Chapter 102: A Surge of Opportunities and Scrutiny

Nurse Niu glanced at Zhou Can with a trace of surprise.

Her gaze, however, remained gentle.

Though she hadn’t previously interacted with Zhou Can, as the head nurse she was well aware of the personnel in the Emergency Department.

She’d heard about Zhou Can’s impressive performance more than once.

Then there was that time when Zhou Can generously bought milk teas for everyone at the nurses’ station – and the head nurse herself received a cup.

It wasn’t much money, but a free treat always softens a person’s heart.

Her impression of Zhou Can certainly got a boost.

“Well, go on!”

Nurse Niu wondered what Zhou Can was about to say.

Director Lou was equally curious.

Zhou Can wasn’t penalized for this incident; only Nurse Tian Tian, who was involved, was reprimanded.

Could it be that he felt shortchanged and was trying to score some extra favor?

“From today’s incident, I’ve come to a profound realization – to ensure a surgery is safely completed, you not only need cautious, skilled doctors but also a responsible and highly professional instrument nurse as support.”

A cutting remark that struck at the heart.

Without naming anyone, his comment delivered a harsh critique of Nurse Tian Tian’s conduct that day.

Labeling her ‘irresponsible’ and ‘unprofessional’ was practically a death sentence for her future as an instrument nurse.

Previously, Nurse Tian Tian had kept her head down, but now she looked up at Zhou Can.

Her eyes were icy with deep discontent.

Did she really think she could intimidate Zhou Can?

What arrogance.

“I’m sincerely grateful to Dr. Xu and Director Lou for the countless surgical opportunities that have helped me grow quickly. In the operating room, I’ve had the privilege of working with many nurses. Even though Qiao Yu is a newcomer, she has shown remarkable professionalism and dedication. Working with her feels incredibly smooth – it’s truly a pleasure.”

Taking advantage of the moment, Zhou Can first thanked Director Lou and Dr. Xu.

Without Director Lou’s support, no matter how much Dr. Xu looked after him, it would have been hard to get so many independent surgical opportunities.

Expressing gratitude openly makes you seem appreciative to your superiors.

The benefits speak for themselves.

In contrast, those in the workplace who keep their feelings to themselves either feel embarrassed to express themselves or arrogantly believe it’s unnecessary. Such people often end up frustrated.

Even after being laid off, they continue to gripe about unfair fate.

They secretly curse their leaders for being blind and not recognizing talent, claiming they favor sycophants over truly gifted employees. It’s just so unfair.

After Zhou Can’s remarks, Director Lou’s smile deepened.

His eyes softened as he looked at him.

“Qiao Yu’s performance in the Operating Room has indeed been outstanding. When she and Xiao Zhou work together, his number of completed surgeries shoots up by three or four times,” Dr. Xu commented, showing he cared a bit for his protégés.

At this pivotal moment, with the chief surgeon himself vouching for her, everyone was convinced of Qiao Yu’s abilities.

“No wonder she’s been eager to switch to the day shift. With such talent in the Operating Room, we should consider giving her more daytime opportunities for further training.”

Nurse Niu’s approval was exactly what Zhou Can had been aiming for.

“I believe in promoting talented and hardworking newcomers. Our Emergency Department Operating Room is still developing, and we need full support and cooperation from the Nursing Department!”

Director Lou helped convey Zhou Can’s message to Dr. Xu.

With the department head speaking, his words carried a lot of weight.

This was something Zhou Can hadn’t expected.

He had already felt content with Nurse Niu’s statement.

With Qiao Yu now set to swap to the day shift, the resistance would be minimal.

Now that Director Lou had spoken up, the decision was practically finalized.

“Absolutely. Expanding and strengthening the Emergency Department is a shared dream. The Nursing Department will fully cooperate and support us,”

Nurse Niu agreed enthusiastically.

……

Around six in the evening, having just finished dinner, Zhou Can returned to his apartment to practice Rapid Knife Fundamentals.

His phone buzzed with two messages.

Swiping the screen, he saw that Qiao Yu had sent them.

“Great news – the head nurse just informed me that I’m on the day shift tomorrow.”

“It’s the day shift! And it’s for a whole week.”

(Smiley! Smiley…)

She ended her message with a flurry of smiley emojis, showing that her earlier dejection had completely vanished.

