Gloves - Chapter 48

“What’s going on with everyone today? If anyone has any objections or opinions about me or the decisions I’ve made, now is your chance to speak up. Don’t go gossiping behind my back later, saying you can never see me,” Shang Zhuoxi crossed her arms, waiting for someone to speak, but there was silence in the audience.

Several more experienced doctors tightly clenched their twitching lips, some had flushed faces with furrowed brows. Some people in the audience were mesmerized, staring at Shang Zhuoxi, while a small group of people continuously glanced disapprovingly at Xu Yuer, who seemed indifferent and careless.

“Very well, if no one objects, then it’s decided. Take these three as an example. The next time someone makes the same mistake, I don’t care what your reasons are, you will go to the finance department and deduct your own salary for this month, and immediately leave. All medical staff are here to serve others. Aside from differences in knowledge and expertise, we are all equal. I recently saw some comments on the forum from certain netizens saying that some doctors always feel superior, looking down on nurses, and nurses looking down on economically disadvantaged patients. I hope those people are not from our hospital. We’ve wasted over an hour today, so let’s end it here. If anyone has further suggestions or objections, please come to my office for a meeting. I don’t want any private discussions. Meeting adjourned,” Shang Zhuoxi felt truly annoyed by this meeting. In fact, the recent meetings hadn’t been very effective.

As expected, not long after the meeting adjourned, there was a knock on Shang Zhuoxi’s office door.

“Come in,” the visitor was Dr. Lao Chen.

“Please, have a seat, Uncle Chen,” Shang Zhuoxi had guessed that he would come. The expression on this middle-aged man’s face during the meeting had left a deep impression on her.

“This is top-grade green tea sent by a patient’s family. I assume Uncle Chen also enjoys tea. Come, ” Shang Zhuoxi said as she poured half a cup of tea into a clean cup for the old doctor.

“Just treat it like we’re friends and have a chat,” Shang Zhuoxi said, leaning back in her chair, quietly waiting for Uncle Chen’s “objections.”

“Xiao Shang,” Lao Chen reluctantly began, even as an elder, he was fully aware of Shang Zhuoxi’s impressive capabilities in her work, which made him feel like he was talking to someone who had grown up under his watchful eye.

“Hmm? Uncle Chen, go ahead. There’s nothing you can’t say,” Shang Zhuoxi replied, her smile encouraging Lao Chen to continue.

“My nephew…,” Lao Chen started, glancing at Shang Zhuoxi and seeing her unwavering smile, signaling him to go on.

“I know that since you took over, there’s a rule in our hospital that allows only one chance for making the same mistake. This is already my nephew’s second time, but he has only been in the hospital for a year. They say ‘third time’s the charm,’ so can you please not fire him for now, as a favor to me? Give him another chance. I believe he’s smart enough to learn from this experience and will demand more from himself. Xiao Shang, what do you think?” Lao Chen tightly held the tea cup in his hands, pursing his lips as he looked at Shang Zhuoxi.

“Uncle Chen, if your nephew had even a fifth of the professional competence that you possess, I would consider your proposal,” Shang Zhuoxi said, running her fingers through her hair before continuing.

“Last year, around this time, I gave him special treatment because of your influence and allowed him to enter our hospital. In the span of six months, he managed to upset four patients, causing them to transfer to other hospitals. I had a conversation with him back then, and he promised me that there wouldn’t be a next time. I also thought that with such an outstanding mentor like you, Uncle Chen, he would improve. But his actions in the past six months have been evident to everyone. There are so many people who are eager to work at our hospital, and Uncle Chen, you are well aware of that. Today, I’m not firing him because I have a personal grudge against him. I’m doing it to create a better medical environment at our hospital. Do you think I’m being unreasonable?” Shang Zhuoxi stood her ground, not backing down. If it weren’t for Uncle Chen’s reputation, Shang Zhuoxi wouldn’t have patiently explained the situation.

“Well, Xiao Shang…” Lao Chen’s mouth hung open, his wrinkles deepening on his face.

“Rules are rules. If you have something to say, say it during the meetings,” Shang Zhuoxi interrupted before she could finish her sentence, as the office door once again echoed with a knock.

“Come in,” two doctors, a man and a woman, entered the room, seeing the ongoing conversation. They were about to leave.

“Close the door behind you! If you have something to say, say it here together,” Shang Zhuoxi’s frustration was evident. When she called for meetings, everyone had a constipated expression and refused to speak, but now they were using work hours to approach her.

