Chapter 69: A Battle of Honesty in the OR
by xennovel“Who am I supposed to speak well of you? At 46 with over 20 years in medicine, you still commit such rookie mistakes. These newbies don’t understand, and surely neither do you? Surgical safety is paramount—how many times must I stress that?”
Director Lou roared in the operating room.
He was genuinely furious.
The safety awareness of his subordinate doctors was dangerously lax and needed to be strictly enforced.
“Director Lou, please calm down. I should have reminded Dr. Fu earlier. If you want to scold someone, scold me.”
At that moment, Dr. Lu stepped forward, trying to present himself as the good guy.
What a manipulative snake.
A single sentence, laden with calculated intent.
Outwardly, he appeared chivalrous for stepping in to share Dr. Fu’s blame.
Yet he subtly informed Director Lou that the mistake of operating without a blood test had been discovered long ago—but due to his low rank, he hadn’t alerted Dr. Fu.
Director Lou gave him a glance, his eyes still softening somewhat.
“Next time, if you find an issue, don’t hesitate to speak up.”
Without overtly praising Dr. Lu, his words carried a note of commendation.
“Understood!”
Dr. Lu bowed his head in submission, acting as obsequiously as a timid housewife.
“By the way, explain the entire treatment process for the patient, especially the hemostasis plan.”
After Director Lou’s scolding, his main concern was whether the patient had actually been treated effectively.
After Dr. Fu briefed him, he realized that stopping the bleeding for this patient would be extremely challenging. On his way back, he repeatedly mulled over the hemostasis strategy.
“Liu Xia, please recount the procedure accurately.”
Dr. Fu first shot Dr. Lu a cold glance before turning to nurse Liu Xia.
None of us are fools.
Even kind-hearted people mature slowly; they were forced to grow up by a scoundrel like Dr. Lu. While others appear sharp, they seem naïve and clumsy; while others weigh pros and cons, their hearts remain pure.
When others resort to cunning, their true spirit eventually awakens.
Dr. Fu stepped forward, shouldering all the blame.
But Dr. Lu—the true culprit—showed no gratitude. Instead, he volunteered to play the martyr, deliberately twisting facts in front of Director Lou to claim credit.
Anyone else would have been livid.
Dr. Fu was kind, but that didn’t make him a pushover or naive.
When the patient suffered massive hemorrhage, he didn’t hesitate to boot Dr. Lu off the operating table, proving he meant business. When it was time to be ruthless, he showed no mercy.
Dr. Lu was too clever by half, trying these underhanded tricks right before him.
Under normal circumstances, Dr. Fu might have let it pass.
But now, with anger boiling inside, he harbored serious resentment toward Dr. Lu, who—despite his transgressions—shamelessly pretended innocence before Director Lou.
Trying to climb the ladder doesn’t work that way.
People ultimately side with the truth.
Nurse Liu Xia appeared unashamed of Dr. Lu’s two-faced behavior.
After receiving a cue from Dr. Fu, she no longer held back.
“At that time, the patient was screaming in agony as he was rushed into the operating room. A wound on the inner thigh near the knee had stained his jeans with a huge red patch. Upon inquiry, we learned that when the grinding wheel exploded during the operation, a fragment pierced through his jeans into his flesh. Dr. Fu immediately reviewed the CT scan, and the injury seemed minor.”
She recounted the events eloquently.
Detailing the entire surgical process.
“At that moment, Dr. Lu and Dr. Fu were reviewing the CT scan, while Dr. Zhou furrowed his brows, inspecting the patient’s wound and face. Dr. Lu then volunteered to take over the surgery, and Dr. Fu agreed.”
Director Lou nodded repeatedly, his glance toward Dr. Lu softening even further.
It seemed this little Dr. Lu had become surprisingly diligent.
That was a promising sign.
“Dr. Lu appointed Dr. Zhou as his assistant and let Dr. Fu rest. Before the surgery, Dr. Zhou had…” Nurse Liu Xia paused, as Dr. Lu frantically signaled for her to skip the part about Zhou Can trying to stop his procedure.
