This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

The Director nodded. ”The patient’s condition is severe and progressing rapidly. When you work on the treatment plan, you must be very meticulous.”

Doctor Zheng nodded, indicating he understood, and then prepared to leave the hospital room.

Du Heng quickly spoke up, ”Hello, Doctor Zheng. I’m Du Heng from the Municipal Maternal and Child Health Hospital. I have some thoughts on the patient’s treatment I’d like to discuss with you.”

Doctor Zheng turned and glanced at Du Heng. Du Heng from the Municipal Maternal and Child Health Hospital, such a simple introduction. Are you very famous? I’ve never heard of you.

He sized Du Heng up and said calmly, ”Doctor Du, is it? We have established treatment plans, and our Director is overseeing them.”

With that one sentence, Doctor Zheng flatly rejected Du Heng, stifling whatever he was about to say.

However, for Gong Daoyang’s sake, Du Heng took a deep breath and said calmly, ”Doctor Zheng, I am a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, and I have some ideas regarding this illness. We could discuss them; it would benefit the patient. Don’t you agree?”

”Traditional Chinese medicine?” Doctor Zheng paused, then a faint smirk touched his lips. ”Can traditional Chinese medicine treat mental illness?”

He shook his head. ”Sorry, Doctor Du, our department is purely Western medicine. We don’t need traditional Chinese medicine.”

Du Heng suddenly became furious.

He had visited several major hospitals in Jinzhou, the Capital, and East Hill—hospitals larger than this one—but he had never encountered anyone who dared to so openly disparage traditional Chinese medicine.

And this person was a doctor!

Du Heng took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to lose his temper and curse—something he’d never felt so strongly before. ”Doctor Zheng, regardless of my being a TCM doctor, as a family member and friend of the patient, I want to discuss his condition with you. Is that acceptable?”

Doctor Zheng looked at Du Heng and shook his head again. ”I’m sorry, I have other patients. When I’m finished, I’ll tell you anything you want to know. However, if you intend to discuss how the patient should be treated, please do not question my professional judgment. So, if that’s your aim, we have nothing to discuss.”

Du Heng couldn’t help but sneer. ”Your professional judgment? Is it your professional judgment to keep the patient like this? I have a method that could cure him, yet you scoff at it. Is *that* what you call professional?”

”Cure him?” Doctor Zheng heard the Director cough behind him. ”Doctor Du, this patient is under my care. How he’s treated is my decision. If you wish to stay as family, you’re welcome to. If you want to argue, I’m afraid I don’t have the time.”

With that, Doctor Zheng turned to leave.

Du Heng, furious, said in a low voice, ”Doctor Zheng, are you unwilling to even hear out my diagnosis and my ideas?”

Doctor Zheng turned again. ”I’m sorry. I don’t look down on traditional Chinese medicine, nor do I deny its merits. It can indeed treat some diseases. However, overall, it’s more suited as health maintenance medicine, not clinical medicine for treating illnesses and saving lives. Therefore, I don’t believe you can cure this patient. Besides, I don’t appreciate others interfering with my patients.”

Du Heng took another deep breath. ”I don’t want to debate whether traditional Chinese medicine can save lives. I simply want to discuss the possibility of using traditional Chinese medicine treatment for this patient.”

”Not interested. I won’t use my patient as your guinea pig.”

”Even if it could cure the patient, you’re still not interested?”

”Whether he can be cured or not isn’t for you to say.”

”What if I insist on prescribing medication for the patient?”

”I make the decisions here. If you dare administer any medication, I’ll call the police.”

Du Heng took a deep breath. With someone so obstinate, there was nothing more to say. ”Then we’re requesting a discharge.”

”Nonsense!” Doctor Zheng was furious, retracting the foot he had been about to move.

Du Heng chuckled. ”Nonsense? What’s nonsense? Entrusting the patient to you, letting you try one method after another? Even now, when you’ve surely realized your methods can’t cure him, you stubbornly refuse to consider alternatives?”

Du Heng’s expression suddenly turned cold. ”I think *you’re* the one spouting nonsense. You’re risking the patient’s health to protect your own vanity and display your pathetic authority! You don’t believe in traditional Chinese medicine? You think it’s just health maintenance medicine? Even the Dean of your hospital wouldn’t dare say that to my face! Who do you think you are, acting like some authority, dismissing the wisdom of our ancestors? You dismiss it entirely! Have you ever actually witnessed traditional Chinese medicine heal someone? What qualifications do you possibly have to define it? Utterly ridiculous!”

Then he turned to Wang Zhenzhen. ”Zhenzhen, we’re leaving the hospital.”

Wang Zhenzhen didn’t hesitate. She nodded, gathered their things from the bedside, and prepared to leave the hospital room. Liu Gong, who had arrived earlier, quickly stepped forward. ”Sister-in-law, let me take those. I’ll handle the discharge procedures for the Clinic Director.”

”AHEM, AHEM.” From outside the door, the Director of the Psychiatric Department coughed twice, then slowly walked in, stopping Liu Gong. ”Everyone, please, don’t be angry. Let’s talk things over calmly.”

Then he looked at Du Heng. ”Young doctor, please don’t be angry either. Perhaps you misunderstood Doctor Zheng. And please, don’t be impulsive. Our department is, after all, the best in the province. Your rashness could delay the patient’s treatment.”

Du Heng sneered. ”Director, don’t try to play the peacemaker. And don’t call me ’young doctor.’ Director He from the East Hill Luqi Psychiatric Department wouldn’t dare address me so casually. Frankly, you’re not qualified. Furthermore, I find you quite hypocritical, which makes you even less qualified.”

With that said, Du Heng looked at Liu Gong. ”Old Liu, process the discharge immediately. I’ll notify our hospital to arrange transport.”

”Right.” Liu Gong agreed readily.

Du Heng didn’t pause, ignoring the hypocritical Director whose face flushed red then pale. He immediately called Li Jianwei. ”Teacher, about that collaboration with the Chinese Medicine Department of the second affiliated hospital of JZU—cancel it.

”...Why? Because their standards are abysmal. Even their own doctors admit they’re little more than nutritionists.

”...Yes, notify them immediately.”

After speaking, Du Heng again faced the Director and Doctor Zheng. ”One more thing: in Jinzhou, within this province, the best psychiatric department isn’t yours. It’s Provincial First Hospital. Don’t get ahead of yourselves. Your hospital is merely decent overall, that’s all.”

Finished, Du Heng ignored them and turned to help Wang Zhenzhen pack Gong Daoyang’s belongings.