Chapter 284: An Unexpected Diagnosis

You can be forgiving, sure, but no man would really stand by and watch another guy take liberties with his girlfriend.

After checking for a while, Zhou Can’s expression grew more serious.

“Looks like you’ve got a lump here!”

His words instantly made the young couple tense up.

“No way, really?”

The woman gritted her teeth through the pain and started examining herself.

But the spot was in a rather awkward place, leaving her a little embarrassed.

“You’re right, I really do have a big lump here. I hadn’t even noticed!” After checking herself, her surprise was mixed with fear. “Doctor, is this lump serious? What’s going on? I definitely didn’t have it before, so it probably just swelled up today.”

At this point, the woman was desperate for Zhou Can’s answer.

Her boyfriend, who’d just suspected Zhou Can of taking advantage, was now clearly impressed. Zhou Can had found something with just a quick touch, and his respect for the doctor’s skills grew.

“If it swelled up in such a short period, it could be an inguinal hernia. But I’m only checking through a layer of clothes, so it’s hard to say exactly what it is. You should definitely go to the hospital for more tests.”

When he pressed on the lump, Zhou Can felt it was on the firm side.

Normally, lumps from inguinal hernias feel soft, since they’re basically abdominal tissue pushing through below the skin.

For example, the omentum or intestines—these soft tissues can bulge out of the abdomen and form a lump, which is what we call a hernia.

It feels soft to the touch.

Another thing about hernias—they almost always pop up very suddenly.

If this woman’s lump really showed up overnight, an inguinal hernia is the most likely culprit.

Still, other conditions can’t be ruled out.

“Is that… inguinal whatever thing serious?”

The woman asked through her pain.

Her boyfriend stood by, nervous, waiting for Zhou Can’s answer.

“It’s called an inguinal hernia—not whatever you said,” Zhou Can corrected her. They sounded similar, but there was still a difference—how could she mix them up?

“The first time you get this, it’s usually not too serious. Sometimes you can even push it back in with your hand. But if it comes back a lot or you can’t push it back, then it’s a lot more serious. Surgery is a must to avoid tissue dying. But remember, I’m just saying this is possible. It might not be a hernia at all.”

Just then, Director Zhang Bihua showed up, having finished her breakfast.

“Miss, I’m a doctor from Tuyu Hospital too. Mind if I take a look?”

Director Zhang knew Zhou Can was male and it could be awkward for him, so she volunteered.

“Please, go ahead!”

The woman nodded her agreement.

Director Zhang Bihua was in her fifties, and after so many years in medicine, she carried the unique aura doctors have—cold, strict, but also sharp and decisive.

That was the kind of aura years of giving shots and wielding scalpels would give you.

Doctors never hesitate when faced with illness—they cut out trouble with a single stroke.

Over time, that fierce presence settles into anyone in the profession.

“When I checked earlier, the lump felt hard—didn’t seem like a hernia. But she said she’d never had it before and that it appeared overnight. Could it be inflammation?”

There’s no way a tumor forms that quickly.

It’s probably inflammation, a hernia, or a hematoma.

“That’s definitely possible.”

Director Zhang slipped her hand into the patient’s pants and gently examined the area, her thin eyebrows knitting with concern.

A lot of older women like to thin out their brows and draw on fine, arched lines.

From a distance, it does look pretty.

But up close, natural brows are usually nicer.

“The lump isn’t that big, but it’s a bit on the firm side. It doesn’t feel like a hernia—more like a tumor. Miss, you really need to go to the hospital for proper tests to find out exactly what this is.”

Director Zhang Bihua had an incredible amount of clinical experience.

If even she was worried, this was no minor thing.

The girl looked up at her boyfriend.

“Aqing, what should I do?”

“Listen to the doctors. I’ll take you to the hospital right away.”

The boyfriend stepped up and didn’t hesitate—he agreed to take her for tests then and there.

“Young man, the doctors who checked your girlfriend are specialists from Tuyu Hospital. They’re currently seeing patients at our Xinxiang Maternity and Child Hospital as visiting experts. You might as well bring her there for treatment. It’s close to your hotel and super convenient.”

Section Chief Tang smiled warmly as he spoke to the couple.

“Thank you for the suggestion!”

The boyfriend gratefully accepted.

Zhou Can, on the other hand, couldn’t help but curl his lip. Was Xinxiang Maternity and Child Hospital really reduced to soliciting patients? And it wasn’t just anyone—it was a section chief doing the hustling. Their situation must be even worse than he’d thought.

A once-great hospital crumbling—all because of a medical accident.

It was a stark reminder for Zhou Can. He would have to stay careful and diligent in his medical career.

Otherwise, one mistake could ruin patients’ lives—and the hospital’s fate could be at stake too.