“Uncle Chen, I’m sorry, but I really can’t accommodate your nephew anymore. Are you not on duty this afternoon? You should go home and rest early,” Shang Zhuoxi said, standing up to see Lao Chen off.

“Eh! Alright, Director Shang,” Lao Chen said, with a helpless expression, leaving the office.

“Please have a seat. What’s the issue between you two?” Shang Zhuoxi said, unbuttoning the top two buttons of her shirt. After the meeting, she was feeling a bit hot.

“Director Shang, why did you have to be so harsh? I don’t think it was necessary,” the female doctor went straight to the point.

“I think if you put yourself in the patient’s shoes, you wouldn’t think it wasn’t necessary,” Shang Zhuoxi said, taking a sip of her tea. She had just finished talking with Lao Chen, and her tea had gone cold, so she had to make herself a fresh one.

“We have a good relationship, and he had no choice. I understand his personality, and he usually doesn’t treat people like that, Director Shang…” the female doctor persisted.

“Darling, I heard that the Fourth Hospital on Donghuan Road is in desperate need of staff. The hospital director never fires anyone. If you want, I can let you and your friend go hand in hand to the Fourth Hospital. What do you think?” Shang Zhuoxi said, feeling annoyed.

“The Fourth Hospital?! No, I won’t go there. I won’t go,” the female doctor quickly shook her head and waved her hands. The male doctor next to her couldn’t help but laugh at her comical behavior. However, when he saw Director Shang’s stern face, he immediately restrained himself and continued speaking on behalf of the female doctor.

“According to the rules, shouldn’t Dr. Xu be fired too? She’s been fired multiple times already,” he said.

“Yes, many of us in the surgery department are dissatisfied with Dr. Xu’s work,” another doctor chimed in.

“Yes, she looks down on our nurses, and I bet she’s the one they’re talking about on that forum!”

“And she’s always…,” always late and leaving early~

“Enough! Don’t mention Dr. Xu anymore. If you’re here to plead for her, then I suggest you go back to work and not hinder the progress of those few people. If you’re here to ask me to fire Dr. Xu, then I hope you come back to discuss it when the number of patients in your hands matches hers,” Shang Zhuoxi said, as her phone on the table vibrated, causing her to become even more agitated, given her already frustrated and overheated state.

“Director Shang, it’s not just us who think that way, many people are saying things about you…” The male doctor hesitated, and Shang Zhuoxi glanced at the three words “Wang Shili” on her phone, pressing the end call button and turning off the screen. She shifted her gaze back to the two doctors.

“Go on, tell me what they’re saying about me. I’m curious to hear,” Shang Zhuoxi said, intrigued. She leaned against her desk, propping herself up with her hands, and flicked her hair to one side, exposing her long neck for cooling. This simple action, however, caused the temperature of the two people in the room to rise together.

“Everyone… everyone says that Director Shang doesn’t like men,” the female doctor glanced at Shang Zhuoxi’s neck, then quickly lowered her head to avoid eye contact. With a brave face, she continued, “At least seventy percent of the people you’ve fired are men, so male doctors are all… afraid.”

“Oh really? Did you do a survey on that?” Shang Zhuoxi burst into laughter, covering her mouth with her hand. She used the back of her hand to wipe her nose and asked the male doctor, “How scared are you? Worried that I’ll fire you because of this?”

After that, she turned to the female doctor and said, “Come here.” The female doctor nervously took a step forward, while the male doctor who was being questioned shook his head and then nodded.

“Stand in front of me and don’t lower your head,” Director Shang ordered. The female doctor followed the command obediently.

“So, should you be grateful for yourself?” The female doctor’s face instantly turned red.

“No, no, I didn’t mean that…,” Director Shang, are you getting too close to me? I can even smell the fragrance of tea on your breath~

“What did you mean, tell me.” Shang Zhuoxi’s chin was against her forehead.

“I meant… they’re just being boring, gossiping about everything. Director Shang’s decisions are always right. I think I should go back and prescribe medicine for the patients…,” the female doctor rambled on.

“I usually don’t make changes to my decisions. The fact that seventy percent of the people I’ve fired are men has nothing to do with me personally. You all go back to work and focus on your own responsibilities instead of worrying about others. Remember to close the door when you leave.”

