Chapter 2: The Intern Doctor

Shao Haibo stood below the outpatient building, staring into the distance with longing eyes. It had been more than three years since he last saw Zeng Yi, and he wondered what the young man looked like now.

When Shao Haibo was a child, his family was very poor. After finishing junior high school, his parents sent him to study traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) under the old Mr. Zeng in the town, hoping he would have a skill to make a living in the future. Later, seeing Shao Haibo's diligence and ambition, Mr. Zeng sponsored him to continue his education until he graduated from university.

During his university years, Shao Haibo studied TCM, but considering the bleak prospects for TCM, he also studied Western medicine on his own and obtained dual degrees in both TCM and Western medicine. He then successfully enrolled in a master's program in Western clinical medicine. After graduation, he was assigned to the Nanjiang Provincial People's Hospital. After a few years of hard work, he is now the chief physician of the gastroenterology department and is quite well-known in the medical community of Nanjiang Province.

Over the years, Shao Haibo has always remembered Mr. Zeng's kindness and wanted to repay him. However, before he could achieve his goals, Mr. Zeng passed away, which has been a constant source of pain for Shao Haibo.

Mr. Zeng had only one grandson, Zeng Yi. In the eyes of the world, doctors become more reliable with age. When Mr. Zeng passed away, Zeng Yi was only a teenager and could not run the family clinic. He closed the clinic and went to study elsewhere, traveling during his holidays. He was like a dragon whose head is seen but whose tail is not.

Last month, Zeng Yi graduated from university. Upon receiving the news, Shao Haibo immediately decided to bring Zeng Yi to the provincial hospital and arrange a good job for him, as a way to honor the memory of Mr. Zeng.

A taxi pulled into the People's Hospital and stopped. Shao Haibo saw Zeng Yi's figure.

Zeng Yi had grown much taller, nearly 1.8 meters. Perhaps due to the influence of Mr. Zeng, he had a certain air of elegance and refinement. Even though he was standing right in front of him, Shao Haibo felt a sense of distance.

"Xiao Yi, hahaha..." Shao Haibo was very excited and ran over, giving Zeng Yi a big hug. "I almost didn't recognize you!"

Zeng Yi was also very happy and gave Shao Haibo an even stronger hug. "Big Brother, you've put on some weight. If you hadn't called me, I wouldn't have recognized you!"

"Living a good life, how could I not put on some weight!" Shao Haibo looked Zeng Yi up and down, feeling a bit sad. "I feel guilty, letting you wander alone for so many years. You must have gone through a lot of hardship!"

Zeng Yi waved his hand and smiled. "Big Brother, you're overthinking it. I didn't go through any hardship. I lived like a free bird, enjoying life to the fullest!"

Shao Haibo knew Zeng Yi was comforting him. "Now it's all good! From now on, you'll stay by my side. We'll work hard together and not let our teacher down!" He offered to help Zeng Yi with his things. "It's hot outside, let's go inside to cool off."

Zeng Yi didn't have much with him, just a wooden box. The box looked old, with a dark red surface carved with a bud about to bloom, and two copper rings on each end, allowing it to be carried on the back.

Shao Haibo almost shed tears, remembering how Mr. Zeng used to carry this box on his medical rounds. Now the box was still there, but the person was gone. He took a deep breath to suppress his emotions. "From now on, keep the box at home. Nowadays, doctors mostly see patients in the hospital, and there are few house calls."

"I'm used to carrying it, so I'll take it wherever I go," Zeng Yi smiled and carried the box, following Shao Haibo.

"Your sister-in-law has been preparing a welcome feast since early this morning. I've also saved a bottle of aged Maotai for you. We'll drink until we're drunk tonight," Shao Haibo said, very pleased. "I've already arranged everything at the hospital. I'll take you to register, and after a period of internship, I'll help you get a good position!"

Zeng Yi nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Big Brother. Whenever something good happens, you always think of me first!"

Shao Haibo immediately put on a serious face. "From now on, no more such polite words. I don't like hearing them!"

The provincial hospital building had nine floors of outpatient clinics, laboratories, imaging, and blood departments, and the administrative offices were on the floors above, with the personnel department on the tenth floor.

With Shao Haibo's help, the registration process went smoothly, but there was a problem at the last step. Zeng Yi studied TCM, and the TCM department at the provincial hospital was small, with only four doctors. According to hospital regulations, each doctor could take two interns, but all four doctors' intern slots were already full.

"Director Shao, should we talk to the hospital director and ask for an additional slot?" the personnel officer suggested.

