Chapter 7

This time, the department that needs to replace the light tubes is the Medical Affairs Department.

The Medical Affairs Department of Changxing Hospital is located on the third floor of the administrative building. Director Zhou Wenbin is a fellow townsman of President Gu and was promoted by Gu Houyi. In everyone's eyes, he is a direct subordinate of Gu.

Zhou Wenbin used to be a thoracic surgeon and a deputy chief physician. He has been the director of the Medical Affairs Department for just half a year.

His transition from a doctor to an administrative role was not due to active promotion by his superiors. The fundamental reason was that he knew he had no hope of becoming the head of the department and was unwilling to be subordinate to others. Therefore, he proactively approached President Gu for a private discussion. Out of consideration for their hometown connection, President Gu arranged for him to work in the Medical Affairs Department.

Zhou Wenbin has a slight squint, speaks indistinctly, and has a weak personality. He also lacks significant social connections. He was able to become the director of the Medical Affairs Department mainly due to the help of his fellow townsman.

At the beginning of his tenure, he indeed felt a sense of fulfillment as an official. However, it didn't take long for him to realize that the position of Medical Affairs Director is not one that just anyone can handle.

In the past, as a doctor, he thought the Medical Affairs Department was just a department for smoothing over conflicts. Although it was responsible for medical management, its main task was to handle medical disputes and lawsuits. Since he was not directly involved, he only needed to handle the situation appropriately, acting as a buffer between the doctor and the patient. Issues that could be resolved privately were settled by the hospital paying, and if they couldn't be resolved, the court would handle it. Winning a lawsuit was naturally good, but even if they lost, the hospital would still pay.

Soon, he realized that this department was not so simple. Most patients who came to complain were hot-tempered and aggressive. In the eyes of those seeking justice, anyone from the hospital was their mortal enemy, and they came to demand accountability.

During the coordination process, being beaten and scolded was a common occurrence. The most frustrating part was that not only did the patients not understand, but even the doctors in the hospital did not understand. They often thought that the Medical Affairs Department did not protect the medical staff and was too lenient towards patients, even accusing them of favoring the patients. In short, they were in a difficult position.

After half a year, Zhou Wenbin finally got a handle on some of the tricks of the trade. The Medical Affairs Department is the focal point of conflicts between doctors and patients. If a fire breaks out in the city gate, the fish in the pond will suffer. As long as he worked there, he would be affected. The best way to reduce the impact was to appear as little as possible, so Zhou Wenbin started to reduce his presence in the hospital and, even when in the hospital, tried to avoid his office as much as possible.

The head of the department had endless excuses for being absent, but the staff below him were not so fortunate. Chen Guangming and Cheng Xiaohong, who were left behind, had to bear the brunt of the patients' anger.

Being scolded was the least of it; they might even get beaten.

Chen Guangming had two intense conflicts this month, which greatly affected his mood. He was already looking for connections to apply for a transfer to another department.

Today is Friday, and there is a hospital-wide meeting in the afternoon, so Zhou Wenbin didn't leave. He intended to review the accumulated documents from the week, but unfortunately, the light tube was broken and kept flickering.

The efficiency of the electrician team was extremely low. It took half an hour after the repair call before the workers arrived. In front was Xiao Feng with a tool bag, followed by Xu Chunliang carrying a ladder, and last was the team leader, Jia Xuegong, holding two light tubes.

Seeing their leisurely pace, Zhou Wenbin inwardly cursed. It took three people to change a light tube, and this was why Changxing Hospital couldn't develop. There were too many idle people.

Jia Xuegong smiled at Zhou Wenbin and called him "Director Zhou."

Zhou Wenbin ignored him, and Jia Xuegong, feeling embarrassed, lowered his head. In the hospital, they, the后勤 workers, were third-class citizens, with low income, low status, and no presence.

Xu Chunliang saw this clearly. In this era, the slogan of equality was shouted loudly, but in reality, there were still different levels of people. Zhou Wenbin might act arrogantly in front of them, but he would bow and scrape in front of someone with a higher position, behaving like a meek grandson.

Jia Xuegong instructed him to set up the ladder, and Xu Chunliang was responsible for holding it. Xiao Feng climbed up to change the light tube, but at that moment, he had to go to the bathroom.

Zhou Wenbin couldn't hold back his anger: "Changing a light tube, what's so complicated? You lazy donkey, you always have to go to the bathroom. If you can do it, do it; if not, get out of here."

Xiao Feng's face turned red, but he really couldn't hold it and rushed out.

Jia Xuegong didn't dare to speak, but Xu Chunliang couldn't stand it: "Your Medical Affairs Department really meddles in everything, from the sky to the ground, even in the bathroom."

The two staff members of the Medical Affairs Department couldn't help but laugh.

Seeing his subordinates laugh, Zhou Wenbin's face turned red with embarrassment. He pointed at Xu Chunliang and said, "Who are you? How dare you speak like that? Do you want me to call your department head?"

