Chapter 432: Turning the Tables

“Excellent. Your service is top-notch. Now, send me the details of those two family members spreading flyers. Those bastards belong behind bars for pulling this stunt.”

Zhou Can’s hatred toward these people ran deep. He wasn’t about to show them any mercy.

Even back when dealing with the most stubborn patients or relatives—people who’d be all smiles one moment and then storm off with recordings to file complaints—he’d never felt this kind of anger.

“No problem. Everything’s already sent. Please check the files and let us know if you need anything else.”

The professionalism and attitude from the other side left Zhou Can thoroughly satisfied.

He opened WeChat and, sure enough, found surveillance footage and clear profile shots. They’d even tracked down the computer terminal the culprit used in the net café—a small private booth—including their registered ID number.

Honestly, there’s little difference between most net cafés and cheap motels.

As long as you had the cash, nobody bothered to check the ID number too carefully.

Now he had the names, phone numbers, and recent photos of both culprits—all crystal clear. There were even a few audio recordings.

“Idiots. Did you really think a mask and hat would hide you?”

One look, and Zhou Can instantly recognized the person flooding the net café forums.

It was none other than Dr. Lu from the Emergency Surgery OR.

With all this evidence in hand, things would be simple—just contact a lawyer and take them to court. Pretty soon, these guys would be facing criminal charges.

He stopped by to inform Dr. Xu, requested time off, and reached out to the lawyers directly.

There was no need to look elsewhere—Jin Yu Interactive had its own crack legal team, and they were known for winning cases.

They had to be good. Entertainment companies faced way more chaos than you’d expect.

From contract disputes worth hundreds of thousands to endorsement deals and more, a skilled legal team was essential for survival.

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He couldn’t trust the legal team at Tuyu Hospital.

And honestly, with his current position, he barely had the authority to use them anyway.

……

By the time he was done, it was already past two in the afternoon.

Zhou Can’s mood had completely shifted from this morning’s unease. All that anxiety had melted away.

Now he felt clear-headed and relieved—all that was left was to wait for the court to accept the case and let justice do its work.

“Dr. Zhou, Director Lou wants you to stop by the office when you get back.”

“Alright, thanks!”

Zhou Can was back to his usual self—steady and composed.

Even the young nurse could sense the change.

But she didn’t say anything more about it.

If you’re just regular colleagues, you keep certain things to yourself, even if you know the truth.

While heading to the chief’s office, Ye Tingting hurried over.

“I was going to try and cheer you up, but from the looks of it, you don’t need it. Don’t let gossip get to you. If it isn’t true, who cares? Even if it is, so what? You’re not married—dating’s no crime!”

Ye Tingting lowered her voice.

“Dating isn’t the issue—but juggling multiple women at once definitely is. The worst part is, these rumors are already affecting my relationships at work, my image outside, and my partner’s peace of mind. That’s why I have to squash them.”

Zhou Can’s view on relationships was very different from Ye Tingting’s.

He was aware that plenty of nurses at the hospital, whether single or just out for something bigger, didn’t much care about workplace romances.

Some in the Emergency Department had even cozied up to the Medical Department deputy chief for an easier job.

That deputy chief was married.

But let’s face it—few men can resist that kind of temptation when it lands in their lap.

In the end, the nurse got what she wanted: a management post in the Nursing Department. Both sides got what they needed—at least, that’s how it should’ve been.

But the deputy chief, once he got a taste, couldn’t let go.

Eventually, the affair blew up when his wife found out.

All hell broke loose.

She stormed into the hospital, made a huge scene, and pulled strings through her father. The very next day, the deputy chief was fired on the spot.

Ye Tingting was always flirtatious with Zhou Can, but she had good rapport with other important male leaders too.

Still, it probably wasn’t anything special—otherwise she wouldn’t still be working shifts in the observation or resuscitation rooms.

He understood how tough she had it.

A young woman with just a bachelor’s degree, working in a big hospital like Tuyu where the politics were cutthroat.

If she wanted to survive, she’d have to maintain good ties with powerful people in the department.

Zhou Can had never looked down on her for that.

He knocked on Director Lou’s office door and saw Head Nurse Niu Lan was inside too.

He quickly greeted them both.

“Director Lou, I’ll head out to talk with the patient’s family now.”

She seemed to know Director Lou had business with Zhou Can and left right away.

“The blame lies with the family. We followed protocol and did everything we could to save the patient—nothing inappropriate happened on our end. If the family wants to escalate, let them go through the courts. The Medical Department and the Patient Relations Office are all informed, and they feel the same way. Of course, if things can be handled quietly, that’s best, since public fuss would only hurt the hospital’s reputation.”

Director Lou was giving Head Nurse Niu Lan the inside scoop.

“Understood!”

Head Nurse Niu Lan was exceptionally professional. As she left, she nodded politely to Zhou Can.

Everything she did and said was elegant and composed—it was rare to ever see her lose her temper.

As for those rumors about nine out of ten head nurses being kept women for some official, Zhou Can couldn’t say.

Tuyu Hospital overall had a pretty positive environment—nowhere near as chaotic as some say.

“It’s just been one thing after another in the Emergency Department lately. Remember yesterday morning, that female patient brought in by ambulance? You were there—the family refused intubation. What could we do? Now the patient’s dead, and the family’s blaming us for not saving her. Isn’t that infuriating?”

Director Lou saw Zhou Can as core staff, which is why he confided these things.

“I’ve noticed, too—patients and families are getting harder to deal with. The whole medical environment is a mess now. Some troublemakers just stir things up for compensation, which only makes the trend worse.”

