The middle-aged man, who was well-mannered and slightly plump, turned red after being scolded and slapped by his father.
The patients may not have known what had happened when they arrived at the hospital, but more than a hundred family members on the scene witnessed everything through the open door of the resuscitation room.
Most of them had no idea why Zheng Ren had provoked the unreasonable old woman, but none of them were fools. They could vaguely guess the reason behind that incident.
The slap had landed on the face of the elderly man’s son, but many onlookers on the scene could feel the heat burning in their cheeks as well.
The sight of the old man struggling to get up off the bed and refusing to heed his son’s advice sent needles into every onlooker’s heart.
It caused pain rather than numbness.
“Don’t you have any shame coming here?” A lady in her thirties stood up and pointed angrily at the arrogant elderly woman by the huge man—the Black Tower. “Aren’t you sick? Didn’t you say you were dying? How are you still alive and kicking? Are you having terminal lucidity? Hurry home and buy yourself a coffin. It would have to be very thick just to contain your attitude.”
“You—” The harsh words confused her. Before she could retaliate, the middle-aged woman walked to the middle of the corridor, placed her hands on her waist and criticized loudly, “My family member was the first to reach here and he was nearly dead at the time. You weren’t even sick and yet you’re constantly creating a f*cking mess!”
“That’s right. I saw her hitting the police officer too.”
“Yes, she said she was dying and even grabbed the director’s collar. If Doctor Zheng hadn’t shoved her aside then, the antidote wouldn’t have arrived on time and the patients could have died.”
“It wouldn’t just have been one or two casualties if that happened.”
Every family member had the same thought on their minds.
All patients had had skin with blue-gray discoloration when they arrived at the hospital. Moreover, the disease had been so quick that perfectly healthy men had turned blue and collapsed in moments, skirting the line between life and death. It had been an unbearable sight for everyone.
It was clear to everyone that the resuscitation process had been done without delay in the hospital and the patients’ conditions had gradually improved.
After someone took the lead in retaliating against these interlopers, a second stepped up…
A third…
Then the fourth…
More and more people joined the crowd.
A larger crowd boosted the courage and intensified the guilt of those who did not dare stand against the Black Tower earlier.
Like a fire burning deep within their souls, it made them uncomfortable.
The elderly man was right—doctors were lifesaving buddhas, and that troublesome elderly lady… was simply an imp.
The uproar was continuous and unrelenting. Nobody knew when the verbal assault turned physical, but someone suddenly threw a water bottle at the Black Tower and his lackeys.
This was immediately followed by even more bottles raining down on the group of troublemakers.
Black Tower, whose face had turned purple after realizing that he had incurred the wrath of the public, pointed at the crowd and tried to restore his image by arguing with them, but what could he do when he was constantly pelted by bottles? Left with no choice, he buried his head under his arms and escaped the hospital.
The doctors and nurses around Zheng Ren started persuading everyone to calm down and prioritize recuperation once the troublemakers had fled the scene.
“Doctor Zheng, thank you.” A family member walked toward Zheng Ren and bowed deeply.
“That’s too kind of you. It’s my responsibility anyway,” replied Zheng Ren with a silly smile.
Xie Yiren poked her head out and stared at the scene curiously.
Other family members expressed their appreciation to Zheng Ren one after another.
These honest people may flinch and yield to evil forces, but this did not mean that they did not understand the principle of justice. The majority of them may have preferred to deal with it in silence, but no one would retreat if an opportunity arose.
The commotion went on for some time and Zheng Ren, exhausted, finally finished receiving thanks from almost all the family members.
This scene… made Zheng Ren feel like they were paying their respects to the deceased at a funeral… and of course, he was the aforementioned corpse.
“Where is Xie Yiren?” asked Zheng Ren upon turning around and noticing that she was missing.
“She said she was going to buy food for you,” replied a physician as he hurried back to document some medical records.
It was one thing to rescue patients in the emergency department, but it was another to complete lots of annoying and draining paperwork after that.
Oh, Xie Yiren was much better in terms of intimacy and care toward people.
‘I accidentally ran into her just now. Do I need to apologize to her?’ This thought lingered in Zheng Ren’s mind for some time.
As a single-minded and insensible man, it was not unusual that he did not understand what had transpired then.
After the ward and hallway became quiet, Zheng Ren decided to forget about it and go for a ward round instead.
