Chapter 28

Cai Rongjuan went to see the hospital director, Gu Houyi. As a key business backbone personally promoted by Gu Houyi, she had always maintained a good relationship with the director.

Cai Rongjuan felt extremely wronged. She firmly believed that there was nothing wrong with the surgery she performed on Tong Meili. While today's chaos was partly due to Tong Meili, the Medical Affairs Department's improper handling was also to blame.

Cai Rongjuan was decisive in her actions. She wrote a resignation letter and handed it directly to Gu Houyi.

Gu Houyi looked at the resignation letter she handed over, somewhat surprised: "Xiao Cai, what's this for?"

"Director Gu, the current medical environment at Changxing is no longer suitable for me. This is my resignation letter, and I hope you will approve it."

"Are you dissatisfied with your treatment or with me?"

"Director Gu, please don't misunderstand. You have been very good to me. I was trained by you, and you should know that I love this job and don't have high demands for my treatment. I just feel a bit disheartened."

Gu Houyi had already heard about her situation and guessed it was related to the medical dispute. He smiled and said, "Tell me about your grievances, and I will stand up for you."

Cai Rongjuan briefly described what happened today, becoming increasingly agitated as she spoke: "I don't understand how the Medical Affairs Department operates. When a medical dispute arises, they don't think about protecting our staff; instead, they push us to the front to face the patients directly, without considering our feelings at all."

Her eyes reddened. The incident where Tong Meili lunged at her and caused a commotion still made her feel uneasy. Tong Meili was the type who would do anything. Misfortune never comes singly; just as her husband Tan Guoliang's dispute had just been settled, it was now her turn. In the end, Tan Guoliang had to pay 6,000 yuan, which, though not a large amount, left the couple feeling aggrieved.

Cai Rongjuan vented all her grievances today. As a renowned doctor in the beauty industry in Dongzhou, she was not worried about her future. Cai Rongjuan believed that if she really resigned, Changxing Hospital would be the one to worry, as no one else could currently uphold the reputation of the beauty department.

Gu Houyi listened to her patiently and smiled, "Xiao Cai, you are an old employee of Changxing. As the head of the beauty department, you can't just threaten to resign at the drop of a hat. I don't believe you lack the mental fortitude for this."

"Director Gu, I can bear the patients' misunderstandings, but I cannot tolerate being stabbed in the back by my own people! Today, I was receiving a very important guest, Liang Wenjing, the chairman of En Heng Pharmaceutical. The young man from the Medical Affairs Department barged in without knocking, loudly demanding that I go to the department to handle a surgical accident in front of Chairman Liang. How did Zhou Wenbin train his subordinates? Even if there was a problem with my surgery, you can't do this in front of an important client. Isn't this a stab in the back?"

Gu Houyi was also displeased upon hearing this. En Heng was the largest pharmaceutical company in Dongzhou, a listed company and a partner of Changxing Hospital. Chairman Liang Wenjing was always treated as a VIP at Changxing Hospital. The actions of the Medical Affairs Department were equivalent to exposing their own shortcomings.

"Xiao Cai, go back and rest for now. I will definitely give you a fair resolution. As for this resignation letter, I won't approve it. You are a key business backbone and a leader in your field, cultivated by Changxing Hospital. I still count on you to revitalize the hospital."

His words conveyed both his appreciation for Cai Rongjuan and a subtle reminder that she was cultivated with his investment, and it wouldn't be easy for him to let her go.

Cai Rongjuan wasn't really planning to leave. She wanted to use this method to remind Gu Houyi that if he stood by her, this troublesome matter should be easy to resolve.

Gu Houyi rarely got involved in medical disputes, but this time was different. The nature of the beauty center was very special, operating under a cooperative model. The contractor, Zeng Hongwen, was his wife's niece. Although Gu Houyi had not profited from it, he had given her some support to secure the contract.

Few people at Changxing Hospital knew this secret. Gu Houyi and Zeng Hongwen rarely interacted to avoid suspicion.

Gu Houyi was a traditional official, diligent and dedicated to the hospital. However, he also valued personal relationships. His greatest wish was to initiate the second phase expansion project of Changxing Hospital before his retirement. He had been the director for ten years and felt he had done his best for Changxing and his conscience.

The medical system was a place where corruption could easily breed. Over his nearly 30-year leadership career, Gu Houyi had seen many officials lose their integrity. Therefore, the closer he got to retirement, the more cautious he became.

This was the first time Gu Houyi had proactively called Zeng Hongwen. She immediately answered upon seeing his number: "Uncle!"

Gu Houyi frowned at the term. If it weren't for his wife's tearful pleading, he would never have allowed a relative to be involved in Changxing. His sister-in-law had died early, leaving behind this daughter, who was entrusted to his wife on her deathbed.

His wife had indeed fulfilled her duty as an aunt, sponsoring her education, helping her find a job, and even taking care of her during her postpartum period and helping with childcare. She had been more devoted to her than to their own daughter.

