Chapter 48

After Xu Chunliang left, Xu Changshan sighed.

Zheng Peian said, "Uncle, are you troubled by something?"

Xu Changshan nodded and recounted how Xu Chunliang had entered Changxing and then gone to the medical office.

Zheng Peian laughed after hearing the story, "Actually, it's good for young people to have some challenges."

"I know, but I always feel that administrative work isn't a long-term solution. This child, though his studies are average, has an exceptional aptitude for traditional Chinese medicine. In just a few months, he's almost caught up with what others take three to five years to achieve." Xu Changshan didn't say much; if he knew his grandson's true capabilities, he would be even more surprised.

"You need to be more patient. I can't help him much with his medical skills, but after I go to the TCM department, he can come to the department for practical learning at any time. You will be responsible for teaching him, and I will help guide him. In at most three years, this child will definitely be cultivated. I promise to do my utmost to get him into the TCM department."

Xu Changshan was delighted to hear this; this was exactly what he had in mind.

The two of them drank a toast. Xu Changshan then remembered something, "Peian, are you married?" Ten years ago, when Zheng Peian left Jiangzhou, he was still single. He hadn't seen him for years and didn't know his current family situation.

Zheng Peian nodded, "I was, but we divorced."

Xu Changshan didn't want to press further. Thinking back to his infatuation with his daughter, he hoped that Zheng Peian had moved on from his youthful troubles.

Gu Houyi's crackdown on the medical aesthetics center was swift and decisive. He terminated the contract with Zeng Hongwen ahead of schedule and reserved the right to hold her accountable. To outsiders, this seemed like a case of cutting ties with a relative, proving that Zeng Hongwen's actions had thoroughly angered her uncle-in-law.

The director of the medical aesthetics center, Cai Rongjuan, also received a disciplinary action. After a discussion by the hospital leadership, she was removed from her position, her annual performance bonus was withheld, but she was still allowed to oversee the medical aesthetics center.

After receiving the disciplinary notice, Cai Rongjuan, filled with resentment, went to see Gu Houyi.

This time, Gu Houyi did not meet her as he usually did. Instead, he had the hospital office director, Liu Dengke, convey that the current deputy director in charge of Cai Rongjuan was Gao Xinhua, and she should go to Gao Xinhua for any issues.

Cai Rongjuan couldn't just barge into the director's office, so she had to see Deputy Director Gao Xinhua first.

Gao Xinhua had been overwhelmed recently. He used to only handle logistics, but with Gu Houyi sending Geng Wenhui to Weishan Island Branch, the outpatient department, which Geng Wenhui used to oversee, now fell under his responsibility, doubling his workload.

The heads of the various clinical departments rarely took him, a deputy director with a military background, seriously.

Cai Rongjuan clearly came with anger. As soon as she entered Gao Xinhua's office, she slammed a resignation letter on his desk, "Director Gao, this is my resignation letter!"

Gao Xinhua looked at the resignation letter on the desk and actually laughed, "Director Cai, did you come to the wrong place? This should not be given to me!"

"You are the deputy director in charge of the outpatient department, and the medical aesthetics center falls under your jurisdiction. Who else should I go to?"

Gao Xinhua frowned at her aggressive manner. These so-called business elites were truly spoiled. They even forgot to use respectful language.

He suppressed his anger and said, "Director Cai, why are you resigning? There must be a reason, right?"

"Reason? Don't you know? The results of the surgery evaluation for Tong Meili are out, and there was nothing wrong with my surgery. Why should I be punished? I have worked hard for Changxing, but I can't even get fair treatment. How can I continue to stay here? Did you consider my interests when solving the problem? Did you consider my feelings?"

Gao Xinhua said, "Director Cai..."

"Don't call me Director Cai, I'm not anymore!" Cai Rongjuan's eyes were red, not from sadness, but from anger.

"Do you feel innocent and wronged? With so many issues in the medical aesthetics center, could you, as the director, be completely unaware?"

