Chapter 489: Chapter 488: Going with the Momentum
After brewing overnight, public opinion online regarding Yan Feifan’s high salary had shifted significantly.
Many netizens now believed that since Mr. Yan served ordinary people at regular prices while earning large sums from the wealthy and foreigners, he was a good, capable man with a conscience.
In addition to this reversal in public opinion, what surprised Yan Feifan even more was that the *PLA Daily* had actually published an article on its second page titled, "A Discussion Sparked by a Doctor’s Hefty Pay Stub."
In the article, the author mentioned Yan Feifan’s leaked June pay stub and pointed out the wave of online criticism it had generated.
The author also made a point of noting that in recent years, many discerning individuals had been calling for higher salaries and better benefits for professional and technical personnel.
Yet, after this pay stub was exposed and confirmed, the internet was filled with voices of condemnation.
Was Mr. Yan unworthy of such a high income?
The author then listed Yan Feifan’s brilliant credentials.
He was admitted to Binhai University Medical College at fourteen, becoming the only person in the college’s history to earn his doctorate in clinical medicine two years ahead of schedule.
This year, at the age of twenty-five, Yan Feifan had also become a consulting medical expert for the PLA General Hospital and Baining Hospital.
Mr. Yan had made his name with his unparalleled Puncture Injection Skill for intrathecal and brain tumors.
He was arguably the best in the world.
According to incomplete statistics, Mr. Yan had already enabled the successful removal of tumors for thirty-five patients with severe intrathecal or brain tumors, sparing them from death, a vegetative state, total paralysis, or hemiplegia.
Mr. Yan was also a nationally renowned plastic surgery expert.
A trauma surgery expert!
A diagnostic medicine expert!
Furthermore, according to incomplete statistics, the total research funding for the medical R&D projects he had led or participated in amounted to twenty-three million.
Reading this, Yan Feifan himself felt quite embarrassed.
’How can this article in a military paper be so unprofessional? Calling me this kind of expert and that kind of expert... they’re praising me to the skies.’
Yan Feifan didn’t read the rest of the article.
As far as he was concerned, the rest of the article would be nothing more than arguments that he deserved his high salary, and that society needed to keep pace with the times and view the high salaries of technical professionals from a developmental perspective.
Although Yan Feifan found the article’s wording a bit bombastic, he knew it demonstrated the military’s stance. They were backing him up.
The gesture was not lost on him, and Yan Feifan felt quite gratified.
Today was Wednesday.
That morning, Dr. Kevin Vega and his patient, a Wall Street elite with a brain tumor, arrived at the Affiliated Hospital, as did Mr. Qin Feng with his patient from the military.
When Yan Feifan met with the Wall Street executive, he was so angry he nearly threw the man out of the hospital.
Yan Feifan didn’t know if the forty-six-year-old Caucasian man had lost his mind or if the brain tumor was affecting his personality, but he began to arrogantly interrogate him about his medical qualifications and abilities.
If Dr. Kevin hadn’t seen things going south and sternly intervened, the patient probably would have been sent packing.
The patient Mr. Qin Feng brought was also a forty-six-year-old man, his profession vaguely described as "engineer."
To Yan Feifan, things like profession and identity were unimportant. He was focused on the patient’s brain tumor and physical condition.
After reviewing the patient’s latest brain MRI scans and conducting a physical examination, Yan Feifan and Qin Feng left the hospital room together.
"Mr. Yan, the last patient was transferred to a military medical facility last night for postoperative recovery and recuperation."
Qin Feng said apologetically, "We didn’t get your permission beforehand. Please forgive the oversight."
Yan Feifan waved a hand dismissively. "In essence, I’m the assistant and you’re the lead surgeon. You call the shots."
He added, "For the surgeries I perform at the Affiliated Hospital, I’ve always only been responsible for the operation itself."
"The postoperative follow-up is always handled by others."
Qin Feng agreed. "That’s the most efficient arrangement!"
"Your time is precious, Mr. Yan. You really shouldn’t waste it on a patient’s postoperative recovery."
"By the way, there’s something I need to tell you..."
Qin Feng chuckled. "Our PLA General Hospital is partnering with an automation research institute to invest in Baining Medical Technology’s surgical robotics project. We’ll be conducting joint R&D."
"With Baining Medical Technology taking the lead, of course."
Yan Feifan let out a soft "oh" and said casually, "A collaboration between powerhouses. That’s good news."
He glanced at the time and added, "It’s almost lunchtime, and I already have plans."
"Mr. Qin, I’ll see you later..."
Yan Feifan left the Little Red House and went straight to the director’s office at the plastic surgery center, where he saw Mr. Wang setting out lunch.
Wang Chuan glanced up at Yan Feifan and called out, "Perfect timing. The eight-treasure duck you like is still hot."
Yan Feifan washed his hands first, then walked over to the sitting area and sat down near Wang Chuan, on the other side of the coffee table.
Without any ceremony, they both started eating, waiting until they were about half-full before speaking.
Yan Feifan picked up his bowl of dried shrimp soup, took a large gulp, and asked, "Director, you’ve heard about what happened at the party secretary’s meeting yesterday, haven’t you?"
Wang Chuan grunted in affirmation. "I found out last night. There are very few secrets in this hospital."
"This morning, as soon as I got to the center, several doctors asked me to confirm it. It’s got everyone on edge."
"I had to drag Mr. Liu over to calm everyone down personally."
He glanced at Yan Feifan. "What are your thoughts?"
Yan Feifan shook his head. "I haven’t really thought about it. Nothing’s actually happened, right?"
"Even if they do make a decision, there’d have to be a transition period, wouldn’t there? It won’t be too late to think about it then."
Wang Chuan scoffed. "Of course *you* don’t have to worry about anything. With your skills, you can go anywhere in the world."
Yan Feifan chuckled. "Director, with your skills, you could go anywhere too."
Wang Chuan snorted. "If it weren’t for my attachment to this hospital, and the fact that Yanyan hasn’t recovered yet, I wouldn’t want to go through the hassle. Otherwise, I would’ve left long ago to open my own cosmetic surgery clinic."
He sighed again. "If things really change, we and the other chief physicians can all leave without a problem."
"But the rank-and-file medical staff at the center can’t just up and leave."
"Feifan, don’t you want to do something for them?"
Wang Chuan reminded him, "Strictly speaking, Mrs. Meng only started paying attention to the plastic surgery center because of you."
"On the day she took office, you were the reason she was thoroughly embarrassed."
"She has it in for you now."
"Based on what happened yesterday, I’d say she’s not a particularly magnanimous person."
"Feifan, it’s not a good thing to be on the radar of someone that powerful."
"Aren’t you going to do something about it?"
Yan Feifan was stunned. "Director, I’m just a doctor. What can I do?"
Wang Chuan gave him a sly smile. "Feifan, you should never underestimate yourself."
"To the higher-ups, there’s only one Yan Feifan in the entire country. You’re irreplaceable."
"But party secretaries like Mrs. Meng? They’re a dime a dozen."
A look of dawning comprehension and utter shock appeared on Yan Feifan’s face.
"Director, get the hospital a new party secretary? Have you been drinking? I don’t have that kind of clout."
Wang Chuan said softly, "I’m not telling you to lead a charge to oust Mrs. Meng. I just want you to be aware of the situation."
"If the right opportunity presents itself, you can just go with the flow... and give her a little push on her way out."
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