However, this niece was not easy to manage. She quit her job after a few years and started a business, eventually making a name for herself. Gu Houyi never imagined that Zeng Hongwen, who had no background in medicine, would enter the beauty industry and aim to contract the beauty department of Changxing Hospital.

Many hospitals contracted out certain departments to attract investment and reduce their burden, achieving a win-win situation.

Gu Houyi was initially very worried that Zeng Hongwen might not succeed, but he soon realized she had a talent for business, making the medical beauty center thrive. The success brought many other voices, such as complaints about high fees and exaggerated results.

Gu Houyi had reminded her many times through his wife to operate legally and not tarnish Changxing's reputation. Fortunately, the medical beauty center had not had any major disputes over the years.

The moment Zeng Hongwen received the call from her uncle, she realized he was angry. She quickly said, "Uncle, I was just planning to visit you tonight."

"I have an engagement tonight." Since she contracted the beauty department, Gu Houyi had deliberately kept his distance from her and had also reminded his wife.

"My aunt is at home, right? I'll go chat with her. I miss her."

Gu Houyi didn't like her playing the family card. This niece was smart but still had the profit-driven nature of a businessman.

"Cai Rongjuan just came to see me."

"Ah? What did she want?"

"She said she wants to resign."

Zeng Hongwen immediately understood the situation and laughed, "She's really being too sensitive. It's just a minor dispute with Tong Meili. I've already investigated it, and it has nothing to do with us. It's all the patient's fault."

"How do you plan to handle it?"

"We'll conduct an appraisal if necessary and go to court if needed. We have nothing to fear since we are not at fault."

Hearing this, Gu Houyi became even more displeased: "She's not just causing trouble for your beauty department; she's causing trouble for Changxing Hospital."

"Uncle, I understand. I will communicate with them as soon as possible to resolve the issue. I will talk to Director Cai. No matter the outcome, I won't let her pay a cent."

Gu Houyi had no interest in hearing more: "Handle it quickly and minimize the impact." He hung up the phone.

Closing his eyes, he pinched his brow. It was best to resolve major issues quietly and minor issues even more quietly. He didn't want the beauty department to become the focus of attention. Years of management experience told him that once something was exposed to the public, every minor flaw would be magnified.

After some thought, Gu Houyi asked the office director, Liu Dengke, to call Zhou Wenbin.

The higher the position, the more they preferred face-to-face communication.

Zhou Wenbin rushed over without delay after receiving the call. He first asked about the boss's mood, but Liu Dengke said he didn't know. The office director's duty was to execute the boss's orders, not to reveal the boss's state to others, especially since he and Zhou Wenbin were just fellow townspeople, not true friends.

Zhou Wenbin was very grateful to Gu Houyi. Without Gu Houyi's consideration for their hometown connection, he would never have become the head of the Medical Affairs Department. Gu Houyi was a man of integrity, helping him with such a big matter without taking a penny.

Gu Houyi was reading the newspaper with his reading glasses when he heard Zhou Wenbin enter. He glanced at him over the top of his glasses, seemingly giving him a disapproving look.

Zhou Wenbin smiled broadly, "Director Gu, you called for me?"

Gu Houyi nodded and put down the newspaper, "Sit down and talk."

Zhou Wenbin didn't sit, choosing to stand opposite Gu Houyi. He respected the hierarchy and didn't want to lose his manners in front of the boss.

"What's going on? I heard someone was threatening to jump from the Medical Affairs Department?"

Zhou Wenbin laughed awkwardly, "It's not a real jump. A patient from the beauty department is causing a disturbance, trying to draw attention."

"If it were a real jump, our hospital would be all over the news."

Zhou Wenbin sensed the director's dissatisfaction: "Director Gu, rest assured. We are handling the situation and will ensure it doesn't escalate."

"You've been in charge of the Medical Affairs Department for some time now. You should be familiar with the work by now, right?"

Zhou Wenbin was more certain that the director was dissatisfied with him: "Director Gu, I still have many shortcomings in my work. I will continue to improve in the future."

"Cai Rongjuan just came to me with a resignation letter."

"Resign over such a small matter? She's too fragile, isn't she?" Zhou Wenbin wanted to say "overly sensitive" but didn't dare to in front of Gu Houyi.

"She's not upset with the patient but with your handling of the situation. Let me tell you, the Medical Affairs Department should act as a bridge between doctors and patients. When necessary, you should protect our staff, not push them to the front!"

Zhou Wenbin guessed that Cai Rongjuan had complained about them. He was annoyed with her but couldn't show it in front of Gu Houyi. All he could do was nod repeatedly: "Director Gu, I understand. We will pay more attention to our work methods in the future."

Gu Houyi didn't say anything too harsh. As the director, he knew how difficult the work of the Medical Affairs Department could be. With his supervision, the dispute should be resolved quickly.