17 A Dagger Hidden Behind a Smile

"Haha, don't be such a hot-headed youth," Luo Hao said with a smile, trying to smooth things over.

"Hot-headed? Are you people in the Medical Affairs Department blind? How is someone like Wen Youren still a so-called provincial-level famous doctor, a 'pillar of the profession'? Pillar my ass! Do you have any shame at all!" Chen Yong was furious. He despised Director Wen and was even more outspoken than Luo Hao, even though Wen Youren was his direct superior.

Luo Hao just smiled, standing in the hallway and watching the show.

Soon, Lin Yuming appeared at the entrance, accompanied by Director Shi and Liu Haisen. Seeing Director Wen emerge from the ward, Lin Yuming waved enthusiastically, his gestures a bit exaggerated, appearing extremely excited.

"Director Wen, the patient’s surgery was a great success," Lin Yuming announced.

"Director Lin, you really… you’ve worked hard," Wen Youren said, feeling slightly awkward.

"Psh, what hard work? With the patient recovered and discharged, I can finally finalize the agreement on my end. As long as the patient recovers and leaves without complications, everything is fine. It’s you, Director Wen, who has been working hard in clinical practice. Don't worry, with the powerful Medical Affairs Department backing you up, you can focus on treating patients; I absolutely won't let you be wronged."

Lin Yuming was warm and friendly, making Wen Youren feel even more uncomfortable.

"Let’s check on the patient. Old Wen, don't run off yet. We’ll grab a bite to eat with Director Shi and Director Liu from the First Affiliated Hospital of the Medical University in a while."

"Oh, oh, okay."

Lin Yuming and Director Shi took a look at the patient. Director Shi advised fasting and no water for one to two days post-op and to stay in touch, before they took their leave.

Director Wen didn't know where to put his hands or feet, but Lin Yuming warmly draped an arm around his shoulder, whispered a few words, and then laughed happily. The two looked like brothers, getting along perfectly.

Seeing this, Chen Yong became even more annoyed. The brow above his mask was twisted into a knot, tight enough to wring out water.

"Don't be like that, we'll go grab a bite later," Luo Hao comforted him.

"Birds of a feather," Chen Yong spat out indignantly.

"Have you ever met an old fox in the bureaucracy?" Luo Hao suddenly asked a seemingly unrelated question.

"Hm?"

"If someone argues with them or has a conflict of values, they are too lazy to fight back. They just laugh it off and move on; they don't hold personal grudges."

"The next day, it’s business as usual. They might even offer the person a cigarette if they look unhappy, trying to butter them up with a few kind words. They can swallow small losses and humble themselves to keep the peace, all so things aren't awkward later and work goes smoothly."

"Their main vibe is being harmless and conflict-averse. They've seen it all, have no interest in those petty squabbles, and just want to enjoy life."

Chen Yong scoffed at Luo Hao’s description, his disdain evident.

"But if someone dares to mess with them, uses dirty tricks, or deliberately makes things difficult for them—if they touch their red line—they’ll show you exactly what they’re capable of."

"I’ve met a few medical affairs directors in various hospitals who have that exact temperament."

Chen Yong raised an eyebrow, his eyes already cursing; his silence was deafening.

Luo Hao ignored him. He didn't force Chen Yong to join them for dinner. He only put up with Chen Yong out of respect for Jiang Wenming. Jiang was an interesting man, very much to Luo Hao’s liking.

At the restaurant, Luo Hao sat by the side of the table, eyes lowered, watching his uncle Lin Yuming and Wen Youren laughing and chatting as if there were no grudges between them at all. The more it looked this way, the more Luo Hao understood that his uncle hated Wen Youren to the bone. The current smiles hid sharp knives, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

Three rounds of drinks later, Lin Yuming raised his glass. "Old Wen, don't worry about complaints from the patient's family; I’ve got your back."

"This is a rare disease; anyone could have made a mistake. Don't put too much psychological pressure on yourself. With our powerful Medical Affairs Department at the Mining General Hospital backing you, just keep practicing as you always have."

Wen Youren was moved. With reddened eyes, he raised his glass. "Director Lin, thank you. Thank you for speaking the truth."

