Zhang Fan arrived later than the ambulances by half an hour. Superintendent Zou Pingshan had previously worked at Chasu City Hospital as the director of internal medicine, so he was naturally quite familiar with the two internal medicine attending physicians. He was also acquainted with Li Hongtu. Zou Pingshan intentionally had his staff come out to greet the supporting doctors from Chasu City Hospital, but saw that Zhang Fan wasn't among them. Thus, he asked administrative director Wang Hongmei, "Where's Zhang Fan? Wasn't he also supposed to come here?"
Wang Hongmei wasn't having a good time under Zou Pingshan, because she had formerly been a staunch supporter of Batu. Now, she also acted extremely cautiously. "Doctor Zhang Fan is driving his personal car. He'll arrive here slightly later."
Since this was a government-organized program to support hospitals in more rural areas, the Communist Party Committee sent a low-ranking leader to come and greet the doctors. There was also a major meeting held in the hospital's office to stress the importance and specialty of this medical support program. This meeting ended by the time that Zhang Fan arrived. Shi Lei had a good relationship with Wang Hongmei, so he also learned that Zhang Fan would be arriving later. Shi Lei thus paid extra attention to the outside, and instantly saw it from his office when Zhang Fan arrived. It was easy to tell because very few high-class personal cars would come to Kuake City Hospital.
Shi Lei personally brought Zhang Fan back over to surgical department #2. "You haven't come to visit us even once since you left. Everyone really misses you." Shi Lei was quite warm and friendly as he shook Zhang Fan's hands.
"Thank you, Vice Superintendent Shi. I also miss everyone here." Zhang Fan was telling the truth since Kuake City Hospital was the first hospital he'd ever worked at.
Things became really noisy in surgical department #2 once Zhang Fan entered. Chen Qifa, Tu Xun, Li Liang, and even Yang Chengming greeted him passionately. Head nurse Guli was even more passionate as she directly took him into a large embrace. The nurses kept chattering as they surrounded Zhang Fan.
Chen Qifa had now become the acting director of surgical department #2. He told the nurses to go back to work, and then held a doctors' meeting for the department. There were now many more members in surgical department #2. Zou Pingshan had previously set very low hiring requirements with many open job positions, so more than 20 fresh graduates had been hired at Kuake City Hospital. Four people had been assigned to surgical department #2.
After Chen Qifa was promoted to acting director, he became more skilled with his words. "Our basic rural hospital has been asking for the stars and the moon. Finally, we've received the experienced Doctor Li, my teacher Doctor Zhang Fan, and the female general, Doctor Wang Yanan. The arrival of these experts is a chance for all of us to learn. Everyone must be humble while passionately completely supporting them so that these experts can feel how passionate and willing to learn we of surgical department #2 are. Now, let's ask Doctor Li to say a few words."
Li Hongtu chuckled as he stood up. "Back when I was at Chasu City Hospital, Director Gao told me that out of all the local cities in the area, Kuake City Hospital's surgical department #2 was the most developed surgical department around. Now, I've finally seen this place for myself. Seeing how Director Chen and all the doctors here are so humble and love to learn, I know that Director Gao was quite right in his assessment. Let us all learn from each other and improve together for our short time together." After this, Chen Qifa led everyone in clapping.
Chen Qifa then said, "Teacher Zhang, you should say a few things as well." He was truly treating Zhang Fan as his teacher. However, Zhang Fan was truly embarrassed by it. He hurriedly waved his hand in rejection. "Director Chen, that's such a funny joke. I couldn't possibly be your teacher. Doctor Li has already made such a nice speech, so there's no need for me to say anything. All of us are familiar with each other already. Please feel free to arrange work for us."
When Chen Qifa saw that Zhang Fan truly didn't want to say anything, he smiled at Wang Yanan. "Doctor Wang, please say a few words. Any female doctors in surgery are truly the elites among the elites." Wang Yanan had never met such passionate coworkers before. She hurriedly replied, "Thank you, Director Chen. I wouldn't know what to say." She was also embarrassed.
"Alright, then. I won't be introducing everyone individually, as that will take too much time. You'll all get acquainted with each other as you work. Let us have Doctor Li lead us together in checking on the patients."
Checking up on the patients thus began. With everyone participating, this was a gigantic group for checking the patients. Even all the nurses participated. In the hallway, Li Liang secretly came up to Zhang Fan's side. "How are you doing in Chasu City, bro? Is everything going well? I'm studying extra hard this year so that I can pass the exams next time for next year."
"I'm doing alright. Keep up your hard work. I'll be waiting for you at Chasu City Hospital."
Surgical department #2's number of patients was alright. Chen Qifa was doing a good job in his new position as acting director. Wang Yanan was incredibly astonished to see how passionate people here were at Kuake City Hospital, and even more so that the director of the department addressed Zhang Fan as teacher. As everyone checked on the patients, several doctors and nurses kept surrounding Zhang Fan with worship in their eyes. 'This is so ridiculous!' Wang Yanan truly didn't understand, but she didn't realize that even more astonishing things were still waiting for her.
