Chapter 471: Under the Surface: Connections and Responsibilities

Most highways in the country are state-owned, with less than thirty percent belonging to private enterprises.

To secure these kinds of projects, you need deep pockets, powerful connections, and top-tier credentials.

A woman like Hu Chunying is not simple by any means.

As for her husband, his status must be impressive.

To Zhou Can, forging ties with such influential people was a rare opportunity. Still, he never expected too much from a relationship like this.

Thinking that curing someone’s child means you can ask for anything in return—that’s not how grown-ups see the world.

Right now, the fact that they offered him their contact info shows gratitude, but it’s also an acknowledgment and investment in his medical skill.

Their gratitude for Zhou Can will fade with time.

What really matters is their respect for his abilities. Now that they’re connected, you never know when they might need him again.

To those truly wealthy, quality healthcare is always a premium resource.

After a few more pleasant exchanges, Zhou Can shared his number too.

A proper introduction—nothing more, nothing less.

Only time would tell if things would progress from here.

Even after learning the woman owned a highway, Zhou Can kept his cool, chatting as if nothing had changed. This made both Hu Chunying and Ling Shaozuo’s opinions of him rise instantly.

With their experience, they could sense that Dr. Zhou was anything but ordinary.

He definitely wasn’t just some regular guy.

Still, they didn’t pry.

After all, first meetings are all about making a good impression.

First impressions really are everything.

Just then, Zhou Can’s phone rang.

It was Director Le from Cardiothoracic Surgery calling him.

“Sorry, let me get this.”

Zhou Can answered the call.

“Dr. Zhou, are you off work yet? Don’t forget to come by Cardiothoracic to consult on that patient from yesterday!”

He’d probably been waiting ages for Zhou Can to show up and was starting to get anxious.

“I haven’t forgotten, I’ll be there right away.”

Zhou Can really was getting busier by the day.

“Sorry, I can’t keep chatting. There’s a patient who needs urgent care—I have to go.” He kept the details vague.

But since he’d taken the call in the office, the other three could hear every word.

They all knew Cardiothoracic needed his help.

Director Tang was already used to Zhou Can’s skill, but the Ling couple found their respect for him rising again.

A doctor with real talent is always in demand—everyone wants him to see their patients.

“If you need to go, don’t let us stop you. Let’s stay in touch when you get the chance.”

“Absolutely. Take care!”

Zhou Can waved to the couple, then looked at Director Tang. “Director Tang, I’m heading out!”

“Go on, get to it!”

Director Tang nodded at him.

The main reason Zhou Can had come by was because she’d told the Ling couple that he was the key doctor who figured out their son’s illness. Out of gratitude, they’d wanted to thank him in person.

To Director Tang, knowing the Ling couple and building that connection was a very good thing.

Especially since Mr. Ling was a high-ranking official—there was no telling when that kind of relationship might come in handy. Connections like this were pure gold.

When Zhou Can arrived at Cardiothoracic, Director Le was already waiting anxiously by the nurse station.

Judging by his nerves, the patient must have developed serious complications after surgery. The pressure on the lead doctor was huge.

You could really see a doctor’s sense of responsibility in moments like this.

Whether someone was worried about their own performance scores or afraid of being penalized if something happened, as long as a doctor genuinely cared about the patient’s condition, that spoke volumes.

An entire system of oversight and rewards has been set up, from the health system down to the hospital itself, all meant to guide doctors to do their best for their patients.

It’s there to prevent doctors from neglecting their duties or, worse, being careless with human life.

“Finally, our busy man has arrived! Come on, let’s go talk in the office!”

Director Le chuckled and led Zhou Can away with a friendly arm around his shoulder.

Director Xueyan hadn’t contacted Zhou Can for two days. He was worried, and couldn’t help glancing toward her office.

“Director Xue seems off lately—bruises on her face and hands at work. Maybe something happened at home.” Le kept his voice low.

“Every family has their own struggles. Life really isn’t easy for women.”

