Chapter 43: Xiao Lu’s ‘resources’!
“Brother Zhang… the coffee is here.” At ten in the morning, Lu Cheng voluntarily carried the takeout bag into the Surgical Emergency Clinic and softly interrupted Zhang Tiesheng, who was slacking off playing on his mobile phone.
Zhang Tiesheng expertly pushed up his black-rimmed glasses and extended his hand with a smile. He looked refined and said jokingly, “Is our Teacher Lu here to inspect and show concern for his subordinates?”
Lu Cheng held the coffee in his left hand, his expression natural, “Brother Zhang, if you still tease me like this, it proves our friendship is still shallow. I consider you my elder brother, but you don’t take me to heart.”
“We’re all just working to make a living… On the contrary, Brother Zhang, you’re about to become a leader if given the right opportunity.”
Zhang Tiesheng had already gone for further training, and once the Emergency Department approved his Deputy Senior title, he would become a Deputy Chief Physician.
There’s also Elder Brother Zeng Huanqi, who is younger than Zhang Tiesheng.
Zhang Tiesheng knew that a highly intelligent person like Lu Cheng had long been polished into someone smooth by the hospital environment, able to speak both truthfully and deceitfully. Zhang Tiesheng said earnestly, “Not at all. A brother is a brother, but in clinical practice, there should still be a distinction between seniority.”
“As the saying goes, without rules, one cannot form a circle; if you want to learn something, there are rules for learning.”
“Let’s agree beforehand, I’ll handle lunch today. You and Xiaoping don’t need to worry about it. You should give me this face, right, Brother Zhang?”
“Then thank you in advance, Brother Zhang. I’m a rather straightforward person.” Lu Cheng ultimately couldn’t win in a verbal sparring match with a seasoned socialite like Zhang Tiesheng.
Privately, Zhang Tiesheng could handle a Deputy Professor like Chen Song by himself, which showed how shrewd he was in social matters.
“It’s good to be straightforward. We are all frank people; we mean what we say.”
After speaking, Zhang Tiesheng slid down the duty roster: “This morning, there were just a few cases of gastroenteritis and stones; they were given medication and sent home.”
“There was also a case of chest pain; the Thoracic Surgery Department took one look and quickly sent the person away.”
“Don’t worry, Xiao Lu. If there’s a suitable disease type, I will notify you immediately,” Zhang Tiesheng called out.
“Brother Zhang, you’re misunderstanding me… I’m not rushing you for anything; I just happened to order an extra coffee to give to you.”
“Now this is great, I’ve also gotten a meal from you.” Lu Cheng sighed.
Zhang Tiesheng chuckled, waved at Lu Cheng, and lowered his voice, “Xiao Lu, what’s your relationship with Professor Chen? Do you know each other privately?”
“He’s treating you a bit too well…”
“If it weren’t for your completely different appearances, I would have suspected you were his relative.”
Zhang Tiesheng truly couldn’t understand why Professor Chen took such a liking to Lu Cheng at first sight, and how that ‘favoritism’ had now turned into ‘even greater favoritism,’ leaving no room for anyone else in the department!
“Teacher Chen has shown me great kindness, and I also don’t understand why he favors me.”
Lu Cheng sighed, “Speaking of which, I feel a bit guilty. For the past month, the most frequent meal I’ve treated Teacher Chen to has been Big Bowl Rice.”
“Brother Zhang, you mentioned that when you went for further training before, you spent over fifty thousand?”
The identity of a trainee doctor was to learn techniques, but to obtain learning opportunities from the masters and doctorates in a teaching hospital, one had to offer something else.
Zhang Tiesheng knew that Lu Cheng came from a relatively ordinary family: “Respect is in the heart, not the actions. When it comes to fate, sincerity is what matters.”
“Professor Chen isn’t picky about food; he doesn’t care what you treat him to.”
