11 The Old Hand

“Director Wen, shall we go now?” The smile on the man’s face bloomed like a chrysanthemum.

“Wait a bit longer. Let him lose some sleep first,” Director Wen replied grimly.

“All right.” The man chuckled warmly. “Director Wen, you’re a renowned provincial doctor, the best surgeon in Donglian City—everyone knows the ‘Wen One Knife.’ They insist on bringing in some unknown old man, there must be something fishy. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure everything you entrusted me with is handled properly.”

After confirming some details with Director Wen, the man took his leave. If he had a tail, he would have wagged it like a dog eager to please.

Once he was gone, Director Wen’s face darkened, a sinister smile creeping at the corner of his lips. “Daring to reach into my bowl without knowing the consequences. Lin Yuming, do you really think you’re the hospital director now?”

...

Lin Yuming had no idea what was about to unfold. After the surgery, he accompanied Deputy Director Liu Haisen on a round to check the postoperative patients.

There was nothing unusual; some even doubted whether the surgery had been done at all.

Minimally invasive surgery is like that—patients never have to lie bedridden for days unable to move.

“Old Liu, remember the buffet we used to raid back in school?” Lin Yuming asked.

Liu Haisen’s memories stirred vividly.

“Of course! We’d starve for three days just to gorge ourselves there, six young guys almost got the owner to kick us out.”

“Ha! I remember we drank twelve boxes of beer, from noon till night, and the owner’s face looked like it was smeared with coal dust.”

“Feels like it was just yesterday.”

“The owner is someone I know. After returning from Mudanjiang, he opened a barbecue joint called ‘Quyang BBQ.’”

“Oh!” Liu Haisen’s eyes lit up.

“Let’s go.” Lin Yuming laughed, leading Old Liu to the barbecue place.

It wasn’t far—a few minutes by car.

On the way, Liu stretched and said, “Boss Lin, why do you have so many patients? I thought you’d only need one or two visits.”

“A top specialist complaining about too many patients? Afraid money is burning a hole in your pocket?” Lin Yuming teased.

“Just don’t want to run around,” Liu replied.

“If you don’t earn money, are you crazy?”

“These little gigs are risky and eat into my weekend fishing time. Honestly, I don’t have many ambitions now. Fishing all day in a deserted spot is my greatest joy.”

“Why not earn more and prepare for the future? You’re young but think like an old man,” Lin Yuming chided.

“Why stress yourself?” Deputy Director Liu looked at Lin with clear eyes. “Pressure doesn’t turn into motivation; it only turns into medical records.”

...

That remark struck a chord—pressure only turning into medical records. Lin Yuming gave a bitter smile.

“We chose the wrong profession,” Liu sighed.

Old classmates spoke freely with each other.

Things unsaid to others could be spoken without restraint among old friends and dorm buddies.

“A doctor’s income is modest, but the social value is immense; doctors trade their own hardships for the patients’ poetry and distant dreams.”

“Ha, you say that as if you earn little,” Lin Yuming laughed.

“Don’t go there,” Liu shook his head. “Saying doctors don’t earn money is nonsense. But no one gives us a legitimate, legal way to make decent money. We’re the middle wave between the old and new generations. After so many years of grinding, we finally reach a point where we might earn something, and then we get discarded like worn-out tools.”

“I talked with a friend once. She said you can make money in any profession—except as a doctor.”

Lin Yuming looked at Liu with unspoken understanding.

Luo Hao, clueless, asked, “Liu, what does your friend do? What did she say exactly?”

“She’s an executive at a foreign company in the capital,” Liu said. “She doesn’t have many hobbies, just reads web novels to kill time. She says novels reflect people’s psychological reactions.”

“Gamers fear honest game companies going bankrupt and prefer paying more for games.”

“People who eat out worry that their favorite restaurants might close during economic crises, so they try to eat there more often, turning a blind eye to price hikes.”

“These things fit naturally into novels. But when it comes to doctors making money, she gets all uncomfortable.”

“Ugh,” Lin Yuming inhaled sharply, unsure how to respond.

Though Lin didn’t read novels, he understood Liu’s point thoroughly.

“Flying knife surgery carries risks, you know that without me saying. I came because of your face, Lin, and also because...” Liu glanced at Luo Hao.

