System Came When the Doctor was Thirty

”Anyway, although I’m leaving, I’ve been here for many years. If you ever need any help in the future, feel free to call me.”

”People leave, the tea gets cold, but certain relationships will still be there,” said Xiao Zhaoxi.

”Thank you, Director Xiao,” Lu Cheng thanked him again.

...

After having dinner, Xiao Zhaoxi left the department. He’s not young anymore, and staying up so late was a bit much for him.

In the afternoon, Lu Cheng was busy as two patients needed to be admitted.

They were trauma patients who had already undergone surgery, and the surgical records were written in the emergency medical records. Lu Cheng’s task was to handle the inpatient admission procedures.

However, things happened to coincide as Professor Chen Song rushed out of the lab and personally came to the emergency department to talk to Lu Cheng.

Lu Cheng had clinical work to do, so he had to leave Chen Song waiting in the doctors’ lounge for a while.

——

After finishing a small emergency surgery, Tian Zhiliang returned to the doctors’ lounge to lie down.

As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw someone curled up on the bed playing on their phone.

He thought it was Lu Cheng, but after a few glances, he noticed the figure didn’t match. Just as he was about to speak, Tian Zhiliang stepped closer with a sense of vigilance, ”Who are you?”

Chen Song, who was lying down to rest, felt a bit awkward and sat up to explain, ”I’m Chen Song. I’m here to see Lu Cheng, but he’s busy right now.”

”So, I’m just waiting here.”

Tian Zhiliang searched his mind but couldn’t recall who exactly Chen Song was.

”You’re not a patient’s family member, right?” asked Tian Zhiliang cautiously.

”No, we should be colleagues,” Chen Song replied.

Only then did Tian Zhiliang feel relieved, and he apologized a bit, ”Sorry, brother, I’ve been on alert after being in the emergency department for so long.”

”You should know how it is on emergency duty — the last thing you want is strangers rushing in. Seen too much of that on the news.”

”Which unit do you work at, brother?”

”Xiangya Second Hospital.” Chen Song took a deep breath, raising his chin another thirty degrees.

As Tian Zhiliang was about to sit down, he tensed up, narrowly avoiding a physical mishap by 0.3 centimeters, only to be frozen in mid-sit by an illusory pain. He quickly stood up straight within 2.3 seconds, ”Teacher Chen, I’m sorry. I lost my composure just now.”

Anyone from Xiangya Second Hospital, even an old attending physician, deserved respect or even ”deference” from him.

”Sit down, don’t be nervous. We’re all just people with two arms and two legs,” Chen Song said calmly.

Tian Zhiliang immediately offered Chen Song a cigarette, and after Chen accepted it, he finally relaxed a bit, ”Teacher Chen, you’re here for Lu Cheng?”

”Should I call him over to report to you?”

Tian Zhiliang honestly didn’t expect someone from Xiangya Second Hospital to come personally looking for Lu Cheng. If there was something, one phone call should have been enough to get Lu Cheng’s ”track” lined up, right?

What’s going on here exactly, Tian Zhiliang really couldn’t figure it out.

”No need!”

”He told me to wait, so I’ll wait patiently. Don’t stir up any trouble for me; I’m still counting on Teacher Lu.” Chen Song said.

If it weren’t for Xie Yuan’an being so nosy, if it weren’t for Mu Nanshu being so unguarded.

Chen Song genuinely wouldn’t know that Lu Cheng had started to jump into the liver track again, but Lu Cheng’s thinking was indeed unconventional.

This time, he didn’t look for him, nor did he go to Union Hospital; he started reaching out to the National Health Commission.

The National Health Commission is the governing body at the unit level for Xiangya Second Hospital.

This sort of thing, Chen Song found intriguing too.

So, Chen Song immediately put down his air, intending to ask Lu Cheng what was going on, and if possible, he could guide this Xiao Chen.

Calling him Xiao Song works too.

In gastrointestinal surgery, you dig out more dirt; to make it big, it’s still hepatobiliary surgery!

Tian Zhiliang’s mind was baffled by Chen Song’s words, instinctively wondering if Lu Cheng had offended Chen Song so that Chen Song was speaking in reverse, ”Teacher Chen, is there some misunderstanding?”

”Lu Cheng and I get along quite well. If you have any instructions, I can help put the pressure on him for you.”

Chen Song replied, ”No misunderstanding, I’m sincerely asking him to handle something.”

”Don’t worry, if there really were a misunderstanding, I could get your department director’s number, and I have the deputy and hospital directors’ numbers in my phone.”

”It seems either last year or the year before, your hospital’s director personally brought someone to my place to perform emergency surgery.”

This made Tian Zhiliang even more uneasy, ”So, Teacher Chen, what exactly are you here for?”

Tian Zhiliang felt like his brain wasn’t functioning.

Teacher Chen Song, on one hand you say you can call our hospital director anytime, yet on the other, you’re asking Lu Cheng for help!

The gap between the two seems too wide, and I’ve always treated Lu Cheng as just Xiao Lu; you’re making me quite anxious.

”It’s got nothing to do with you; do I have to report every detail to you?” Chen Song crossed his legs, lit a cigarette, and his right foot’s toe bounced up and down.

Fervently shaking his head, Tian Zhiliang said, ”No need. That was a slip of the tongue.”

”How about I wait outside? You seem a bit nervous,” Chen Song suggested.

Quickly shaking his head, Tian Zhiliang responded, ”That’s not necessary, Teacher Chen, make yourself comfortable.”

”Once I’ve finished this cigarette, I’ll take a nap.”

Saying this, Tian Zhiliang started to head upstairs but still had a cigarette in his mouth.

Seeing how nervous Tian Zhiliang was, Chen Song knew it was because of his sudden visit, so he explained honestly, ”To be frank, this time I’m here to ask our Teacher Lu for a way to get by.”

”It’s about a project.”

By the time Chen Song finished, all the neural synapses in and around Tian Zhiliang’s head felt numb, so he believed whatever Chen Song said.

If Chen Song claimed Lu Cheng was his old man, Tian Zhiliang might even believe it, ”Oh, I see.”

Seeing that he couldn’t clarify things, Chen Song casually added, ”Anyhow, that’s how things are; whether you believe it doesn’t matter.”

”I believe you, Teacher Chen,” Tian Zhiliang earnestly nodded.

The tension was a bit awkward, and he felt his explanation was awkward too. But it was the only way to explain it...