A week ago, Shao Haibo would have gone to Zhang Renjie without hesitation, but now, with the issue involving the wife of the provincial party secretary, Zhang Renjie was in a bad mood, especially towards the doctors in the treatment team.

If Shao Haibo went to ask now, he would only be asking for trouble. Zhang Renjie might even revoke Zeng Yi's internship资格.

"Let's put him under my name for now, and we'll see what we can do later," Shao Haibo said.

The personnel officer understood. "Alright, we'll do it as Director Shao said!"

Although the hospital rules were strict, people were flexible. Since the number of doctors in each department varied, the number of intern slots they had also varied. As long as the total number of interns did not exceed the limit, doctors often made informal adjustments, which everyone knew about but no one questioned. After all, who could guarantee that their medical relatives would have the exact specialty they needed? Everyone would need help in the future!

After completing the registration, Zeng Yi received an internship card and a white coat.

Seeing Zeng Yi put on the white coat, Shao Haibo breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Today, you'll follow me first. I'll talk to the TCM department doctors and then you can go there."

"Sure, I'm here now, so I'll do as you say!" Zeng Yi smiled, a bit helplessly, as a TCM doctor, he would now be interning with a Western medicine doctor.

The two went downstairs, and Shao Haibo reminded Zeng Yi, "Working in a large hospital is different from running a private clinic. All diagnostic and treatment processes must strictly follow hospital regulations. You cannot deviate from them, or you might cause a medical accident, which would be very difficult to handle. Remember this, and I'll tell you more later."

Zeng Yi nodded, indicating he understood.

In recent years, the relationship between doctors and patients across the country has been tense, and there are even professional "medical troublemakers" in some places. To avoid disputes and clarify responsibilities, and to prevent inexperienced doctors from making mistakes, hospitals have established very strict regulations for diagnosing and treating various conditions, such as what tests to perform and which departments to visit.

This is a good thing, but sometimes it can be a bad thing.

For example, someone might have a stomachache and diarrhea due to eating something bad, which could be acute gastroenteritis. However, at the hospital, they might be asked to do blood tests, urine tests, even ultrasounds, X-rays, and ECGs. If the patient is female, they might also be asked to do a pregnancy test to rule out ectopic pregnancy.

A simple IV could solve the problem, but the patient might be exhausted by the time they finish all the tests. If the waiting lines are long, the patient might be sent to the emergency room for treatment, even requiring a ventilator or heart stimulants.

Even so, except for a few well-known experts, most doctors would rather have patients go through multiple departments and wait in multiple lines than to prescribe medication based on their own experience.

This is a high-voltage line that must not be touched. Shao Haibo mentioned this first to protect Zeng Yi.

Just as they were about to leave the elevator, someone came to notify them, "Director Shao, the experts from Beijing will arrive soon. The director wants everyone to go downstairs to welcome them."

Shao Haibo turned and headed back to the elevator. "Xiao Yi, there's a major case at the hospital today, and it might take a long time. You can wait in my office, and I'll come find you when I'm done." He took a few steps and then stopped, waving to Zeng Yi. "Forget it, you should come with me. I'll show you around."

With his own success as an example, Shao Haibo has always wanted to persuade Zeng Yi to switch to Western medicine. This was a good opportunity, and he decided to take Zeng Yi to see the demeanor of the top experts, which would make his future persuasion more convincing.

"Are you going to the major case?" Zeng Yi asked.

Shao Haibo nodded. "Remember, observe more and speak less!"

In front of the provincial hospital building, the square was already crowded with people, including department heads, doctors, and mid-to-high-level hospital leaders.

Zhang Renjie stood at the front of the crowd, pacing anxiously, waiting for the experts to arrive.

Shao Haibo stood at the back of the crowd and asked a nearby doctor, "The experts from Beijing are coming so quickly this time!"

"You don't know who the patient is!" The doctor lifted his chin and gave a sideways glance, as if the question was amateur. "They came on a military plane!"

Shao Haibo fell silent, praying that the experts from Beijing would come up with an effective treatment plan.

Medical accidents can be big or small, depending on who they happen to. If it happens to the wife of the provincial party secretary, the responsibility would be too much for Zhang Renjie to bear.

As a member of the treatment team, Shao Haibo had raised his hand in agreement with the treatment plan. If there were any future investigations, he would also be held responsible.

Zeng Yi didn't know any of this. He stood at the back of the crowd, finding the scene very amusing. The hospital leaders, all eagerly waiting, looked like a group of penguins.

Thinking about the earlier conversation, Zeng Yi's curiosity grew. If a military plane was used, what kind of major case was this, and who was the patient?