The Enhanced Doctor-Chapter 785, it’s hard to repay a favor

The operation went very smoothly, and the problem was addressed in time without any perforations. The cause of the patient's illness was also found—several tiny fecal stones lodged within the appendix. These were the culprits, quite nasty indeed.

"So, did you gain anything?" Liu Banxia asked as they came out of the operating room.

The three interns eagerly nodded.

"What happened? You all look as wilted as eggplants after frost. Aren't eggplants from the field supposed to be on the market now? Why so downcast?" Liu Banxia teased.

"Now you can see Teacher Liu's true colors, right? Children, you're all still too naive," Liu Yiqing said. "We've suffered under him for a year already. Don't think that just because you're not directly studying under Teacher Liu, he can't torment you. He has plenty of tricks—be careful."

"Yeah, I was just acting according to the script Teacher Liu gave me," Su Wenhao chimed in, adding with a wink.

Liu Banxia felt tricked. No wonder Su Wenhao was acting so unusually today, making him try to smooth things over in the operating room. In reality, he had fallen for their whole setup.

They're quite cunning, hatching a little conspiracy behind his back, are they? We'll see; he has plenty of time anyway.

He was a bit stunned. The three interns, having just arrived at the Emergency Center, were feeling completely overwhelmed. The information overload was too much for their brains to process right now. Are we here to learn or to film a detective drama, where we have to judge who's telling the truth and who's lying?

"Ah, is Teacher Liu bullying the newbies again? Really, they've just started their internships; it's normal that some of their knowledge might not be completely accurate. You can't always be so harsh," Xu Yino hurriedly intervened as they returned to the Emergency Center lobby.

"Fine, you guys win. Just wait, once I get a chance..." Liu Banxia grumbled.

Did Xu Yino and the others care? Not in the slightest. Although they knew Liu Banxia could be a bit "vengeful," he usually exacted his revenge on the spot. If some time passed concerning this matter, he would likely forget about it himself.

"How did these three perform?" Wang Chao joined in.

"We've just started, so how can we tell? We'll have to see after the evaluation. Xu Yino said their grades are all very good. From now on, it's all about practical experience. As long as they're not too bad, they can be trained," Liu Banxia said. "Finally, we're getting some relief. With these six helping out, things will be much easier. You've adapted to being chief resident now, right?"

Wang Chao shook his head with a bitter smile. "I'm still adjusting my biological clock. It's a complete mess. I'm wide awake at night and can barely keep my eyes open during the day."

"How did you manage before?" Liu Banxia asked. "You were working around the clock. It's only been a few days for me, and I'm already struggling. Any secrets?"

"What secrets could there be? I think you're just too tense," Liu Banxia said, laughing. "It's because most of your patients have issues at night, and daytime problems are usually handled by others. So, at night, you become tense. Try to relax. How are things with Ma? I haven't seen her come visit you much."

"She's afraid of gossip, and I... You're awful, trying to trick information out of me!" Wang Chao said with mock indignation.

"What's the big deal? You should just be honest about it. Listen, you really need to get your sleep schedule sorted out. Seize every opportunity to sleep; that's what's important. Huh, who's calling me?" Liu Banxia said, taking out his phone.

At first, Wang Chao thought Liu Banxia was bluffing, but when he saw Chief Director Xu's name on the screen, he stopped teasing.

"Chief Director Xu, not resting yet?" Liu Banxia said after answering the call.

"How could I sleep so early? We've also confirmed our commissioned trainee. I'll personally bring him to you tomorrow. Think you can keep a close eye on him?" Xu Chengjun asked with a smile.

"Of course! Aren't we reforming the teaching and training standards? Don't worry. If he doesn't lose a few pounds after a year, it would mean our efforts were wasted," Liu Banxia said.

"That's a relief. We plan for this person to eventually join our hospital's emergency department. However, his internship was in another city, so I think it's better to send him to you for a year of intensive training," Xu Chengjun said.

"Why didn't you choose someone from the medical school?" Liu Banxia asked curiously.

"I wish I had a choice in selection. The ones I like don't like us. The ones who like us, I don't necessarily like them. Anyway, sending him over to you completes my task. The rest is on you," Xu Chengjun replied. "By the way, congratulations! You're in the news again. When will that program you all filmed last time air? I'll organize everyone in the hospital to watch and learn."

Liu Banxia felt a bit helpless. "Chief Director Xu, please don't joke, okay? When you come tomorrow, could you bring some teppanyaki? Speaking of which, it's been ages since I had it, and I'm really craving it."