“Dr. Luo is impressive. Honestly, today’s surgery exceeded my expectations. After a hundred or so more puncture surgeries, he’ll surpass me for sure.”

“Ha ha ha,” Lin Yuming laughed proudly. “Old Liu, don’t flatter the kid so much—you’re just setting him up for a fall.”

“No conflict of interest here; just speaking the truth. No matter what, talent matters. People differ—that’s something I only realized in recent years.”

“Really realized?” Lin’s pride gave way to reflection.

“Yes. Years ago, when you went to the provincial capital for a conference and we had a small reunion—you said you were moving from clinical work to administration, and we didn’t believe you.”

Lin Yuming felt awkward and stopped himself.

He knew himself well—no clinical talent; at best, he’d be an ‘ordinary doctor’ with the title of chief physician.

So he chose administration early on.

Though lacking medical talent, Lin thrived in hospital administration.

Over a decade, he rose from clerk to head of the medical affairs office, now eyeing the deputy director position.

For an ordinary person without family ties, Lin’s achievements were remarkable.

Liu Haisen was clear: he didn’t want to do “flying knife” surgeries.

He only came repeatedly for Lin’s sake and because he admired Luo Hao.

Such talk grew dull, so they tacitly switched to Liu’s favorite topic—fishing.

Luo Hao couldn’t understand fishermen’s mindset; found it utterly boring.

To Luo, fishing was the epitome of dullness—how anyone could sit still all day baffled him.

Middle-aged men often take up strange hobbies, fishing being the most common.

Not just Liu, Lin Yuming was well versed in the subject, and the two chatted animatedly.

Soon they arrived at Quyang BBQ.

Seeing the owner, who once cursed their gluttony at the old buffet and now had graying temples, stirred the softest spot in Liu’s heart.

He opened his arms and gave Boss Ding a big hug.

“It’s been so long... so long,” Liu said emotionally.

Time flies; nearly twenty years had passed in a blink.

...

“Indeed, Lin often comes here; the rest of you rarely show up. Next time, get all your old gang together for a feast,” Boss Ding reminisced.

“Ha, can’t eat like before,” Liu laughed.

“I’ll grill some skewers for you, wait here,” Ding said, wiping his apron vigorously as if trying to erase years of grease.

“Grill less, we can’t eat much now,” Lin said, glancing at Luo Hao. “Well, he brought his little horn.”

“I won’t eat much either,” Luo laughed.

“What are you saying? At your age, I could devour a whole cow,” Liu scoffed. “Back in summer, I’d go to the bathroom before bed and pour a bucket of cold water over myself to cool off.”

“Now no way. Half an hour in an air-conditioned mall and my nose runs. Recently, I slept with the AC set to 26 degrees at low speed, accidentally exposed my navel, and guess what? Got tonsillitis the next day.”

“...Ha ha ha, your body’s fragile now.”

“Remember when I broke my ankle playing soccer in school?” Liu asked.

“Of course, I carried you to the hospital and they put on a huge cast—you looked like a mummy.”

“At that time, I sneaked out over the wall with the cast to drink with high school friends. Those bastards came to see me as a patient but insisted on drinking. Now, not just breaking a bone, but a cold nearly has me writing a will.”

“Young age is like a protection period, but now it’s over. I truly feel my body can’t keep up. Though it’s just over an hour from the provincial capital, including travel, my old back already complains.”

Liu once again subtly expressed his disdain for flying knife surgeries.

Lin Yuming sighed helplessly.

He planned long-term cooperation with the medical university to improve the hospital’s level and do some good for ordinary people in Donglian City.

The current environment was truly bad; even a distant petty matter was affecting their hospital so severely.

“At our age, health is most important. I have cholecystitis and neurasthenia from those night shifts when I was young. Back then, I’d do over a hundred emergency ultrasounds a day, wheeling the machine to different wards for bedside scans.”

“My gallbladder’s basically a decoration now.”

Liu rambled on.

“Old Liu, why not remove it? Laparoscopic cholecystectomy lets you go home the next day,” Lin asked.

“Hah, even if it’s just a decoration, it’s mine. The young female doctors are losing weight, I’m losing ‘equipment.’ Time’s a butcher’s knife; I’ll keep my gallbladder as long as I can.”

They chatted while Luo Hao half-listened to their complaints.

He guessed he was probably older than Liu.

After ten minutes, Boss Ding brought a large bundle of skewers to the table.

