Chapter 528: Decisions and Dilemmas in the Hospital Halls

When it came to sponsoring Deputy Director Lu’s daughter to study abroad, Zhou Can had no intention of helping.

A year’s tuition was forty or fifty thousand dollars, so even after three years, it wouldn’t top two hundred thousand. That was about 1.4 million yuan.

For Zhou Can, this amount wasn’t significant.

Still, one thing was clear—he wasn’t a savior, nor was it his obligation to fund Lu’s daughter’s studies.

There were just too many people in need out there. He couldn’t help them all.

Saving Deputy Director Lu was an act of kindness, not a duty.

And those twenty-something staff who jumped ship from Tuyu to the Third Hospital made adult decisions and should own the consequences. Calling it a betrayal of Tuyu Hospital

might sound harsh, but it was close to the truth.

They left for a competitor right when Tuyu needed them most. That was like stabbing Tuyu Hospital in the back and siding with the enemy.

It was downright despicable.

Now, seeing them in dire straits was simply the result of their own choices.

The leaders of Tuyu Hospital probably felt lucky if anything—not a hint of sympathy.

……

The next day, Zhou Can clocked into work as usual.

Around four that afternoon, Director Xiang Fei from the Provincial People’s Hospital called. Too bad Zhou Can was deep in surgery, nowhere near his phone.

To focus at work, he’d started leaving his phone in his locker in the changing room whenever he entered the operating room.

Ever since he got famous, his phone rang non-stop.

Honestly, it was exhausting.

Now, with unknown numbers, he usually just left them unanswered.

It wasn’t until after six when he finally came out of surgery, grabbed his phone, and checked his missed calls and messages.

Director Xueyan had sent him a text.

“Zhou Can, are you visiting Director Lu again today? If so, could you bring a thousand yuan for me? Just a small gesture on my part.”

Director Xueyan knew all about Zhou Can’s visit to Deputy Director Lu at the Provincial People’s yesterday.

She’d even followed up with Zhou Can for more details about Lu’s condition.

But given her sensitive position—as Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Tuyu—she couldn’t be seen personally visiting Lu. It could send the wrong message.

Leaders faced different challenges from ordinary people.

Sometimes, the smallest action or word could easily be misunderstood and misinterpreted.

“If I get off work and it’s not too late, I’ll go check in. I didn’t make it to help out in Cardiothoracic yesterday, so I should go today.”

Zhou Can used a voice message to reply.

Voice was a bit quicker than typing, after all.

“You just got off work, right? Hurry up and get over here—we’ve got several urgent and complex cases waiting, and transfers we just can’t handle.” She was speaking the truth.

Some of the tough cases, especially transferred ones, really left Director Xueyan and Director Le at a loss.

Not that Zhou Can could solve every problem, but most of the time, he could come up with a solution.

Now that his surgical skills had risen to level six, even high-difficulty operations he once avoided were within his reach.

“I’ll be there in about half an hour!”

He sent her a quick reply, then started checking through important messages and missed calls.

He soon noticed a missed call from Director Xiang Fei, along with a voice note on WeChat.

“Dr. Zhou, you must’ve been busy—I couldn’t get through. First, some good news: Patient in Bed 13 woke up after surgery this afternoon. Vitals are mostly stable. We’ll keep him in the ICU a couple more days, and once things hold steady, we can address the fractures. Our orthopedic docs are already working on treatment options.”

He and Director Xiang Fei had only met the night before.

Naturally, they couldn’t talk as freely as old friends.

So Xiang Fei started with positive news first.

Hearing that Deputy Director Lu’s vital signs had stabilized and he was awake truly made Zhou Can happy.

His hours of effort the night before hadn’t gone to waste.

At this pace, odds were good Deputy Director Lu would make it.

Third Hospital should be picking up the tab for treatment, too.

If Third Hospital took responsibility, fine. If not, Zhou Can would help figure out a solution.

He couldn’t help thinking back to the reporter Mu Qing.

Back when she was still in the country, she’d always come through whenever he needed her.

He used to think Mu Qing just had a strong sense of justice, always ready to tackle unfair situations, but later realized she did it because she liked him.

When it came to the one she cared about, of course she went all in, never asking for anything in return.

“Also, about your suggestion for an exchange between our hospitals—I’ve already discussed it with my higher-ups. We’re good to go, and our leadership is ready for formal talks. After that, we can work out details and plans.”

This was probably why Xiang Fei really called him.

It took just one night for Provincial People’s to get onboard—that showed Xiang Fei had real clout there. It also proved how much they valued the idea.

That was definitely good news.

Since Provincial People’s was all set, Zhou Can needed to bring the initiative to his own leadership.

“Thanks so much! I’ll quickly report this to my side and update you as soon as I get the go-ahead.”

After handling the important messages, Zhou Can finally accepted the food Su Qianqian brought him and started eating.

Dinner mostly happened this way these days.

Worried that food from the hospital cafeteria wouldn’t be clean or tasty, Su Qianqian would bring homemade meals—sometimes with Wei Fang’s help—whenever things weren’t too hectic.

Of course, she had her own reasons for doing this.

She wanted the young female doctors and nurses to know Zhou Can was already taken, which saved everyone a lot of trouble.

After all, Zhou Can was outstanding—without precautions, it’d be easy for someone else to steal him away.

Once he’d finished dinner and made a quick round to check on the Emergency department’s inpatients, Zhou Can hurried to Cardiothoracic Surgery.

He had agreed to meet with Director Xueyan in half an hour, though he rarely arrived on time.

There was simply too much on his plate.

She understood.

When Zhou Can arrived at Cardiothoracic Surgery, even the corridor and lobby floors outside the office were full of sleeping patients and their families.

