Chapter 448: Standing Up for the Emergency Department

He stood up to Vice Section Chief Yin in front of everyone—and that was only the beginning.

Qiao Yu glanced at him, worry softening her voice. “Why were you so impulsive? Did you really need to go head-to-head with Vice Section Chief Yin? You know as well as anyone—regular folks don’t fight with officials.” She’d heard from their colleagues how Zhou Can, stubborn as ever, had publicly lashed out at Yin, nearly making her faint from rage.

It might have felt satisfying in the moment, but the consequences were serious.

And not in Zhou Can’s favor.

“If I told you that a man’s blood boils in those moments, and that’s what drove me to speak out for the Emergency Department, would you call me a fool?”

His expression grew complicated.

Sometimes, knowing you probably can’t win still isn’t enough to stop you from fighting back.

He knew he was putting himself at risk, but still he charged ahead.

That stubborn courage—that’s what it means to have guts.

Given the choice, who really wants to stick their neck out and become the next target?

“You knew you’d get in trouble, but you still went ahead—like throwing yourself into the fire. I get it; that’s integrity. Sure, men with principles deserve respect, and I can’t help but admire you for that. But can’t you think a little more about yourself? About the surgical team as a whole?”

Qiao Yu was smarter and more insightful than most could imagine.

She understood everything, but still didn’t want Zhou Can to be the one out front.

Being a hero always comes with a price.

“This past year, there’s been wave after wave of medical disturbances in the Emergency Department. The staff work every day in a cloud of pressure and fear; it’s taken a serious toll on every part of our department. If I hadn’t taken the lead, who would? Someone had to step up. Sure, there’s some risk for me, but it’s not as bad as it seems. Sometimes, a man’s got no choice but to face things head on.”

Zhou Can had his own way of handling the world.

He didn’t rush out just for the thrill; this was for the Emergency Department as a whole.

To truly move forward, Emergency had to break through obstacles that most couldn’t even see.

He had a broader view than most, always thinking ahead. This wasn’t just raw courage—it was strategy.

He honestly couldn’t care less about offending Vice Section Chief Yin.

He went on with his day as usual.

It’s easy for regular frontline doctors to get pushed around.

But once a clinical doctor builds up some standing, they finally have the power to push back against the administrative leadership.

Vice Section Chief Yin in the Medical Department is easy to replace—the hospital could have someone new in her seat tomorrow, maybe someone even more capable.

If Zhou Can got pushed out, it would be a huge loss for Tuyu Hospital.

It’d be like losing a top general and handing him straight to the competition.

As long as the hospital leadership keeps their wits, they’d never make such a dumb move.

So, only two options for Yin: swallow her pride and let it go, or go head-to-head with Zhou Can and lose everything in the end.

Even if she’s related to Director Zhu, the ending won’t change.

It took her years to reach Vice Section Chief, and who knows if she even has the connections people gossip about.

And even if she does, her backing can’t be that powerful.

……

Around six o’clock, Zhou Can clocked out early.

Director Lou and Deputy Director Han were already waiting for him in the office.

Dr. Xu followed him in as well.

Maybe it was worry for his apprentice, or maybe Director Lou just liked involving him when big decisions came up.

Dr. Xu’s role in Emergency was unique. To patients and their families he was just another Attending Physician, but to the seasoned veterans he was a legend.

The hospital had plenty of Chief Physicians, but only three were famous as Tuyu’s ‘Top Three Surgeons.’ Dr. Xu was one of them.

“Zhou, close the door, would you?”

Director Lou wasn’t in a rush to pull him into a meeting with the Administration Office; he clearly planned to have a ‘family meeting’ behind closed doors first.

“Have a seat, all of you. It’s just the four of us—let’s talk about what happened today.”

Director Lou’s face was calm, impossible to read.

“I had the staff tally up the cases—just over the past six months, our department has had 2,126 incidents of verbal abuse against medical staff from patients or their families, and 209 cases where staff were physically attacked. That’s at least one assault every single day.”

