Chapter 16

Zhou Wenbin complained about the poor road conditions in Jiangzhou from the back seat, saying that they were not suitable for driving at all. He suggested that it would be better to buy an electric vehicle, as one wouldn't have to worry about drunk driving or traffic jams. He himself couldn't drive, claiming that he had many social engagements, but the real reason was that he was colorblind.

Before long, the road ahead became congested. Cheng Xiaohong, who was usually gentle, became irritable once she got behind the wheel and honked the horn several times. In such a situation, honking was useless unless one could fly over the other cars.

Zhou Wenbin, with a knowing look, said, "I told you, leaving at this time would definitely lead to a traffic jam."

Xu Chunliang said that motorcycles were better.

Cheng Xiaohong replied, "Motorcycles are banned in the city, so forget about that idea. It's so annoying, always stuck in traffic." She honked the horn again.

The window of the black Audi Q7 in front of them rolled down, and a driver with a large head and thick neck poked his head out, glaring back viciously and mouthing curses.

Xu Chunliang said, "He seems to be cursing!"

Cheng Xiaohong's face turned red. She had honked first and felt guilty, not intentionally, but she had developed a bad habit of honking at the slightest provocation and couldn't control herself.

Zhou Wenbin reminded them not to be impulsive, saying that it was better to avoid trouble since it was still early and there was no need to rush.

The cars in front started moving again, and this time Cheng Xiaohong followed obediently. Just as the car began to accelerate, the one in front suddenly braked.

Cheng Xiaohong was startled but managed to stop in time.

Xu Chunliang, who was in the passenger seat with his seatbelt on, was jolted forward and then pulled back by the seatbelt. Zhou Wenbin, who wasn't wearing a seatbelt, hit Cheng Xiaohong's backrest, though fortunately, the car had just started accelerating and no serious injury occurred. Still, his nose hit the backrest and felt sore.

Cheng Xiaohong's face turned pale. "What's wrong with him!"

Zhou Wenbin, rubbing his nose, said, "Forget it, don't drive aggressively."

Xu Chunliang saw that the Audi had driven away, realizing that the driver was retaliating for Cheng Xiaohong's honking.

They thought the incident was over, but after the traffic light, the Audi Q7 changed lanes and came in front of them, deliberately driving slowly, clearly provoking them.

Zhou Wenbin, with his experience, told Cheng Xiaohong not to get angry and suggested taking a right turn at the next intersection to go to the hotel via Yanhe Road, which was a longer route but would avoid unnecessary conflicts.

Cheng Xiaohong, her face red with anger, would have exploded if her boss wasn't in the car. Following Zhou Wenbin's directions, she turned right at Chang'an Bridge and then entered Yanhe Road.

To her surprise, the Audi Q7 followed them again, quickly overtaking and cutting in front of their car. Cheng Xiaohong screamed and slammed on the brakes, activating the ABS. The car shuddered a few times before coming to a stop.

The Audi Q7 then drove away.

Cheng Xiaohong was pale with fear, and Xu Chunliang was furious. He thought the other driver should have let it go; Cheng Xiaohong had only honked a few times, and the other driver's behavior almost caused an accident.

Zhou Wenbin was also scared and said, "Why are people so aggressive when driving these days?"

Xu Chunliang comforted Cheng Xiaohong, saying, "Don't be afraid, if they come again, I'll take their wheels off."

Cheng Xiaohong bit her lip, feeling both scared and angry, and her mood was completely ruined.

Zhou Wenbin thought to himself that he would never ride in this young lady's car again, as young people were not steady drivers.

Cheng Xiaohong, now with a psychological shadow, drove more slowly and yielded to other cars cutting in, and she didn't dare honk recklessly anymore.

When they arrived at the parking lot of Minnan Seafood Restaurant, Cheng Xiaohong parked the car, but her nervousness had not fully subsided.

Xu Chunliang got out of the car and saw the Q7 that had cut them off earlier parked nearby. He confirmed the license plate and realized it was indeed the same car, a narrow escape.

Zhou Wenbin also saw the car and, recalling Xu Chunliang's words, was worried that he might actually take the wheels off. He patted Xu Chunliang's shoulder and said, "Forget it, it's better to avoid trouble."

Because of the incident, they were the last to arrive.

Deputy Director Gao Xinhu had already arrived and was chatting with the head of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, Zhu Mingyuan.

Zhu Mingyuan was invited by Zhao Yongsheng, an old classmate. Zhao Yongsheng also invited the head nurse of the Neurology Department, Tang Mingmei, who was known as the most beautiful woman in the health system when she was young. Now, though in her forties, she still had a graceful demeanor, and her gray qipao accentuated her figure. She walked with a swaying grace.

Seeing Zhou Wenbin and the others come in, Zhao Yongsheng greeted them, "Director Zhou, you're late!"

Zhou Wenbin laughed, "Traffic, traffic!" After a brief greeting to Zhao Yongsheng, he went straight to Gao Xinhu, "Director Gao, why aren't you playing cards?"

Gao Xinhu said, "You have the nerve to say that. Little Tang doesn't know how to play, and you're so late."

"It's all my fault. It's still early, let's play a round before dinner."

Gao Xinhu, a card enthusiast, immediately said, "Let's play a round. Old Zhu, you and I will be partners."

Zhu Mingyuan, a plump man with round glasses and a scholarly air, smiled, "My card skills are poor. Don't blame me if I make a mistake."

Gao Xinhu said, "Playing cards is all about luck, not skill. Since you don't want to be my partner, Wenbin, you and I will be partners."