Lin Yuming pulled him down to eat together.

Boss Ding didn’t hold back—he sat eating and telling stories from the past.

Several bottles of wine later, conversations flowed freely.

An hour passed before Lin’s phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID and answered.

“Director Sun, what’s wrong?” Lin asked.

“Director Lin, a patient is threatening to file a complaint!”

“A complaint? About what?”

Hearing the word ‘complaint,’ the air in the small room at Quyang BBQ almost froze.

Especially Luo Hao, who’d never faced anything like this—his adrenaline surged.

Director Sun hurriedly explained, “They say the outside expert took a bribe! I told you so, didn’t I, didn’t I…”

“!!!” Deputy Director Liu was stunned.

He had just criticized Lin for being too cautious and complicating simple matters.

Never expected trouble so soon after coming to the hospital.

“Don’t worry, I’m heading back immediately,” Lin said calmly.

He hung up and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“Luo Hao, take Deputy Director Liu to the high-speed rail station.”

“Boss Lin, is everything all right?” Liu asked anxiously.

“Nonsense!” Lin sneered. “Some careless patient was egged on to cause trouble. Relax, I’ll handle it.”

“Handle it?” Liu doubted.

“You mind your own business. I’m your boss. If I can’t handle it, why should you go? Apologize to the patient’s family? Ridiculous. If you apologize, they won’t come again!”

“Come again?” Liu sighed deeply.

He knew flying knife surgeries never brought good news. Damn it!

“Liu, it’s about time. I’ll take you to the station,” Luo suggested, seeing Liu couldn’t eat.

“Let’s go,” Liu said listlessly.

“Don’t worry, Liu,” Luo comforted.

“Don’t worry? You don’t know, Xiao Luo. We doctors are scapegoats. Whatever conflicts arise, they dump them all on us.”

“These days, Director Lin had me help organize some documents,” Luo said.

“Documents?”

“The National Health Commission issued a document in 2017 stating that practicing medicine across regions is reasonable and allows certain remuneration.”

???

Liu was genuinely stunned. How had he not known?

“But the amount was small, capped at 5,000 yuan,” Luo said with a smile. “Charging 2,000 per patient isn’t illegal.”

“But…” Liu hesitated, memories of recent troubles with Lin flooding his mind.

“You didn’t pocket the money; it went through company accounts. Our medical affairs office represents the hospital in liaising with medical companies, inviting provincial experts for surgery. Labor fees are transparent, taxable.”

Luo explained simply.

Before trouble, Liu barely cared despite sensing problems.

No one expects to be so unlucky.

Once trouble hit, he began looking into the hidden issues.

...

At the hospital headquarters.

Lin Yuming smiled as he watched the kettle boil. When the water was ready, he took out a box of tea leaves.

“This was sent by my student—he said it’s good stuff. Some ‘Mingqian Minghou’ or something that this rough old man doesn’t understand. Try it.”

A man sat on the sofa, legs crossed, sneering at Lin, who looked meek and timid.

To him, Lin had already caved. Next, as Director Wen said, he’d return the outside expert’s fee, and perhaps the hospital would pay a hefty hush money to keep things quiet.

Making money so easily made the man’s heart bloom with joy.

After brewing the tea, Lin placed the cup on the table beside the man and calmly said, “Don’t be so angry. If there are difficulties or complaints, just say them.”

“No difficulties, just some complaints. The state repeatedly orders no red envelopes, so why does some unknown old man from out of town get 2,000 yuan in red envelopes from us? That’s outrageous,” the man said sarcastically.

Lin smiled, “We agreed on that money beforehand.”

“I’m not a doctor; I don’t understand your industry’s twists and turns. A friend came to visit today and told me it’s illegal to accept red envelopes.”

The man launched into his “I have a friend” speech.

Raising his voice, he said, “Illegal! Do you understand what illegal means?!”

“I do,” Lin’s smile remained. He sat beside the man like a cunning old wolf. “Tell me your demands.”

“I don’t have many. If your hospital doesn’t give me a satisfactory and fair answer, I’ll complain to the city. If the city ignores me, I’ll go to the province!”

“I refuse to believe that, under the broad daylight, in this world, a common man like me has nowhere to seek justice!”

