The next morning, Yan Feifan and Yu Suye were walking their bikes through the south gate of the Affiliated Hospital when they ran into someone.
"Hey, Feifan, what a coincidence!"
"Dr. Yu, good morning!"
Realizing it was Sun Le, who had appeared out of nowhere with a sunny smile, Yan Feifan felt a headache coming on.
"Mr. Sun, good morning!" Yan Feifan greeted him.
Before the other man could even bring it up, he politely refused again. "Mr. Sun, I’ve been busy lately. I really don’t have time for the party you’re organizing."
"I know, I know!"
Sun Le said with a chuckle, "We all know your patients are scheduled six months out. You must be incredibly busy."
"But no matter how busy you are, you still have to sit down and eat, right? We can talk things over while we eat."
Sun Le continued, "Feifan, the main topic of this get-together is to plan the celebration for Mr. Shi’s thirtieth anniversary of teaching."
"Mr. Shi is also retiring this year, so we were thinking of making his thirtieth-anniversary celebration a bit more grand."
"Feifan, you’re Mr. Shi’s star student. I ran into him a while ago, and he specifically asked about you."
Hearing this from Sun Le, Yan Feifan found it hard to refuse again.
Shi Min had been Yan Feifan’s physiology and anatomy professor in medical school.
He was known for being incredibly strict.
When it came to his students, Mr. Shi never turned a blind eye.
Not only that, but in any of his courses, a score below seventy-five on an exam was an automatic fail.
This earned him the title of "King of Killers" from generations of medical students.
Every year, a fair number of students had to retake his exams or repeat his courses.
In Mr. Shi’s own words, there should really only be one standard for the physiology and anatomy course.
Either a hundred percent, or a failing grade.
If you couldn’t be one hundred percent correct about the physiological structure of the human body, how could you be a good doctor?
Unfortunately, Mr. Shi’s exam questions were just too difficult.
In all those years, Yan Feifan was the only exception, scoring a perfect one hundred.
Although Mr. Shi had always been a conscientious and demanding teacher, his achievements in scientific research were few.
That was why, even now, he was still just an associate professor.
"Mr. Sun, I’ll attend the party."
Yan Feifan accepted, then added, "But let me be clear, I can’t stay for long—just for the meal."
Sun Le smiled faintly. "It’s good enough that you can come, even if it’s just for the meal. It’s tonight at six-thirty, in private room 206 at the Lotus Fragrance Restaurant, not far from here!"
He then turned to Yu Suye and invited her, "Dr. Yu, if it’s convenient, you should come along too."
"Thanks for the invitation. I’ll see," Yu Suye replied with a bright smile, giving a noncommittal answer.
After parting ways with Sun Le, Yan Feifan and Yu Suye parked their bikes in the rack behind the emergency building, then went to the research office to change into their white coats and other gear.
Afterward, Yan Feifan left the Emergency Department and hurried to the Neurosurgery Department.
As soon as he entered the director’s office, he noticed the atmosphere was off.
Mr. Lo’s expression was dark, without a trace of a smile.
Yan Feifan asked curiously, "Mr. Lo, you’re in a bad mood. Was there a misdiagnosis in the department?"
"Or a surgical accident?"
Lo Jun just shook his head slightly without offering an explanation and handed Yan Feifan two medical files in manila envelopes.
"These are two surgical patients for next week."
Yan Feifan took the manila envelopes, casually placed them with his briefcase, and noticed Lo Jun looked hesitant to speak.
"Mr. Lo, is there something you want to tell me?"
Lo Jun sighed and said slowly, "Xiaoyan, I’m responsible for scheduling the specific surgery times for every patient."
"Because there’s a long waiting list, and some patients can’t even get a spot, it inevitably creates opportunities for people to pull strings, call in favors, and even seek personal gain through their position."
"Xiaoyan, do you have any thoughts on this?"
Yan Feifan couldn’t help but smile. "Mr. Lo, I have no thoughts on it. Really, none at all."
"If I had to manage the schedule for so many patients myself, with all sorts of people coming to me every day, begging me..."
"With my personality, I definitely couldn’t handle it. I wouldn’t even be able to maintain my own normal work and life."
"Having you in charge, Mr. Lo, has solved a huge problem for me."
Yan Feifan asked tentatively, "Mr. Lo, has someone been gossiping?"
Lo Jun sighed again. "There’s always gossip. People will say anything. I never pay it any mind."