Jia Xuegong desperately signaled to Xu Chunliang. This guy didn't know his place. Zhou Wenbin was a department-level official, a middle-level manager in the hospital, not someone they could offend.

Fortunately, someone came in at that moment, diverting Zhou Wenbin's attention.

Three burly men entered. The leader had a bowl-cut hairstyle, broad shoulders, a thick neck with a large gold chain, and colorful tattoos on his arms. He wore a black tight-fitting tank top that accentuated his exaggerated chest muscles. He looked like a thug and shouted as soon as he entered, "Director Zhou, it's really hard to see you!"

Zhou Wenbin was about to reprimand Xu Chunliang but turned pale when he saw these unexpected visitors.

Chen Guangming and Cheng Xiaohong both looked terrified. The man was Wang Dalei, a notorious thug in the North District. His father was hospitalized for benign prostatic hyperplasia and underwent a transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). The postoperative results were not ideal, and the doctor had clearly explained the possible outcomes before the surgery, and they had signed the consent form.

However, after the surgery, Wang Dalei started a frenzy of维权, claiming it was a surgical accident and demanding compensation from the hospital. The Medical Affairs Department had negotiated with him several times and reluctantly agreed to a certain amount of compensation. However, the amount offered by the hospital was far from what Wang Dalei demanded, which was a million yuan.

When negotiations broke down, the hospital suggested he sue in court. In such cases, the final compensation from the court might be less than what the hospital offered. Enraged, Wang Dalei beat Chen Guangming and was detained by the police for disturbing the peace.

Unfortunately, his father passed away during the detention period. Wang Dalei blamed the hospital for everything and now caused trouble every few days, increasing his compensation demand to two million yuan. He had become more cunning and wouldn't easily resort to violence, but he found ways to harass them constantly.

Seeing him, Zhou Wenbin's head ached. He forced a stiff smile and said, "Dalei, what brings you here today?"

Wang Dalei sat down, crossed his legs, and said, "I'm a free man, unlike you, Director Zhou, who is always busy. How are we going to resolve my father's case?"

Zhou Wenbin smiled and said, "Didn't I tell you last time? Wasn't the amount satisfactory?"

The hospital was also frustrated by this stubborn man and finally decided to offer a one-time compensation of 50,000 yuan, hoping to settle the matter.

Wang Dalei spat on the ground and said, "Are you trying to feed a beggar? Is my father's life worth only 50,000 yuan? Put yourself in my shoes, Director Zhou. If your father was killed, would you be satisfied with 50,000 yuan?"

Zhou Wenbin inwardly cursed. How could he speak like that? If he could, he would have beaten him. Wang Dalei's arrogance also ignited his anger: "Our hospital has made a significant concession. If you are not satisfied, you can sue in court."

"Don't try to scare me with the court. Everyone knows you officials protect each other. A life is at stake. If it weren't for your surgical accident, my father would still be alive."

"The experts have already determined that there was no surgical error. The poor prognosis was due to his personal constitution. His death has nothing to do with the prostate surgery..."

"You're lying! If your surgery hadn't weakened my father, he would have lived to be a hundred. Don't try to fool me."

Zhou Wenbin's face turned red with anger: "Wang Dalei, if you keep making unreasonable demands, I'll call the security."

Wang Dalei sneered: "Go ahead, call them!" He stood up and approached Zhou Wenbin, who was terrified and stammered, "Y-You... What do you want? This is a hospital, don't... don't do anything rash..."

Cheng Xiaohong was trembling with fear, and Chen Guangming picked up the phone to call security but was stopped by one of Wang Dalei's accomplices, who slapped the phone down and made a move to punch Chen Guangming. Chen Guangming, frightened, stumbled and fell to the ground.

Zhou Wenbin, in front of his subordinates, had to put on a brave face and shouted, "This is a rule-of-law society..."

Wang Dalei laughed: "Who doesn't know it's a rule-of-law society? Am I breaking the law? Did I kill anyone or set a fire? I'm here to demand justice. Your Changxing Hospital is negligent and killed my father. The murder of my father is an unforgivable crime! I'm not afraid to seek justice anywhere."

Xiao Feng, returning from the bathroom, saw the situation and didn't dare to enter. He secretly called the security department.

Jia Xuegong climbed the ladder. He was just an electrician, and the Medical Affairs Department's issues were not his concern. He pretended not to see anything, not wanting to get involved. Zhou Wenbin wasn't a good person either, and he deserved to be in this situation.

Xu Chunliang, responsible for the circuit breaker, pulled it down. It was a cloudy day, and the room went dark as if it were evening.

Everyone's attention turned to Xu Chunliang. Wang Dalei glared at him: "Idiot, who told you to turn off the lights?"

Xu Chunliang replied, "What does turning off the lights have to do with you? Does your father's death have anything to do with me turning off the lights?"