System Came When the Doctor was Thirty

”If you still want to change your minds, there’s still time.”

Tian Zhiliang shook his head almost violently. ”No, I’m not changing my mind. Dean Yao, Dr. Lu Cheng is the best candidate.”

Seeing something you were trying to avoid get taken away by someone else, instead of being forced onto you, was exactly what Tian Zhiliang wanted.

”Then we’ll settle the preliminary plan like this. Director Huang, handle the procedures yourself—forms, reports and so on.”

...

Under the current division system, Zhu Yuanzhou was the other deputy director in charge of the surgical group; Lu Cheng, Deng Duanniu and Chen Fang were all ”earning a living” under Zhu Yuanzhou!

Deng Duanniu was on the night shift in the emergency resuscitation room. His big beard split with his grin. ”Brother Zhu, do you think this trauma center is something Director Huang deliberately set up on the sly?”

”Just so he can push Lu Cheng up?”

Lu Cheng was quite capable, but he’d only been in the department for less than three months and was already about to become one of the deputy directors of the emergency department. Deng Duanniu felt that was a bit much.

At the moment, the emergency department had three deputy directors in total, respectively heading the surgical group, the internal medicine group, and the resuscitation room.

Once the trauma center was established, if the person in charge wasn’t at least a deputy director, it would be hard to justify.

Zhu Yuanzhou had thought of this too. He scratched his head with his right hand, his plump pale face twisted in a conflicted expression. ”There’s no helping it. The guy isn’t stealing or cheating anyone.”

He shifted his hips a little, leaning in a bit. ”Even if they asked me to go, I wouldn’t dare.”

”Why don’t you give it a try?” Zhu Yuanzhou’s smile was tinged with bitterness.

Deng Duanniu shook his head, the tip of his nose tracing an arc. ”Brother Zhu, are you trying to make fun of me?”

”I just think Director Huang is rushing this trauma center so hard… It’s such a good opportunity.”

Zhu Yuanzhou said, ”Opportunities are only reserved for those who are prepared. Think about how low-key and steady Xiao Lu is normally.”

”I basically haven’t seen a trace of arrogance on him.”

”He’s slow and painstaking on rounds—way too meticulous.”

Zhu Yuanzhou had no objection to Lu Cheng moving up, and he didn’t dare interfere with the hospital’s overall plan for building the trauma center.

Because he didn’t dare take it himself, should he ask the hospital leaders to wait around a little longer?

That would be about as hard as getting a top university to slash its admission score just for you.

”Xiao Lu’s a decent person, usually willing to lend a hand. As for quick thinking, that goes without saying.”

”Exactly.” Deng Duanniu let out a sigh. ”I just feel a bit choked up inside.”

”Brother Zhu, do you think Lu Cheng can really get a trauma center up and running?”

Building a trauma center carried both opportunity and risk. If it went well, it would definitely be the next big thing; if it went badly, the person in charge would be in no small amount of trouble.

”I don’t know. I’ve never thought along those lines, so I haven’t tried to find out any details.”

”If the trauma center is just for debridement and suturing, then it’s basically the same nature as a debridement room.”

”But if it’s the kind of trauma center I’m imagining? Then Lu Cheng would be one of those tough guys who lick the knife edge for their meals.”

Deng Duanniu nodded. ”Xiao Lu isn’t exactly silent and invisible normally. Of course, he’s pretty low-key as a person.”

”But the things he does are anything but low-key. Quite a few surgical specialists have issues with him.”

”My guess is, they may have been the ones who egged this on.”

”After all, if the trauma center is established, then it will have to take primary responsibility for the lives of many trauma emergency surgery patients.”

Deng Duanniu went on analyzing: ”Past policy documents, the leadership’s face, the current predicament of the specialists—all get resolved.”

”At that point, even if we internally disagree, it still has to be built.”

”He’s got heaven’s timing, the geographical advantage, and the human factor all lined up in his favor.”

”And none of this is something he calculated himself. Tell me, where’s the logic in that?”

Tian Zhiliang, this deputy director of surgery, might not count for much, but under Tian Zhiliang there were regular attending physicians and people like Zhu Yuanzhou, an ordinary associate chief physician.

The entry threshold at Xiangzhou People’s Hospital, given broad-based recruitment, wasn’t that high, and plenty of doctors were still working in County People’s Hospital or township health centers.

In reality, the promotion channels were extremely narrow; every step forward took a huge amount of effort.

Zhu Yuanzhou drew his conclusion. ”There’s definitely a subtle relationship between this Director Huang and Lu Cheng!~”

”But even if you had proof, it wouldn’t help. You don’t dare take on building a trauma center just on the strength of connections.”

”I accept it!~”

Zhu Yuanzhou left.

For things outside his own abilities, he didn’t want to dwell on them too much.

The opportunity had been given. If he hadn’t seized it, if he hadn’t even dared to try, what else could he do?

Besides, Tian Zhiliang’s current situation wasn’t exactly great either. He might be the ”director” of emergency surgery, but Zhu Yuanzhou could tell that the pressure on Tian Zhiliang was enormous.

...

In the study, when Lu Cheng saw Mu Nanshu, Mu Nanshu was eating takeout.

”Why are you eating that?” Lu Cheng asked.

Mu Nanshu smiled with quiet understanding. ”I’m revising a manuscript. Once you submit a paper, it takes a while. This kind of technique-oriented article isn’t basic medical research—it’s hard to get it into a high-impact journal.”

”And I’m not willing to just throw it into any random journal, so I have to put in more effort.”

”Once I finish revising this one, I’ve got another.”

”By the way, you didn’t go to the lab?” Mu Nanshu asked.

”Stop eating. I’ll take you out for something good!~ We should celebrate.” Lu Cheng said.

Mu Nanshu turned around, put down the takeout in his hand, visibly intrigued. ”Celebrate? What’s the occasion?”

”Next month, the trauma center is going to be established. Dean Yao came by today and wants me to be the person in charge. Low title, high configuration—I can become a deputy director of the emergency department.”

”I’ll have full surgical authority in the trauma center, and I won’t have to be this tied up and constrained anymore.” Lu Cheng said.