Shengming Private Hospital.
Director’s Office.
Zheng Heng sat at his desk, hands clasped, facing several department chief physicians. “I think you all know that Mr. Xu’s daughter, Xu Mian, will be interning at our hospital. So I wanted to get your opinions who would like to ”
Director Zheng Heng racked his brains but couldn’t find anything extraordinary on that brief, sparse resume.
He ended up awkwardly saying, “Take her under your wing?”
The moment he said that, the eight department heads in the room pursed their lips, a hint of sarcasm tugging at their mouths.
One of them spoke first: “Director, how long will this young lady be interning?”
Zheng Heng rubbed his forehead. “For now… it’s not certain. She hasn’t arrived yet. Don’t judge prematurely.”
But Wen Shuang from Orthopedics, blunt and sharp-tongued, sneered disdainfully: “Director, prejudiced? Or is it the hospital that’s absurd? I just don’t understand why can’t a young lady from a rich family just stay home and loaf around? She has to come intern here to polish her resume? This is a matter of life and death. I declare now, I will absolutely not take such a person into my department.”
Another, from Rheumatology and Immunology, chimed in: “Exactly! Dropping out of high school to come cause a fuss at a hospital? What can she even do? She probably can’t even handle basic nursing tasks.”
A department head standing in the corner curled a lip, cruelly remarking, “Exactly, rich kids treating human lives as a game! Our regular bosses can’t afford that kind of risk. We’d end up taking the blame.”
Wen Shuang added immediately: “This pampered young lady is one thing, but I heard she’s the one sent from the production department, meant to work there. Somehow, she’s been thrown into our department. What, are we lower than production workers now? Taking anyone and everyone?”
Zheng Heng saw the situation slipping out of control.
He quickly took a firm tone. “Wen Shuang, why are you talking so fast? I’m consulting everyone’s opinion here. If you don’t want her, fine but are you leading a rebellion now?”
Wen Shuang pursed her lips. “I wouldn’t dare~”
Zheng Heng felt exasperated.
Just as it seemed the wealthy young lady was about to be assigned elsewhere, the office door opened.
Yin Lai, director of the Emergency Department, stepped in quietly. “Sorry, sorry, there was an emergency. What were you discussing in the meeting?”
Immediately, the room fell silent.
Zheng Heng placed a hand near his mouth and cleared his throat. “Well Director Yin, you came at just the right time. A few days ago you told me you were short-staffed, right?”
Yin Lai, always busy in the Emergency Department, had no time for hospital gossip. Hearing about the shortage, he immediately nodded. “Yes, we are.”
Zheng Heng waved his hand. “Perfect. We have a new person here can you take her under your guidance?”
Yin Lai was about to ask more when Wen Shuang beat him to it: “Then it’s settled. Nothing else? Director, we’ll leave first.”
Yin Lai stood there dumbfounded. When his good friend Li Ru left, he patted Yin Lai’s shoulder: “I’ll be rooting for you.”
Yin Lai didn’t understand, and asked Zheng Heng, “Isn’t Li Ru’s Cardiology department short-staffed too? Why am I getting this lucky assignment?”
Zheng Heng smiled. “Yes, but good things always go to the Emergency Department first.”
Yin Lai went off happily.
When he arrived in the Emergency Department, the doctors were still chatting cheerfully.
“Where do you think the rich high school dropout will end up?”
“No idea,” a chubby girl said, “but she’s definitely not coming to our ER. She’s just here for experience totally different from us unlucky ones.”
“Better she’s not here. Who knows how difficult she’ll be? She’s a shareholder’s daughter; trouble is inevitable.”
Everyone nodded.
The next moment, Yin Lai walked down the corridor and announced: “We have a new intern today. Her name is Xu Mian. Who ”
He scanned the room. “Will take her under your wing?”
Silence.
Yin Lai didn’t know what was happening and asked the group leader, “Li Lai? You’ve always said you’re short-staffed. She’s here now don’t you want her?”
Li Lai shrugged. “Director, don’t put me in this position.”
Yin Lai was about to respond when someone raised her hand and said, “Director, I’ll take her.”
Everyone turned to see a plump woman with large black-framed glasses and dark circles under her eyes.
Wen Shuang sneered: “Wang Zhen, you’ll take her? Heh! Desperate enough to take someone who knows nothing, huh?”
Wang Zhen lowered her voice timidly: “If you don’t want her, can’t I?”
At the same time,
Someone got off the bus.
Rain had fallen the night before, leaving the asphalt glistening wet, the crosswalk glaringly white.
The girl stepped lightly on the white line, the breeze lifting her thin hem and shoulder-length loose hair. All the surrounding noise faded into the background.
The morning sun slowly bathed her; she seemed to walk out of the light.
She lifted her eyes, coldly looking at the hospital ahead. Her gaze was indifferent yet arresting.
Passersby couldn’t help but glance.
Inside the car, secretary Wang Hao immediately called out: “President Xie! Miss Xu!”
Xie Yan’s hand, resting on his knee, slowly tightened.
He watched that slender figure in silence, cherishing the moment, until she disappeared at the end of the hospital.
Wang Hao turned to ask: “President Xie, what do we do?”
Xie Yan relaxed his grip, realizing he had held it too long and his hand was stiff.
He controlled his tone carefully. “Drive the car inside.”
Meanwhile, in the Emergency Room:
Someone was saying, “Wang Zhen, you’re doomed! You weren’t performing well in your assessment, and now you have to take care of a high school dropout. Do you know you’ll be expelled if she fails her internship? You’ll be the first in our school to get kicked out congratulations!”
Some people felt sympathy, some schadenfreude.
Wang Zhen lowered her head and whispered: “It can’t get worse than this…”
Yin Lai frowned, about to speak, when he caught sight of someone entering from the doorway.
A person wearing a black cap, black thin jacket, black pants, the ankles exposed, looking cold and aloof even from a distance.
The figure approached, removed the hat, revealing a delicate, picture-perfect face.
“Hello, may I ask who is Director Yin Lai?”
“I’m Xu Mian, here to report for duty.”