Chapter 153: I’ve Been Too Well Protected
……
September 27th.
The weather had turned to autumn, and the temperature in Long County had already dropped impatiently. Under the misty drizzle, wearing only a hoodie was even a bit cold.
Administration Building, morning, nine o’clock.
Lu Cheng slightly tightened his white coat, walked across the corridor, and headed towards the elevator shaft.
Five minutes later, Lu Cheng arrived at the Medical Affairs Department on the sixth floor!
The administrative office, the door was ajar.
When Lu Cheng reached the doorway, he noticed quite a few people were already seated inside, including Bao Liming from the Medical Affairs Department, whom Lu Cheng knew, and Deputy Director Xie Liao.
Director Peng Haibo of Orthopedics District One, Director Liu Xia of Orthopedics District Two, and Director Lin Qianlong of the Emergency Department were also among them.
“Knock, knock, knock,” Lu Cheng knocked on the door, and the people seated inside all turned to look over.
“Doctor Lu, please have a seat.” Bao Liming extended his slightly plump hand and pointed into the distance.
“Director Bao, Director Lin, Director Peng, Director Liu, Director Xie…” Lu Cheng greeted everyone first, still not daring to sit down.
“Director Bao, what did you call me here for today?”
“Is there something wrong with my clinical work?”
It was only morning, and Lin Qianlong had personally called him to the Medical Affairs Department. Lu Cheng wasn’t entirely sure he hadn’t been complained about by a patient.
It wasn’t unheard of for family members to be two-faced, saying one thing to your face and another behind your back. Lu Cheng hadn’t encountered it before, but that didn’t mean he never would.
No doctor wants to be called into the Medical Affairs Department.
Peng Haibo was the first to chuckle and said, “Doctor Lu, it’s not that there’s a problem with your clinical work. It’s that Director Liu and I plan to take you home.”
“You tell us, we all come from Orthopedics as our specialty, and we all studied Orthopedics.”
“Although our hospital’s Emergency Department can handle some emergency orthopedic disease types, it’s still only partial emergency care.”
“What do you think, Director Liu?”
Liu Xia was the director of Orthopedics District Two. He was very short, only one meter fifty-five. Many people’s impression of Liu Xia was that he had to stand on a raised stool to perform surgery for most operations.
But if one were to underestimate Liu Xia because of his height, they would truly be judging a book by its cover. Deputy Chief Physician Liu Xia not only performed joint replacement surgeries beautifully but had even learned some aspects of bone tumor treatment.
He was currently the only director in Long County who could routinely perform orthopedic chemotherapy.
Joint surgery was the aristocratic surgery of orthopedics, difficult but not time-consuming, and the surgical fees were considerable.
Based on this, Liu Xia was also capable enough to lead a separate department.
Liu Xia nodded: “Lu Cheng, I mean the same thing. If you don’t want to go to District One, it’s the same if you come to our District Two.”
“It would be more natural for you to perform surgery in our Orthopedics department.”
“It would also be a form of protection for you.”
“It would be more beneficial for your long-term development.”
Lu Cheng glanced at Lin Qianlong. Lin Qianlong simply looked at Lu Cheng and didn’t interject.
Lu Cheng sat opposite Director Bao Liming, a smile spreading across his face. “That’s true, before, when I was in Orthopedics, the teachers there were very kind to me.”
“Here, I want to thank all of you leaders and teachers for your careful protection. You’ve created an absolute safe zone for me.”
He was only given assistant positions for surgeries; the senior doctors would rush to do the surgeries.
Lu Cheng couldn’t even get his hands on the procedures, so there was no responsibility for him to bear.
After saying this, Lu Cheng added, “But for me personally, I think the Emergency Department is quite good.”
Lu Cheng’s words were well-phrased, leaving no room for criticism.
Lu Cheng had worked in Orthopedics for several years without any medical disputes or patient complaints, let alone lawsuits.
The reason for this situation was indeed the excellent protection from the senior doctors in Orthopedics.
However, the people sitting here were not fools; they could hear the sarcasm in Lu Cheng’s words.
Lin Qianlong seized the opportunity to speak: “Director Bao, Director Peng. While disease types and professional specialties are important, the personal interests and development preferences of our hospital’s physicians must also be respected.”
“Of course, Director Peng and Director Liu of Orthopedics are right that the routine performance of limb replantation surgery is important, but the routine performance of spleen preservation and gallbladder preservation surgery in our General Surgery is also still important.”
“Both of these surgeries are standard procedures for saving lives and organs.”
Peng Haibo’s expression grew serious, and he suddenly looked at Lu Cheng, saying, “Lu Cheng, what you just said implies that you felt you received unfair treatment in Orthopedics over the past few years.”
