Chapter 68 - 53: The Master Manipulator

Actually, in the past couple of days, he had heard the name of the new dean, but since there were several layers of hierarchy in between, he hadn’t thought much about it."So, you’re our Dean Zhao?"

"What’s the matter? Are you very disappointed?"

"Just a bit surprised. I remember the last time we had a meeting, you were still the deputy director of the medical department at Central Hospital. Your promotion speed is incredible." Xu Chunliang already understood that Zhao Feiyang hadn’t told him the truth last time. No one rises that quickly. Deputy director of the medical department? Nonsense!

Zhao Feiyang burst into laughter: "I remember you promised to treat me to a meal when I became the director of the medical department." In fact, he was already the vice president of Dongzhou Central Hospital before coming to Changxing, and the medical department was under his jurisdiction.

"What I said counts for sure, but my speed of treating you can’t keep up with your promotion speed. Now one must line up to invite you to dinner."

"I don’t eat just anyone’s meal." Zhao Feiyang patted Xu Chunliang on the shoulder: "No backing out now."

After saying that, Zhao Feiyang walked away. Xu Chunliang watched his back and thought to himself that his being valued was probably thanks to him. He wanted to ask Gao Xinhua about it. Before he could, Cheng Xiaohong called, urging him to hurry back because a patient was filing a complaint at the medical department.

When Xu Chunliang returned to the medical department, the scene was relatively calm and manageable. The patient was called Lin Yougang, and he was complaining about Zheng Peian from the Traditional Chinese Medicine department.

Hearing it was about Zheng Peian, Xu Chunliang naturally paid more attention. Not just for face sake but also because of Zheng Peian’s relationship with his grandfather, he felt he had to help.

Lin Yougang told them that he had acupuncture for toothache in the Traditional Chinese Medicine department and gave a thousand yuan phone recharge as a red packet to Zheng Peian.

Cheng Xiaohong interjected: "Comrade, it seems you’ve come to the wrong place. The issue you’re raising isn’t under our medical department’s responsibilities. You should go to the discipline inspection office."

Lin Yougang was stunned: "Where is the discipline inspection office?"

If it were someone else, Xu Chunliang would have certainly pushed the matter to the discipline inspection, but for Zheng Peian’s issue, he couldn’t pretend not to see it, so he quickly took it upon himself: "Sister Hong, you’re busy. I’ll handle this matter."

Xu Chunliang called Lin Yougang into the adjacent mediation room, first to understand the situation from Zheng Peian. After hearing about it, even he was confused. He did receive a thousand yuan phone recharge, but he didn’t know who sent it. These things had happened in the past as well, where patients, out of gratitude, would give red packets in such an indirect manner. Generally, no one paid much attention to it as the amounts were small, and there was no need to escalate it or hand over the money to the discipline inspection department.

There were many unwritten rules in the hospital, and while some might not follow official regulations, they operate on the principle of mutual willingness; it’s a long-standing tacit understanding between doctors and patients. Over time, everyone thinks it’s the norm.

This Lin Yougang did have acupuncture here, but he could assure that he neither implied nor actively requested a red packet; it was the patient who voluntarily recharged the amount.

After listening, Xu Chunliang had a good understanding and suggested that Zheng Peian could come over and return the money to Lin Yougang right now, but Xu Chunliang advised him not to come over as facing the patient directly might exacerbate the issue.

Xu Chunliang went to the mediation room, closed the door, poured a special barley tea, and handed it to Lin Yougang with a smile: "You said you recharged Director Zheng’s phone, do you have proof?"

Lin Yougang took out the recharge record: "I kept a record; it clearly shows a thousand yuan recharge."

Xu Chunliang intended to take a look, but Lin Yougang stowed it back in his pocket, showing high alertness. From the start, this guy intended to trap Zheng Peian. Such petty behavior made Xu Chunliang look down on him.

"Mr. Lin, what are your demands?"

"I demand a refund from Zheng Peian and also request that the hospital sanctions him, publicly disclose his bribery solicitation to serve as a warning to others."

"According to your account, he actively asked you to help him recharge?"

"Of course, he initiated it; otherwise, why would I recharge for him?"

"Why did you go to our Traditional Chinese Medicine department?"

"For treatment. I had a toothache and heard that Zheng Peian was particularly skilled in treating toothaches, so I queued for his number."

"Does it still hurt?"

"It doesn’t hurt now, but that doesn’t justify him soliciting a red packet. My wife and I are both laid-off, earning money isn’t easy. You tell me, how immoral is it to ask for a red packet?"

