CHAPTER 158: 158 REDEFINING SELF

If it were Qiaoqiao’s usual temper, she wouldn’t have been interested in watching them laugh and joke around. But today was different. She told herself she had to give Liu Banxia some "face"; after all, she had crashed at his place for the night and even had breakfast with him.

It was a kind of perseverance, though somewhat of an ordeal.

Because she couldn’t get a word in. The three of them were discussing medical matters, which she didn’t understand at all. Moreover, she could feel Liang Xiaolin’s occasional glances, which distressed her even more.

Did this female doctor misunderstand something?

With a mind full of questions, Qiaoqiao returned home and immediately roused Wang Xiaoyan, who was still sleeping in.

"Why are you back so early today?" Wang Xiaoyan yawned.

"I slept at the hospital last night," Qiaoqiao said seriously.

"What happened? Why did you go to the hospital again?" Wang Xiaoyan suddenly became alert.

"Hey, why are your eyes so wide? Someone was causing trouble at the beach, and we taught them a lesson. I was too tired, so I just stayed at the hospital for the night," Qiaoqiao quickly explained.

"That’s not the point. The point is that Dr. Liu seems very popular. I was wondering why it’s so difficult to invite him to dinner. You won’t believe it, but he even has a Russian student trailing him now."

Wang Xiaoyan grinned at her. "Does that have anything to do with you?"

Qiaoqiao was stunned. "How could it not? I’m someone who clearly distinguishes between kindness and resentment. I don’t like to owe favors."

Wang Xiaoyan said nothing, just looked at her with a smile. After so many years as best friends, who couldn’t see through her tough act?

"Hey, don’t overthink it. He said he’d take us for a barbecue when he has time off. I think it’s a restaurant owned by one of his patients, but I didn’t ask," Qiaoqiao said, forcing herself.

"Qiaoqiao, darling, tell me what’s going on in your heart. Why are you so keen on Dr. Liu?" Wang Xiaoyan asked with a knowing smile.

"Don’t change the subject," Qiaoqiao glared at her, then her face fell again.

"He carried me last night, all the way from quite far off to the treatment room. Don’t read too much into it; I’m just debating whether or not to teach him a lesson."

Wang Xiaoyan yawned. "Boring. I thought something earth-shattering had happened. He carried you once, and you surrendered? Girl, must you be so easily swayed?"

"I need to catch up on sleep. Jiaojiao video-called me for a long time last night. I was so upset. Turns out, her boyfriend had hooked up with a girl from the gym even before this; the breakup was just an excuse he gave."

"What the hell, what is she waiting for then?" Qiaoqiao flared up.

"Stop worrying about others for now and sort out your own affairs," Wang Xiaoyan said, glancing at her.

"What affairs do I have to sort out? I need to take a shower and catch up on sleep. I also need to check on Tang Dou. I’m not talking to you anymore!" Qiaoqiao rattled off and ran out.

Wang Xiaoyan shook her head. That girl is so muddled; she’s fallen for him and doesn’t even realize it. And that Dr. Liu, why did he have to carry her for no reason?

Better not think about it now, just get some more sleep.

While these two were deliberating, Liu Banxia, at the Second Affiliated Hospital, had finished organizing yesterday’s case files.

Of course, his part of the "organizing" was mostly just signing off on them; Liang Xiaolin had done most of the work. It was an opportunity not to be missed; writing up medical records was also a way to understand a patient’s condition.

Liu Banxia waited until Zhou Shuwen arrived at work and then slipped into his office.

"What is it?" Zhou Shuwen asked.

"Director, we admitted an HIV-positive patient last night. Should we consider posting some notices in the hospital to remind patients in similar situations about disclosure?" Liu Banxia asked.

"Was it handled according to regulations?" Zhou Shuwen asked.

Liu Banxia nodded. "Everything was done according to standard operating procedures. Because it was an assault case, we also tested the others involved; all were negative."

"Yesterday’s situation was rather unique. The patient concealed his diagnosis because he worried we’d refuse treatment; he’d experienced that before. If our hospital could display some clear information in prominent places, wouldn’t that encourage such patients to be more forthcoming about their true conditions?"

"Is that all?" Zhou Shuwen asked.

"Uh... yes, that’s it," Liu Banxia said, somewhat lacking in confidence.

"Isn’t it just a matter of printing some leaflets or banners? You can decide that yourself," Zhou Shuwen said.

"If you’re able to operate on that diabetic patient today, you all need to be extra cautious. Especially with debridement—it must only be done when his physiological indicators are completely satisfactory."

Liu Banxia nodded. "Director, could I mention one more small thing?"

"Why are you being so hesitant?" Zhou Shuwen asked.

"Director, many health supplements these days are truly harmful. Should we consider conducting some medical outreach and education in communities with a large elderly population?" Liu Banxia suggested.

