Chapter 7: The Imperial Doctor Walks

Half an hour later, the medicine was ready. Secretary Tang personally carried it on a tray and returned to the ward with Zeng Yi.

"Good medicine tastes bitter, so don't be afraid of the bitterness," Zeng Yi said as he lifted the bowl. "You should try it first. If it's not too hot, it's best to drink it all in one go. I guarantee it will take effect after you drink it."

Li Zhengkun did not rush to leave; he wanted to stay and observe the effects of the medicine. Hearing Zeng Yi's words, he thought the young man's tone was a bit too confident. The patient had been ill for more than just a day or two, and even if the medicine was effective, it wouldn't work so quickly.

Feng Yuqin, however, was very trusting. She felt the temperature of the medicine with her lips; it was just right, warm but not scalding. She then frowned and drank it all in one go. After putting down the bowl, she lay down on the bed and quietly felt the effects of the medicine.

The room was very quiet, and everyone carefully observed Feng Yuqin's expression, their hearts in their throats.

Ten minutes later, Feng Yuqin's stomach made a "gurgle" sound, and her face immediately showed a look of pain.

Oh no!

Everyone's hearts sank. It seemed that Director Feng was about to have diarrhea again. The nurse immediately came to the bedside, ready to help Feng Yuqin sit up.

"Don't rush!" Feng Yuqin raised her hand to stop them, indicating that she could still bear it. "Wait a bit longer!"

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and continued to wait with bated breath.

After another half an hour, Feng Yuqin showed no signs of diarrhea, and the look of pain on her face gradually faded. In the end, she even began to snore slightly under the watchful eyes of everyone.

"Phew~"

Everyone's hearts finally settled. It worked, it really worked! For a week, Director Feng had been tormented by her illness, and even closing her eyes had become a luxury. She hadn't had a good night's sleep in a long time.

Li Zhengkun stepped forward and observed for a moment before speaking softly, "The patient's condition has clearly improved, and the low fever is starting to subside. There should be no danger now. Everyone, please leave and let the patient rest."

Everyone quietly and carefully left, afraid to make even the slightest noise that might disturb Director Feng's good sleep.

Zeng Yi was also about to leave, but Li Zhengkun said, "Little Zeng, stay here and take good care of the patient. If anything happens, you can handle it promptly."

Fang Nanguo, who usually showed no emotion, was now overjoyed to see his wife sleeping peacefully. His face even turned a bit red. Hearing Li Zhengkun's words, he placed his large hand on Zeng Yi's shoulder and patted it hard, "Little Zeng, you're called Zeng Yi, right? Good, you're very good. I'll leave everything to you."

Everyone looked at Zeng Yi with changed expressions. To have the provincial party secretary say you are "very good" and to have him remember your name, this was more than just impressive. It was like being pre-registered for a promotion and wealth, making it hard not to succeed.

What a lucky intern!

Everyone went downstairs together, saw off Li Zhengkun, and then saw off Fang Nanguo. When they returned to the office, they all put their right hands on their waists, pondering what was hidden under Li Lao's right hand. The intern neither flattered nor bribed, and his attitude was even quite bad. How could he, with just one sentence, make Li Lao recognize his talent and recommend him to Secretary Fang, despite the objections of others?

No matter how much they pondered, no one could figure it out.

Shao Haibo, however, had no time to think about this. His head was full of worries. Today, in the Special Ward No. 1, Zhang Renjie had publicly dismissed him as the head of the department. This was not just a joke; otherwise, the hospital director's authority would be undermined, and he wouldn't be able to manage the doctors in the hospital.

The emergency room was a tough place. It operated year-round without a break, and it handled the dirtiest and most exhausting work. The patients were all in critical condition, and any mishandling could lead to an accident. If Zhang Renjie caught him, he would be given a hard time.

Shao Haibo had struggled for so many years to finally achieve something, but now he had fallen from heaven to hell, and he was deeply troubled.

Seeing that it was almost time to leave work, he went to the Special Ward No. 1 to give Zeng Yi some instructions and then drove home.

At home, a table full of good dishes was already set, waiting to welcome Zeng Yi. However, Shao Haibo returned alone, and Zeng Yi was nowhere to be seen. His wife asked what had happened, but Shao Haibo had no mood to explain. He didn't eat a single bite and went straight to bed, sighing and groaning.

Tossing and turning all night, he barely managed to fall asleep. When he woke up groggily, he realized he was late! Without even washing his face, he quickly drove to the hospital.

As soon as he entered the gate, Shao Haibo's heart sank. Zhang Renjie was standing right there, and he had just handed over a perfect handle to be used against him. He was in for a rough time.

