Chapter 21: Crossed Paths in the Hospital

“Hello. Now that we know each other, is there anything else you need?”

Yang Chan smiled and gave a playful wink.

She appeared courteous and warm, yet in reality, she kept everyone at arm’s length.

Zhou Can suppressed a mischievous grin.

Back then, Yang Chan had already treated him like a pushover.

Now, watching her use that same soft touch on Du Leng, he couldn’t help but feel a thrill.

“Hehe… I must say, your surgical skills are truly impressive. I’ve spent years in academia while my surgery expertise has lagged behind. Could you share your email so I might learn a thing or two from you?”

Du Leng certainly had thick skin.

The girl had already politely dismissed him, yet he pretended not to notice and shamelessly continued his chat-up.

Besides, his method of asking for her contact was quite clever.

Asking directly for a phone number or WeChat is too likely to get rejected.

Requesting an email not only elevates his image—after all, developed countries like the United States prefer email communication—but also appears strictly professional.

Phone, WeChat, or QQ clearly suggest romantic intentions.

“Email? I hardly ever check it! If Dr. Du wants to learn surgical techniques, I think a consultation with the top surgeon Dr. Zhou Can would be far better!”

This time, she directly used her old classmate Zhou Can as a shield.

Under the guise of seeking surgical advice, Du Leng’s true aim was to get more time with this stunning beauty.

But if he had to consult a man, he wasn’t interested at all.

Noticing that this refined and intellectual beauty was hard to approach, he decided not to leave a bad impression and resolved to try another time.

He awkwardly chuckled, “Forget it; I’m not close with Dr. Zhou Can. I’ll wait for another chance to consult him. Goodbye!”

Du Leng got a taste of defeat and slunk away.

“I could introduce you! Zhou Can and I were classmates!”

Yang Chan was such a tease.

Even after sending him packing, she still wanted to leave a deeper impression.

She planned to give Du Leng a mental setback so he wouldn’t dare approach her again.

“I don’t want to trouble Dr. Yang. I’ll just get to know Dr. Zhou on my own. Thank you!” Du Leng mumbled as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

Fearing Yang Chan might keep playing matchmaker, he hurriedly kept his distance.

“He’s leaving? But Zhou Can is my classmate—introducing you isn’t any trouble at all!”

Du Leng pretended not to have heard.

He dared not reply further.

So he sat quietly at a distance, frantically tapping on his phone to ease his embarrassment and anxiety.

Zhou Can nearly burst into laughter.

Luckily, Du Leng was wise enough; otherwise, Zhou Can wouldn’t have minded stepping forward for a self-introduction.

If you want to charm the Class Belle of Class 512, you must first see if the boys of Class 512 are on board.

After nearly half an hour, the department heads and the chief nurse of the Nursing Department finally arrived to select candidates.

The first to arrive was the head of the Medical Technology Department, who swept away all eight resident trainees from his unit in one go.

The internal arrangements were left to the department.

Immediately after, numerous head nurses from the Nursing Department came over to make their selections.

They represented the major departments.

Usually, they would prioritize talents that matched their own fields.

Although nurses rank below doctors in the hospital hierarchy, their role is immensely important.

They not only assist doctors with medications and injections but also manage patient care after surgery and during hospitalization. Sometimes, a skilled nurse can instantly correct a doctor’s mistake.

In the operating room, scrub nurses, circulating nurses, and instrument nurses work together so that surgeries can proceed smoothly and efficiently.

Notably, with shifting attitudes and the hospital’s real needs, male nurses have gradually made an appearance.

However, their numbers remain very slim.

All trainee residents from the Nursing and Medical Technology departments were selected.

Only twenty general trainee residents remained.

In any hospital, the most crucial talent is always the doctor.

These twenty are to be evenly distributed among the Emergency, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Internal Medicine, General Surgery, and Pediatrics departments.

The Anesthesiology and Pharmacy departments were excluded.

Anesthesiology is rather special—it’s an interdisciplinary field that covers diverse knowledge. It not only meets surgical needs but also participates in various emergency rescues, such as painless delivery and abortions.

Recruitments are usually fixed or nurtured by the clinical departments.