A self-satisfied smile spread across Zhou Can’s face.

Helping her out filled him with genuine happiness.

At this point, she still had no idea that it was Zhou Can who had worked behind the scenes to secure her day shift.

Zhou Can, for his part, would never seek credit.

He simply took pleasure in helping her, expecting nothing in return.

Whether it was out of principle or personal gain didn’t matter; as long as it brought her joy, it was enough.

“Haha, congratulations! For the next week, you’re all mine!”

Unable to resist, Zhou Can teased her a little.

But after sending the message, he got no response.

Several minutes passed without any reply.

“Did I overdo the joke and upset her?”

It was a possibility.

“Angry?”

He sent a rather cute emoji.

“Yeah!”

Finally, she responded.

“Sorry, my words were too lighthearted. I didn’t mean anything serious – just a joke.”

Zhou Can quickly apologized.

“I forgive you!”

She replied with an adorably cheerful emoji.

“See you tomorrow!”

Zhou Can heaved a sigh of relief. He decided to refrain from cracking too many jokes with girls in the future.

……

The next day at work, as soon as he stepped into the Operating Room, he saw Qiao Yu.

“Hi!”

She waved at him, her smile radiant.

“I’m thrilled we get to work together in surgery again! Here’s to a great operation!”

Zhou Can walked over with a smile and extended his hand.

She willingly shook his hand.

“Hehe, happy working together!”

Their courteous handshake revealed that her hand was more substantial than most, soft yet firm.

It’s said that a firm handshake can reveal a person’s character.

A weak handshake often signals laziness and lack of accountability.

A strong one, on the other hand, points to a down-to-earth nature.

There are many such subtle details – one’s true nature inevitably shows in their actions and demeanor.

Nurse Tian Tian, the schemer, was finally no longer present.

This made Zhou Can the happiest.

Anyone associated with her was bound to have bad luck. Clearing her out of the Operating Room yesterday meant he’d never have to worry about being assigned to her again.

The Nursing Department must have restructured things overnight.

They brought in a new instrument nurse – slim, delicate, and named Song Chunyan.

It was a rather plain name.

Since she was an assistant to Dr. Song, her technical skills were yet to be assessed. However, her shy demeanor, soft voice, and frequent blushes stood out.

She reminded one of an innocent girl fresh out of society.

Dr. Lu seemed quite fond of this assistant, often complimenting her or teasing her with humorous remarks that made her laugh repeatedly.

Zhou Can couldn’t help but worry about the naïve girl.

He had seen Dr. Lu’s less commendable side at the hospital’s back entrance – a veteran with the cunning of a sly wolf. The poor girl was as naïve as a lamb, easily swayed by his sweet talk.

Of course, Zhou Can wouldn’t interfere in such matters.

Everyone needs to grow on their own. He wasn’t a savior who could rescue everyone.

Whether it was the unfamiliar Song Chunyan or even Qiao Yu when pursued by Dr. Lu, Zhou Can believed it was up to each person to decide for themselves.

Surgery soon began.

Zhou Can’s surgical skills had improved immensely, and with Qiao Yu as his ideal assistant, every operation felt like a cheat code had been activated.

In less than an hour, he had completed three Level-One surgeries.

Such speed would undoubtedly cause a stir.

Dr. Lu had only managed one surgery so far – and that was without slacking off.

In the past, he might have taken two hours for a simple procedure.

“Next patient!”

Zhou Can pressed on, steadily advancing towards his modest goal.

He hoped to master all Level-One and Level-Two surgeries within the next month. Once the residency rotation changed departments, opportunities like these would vanish.

He remembered a senior from his general surgery internship complaining about how, in Orthopedics, three months of residency only involved writing medical records and assisting with trivial tasks.

He claimed he never even got a chance to suture.

Not to mention the more complex operations like bone setting.

The Operating Room door swung open as a woman clutching her stomach and muttering was pushed in. Judging by her condition, acute appendicitis was highly likely.

Having performed countless surgeries, Zhou Can could deduce a patient’s ailment simply by observing their pain points or symptoms.

Sure enough, it was acute appendicitis.

After reviewing the reports, Dr. Xu carefully questioned the patient.

Once he confirmed that the patient had fasted over six hours and met the criteria for surgery, he called in the anesthesiologist.