All of them had come from far away seeking his treatment.

With beds in short supply and the hope of saving on expenses or getting care sooner, they chose to sleep in hospital hallways and lobbies. Seeing this made the weight on Zhou Can’s shoulders feel even heavier.

Every patient represented a deep trust—and a hope for life.

Some traveled hundreds—even thousands—of miles, enduring untold hardships, just to see him.

When a doctor’s name is known, things could get almost reckless.

Some had exhausted every other option, so whenever they heard about a gifted doctor, they rushed over, carrying every hope.

An influx of patients might be a good thing for Cardiothoracic Surgery.

But only if the department could accept and treat them safely and in moderation.

If they tried to take on too many, it would just waste patients’ time and harm their health—some cases could change overnight.

“Oh, Dr. Zhou, you finally made it! Any later and we’d be drowning in patients!”

The young nurses at the nurses’ station always kept things lively.

Some girls were so cheerful and outgoing, it was hard not to like them.

“You have excellent care and service here—that’s why so many come for help. Is Director Xue in surgery, or…?”

He grinned as he praised them.

“Director Xue’s in her office, waiting for you. Those tricky cases have left our surgeons scratching their heads.”

“Alright, I’ll go pop in and see her. You all keep up the good work!”

He waved as he headed off.

“Thank you for the milk tea, by the way—it was delicious. Best part was that our handsome, generous Dr. Zhou treated us!”

“Glad you liked it! I’ll get you all more next time.”

He couldn’t help but smile.

Treating the nurses to milk tea was no big deal.

“Did you hear that? Dr. Zhou is forever my dream guy. He said he’ll treat us again—yay!”

“Wish I could find a boyfriend as promising and charming as Dr. Zhou! Sigh.”

“Don’t get your hopes up—Dr. Zhou has a girlfriend, and I hear she’s as beautiful as a fairy.”

……

Their chatter faded as Zhou Can reached the director’s office.

The office door was open.

Still, Zhou Can knocked out of courtesy.

Director Xueyan looked up from the patient files she was reviewing when she saw him.

“You’re here! Have a seat!”

She stood as if to make tea for him, but Zhou Can stopped her.

“Sis Yan, just now I saw patients everywhere outside. Shouldn’t we control the number of admissions a bit more carefully?”

He always spoke candidly with people he cared for, even if her husband had once hired someone to attack him and things had been awkward.

But after so long, they’d moved past it.

He didn’t hold back with those close to him.

“Yeah, patients are only growing in number. The ones we really can’t handle, we’ve already advised to go elsewhere. Plus, I’ve arranged for a batch of interns and trainee nurses to help out with the department’s approval. For those interns, it’s actually a great opportunity. With strong performance, they’ll have priority for future positions here.”

That incentive made a lot of sense.

It boosted the interns’ motivation and gave them something tangible to work towards.

Getting a job at Tuyu Hospital was tough normally—especially in Cardiothoracic Surgery.

With this priority, the pressure to find a job after finishing residency would be much lighter.

“That’s a smart approach. I just worry we’ll get overloaded and delay some cases, especially with so many waiting. As long as you keep a close eye on things, I’m sure it’ll work out.”

He trusted her to get the balance right.

She wasn’t someone who would ever turn a blind eye to patients just for her own gain.

“Don’t worry, I’m on top of it! Most urgent cases get care in time. The patients sleeping outside mostly came from out of town. It might not look great, but it really does save them money, and if someone gets worse, we can treat them fast.”

Director Xueyan explained.

Zhou Can nodded, dropping the subject.

“Yesterday when I visited Deputy Director Lu, his daughter gave me a letter. The doctors and nurses who joined Third Hospital are having a rough time. They’re locked in by non-compete agreements and can’t work anywhere else—not even small clinics—or they’ll owe huge penalties. Plus, Third Hospital’s cardiothoracic business is tanking, and aside from their first paycheck, those who switched over stopped seeing any wage at all.”

Zhou Can had come to float the issue with her.

Just to get her opinion.

For major matters, she often consulted Zhou Can and put his recommendations into action.

But ultimately, Director Xueyan called the shots in Cardiothoracic Surgery.

She was the chief, while Zhou Can acted as the strategist.

“They should have known this might happen when they decided to jump ship. Everything was their own choice.”

She had little sympathy for those former colleagues.

She’d once resented them deeply, but time had eased the bitterness, especially as the department continued to thrive.

“I get it—they don’t necessarily deserve pity. But everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes you have to be forgiving. I’m sure you felt something when you heard about Deputy Director Lu’s suicide attempt. Now, with so many patients and not enough hands, do you think we could give them another shot?”

He framed it gently, just inviting her to consider.

If he actually pleaded for them, she’d probably agree on the spot.

“Didn’t they sign non-competes?”

She countered.

“Before he jumped, Lu consulted a lawyer. There’s apparently a loophole, so coming back to Tuyu would be fine.”

“Hmm… I can’t give an answer right now. I’ll have to think it through.”

Her tone was already softening.

“Alright. Once you decide, let me know and we’ll figure out the next step. That Third Hospital, though—really did a number on people!”

He didn’t rush her, just set the issue on the table.

“Third Hospital will go under eventually. I’ve never seen a rival do so much harm. As for those who jumped ship, I’m curious to hear what you’d suggest.”

She turned the question back to him.

“If it were me, I’d say either let them fend for themselves or, out of empathy, reach out a hand. After a blow like this, they’re bound to be more loyal if given a second chance. Talent takes years to grow here—so bringing them back would benefit the department, and we’d earn a reputation for being forgiving, which can help recruit even more talent later.”

He laid out his thoughts.

“Besides, we’ve shared a lot as colleagues. If you can help them while they’re down, you’ll rest easier at night.”