"Some of those selling health supplements might have a shred of conscience and mix in some actual hypoglycemic or antihypertensive Western drugs. Others are just defrauding people with starch and other fillers. That’s not just cheating people out of money; it’s endangering their lives."

"This is a significant issue. It’s worth bringing up," Zhou Shuwen said with a smile.

"I’ll mention it to the Chief Director at the hospital committee meeting later and see if we can find someone for it. You’re the chief resident; don’t come to me with every little thing."

"Furthermore, you need to consider how to manage the teaching and training. We’ll have a good number of interns in the emergency department this year. You also need to plan for your own future—at least clarify what you intend to focus on in the near term."

"Thank you, teacher. I’ll go and think it over carefully," Liu Banxia said hurriedly.

Zhou Shuwen smiled and nodded. "You have talent; don’t waste it. Don’t be overambitious and try to master everything at once. You need to build a solid foundation and undergo focused training. And don’t become complacent just because you perform small-incision appendectomies well."

Liu Banxia nodded quickly, feeling quite pleased with himself.

Although his circumstances were a bit different, allowing him to sneak in more time for focused training, Zhou Shuwen wasn’t aware of this. His recent words, however, clearly showed his concern.

It felt good to be cared for.

Stepping out of the office, he saw Qing Kewa distributing things to people in the emergency department. Looking closer, they were all chocolates. This must be Qing Kewa’s way of getting closer to everyone, he thought, deciding not to join in.

Seeing that the emergency department was quiet and Chen Jianxin and Wang Chao were on duty, he greeted them and then headed to the orthopedics department, carrying the skeleton model.

He had intended to return the skeleton model yesterday but got sidetracked when he had to attend to Grandpa Cao.

"Director Xu, thank you. This skeleton model has helped me understand a lot about orthopedics," Liu Banxia said sincerely.

Xu Peichen waved his hand. "How’s the patient from yesterday? When is the surgery?"

"His indicators are still a bit high. We’ll see this afternoon. As soon as they decrease to a suitable level, we’ll proceed with the surgery," Liu Banxia replied.

"I was really rash yesterday, inviting you for a consultation without doing a proper preliminary examination. It wasted a lot of your time. I’ll be more careful in the future."

Xu Peichen glanced at him. "That’s alright. Being thorough is always better than being negligent. Director Zhou and I have also discussed potential future collaborations between the orthopedics and emergency departments. There are many difficulties involved."

"The emergency department is short-staffed. In the future, many personnel will be drawn from various departments to prepare for the trauma center. Our orthopedics department is also understaffed, and our daily workload is very heavy."

"Director Xu, with such a major issue, all I can do is listen," Liu Banxia said, feeling somewhat awkward.

"That’s where you’re mistaken. You’re no longer just a resident in standardized training; you’re the chief resident. In the future, you’ll also need to oversee the medical operations of the emergency department," Xu Peichen stated.

"Thank you, Director Xu," Liu Banxia said.

This was Director Xu’s guidance. He realized he hadn’t positioned himself correctly, still viewing himself much like he was as a resident in standardized training.

If he had considered the issue from the proper ’chief resident’ perspective yesterday, he wouldn’t have made the blunder of immediately calling for a consultation the moment a problem arose.

Even though he had reflected on it yesterday, his understanding wasn’t nearly as profound as it was after hearing Director Xu’s words.

"What’s wrong, Banxia? You seem a bit upset?" Wang Ying, the head nurse, asked with a smile when he returned to the emergency department.

"I was just reflecting on some of my work mistakes. Sister Wang, what have you been busy with these past few days?" Liu Banxia asked.

"Just some family matters. Even though I wasn’t physically here, I heard plenty about what you’ve been doing. You’re doing great; keep it up," Wang Ying replied with a smile.

"Please don’t say that, or I’ll get a big head. You go on with your work. I’m going upstairs to check on a patient I know quite well; he was admitted yesterday," Liu Banxia said.

He went upstairs to check on Grandpa Cao and saw that he was stable enough for surgery in the afternoon. After informing his two sons, Liu Banxia returned to the emergency department and sat quietly in a corner.

He still needed to reflect on how to position himself.

Whether it was Director Zhou or Director Xu, their advice today all emphasized finding the correct positioning—both in his medical studies and in his role as chief resident.

This might be easier said than done.

He used to be too naive, thinking that if he just buried his head and worked diligently, it would be enough. Zhou Shuwen was a pragmatic man; surely he would notice his efforts. That idea itself was flawed. It wasn’t just about working hard; it was about working efficiently. Toiling away blindly and without clear purpose was simply wasted effort. He was still too young, focusing too little on what truly mattered and too much on trivialities. The role of chief resident wasn’t just about getting used to high-intensity work under pressure; it was also about cultivating managerial and coordination skills.