Sometimes, if the hospital can’t quickly find a suitable anesthesiologist, leadership turns to Internal Medicine. They identify a few inexperienced doctors, praising their recent performance while offering further training opportunities.

Most fledgling doctors can’t resist such temptations.

They become flustered, scrambling like chickens pecking at grains as they eagerly agree.

Then they’re told to pursue further training in anesthesiology and, once back, join the Anesthesiology Department—promising less work, higher pay, and more chances for advancement.

It was a flurry of persuasion.

Most of the younger doctors happily agreed, thinking they’d landed a great opportunity for a promotion.

Only to find out, once in Anesthesiology, they’d been thoroughly misled.

……

Before long, the heads of the major departments arrived.

“Yang Chan has been a long-standing talent in our Obstetrics Department. None of you department heads should compete with her!”

As soon as Director Zhang Bihua of Obstetrics entered, she specifically called for Yang Chan.

It was evident how highly she valued Yang Chan.

“A true gentleman doesn’t snatch what belongs to others. Our Internal Medicine Department has always celebrated the success of others and would never steal away Director Zhang’s protégé.” The head of Internal Medicine, a beaming man in his forties with a slightly plump build, sharp eyes, and glossy black hair, stated.

His appearance was vibrant and full of life.

They say Internal Medicine excels in recovery and health management, and Director Tan is the department’s prime example.

Based on the hospital’s renowned physician profiles, Director Tan is estimated to be 59 this year.

In a rural setting, many 60-year-olds would appear decrepit and wrinkled, but Director Tan from Internal Medicine looks twenty years younger. Who could doubt his disciplined care?

He spoke calmly, with steady breath and a gentle tone.

“I wholeheartedly agree with Director Tan. Obstetrics is unique, dealing exclusively with female patients. Female doctors, known for both solid medical knowledge and innate surgical talent, are extremely rare. Although I don’t know much about Yang Chan, I’ve heard of her exceptional potential. Congratulations, Director Zhang, on finding your successor.”

Director Xie of General Surgery also spoke with remarkable poise.

His words earned him the favor of both Director Zhang and Director Tan.

“Thank you, thank you both for your tremendous support for this old lady,” Director Zhang Bihua said, clasping her hands and repeatedly expressing her gratitude.

“Heads of Departments, we have twenty general trainee residents this year. Proportionately, our Emergency Department gets two. Your departments—Internal Medicine, General Surgery, and Obstetrics—are key pillars of Tuyu Hospital, rich in talent, while our Emergency team is severely lacking. Could you spare two for them?”

Director Lou of Emergency, with anxious features including thick brows, small eyes, a pronounced garlic-like nose, and a somewhat elongated face—standing at about 1.6 meters—spoke up.

Fortunately, he was male.

If he were female, even finding a partner would be tougher.

Worried that the best talents might be snatched away by more influential departments, he hurriedly voiced his concern.

The Emergency Department is arguably the toughest among the major clinical departments.

They shoulder heavy workloads, endless tasks, and tense doctor-patient relationships.

Notably, the Emergency team is quite peculiar—there are few permanent staff, and most are transfers from other departments.

Frankly speaking, calling it an ‘elimination process’ wouldn’t be an overstatement.

It goes without saying that the Emergency team’s overall capabilities are rather modest.

If you spend even a little while in the emergency room, you’ll notice that out of ten patients, at least five end up needing consultations from other departments.

This clearly reflects its low status.

Every ambitious Emergency Department head will go to great lengths to recruit talent.

Despite a low profile and limited influence, their annual trainee selection is a crucial opportunity.

No matter how fierce the competition, they give it their all.

Director Lou had managed to get insider information early on and learned that several of the twenty trainees were exceptional.

There was even one returnee PhD graduate from a prestigious foreign university.

If such talent could be recruited into Emergency, it would be fantastic.

“Hey, hey, hey, our Pediatrics serve as the future of our nation! Shouldn’t top talents be prioritized for Pediatrics?”

The head of Pediatrics, a strikingly beautiful female doctor who appeared to be under thirty, remarked.

Of course, her official age might be higher.

Without proper credentials, it’s nearly impossible to secure the high-ranking position in Pediatrics.

A beautiful woman naturally holds a psychological advantage in conversations with men.

Her beauty effortlessly wins admiration and preferential treatment.