……

After breakfast at the hotel, Zhou Can’s group found Section Chief Tang growing more anxious by the second, subtly urging the experts to hurry several times.

With eight o’clock approaching, Director Tian must have put him on a deadline—getting the specialists to the hospital on time was a must.

Yesterday’s visiting specialist event at Tuyu Hospital had a few hiccups, like Du Leng arguing with a patient’s family, but overall, it was impressive—they’d diagnosed several tricky cases that had stumped even the biggest hospitals.

Director Tian would use those results as powerful publicity.

“Director Zhang, I saw lots of patients already lining up in the outpatient hall this morning. You’re definitely going to be busy today!”

Section Chief Tang checked his watch and subtly pressed the experts again to get moving.

Most of the staff had finished breakfast.

Only Du Leng, Director Dai, two young female nurses, and a young woman doctor were still taking their time.

At the pace they were eating, they might stretch breakfast out another half hour.

Section Chief Tang was probably regretting making the breakfast buffet so lavish.

Western breakfast items, with all their little rituals, are slow to eat.

As a PhD who’d studied abroad, Du Leng had plenty of overseas experience.

The two nurses and the young doctor gathered around him to learn how to eat Western food—and which dishes went with what.

He probably felt quite pleased, being the center of attention among young women, and took the opportunity to show off his life abroad, explaining all sorts of etiquette, how to eat, and even how to make the best pastries. He sounded like an expert.

The nurses and doctor gazed at him with admiration.

Even now, plenty of people idolize the foreign lifestyle, convinced that everything overseas is perfect.

But the reality is some women are tricked by so-called foreign boyfriends and end up living practically as primitives in Africa. Others marry men from developed countries, only to become little more than servants.

You can’t help but wonder what they’re thinking.

Maybe, in the end, suffering comes to those who invite it.

It’s just a case of reaping what you sow.

“Work’s about to start! You all need to finish up now. We’re visiting experts at Xinxiang Maternity and Child Hospital, so the schedule is a bit flexible, but basic work hours still apply. If you’re not at your post by eight, that counts as late. Leaving before five-thirty is leaving early. And if you leave your post during the day, the same rules from Tuyu Hospital apply.”

Director Zhang saw the laid-back attitude and announced a new attendance rule on the spot for all twenty-six medical staff.

The two nurses hovering near Du Leng immediately realized she was warning them.

They quickly finished eating and hurried out of the hotel.

Du Leng, proud of his status, finished his meal unhurriedly, dabbed his mouth with a napkin, and finally got up.

When he joined the others on the bus, Director Zhang didn’t say anything, but there was a faint hint of displeasure on her face.

The worst fate for anyone is to lack self-awareness.

In the workplace, you need a sixth sense for situations if you want to survive.

They arrived at Xinxiang Maternity and Child Hospital, and before even stepping inside, were met by photo-snapping media reporters.

Yesterday, there’d also been cameras, but those were arranged by the hospital’s own people.

Their photos focused on the highlights—great material for the hospital’s publicity.

Any drama, like Du Leng’s argument with the patient’s family, never made it on camera.

Today, three different media teams showed up—with noticeably more professional equipment.

Director Zhang frowned and glanced at Section Chief Tang.

She was clearly asking, Why did you invite media without talking to us first?

They hadn’t even been consulted about it.

“Don’t worry, they’re all on our side. They’re Director Tian’s friends. And after hearing about yesterday’s successful diagnoses, they volunteered to come shoot some footage and put out some good press for us.”

Section Chief Tang explained with a polite smile.

“A thousand-mile levee collapses because of an ant’s nest.”

A great levee never falls apart in an instant. Long before that, rot and hollowing from within have set in, so it only takes a push to bring disaster.

The same is true for Xinxiang Maternity and Child Hospital—it didn’t fall apart overnight. It was already riddled with problems for years.

All the commercial tricks on display said plenty—the leadership was obsessed with business, not medicine.

What they really needed was to learn from their mistakes and focus on medical ethics and quality.

For any hospital, quality care and good service are the most important things.

All the publicity in the world only helps so much—it’ll never be the deciding factor.

“Director Zhang, good morning! I heard you led Tuyu Hospital’s expert team to successfully diagnose several tough cases yesterday, even saving a boy with life-threatening bronchitis. Would you mind telling us about it?”

A stunning TV reporter approached, microphone in hand.

Turned out she was from a satellite TV station—not some small media outfit.

“Honestly, there’s not much to say. Saving lives and easing suffering is our job. For details, check with the hospital. My patients are waiting—sorry, I need to get to work.”

Director Zhang Bihua had seen her share of big scenes.

She didn’t even try to please the TV reporter, offered a quick reply, and walked off.

The reporter was quick on her feet and glanced at the other specialists, but each one skillfully avoided her and hurried off to work.

Some doctors chase fame and fortune, but most focus on their craft, taking real responsibility for relieving patients’ pain.

