Chapter 631: Shared Nights and Silent Kindness

At least among these junior medical staff, the image of an all-knowing, god-like authority had been shaken.

So it turned out, even Director Wu wasn’t the all-powerful ‘Medical Deity’ after all.

“Director Wu, I ordered some late-night snacks. Why not have a bite before heading back?”

Zhou Can wasn’t about to burn bridges after crossing them.

He’d already upset people by stealing Wu Baihe’s thunder. Inviting Wu Baihe over late at night to help and not offering anything in return just wouldn’t do.

Next time, getting that kind of help would be much harder.

“You all go ahead! I’m getting old and have to watch out for heartburn,” Wu Baihe waved his hand dismissively.

Zhou Can quickly ran over and grabbed two boxes of night snacks.

He caught up with Wu Baihe. “Why don’t you take these for your family? I really can’t thank you enough for tonight. I learned so much, and the patient’s surgery was a success because of your guidance. If you hadn’t set me straight and pointed me in the right direction, I probably would’ve messed things up completely.”

Every word he said, he meant from the bottom of his heart.

Zhou Can felt incredibly grateful for all the ways Wu Baihe had helped him.

Some leaders only give advice, but it’s advice you can’t afford to ignore.

If Wu Baihe hadn’t given him a harsh scolding and warned him against probing the brainstem area first, Zhou Can would’ve gone straight for it after opening the skull, relying on his skill.

It also revealed that he still lacked real diagnostic experience in neurosurgery.

Before he discovered the problem with the gray matter, he had actually suspected a brainstem hemorrhage.

“If you really take my criticism to heart, that’s what matters most. You’re truly talented, but you have to watch out for overconfidence. Once that hardens into stubborn arrogance, it’s all over.”

Seeing Zhou Can’s humility and eagerness to learn, Wu Baihe nodded in satisfaction.

Zhou Can tucked the two snack boxes into Wu Baihe’s hands.

“Everyone was included when the nurse ordered the snacks. If you don’t take yours, we’ll end up wasting food.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you!”

This time, Wu Baihe didn’t refuse and accepted the bag.

“Whenever you have time, come to our department for extra training. Tuyu Hospital doesn’t have a separate department for brain surgery; neurosurgery covers everything, including brain operations. You’re still lacking in knowledge and surgical experience in this area. It’ll take at least a year or two of focused effort to be barely qualified.”

It’s true what they say—once you accept someone’s favor, it’s hard not to return the gesture.

Now that Wu Baihe had taken the snacks, his desire to mentor Zhou Can grew stronger.

“Absolutely, once things calm down for me, I’ll be sure to stop by and learn from you and the other neurosurgeons. I’m busy with my graduate studies and about to get married, so time’s really tight at the moment.”

Getting an invitation from Wu Baihe—especially a second heartfelt one—was a real honor.

It showed how much the top experts at Tuyu Hospital valued cultivating their successors.

It had been nearly two years since Zhou Can started studying under his orthopedic mentor at Tuyu Medical College.

Graduation was right around the corner.

Two years of systematic learning, even though he always had to squeeze classes and late-night readings into a packed schedule, paid off big time.

His medical knowledge in orthopedics had grown tremendously, both in theory and in practice.

Before, his skills in orthopedics were only about average for a resident.

Now he was at least as good as a senior attending physician.

To go even higher, he’d have to work directly in the orthopedic clinical department.

No matter how well you learn theory, it’s only the foundation.

Improvement comes by combining theory with practice, turning it into true clinical knowledge and skill.

After seeing Wu Baihe off, Zhou Can was soon surrounded by Wu Baihe’s own team, eager to ask him questions.

They all settled into the conference room together for a snack-filled consultation.

Zhou Can shared plenty of tips and personal experiences from his own growth.

How, for example, had he spotted trouble with the artery supplying the brain’s gray matter? How could you develop such sharp, predictive instinct?

And how had Zhou Can become so skilled at surgery across the board?

Even with something as mundane as suturing, reaching Zhou Can’s level would take most people decades.

Usually, only the oldest surgeons with white hair and white beards could stitch that well.

But Zhou Can never held back—he readily shared all sorts of tricks and tips for becoming a better surgeon.