“Don’t get so worked up; anger hurts your liver,” Lin said evenly. “Deputy Director Liu is an expert from the provincial capital, giving up his weekend to treat Donglian’s people. A modest consultation fee is not unreasonable, right?”

“That’s not a consultation fee—that’s a red envelope, a bribe!” the man coldly corrected Lin.

“Heh,” Lin smiled faintly, “Recently, the director of neurosurgery in a central county used facial recognition to invite top experts from the country’s best neurosurgery hospital. You know how county hospitals are.”

Lin’s voice quickened, merely stating facts without giving the man time to think.

“Unfortunately, what happened afterward was regrettable.”

“Why tell me this? What does it have to do with me?” The man stiffened, glare sharp.

“Oh, I’m just saying, unless greed blinds you, these matters wouldn’t arise. For example, recently, a relative of a city leader went to the capital for treatment. Near Peking Union Medical College Hospital, the cheapest lodging was a single bed room with no window, no breakfast, a shared bathroom—288 yuan a night.”

“They waited two weeks in line, couldn’t get admitted, and came back humiliated. The city leader contacted our hospital. I arranged for experts from Peking Union to operate.”

“The 10,000 yuan labor fee didn’t even cover half the expenses of waiting in the capital.”

“If you stir up trouble like this, what about future patients? Have you thought of that?”

“I don’t care!” the man said coldly.

“Oh, if you’ve thought it through, that’s fine,” Lin smiled. “Then I’ll have to tell the other patients’ families who have appointments that because of your troublemaking, the experts can no longer come to our hospital.”

“???”

The man hesitated when it concerned himself.

“Ovarian cysts, liver cysts—many people have them. Let me see who you booked with.”

Lin put on reading glasses, took out a notebook from the drawer, and flipped through it.

“You’re with the district finance department, right? Well, your leader’s relative has the need. It’s a pity, but I have to be honest.”

The man’s face fell, uglier than crying. Yet, suspicion flickered—was this wolf-like old man bluffing?

“It’s illegal, illegal! I just don’t accept it,” he insisted, softening his tone.

Lin invoked his superior’s name; the man didn’t want to discern truth or lies. Even if it was a threat, he had to take it seriously.

Though he said so, his heart was confused, already cursing Director Wen for stirring him up.

“Illegal?” Lin looked up over his glasses like a wolf grandmother.

The man’s reaction matched Lin’s expectations.

“Here’s the document signed by the patient’s immediate family.”

Lin placed a photocopy on the desk.

“We told you about the 2,000 yuan labor fee; your family raised no objections then.”

Before the man could speak, Lin laid out several more photocopies.

“These are documents for collecting labor fees on behalf of the medical office. This is the contract for medical cooperation, hiring Director Liu to treat patients at our hospital.”

“All fees are transparent and taxable. I’ve never seen any ‘red envelope’.”

“But…” The man’s scalp tingled seeing the piles of paperwork.

Director Wen was wrong!

The man’s mind already cursed Wen’s female relatives.

“Documents, all aboveboard—no big waves. At worst, the hospital compensates you a little and stops scheduling consultations or surgeries with Director Liu. Next week’s surgeries, including yours... ha ha ha, all canceled.”

“Guess if this happens, would any patient in Donglian City want to go to the provincial capital or the metropolis for treatment?”

“As for me, I’ll admit fault and get media coverage so no one thinks I, Lin Yuming, refused service. As for you, your name will be all over the reports—everyone in Donglian City will know who you are.”

The man grew increasingly nervous.

“Guess if your leader’s relative can’t get treatment or feels neglected, will they complain?”

“Guess if your name will become infamous in Donglian City? Everyone knowing what you did?”

“Guess if your leader’s anger will fall on you?”

Lin’s smile vanished. His face hardened as his voice rose, echoing in the small office.

“Guess if your career will be ruined over these few thousand yuan!”

This was an unmasked threat.

But the man knew Lin was telling the truth.

He would be scapegoated, not without reason. Even if this seemingly harmless old man was bluffing, once his name was out, everyone would know he was a troublemaker, causing problems during promotion discussions.

He shivered, regret blossoming.

Why did he listen to Director Wen and rush to be the scapegoat?

Damn it!

Director Wen was definitely a bad apple.

“Who told you to do this?” Lin demanded sharply.

The question was abrupt. The man was regretting and contemplating his grim future when suddenly asked.

He blurted out, “Director Wen from General Surgery.”