Parking the car, Shao Haibo ran forward to meet Zhang Renjie, mentally preparing himself. If things got too bad, he would call his old classmate in another province, who was now a deputy director of a city health bureau. He should be able to arrange something for him, right?

"Director Zhang, I'm late, and I apologize!" Shao Haibo, in his thirties, stood in the open and apologized like a schoolboy to his teacher. His face burned with embarrassment.

He expected a storm, but Zhang Renjie just laughed, "Haibo, you've been working hard these past few days, taking care of Director Feng. Being a little late is nothing! When Director Feng recovers, I'll give you a few days off to rest and recharge. Only then can you better serve the patients."

Shao Haibo was taken aback. What was going on? Was Director Zhang playing a trick?

"Director, I will strictly discipline myself, and this will never happen again."

Zhang Renjie said with a scolding tone, "Look at you, even tigers have their moments of rest! I will call on the entire hospital to learn from you, always maintaining high standards and strict requirements." He then warmly grabbed Shao Haibo's arm, "Come, let's go visit Director Feng."

Shao Haibo wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and asked cautiously, "Is Director Feng's condition better?"

"Miracle! It's a miracle!" Zhang Renjie raised his voice, "Director Feng's condition has improved significantly. Haibo, work hard. We need to attract more talents like Zeng Yi to our hospital. At the next meeting, I plan to propose that you take charge of this task."

Shao Haibo almost fell over. So, not only would his position as head of the department not be revoked, but he would also be promoted to the hospital management?

As they walked through the outpatient building, all the doctors and nurses who saw this scene were stunned. They thought the director was waiting for some important leader, but it turned out he was waiting for Director Shao! Could it be that the rumor about Shao being transferred to the emergency room was false?

But seeing the director's attitude towards Shao Haibo, so warm and friendly, and even patting his shoulder, which the director had never done before, everyone felt deceived. They wondered who had spread such a hateful rumor. Fortunately, the director had taken Shao Haibo directly from the entrance, or they might have offended him today.

Shao Haibo hadn't slept well the night before, and neither had Zhang Renjie. He had spent the whole night thinking about how to mend the bad impression he had left on Director Feng.

He had already made a grave mistake by misdiagnosing Director Feng, and he didn't know how to make amends. Yesterday, he had made things worse by speaking out of turn, leading to a misunderstanding by Director Feng. This time, even if he jumped into the Yellow River, he couldn't wash it away.

Now, the only person who could speak to Director Feng seemed to be Zeng Yi, but he was just an intern who could leave at any time, not bound by the director's authority. Besides, they didn't have a deep relationship, and Zeng Yi might not be willing to speak on his behalf.

After much thought, Zhang Renjie decided to focus on Shao Haibo. As Zeng Yi's senior, if he treated Shao Haibo well, it would be like treating Zeng Yi well. As long as the young man wasn't foolish, he would know what to do.

Zhang Renjie had already made a strong statement, and he knew that if he didn't handle Shao Haibo, he would lose face. But what could he do? The situation was more powerful than a person. Once a leader had a bad impression of you, your future would be dark with no hope of light.

Compared to his future and the position of director, how much was face worth? After making up his mind, Zhang Renjie came to the hospital early and waited for Shao Haibo to arrive.

When he pushed open the door to the Special Ward No. 1, he heard Feng Yuqin's laughter. She had regained her first lady's charm, radiant and full of energy, a complete contrast to the dying patient she had been the day before.

Seeing Zhang Renjie enter, Feng Yuqin's face turned cold. She thought, "You still have the nerve to show up. Doctor Zeng cured my illness with just one dose of medicine, but you made me suffer so much and almost used that disgusting treatment."

Seeing Feng Yuqin's expression, Zhang Renjie knew the situation was not good, but he still forced himself to greet her, "Director Feng, I have some good news to report. The hospital has decided to make Doctor Zeng Yi a permanent staff member and grant him expert status. He will stay here for the next few days to take care of you."

Feng Yuqin snorted, "Doctor Zeng's future is not your concern. I have already made arrangements for him. He will report to the expert medical team of the provincial health department tomorrow!"

Zhang Renjie exclaimed, "Ah!" He was very surprised. This young man's luck was really too good! The expert medical team of the provincial health department was not a place that just anyone could enter.

Li Zhengkun, the "imperial doctor," was responsible for treating central leaders; the expert team of the provincial health department was the "imperial medical office" of Nanjiang Province, responsible for the health care of provincial-level leaders and above. Those who could enter this team were the best of the best, selected through rigorous screening.

Every doctor in Nanjiang Province wanted to get into this team. Besides being a recognition of their medical skills, it also meant being close to the leaders, which would greatly benefit their future.