Zheng Ren was exhausted after the dinner.
His soul was tired. He had to promise Director Zhang he would pass on the TIPS method to one of the doctors at the Secondary Hospital.
As a human being, Zheng Ren knew he had to participate in these social events despite how much he hated them.
They were the bane of his existence.
Feng Xuhui served as their waiter, running errands and refilling glasses; hence, he remained sober all through the night. Occasionally, he had to drop a line here and there to keep the mood alive.
After attending multiple events, Feng Xuhui had graduated from wallflower to a professional at addressing the crowd.
He was tired, but excitement buzzed through his body.
Every hospital was a castle and he had successfully penetrated the defenses of one. With the Secondary Hospital sourcing supplies from them, the company’s business report would show a significant boost in sales. Feng Xuhui looked forward to the hefty bonus at the end of the year.
These pleasant thoughts occupied his mind as he served the crowd.
Feng Xuhui recalled the words of that restaurant owner in Imperial Capital. He was told to hold on tight to Chief Zheng; the man was a rising star.
Feng Xuhui did not know what a TIPS procedure was, but he could tell the doctors from the Secondary Hospital were impressed by Zheng Ren’s performance.
As the night ended, Feng Xuhui escorted Zheng Ren and Professor Rudolf home.
“Chief Zheng, shall I drop you or the professor off first?”
The professor had one too many and was snoring soundly in the back seat.
“Drop the professor off at Shangri-La first.” Zheng Ren wound down the window and lit a Ziyun cigarette. He took a drag and let the menthol in the tobacco linger in his mouth. The cold Northeastern air blew into the car, clearing Zheng Ren’s mind. “You help him up. I’ll wait downstairs.”
“Okay.” Feng Xuhui could sense that Zheng Ren wanted some silence. He kept his focus on driving.
After Professor Rudolf Wagner was dropped off at the hotel, Feng Xuhui asked Zheng Ren about their next destination.
When he heard Zheng Ren mention the neighborhood, Feng Xuhui’s eyes widened.
No wonder Zheng Ren was able to wholly focus on surgery; money was not a worry for him. He lived in one of the fanciest neighborhoods.
Only the rich could abandon the usual worries in life and truly pursue what they loved.
Surgery was a hobby to Chief Zheng.
In that instance, Feng Xuhui’s impression of Zheng Ren strayed further and further from the truth.
Zheng Ren was texting Xie Yiren on his phone.
He wanted to go to Xie Yiren’s place and bid her goodnight with a hug.
If he could do that, the night would be perfect like the TIPS surgeries he had done that day.
However, Chu Yanzhi was at Xie Yiren’s house today as she was working on-call.
Given Xie Yiren’s personality, with the presence of another human being… Zheng Ren sighed and gave up on his idea.
It was late and he had things to attend to tomorrow.
Zheng Yunxia’s 64-slice CT scan required his attention. He needed to evaluate the efficacy of the second embolization treatment.
He needed to visit the patients in the wards, and there was still the old man who was faking ill.
Never mind… He would go home and wash up. An early rest would do him good as he would be required to replace Su Yun in the emergency department. The man had been working for two days straight.
With Zheng Ren’s guidance, they arrived at Xie Yiren’s manor.
Feng Xuhui watched as Zheng Ren entered the house. He was still shocked to find out how loaded the man was.
Zheng Ren was a man of many surprises. He had never flaunted his wealth. His attire was ordinary and his taste in food was nothing unusual, but the manor he lived in was spectacular.
The image of Zheng Ren as a rich person was surprising.
Feng Xuhui gathered his thoughts and quickly drove off.
He still had a lot of work to do when he got home. He had to assess today’s surgeries and evaluate future business between Changfeng and the Secondary Hospital.
Although these were usually done by the company’s data analysts, Feng Xuhui felt he had a better feel of the ground and could provide a more accurate and realistic number.
He patted himself on the shoulder. He drove off with thoughts of one day living in a manor like Zheng Ren.
Self-motivation was important in his line of work.
…
The next morning, Zheng Ren was invited by Xie Yiren to breakfast.
Chu Yanzhi was interested in his visit to the Secondary Hospital and asked a bunch of questions. Xie Yiren ate her breakfast quietly, occasionally glancing at Zheng Ren.
After breakfast, Zheng Ren went to the emergency department wards and asked about the patients.
Unexpectedly, Su Yun had had two rather free and easy days at the hospital.
“You must have neglected to worship the Night Shift God,” Su Yun laughed at Zheng Ren.
‘This lucky bastard,’ Zheng Ren cursed in his mind.
At 7:55 a.m, Professor Rudolf Wagner walked into the emergency wards. At the sight of Zheng Ren, the professor immediately got his attention. He wanted to share the reflections he had about the TIPS procedures they did yesterday.
However, Zheng Ren rejected his advances.
Zheng Ren had to oversee the handover, make the rounds and check on some patients. He had no time to entertain the professor.
This was not Heidelberg University. Sea City General Hospital had limited medical personnel on duty.
The medical staff were jaded from the many years of service at the hospital. They were no longer excited about their jobs and the toil was slowly grinding away at their souls.