"Of course I feel wronged. I am responsible for medical work, but I never interfere with the specific operations!" Cai Rongjuan shifted the blame entirely.

"Do I need to remind you of your job responsibilities? Do you know what the monthly management fee means?" Gao Xinhua's tone remained calm.

"I don't care about the management fee. Director Gao, if you think I haven't fulfilled my responsibilities, I can return all the management fees to the hospital. Now that you are satisfied, please approve my resignation."

Gao Xinhua shook his head.

"I have made up my mind to leave. Whether you approve it or not doesn't matter." Cai Rongjuan's attitude remained strong.

Gao Xinhua could no longer contain his anger, "Don't forget how much the hospital spent on your overseas training. Now that you have learned, your wings are hard, and you want to leave?"

"Director Gao, the wealth I have created for Changxing over the years far exceeds what the hospital has given me. I have no regrets."

"Such a clear conscience! I can answer you now, I agree to your resignation! I will arrange for the personnel department to handle the relevant procedures. You can go back and prepare for the handover."

Cai Rongjuan was stunned. Gao Xinhua's response was clearly unexpected. She always thought that the medical aesthetics center of Changxing Hospital could not operate without her, and the hospital would never agree to her resignation. But Gao Xinhua actually agreed?

The deputy director of the urology department, Tan Guoliang, of course knew about his wife's resignation. Cai Rongjuan had always been strong-willed and was the final word at home. But in such a big matter, she still consulted him first. It was his idea to have Cai Rongjuan resign, using this method to pressure the hospital.

Although the hospital had removed her as the director of the medical aesthetics center, she was still in charge of the center. The deduction of her annual allowance was just a small loss for her.

After discussing it, they decided to make a fuss because they had received reliable information that Gu Houyi would be transferred next month, and a new director would take over. According to the usual logic, a new leader would bring new changes, and any new leader would make some adjustments to the team left by the previous leader.

Before the Tong Meili incident, they were very close to Gu Houyi, and they were both promoted by him, especially Cai Rongjuan. They used this incident to create some impact, both to justify their actions and to show the public that they had broken ties with Gu Houyi. The next step was to naturally align with the new leader.

The reason Gao Xinhua agreed to Cai Rongjuan's resignation was that he had been instructed by Gu Houyi. When Gu Houyi decided to punish Cai Rongjuan, he anticipated that she would come back with a resignation letter.

Cai Rongjuan's medical skills were indeed good, but her other shortcomings were also obvious. Gu Houyi had always valued loyalty, especially for the medical backbone he had personally cultivated. As his term approached, he increasingly realized that loyalty was often found among the less educated, while the educated were often ungrateful.

The incident at the medical aesthetics center almost destroyed his lifelong reputation and undermined his rule in Changxing. If he did nothing, he could not explain himself to both his superiors and the internal staff of Changxing Hospital. So he took action, starting with his niece.

Removing Zeng Hongwen meant cutting ties with her. The nature of the medical aesthetics center's operations was independent, but Changxing Hospital also bore significant responsibility for the lack of effective supervision, leading to so many problems.

The punishment for Cai Rongjuan was symbolic and much lighter than that for Zeng Hongwen. Removing her title as director but allowing her to continue overseeing the medical aesthetics center meant that she was still the actual head.

Now that they had taken back the medical aesthetics center, Cai Rongjuan's actual power was greater than before, at least without the constraints of the investors. The deduction of her annual performance bonus, at most 100,000 yuan, was a small loss compared to her annual income of over one million yuan from the medical aesthetics center, which Gu Houyi was well aware of.

When deciding to punish Cai Rongjuan, Gao Xinhua privately asked Gu Houyi what to do if she resigned due to the punishment. She was the leading figure in the medical aesthetics center and a prominent figure in the Dongzhou medical aesthetics field. Her departure would be a significant loss for Changxing.

Gu Houyi didn't hesitate and said four words—better to have a vacancy than an incompetent.