Zhu Mingyuan didn't refuse, sensing something in Gao Xinhu's words.

Xu Chunliang, both professionally and personally, should greet Gao Xinhu. In front of his colleagues, he formally called him Director Gao.

Gao Xinhu introduced him to everyone, "You all should know Little Xu. Our families are old friends, and I've watched him grow up."

Even if Gao Xinhu hadn't said it, everyone already knew that Xu Chunliang was brought into the hospital by him, and he was deliberately emphasizing their relationship.

Zhu Mingyuan suddenly understood that Gao Xinhu was using the card game to send a message. When Xu Chunliang first joined the hospital, he was initially assigned to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, but due to Zhu Mingyuan's strong opposition, he ended up in the Medical Affairs Department.

Zhu Mingyuan didn't fully understand the process and looked down on Gao Xinhu, a former military officer who had risen to his position through luck.

The group went to play cards, and Tang Mingmei prepared the tea. Normally, this task would be done by a junior, but Cheng Xiaohong was still shaken by the earlier incident and was distracted, idly scrolling through her phone.

Xu Chunliang took the initiative and said to Tang Mingmei, "Nurse Tang, let me do it."

Tang Mingmei smiled at him, her eyes sparkling. Xu Chunliang prepared the tea and served everyone. He had accepted his current role, understanding that despite his past as a revered leader, he was now just a small clerk in a tertiary hospital. He needed to adapt to his position.

Tang Mingmei asked, "Xu, I heard you convinced Old Lady Jiang?"

Xu Chunliang replied, "I didn't do much, just chatted with her."

"That's not easy!" Tang Mingmei's admiration was genuine; she had been scolded by Old Lady Jiang and knew how difficult she could be.

Meanwhile, Gao Xinhu's loud voice echoed, "I'm going all in!"

Zhu Mingyuan, sitting next to Gao Xinhu, looked frustrated. Another all-in? Gao Xinhu, sitting above him, had been relentlessly attacking him since the game started.

Gao Xinhu and Zhou Wenbin were on a winning streak, while Zhu Mingyuan and Zhao Yongsheng were still stuck in second place. It wasn't about the authority of the leaders; Zhao Yongsheng's skills were average, and they had particularly bad luck today. They were mainly there to entertain the leaders.

The leaders were happy, but they were frustrated, always on the defensive with no chance to fight back.

Gao Xinhu didn't prolong the game, knowing that three others were waiting. He suggested starting the dinner and took the head seat. Normally, Zhu Mingyuan should have sat to his left, but Gao Xinhu invited Zhou Wenbin to sit there and reserved the right side for the senior beauty Tang Mingmei, a common practice to have a beautiful woman pour drinks for the leaders.

The others took their seats, with Xu Chunliang and Cheng Xiaohong, the juniors, sitting at the end of the table.

Gao Xinhu gave a brief opening speech, officially starting the dinner.

Xu Chunliang noticed that the wine was the eighth generation Wuliangye, and the dishes were very high-end. He estimated that the dinner would cost over 5,000 yuan. He had been working for some time and understood the hospital's situation. Although the department heads had good incomes, they were usually reluctant to spend this much out of their own pockets.

The old hands at the hospital knew that the dinner was paid for by a pharmaceutical representative, a common practice in the medical system.

As the deputy director, Gao Xinhu became the center of attention for toasts, and Xu Chunliang noticed that he had a high tolerance for alcohol, accepting every drink.

Zhou Wenbin, his direct superior, had a moderate tolerance, and his face turned red after a pot of wine.

Zhao Yongsheng also had a high tolerance and came to Xu Chunliang, saying, "Xu, I'll have a drink with you."

In the past, Xu Chunliang would have accepted the drink without hesitation, but now he was no longer the revered leader. As a newcomer, he maintained proper etiquette, standing up and saying, "Director Zhao, you're too kind. I should be the one toasting you." He went to Zhao Yongsheng and drank two glasses with him.

Gao Xinhu, watching, felt reassured. Although the decision to bring Xu Chunliang into Changxing Hospital was made by the big boss, Gu Houyi, for a business deal, the idea was his. In others' eyes, Xu Chunliang entered the hospital through his connections.

A high school graduate becoming a full-time employee at Changxing Hospital was almost a fairy tale in today's world. Gao Xinhu was concerned that someone might make an issue of it. He didn't expect much from Xu Chunliang, hoping he would just be a low-profile employee.

Initially, he suggested placing Xu Chunliang in the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, as his father and Xu's grandfather were close friends. However, Zhu Mingyuan's strong opposition led to Xu Chunliang being placed in the Medical Affairs Department.

Gao Xinhu was worried about how to explain this to Xu's grandfather, but the Medical Affairs Department had taken him in, and it wasn't a bad outcome. Xu Chunliang could pursue an adult bachelor's degree and possibly become a section chief in the future.

So far, Xu Chunliang had quickly adapted to his role. If not for his background, it would be hard to imagine that this polite and well-mannered young man was a high school graduate who had failed the college entrance exam four times and had almost committed suicide a month ago.

Xu Chunliang's success at work also reflected well on Gao Xinhu.

After toasting Zhao Yongsheng, Xu Chunliang came to Gao Xinhu and raised his glass, "Uncle, I'll have a drink with you." He didn't call him Director Gao, as Gao Xinhu had publicly acknowledged their relationship, and there was no need to be formal. Despite his low rank, Gao Xinhu had significant influence in Changxing Hospital.

This simple "Uncle" clarified their special relationship, and Xu Chunliang's status in everyone's eyes undoubtedly improved.