Chapter 560: Brother’s Burden? Winning Hearts

The atmosphere of a hospital, especially the work ethic of its medical staff, often reflects the quality and level of care provided.

Doctors and nurses who think too highly of themselves, flaunting their knowledge and skills while looking down on patients and their families with arrogance and indifference, can’t truly excel no matter how skilled they are.

This has nothing to do with their education.

As a doctor, if you lack the spirit to serve patients wholeheartedly and spend your days obsessed with showing off your superior position, how can your professional skills possibly improve?

After muddling through a few years, their clinical expertise still stinks like a pile of garbage.

Doctors who just coast along have almost no place in a prestigious hospital like Tuyu. They’re quickly weeded out by rigorous evaluation systems.

Take Dr. Lu, for instance, the one Zhou Can got rid of. He’s a prime example of this type.

Dr. Lu had some talent and even worked hard to improve his skills at one point. But there are others far worse—complete showoffs with no substance, who never bothered with serious, hands-on practice from the moment they joined the hospital.

Du Leng, the overseas-educated PhD, used to be one of those types.

Despite the shiny halo of being a foreign-trained doctor, his arrogance and lack of practical ability led to him being sidelined. If someone with his credentials can be ruthlessly marginalized at Tuyu, imagine what happens to those with ordinary qualifications.

After getting his wound treated at the hospital, Jiang Wei insisted on driving Zhou Can home.

It was clear that after this unexpected incident, her attitude toward Zhou Can had shifted.

“Why were those people after you?”

Zhou Can had avoided asking this sensitive question until now. With her behind the wheel and him in the passenger seat, they finally had a chance for a deeper conversation.

“I borrowed money from loan sharks and couldn’t pay it back. They threatened me a few times, but I never expected them to ambush me at my doorstep tonight.”

She hesitated for a moment before revealing the truth.

“How much do you owe in total?”

“I borrowed 700,000 in high-interest loans. With the interest piling up, it’s ballooned to over a million now.”

Online loans and loan sharks are a pit of despair.

Once you borrow, you’re either ruined or stripped bare.

Many fall into this trap out of ignorance or desperation. What starts as a small loan of ten or twenty thousand can spiral into millions. The shady tactics involved are ruthless, chewing people up without spitting out the bones.

Borrow 10,000, and you might only get 5,000 in hand—if you’re lucky.

Some loan companies force borrowers to sign IOUs for 50,000 when they only borrowed 10,000.

Then, when it’s time to repay, they demand the full 50,000. Some are even more shameless. When the borrower scrapes together the money to pay before the deadline, the lenders play games and disappear.

The next day, they claim the borrower defaulted for missing the deadline and slap on exorbitant penalties.

At that point, they pressure the borrower to take out loans from other predatory companies.

This vicious cycle can inflate a debt to over a million in no time. In the end, borrowers are forced to sell their homes, sleep with creditors, turn to prostitution, or even jump off a building.

So, no matter how tough things get, never touch online loans or loan sharks.

These loans calculate interest daily, sounding low at first, but the annualized rate often exceeds twenty percent without a second thought.

“How did you end up borrowing so much from loan sharks? Even if you were buying a house outright, a small three-bedroom apartment would only cost around a million or so!”

Zhou Can couldn’t fathom why she’d borrowed such a huge sum.

From what she’d said earlier, the apartment she bought wasn’t even big, and it was on a mortgage. Plus, she didn’t own a car.

700,000 wasn’t a small amount.

There had to be a reason for borrowing that much money, right?

Especially since her income wasn’t low—at least 250,000 before taxes, bare minimum.

After a long silence of over twenty seconds, she finally spoke in a heavy tone.

“I borrowed the money to help my brother get married and buy a house.”

Those few words carried the weight of a mountain as they left her lips.

Zhou Can’s mind didn’t jump to sibling devotion but to the term ‘brother’s burden.’

Some sisters, shaped by a family upbringing that favored sons over daughters, face relentless pressure and exploitation from their parents even after starting work. Their hard-earned money is siphoned off for their brothers.

Such families aren’t rare—they’re disturbingly common.

Parents often think daughters will marry off eventually, so they might as well squeeze out as much as they can while she’s still at home.

