Chapter 2112: Chapter 1780: Those Trained by Professor Yang Are Indeed Different
At seven o’clock the next morning, Zhang Lin was already standing in front of the nurse’s station on the seventh floor, flipping through the night shift handover records. Head Nurse Liu Min had just changed clothes and was startled when she saw him: "Director Zhang, you’re here so early?"
"I’m used to it," Zhang Lin replied without looking up.
He barely slept last night; the unfamiliar environment, the unfamiliar bed, and those lingering questions in his mind—can he manage this responsibility?
At exactly eight o’clock, Dean Chen, accompanied by the Head of the Medical Services Department and the Head of the Nursing Department, arrived again at the Orthopedics Center to publicly announce the formal appointment documents at the department’s morning meeting.
The entire staff of the Spinal Surgery department gathered. Dean Chen stood at the front, holding two documents stamped with official seals:
"Comrades, I now announce the decision of the hospital party committee: Comrade Zhang Lin is appointed as the Director of the Orthopedics Center’s Spinal Surgery Department, fully responsible for the department’s medical, teaching, and research work. I hope all colleagues in the department will support Director Zhang’s work and work together to elevate our hospital’s Spinal Surgery to a new level."
Zhang Lin accepted the document and showed it to everyone. The red official seal, the black printed words, the weighty paper—it symbolized the hospital’s trust and also the heavy responsibility.
"Let me say a few words," Dean Chen looked around the crowd, "Director Zhang is an academic leader we brought in from Sanbo Hospital, with profound expertise in the field of Spinal Surgery. I know that some colleagues in our department have more seniority than Director Zhang and may have thoughts about it. But let me make this clear: seniority is seniority, ability is ability. The development of the hospital needs fresh blood, new technologies, and new ideas. Anyone with opinions can come talk to me, but cooperation in work is a must; this is an organizational principle."
His words were heavy, and the audience was silent. Zhang Lin saw several senior members like Wang Shunye bowing their heads, their expressions unclear.
"Director Zhang," Dean Chen turned to him, "say a few words."
Zhang Lin stepped forward, his voice not loud but very clear: "Dean Chen’s words I will keep in mind. I know I am young and my seniority is shallow; many teachers present are older and more experienced than me. I dare not say that I am stronger than everyone, only that I’m more fortunate, fortunate enough to have studied under Professor Yang at Sanbo for several years, and fortunate to have seen more cases. In future work, I will teach everyone what I learned at Sanbo without reservation. We will progress together and manage this department well together."
Meanwhile, on the eighth floor, the same process was taking place. In the doctors’ office, doctors and nurses lined up, and Dean Chen announced the appointments, with Little Five stepping forward to make his statement.
"Hello everyone, I am Lu Xiaowu, you can just call me Little Five. When I was at Sanbo, my colleagues called me this, and it’s become a habit, it feels familiar," he said with a smile, his gaze sweeping across the room. "Standing here today, honestly, I feel a little nervous. Not because I’m afraid of taking responsibility, but because I see so many senior teachers, and feel that my seniority is shallow and my experience is insufficient, fearing I might let down the trust of the hospital leadership, and also fearing I won’t lead this team well."
He paused, his tone sincere: "But then I thought, what is the eighth floor? It’s the flagship department of the City Hospital, a place built by Director Zhao and everyone here with hard work. What qualifications do I, Lu Xiaowu, have to take over this class? It’s not because I am stronger than others, but because I am lucky, lucky to have studied under good teachers at Sanbo, lucky to have seen some cases, lucky to have learned a few tricks."
Zhao Quan stood in the front row, his smile becoming a bit more natural.
"So I’m thinking, how should I perform my duties as a director?" Little Five continued, "It’s not about me managing you, it’s about us working together. I will impart everything I learned at Sanbo without reservation. I also humbly ask for the experience each teacher here has accumulated, and learn sincerely. We should learn from each other, complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and polish the sign of the eighth floor, so that when people mention the City Hospital’s Orthopedics outside, they give a thumbs up!"
Someone in the audience nodded slightly, the atmosphere noticeably more relaxed than on the seventh floor.
"Of course," Little Five changed the subject, but his tone remained gentle, "there are some rules from Sanbo that I think are good, and I want to gradually introduce them to our department. For example, pre-operative assessments, if done more thoroughly, will increase patient safety; if surgical procedures are standardized, the long-term effect will be better; if post-operative management is spot on, complications will be fewer. These things help build our department’s reputation and bring benefits to patients. What do the teachers think?"
He looked at Zhao Quan, his gaze was consultative rather than commanding.
Zhao Quan was taken aback for a moment, then nodded: "Director Lu makes sense, these are necessary."
"With Director Zhao’s support, I have more confidence," Little Five said with a smile, "as for how specifically to implement them, I rely on Director Zhao and all the teachers to discuss it with me. I am young and my thinking may not be comprehensive; please offer more suggestions, and we will pool our wisdom and efforts. In short, we have the same goal, which is for the good of patients and the department. Let’s work together to make the eighth floor prosper! In the future, when we go to academic conferences, we’ll have something to show and we’ll gain respect in the industry."
Applause erupted from the audience, much more enthusiastic than on the seventh floor. Little Five bowed in gratitude with actions that were appropriately humble yet measured.
Dean Chen watched from the side and nodded slightly. This Lu Xiaowu, he knows how to speak and conduct himself, and he is more tactful than Zhang Lin, someone who can bring people together.
The morning meeting had just ended, and Zhang Lin was about to conduct his rounds when his phone suddenly rang. It was the Head of the Medical Services Department, sounding urgent: "Director Zhang, quickly come to the Emergency Department, there’s a critically injured patient, Dean Chen wants you and Director Lu to head over together!"