After checking on the patients, Li Hongtu went to rest. He was in poor physical condition, and couldn't handle too much work. Fortunately, Kuake City Hospital had rented a hotel for the visiting doctors.
There was a patient who had fractured both his radius and ulna bones. Chen Qifa brought the patient's CT scan to show Zhang Fan. "Teacher, this is the only scheduled surgery for today. Please show us how it's done."
"Old Chen, why are you being so reserved with me? It's truly embarrassing for me to hear you calling me teacher."
"Sigh! It's only natural for me to call you teacher. I spent some money to bribe someone at the testing center to leak my medical license examination results to me early. I passed! Haha!" Chen Qifa secretly whispered the last part to Zhang Fan.
'No wonder Chen Qifa no longer seems as wretched as before. He seems so confident now,' Zhang Fan thought to himself.
With so many people around, Zhang Fan felt awkward about focusing any more on the issue of being addressed as "Teacher".
"Is that so! Congratulations, then. You're finally having your time in the spotlight. You'll be able to develop yourself much more in the future. Your time of hardships is at an end," he whispered back to Chen Qifa, causing the latter's eyes to become red and teary.
Chen Qifa absolutely insisted on letting Zhang Fan be the primary surgeon for this scheduled surgery. He truly respected his Teacher Zhang who was only slightly more than half his age. There was no helping it, so Zhang Fan didn't refuse. Thus, the preparations for the surgery began. Zhang Fan would be the primary surgeon, Chen Qifa would be the primary surgical assistant, and Li Liang would be the secondary surgical assistant. However, Wang Yanan also insisted on participating, so she became the tertiary surgical assistant.
In the operating room, anesthesiologist Ma Lihua was also delighted to see Zhang Fan again. She kept holding onto Zhang Fan's hands. "Oh my, the big city treats people so well. I haven't seen you for half a year already, but you're so much whiter. Do you have a girlfriend yet? You haven't even come back to visit Kuake City Hospital. Did you forget about all of us?" Zhang Fan truly had a good relationship with everyone here. He was also quite happy to see Ma Lihua again.
The surgery began. Zhang Fan didn't even need to do any of the disinfecting, as Li Liang and Wang Yanan insisted on doing this task. "Little Zhang is finally making a name for himself. He already seems like such an expert doctor," Ma Lihua exclaimed as she watched the younger doctors working busily. After the anesthesia was finished, Zhang Fan and the others began the surgery.
"Teacher, your techniques are becoming ever more precise. I'd like to ask you, should I also go study elsewhere and see the world?" Chen Qifa asked this after the surgery was successfully completed.
"It would be good for you to see more of the world. Right now, you're just lacking slightly before a breakthrough to the next level. Perhaps seeing more of the world will help you achieve that breakthrough."
"Hey, when did Old Chen become Zhang Fan's student? Did you hold a ceremony for becoming his student? You can't just call yourself his student without paying for what you gained. You should treat all of us to a meal as witnesses to your teacher-student relationship," Ma Lihua teased Chen Qifa.
"Of course, why not! But, we're going to eat Chinese food, is a Muslim like you going to go!?" Chen Qifa and Ma Lihua had a good relationship, so they constantly joked around with each other like this.
"Go to hell, haha! Zhang Fan, tonight I'll treat you guys to dinner. Old Chen is such a miser. He definitely hasn't prepared the money to treat you all to a meal."
"Who says so? I've already reserved a private room in Kuake City Hotel. You're welcome to come as well. Rest assured, I'm truly treating everyone."
This all felt so warm! It was definitely warm. Zhang Fan felt so much warmth in his heart.
In the superintendent's office, Zou Pingshan asked administrative director Wang Hongmei, "What are the arrangements for treating the expert doctors tonight?"
Wang Hongmei took out a notebook to record Zou Pingshan's words. Zou Pingshan was particularly obsessive about this. He wanted everything he said in an official capacity to be recorded. He would sometimes even intentionally ask for what he just said to be repeated back to him. "Surgical department #2 is treating the expert doctors to a good dinner. The expenses have already been reported to the financial department, and you're also invited to attend."
"Isn't that ridiculous? How can we possibly let surgical department #2 act as the host on the expert doctor team's first day here? Go reserve a private room and notify all the department directors that they're to attend this dinner party."
"Alright. Should I also notify Vice Superintendent Shi?"
Shi Lei was quite sly. Even though he had schemed against Zou Pingshan so much to undermine the superintendent's authority, on the surface he cooperated fully with everything that Zou Pingshan wanted. Thus, Zou Pingshan had a good relationship with Shi Lei. "Yeah, notify him."
Since Zou Pingshan was formerly a director of internal medicine at Chasu City Hospital, he wanted to show off his new promotion a bit to his former colleagues at Chasu City Hospital.