“Shouldn’t your brother work hard to earn money for his own marriage and house? Even if you, as his sister, want to help, it should be within your means. Borrowing this much, and from loan sharks no less…”

Mid-sentence, the car suddenly skidded with a screech of brakes.

Zhou Can’s words had struck a nerve, causing her to lose focus. She ran a red light while crossing the road and nearly collided with a car coming from the side.

Thankfully, the car had automatic braking and anti-lock systems, preventing a rollover or worse.

Zhou Can’s heart raced from the close call.

Female drivers could be terrifying, and this had nothing to do with education.

Even a PhD couldn’t escape the ‘road hazard’ label.

“Pull over up ahead. I’ll drive.”

Zhou Can wasn’t about to trust his life to her hands again.

She was visibly shaken too, her hands trembling slightly and her face pale.

“I’m sorry, I got distracted. Your hand is injured—you can’t drive. I’ll keep going.”

“Just pull over. I can activate the assisted driving mode.”

Zhou Can insisted.

He wasn’t taking any chances with her behind the wheel.

“Fine then.”

Feeling guilty, she slowly pulled over and stopped, getting out to hand over the driver’s seat to Zhou Can.

“Get in.”

Zhou Can didn’t want her in the passenger seat. To avoid making her feel worse, he personally opened the back door for her.

Often, small gestures and quick thinking can reveal a person’s emotional and intellectual intelligence.

Taking away her role as driver had already bruised her feelings.

If he’d used a commanding tone to make her sit in the back, she might’ve preferred walking home over riding with him. It would’ve felt like a blow to her dignity.

But by courteously opening the door for her, Zhou Can shifted the dynamic entirely.

Her sense of grievance lessened significantly.

The car started moving again as Zhou Can switched on autopilot mode.

“I’ll drop you off at home first. One of those thugs got away, and he’s no ordinary criminal. You’d better stay on guard for a while. I’m worried he might come back for revenge.”

Zhou Can warned her.

He didn’t dare bring up the loan shark issue again, as it clearly touched a raw nerve.

“Thank you! It’s great to have a leader like you.”

Her voice sounded a bit hoarse.

Even without looking back, Zhou Can could sense she was moved to tears.

“Don’t mention it. We’re colleagues, but even if you were a stranger, I’d still be concerned about your situation. Loan sharks aren’t good people. If you don’t clear the debt, they’ll keep coming after you. Have you thought about how to handle this?”

Whether out of sympathy or for the sake of team dynamics, Zhou Can wanted to help her through this crisis.

But considering her unique circumstances, her brother’s exploitation would likely continue.

Even if he helped her this time, she’d probably borrow from loan sharks again down the line.

“I’ll figure out a way to solve it myself.”

She hesitated for a few seconds before replying.

“Alright, I trust you. With your high education and sharp mind, I’m sure you’ll find a good solution. If you run into trouble, feel free to call or text me like you did tonight. I’ll help as soon as I see it.”

Zhou Can had seen too many girls drowning in loan shark debt, eventually becoming tools for criminals to exploit, selling their bodies as their greatest asset.

“Thank you!”

After a few seconds of silence, she asked, “Why are you helping me like this?”

“Don’t get the wrong idea. I have a girlfriend and no ulterior motives toward you. I’m helping without expecting anything in return. If there’s any repayment I’d like, it’s for you to work hard on my surgical team.”

Zhou Can’s tone was utterly sincere.

He genuinely had no other intentions.

As he matured, his approach to relationships with women had grown more measured. Unlike in the past with Qiao Yu or the reporter Mu Qing, where feelings developed over time, he now knew how to prevent such complications early on.

A couple of years ago, whether it was department heads or hospital leaders, they’d remind him not to mess around with romantic entanglements.

In the past year, no one had brought up the topic with him anymore.

This showed he’d earned their trust in handling interactions with young, attractive women.

“I’ll do my best!”

Her voice was low as she replied.

For the rest of the ride, they didn’t talk much. Zhou Can could sense her mood was heavy with gloom.

When Zhou Can dropped her off at Century New City, something amusing happened. The security guard recognized his car and greeted him with a warm smile.

“It’s you again! Thanks for helping our community catch those two intruders.”

With that, the guard pressed a button to lift the parking barrier.

The gate rose automatically.

This was a direct pass for Zhou Can to enter.

“Don’t I need to register?”