After draining the glass, Lin Yuming sighed. "But this matter has blown up a bit, and the hospital administration knows about it. There’s no help for it; I have to go through the motions. Don't take it to heart, Old Wen."

"Motions?" Wen Youren froze, a bad premonition washing over him.

Lin Yuming, face flushed with drink, hugged Wen Youren’s shoulder, whispering like a brother. "After all, the Orthopedics Department had twelve medical disputes in one quarter, and the administration was very unhappy. I personally led a task force to move in, and things got very unpleasant with them."

"Old Xu in Orthopedics is watching. He’s very dissatisfied, but we’ve done everything by the book, and since he’s had his own medical malpractice incidents, he can't say a word. If I don't do something about your case, Old Wen, I'm afraid Old Xu might go and badmouth you to the President… Hahaha, it’s just a formality."

Wen Youren sank into deep thought.

"It’s the same with the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department. A task force from the Medical Affairs Department moved in. I won't go for this trivial matter; I’ll send Luo Hao instead. Now you can rest easy."

As he spoke, Lin Yuming glanced at Luo Hao and gestured for him to come over. Luo Hao circled around to join them.

"Director Lin, what is it?"

"You know about the General Surgery situation. Give us your take," Lin Yuming asked.

"Well, Teacher Shi said that even at the First Affiliated Hospital, this case would likely be misdiagnosed. You always taught me not to give up eating for fear of choking, and not to be overly cautious. If we worried about every little thing, the hospital might as well shut its doors."

Wen Youren had already heard Luo Hao "helping" to clear his name over the phone, but seeing that sunny, guileless face now, he couldn't help but exhale in relief.

First-class acting.

Lin Yuming looked at Luo Hao with satisfaction and nodded.

"As long as you perform many surgeries, incidents are inevitable. If nothing ever goes wrong, it only proves one thing—the patient volume is too low. This was a rare disease; it couldn't be helped. With our powerful Medical Affairs Department as a shield, clinical departments should go all out to save lives."

"See, Old Wen!" Lin Yuming squeezed Wen Youren’s shoulder hard, saying affectionately, "Everyone understands the logic; we’re just worried that Old Xu from Orthopedics won't let it go. So it’s settled: I won't go, I’ll let Luo Hao handle the paperwork for a few days."

"Fine," Wen Youren said. "Director Lin, clinical work is hard these days. It’s fortunate we have a director like you, who came from a clinical background, to support us."

A wave of pent-up grievance surged, and Wen Youren almost burst into tears. The burly, bearded Wen Youren had red-rimmed eyes, barely holding back his emotions to avoid crying in public. It would be too embarrassing!

"Psh, it’s all about saving lives and serving the people, isn't it, Old Wen?" Lin Yuming laughed, gripping Wen Youren’s shoulder even harder, as if trying to crush him.

"Luo Hao, tomorrow you represent the Medical Affairs Department and move into General Surgery. Just look around, do some spot checks, just go through the motions, you understand?" Lin Yuming glared at Luo Hao.

"Yes, yes, Director Lin, I understand."

Luo Hao smiled, turned back to grab a glass, filled it, walked over to Wen Youren, and bowed slightly. "Director Wen, I’ll just be going through the motions tomorrow. Please forgive any intrusion."

Director Wen was flattered. Although Luo Hao was just a young doctor and junior staff member, he didn't dare to be slighting. He stood up from Lin Yuming’s embrace and clinked glasses with Luo Hao.

After finishing the drink, Luo Hao left with a smile. At the table, Lin Yuming was charming and sophisticated, leaving Wen Youren bewildered and making Director Shi feel completely at home. Because Director Shi and Liu Haisen had to catch a train, Lin Yuming sent Luo Hao to see them off.

After calling a designated driver, Luo Hao waited in the hotel lobby. Reflecting on how his uncle and Wen Youren had become as close as brothers, Luo Hao sighed. Is this how society works?

"Ugh, ugh, ugh!"

Just as Luo Hao was lost in thought, a violent retching sound erupted.

A man was covering his mouth, dry-heaving violently.