"You could have refused, right? Why did you give? Why condone such behavior if you knew it was wrong?"

"If I didn’t give, I was worried he wouldn’t give me proper treatment. You doctors, even for surgeries on your own father, demand a red packet first to steady your hands." Lin Yougang coughed and spat yellow phlegm into a nearby wastebasket.

Xu Chunliang cursed inwardly, feeling indignant thinking, "Doctors aren’t as terrible as you make them out to be." But on the surface, he still maintained composure and smiled: "Please, have some tea."

After speaking, Lin Yougang felt thirsty, picked up the tea, and drank it all in one go, finding the barley tea quite refreshing. Xu Chunliang refilled his cup, and Lin Yougang noticed that apart from barley, there were ginseng slices in it. The medical department seemed very considerate.

After drinking the tea, Lin Yougang returned to the topic: "Can you solve my problem or not? If not, I’ll seek the discipline inspection office or the hospital dean."

"Mr. Lin, calm down. I think there might be some misunderstandings in this process. It’s true that you recharged Director Zheng’s phone with a thousand yuan, but he claims it was without his knowledge. Moreover, after discovering this, he reported the matter to the hospital and turned in the one thousand yuan."

Lin Yougang glared at Xu Chunliang: "What do you mean? Are you covering up for Zheng Peian? Did you listen when I said earlier that he solicited a red packet? I have a record of the recharge. I knew long ago that your hospital shelters its doctors. Fine! I don’t want the money; I’ll expose you!"

"If what you say is true, we will accept being exposed. But if you dare distort the facts and fabricate lies, our hospital will not stand idly by. If you harm our hospital’s reputation, we will pursue legal action against you, which may cost you more than just a thousand yuan and even lead to detention."

"Are you threatening me?" Lin Yougang took out his phone, revealing that he had sneakily activated a recording app before entering the mediation room to record their conversation.

Xu Chunliang chuckled: "Do you think I fear your recordings? I advise against resorting to such underhanded tactics. It’s better to accumulate some virtue; otherwise, it will come back to haunt you."

"Are you insulting me? Believe it or not, I’ll file a complaint against you?" Lin Yougang’s eyes widened, bloodshot and enraged.

Xu Chunliang covered his nose and stepped back: "Such a foul mouth, you’re sick, and I won’t stoop to your level."

"You’re the one who’s sick!" Lin Yougang roared, originally there to make trouble, but this guy didn’t play along; his anger escalated.

Xu Chunliang said: "Seems like you’re unaware of how sick you are. Your red face, red eyes, dry lips, irritable temper, and agitation are symptoms of excess Yangming fire evil."

"Stop fooling me; I’m perfectly fine!" Although he previously had a toothache, which Zheng Peian’s acupuncture cured, he now felt perfectly fine.

Xu Chunliang remarked: "I’m not discriminating against you or calling you foul-mouthed; I’m referring to your breath. Have you been favoring cold foods and often coughing up yellow phlegm lately?"

Lin Yougang hesitated. His wife had indeed been complaining about his bad breath recently, and the symptoms Xu Chunliang described matched him. But he thought, who doesn’t prefer cold food in the summer? He had coughed up some phlegm earlier, which Xu Chunliang had seen, and Xu Chunliang was using that knowledge against him. But he wasn’t easily intimidated.

Xu Chunliang continued: "Have you been experiencing constipation and scanty, yellowish urine lately? Denying it doesn’t matter, as the problem resides with you."

"I... I’m perfectly fine! You’re cursing me!" This time, Lin Yiguang wasn’t as confident as before.

Xu Chunliang laughed: "You have excess internal heat. Judging by your appearance, you haven’t been sexually active for at least six months, right? It’s hard but not firm, isn’t it?"

Lin Yougang’s face turned beet red. Could this kid predict his issues? Although he was only forty-five years old, he oddly lost interest in such matters the past six months. "Nonsense. I have no problems."

"People who often claim they have no problems typically have big issues. Internal fire arises from imbalances between yin and yang energies. Fire is a yang evil; it depletes fluids, consumes energy, stirs the wind, moves blood, and disturbs the mind. Superficially, your symptoms resemble excessive yang activity. But in actuality, your yang energy is externalizing, and you suffer from qi and blood deficiency. Without timely treatment, you may never perform sexually again. Also, your toothache stems from the same issue, and if it recurs, it might hurt a hundred times more than before."

Lin Yougang was startled, and his tooth root started to ache again, growing increasingly painful, making it unbearable. He clutched his right cheek, groaning in pain. Had he been cursed?