“No need, no need. I know you’re not a bad guy. Besides, even if the residents here knew it was your car, they’d be thrilled to let you in.”

The guard, in his forties, might not grasp big concepts, but he understood gratitude.

“Thanks! I’m just dropping off a resident. I’ll be out soon.”

Zhou Can was worried that the escaped thug’s accomplices might still be lurking in the community, so he drove straight in.

Originally, he’d planned to park outside and walk her up to her apartment.

This made things much easier.

“Alright, I’m at my building now. You can head back. Thank you for driving me home and for giving me such a warm sense of safety and protection.”

Her gaze flickered away from Zhou Can as she spoke.

It wasn’t the kind of look tied to romantic feelings.

It felt more like guilt, as if she couldn’t face her benefactor directly.

“I’ll walk you up. I’ll feel better knowing you’re safely inside. Like the guard said, I’m not a bad guy. I’ve got no ill intentions toward you.”

Zhou Can added with a touch of humor.

Pfft!

She couldn’t help but laugh, covering her mouth as giggles escaped.

“From the first day I met you, I’ve never worried about my safety when I’m alone with you. Honestly, even if I were drunk late at night, I’d trust you to take me home. Your eyes are always clear when you look at me. Unlike some male leaders—old enough to be my father—whose dirty thoughts seep through no matter how hard they try to hide them.”

A girl with a PhD-level education had observation skills and intellect that could be downright intimidating.

“By the way, about running that red light with your car earlier—I’ll handle the violation when the time comes.”

A driver’s license can usually only afford one red light violation.

A second one means relearning the rules from scratch.

“Don’t worry about it. I rarely drive, and I’ve never broken traffic laws before. Losing six points won’t be a problem.”

When it came to driving, Zhou Can was a law-abiding citizen through and through.

Since getting his license, he’d never had a single violation.

Not even a parking ticket.

She lived on the 15th floor in a building with two elevators serving six units per floor. Her apartment was likely between 60 and 80 square meters.

“Room 1512 is my place.”

She pointed to a door ahead.

As they got closer, she nearly let out a gasp, quickly covering her mouth.

Zhou Can looked up and saw two large red characters spray-painted on the door: ‘Pay Back.’

Debt collectors often resorted to extreme measures.

“Don’t be afraid. If anything happens, you can call me anytime or contact the police.” Zhou Can reassured her.

Owing money and repaying it is only right.

But that doesn’t justify using such tactics to demand payment. Sending enforcers to grab her at her doorstep was outright illegal.

Of course, if they just camped out at her door and refused to leave, even calling the police might not help much.

Civil financial disputes are often outside their jurisdiction.

“Would you like to come in for some tea?”

“No thanks. Lock up tight after I leave. Rest well. With Qiao Yu busy studying lately, you’re the only instrument nurse who can keep up without slowing down surgeries.”

Zhou Can held her skills in high regard.

“Got it. Drive safe, and I’ll see you tomorrow!”

She turned on the living room light and stood at the doorway to say goodbye. The interior was simple but elegantly arranged. Educated people had a knack for this—they valued quality of life.

Even on a tight budget, they could make their home feel refined and intentional.

When Zhou Can got home, he couldn’t help but share some of today’s events with Su Qianqian.

To his surprise, Su Qianqian felt deep sympathy for Jiang Wei after hearing the story. She even urged Zhou Can to help her as much as he could.

Perhaps it was because Su Qianqian grew up without parents, struggling alone in the world, much like Jiang Wei. Both had endured bullying from cruel people, feeling isolated and helpless.

That shared experience gave her a sense of kinship with Jiang Wei.

The next day at work, Dr. Xu noticed Zhou Can’s injured arm and expressed concern.

He suggested taking a few days off if needed and avoiding surgeries for now.

Alternatively, Zhou Can could handle outpatient consultations or manage inpatients.

Surgery was physically demanding after all. While it relied less on the left hand, there were still moments when both hands were necessary.

Zhou Can wasn’t one to fuss. He saw it as just a minor flesh wound, nothing serious.

He went ahead with surgeries as usual.

And it didn’t affect the quality of his work one bit.

At work, Jiang Wei didn’t mention a word about yesterday’s events. Zhou Can also kept quiet about her massive loan shark debt and the harassment she faced.

This was her private matter. Spreading it among colleagues would make things awkward for her.