Chapter 73: Go About Your Business

Chapter 73: Chapter 73: Go About Your Business

At 6:00 AM on Monday, Yu Zhiming woke up before his digital alarm clock went off.

After getting up and washing, he dragged his Fourth Sister out of bed and made her do exercises with him...

At half-past seven, Yu Zhiming, who was in his bedroom studying a medical textbook, was called out for breakfast by his Fourth Sister.

Breakfast was a congee made from millet and rice, boiled dumplings, boiled eggs, and a small plate of pickled vegetables.

As Yu Zhiming expected, his Fourth Sister’s work ethic had clearly taken a nosedive.

’But what could he do? She was his sister. He’d just have to put up with it...’

After finishing breakfast, Yu Zhiming rested for a moment, gathered his things, and left for work.

Before he left, he gave his sister some instructions.

First, she should go online and find a few stylish, comfortable, and durable bicycles that cost under a thousand yuan.

They would make the final decision together when he got back that evening...

Riding a shared bike through a shabby old residential complex, Yu Zhiming once again saw the girl with the ponytail and the white cane.

He didn’t approach her...

At 8:20 AM, Yu Zhiming arrived at Huashan Hospital.

He first went to the Qi Yue Medical Research Center to change into his white coat and put on his ID badge. He slipped his work tablet into the coat’s large pocket, grabbed a pen, a notepad, and his water bottle, then hurried to the outpatient and emergency department.

The moment he stepped into the emergency department lobby, Yu Zhiming heard arguing.

At the information and triage desk at the front of the lobby, a man in his forties was yelling at a head nurse.

"It doesn’t even hurt anymore. I’ve done all the tests you asked for, and you can’t find anything wrong with me. Why won’t you let me leave?"

"It’s Monday, and I need to get to work."

"Do you have any idea how much is waiting for me? I’ll get fired if I don’t show up without a good reason."

"Do you understand?"

Head nurse Zhan Qi patiently tried to reason with him. "We’ll write you a doctor’s note, so you won’t get fired."

"Mr. Zhang, just because we haven’t diagnosed the problem doesn’t mean there isn’t one."

"What’s more important? Your job or your life?"

Zhan Qi softened her tone and continued, "Our department head will be here in less than half an hour."

"Once he reviews your test results and says you can leave, you’ll be free to go."

"Mr. Zhang, please, just wait another half an hour. Is that okay?"

The man’s expression turned hostile. "Fine. I’ll wait another half an hour. But if you try to change the story again..."

"I will be filing a complaint."

When Zhan Qi saw the man turn and walk toward the observation room, she breathed an inward sigh of relief. At least she had managed to talk him down.

Just then, a voice sounded beside her. "Sister Zhan, why not let him leave?"

"Who are you? And is that any of your business?"

Zhan Qi, who was in a foul mood after a long night shift, reflexively snapped back. But when she turned, she was met with a strikingly handsome face that immediately lifted her spirits.

Then, Zhan Qi noticed that this handsome young man, who was leaning over the information desk, was wearing a white coat.

’Oh, he’s one of us.’

Her mood improving considerably, Zhan Qi explained, "He came in around midnight, complaining of severe pain between his ribs."

"We ran a series of tests but couldn’t find a specific cause, so we put him in the observation room."

"We’re not letting him leave because our chief gave us instructions..."

Zhan Qi lowered her voice. "Our chief said that any middle-aged man who comes to the hospital in the middle of the night has to be kept for observation, no matter what. Even if the tests show nothing serious, or nothing at all."

"The chief says that middle-aged men have parents to care for and children to raise. They have an incredible tolerance for pain. They wouldn’t come to the hospital in the middle of the night unless they were in absolute agony."

"So if one of them does show up, it likely means there’s a serious underlying issue. We have to treat it with caution and can’t just let them go."

Yu Zhiming found himself in complete agreement. ’Those were the wise words of a seasoned veteran, born from experience.’

"Sister Zhan, about that patient, Mr. Zhang... may I go to the observation room and examine him?"

"You?"

Zhan Qi asked doubtfully. As Yu Zhiming straightened up, her gaze fell to the ID badge clipped to his left breast pocket.

"Yu Zhiming?!"

"Oh, so it’s you!"