Realizing the experts wouldn’t cooperate, the reporter glanced over the younger doctors.

“Which one of you is Dr. Du, the Johns Hopkins PhD?”

Interviewing a returnee doctor was a big scoop too.

“That’s me!”

Du Leng stood out in the crowd—tall, sharply dressed, with an air of confidence.

By raising his hand, he made himself even more noticeable.

“Dr. Du, would you mind an interview?” The reporter’s bright eyes locked on him as she approached, microphone in hand.

Section Chief Tang, who’d already walked ahead, came rushing back.

Letting Du Leng take center stage in a media interview? No way.

After all the trouble Du Leng caused yesterday, if he became the star of this story, Director Tian would have his head.

Section Chief Tang quickly blocked the reporter, saying, “I’m sorry, but Dr. Du is needed for consultations and can’t take interviews right now.”

The reporter seemed surprised—having her interview interrupted left her a little displeased.

Even though her bosses had sent her to do a feature story, she still had a lot of freedom as a journalist.

At most, if the higher-ups weren’t happy, her stories just wouldn’t get approved.

“And you are…?”

She asked Section Chief Tang for his name.

“I’m Tang Jiuyin, the head of PR at Xinxiang Maternity and Child Hospital.”

He turned out to be the publicity director—not what anyone expected.

Normally, reception would be handled and coordinated by the Administration Office.

Maybe they didn’t want the hassle, so they roped him in.

With outside experts invited to see patients, someone had to handle both reception and publicity.

“So you’re Chief Tang. Good to meet you! Well, we’ll try interviewing Dr. Du another time, so we won’t keep the experts from their work today.”

The reporter saw the hint. Realizing he represented the hospital’s official PR, she instantly got the message.

Tang Jiuyin stopping her from interviewing Dr. Du definitely meant something.

So, her interviews would have to follow the hospital’s publicity goals.

The specialists’ consultations quickly got underway.

Zhou Can and Deputy Director Shi found themselves with nothing to do—no patients seeking them out.

But unlike yesterday, they were now officially the heads of the crisis response team, so both remained calm.

The woman with the abdominal lump from the hotel was also waiting in line for an exam.

Because of her unusual case, Director Zhang made sure to take special care of her.

“Miss, you head over to that table and have Director Shi write you the forms for your tests. Once you have your results, just bring them back to me. Don’t delay getting treated.”

“Thank you so much!”

The couple gratefully took her advice and made their way to Zhou Can’s desk.

“Dr. Zhou, you already saw her earlier at the hotel. You go ahead and order the tests!”

Deputy Director Shi knew the issue was by the lower abdomen near the thigh, so he skipped re-examining the patient.

“Of course!”

Zhou Can happily agreed.

Her case wasn’t complicated—the symptoms were obvious. All he needed to do was examine her abdomen and identify the lump.

He ordered a blood test, an abdominal ultrasound, and a CT scan.

All three are essential checks.

The patient took her paperwork and headed for testing.

Around ten in the morning, the nineteen-year-old girl who’d had a cold for two years finally finished her tests and came back.

Seeing Director Zhang busy, her mother went straight to Zhou Can.

After the diagnosis yesterday, she put full trust in Zhou Can.

“Dr. Zhou, would you mind taking a look? We’ve got all the results now.”

She went to Zhou Can for the diagnosis instead of Deputy Director Shi.

This move instantly caught the sharp eye of the TV reporter.

Her instincts told her this seemingly unremarkable young doctor must be something special.

Instead of rushing over, she turned and asked the cameraman next to her.

“Old Qin, doesn’t that young doctor seem familiar to you?”

“Which young doctor?”

The cameraman was busy checking shots, but looked up when she asked.

“That one, third desk from the right.”

She pointed at Zhou Can’s table.

“He’s one of the three doctors we featured in the publicity materials from the hospital yesterday. Forgot already?”

The cameraman recognized Zhou Can instantly.

“Oh, right… No wonder he looked familiar! His name’s Zhou something, isn’t it?”

After some prompting, the reporter remembered.

“Zhou Can!” The cameraman rolled his eyes as if to say, What a memory.

“That’s it—Dr. Zhou Can. He’s so young, but somehow he ended up getting the same spotlight as Director Zhang and Director Dai. He’s got to be impressive. Do me a favor and dig up his background? I’ve got a feeling he’s a big story.”

She turned on the charm to win her colleague’s help.

If a woman is beautiful, educated, poised, and clever, she really does have a big advantage at work.

Looks are her greatest asset, and she can easily get male colleagues to help just by asking nicely.

“He’s from Tuyu Hospital. If you want his background, I’ll have to call in some favors. A fancy dinner and I’ll make it happen.”

A meal for a favor—seemed fair enough.

He’d have to tap into his network, after all.