Zhou Can genuinely empathized with Director Lou’s frustration.

It really had become tough to deal with patients and their families.

Luckily, most patients and families weren’t just looking for a payout or ready to raise hell at a moment’s notice.

Otherwise, doctors and nurses would probably all quit.

“Dr. Xu mentioned your work during surgery took a hit because of all this. That’s not good! You’ve got to learn to manage it. Don’t you see? That troublemaker wanted to shake you up—if you let it get to you, you’re playing right into their hands.”

Hearing about Zhou Can’s dip in performance made Director Lou anxious.

The Emergency Department was at a critical juncture—just a couple of months into rapid growth. If things went south now, all those plans for upgrading the laminar flow OR, endoscopy suite, staff expansion—they’d go out the window.

Hospital executives weren’t the easiest people to please.

If your department isn’t pulling in results but keeps asking for more, expect to get chewed out.

“Thanks for worrying, Director Lou. I’ve sorted out my mood now and won’t let this affect me further. I was just about to head back to the OR!”

Zhou Can looked calm, his tone steady.

Director Lou studied him a moment, then, seeing he really had bounced back, nodded with satisfaction. “Good, that’s what I like to see. Now get back to work!”

“But let me be clear—surgery’s high-risk work. If you’re not up to it, don’t force yourself. I’d rather give you a couple days off to recover than risk an accident.”

When it comes to departmental performance versus safety, safety always wins.

One mistake in the OR could be career-ending for Zhou Can.

If the Emergency Department lost him, it’d be like a wounded eagle plummeting from the sky.

Both for Zhou Can and for the Emergency Department, this was still just the beginning—an absolutely crucial stage.

Someday, when the department was stronger, they could weather such losses. But not yet.

……

Days passed, and Zhou Can’s life gradually returned to normal.

By now, the rumors about him had made the rounds in the hospital.

But an unmarried doctor dating wasn’t a crime. Even if he dated multiple women, as long as everyone consented, what’s wrong with that?

Sure, there’d be some fallout.

For one, he heard coworkers whispering behind his back. Whenever he walked by, conversations stopped cold.

The tension was thick and awkward.

Even the way his colleagues looked at him changed, making things uncomfortable.

And that patient with the necrotic leg burn—their treatment was finished, and they were discharged today. The hospital had planned to use the case to boost Zhou Can’s popularity.

But because of the scandal, they put the PR campaign on ice.

Hospital higher-ups were pragmatic—if there’s risk or controversy, they simply wouldn’t touch it.

In the long run, the incident could even harm Zhou Can’s prospects. Any promotion would make higher-ups reconsider—what if more scandals popped up in the future?

So when it came time for promotions or important posts, his bosses would be extra cautious.

As for Zhou Can himself, he wasn’t particularly anxious. The court had already accepted his case; barring surprises, the trial would start soon.

By law, cases using the simplified procedure had to notify the opposing party within five days, grant them a fifteen-day response, and reach trial—all within three months.

There weren’t any real disputes here, and the evidence was airtight.

Plus, his team of professional lawyers would push the case forward smoothly—from trial to verdict.

The next morning, Zhou Can made his usual rounds in the ward.

A middle-aged man in Bed 17 complained of swelling and pain in his right arm.

Zhou Can looked into it and found out the man had undergone a right arm tumor removal yesterday. It wasn’t a major surgery; pathology had confirmed it was benign.

But the tumor had grown fast recently, which scared the patient into having it removed.

For Tuyu Hospital, this barely counted as a minor operation.

With beds at a premium, this could’ve been handled outpatient.

Normally, patients would get their meds and head home after surgery.

But to ensure safety and earn a little extra, the Emergency Department kept him overnight for observation.

Because the patient complained about the swelling and pain, the family refused discharge.

The hospital couldn’t force it.

Otherwise, he could’ve been discharged that morning.

After hearing the complaint, Zhou Can pressed on the man’s right arm and found it was hard as stone—especially near the incision site.

He tried pressing different spots. Normally, unless someone’s a gym rat or athlete, this muscle should feel pretty relaxed.

It only tightens up with effort.

But now, even at rest, it was rock-solid.

Immediately, Zhou Can knew something was wrong.

He hadn’t performed this surgery—so who did?

He checked and—of course—it was Dr. Lu again.

That troublemaker always seemed to botch things. Last time, it was abdominal infection, and if not for quick intervention, the patient could’ve died.

Word was, Dr. Xu had chewed Dr. Lu out over that incident.

But here they were, less than ten days later, and another problem had popped up.

“Doctor, is my arm messed up? Did something go wrong with the surgery?”

The patient was a seasoned man and could read the change in Zhou Can’s expression.

“The surgery itself should be fine. But you might have a postoperative complication. I’ll report this to my supervising doctor and arrange further tests right away. Please don’t worry—I’ll take care of it.”

He’d learned from his textbooks back in college: never criticize a colleague’s technique in front of a patient.

You never know what circumstances led another doctor to make their call.

And it only worsens tension between staff and patients.

So, even with all his issues with Dr. Lu, Zhou Can held his tongue.

That’s just basic professional ethics.

Break that code, and your colleagues will want nothing to do with you.

Stepping out into the corridor, he ran into Dr. Xu just arriving for work.

“Doctor! Let me run something by you.”

“What’s up?”

“During rounds, Bed 17’s patient developed swelling and pain after surgery…”

Zhou Can summarized the whole story.

“Who performed that surgery?”

Dr. Xu frowned.

“Dr. Lu.”

Zhou Can answered honestly.

“Him again!” Dr. Xu’s voice was laced with fury.