「Forty minutes earlier.」 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Meng Huaxin, the newly appointed Party Secretary of the Affiliated Hospital; Liu Jin, the new President and Deputy Party Secretary; Hou Jianfeng, the Vice President of Medical Affairs; Chen Changrui, the Vice President of Education and Research; and Han Xianghong, the Secretary of the Hospital Disciplinary Committee, convened for the new leadership team’s first meeting.

With the exception of Meng Huaxin, the other four members of the new leadership team were all veterans of the Affiliated Hospital.

However, only Chen Changrui, responsible for education and research, had kept his position; the other three’s roles had all changed.

After a few brief pleasantries, the very first topic Meng Huaxin, who was chairing the meeting, raised was met with unequivocal opposition.

"Disciplinary action for Yan Feifan?"

Liu Jin challenged him directly. "Mr. Meng, Mr. Yan has done nothing wrong. Why are you disciplining him?"

"We must adhere to our principles, not bow to public opinion."

Meng Huaxin’s tone was grave. "Done nothing wrong?"

"The video that’s circulating widely and causing a national uproar clearly shows him claiming to have no time on Wednesday, only to be seen at an amusement park on Sunday."

"This is a textbook case of irresponsibility. He doesn’t have his patients’ best interests at heart, and he lacks the consciousness to serve the people wholeheartedly."

Meng Huaxin’s tone softened as he tried to persuade him. "Mr. Liu, I know Mr. Yan is your prize pupil, known as a ’genius doctor,’ and you have very high expectations for him."

"However, for a doctor, integrity is paramount."

"Mr. Liu, you can’t be too lenient with him. When a lesson needs to be taught, it must be taught."

Meng Huaxin added earnestly, "Mr. Yan is still young and very talented. We have a responsibility to guide him toward healthy growth, particularly in matters of character."

Hearing this, Liu Jin’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He thought to himself, ’This isn’t about reining in Yan Feifan. This is about reining me in. He’s using this opportunity to establish his own authority.’

When two foes meet on a narrow path, the braver one is victorious.

Besides, that kid Yan Feifan was his ace in the hole; he had to be defended at all costs.

Liu Jin took a deep breath and said slowly, "Mr. Meng, Mr. Yan is not only my student. He is also a student of Mr. Lo from Neurosurgery, Mr. Chen from Trauma Surgery, Mr. Wang from Plastic Surgery, and the trauma expert, Dr. Qin Ying."

"Furthermore, within our Affiliated Hospital, Mr. Qi of the Diagnostics Department, Mr. Miao of Neurology, Mr. Liang of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Mr. Wan of the Emergency Department, the neurosurgery expert Dr. Qiu, and others all hold Mr. Yan in the highest regard."

Liu Jin paused, meeting Meng Huaxin’s heavy gaze, and said, "Could a person who has earned the approval and praise of so many of our hospital’s senior experts really have flawed medical ethics?"

"Mr. Meng, we mustn’t be biased and believe only one side of the story, nor should we be misled by a video haphazardly edited by some internet personality."

’Trying to strong-arm me with his connections?’

Meng Huaxin picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and said unhurriedly, "I’m quite aware of the ’halo effect’ that comes with admiring talent."

"And we can’t rule out the possibility that a certain someone is simply good at pandering and putting up a facade."

"Ah, Mr. Liu, I’m not, as you suggested, being biased or misled by a few short videos."

His gaze swept over the other three people in the conference room. He found them all looking down, adopting a "this has nothing to do with me" posture.

"As I understand it, Mr. Yan only returned to work two or three months ago, correct? Are you aware of how many complaints the Ministry of Health has received about him in that short time?"

Meng Huaxin said with a grave expression, "Thirty-eight. And that’s just the complaints filed under real names, to say nothing of the anonymous ones."

Liu Jin said disdainfully, "Is there any actual evidence to substantiate these complaints?"

"My guess is that the vast majority are from patients with intramedullary spinal cord tumors and their families, right?"

Meng Huaxin’s voice suddenly sharpened. "To trigger such a massive number of complaints," he said coldly, "shouldn’t that warrant a little self-reflection?"

He suddenly slammed his hand on the table.

"His own hospital’s patients are scheduled months out, yet he has time to run off to Baining Hospital to perform freelance surgeries."

"What is that if not a blatant cash grab?"

"He’s only been working for a few months and has already bought a Cayenne worth over a million."

"An entrepreneur patient gave him six million in so-called ’research funding,’ and the family of a brain tumor patient gave him a five million reward."

"Mr. Liu, you tell me. Is this prized student of yours, the one everyone praises and approves of, just in it for the money?"

Meng Huaxin slammed the table again and said angrily, "If I didn’t cherish and admire talent, I wouldn’t have just proposed disciplinary action."

"With my old, uncompromising temperament, a doctor with such a flawed character would be fired immediately and never rehired."

Just then, with a SLAM of his own, Liu Jin also struck the conference table.

"Mr. Meng, we cannot judge people through a biased lens, jump to conclusions, and slap labels on them."

"I am fully aware of the six million and five million you mentioned."

"Mr. Meng, have you investigated the full context behind those payments?"

"Let me tell you, that money was given willingly, enthusiastically, and proactively by the patients and their families. Mr. Yan did not hint at or solicit a single cent of it."

"Relying on his own unparalleled medical skills, whether he earns several million, tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions, that’s a testament to his ability."

"We should be happy and gratified by such an event, not be jealous and nitpicky."

"As for freelance surgeries..."

Liu Jin said sarcastically, "Our Affiliated Hospital’s attending physicians, associate chief physicians, and chief physicians... if not one hundred percent, then at least seventy or eighty percent of them perform freelance surgeries."

"Is it suddenly wrong just because Mr. Yan does it?"

"Mr. Meng, if you’re really that capable, then forbid every single doctor in this hospital from performing freelance surgeries."

Meng Huaxin’s gaze suddenly turned sharp.

Liu Jin’s gaze was equally sharp, and he met the other’s eyes without the slightest hint of retreat or evasion.

The atmosphere in the small conference room grew increasingly frigid.

Hou Jianfeng, Chen Changrui, and Han Xianghong knew the two men were now locked in a head-to-head confrontation, an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.

Frankly, they found it a bit strange that the normally mild-mannered Liu Jin would so brazenly clash with the Party Secretary on his very first day in office.

But once they remembered it was all over Yan Feifan, they understood.

That kid, Yan Feifan, was the apple of Liu Jin’s eye. All one could say was that Meng Huaxin had chosen the wrong target in his attempt to use the situation to establish his authority.

Hou Jianfeng and Chen Changrui both turned their gazes to Han Xianghong, the Secretary of the Hospital Disciplinary Committee.

In this situation, only he, with his relatively independent authority, could intervene to ease the tension.

A resigned Han Xianghong cleared his throat. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly heard a knock at the door.

"Come in!" It was Meng Huaxin who spoke.

Following his words, a man in his early forties pushed the door open and walked in.

He first bowed slightly, offering an apology to Liu Jin and the others present, then quickly walked over to Meng Huaxin’s side and began whispering in his ear.

This man was Wu Peng, Meng Huaxin’s assistant from the Ministry of Health and the newly appointed Director of the Secretary’s Office.

After hearing Wu Peng’s whispers, Meng Huaxin’s face darkened.

He met the gazes of Liu Jin and the others and said, somewhat awkwardly, "Um... what I said to those internet personalities in front of the office building..."

"It was taken out of context, edited, and broadcast."

"The misleading, edited video makes it look like I caved to online pressure and fired Mr. Yan the moment I arrived..."