She pretended not to notice his signal.
And continued with the facts.
“Before the operation, Dr. Zhou advised Dr. Lu to postpone the procedure. Unfortunately, Dr. Lu misinterpreted it as jealousy and ignored his advice, even complaining about Dr. Zhou to Dr. Fu and berating him.”
Nurse Liu Xia felt that Dr. Zhou had suffered significant injustice.
Now was her chance to set the record straight and vindicate him.
Of course, doing so would definitely offend Dr. Lu.
After all, everyone is a self-interested perfectionist.
Nurses, too, have a sense of justice and conscience.
“Liu Xia, stop spouting nonsense. I only scolded Dr. Zhou because he shouldn’t be speaking carelessly in front of the patient.”
Dr. Lu’s glare was so fierce it seemed capable of devouring souls.
Doesn’t this nurse know what should and shouldn’t be said?
“What she said is the plain truth. Falsehood can never become truth, and the world can’t be turned upside down.”
That was when the humble Dr. Fu finally exploded.
There are two types of people you should never mess with.
The first is the silent type. It’s not that they fear you; you simply haven’t crossed their bottom line.
The second is the one who grins all day. Don’t be fooled—they care deeply. If you offend someone they value, you won’t get a second chance.
Dr. Lu had crossed Dr. Fu’s bottom line, and now he wouldn’t let him off easily.
From that point on, Dr. Lu would never receive a friendly glance from him again.
Director Lou had become the department head because of his outstanding medical skills, personal competence, and managerial ability.
He immediately picked up on a hint from Dr. Fu’s words.
With narrowed eyes, he shot Dr. Lu a look laden with hidden meaning.
That single glance made Dr. Lu feel as though he were trapped in an icebox.
“Liu Xia, please continue. Having the courage to speak the truth is highly commendable.”
Director Lou personally backed her up.
Dr. Lu might not yet know that Zhou Can had long been chosen by Director Lou as a pillar of the Emergency Department.
He was destined to become a key figure in the future.
When Director Lou learned of the great injustice suffered by Dr. Zhou, his anger grew immensely.
He was determined to properly console Dr. Zhou.
Such talent lost due to an incompetent doctor like Dr. Lu would be a loss to the entire Emergency Department.
“After berating Dr. Zhou, Dr. Lu ordered him around for various tasks, scolding him several more times. He even warned Dr. Zhou not to think that having some talent meant he could constantly try to outdo others.” Dr. Zhou remained silent, diligently assisting.
Nurse Liu Xia felt a profound relief as she exposed Dr. Lu’s bullying of the newcomers.
Even if it meant facing Dr. Lu’s retaliation,
she no longer cared.
One must always be true to one’s conscience.
“During the operation, after Dr. Lu removed the fragment from the patient, blood immediately gushed out. Then Dr. Zhou remarked that the bleeding would be extremely hard to control. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Dr. Fu booted Dr. Lu off the operating table. Dr. Zhou also suggested that the patient might be experiencing a clotting disorder, and Dr. Fu agreed with his diagnosis.”
By now, Dr. Lu’s true colors were fully exposed.
No matter how cunning, one cannot withstand the weight of the truth—schemes always crumble.
His face had turned ashen.
“Zhou Can’s diagnostic skills are truly extraordinary. His approach, flexibility in applying medical knowledge, and comprehensive evaluation of patient data are outstanding. It’s a pity no one listens to him.”
Director Lou lavishly praised Dr. Zhou’s diagnostic abilities.
This was high recognition for Dr. Zhou’s performance during the surgery.
Dr. Fu, filled with shame, admitted, “This is my first time working with Dr. Zhou. I should never have underestimated his advice nor believed Dr. Lu’s slander. Thank goodness the patient recovered; otherwise, I fear I would have been heartbroken.”
At this point, if Dr. Fu still didn’t realize that Dr. Lu was the true, despicable villain, he was being utterly foolish.
Dr. Lu had become as notorious as a street rat—everyone wanted him beaten.