To be real lately I’ve been using the Huanyuan app to keep up with chapters. It’s got switching, reading voice, all that. .huanyuanapp, works on iPhone and Android.】

“Just the night before he passed, as I drove Dr. Hu and Director Xueyan home, he told us—over and over—that if anything happened, he wanted Director Xueyan to take over as department head. At the time, she worried she didn’t have enough seniority and resisted. Dr. Hu was so upset he scolded her, saying she was the best choice for the job. Only under her leadership could the department really thrive. If she refused, he wouldn’t be able to rest in peace.”

“In the end, Director Xueyan agreed, and promised Dr. Hu she’d do everything in her power to lead the department to new heights.”

As soon as Zhou Can finished, murmurs rippled through the room.

A last wish from Dr. Hu—the equivalent to an emperor’s dying edict—carried a lot of weight.

Whether it was Dr. Hu worrying about the department to his very last breath or Director Xueyan’s commitment, both moved the staff deeply.

As part of the department, everyone could feel that sense of responsibility and mission.

“Hmph! That all happened with just you and Director Xueyan present. Who knows if it’s even true?”

Associate Director He was getting desperate.

If Zhou Can kept pulling heartstrings like this, the department head might as well be decided already!

It’d be easier to just hand the post straight to Director Xueyan.

The more flustered he got, the sloppier his arguments became.

No wonder Dr. Hu never considered letting He take the top job—he really didn’t have the big-picture vision required.

He only cared about short-term gain, lacking the necessary breadth of perspective.

“That’s a fair question, Director He. If just the two of us were present, it’d be easy enough to second-guess our story. At least, that’s how you see it. But Dr. Hu’s son was the one driving that night—he was there with us in the car. If anyone wants to verify, you can ask him. After all, this was Dr. Hu’s dying wish. If I made this up or instigated any doubt, it’d be a terrible insult to Dr. Hu’s memory. I don’t think he’d be able to rest easy either.”

Hit where it hurts.

Zhou Can’s words struck right at He’s weak spot.

After all, it was He who raised the doubts—now all you needed was proof and he’d have nothing left to say.

If he kept objecting, everyone would just see him as a petty troublemaker.

Zhou Can didn’t even need to say more; everyone had already started looking down on He.

Forget being department head—He was even in danger of losing his spot as deputy director.

Now Zhou Can understood why ancient emperors loved to mix church and state.

He didn’t really believe in spirits, but a phrase like ‘he won’t rest in peace’ was devastatingly effective.

Dr. Hu was revered almost like a god by the staff; everyone loved and respected him.

By questioning his dying wish and risking his unrest, He was turning the whole department against himself.

People didn’t say anything out loud, but their eyes were already distant and cold when they looked at He.

Public opinion shifts like mist and water.

After that verbal attack, He’s reputation took a serious hit.

Getting put down like that left He both angry and frustrated—his face turned a shade darker.

But there was nothing he could say back.

Zhou Can never mentioned He by name or insulted him directly.

He’d mastered the art of slamming someone without a single curse word.