Chapter 40: Bullying Others By Relying On Connections?!
Thursday, July 30th, noon.
Feng County, Yuelu Avenue, Chen Fu Chai Huo Ji, inside a Mongolian yurt-style private room!
The standing air conditioner’s wind deflector creaked and groaned, while the free-range chicken, pork tripe, and large intestine in the pot tumbled in the boiling rich broth.
A wisp of smoke rose, carrying a rich aroma.
Lu Cheng enthusiastically poured the specially purchased Maozi liquor, then bowed and offered it to Chen Song and Tong Yuan’an: “Teacher Tong, Teacher Chen, I hope you both enjoy yourselves today. Although there are only two bottles, we have plenty of this specialty liquor from our hometown.”
The two bottles of Maozi liquor cost Lu Cheng over five thousand yuan, making it impossible to afford more.
“That’s enough, that’s really comfortable… This must be authentic free-range chicken, otherwise it wouldn’t have this fragrance,” Tong Yuan’an said, his chubby face and plump fingers appearing quite simple and approachable.
Chen Song clasped his hands at his chest and said seriously, “Old Tong, you’re really not being fair!”
“Does Director Xiang Daihong of the Zhou Hospital have an easy time going to the countryside for a promotion?”
“And you squeezed it all away so easily?”
“Tsk tsk…”
Tong Yuan’an turned his large, round face, his plump apple cheeks appearing endearingly naive: “How would I know… Wasn’t it you who caused this trouble?”
“I say, Chen Song, you’re a real jerk. You knew full well that there were doctors from the People’s Hospital doing grassroots work in orthopedics, and you didn’t even remind me?”
“Was it just to watch me make a fool of myself?” Tong Yuan’an looked naive, but his tone was far from polite.
Tong Yuan’an, an Associate Professor in Hand Surgery at Xiangya Hospital, wouldn’t consider much to gain grassroots work experience for a senior professional promotion.
He had called the Long County People’s Hospital, and it was originally agreed that the county People’s Hospital would have a visiting doctor.
Tong Yuan’an then said, “In that case, I’ll go to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital.”
However, less than a few minutes after the call ended, the People’s Hospital called back to say it was possible…
It couldn’t be helped. If Tong Yuan’an went to Xiangzhou People’s Hospital, even the Director of Hand Surgery would have to greet him with a smile.
Although Tong Yuan’an was only a Deputy Chief Physician, the gap between Deputy Chief Physicians could be greater than the gap between an outsider and a Deputy Chief Physician.
Chen Song rolled his eyes: “Who are you, Tong Yuan’an of Xiangya Hospital, Associate Professor, the most capable Associate Professor in Hand Surgery in Xiang Province among the younger generation.”
“How was I supposed to know you suddenly wanted to come to Long County People’s Hospital for grassroots work?”
“Isn’t your Xiangya Hospital’s paired assistance unit somewhere else? What are you doing here?”
“Stealing the tower?”
“This is unfair. To steal the tower, you even ‘killed someone.’ Harming someone’s future is like killing their parents.”
The quotas for grassroots hospital support and assistance were limited, not something you could just join whenever you pleased. It was one spot per person, and once filled, it was gone.
Xiangya Second Hospital had been providing paired assistance to Long County People’s Hospital for many years. Chen Song hadn’t expected Tong Yuan’an, from Xiangya Hospital, to suddenly show up.
Tong Yuan’an’s face flushed with embarrassment: “You definitely just want to see me make a fool of myself.”
Tong Yuan’an didn’t elaborate on the specific reasons for the moment.
Lu Cheng raised his wine cup: “Teacher Tong, I’ll toast you. Thank you for taking the time to guide me during your break.”
“Use a smaller cup. Little Lu, even though you brought the wine, you can’t be so selfish and only think about drinking it yourself.” Tong Yuan’an’s intelligence was as broad as his physique.
He could advise Lu Cheng to drink less so elegantly.
Lu Cheng then switched to a smaller wine cup: “Teacher Tong, is this alright? Thank you so much for your guidance. It’s thanks to your and Teacher Chen’s careful instruction that I’ve made progress today…”
Lu Cheng’s words were faultless, and the logic was sound… which was why both Chen Song and Tong Yuan’an had been drinking.
However, after putting down his wine cup, Tong Yuan’an said, “Guidance is guidance, but practice is personal. Your rapid progress is fundamentally due to yourself.”