Beaming, Zhan Qi joked, "So you’re the famous one! Now that I’ve seen you in person, I can see the reputation doesn’t do you justice."

"Forget everything else—based on your looks alone, I would have supported the hospital making an exception to hire you."

Yu Zhiming gave a slightly embarrassed chuckle.

"Come on, follow me..."

Yu Zhiming followed Zhan Qi to the observation room where Mr. Zhang was pacing back and forth on a call.

When he hung up, Yu Zhiming asked him to lie down on the examination bed for a simple physical check.

"A check? How much is this going to cost?"

Yu Zhiming replied softly, "It doesn’t cost anything. It’s free, and it won’t cause you any discomfort."

Zhan Qi chimed in, "We’re not writing up an order, so there’s no charge."

Only then did Mr. Zhang relax and lie down as instructed.

Yu Zhiming put on a pair of surgical gloves and placed a hand on the man’s left chest, over his shirt.

A moment after he placed his hand down, a feeling welled up inside him—it was familiar, yet interwoven with many strange new sensations.

Yu Zhiming continued his meticulous examination for another moment before pulling his hand back.

"Mr. Zhang, you won’t be going anywhere for a while. You should call your office and ask for... a week of sick leave."

"There’s an issue with your heart that needs to be confirmed."

Yu Zhiming then turned to Zhan Qi. "Sister Zhan, please arrange to have Mr. Zhang transferred to the Qi Yue Medical Research Center."

Leaving Zhan Qi and the patient staring at each other in bewilderment, Yu Zhiming stepped out of the observation room, took out his phone, and dialed Teacher Qi.

"Teacher, I’m in the emergency department right now."

"There’s a middle-aged male patient under observation here. Based on my examination, I feel his heart condition is quite similar to the last patient we had, the one who went into cardiac arrest."

"In fact, his problem seems to be even more serious."

Before the words were even fully out of his mouth, Qi Yue’s excited voice burst from the phone.

"This is fantastic!"

"Zhiming, get the patient transferred to the Center immediately. I’ll go tell that fellow Wang Chunyuan."

"The last time, he and I really fell flat on our faces. This time, we absolutely have to win back some prestige..."

As Yu Zhiming ended the call, he saw a man of medium height in his late forties or early fifties striding toward him. The man had a square face, large ears, a permanently serious expression, and deep vertical furrows between his brows.

He had done his homework the night before, so he knew this was Dr. Zhao Shan, the director of the emergency department, a Chief Physician and trauma expert.

Yu Zhiming was about to step forward and greet him, but Zhan Qi rushed past him and approached Zhao Shan first.

"Chief..."

Pointing a finger at Yu Zhiming, Zhan Qi lowered her voice and briefly recounted his diagnosis and instructions.

Zhao Shan glanced up, his eyes sweeping over Yu Zhiming without expression, and said, "Transfer the patient to Qi Yue’s unit first."

After giving the order, Zhao Shan beckoned to Yu Zhiming.

When Yu Zhiming was standing before him, Zhao Shan said sternly, "Dr. Yu, whether you work in this emergency department for one day or one hour, you will follow our department’s rules and obey the chain of command. Do you understand?"

Yu Zhiming nodded. "Understood. For now, you’re my chief, and I will follow your orders without question."

Zhao Shan snorted softly.

"Dr. Yu, this isn’t some county hospital. Our patient volume is enormous. On average, every doctor here has to see a patient every three to five minutes."

"Can you handle that?"

Yu Zhiming answered cautiously, "Chief, it might take me some time to adjust to that pace. Would it be possible to assign me fewer patients to start?"

Zhao Shan actually found himself appreciating Yu Zhiming’s seemingly meek reply.

Other departments often sent their promising young residents to his ER to be toughened up.

Many of them came in full of swagger, only learning humility and respect after reality knocked them down a few pegs.

"I’ll tell them to make arrangements accordingly."

Zhao Shan replied, just as Yu Zhiming spoke again. "Chief, my specializations—auscultation and percussion—require a relatively quiet space."

"Would it be possible..."

Zhao Shan cut him off, a hint of impatience in his voice. "It will be arranged. I have to handle the shift changeover, and I have a mountain of work to do."

"For now, just go and do what you need to do..."