“If you have anything on your mind, say it all in front of everyone.”
“If my abilities are limited and I can’t solve some problems, the leaders here will help solve them.”
Peng Haibo was stirring the pot.
Lin Qianlong quickly gave Lu Cheng a look.
Lu Cheng didn’t need Lin Qianlong to signal him; he knew that Peng Haibo was using “borrowed knife to kill” or, in other words, Peng Haibo was trying to provoke a conflict for him.
Some things could exist, but that didn’t mean they could exist openly.
The suppression and exploitation of young doctors by older doctors could be a fact, but it could not be reported or officially acknowledged, as it was contrary to common sense and could easily escalate conflicts…
Lu Cheng looked at Peng Haibo and said, “Director Peng, I think the Emergency Department is quite good.”
“Of course, Orthopedics is also good, but it might go against my interests.”
Peng Haibo pressed, “How does it go against your interests? You’ve been involved in Orthopedics for so many years.”
Lu Cheng seized the opportunity: “Yes, Director Peng, Director Bao.”
“As you said, from my standardized training to my work in our hospital, I’ve been in the Orthopedics circle for nearly eight years.”
“Eight years is enough time for me to understand my own interests, isn’t it?”
“If I hadn’t been in Orthopedics for so long, I would accept you calling my words hypocritical, but since I’ve been doing it for so many years, I truly know my interests.”
“This kind of thing, interest, is like a person drinking water – only they know if it’s hot or cold.”
Lu Cheng’s reply was flawless.
However, Liu Xia found Lu Cheng’s words a bit hypocritical: “Xiao Lu, that doesn’t make sense. Aren’t you also doing tendon suturing in the Emergency Department?”
“Tendon suturing is also a standard disease type in our Orthopedics, isn’t it?”
Lu Cheng immediately tapped the table and said with a slight smile, “Director Liu, may I cautiously request to rephrase your statement?”
“I would like to point out that tendon suturing is a standard disease type in orthopedics, but not necessarily a standard disease type in our hospital’s Orthopedics department. Do you agree?”
Peng Haibo and Liu Xia exchanged a look and didn’t reply.
What constitutes a standard disease type is a condition that can be routinely managed within a department.
For example, fractures in orthopedics, or lumbar disc herniation.
“Therefore, based on the hospital’s current arrangements, tendon injury is a standard disease type for our Emergency Department,” Lu Cheng stated calmly.
Lin Qianlong was ecstatic inwardly. What kind of J8 are you trying to claim credit for surgeries your own department can’t even do?
And you wanted to provoke Xiao Lu? Now you’ve burned yourself!
Peng Haibo and Liu Xia felt awkward but didn’t dare to refute anything.
The tendon suturing in Orthopedics had caused so many problems over time that even Liu Xia, from Orthopedics District Two, felt a bit embarrassed at this moment.
But if you can’t perform a technique, and someone else can, you’ll feel at a disadvantage.
Peng Haibo continued, “But tendon injury is a standard disease type for the Hand Surgery subspecialty of our Orthopedics department.”
“Xiao Lu, don’t try to change the concept.”
Lu Cheng nodded and said, “Director Peng, who are the members of the Hand Surgery subspecialty in our hospital’s Orthopedics department? Could you tell me?”
Lu Cheng was from Orthopedics, so he knew that Hand Surgery might not be a separate specialty, but it must have a professional group, right?
Otherwise, how could it be considered routine?
Peng Haibo’s lips and tongue moved, but he couldn’t utter a word…
Liu Xia spoke up at the opportune moment, tapping the table, “But regardless, Director Lin Qianlong’s intention to move all the microsurgery instruments to the Emergency Department’s operating room is unreasonable.”
Liu Xia glanced at Lin Qianlong: “These are instruments our Orthopedics department applied for.”
Lu Cheng’s eyes flickered, and the sharp glint subsided.
So the reason for today’s situation wasn’t that Peng Haibo and Liu Xia initiated it, but that Lin Qianlong was actively “jungle-bashing.”
Lu Cheng understood why Liu Xia had allied with Peng Haibo.
Lin Qianlong even wanted to move another set of Hand Surgery instruments to the Emergency Department. No wonder Peng Haibo and Liu Xia were united against him.
Lin Qianlong immediately said, “Director Peng, let me correct one point. Orthopedics applying for them just means reporting to the Equipment Department and Logistics Department; it doesn’t mean the ownership of these instruments belongs to you.”
“If you don’t use them, why are you keeping them?” Lin Qianlong shed his pretense.