Between springing for snacks and openly passing on his surgical experiences, he’d seriously won over this group of neurosurgical prodigies. They even asked for Zhou Can’s WeChat, then in return, shared some diagnostic tips and knowledge in neurosurgery with him.

A couple of the male doctors even promised that if Zhou Can ever encountered tricky neurosurgery cases, he could send the details their way for joint consultation.

Tonight was bound to be a night full of gains.

It also marked the true beginning of Zhou Can’s integration into Wu Baihe’s team.

Connecting with such an excellent group of medical staff, Zhou Can felt genuinely happy.

……

The next morning, after doing his rounds, Zhou Can made a special trip to the emergency ICU.

Cheng Xiaolu’s mother had been admitted with a dangerously poor condition. She could have passed at any time, so she was taken straight to ICU.

Though the anesthesia wore off after surgery and she woke from the coma, for her safety she remained in the ICU under top-tier care.

Standard ward care generally falls into two types.

First, the most basic: doctors and nurses only check on patients during rounds or when changing dressings. Second, focused care: for those whose condition might worsen suddenly, or for VIP patients where, even if it’s just for show, the staff stay more attentive.

Above that is intensive care—the highest level.

Hospitals assign elite doctors and nurses for twenty-four hour, non-stop treatment and observation.

It’s expensive, but if anything happens, the response is immediate and effective.

If a patient is truly in critical condition, ICU admission is absolutely necessary.

That expense is not something you should try saving on.

Even if it costs twenty thousand a day, if it means saving a life, it’s worth every penny.

Besides, most of the cost gets reimbursed through insurance, and out-of-pocket expenses usually don’t go over 30%.

There is one thing to keep in mind, though—some imported medicines and equipment can’t be reimbursed.

That part comes down to personal choice.

Generally, doctors will always talk to the family before using them. They’ll make it clear: imported drugs or devices lower risks and raise the odds of rescue, but insurance won’t cover much or anything at all.

Really, it’s best to do as the doctor recommends.

If domestic alternatives are just as good, doctors almost never make patients use expensive imports unnecessarily.

“Director Zhou!”

Cheng Xiaolu’s hair was a mess, but her spirits were bright.

The worry that had weighed on her face for days vanished, replaced with a glimmer of hope and happiness.

The second she saw Zhou Can, her gratitude was written all over her face.

“Did you get a chance to see your mom yet today?”

“Yeah! She’s awake now. She still has tubes all over, so she can’t talk yet. Thank you—thank you to every single doctor and nurse who helped save my mom…” As she spoke, emotion overwhelmed her and her voice wavered.

“It’s what we’re here for. She’ll stay in ICU one more day. I’ll check on her later, and if we can take her off the respirator this afternoon, there’s a good chance she can move to a regular ward tomorrow.”

Zhou Can knew the family was struggling financially.

If he could get the patient out of ICU sooner, he’d do everything possible.

“Thank you! I can’t believe how lucky we are to have met you!” She bit down on her pale lip and nodded hard, tears shining in her eyes.

Only those who’ve been through hardship and seen the ‘wolves’ of this world know just how rare someone like Zhou Can is.

“Did you have breakfast

yet?”

Seeing her state, Zhou Can guessed she’d spent the night dozing on a bench outside the ICU.

She’d stood outside the operating room the night before too, waiting anxiously.

Even afterwards, she followed the staff as they moved her mother back to ICU, then kept vigil outside.

Any parent would be lucky to have such a devoted daughter.

Funny thing is, it’s usually children from richer families who are less generous, but those from poorer backgrounds—who’ve had it tough—seem even more grateful and caring.

“Not yet. I’ll eat in a bit.”

She shook her head.

“You have to eat on time. That’s one thing you should never save money on. Your parents still depend on you—they need your care and you to earn a living. If you fall ill, they’ll truly have no one to lean on. Actually, our emergency department has a charity support program for families like yours who are having a tough time. You can get free meals at the hospital cafeteria every day. I’ll have someone set it up for you.”

Zhou Can told her gently.

In truth, the charity program didn’t actually exist. Whenever Zhou Can came across families really in need, if he thought they deserved help, he would just repeat this well-intentioned lie.

Given the way things are,

he couldn’t help every struggling family—he just did what he could.

If he ran into someone at the hospital who needed help, he’d step in.

Families in financial straits often have a lot of pride. If you buy them a meal directly, they’ll feel like it’s charity.

