Bone-Attached Disaster - Chapter 55:

Chapter 55: Ultimatum

“Congratulations, Doctor Fu. You are officially an attending physician in our Neurosurgery Department from now on. I will announce your clinic schedule at next week’s meeting. You can take this week to rest well.”

Fu Jia’an closed the signed promotion document. “Then I will have to rely on your guidance in the future, Director.”

Jin Shaoqian’s face held a sense of satisfaction. “That’s good. You have talent and are meticulous. I might need to ask for your advice more often in the future.”

Three days after Jin Shaoqian was placed under investigation, the Second Municipal Hospital released a clarification stating that most of the accusations in the reports were untrue. In the end, Jin Shaoqian merely published a mild apology letter on the hospital forum, stating that he had been too strict with his subordinate doctors, which led to grudges and accusations, damaging the hospital’s reputation. He promised to be more cautious in the future.

This incident also caused a sensation within the Second Municipal Hospital. Everyone gossiped after hours. Some said Jin Shaoqian dared to be so reckless because he was connected to the Han family. Others speculated that all the concrete evidence reported against Director Jin had originated from the Neurosurgery Department, making Fu Jia’an the most likely whistleblower.

This was because Fu Jia’an’s mother, Fu Zihua, had been expelled from the Neurosurgery Department due to Jin Shaoqian’s scheme.

Yet, Fu Jia’an was now a highly sought-after star doctor at the Second Municipal Hospital, and no one could openly move against him.

Therefore, the two people sitting in the director’s office at this moment were, in fact, rivals who had revealed their intentions. They both wanted to destroy the other, yet they wore the thinnest layer of facade, engaging in polite pretense.

“Little Fu, I’m getting old, and some of my decisions might not align with you young people. We can communicate more in the future,” Jin Shaoqian said with a smile. “You see, if it were reported again, and I had to be investigated for several days before returning, it would waste time and delay the treatment of patients, wouldn’t it?”

“Director, you actually watched me grow up,” Fu Jia’an said, smiling and casually twirling the signing pen. “I was brought to the Second Municipal Hospital often by my mother when I was little—for surgery, treatment, IV drips, and medication. Later, when my condition improved, I even did my homework in your office during elementary school.”

At the mention of Fu Zihua, Jin Shaoqian’s eyes shifted unnaturally, though he didn’t show any sign of guilt, continuing to smile: “How is your mother doing lately? Is she healthy? I tried to explain and vouch for her regarding the incident back then, but there was truly nothing I could do. Fortunately, you and your brother are both outstanding. She must be very proud.”

“Of course, she’s doing very well,” Fu Jia’an looked directly at Jin Shaoqian. “What reason does a good doctor with a clear conscience have to live poorly? My mother has never harbored resentment, but that doesn’t mean my brother and I are so even-tempered.” He smiled. “Actually, I still want to ask you about the ins and outs of the incident back then, so that we… don’t continue to hate the wrong person.”

“Young man, don’t be so impatient,” Jin Shaoqian slowly blew on the tea leaves floating in his cup. “Having passion is good, but being overly naive is regrettable. The things that were helpless twelve years ago, do you think you can change anything now by enduring hardship and secretly hating me? You are very smart; you should understand that the events of the past few days were the biggest splash you could make. Wouldn’t it be more sensible to focus that energy on your patients? I’ll guide you well in the future. Isn’t that more worthwhile than dwelling on old, rotten matters?”

The implicit meaning was: You stirred up a national controversy and leveraged the news of a criminal case, yet you still couldn’t dislodge me. How much more capability do you have?

Fu Jia’an pushed the document in front of Jin Shaoqian, stood up, and straightened his white coat: “Director, composure is for those who lack confidence.”

He gave a slight bow, smiling, and said, “Please cherish your last period of peace.”

“You said that to the old man?” Lu Jie draped his arm over the sofa, holding a chilled soda water bottle. Fu Jia’an was lying on his lap, playing a game in his pajamas.

“…He was able to return to his directorship after such a massive public opinion storm. He probably believes his backer is particularly solid, so he probably won’t take your words to heart. You originally wanted to give him a chance to admit his mistake and resign, but unfortunately, he missed the last opportunity to leave the Second Municipal Hospital with dignity.”

Shen Rufēi had surgery that evening, and Jiang Yan went to the Second Municipal Hospital to accompany him. Since it was just Lu Jie and Fu Jia’an at home, they were comfortable being close.

The only sound in the living room was the clack-clack of the PSP controller buttons. Fu Jia’an’s expression was calm, but his hand speed was fast, seemingly just casually entertaining himself.

A news alert popped up on Lu Jie’s phone: Investigation into the Zhan Qionglou case relaunched.

Almost at the exact same moment, Fu Jia’an’s lips curved up. He moved the controller away from his face and looked at Lu Jie happily. “I won.”

Fu Jia’an took Lu Jie’s cup and took a sip of the cool soda. “Jin Shaoqian’s backer is the Han Group, and he is indeed very confident in the Han family right now. But from the moment the Zhan Qionglou case was reopened, every day, he will feel nervous about his fate. Will Zhan Qionglou be exonerated? Will the Han family be punished for sheltering Han Qirun? Will he lose his backer? I hope he thoroughly enjoys this dramatic process. Until the very end, when he loses everything.”