When he visited the ward, there were still approximately a hundred patients left in the emergency department. The observation unit in the emergency department had been fully occupied and even the corridor was full of extra beds.
No one informed him that the addition of hospital beds was currently prohibited in Class Three Grade A Hospitals.
The patients’ conditions were stable and their ‘Avatar’-like bluish-gray skin had slowly regained their original yellowish color, which had a particularly dramatic visual impact.
Zheng Ren’s mind was at ease as long as the patients’ conditions had stabilized. He then instructed the doctors on duty to inform him immediately if there were any changes in the patients’ conditions.
His clammy skin, which was due to diaphoresis secondary to hypoglycemia, felt extremely uncomfortable.
After giving it some thought, Zheng Ren called the anesthesiology department and informed them he was going for a shower if the situation did not require his attention. Unexpectedly, the anesthesiologist was particularly enthusiastic in his agreement. Zheng Ren then hung up and went straight to the operating theater.
The change in the anesthesiologist’s attitude compared to before was presumably due to his overwhelming admiration for Zheng Ren performing dozens of surgeries consecutively.
Other departments did not offer showers; the operating theater was the only place that had such a high-end arrangement, which was why anesthesiologists would feel particularly annoyed at doctors who came to take a shower for no reason whatsoever. Zheng Ren had initially planned to politely discuss this issue but failed to anticipate the anesthesiologist’s enthusiasm.
Even though the conspiracies and deception of the outside world were also common in the hospital, highly-skilled medical personnel tended to get special privileges. That was beyond question.
Zheng Ren felt comfortable and refreshed after taking a shower. The anesthesiologist then handed him a Yuxi[1] and they started taking a puff in a small smoking area.
Smoking was prohibited in the hospital, but there were just too many chain smokers in the medical field.
The anesthesiology department had converted a small storage room with a window into a smoking area. That way, smoking addictions could be fed and second-hand smoke could be prevented from lingering in the hallway.
“Chief Zheng, when did you become so proficient?” The anesthesiologist expressed his admiration. “Those who worked overtime last night idolized you despite their exhaustion.”
Zheng Ren responded with a sheepish grin.
“Dozens of appendectomies in one night; that was awesome.” The anesthesiologist smiled. “Let me tell you something, beware of Chief Surgeon Liu. He is definitely not a good guy.”
“Alright, noted.”
“I’ve been working for almost thirty years and I’m in my fifties now. What haven’t I experienced so far?” the anesthesiologist said earnestly and sincerely, “A postgraduate student from Union Medical College Hospital came to our hospital ten years ago. Three years after that, Chief Surgeon Liu seized a medical dispute that wasn’t even related to him and persuaded the patient’s family members to make matters worse. As a result, the student was sent to the suburbs to raise rabbits.”
Sea City General Hospital had a long history. During the Great Famine, a piece of land in the suburbs had been requested by the city to serve as a farm to help sustain itself. After the Chinese economic reform[2], living conditions improved and the crops produced continued to feed medical staff at Sea City General Hospital.
However, the farm had been sold to a real estate agent a long time ago and converted to a series of high-rise buildings since.
This was what Zheng Ren had heard on the grapevine, anyway.
“Mistakes are inevitable in the medical profession, right? Even with those, someone will be there to trouble you at all times.” The anesthesiologist continued giving Zheng Ren advice and experience. “From nothing to something, and a small issue to a huge matter.”
Zheng Ren nodded vigorously as he felt the same way too.
“Follow Old Chief Physician Pan closely. He is a great god,” the experienced anesthesiologist concluded.
These sorts of heartfelt words would usually be vague and indirect. The anesthesiologist on duty today had given a lot of advice, a hearty talk despite their unfamiliarity, and Zheng Ren was grateful for him.
Then, his cell phone rang; it was Old Chief Physician Pan.
Zheng Ren picked up the phone quickly and pointed at it to signal that he had to leave.
The anesthesiologist felt slightly regretful because he had not yet managed to ask about the nitrite poisoning incident. However, it was probably unwise to stop Zheng Ren who was likely exhausted after the intense rescue operation. After they bid farewell to each other, Zheng Ren left the operating theater and answered the call.
“Little Zheng, someone is looking for you,” said Old Chief Physician Pan.
[1] 玉溪, a cigarette brand in China.
[2] Known in the West as the Opening of China.
