Chapter 28: Offering Tea

Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Offering Tea

After Yu Zhiming removed the parasite from Yuan Qi’s heart and treated the incision on his left chest, his work was done.

Yuan Qi would be transferred to the Respiratory Medicine department for further examination and treatment.

It was now past seven in the evening.

None of them had eaten dinner yet.

At this moment, Li Yao, Wang Chunyuan, and the others couldn’t just abandon Yuan Qi—who had lost face and been diagnosed with a parasitic disease—to go celebrate with Yu Zhiming.

They verbally agreed to get together again after Yu Zhiming officially reported to the hospital, and then they parted ways.

Qi Yue, however, unabashedly declared that he was taking Yu Zhiming, Yin Wenzhu, and the others out for a big meal.

They walked out of the research center, and Qi Yue stopped.

"Oh, Zhiming, I forgot to tell you."

Qi Yue had a broad smile on his face. "That fellow from your county is in a ward on the fourth floor. Want to go up and pay him a visit?"

Yu Zhiming shook his head and said, "Forget it."

"If I visit him and act like I hold no grudge, it will only deepen his guilt and won’t be good for his recovery."

Qi Yue couldn’t help but laugh. "The way I see it, you’re just still holding a grudge about them beating your face to a pulp."

"But, it’s good to be clear about your friends and foes. I like that!"

Yu Xiangwan couldn’t help but ask, "Dr. Qi, since he’s really been diagnosed with cancerous cells, what will happen to him?"

Qi Yue explained, "That guy is actually quite lucky. His stomach cancer was discovered in its earliest stages."

"Next, based on further tests, the part of his stomach tissue containing cancerous cells will be removed, and then he’ll undergo one or two rounds of radiation therapy."

"After that, it’s just regular check-ups."

"If his luck holds, it’s possible for him to live to a ripe old age."

Yu Xiangwan said, "Oh," and chuckled. "If it weren’t for your persistence, Dr. Qi, he probably wouldn’t have found out until the symptoms of his stomach cancer became obvious."

"Dr. Qi, you saved his life."

Qi Yue laughed heartily and said, "Ultimately, it was Zhiming who saved his life."

After a brief pause, he added with a cheerful tone, "Today, the review for Zhiming’s talent recruitment went just as we hoped, and a certain someone got what was coming to them."

"It’s rare to have a day with so much good news one after another..."

Qi Yue waved his hand grandly and declared magnanimously, "Let’s go! I’m taking you all to a great place tonight..."

Since Yin Wenzhu’s car was parked outside the hospital, they decided to take Qi Yue’s car.

On their way to the underground parking garage, Qi Yue asked, "Zhiming, have you noticed that my relationship with Vice Dean Yuan is a bit strained?"

Yu Zhiming hummed in agreement.

Qi Yue explained softly, "Our hospital has a close cooperative relationship with Binhai Jiaotong University Medical College. Although we aren’t their affiliated hospital, we might as well be."

"There’s a powerful ’Jiaoda Gang’ within the hospital, and Vice Dean Yuan is one of them."

"He clearly favors the Jiaoda Gang in the allocation of research funds, training funds, and so on."

"I’ve spoken out against it a few times."

Yu Zhiming nodded in understanding...

As they spoke, they arrived at the underground parking garage beneath the general administration building.

According to Dr. Qi, the underground garage had three levels and was only for hospital employee vehicles.

They took the stairs to the second basement level, and as soon as they emerged, they heard a familiar voice calling out.

"What a coincidence, meeting again so soon."

A few meters away, in front of the elevator, stood the smiling cardiopulmonary specialist, Doctor Wang Chunyuan.

Qi Yue raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Coincidence my ass. If I remember correctly, your car is parked on the first level, isn’t it?"

"If you want to tag along for a free meal, just say so!"

Wang Chunyuan wasn’t the least bit embarrassed. He said with a straight face, "It’s absolutely not to freeload a meal. I have a patient who needs Dr. Yu’s help."

Qi Yue scoffed. "Fine, I’ll give you five minutes. Quickly tell me about your patient."

"And in the meantime..."

Qi Yue looked around. "...we’ll wait here and see if anyone else ’coincidentally’ shows up looking for Zhiming about a patient."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a BMW pulled up from the adjacent lane and stopped.

The window rolled down, revealing Cui Zhitan’s smiling face.

"What a coincidence..."

"Oh, Doctor Wang is here too. Such a coincidence..."

Qi Yue laughed loudly. "It really is a coincidence. We were just about to go to dinner."

"I assume Doctor Wang and Doctor Cui also happen to be hungry? Since we’ve run into each other, why not join us?"

"My treat!"

Cui Zhitan nodded. "Since Director Qi is being so generous, it would be rude to refuse. I’ll shamelessly impose."

Wang Chunyuan also seized the opportunity, replying, "I’ll shamelessly tag along for a meal too. It’s a perfect chance to discuss the patient’s condition with Dr. Yu over dinner."