Director Lou was clearly well prepared; the data was precise and thorough, and he’d been planning this for a while.

Even Zhou Can could see the crisis. As Department Chief, how could Lou possibly ignore it?

“Tense doctor-patient relationships have become a chronic problem in the entire medical field. And Emergency is the hardest-hit area.”

Deputy Director Han picked up the conversation.

He’d been a victim himself and hated medical troublemakers to the core.

“With such a crazy rate of disputes, it’s almost unthinkable. It’s time our team spoke up for everyone in the Emergency Department.”

Director Lou set the tone and declared their intent.

Dr. Xu, meanwhile, sat quietly and offered cautious words.

That’s become his habit ever since the incident—he never spoke without care.

But whenever he did, it was always worth hearing.

“If we’re making our voices heard, I think we should get Pediatrics’ Director Tang involved. That department faces just as many issues as we do.”

A solid suggestion from Zhou Can.

With more departments working together, their message would be even stronger.

He’d seen for himself how bad things had gotten in Pediatrics—it was just as shocking.

Once, a nurse tried to give a child an IV, but the kid’s veins were too fine and hidden under baby fat. The first try missed, and as she got ready to try again, the child started crying.

The nurse tightened a rubber tube around the child’s arm and patted gently, a common way to find a vein.

Suddenly, a family member punched the nurse right in the face.

Even that wasn’t enough—the man grabbed the needle and stabbed her arm over and over to ‘vent his anger.’

The young nurse, not even thirty, broke down crying right there.

And she really sobbed.

She couldn’t understand what she’d done wrong. She worked hard to help the children, only to be beaten by a patient’s father. On top of feeling wronged, she was scared—angry, too.

Zhou Can just tore off his lab coat and tackled the violent family member to the floor.

He didn’t show any mercy treating a thug like that.

But all the man got was a five-hundred yuan fine and an apology—not even a night in detention.

In this environment, it’s no wonder every doctor and nurse feels like they’re walking a tightrope.

Anyone paying attention might notice—if you ask too many questions or seem distrustful when you visit Pediatrics, the staff immediately grow cold and distant, doing everything to indirectly refuse your case.

It’s not really their fault.

They’ve been scared out of their wits by repeated attacks—their passion for the job, long frozen.

“That’s a great suggestion, Zhou. Making Pediatrics our ally will catch the attention of the higher-ups more easily.” Director Lou shot him an approving look.

“Director Lou, I also have a few other ideas. They’re not fully formed yet.”

“Say them. We’re all on the same team here!”

Letting Zhou Can join such important discussions was proof of Lou’s deep trust and recognition.

“Yelling at Vice Section Chief Yin wasn’t really my main goal. I just wanted to use the opportunity to fix our security problems—and end the Medical Department’s habit of punishing doctors and nurses whenever there’s a complaint from patients or their families. That needs to change.”

He laid out his two real objectives.

“Ha! You’ve got guts, Zhou, I’ll give you that. Not only are you taking on Security, but you want to change the Medical Department too? I might as well start calling you ‘Zhou the Bold!'”

Director Lou pressed a hand to his forehead, smiling and shaking his head.

The Emergency Department might have made some progress, but its status was still low.

Now they were targeting two departments with backing from the top—what, did they want to overturn the whole system?

Trying to start a revolution, are we?

“I’m serious. Even if we don’t get open support after speaking out, the message will resonate with doctors and nurses in the entire hospital. At the very least, things will get better for us.”

Zhou Can sounded deadly earnest.

Dr. Xu heard him out, sinking into thoughtful silence.

“Maybe Zhou’s plan really could work. It’s always been hard to recruit good staff for Emergency—bad conditions, poor status, no future. But we can change our reputation. Let everyone know the Emergency Department always stands up for its own, treating staff better than family. Maybe that warmth is how we finally attract the talent we need.”

Dr. Xu was just as forward-thinking as his apprentice.

With their reasons laid out, Director Lou was already tempted.