Zhou Can said this with real feeling.

He suspected Director Xueyan was suffering domestic abuse, but there wasn’t much he could do.

This was all connected to him in the first place.

After all, because he and Director Xueyan had spent so many evenings alone together in the office, her marriage was now in crisis. If he tried to comfort her now and her husband found out, it’d only fuel more suspicion.

It was best to keep his distance for a while.

Work matters, but so does family.

“You two are the closest. If you get the chance, help her out, will you? Honestly, I started here three years before she joined. I’ve watched her grow from the beginning—her hard work, her kindness, the way she helps everyone. She’s made a deep impression on me. A woman like her already deals with enough stress at work; she shouldn’t have to suffer at home too.”

Director Le didn’t say it outright but he seemed to guess her injuries had something to do with her home life.

“Let’s put that aside for now. Help me figure out how to tackle this woman’s second surgery? I’m losing sleep over it.”

Director Le handed Zhou Can the latest test results.

Once Zhou Can looked them over, he felt confident.

He’d already planned a second surgery solution yesterday.

“To prevent severe reflux, when performing this surgery, the end of the jejunum should be joined to the esophagus at least thirty centimeters from the ligament of Treitz. Then, the side-to-side anastomosis of the jejunum should be about twenty centimeters from the join. Too close is bad, too far isn’t great either—sixteen centimeters is usually the sweet spot. Of course, you need to adapt to the specifics of each patient.”

As he explained, Zhou Can sketched out diagrams alongside his instructions.

Almost every doctor picks up some drawing skills along the way.

It’s practically a required part of the job.

Even after gaining recognition, doctors still use sketches to explain conditions to patients and families, not to mention for teaching or taking notes.

“Another thing—the wider the anastomosis, the better, at least eight centimeters. With these standards in place, reflux will be minimal after surgery and patients can expect an excellent quality of life.”

Zhou Can wasn’t sure if Director Hu Kan had ever shared these surgical tips with Director Le.

Even if he did, it still comes down to a doctor’s ability to adapt.

Director Le had clear talent for surgery, but his technique and flexibility in problem solving needed work. It’s like a teacher giving everyone formulas.

With standard problems, anyone using the formula can get the right answer.

But when the questions get tricky, you need to think creatively and draw on all sorts of knowledge.

Director Le’s weakness in this area wasn’t a huge issue though.

He could always collaborate with team doctors when planning surgery, and the more experience he gained, the better he’d get.

Practice makes perfect, after all!

“This was my slip-up, really a big one! If I’d gotten you in before surgery, things wouldn’t be such a mess. I left too little space, made the join too small—no wonder the reflux is so bad.”

Realizing his mistake, Director Le smacked his forehead in frustration.

Sometimes his personality was almost childlike.

That sense of innocence and playfulness made him easy to get along with.

He always brought a smile to those around him.

“Dr. Zhou, you’ve got to see this through with me. Can you help out with the second surgery tomorrow night? Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you—maybe cut you in on this month’s bonus, or at least treat you to a fancy meal. But fair warning, you’ll have to wait until payday. You know how my wife is—she’s read way too many online posts about men turning bad when they get rich, so she only gives me a little pocket money…”

Director Le’s joke had Zhou Can laughing out loud.

Men who are ‘afraid’ of their wives aren’t always actually scared.

It’s often a way of showing affection.

Some actually enjoy being managed by their wives, loving the experience of a strong but caring spouse.

Usually, women in these households are great caretakers and, more often than not, quite capable too—striking the perfect balance between being strict and loving.

Not only do they keep their husbands in check, but their families stay especially harmonious.

“Tomorrow night won’t work. I have clinic duty during the day and emergency surgery at night. You know how heavy the workload is in the Emergency Department—most of the surgeries land on me. If I ever skipped a shift, Director Lou would flip out first thing.”

Zhou Can was well aware of the responsibility on his shoulders.

The entire Emergency Department practically revolved around him.

Nurses at the front desk specifically reserved certain surgical patients for him. After he operated, the inpatient ward would handle further care and treatment.