“I’m not new to being a teacher. If my guidance had such miraculous effects, my students would have taken off long ago and made the big shots in hand surgery cry.”
“Little Lu, why don’t you…”
Chen Song coughed, “Little Tong, it’s the rules of the martial world.”
Chen Song was also an Associate Professor and Deputy Chief Physician, and he wasn’t intimidated by Tong Yuan’an’s Associate Professor title from Xiangya Hospital. When everyone was excellent, his method of bullying with authority was useless.
Tong Yuan’an unreservedly grabbed Lu Cheng’s hand, flipping it inside out and around a few times: “He’s indeed a good prospect for hand surgery.”
Chen Song cleared his throat and countered, “Tong Yuan’an, is it possible that Little Lu just happened to learn tendon suturing first, and his talent in general surgery is equally good?”
“If it weren’t for the fact that in the County People’s Hospital, Little Lu could only do tendon suturing, there would be no hand surgery at all right now.”
Chen Song still remembered when he first arrived and wanted to take Lu Cheng for an appendectomy. But before he could even enter the operating room, Zeng Huanqi had already started the surgery, tightly controlling the learning materials and resources…
Tong Yuan’an also stood at a commanding height to retort: “Little Lu is one of ours in orthopedics. What do you know, you dabbler from the Emergency Department?”
“That was before!” Chen Song emphasized.
“Now, Lu Cheng is a legitimate doctor in the Emergency Department, officially employed, with a surgical license! My student.”
“If you in orthopedics had the opportunity, you wouldn’t have been useless yourselves?”
“Are you blaming me?”
“What? You think you’re amazing because you can do finger replantation?”
“How many people have died from finger amputation?”
“Can you perform surgery for aortic dissection? How many people have died from aortic dissection?” Chen Song raised his chin.
Lu Cheng looked at Chen Song and Tong Yuan’an, wondering if these two were truly friends.
Did friends chat like this, with every word a sharp blow?
Each strike hit the other directly in the heart.
Seeing that Tong Yuan’an was silenced by his retort, Chen Song, in a victorious posture, brought the conversation back on track, flicking his chin with his thumb: “So, why are you here for grassroots work?”
“Whatever you’re doing here, I’m doing too!” Tong Yuan’an said with a broad smile.
“Little Lu, let’s go. Leave the wine for him.”
“Settle the bill later! We’ll stay and feed you.” Chen Song completely ignored Tong Yuan’an’s veiled remarks.
Tong Yuan’an said, “Chen Song, calculate our ages, okay? Hey, the whole world revolves around you. If you can get promoted, why can’t I, Tong Yuan’an? You’re great, you’re amazing! You’re the best in the world.”
Tong Yuan’an held up his chubby thumb without moving from his seat.
Chen Song sat back down: “Is that all? So you didn’t go to Feng County People’s Hospital, your previous paired assistance unit?”
Chen Song chuckled: “Tong Yuan’an, you’re impressive. You can even disregard hospital policies…”
Tong Yuan’an knew he couldn’t play coy with Chen Song, so he cut to the chase: “Fine, I’ll tell you the truth. I’m here at Long County People’s Hospital because I need your student, Lu Cheng, to help me with something.”
Chen Song firmly stated his position: “How can he help? By providing manpower or effort? Effort is fine, but manpower is not.”
“Let me put it this way, in the field of tendon suturing, there are currently three main concepts: Kessler, the Tang method, and Jin Xia. Each is a separate faction, and none can convince the others.”
“But just two years ago, Dr. Tajima improved upon the Jin Xia suturing technique. According to their descriptions, the Tajima suturing technique, improved from the original Jin Xia suturing technique, has the potential to unify the field of tendon suturing and even surpass the Tang method…”
“This matter is known to a very narrow circle. We in the industry are naturally unconvinced. So, our department’s Director Tan also participated in the improvement of tendon suturing based on the Tang method.”
“What’s currently lacking is a ‘contestant’ who can quickly learn the Tajima suturing technique…” Tong Yuan’an’s gaze shifted to Lu Cheng.
Chen Song wasn’t easily fooled and questioned, “You can’t do it?”
Tong Yuan’an’s eyes widened on his chubby face: “Why do you have so many questions?”
“Regardless, I’m here now. I hope Lu Cheng not only learns this Tajima suturing technique but also learns it well and masters it, serving as a control group.”
“This kind of thing is not honorable to talk about. Others in the industry don’t understand the true relationship between us and the friendly country, so we can only do it ourselves.”
“Little Lu, are you willing?”