In such emergencies, a short fasting period increases anesthesia risks; ideally, a preliminary treatment by the on-call doctor would cover pain relief and anti-inflammatory measures until the patient’s stomach was empty, then surgery could proceed.

Unlike specialized inpatient departments where patients are admitted for two or three days before surgery, Emergency Department patients often conceal their recent food intake to expedite surgery.

For instance, the elderly man who vomited last time was suspected of doing just that.

When situations like this arise, emergency doctors hardly have a choice.

Patients need immediate surgery, and doctors are solely focused on saving lives, never expecting deception from patients or their families.

Of course, if complications occurred, a signed surgery consent form clearly outlines responsibilities – in legal battles, it’s usually the patient and their family who suffer the most.

The anesthesiologist arrived promptly.

After Dr. Xu finished with one surgical patient, he didn’t call in the next one immediately.

Instead, he had Zhou Can operate on this patient while he supervised closely.

Facing a Level-Two surgery, Dr. Xu could not afford any carelessness.

Zhou Can had already performed several appendectomies, and now he operated with complete confidence, without needing further tips.

He opened the abdomen, located the appendix, separated the omentum and intestines, and ligated the base of the appendix and its vessels – every move was deft and precise.

At that moment, two people appeared outside the Operating Room, observing intently; the woman was even filming inside.

One man and one woman.

The man, in his forties, exuded authority – likely someone from management with a bit of power.

The young woman looked barely in her twenties.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Tang Ling quickly moved forward to stop them.

The Operating Room has strict rules against any unauthorized filming or entry by unrelated personnel.

The fact that they had donned surgical protective gowns suggested they were hospital staff.

“I’m Zhong Hui, the head of the Medical Quality Control Department Group,” the man stated with an air of authority.

Don’t underestimate him – though a group leader, he was a bona fide administrative officer responsible for overseeing clinical quality in the hospital.

“Please refrain from disturbing the doctors and nurses. If there’s an issue, we’ll discuss it after the surgery,” Dr. Xu said in a measured tone.

A quality control group leader personally investigating the Emergency Department Operating Room was likely linked to yesterday’s medication mishap with that unfortunate patient.

The incident had been reported by Director Lou, and he wasn’t even sure what the outcome would be.

What he had assumed would pass quietly now promised to escalate into significant trouble.

“Xiao Zhou, Dr. Lu, please continue your surgery without distraction,” Dr. Xu instructed, reassuring them.

In the Operating Room, he was the boss – when Dr. Xu was around, everyone had to follow his orders.

……

Over the next half hour, Zhou Can finally finished the procedure – closing the abdomen and confirming everything was in order.

“Doctor, is everything okay now?”

“Yes, excellent work.”

Dr. Xu nodded and then turned to the anesthesiologist.

“If there are no issues, transfer the patient to the recovery room to regain consciousness.”

With that, he quickly entered orders to wrap things up.

No further surgical patients were called in.

The two quality control officials had clearly come with grievances, and Dr. Xu needed to find out what they wanted.

“Group Leader Zhong, what seems to be the matter?” Dr. Xu asked courteously, mindful of his official status.

“You must be Zhou Can, right?” Zhong Hui pointed at him.

“That’s me!”

Zhou Can couldn’t shake a sense of foreboding.

Hadn’t yesterday’s incident been thoroughly investigated? Nurse Tian Tian was at fault – why now target him?

“The Medical Department received a report from the Emergency Department yesterday regarding a medical mishap. After a thorough investigation, it turns out you were among the involved. Our Medical Quality Control Department is here today, first to gather evidence and then conduct an on-site review of your surgical quality. We expect full cooperation from all of you.”

It was clear they were looking to pin the blame.

It seemed like today would bring plenty of trouble.

This was why departments preferred to handle minor issues internally – concealing problems could sometimes spare them from severe consequences.

Such reports could seriously affect departmental evaluations and lead to fines, not to mention drawing unwanted scrutiny from higher authorities.

Trouble after trouble.

As the saying goes, it’s not the oversight you fear but the investigation.

Everyone makes mistakes, and when higher-ups start investigating, issues tend to multiply.

Before long, the entire department could end up in hot water.

After all, minor oversights or procedural errors wouldn’t normally cause serious problems.

At least they wouldn’t have disastrous consequences.