If a patient didn’t need to stay overnight, the nurses would follow up after surgery.

Maybe not one hundred percent of the department’s work depended on Zhou Can, but he was the heart of at least fifty percent of it.

If he ever went on strike, the doctors and nurses who relied on him would have nothing to do, their income would drop, and the department’s revenue would take a hit.

“That’s not good! I should’ve scheduled the surgery tonight. If you’re tied up tomorrow and we have to wait another day… I’m worried something might go wrong.” Director Le wrung his hands in distress.

“How about this—I’ll come over at lunch tomorrow. Get everything ready, and I’ll help with the key part of the operation. Will that work?”

This was the only solution Zhou Can could come up with.

He just couldn’t commit to an entire operation—the time involved was simply too much.

But as long as he handled the crucial part, an hour should be enough.

Clinic doctors got a ninety-minute lunch break—a policy designed to let them recharge and keep up the quality of care.

Seeing over a hundred patients a day, the pressure is huge.

Every single one needs their history reviewed and a judgment call made.

It’s all brainwork, through and through.

“I like that plan. It’s settled! I’ll call you in when the chest is nearly open in the OR tomorrow.” Director Le agreed at once.

After chatting with him, Zhou Can finally got to go home for dinner.

He didn’t have overtime the next two days, but he was still swamped. Getting home before eight would be a miracle.

Tonight was better—it was only 7:34 p.m., and he was pretty sure he’d make it home before 7:50.

The hospital was so close he could walk home in five or six minutes if he hurried.

Having a place so close to work, with improved living conditions too—all thanks to Su Qianqian.

She was the definition of a caring and thoughtful partner.

She always put Zhou Can first and hardly ever thought of herself.

On the way out of Director Le’s office, Zhou Can unexpectedly heard shouting from Director Xueyan’s office.

It sounded like she’d lost control, breaking down in tears as she argued.

Director Le heard it too.

They exchanged glances. “Should we go check on her? Let’s go together!”

Director Le knew Zhou Can was closer to her and pulled him along.

Standing outside the office, the voices inside were crystal clear.

“Yao Zhiqiang, all you do is act paranoid! Have you ever contributed to this family? All you think about is getting rich, gambling with my salary on stocks—losing again and again! I’ve had to borrow for our child’s tuition. You never lift a finger at home, never got a real job, and whenever you’re in a bad mood, you hit me and the kid! I can’t take it anymore, I’ve had enough…”

No one would have guessed her home life was so bleak.

With her salary, even with an unemployed husband, she could live comfortably in the city.

But she’d married a freeloader—always dreaming of easy money.

He squandered her hard-earned wages on the stock market, never did a lick of housework, and when things went bad, took it out on his wife and child. What kind of man is that?

Divorcing a man like that is the smart move.

This isn’t the old days anymore.

If a woman marries badly, cutting her losses and leaving is the best way to escape misery.

A woman as good as Director Xueyan—she could remarry easily, even in her forties. Even if she couldn’t find someone warm and caring, with her income and skills, she could support herself and her child without a problem.

“Should we go in and try to comfort her? Sounds like she’s fighting with her husband.”

Director Le looked to Zhou Can for guidance.

“The two of us? We’re hardly the right people. She needs a woman friend, someone like a close girlfriend.”

Zhou Can was clear-headed about things like this—men just couldn’t comfort her properly right now.

“Fair point. Maybe I should ask a nurse or woman doctor from the department to talk to her.”

Director Le tilted his head, thinking over the best person to send.

Suddenly, the office door swung open.

Apparently, Director Xueyan had overheard them talking in the hall.

Her face was tear-streaked, though she’d wiped most of it away. Her eyes were still red, her face cold, gaze full of anger—like she was about to explode.

She was furious her private life had been overheard.

But seeing that it was Director Le and Zhou Can outside, her anger vanished.

“Oh, it’s you two!”

She looked flustered, her eyes avoiding Zhou Can.