"Don't worry. Even if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have brought some. I wonder if Qiaoqiao still likes it; I'll bring a portion for her too. It's the thought that counts," Xu Chengjun said.

"Haha, then I won't be polite. Tomorrow noon, our cafeteria, my treat," Liu Banxia said.

"Alright then, you get back to your work," Xu Chengjun said before hanging up.

"Excellent! We get to eat teppanyaki again tomorrow!" Liu Banxia said happily.

"Tsk tsk. Haven't you considered that if your work at our hospital eases up, you might be frequently asked to go over to their hospital to help with surgeries?" Wang Chao asked with a grin.

"Uh... that's not possible, right?" Liu Banxia hesitated. If it were back when he could travel freely, he really wouldn't have minded going over to perform a few surgeries. But now, he truly lacked motivation. Even if he went, it would be purely out of obligation to Xu Chengjun.

"You never know. After all, specialist consultation work is still somewhat impacted these days," Wang Chao said. "Frankly, we do this job for the money. How many people, like you, don't even care about their salary anymore? We all have to count every penny to get by."

"The current situation has somewhat affected normal consultation requests. Anyway, regarding scheduling, if you want to make time, you can find it. If you say you don't have time, that's often genuinely true."

Liu Banxia nodded; this was the truth. Someone once said that time is like water in a sponge; if you squeeze hard enough, you can always get some out.

The current model of collaboration between hospitals was indeed a headache. Many people didn't want to waste so much time and effort, so they'd find an excuse to get out of it. It's a very simple principle: a minor, ordinary surgery at another hospital, including travel, uses up the entire morning. If one stayed in their own hospital, they could complete at least one major surgery in that time. And that's if it's close, like Jinshui District, accessible by high-speed rail. If it were another county without high-speed rail, they'd have to drive, which would take even more time. Those who are qualified enough to be invited for consultations usually don't lack work at their own hospitals. This was the crux of the conflict, and it wasn't easily resolved.

"Sigh, it all depends on Old Xu's mood," Liu Banxia said. "Anyway, he's very considerate. Haven't you noticed he hasn't asked me to go over and help for such a long time now?"

"No matter what, I owe Old Xu a big favor. That incident back then had a significant impact on him too. We can't just act like it's over and done with. I'll have to repay him gradually."

Wang Chao glanced at him. "Anyway, it's good that you feel that way. Even now, though many patients meet the conditions to transfer here for treatment, some still have to carefully consider their finances before coming."

Liu Banxia stretched widely. "You need to push yourself too and adapt to the current work rhythm quickly. Otherwise, your body will be overwhelmed, especially since you also have the fecal transplant project to manage during the day."

"This transition period is really tough to endure. Well, uh, I'm going to catch a quick nap," Wang Chao said.

Liu Banxia patted his shoulder, offering only moral support. Everyone's endurance level is different. Some adapt quickly, while others need more time. Clearly, Wang Chao was in the latter group. It couldn't be rushed; eventually, adapted or not, everyone had to adapt. It has nothing to do with your family background. If you take on this position, you must bear the responsibility. This is no joke; it concerns patients' lives.

"Teacher Liu, our performance today was pretty good, right? We completely bamboozled the interns!" Liu Yiqing chimed in.

"Your performance was acceptable, but you need to keep improving," Liu Banxia responded. "You can't just focus on teasing them; you also need to give appropriate rewards. Think about it, when have I ever relentlessly picked on you all? You have to maintain a good balance."

"Hehe, Teacher Liu, rest assured, everyone's eager and ready. If you can mentor the six of us, then each of us mentoring one intern will be no problem at all," Liu Yiqing said.

"I thought you all would be stressed about mentoring interns, but it seems you're quite enthusiastic. That's good; it saves me some worry," Liu Banxia said. "Alright then, you all put in more effort. Anyway, whether they're interns or residents in training, I'm entrusting them to you. What they become in the future will depend on you all."

"Absolutely. Since you'll be there to back us up, we're not afraid," Liu Yiqing said. After saying this, she strolled over to Xu Yino with her hands behind her back. The two of them started whispering together, no doubt plotting something new.

The intern situation was settled for now. However, the prospect of new consultation requests from other hospitals was giving Liu Banxia a bit of a headache. Actually, running around a bit wasn't a big deal. He was just worried it would take up too much of his time, leaving him unable to go home and spend quality time with Qiaoqiao. However, in terms of expanding his influence, participating in consultations and surgeries at other hospitals did seem like a shortcut. It was a bit of a tricky situation.