That kind of gesture can feel like an insult to their dignity.

So, pretending there’s a charity program makes it easier for them to accept.

It’s also the best way to protect their fragile pride.

“By the way, where’s your dad?”

Zhou Can hadn’t seen her father anywhere.

“He’s older and his legs aren’t so good. I gave him my blanket so he could sleep on the floor out by the pharmaceutical division’s staircase. Last night, when he heard Mom’s surgery went well and she woke up, he was overjoyed.”

Remembering that, she smiled again.

“Aren’t there any spare rooms in the pharmaceutical division? I’ll check with someone for you. If there’s one open, you can tidy it up, and your dad can stay inside for now. Honestly, you don’t need to keep watch here through the night—just go sleep in the staff dorm at the pharmaceutical division. ICU has professional staff on twenty-four hour watch. You’re not expected to keep vigil. If anything happens, they’ll call you right away.”

Zhou Can was genuinely worried this devoted, unlucky girl might make herself sick.

Taking care of a patient is exhausting.

A day or two is fine, but if you push yourself too long, you’re bound to collapse.

“It’s alright. For my dad, even sleeping in a stairwell is already a blessing.”

“Just trust me. Also, you can extend your leave—stay with your mom until she’s discharged before going back to work.”

Now that Zhou Can was in charge of the pharmaceutical division, he’d never turn his back on an employee struggling like this.

“Thank you…”

As she spoke, she almost dropped to her knees right then to bow to Zhou Can.

Getting even three days off was tough—that only happened because Zhou Can made the call for her. Now he was letting her stay the whole time her mom recovered, finding a spare room for her dad, and helping them apply for free meals.

Every one of these kindnesses settled deep in her heart, like little streams of warmth.

She knew she’d remember this for the rest of her life.

……

The days slipped by.

Zhou Can’s wedding drew closer, graduation was on schedule, and clinical work never let up—he always felt like there weren’t enough hours in a day.

Everyone who strives forward knows that feeling of constant busyness.

And yet,

each day felt rich and rewarding.

Three days after surgery, Cheng Xiaolu’s mother was already transferred from ICU to a regular ward.

Thanks to Zhou Can’s help, her father also got to move into an empty room in the pharmaceutical division.

Zhou Can made sure the whole family’s meals were covered.

One day, while Zhou Can was in the emergency operating room, a nurse came in to say that Cheng Xiaolu needed him.

Normally, she’d never bother Zhou Can without good reason.

Was her mother’s condition suddenly worsening?

Zhou Can felt a pang of dread.

He’d poured so much effort into saving that elderly lady alongside Wu Baihe and the rest. He thought things would end well—turns out fate might have other plans.

On top of that, he was closely observing whether the elderly lady’s brain could recover from ischemic damage to the gray matter post-surgery.

Her recovery after surgery had actually been promising.

So why the sudden emergency?

The emergency inpatient ward was usually tightly managed, both doctors and nurses.

After all, Zhou Can had taken charge personally.

“Yang Zhi, finish up the rest of the sutures with the others. If I’m not back soon, you can handle some minor Level 1 and 2 surgeries. Help relieve the pressure on the emergency OR.”

Zhou Can was the team leader here.

Without him, there was no way they could handle major Level 3 surgeries.

Still, Yang Zhi and the others were completely capable of taking care of easier cases.

Stepping out of the operating room, Zhou Can saw over a dozen missed calls on his phone. Most were from Cheng Xiaolu.

Clearly, something urgent really was happening.

He strode to the inpatient emergency ward, taking less than two minutes to get there.

Inside, everything was calm. The medical staff worked with their usual care and steadiness.

It didn’t look like anything was wrong.

Zhou Can glanced over at Bed 82—the elderly lady lay quietly, no sign of distress.

“Director Zhou, what brings you to the ward all of a sudden? Is there a patient who needs special care?”

The attending doctor and nurse spotted Zhou Can and hurried over for instructions.

“Bed 82—no issues there, right?”

“None at all! Vitals are stable, she’s eating well—recovering quickly on all fronts.”

“Alright, just checking in. Carry on.”

Zhou Can left the ward and dialed Cheng Xiaolu’s number.

What on earth had come up with this girl?

She was usually always in the ward, but today she was nowhere to be seen.