*Uh, is he sick?*

Luo Hao perked up, checking the diagnostic AI on the system panel in the top right corner of his vision. The AI was quiet. It was at level 1, with low energy and only one fragment collected—not enough to upgrade.

Luo Hao watched the man intently. He was dining alone, looking quite lonely. On the table were two small bottles of Jin liquor and a pot of soup. The man leaned to the side, seemingly unable to even stand the smell wafting from the soup pot.

Seeing the commotion, the waiter immediately called the front-of-house manager.

"Sir, sir, what’s wrong?" The manager stood with his hands clasped, looking nervous.

The retching customer pointed at the pot of soup while he heaved. The manager guessed what might be wrong; though the customer couldn't speak, he clearly indicated it was the soup.

"Sir, our soup is made with real, fresh ingredients. I guarantee there’s nothing wrong with it."

"Ugh, ugh, ugh!" The customer continued to heave, unable to utter a word, looking miserable.

A crowd began to gather, whispering and pointing; some people even looked back at their own soup pots with suspicion. Seeing the customer’s nausea didn't seem faked, the manager, full of doubt, picked up a fresh spoon and took a sip.

"Ugh!"

The manager spat the soup onto the floor. *What the hell is this taste!*

Just from his expression, it was clear the soup was repulsive. It wasn't just the customer—even the manager couldn't stand the stench.

Seeing this, Luo Hao didn't feel relieved; he became even more tense. If the customer was just unwell, it was an isolated incident; but if the hotel’s ingredients were tainted, this was a large-scale food poisoning event! He didn't know how many others might react.

Luo Hao gripped his phone, alert as a leopard, scanning the crowd for any signs of distress. He was ready to dial 120 at any second. A mass incident! Collective poisoning! He began to regret that drink he’d had with Wen Youren.

The manager heaved a few times, his face dark, and roared, "Get the head chef out here!"

The waiter was stunned and scrambled to fetch the chef. Soon, several neatly dressed cooks ran out.

"How was this soup made?" The manager was clearly in a state of shock. Luo Hao felt that a restaurant like this shouldn't have food safety issues. Just like a medical malpractice incident in a hospital, things that can be brought out into the open usually aren't the real problem.

The chefs looked at each other, bewildered, finding no clue in each other's innocent and confused expressions. The head chef whispered, "There’s no problem, none at all! We use authentic ingredients, you know that."

"Taste it! Is this ‘no problem’?!" The manager hissed into the head chef's ear. He still had some sense left; he didn't want to lose it in front of the customers, but he was on the edge. He gave each chef a spoon and watched them intently.

Each took a sip.

"Ugh, ugh, ugh!"

The sounds of retching rose and fell. The chefs, who had initially looked as if they were wondering how bad it could be, ended up retching up their previous meals.

Luo Hao watched, feeling something was off. The chefs seemed genuinely surprised by the taste. Remembering the mushroom soup in the private room, he hadn't found any issues there.

*Strange.* It looked like food poisoning, but something didn't fit.

"Excuse me." A hoarse voice "drilled" through the sounds of retching. It was the customer. He looked terrible—white as a sheet, eyes red-rimmed and teary, his voice raspy.

"???" The manager had never seen such a "reasonable" customer before. He stared at the man, completely confused by the "excuse me."

"I drank too much, and I just threw up in the pot."

"Ugh~~"

"Ugh~~~"

"Ugh~~~~"

The manager and the chefs all began to retch violently in unison.

Luo Hao loosened his grip on his phone, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. *Thank goodness it’s not mass poisoning… the manager and chefs will just be disgusted, but there’s no danger to life.*

[As the saying goes, a man is a youth until he dies, but when does a youth worry about these few pennies…]

Luo Hao answered the phone. It was the designated driver. He picked up Director Shi and Liu Haisen, drove downstairs, and headed straight to the high-speed rail station.

In the car, Liu Haisen opened the window.

"Old Liu, it’s cold, close it," Director Shi complained.

"Two minutes, let me cool off."

"Hm? What’s wrong with you? Why do you need to cool off?" Director Shi asked, puzzled.

