Chapter 1133: Is there really no way out at all?
Du Heng was a bit frustrated.
He had known all along that Ding Yuxue would stir up some trouble.
Sure enough, just as he had finished his class, he received a call from the Political and Educational Affairs Office asking him to come over.
Honestly, for Du Heng now, weekends didn’t even exist.
While the school did indeed have weekends off, his teaching responsibilities would cause delays to his hospital work, so he still had to work on Saturdays and Sundays.
Moreover, in the entire Department, only he and Director Wu were Director-level doctors. It was impossible for them both to take a break at the same time; one of them always had to remain in the Department.
So now, any free time he had was usually only for half a day after his classes, when he could afford to slack off a little.
But today, it was clear that there would be no slacking off.
However, that wasn’t a major issue; at most, it would just involve a bit more talking to explain things clearly.
The only thing worrying him was the child’s condition.
Du Heng sighed as he headed towards the Political and Educational Affairs Office.
Meanwhile, Director Zhao was nursing a headache. Before dinner last night, he had received another call from Ding Yuxue. She had explicitly told him she would come looking for him after work today to get an answer.
This made his intention to delay the matter further rather difficult to maintain. Besides, Ding Yuxue’s incessant calls over the past two days had left him feeling quite exasperated.
Yet, for some reason, it was already ten-thirty this morning, and Ding Yuxue hadn’t shown up as she said she would.
But whether she came or not, Director Zhao had to resolve this matter.
"Mr. Du, you’ve been here for over a month now. How are you finding it? Are you adapting to life in the Capital?" Upon meeting, Director Zhao, uncertain how to get to the point, first made small talk.
Du Heng knew exactly what he was getting at, but it wasn’t his place to bring it up first. So, he simply went along with Director Zhao’s line of conversation. "I’m adapting quite well. Everyone, whether colleagues at the school or at the hospital, has been very kind to me."
Director Zhao took a sharp, silent breath and glanced at Du Heng again, thinking to himself, Dammit, he really has been a leader before. He shut down what I was about to say with a single sentence. Only someone who’s been in a leadership position could pull off something so shameless. How else could he claim that all his colleagues at the school are good to him?
Director Zhao chuckled. "It’s good that you’ve adapted. But you’re juggling responsibilities at both the school and the hospital; can you still manage the project in Jinzhou?"
Du Heng rubbed the warm wall of his cup with his fingers, his eyelids lifting slightly. "It’s manageable. The overall direction for the project there is set; now it’s mainly about collecting a large amount of experimental data. However, we’ve already received good news from that end. The stroke aphasia prescription is essentially complete, and data collection for the hemiplegia prescription for cases caused by cerebral infarction is also finished."
Director Zhao was momentarily stunned. He knew what Du Heng meant by this—results were imminent.
But he wasn’t concerned with previous matters now. Instead, he followed Du Heng’s lead, asking, "Oh, that’s truly wonderful news! With the mature application of these two prescriptions, does this mean your project, Mr. Du, can be concluded?"
Conclude it? Claim the results?
Du Heng smiled. "Let’s wait a bit longer. There’s still some money left in the project budget. If we conclude it now, settling the accounts will be a hassle. Besides, as long as the project isn’t concluded, we can continue using its funds to train doctors in Jinzhou’s Di County. If it ends, those doctors will have to pay out of their own pockets. Director Zhao, you might not be aware, but Jinzhou isn’t like the Capital. The doctors there don’t earn much. Their salaries are enough to cover living expenses, generally without issue. But covering training fees is quite difficult for some of them, especially for the doctors from Di County. It’s a significant expense."
Who was Director Zhao? Unquestionably, a man of exceptional shrewdness. The moment Du Heng opened his mouth, he knew what Du Heng was aiming for.
"Doctor Du, you truly have a big heart! Even after leaving your hometown, you haven’t forgotten its development. It truly makes me feel ashamed," Director Zhao said with a laugh. "However, Mr. Du, you are, after all, a teacher at our school. If your project is short on funds, our school must lend a hand. We can’t let a lack of money hinder your research, Mr. Du. Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll speak to the Dean about this. I’m confident the Dean will support you, Mr. Du."
Du Heng smiled but said nothing more.
His purpose in joining the school was indeed for the title.
But if the school wanted to freeload off the prestige of a national-level project, it would undoubtedly have to contribute something significant.
And Director Zhao was also aware that the school lacked prestige; if money could buy it, they certainly wouldn’t be stingy.
So, the two of them beat around the bush for a long time, avoiding the main issue and instead settling other matters.
However, after all this, Director Zhao found it even more difficult to bring up Ding Yuxue. "Mr. Du, about Friday..."
Before he could finish, Du Heng’s phone rang in his pocket.
Du Heng gave Director Zhao an apologetic smile and answered the phone. "Dr. Cao, what is it?"
After a few words, Du Heng hung up, his expression grave. "Director Zhao, I’m terribly sorry. Something has come up at the hospital, and I need to rush over immediately. Can we discuss your matter another time, if that’s alright?"
Director Zhao had been wondering how to broach the subject, so Du Heng’s words provided a perfect out. "Hospital matters are urgent, Mr. Du. You should hurry. We can find another time for our discussion."
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