Chapter 84: A New Shift Begins

The next day at work, he was blocked by Qiao Yu.

“About the milk tea money—I already transferred half. Why didn’t you grab it?”

“Really, it’s not necessary,” she replied.

Zhou Can was honestly a bit at a loss for words with her.

He had never seen a girl so stubborn.

Once she set her mind on something, not even a herd of nine oxen could change it.

With an air of playful defiance, she asked, “Think it’s too little?”

“Scared of you? I’m taking it, deal with it!”

Zhou Can opened WeChat and, right before her eyes, accepted the money.

Then he sent a ‘thanks, boss lady’ emoji her way.

Whoosh!

She burst out laughing, “Who says you’re the boss lady? Random emoji cuts it!”

“Hey, can I run something by you?”

Seizing the moment, Zhou Can prepared to make a small request.

“Go ahead!”

Her clear, large eyes fixed on him.

“I really enjoy operating with you. Could you pick up extra morning shifts?” Zhou Can had spent two unbearable days working with Nurse Tian Tian.

Operating with Tian Tian was nothing short of torture.

If things continued like this, his career might get shortened by several years.

Compared to that, working with Qiao Yu was pure pleasure.

Her presence lifted his spirits and took care of many hassles.

Their surgical efficiency was second to none.

“I’m on morning duty today! After my shift, I’ll talk to the head nurse about squeezing in more mornings for me. But don’t hold your breath. Even though the nurses aren’t as scarce as doctors, I’m usually stuck in the IV room, and other nurses wouldn’t be too thrilled about me always assisting in surgery.”

Qiao Yu listened as Zhou Can expressed how much he enjoyed operating with her, and a bright smile spread across her face.

But the nursing schedule was far more complicated than one might imagine.

Especially in the Emergency Department.

Many nurses juggle multiple roles, and fixed positions are typically given to those with strong expertise or long service.

Being a newcomer, Qiao Yu rarely got that kind of treatment.

Of course, with some influential backing, any rule could be bent.

“Just give it a shot—if it doesn’t work, forget it. Once I secure some clout in the Emergency Department, if you’re up for it, I can talk directly to Director Lou,” Zhou Can said thoughtfully.

“Okay!”

She even gave a slightly bashful nod of agreement.

Zhou Can didn’t press further, though he secretly set a small goal for himself.

He was determined to achieve results as soon as possible.

Achieving success wasn’t overly complicated.

As long as he elevated most of his medical skills to the attending level or higher, he’d gain some influence in the Emergency Department.

After all, he had Dr. Xu backing him.

A lowly camel is still bigger than a horse.

Even though Dr. Xu had been demoted to the Emergency Department after an incident, his standing there wasn’t low—as Director Lou’s attitude clearly showed.

……

In the operating room, Zhou Can was pleased to finally operate alongside Qiao Yu.

Having her as an assistant was simply delightful.

Plus, with Zhou Can’s improved skills, the pace of surgery had noticeably quickened.

Jin Mingxi was once again outclassed by him.

Today, Zhou Can completed five surgeries while Jin Mingxi managed only three.

Zhou Can was especially vigorous today, a fact not unnoticed by Dr. Xu.

A hint of a smile played on Dr. Xu’s lips.

Yet, he said nothing.

Jin Mingxi, on the other hand, was in utter despair. Clearly, Zhou Can was on overdrive today.

Just yesterday, when Zhou Can did five surgeries, Jin Mingxi could at least finish four.

Why had the gap widened so dramatically today?

Instinctively, Jin Mingxi glanced at Qiao Yu, as if he understood something.

A strange smile curved on his face.

A good steed needs a fine saddle!

And with a boost of youthful vigor, it became even more formidable.

Around eleven in the morning, Dr. Xu received a phone call.

“Zhou Can, the Medical Department needs you over there immediately.”

“Got it,” he replied.

Zhou Can had just finished a surgery and hadn’t yet called in the next patient.

“Did you work overtime yesterday?”

Dr. Xu asked with a hint of concern.

“Not at all!”

Zhou Can had left right after his shift yesterday—first renting out his apartment, then returning to his own to practice surgeries until midnight.

“No mishaps, right?”

Dr. Xu, with his wealth of experience, knew that the Medical Department wouldn’t summon a resident for a casual chat without reason.

Usually, it meant someone had made a mistake, and they wanted to question and understand the situation.

Only then would further action be taken.

“I don’t think so,”

Zhou Can carefully recalled: he had neither quarreled with any patient nor made a critical error during treatment.

But he had performed many surgeries in recent days.

Accidents could happen at any time.

Then, a thought struck him.

“Teacher, don’t worry. Maybe it’s because I rescued a child choking on some foreign object on the subway yesterday. It might even turn out for the best,” Zhou Can mused, the only unusual event he could recall.

Although he hadn’t left his name at the time,

he had responded to every query from a nurse at Tuyu Affiliated Hospital No.2.

Finding him wouldn’t be hard at all.

“You don’t sound convinced. Go and check it out first,” Dr. Xu said, his brows still furrowed.

After all, he had just gained a very talented apprentice and couldn’t afford any mishaps.

“Qiao Yu, I’m sorry—but you go handle something else for now!”

Zhou Can turned to his partner.

“I’m fine. Just… be sharp!”

She finally squeezed out three words,

her eyes filled with genuine concern.

Zhou Can couldn’t help but laugh at her teasing remark.

Inside, he felt a warm sense of care.

“Better than Second Senior Brother by a bit! Hehe…” Her laughter lightened the previously tense atmosphere.

“Zhou Can, the Medical Department can be quite deceptive at times. It never hurts to stay alert.”

Jin Mingxi, having spent over a decade at County People’s Hospital, was well-versed in its operations.

The Medical Department was solely focused on medical affairs, always prioritizing the hospital’s interests.

One could even say that all administrative offices were nothing more than relentless machines.

“I will,” Zhou Can promised as he left the operating room and headed to the Medical Department office.

He knocked on the door.

“Who are you here to see?”

A nearby female clerk in the department looked up at him.

“I’m Dr. Zhou Can from the Emergency Department. The Medical Department called me over.”

“Ah, it’s Dr. Zhou. Deputy Section Chief Yin is waiting for you in Meeting Room 2. Hurry up, it’s right next door.”

She pointed to the right.

“Alright, thank you.”

As Zhou Can entered Meeting Room 2, he could faintly hear someone shouting from the patient-medical dispute mediation room not far away.

“The child’s rib cage is broken in three places! You all need to explain this…”

Some doctor had apparently caused yet another mishap by breaking a child’s rib.

Yet, some family members remained completely unreasonable, blaming the doctors even when it wasn’t their fault.

Zhou Can remembered encountering numerous unreasonable family members and patients during his internship.

Some would cause a scene just to get a discount on medical fees,

or, based on a quick online search or hearsay, accuse the doctor of gross negligence.

Dealing with such patients or family members was an ordeal for any doctor.

After a long day of saving lives and soothing worries, they sometimes even ended up taking a couple of punches from furious relatives or being hit with chairs.

That’s why the chairs provided for family members were limited to two types—either a heavy, immovable bench or a light plastic stool.

In case a family member or patient lost it and started throwing chairs, the damage to the doctor would be minimal.

Zhou Can entered Meeting Room 2 to find only a middle-aged woman in her forties, exuding a calm authority.

What could be so important that it warranted Deputy Section Chief Yin personally seeing this tiny resident doctor?