“There’s just one thing I don’t understand: Professor Chen, for your sake, was able to specially pull a professor from Xiangya Hospital to ‘oust’ Xiang Daihong from Zhou People’s Hospital.”
Lu Cheng quickly explained, “Brother Zhang, you’re misunderstanding. Teacher Chen and I didn’t know about Professor Tong’s trip to the countryside in advance.”
“It was after Professor Tong arrived in Long County that he called, and then Professor Chen and I went to pick him up.”
“Professor Chen told me the same thing.”
Zhang Tiesheng’s eyebrows furrowed: “Xiao Lu… if Professor Chen said that… you can’t just naively believe it, can you?”
“Xiangya Hospital’s paired assistance unit is Feng County People’s Hospital. Professor Tong is from Xiangya Hospital. If he’s going to the countryside, why wouldn’t he go to Feng County and come to our Long County? Are the procedures really that easy to follow?”
Xiang Province also has a Feng County, the location of the famous Fenghuang Ancient City. The Feng County in E Province, bordering Long County, is another county town.
Zhang Tiesheng’s analysis surprised Lu Cheng slightly: “It can’t be that serious, can it? Why would Teacher Chen go to so much trouble?”
Zhang Tiesheng pondered for a moment, then stood up and gently closed the door, leaving it slightly ajar: “You can only ask Professor Chen for the specific reason. I can only offer some analysis and speculation.”
“Anyway, I’m not afraid you’ll laugh at me, Xiao Lu. You’ve been in our hospital for quite some time, and you know the unspoken rules.”
“Although I, your Brother Zhang, have done some ‘guilty deeds,’ and indeed I didn’t let you perform the surgery Professor Chen wanted you to do before, this atmosphere wasn’t created by me. Back then, I was also a nobody, squeezed into a corner, with no upward mobility.”
“The fundamental rule of our hospital’s operation is that whoever has the stronger ability is the boss; it’s about practical, result-oriented approaches, not the process.”
“But in a top teaching hospital, it’s not like that.”
“Because everyone under forty-five can be considered a rookie. You can even think of Professor Chen and that Professor Tong as rookies there…”
After Zhang Tiesheng finished speaking grandly, he added, “So, in such an environment, they will focus on evaluating a person’s potential and capacity.”
“The most important ability is learning ability. They don’t care how many surgeries you know now or what problems you can solve for patients…”
“Therefore, they can pre-emptively invest in the future.”
“If your ability is absolute hard currency in our hospital, then in their place, your potential and talent are the absolute hard currency.”
“What Xiangya Second Hospital and Xiangya Hospital are competing for with others is not something that can be achieved in a day, a year, ten years, or fifty years.”
“This is your resource; Professor Chen is your network…” Zhang Tiesheng explained with particular sharpness.
He said both good and bad things.
Zhang Tiesheng continued, “The relationship and affection between you and Professor Chen are things none of us can buy with endless invitations.”
“Because we can’t afford the price that would move Professor Chen, but you can, so only you can complete a transaction with him.”
“Although this is unpleasant to hear, it is the truth.”
…
When Lu Cheng emerged from the Emergency Clinic, his expression was no longer particularly calm.
Perhaps Zhang Tiesheng’s analysis of the fundamental principles of social interaction was too blunt, causing ripples and waves in Lu Cheng’s heart.
However, these ripples only lasted for a moment before Lu Cheng suppressed them: “It’s better to be down-to-earth first before aiming too high. At the current rate of skill point acquisition, thinking too much is just aiming too high.”
“If I haven’t even found my footing, thinking about such vague matters is simply wishful thinking…”
Lu Cheng picked up his mobile phone, wanting to say something to Professor Chen Song, but ultimately, the words on his lips were withdrawn…
His own strength was too meager. Even if Lu Cheng could foresee the future, he didn’t know how he could repay Professor Chen Song’s guidance and kindness.
He could only dutifully observe the etiquette of a disciple for now.