After all, humans are visual creatures—this is a law of nature.

Watching the department heads vie for talent, Zhou Can mused, “So even these big shots have to concern themselves with earthly matters, fighting for their department’s interests.”

Having topped the residency exams, he was certainly a hot commodity.

He felt a tinge of anticipation, hoping to join a prestigious department.

“I think we should take turns. Allowing only one selection at a time would be fair to everyone,” suggested Director Xie.

“That’s a great idea. I agree,” came the reply.

Director Lou of Emergency, aware of his low standing, was just grateful to have reached this outcome.

He readily agreed.

The other three department heads also nodded in agreement.

“Director Zhang has already made her choice. Judging by departmental weight, our General Surgery and Internal Medicine tie for first, with Obstetrics next, Pediatrics following, and Emergency last. Director Tan, will you help out General Surgery this time?”

Director Xie smiled at Director Tan from Internal Medicine.

“With Director Xie speaking so highly, Director Tan naturally couldn’t refuse. From now on, when Internal Medicine encounters tricky cases, we’ll be counting on General Surgery’s support!”

Director Tan replied in a calm, agreeable tone, without a trace of anger.

It was rare to see someone maintain such composure.

Internal Medicine often faces patients needing interventional procedures or cardiac stents. Since these minimally invasive interventions only emerged in the past decade, occasional mistakes are inevitable.

For example, during a cardiac intervention, a miscalculation might disastrously puncture a patient’s heart.

This is, after all, a matter of life and death.

Putting appearances aside, they quickly called in a General Surgery doctor to help clean up the mess.

Even though Internal Medicine usually ranks above General Surgery, it’s an undeniable fact that they regularly depend on surgical assistance.

Despite Internal Medicine’s occasional dismissiveness towards surgeons—thinking they can do nothing without a scalpel—the reliance remains clear.

Taking advantage of the moment, Director Tan made a small request of Director Xie from General Surgery, one he was sure wouldn’t be refused.

“Haha, we’re all from the same hospital—essentially one big family. No problem at all. I’ll make sure my team is on standby. When Internal Medicine needs help, just call.”

Director Xie burst into hearty laughter and agreed immediately.

“Hurry up and select your candidates! The Emergency Department just received a critically ill patient. If I leave the area, I’m worried those idiots might mess something up,” urged Director Lou.

Judging by the deep wrinkles between his brows, it was clear he had plenty on his mind.

Director Xie’s gaze swept over the remaining nineteen trainees; his eyes quickly passed over Zhou Can and then settled on Du Leng.

“I choose Du Leng. Beyond everything else, his PhD from Johns Hopkins University is proof enough for me to pick him without hesitation,” declared Director Xie, paying no mind to Zhou Can, who had aced the White Mouse surgery.

This surprised Zhou Can and left him feeling somewhat dejected.

It turned out that academic credentials could override everything.

After all, in General Surgery, it’s surgical ability that earns respect—selecting someone based solely on educational background was truly baffling.

“Gao Jian, a graduate student from the Imperial Capital Medical Academy with solid medical knowledge and impressive surgical prowess, is exactly the talent our Internal Medicine needs. Xiao Gao, do you agree?”

Director Tan of Internal Medicine once again opted for the high-achieving graduate, Gao Jian.

Zhou Can felt overlooked once more.

He could only feel a tightness in his chest.

Because of his lesser academic credentials, he suffered an unprecedented blow to his pride, forcing him to face reality.

He vowed to work even harder, promising that one day he would stand at the pinnacle of medicine and prove that credentials aren’t everything.

“Oh dear, you’ve already taken the two best talents! Chen Jiaojiao, you’re next. You’re also a graduate student from the Imperial Capital Medical Academy with solid surgical skills. The Pediatrics Department welcomes you,” announced Director Tang of Pediatrics.

This selection by Director Tang only added salt to Zhou Can’s wounds.

Zhou Can lowered his head, absorbing the humiliation brought on by his inferior academic background.

“Zhou Can, would you consider joining our Emergency Department?”

At that moment, Director Lou of Emergency extended an olive branch to him.

The offer hung in the air as Zhou Can contemplated his next move.

At that very moment, Director Lou of Emergency extended an olive branch to him.