After the two doctors left, Shang Zhuoxi finally found some peace and quiet. She dialed back Wang Shili’s missed call. Recently, Wang Shili had become a refuge for Shang Zhuoxi during her downtime.

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“An Chujie, Jie, right?” The doctor, a sturdy middle-aged man of about 35, read the name on the registration form.

“Yes,” An Chujie nodded. In the next second, her left foot was swiftly lifted by the man.

“Ah,” An Chujie frowned in pain.

“Can’t you be more gentle? Why are the doctors at the Imperial Hospital so rude?” Qi Ruan immediately got furious upon hearing An Chujie’s painful cry. Something had been off with An Chujie since she came out of the ultrasound room.

“Xiao Ruan, it’s okay,” An Chujie signaled Qi Ruan not to be too impatient. In reality, the doctor didn’t use much force, but the calluses on his hands caused some discomfort on An Chujie’s skin.

“Miss, with such a bad temper, maybe you should go upstairs and see a psychiatrist,” the doctor, seemingly hot-tempered himself, commented.

“What do you mean? Do you believe that I can make you lose your job tonight?” With Qi Ruan’s mother’s influence, she always had the power to be bossy.

“Let’s see if you have the ability,” the doctor responded without backing down. It was clear that Qi Ruan’s fiery temperament had also provoked him.

“Xiao Ruan, why don’t you just keep quiet? Alright, Doctor, you don’t need to pay attention to her. Let’s proceed with the imaging,” An Chujie tried to smooth things over with a smile and calling the doctor “brother.” The doctor’s anger finally subsided.

After the imaging was done, the doctor’s expression became serious.

“Have you had any surgeries here?” From the appearance of An Chujie’s bones, her left foot seemed to have not undergone any surgery and should be fine. However, the strange thing was the increasing acidity around the bones, which was dissolving without any apparent reason unless there was something in the bones causing it.

“Yes, twice. The first time was when I was still in university, for a surgery after a car accident. And another time… two years ago, to remove the remnants from the accident. But when I came to this hospital last year for a check-up, everything was fine. It’s just that in the past month or two, the pain has started again,” An Chujie answered truthfully.

“Two years ago, you had surgery? That explains it, but… did you have any conflicts or issues with that doctor?” The doctor asked.

“But… what do you mean?” An Chujie felt anxious.

“Where did you have that previous surgery done? Wasn’t it by a doctor in China?” The doctor was curious about the surgery on An Chujie’s foot.

“…” It was done in China, technically…

“Let me put it this way, that doctor might have added something to your ankle bone, and they concealed it quite well. I’ve only seen something like this online,” the doctor’s eyes widened in surprise. If that was the case, he couldn’t fathom why that doctor would treat this young girl in such a way.

“This kind of substance hasn’t been widely used in mainland China yet. There might be solutions for this substance in foreign countries or in coastal areas. For now, I can give you some medication to alleviate your discomfort. It won’t cause major issues temporarily. But for a permanent solution, I suggest you seek treatment at a higher-end medical institution. The doctors who have studied abroad in Haicheng should have more knowledge in this area.”

“Alright, I understand. Thank you,” An Chujie said calmly, but her spine felt chilled. Her mind was filled with the terrifying image of Shang Zhuoxi wearing a mask and rubber gloves.

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Once An Chujie returned home and Qi Ruan had left, she hugged her trembling body and began to cry. She had kept some information about her ankle bone condition hidden from Qi Ruan, and she hadn’t told her the true details of her gynecological examination today. The doctor’s words had left An Chujie feeling hopeless. She remembered the doctor asking if she had ever engaged in intense sexual activities, even during her period. Of course, she had, and it was only with that one person. Every time, it felt as if he was trying to take her life, ruthlessly thrusting into her. An Chujie despised Shang Zhuoxi with every fiber of her being. She clenched her trembling teeth, a hatred taking hold within her. It was a desire to destroy that person’s life. An Chujie hated how Shang Zhuoxi had left her so broken, both mentally and physically. She hated how maliciously Shang Zhuoxi had used every means possible to seek revenge on her father. It became clear that everything Shang Zhuoxi had claimed to care about was nothing but a facade, as she callously possessed An Chujie without any regard. It was all to ruin her life. Shang Zhuoxi had pretended to perform surgeries to heal the leg condition that had been caused by her in the first place, most likely as a means of inflicting prolonged suffering on An Chujie.