Liu Haisen didn't answer. He took two deep breaths of the cold air outside and asked, "Luo Hao, you're moving into General Surgery—are you ready to strike?"

"Huh? Teacher Liu, how did you know?" Luo Hao asked in surprise.

"Boss Lin is rarely that enthusiastic, even with us. Whenever he’s that warm and outgoing like a socialite, he’s definitely holding a knife behind his back."

"!!!" Luo Hao hadn't expected Liu Haisen to see through it.

"What’s going on?" Director Shi asked.

Luo Hao recounted the situation briefly. Although he was vague and subtle, Director Shi understood perfectly. He sighed. "I didn't expect Director Wen to not only be a coward but also full of malicious intent. If the path for inviting outside experts is cut off, ordinary people really have no good way to get treated."

"Exactly. Online registration, a specialist appointment at Peking Union Medical College Hospital costs 1,500 to 2,000, and even after you get the appointment, you still have to wait for a bed. 'Flying knives' (visiting surgeons) might be the only convenient way for ordinary people to access high-end medical resources."

The car fell silent. Neither expert from the First Affiliated Hospital wanted to dwell on such depressing matters; it was tiring—mentally exhausting.

Liu Haisen closed the window, thought for a moment, and asked, "Doctor Luo, what are you planning to do?"

"I don't know yet, taking it one step at a time."

"Didn't Boss Lin teach you?"

"No, he just told me to move into General Surgery and observe carefully; he didn't say anything else."

Liu Haisen shrugged, surprised that Lin and Luo were playing so loosely. He wanted to make a sarcastic remark, but the image of Lin’s smile flashed in his mind. *No! Boss Lin must have a comprehensive plan.*

"Doctor Luo, if there’s any progress, give me a call," Liu Haisen said with a laugh. "I’m just purely gossiping; I definitely won't interfere with your progress."

"Understood, Teacher Liu."

After seeing the two directors off at the station, Luo Hao waved goodbye and took a car home. He didn't call Lin Yuming to discuss it; in these situations, you just respond to what comes—thinking too much beforehand was useless.

The night passed without incident. The next morning, Luo Hao went to the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department first.

"Director Sun, I’m going to General Surgery today."

Director Sun paused and pulled Luo Hao aside, asking in a whisper, "Is it because of that medical malpractice incident in General Surgery recently?"

Luo Hao smiled but didn't answer.

"Little Luo, stop jumping around the Medical Affairs Department. One day this department, the next day that department—you’ll learn a bit of everything, but you won't master anything."

Seeing Luo Hao remain silent, she knew she’d asked too much. She spoke earnestly: "Come work with me. You don't need to worry about anything else; just do the cyst punctures well. If you get married and have kids in the future, the embolization surgeries will all be yours."

"Don't look down on small surgeries—who can do without you? Think about it. Also, if you want to aim higher, there’s a place for you in the reproductive clinic later, for things like tubal recanalization."

"Director Sun, calling you 'Sister' might be inappropriate."

"Let’s keep our roles separate. I call your uncle 'Brother Lin,' and you call me 'Sister Sun'—it doesn't conflict."

"..." Luo Hao smiled. "A male doctor in OB/GYN sounds nice, but according to everyone’s speculation, the possibility of an ectopic pregnancy is too high; I don't dare."

"!!!" Director Sun scratched her head.

"Sister, thank you first," Luo Hao said sincerely. "For the puncture surgeries, I’ll still need your help. As for where I go, I have to discuss it with Director Lin."

"Don't worry!" Director Sun promised. "With me here, OB/GYN is your home; come back anytime."

Luo Hao knew clearly that half of Director Sun’s enthusiasm came from the uterine artery embolization and cyst puncture procedures, and the other half from his friendliness since joining the department.

Before he could finish thinking, Director Sun leaned in and whispered, "Be careful with Director Wen. He’s… *ahem*, he has a fiery temper, very different from us in OB/GYN."

"Mm-hm, mm-hm," Luo Hao nodded obediently.