He turned to Deputy Director Han.

“Old Han, what do you think?”

“It’s a deal,” Han replied without hesitation.

His answer was full support for Zhou’s idea.

“Zhou’s got the energy and drive of youth. The rest of us can have his back from behind the scenes. That way, things won’t get too ugly.”

He, too, had his own wisdom when it came to handling people.

Sometimes, three regular folks together are better than one Zhuge Liang.

The four of them brainstormed and refined the plan until it was just about perfect.

Make the best plan you can—the rest is up to fate.

This would shake up two departments at once, but if it succeeded, every staff member in Emergency, and maybe the whole hospital, would benefit.

Director Lou called Pediatrics’ Dr. Tang Fei personally.

Dr. Tang Fei’s relationship with Emergency was nothing special before. She used the usual flexible approach—trying to keep everyone happy, never stepping on toes.

Only when her own department was threatened did her sharp side come out.

Departments in Tuyu Hospital were like little kingdoms.

Each department head was almost like a king fighting for their own domain.

Of course they’d work hard for their own team’s interests.

By now, Zhou Can had nearly a year back in Emergency. Every Wednesday, he’d fill in for Pediatrics. Whenever they had a tricky case or a big surgery, he’d be invited to help.

Because of this, the Pediatrics staff saw him as one of their own.

He became the key link connecting Emergency and Pediatrics.

Thanks to him, the two departments were growing closer.

“Director Lou, we’ll wait outside for you.”

Dr. Xu led Zhou Can out of the office, with Deputy Director Han right behind.

Sometimes, department heads had to discuss things best kept private. If things soured, bystanders would only make it more awkward.

It wasn’t long before Director Lou emerged, all smiles.

“It’s settled—Director Tang is on board.”

He glanced at Zhou Can, making the point clear.

There was no need to spell it out. The only reason it went so smoothly was because of Zhou Can.

He really was a lucky star for Emergency.

“Dr. Xu, you don’t need to come with us this time. Don’t worry—your apprentice is tougher than he looks.”

Director Lou reassured him.

There was no point in all of them going.

“I wasn’t planning to anyway. Let’s go!”

Dr. Xu waved and then turned to Zhou Can.

“Don’t run your mouth when you get there. Keep a low profile if you can.”

His concern for his apprentice was always deep, if unspoken.

He worried Zhou Can’s youth might lead him to act out and offend more people in the Administration. Right now, Zhou Can was riding high, but if he ever stumbled, the knives would come out.

Dr. Xu’s advice came straight from the heart.

“Got it!”

Zhou Can wasn’t fresh out of school. He wouldn’t pick fights with everyone he saw.

He knew exactly when to talk tough and when to keep things light.

……

Not long after, the three of them met up with Director Tang Fei and headed to the Administration Office together.

If it weren’t for Zhou Can, Tang Fei might have only helped from a safe distance. But now, she was getting her hands dirty for his sake—proof of how much she liked and valued him.

Only someone with real influence and true loyalty would go this far for a friend.

Of course, this move wasn’t just for Zhou Can; there were real benefits for Pediatrics too.

The four arrived at the hospital’s Administration Office, long after most staff had gone home.

Only Director Fang from the office was still inside, patiently waiting for them.

Inside, Vice Section Chief Yin was already there, complaining tearfully to Director Fang. Her makeup was streaked down her face—she’d clearly been crying.

Making a scene always helps; tears pulled sympathy from the right people.

Backing the Administration was the hospital director, so if Director Fang pitied Yin and got mad at Zhou Can, Yin would get what she wanted.

Earlier that day, Zhou Can had blasted Yin in public, accusing her of using her power to oppress doctors and nurses while being incompetent herself—she’d almost fainted with rage.

Of course she couldn’t let it go.

Complaining to Xin Wanshan from Medical wouldn’t help.

Xin always valued Zhou Can and had a decent relationship with him. Yin’s only hope was to stir up trouble with Director Fang.