“Jia’an,” Lu Jie said, “Do you want to talk about what exactly happened to Aunt Fu back then?”

Fu Jia’an was silent for a while, then turned toward Lu Jie, taking his hand. “Okay, let’s go for a walk.”

“Mhm.”

The summer night breeze was comfortable. Streetlights illuminated the bridge, and occasionally, a night runner passed by. Lu Jie held Fu Jia’an’s hand, walking slowly, listening to him narrate that deeply hidden past.

Jin Shaoqian and Fu Zihua were both attending physicians in the Neurosurgery Department at the time, having worked together for over twenty years. Due to differing work styles, they rarely partnered but maintained a seemingly harmonious relationship, even exchanging visits during holidays. Fu Jia’an and Shen Rufēi had both called Jin Shaoqian “Uncle Jin” when they were children.

The turning point occurred on New Year’s Eve twelve years ago. Jin Shaoqian had applied for a week’s leave in advance, saying he hadn’t spent time with his family in a long time. The hospital director, understanding his recent continuous overtime, readily approved the leave. But on the first night after Jin Shaoqian left, a patient under his care developed a fever.

It was a fifteen-year-old boy in the VIP ward named Han Meng. He had accidentally fallen while skiing with his older brother, resulting in a skull fracture. He had undergone cranial surgery 25 days earlier and had been recovering well for a period.

Upon hearing that Han Meng had a fever, Jin Shaoqian immediately offered to buy a plane ticket back, but Fu Zihua voluntarily offered to look after him, telling him not to return yet. After all, Jin Shaoqian’s family had just arrived in Finland, and the vacation was hard-earned. Furthermore, waiting for him to return would be too late; Han Meng’s condition needed immediate attention.

Han Meng’s high fever quickly progressed into seizures. The cerebrospinal fluid drawn by puncture was cloudy, and his bl00d showed elevated white bl00d cell counts, all signs pointing to septic shock. But what step had caused the infection? Fu Zihua, not being the surgeon, had no clue.

Jin Shaoqian helped analyze the situation over the phone, also staying up, but he too couldn’t figure out where the problem lay. A CT scan was done, and there were no signs of swelling or infection in the brain tissue near the wound.

Fu Zihua decisively administered antibiotics. The patient’s temperature did improve, but the fever simply couldn’t be fully broken. Everyone on duty that night remained on edge. Han Meng’s entire family rushed over when they heard the news, a dozen people surrounding the ward.

Since Han Meng was a VIP patient, Fu Zihua was under enormous pressure. The only option at the time was to reopen the cranium for examination. Fu Zihua was not Han Meng’s original attending physician, so the Han family was initially hesitant about this decision. It was Jin Shaoqian’s assurance over the phone regarding Fu Zihua’s surgical skill that led to Han Meng being taken to the operating room.

However, after the incision was reopened, Han Meng didn’t make it and passed away quickly.

“So, Aunt Fu hadn’t actually done anything yet, and Han Meng died? And then the Han family blamed Han Meng’s death on Aunt Fu?”

“In short, yes,” Fu Jia’an said, walking and recalling his feelings at the time. Every detail of that night was still vivid. In his heart, Fu Zihua was like a deity, the person he respected and admired the most in the world. This medical incident resulted in Fu Zihua’s competence being marked with a red X, permanently stripping her of the right to hold a surgical scalpel.

Lu Jie noticed another critical piece of information: “Wait a minute, the powerful Han family? Are Han Meng and Han Qirun related, from the same Han family?”

“That’s right. Han Meng was Han Qirun’s cousin. And my mother wasn’t just unlucky; this whole situation was deliberately set up for her.”

Lu Jie said: “…Are you saying Jin Shaoqian intentionally took an early vacation? Even Han Meng’s high fever was planned by him? He took such a massive risk just to frame Aunt Fu?”

“My brother didn’t want me to get too involved in this matter at the time. Since he wouldn’t say anything, I had to stake out the apartment building of the head nurse who was involved in the surgery that night. The head nurse had watched me grow up. After seeing me stand in the heavy snow for several days, she finally took pity and invited me upstairs for a cup of hot milk. I then used persistence and persuasion to finally get the truth.” Fu Jia’an felt Lu Jie’s hand holding his tighten again.

“Actually, when the incision was reopened, they understood what had happened. A trimmed piece of surgical cotton was inadvertently left inside the cranium due to negligence, which delayed Han Meng’s treatment.”

Lu Jie thought he had misheard. “Surgical cotton? That… how could such a basic oversight occur? Don’t they usually count the surgical sponges after surgery?”

“Indeed, and Jin Shaoqian probably knew this. I suspect that it was only after the incision was sutured that Jin Shaoqian, alerted by the nurse, realized a piece of surgical cotton was missing.”

Lu Jie found the whole thing absurd. “Even if there was a mistake, couldn’t it have been corrected? Misplacing surgical cotton isn’t an unrecoverable error, is it?”

“But after the surgery is over, reopening the cranium again requires an explanation. What would he say? That he accidentally made a rookie mistake and needed to reopen the brain of the Han family’s young master again?”