Director Sun looked at him with concern. During the time Luo Hao had "moved in," he had helped the department bring in patients with ovarian cysts and chocolate cysts for surgery, which had gradually scaled up. Each patient could save several hundred to a thousand yuan based on insurance standards; while the amount wasn't huge, the volume was high. The department’s insurance budget hadn't exceeded the limit for the past two months and even had a surplus. That was why Director Sun’s attitude had warmed; now that she heard he was leaving, she felt reluctant.

Luo Hao said his goodbyes and left the department with a smile. It wasn't like he was never coming back; Teacher Liu was coming for surgery on the weekend, so there would be plenty of contact.

When Luo Hao arrived at General Surgery, he caught the shift handover. Director Wen looked at him with a smile and said to the doctors and nurses, "Starting today, the Medical Affairs Department has sent someone to be stationed in our General Surgery department. Everyone must cooperate with Doctor Luo’s work."

The doctors and nurses looked at each other in confusion.

"I don't know much; I’m just here to observe. Director Wen, you’re too kind," Luo Hao said with a smile.

After a few polite exchanges, the handover began, and Luo Hao acted exactly like someone just going through the motions. He didn't participate in rounds; after everyone left the office, he sat alone at the computer reviewing medical records.

When they returned from rounds, Director Wen asked with a hint of trepidation, "Little Luo, you understand surgical records; there must be flaws. If you see something, just say it! I’ll make them change it! If anyone refuses, come to me, and I’ll teach them a lesson."

"No, no," Luo Hao waved his hands quickly. "I’ve always been in Medical Affairs; I don't write records myself. I’m just here to watch the show."

"When I was at Peking Union, sometimes surgical records were left blank, waiting to be filled in after discharge. It’s fine, we’re all on the same team, I’m not here to cause trouble."

Director Wen had expected Luo Hao to start a fire, but he never imagined Luo Hao was truly just "going through the motions" and wouldn't pick any faults.

Days passed, and after a week, Director Wen felt completely relieved. Luo Hao was truly just a mascot, sitting there every day doing nothing but holding a surgery textbook to read. Director Wen didn't understand why Luo Hao, with a Ph.D., was still reading books. Thus, in Director Wen’s mind, Luo Hao was labeled a "bookworm."

On the weekend, Deputy Director Liu came to perform surgery, and Luo Hao’s mission progressed significantly. The surgery went smoothly without any complications. On Monday morning, Luo Hao checked on the post-op patients in OB/GYN before heading to General Surgery.

In the hallway, there was a gurney with a patient lying on it. The patient was in a lateral position, curled up, his pale face tinged with yellow, cold sweat dripping down.

Luo Hao walked over and touched the patient’s forehead. *High fever, at least 39°C.*

"Director Wen, the patient’s CT shows a liver abscess," the doctor on duty reported.

"Why is he in our ward? He should be in Gastroenterology," Director Wen said, displeased. "This is ridiculous. Get a consultation from Gastroenterology."

Luo Hao said nothing, standing to the side and listening quietly. The patient was a 50-year-old male. His clinical presentation was severe sepsis accompanied by abdominal pain and jaundice. About 20 years ago, he had a cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis at the Mining General Hospital. The surgeon had since retired, and the specific details were unknown.

In the last two years, the patient had been admitted six times, all treated in Gastroenterology. Every time he was admitted, he was given anti-inflammatory treatment, symptoms would subside, and he would be discharged. Within one to two months, the symptoms would recur.

After consulting with the Gastroenterology doctors, the patient and his family decided not to stay in Gastro this time but to be sent to General Surgery.

As the history of present illness, past medical history, and physical examination data were "inputted," the diagnostic AI automatically generated a diagnosis: **Biliary Wastewater Pool Syndrome** (also known as Blind Loop Syndrome)!

When he saw the diagnosis, Luo Hao felt a jolt. *Biliary Wastewater Pool Syndrome*—this wasn't something Gastroenterology could treat. Because there was a fistula between the dilated common bile duct stump and the jejunum, located 2cm below the hepaticojejunostomy, no matter what medication Gastro used, it would only treat the symptoms, not the root cause.

"Ridiculous! If you can't cure him, send him to a higher-level hospital. Why send him to General Surgery? Are you wasting time!" Director Wen barked indignantly.