Bao Liming considered for a moment and then replied, “Director Lin, isn’t there one set in your Emergency Department’s operating room?”
Lin Qianlong quickly complained, “Director Bao, one set isn’t enough. In a while, Xiao Lu and I will start performing limb replantations. What about tendon injuries then?”
“Can’t Xiao Lu also perform surgeries with the microsurgery instruments?”
“These things must be considered in advance. I’m thinking of the patients.”
“As I said, I’ll return them as soon as Orthopedics officially starts performing microsurgical procedures.”
“Absolutely no problem.” Lin Qianlong’s words were also well-phrased.
Hand surgery and Peng Kun being abandoned by Tong Yuan’an were a sore spot for Peng Haibo. Peng Haibo finally feigned anger: “If you take all the instruments, how will our department learn surgery?”
Lin Qianlong was not intimidated at all: “Will you learn by just leaving them there?”
“Didn’t our Doctor Lu Cheng in our department practice his surgical techniques even without the aid of microsurgery instruments?”
“You want to practice surgery on patients?”
Lin Qianlong’s statement left a pitfall.
Liu Xia immediately seized the opportunity, unexpectedly saying, “Who knows if Lu Cheng learned this technique in Orthopedics and is deliberately hiding it for revenge?”
Lin Qianlong was momentarily stunned because he also felt this was possible; Lu Cheng’s rapid progress in just a few months seemed unreasonable.
While Lin Qianlong was still thinking about how to defend Lu Cheng, Lu Cheng spoke: “Director Liu, are you implying that I learned from you?”
Liu Xia looked away and choked out, “No, I don’t know how.”
Lu Cheng then turned his gaze back to Peng Haibo: “Director Peng, what’s your opinion?”
Peng Haibo also fell silent, his gaze shifting downward.
Students can surpass their teachers, but only if the teacher has actually taught them.
Peng Haibo’s tendon suturing technique wasn’t systematic enough; he relied on his basic skills. Even if he were shameless, he wouldn’t dare claim he taught it.
Since neither Peng Haibo nor Liu Xia had taught him, even if Lu Cheng learned such techniques during his standardized training, and then kept them to himself, what revenge would that constitute?
“I learn surgery solely to serve emergency patients!”
“Some patients just want treatment close by and don’t want to travel far; they don’t have overly high demands on surgical quality.”
“I just want to fill this gap. Why do you care where I learned it?”
“Even if I learned it from my standardized training institution, does that mean I have a character flaw?” Lu Cheng asked earnestly.
“Director Bao, our hospital doesn’t question such things, right?”
Peng Haibo, hearing Lu Cheng speak like this, finally couldn’t hold back and pointed at Lu Cheng: “Yes, you’re so noble, so amazing! How do you explain performing fracture manual reduction in the Emergency Department?”
Fracture manual reduction directly impacted Peng Haibo’s surgical volume.
Lu Cheng retorted, raising his voice, “Director Peng, before me, who was performing manual reduction in our hospital?”
“And who taught me this? Was it you?”
Peng Haibo remained silent.
Lu Cheng then looked at Director Bao Liming: “Director Bao, if a technique isn’t being performed, does that count as a void?”
“Can I, Lu Cheng, perform a technique that is left vacant?”
“When the President emphasized at the meeting our hospital’s main task, does that still count?”
“Director Bao, according to our hospital’s policy of identifying and filling gaps, can we learn any technique that other specialties don’t perform? Can we go ahead and do it?”
“Is that how it’s stipulated?”
Peng Haibo was once again rendered speechless by Lu Cheng’s arguments. Lu Cheng wasn’t just glib; he was meticulous and left no loopholes.
Fracture manual reduction affected Orthopedics’ surgical volume, but it indeed filled a technical void at People’s Hospital.
Isn’t manual reduction a technique?
Bao Liming raised his hand and said, “Alright, alright, let’s not argue. Wherever Doctor Lu chooses to work, he’s still one of our hospital’s own.”
“The fundamental reason for learning techniques is to serve patients; there’s no such thing as revenge.”
“Director Peng, Director Liu, Director Lin, and Doctor Lu have all clarified their positions. If Orthopedics needs the microsurgery instrument package, it can be returned at any time.”
“So what else do you have to say? If you need the instrument package, then learn to use it.”
“Leaving it idle and not using it is like occupying a latrine without doing your business. Is that how the hospital’s money is wasted?”
Peng Haibo suddenly, whether out of stubbornness or some other motive, said, “Director Bao, I actually wanted to cultivate Xiao Lu, even to the point of grooming him as the next director of our Orthopedics department.”
“He has such ability and qualifications.”
“Since I’ve said this in front of everyone, I will follow through.”