Standing to the side, Fu Xiaoxue struggled to keep a straight face, afraid she might burst out laughing...

A minute or two later, Yu Zhiming, Yu Xiangwan, Fu Xiaoxue, and Yin Wenzhu left the underground garage in the Cayenne new-energy vehicle driven by Qi Yue.

Wang Chunyuan and Cui Zhitan followed behind, each in their own car.

The place Qi Yue chose for the big meal was a stylishly decorated Shandong cuisine restaurant that specialized in Jiaodong seafood...

The expensive ingredients like abalone, shark fin, and sea cucumber were prepared by the chef using classic Shandong techniques, and they were incredibly delicious.

For Yu Zhiming, Yu Xiangwan, and Fu Xiaoxue, who lived inland and rarely ate seafood, the meal was a pure delight.

After a few rounds of drinks and dishes, their idle chatter turned to more serious topics.

Qi Yue pointed at Yu Zhiming and said, "This kid’s strengths are prominent, but so are his weaknesses. Namely, his fundamentals are weak, his exposure is limited, and he lacks experience."

"His auscultation and percussion require a detailed understanding of the structure of human organs, especially the characteristics of those organs in various states of disease and deformity."

"In that respect..."

Wang Chunyuan picked up the thread, "I can coordinate with the cardiopulmonary internal medicine and surgery departments to give Dr. Yu full access to their specimens, as well as all kinds of images, video materials, and so on."

Cui Zhitan immediately chimed in, "The general surgery department can do the same."

"If Dr. Yu is interested, he can join the surgeries I lead as a surgical assistant."

Hearing the two medical heavyweights say this, Yu Zhiming quickly stood up, adopting the posture of a humble junior.

"Thank you, Doctor Wang and Doctor Cui, for your generous support. This junior is incredibly grateful. I will offer a toast with tea in place of wine to express a bit of my thanks."

After saying this, Yu Zhiming poured two cups of tea and respectfully offered them to Wang Chunyuan and Cui Zhitan, one by one.

Neither of them refused. They both sat up straight, accepted the tea, and took a small sip.

This scene made Qi Yue a little jealous.

"Zhiming, you and I met first, and I still haven’t received a respectful tea offering from you!"

Yu Zhiming took another new teacup and explained, "It’s not that I didn’t want to offer you tea before, I just didn’t have a suitable opportunity."

He presented the full teacup with both hands.

"Teacher, please have some tea!"

A wide smile immediately spread across Qi Yue’s face. This was the first time Yu Zhiming had called him Teacher.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Qi Yue exclaimed excitedly, reached for the cup, and took a gulp, ignoring that the tea was a bit hot.

He put down the cup and advised, "Zhiming, the news of your exceptional recruitment will surely spread. There will be no shortage of people who are envious, jealous, and hateful. You don’t need to pay any of them any mind."

"If anyone bullies you, just come find me."

Not to be outdone, Wang Chunyuan and Cui Zhitan also declared that they would look out for Yu Zhiming in the future.

This made Yu Xiangwan’s heart bloom with joy.

She had been worried that her younger brother, arriving in a new environment, would be a stranger in a strange land. With his junior qualifications but high compensation, she feared he would not only be bullied as a newcomer but also easily isolated.

Now, with these three medical heavyweights looking out for him, at least no one at work would dare to give him a hard time openly.

Yu Xiangwan, in her capacity as a family member, sincerely toasted the three of them with wine to express her gratitude...

After another round of back-and-forth at the dinner table, Wang Chunyuan brought up his excuse.

"I really do have a patient that I’m stumped on."

"She’s a young actress. Half a month ago, she suddenly started coughing. There’s no inflammatory response, and cough medicine doesn’t work."

"I suspect a foreign object entered her trachea or lungs."

"But we’ve done a B-scan ultrasound, fluoroscopy, an MRI, and even a bronchoscopy, but found nothing."

"Zhiming, would you be able to examine her?"

Yu Zhiming nodded. "No problem. My train ticket back is for Sunday, so I have time tomorrow and the day after."

Fu Xiaoxue couldn’t contain her curiosity and asked, "Grandmaster Wang, that young actress, is she a celebrity?"

"Is she pretty?"

Wang Chunyuan chuckled. "As far as I know, she’s been in a few TV series and has a bit of a name for herself."

"And yes, she’s definitely pretty."

Fu Xiaoxue winked suggestively at Yu Zhiming. "Little Uncle, a celebrity! A very pretty one!"

Yu Zhiming gave the little rascal a flick on the forehead.

Cui Zhitan said with delight, "Zhiming, does this mean you don’t have a girlfriend yet? I can introduce you to someone."

Yu Zhiming quickly refused, "No need, no need!"

"I’ve just arrived. My focus is on adapting, working, and studying. Where would I find the time to get a girlfriend?"

"Maybe after a while..."