Iceberg's Deep Love - Chapter 16

The sunlight was a bit blinding. Lu Yuqiong squinted as she gazed at the outpatient building of Qingnan Hospital. “It looks pretty good,” she remarked.

Standing beside her was Lu Shinian, dressed in a black ruffled midi skirt paired with a black wool coat adorned with gold buttons. Her slender figure radiated an aloof, almost intimidating aura.

“Of course it’s good,” Lu Shinian replied slowly. “The acquisition price wasn’t cheap.”

“That was when Grandma was sick,” Lu Yuqiong pouted. “Lu Chuan signed the acquisition agreement. We almost ended up with a lemon.”

“That won’t happen,” Lu Shinian assured her. “After investing so much money, we’re bound to see results.”

With his immediate tasks completed, Lu Shinian planned to shift his focus to Qingnan Hospital. Lu Di’s medical foundation was too weak; this hospital was the only one worth salvaging. Having made a bet, he intended to take it seriously.

Despite sending Yu Hong to oversee operations, Lu Shinian remained uneasy. He needed to inspect the situation personally to feel truly confident.

Yu Hong had been waiting, greeting Lu Shinian with a smile. “President Lu, you must be tired from the journey. Please, sit down and have some tea.”

Yu Hong gestured toward the administrative building, the same direction she had just come from, clearly intending to take Lu Shinian to her office.

“Sister Hong,” Lu Shinian said with a gentle smile, “I trust your work completely. There’s no need for me to review anything.”

Going to the office would only involve reviewing written materials. As for the hospital’s specialized documents, Lu Shinian might not even understand them. Given his trust in Yu Hong, there was no need to examine them.

“Then…” Yu Hong’s smile deepened at Lu Shinian’s trust, but she remained uncertain about his intentions.

“I’d like to visit the wards,” Lu Shinian said. “I have an idea I want to explore. Could you show me the way, Sister Hong?”

Lu Shinian did indeed have an idea. She had invested heavily in Qingnan Hospital, but based on current revenue, it was still operating at a loss.

She had made a bet with Lu Chuan: Qingnan’s performance needed to be impressive enough for her to gain control of Lu Di.

While Lu Shinian didn’t understand hospitals, the high-end luxury market was Lu Di’s specialty.

When Lu Shinian sent Yu Hong over, he already had a plan in mind: transforming Qingnan Hospital into a high-end medical facility.

Jiang City was full of wealthy individuals, and even the wealthy get sick, require hospitalization, and undergo surgery. The target demographic existed, the demand was there—it all came down to how they operated.

The first step was to focus on renovating the patient rooms to align with the hospital’s high-end positioning.

After inspecting several rooms, Lu Shinian had a rough idea of what needed to be done.

When Qingnan Hospital was originally built, its patient rooms were already superior to those in ordinary hospitals. With only minor renovations, they could be put into use.

“However, we first need to change Qingnan’s public image and establish a strong brand advantage,” Yu Hong said, finding Lu Shinian’s plan feasible. She turned to Lu Yuqiong. “President Yu, this task might fall to you. I’m not particularly skilled in internet marketing.”

“I’ll go back and draft a proposal,” Lu Yuqiong replied, her expression serious as she silently calculated the details in her mind.

Yu Hong continued her introduction: “The third and fourth floors house the central operating rooms. They’re currently in full use, but you can take a quick look.”

The long corridor stretched deep into the hospital, the red “SURGERY IN PROGRESS” signs above the closed doors standing out starkly.

Lu Shinian glanced in the direction Yu Hong had indicated. If Qingnan Hospital were to be renovated, the operating rooms would need to be included in the plans.

However, Lu Shinian refrained from commenting. He lacked expertise in hospital design and was unfamiliar with the specific requirements for operating rooms. He simply wanted to gain a general understanding.

Just then, a figure hurried past them in the corridor.

She wore a green surgical gown, her face almost entirely concealed by a mask and surgical cap, leaving only a pair of jet-black eyes visible.

Those eyes were like bottomless pools, radiating composure and unwavering confidence. Though their depths were dark, they possessed an indescribable sharpness and self-assurance.

“Vice President Yu,” Gu Jihuan said with a slight nod to Yu Hong. “The operating room is ready. I’m about to go in.”

“Good,” Yu Hong replied with a smile. “We’re so grateful for your help. Otherwise, today’s surgery would have been impossible to proceed…”

If the surgery couldn’t be performed, they would have to abandon the heart, wasting a precious and scarce organ resource—a significant loss.

More importantly, Qingnan Hospital was just starting anew, and many patients were still observing. There weren’t many critically ill patients yet, so losing a heart would be disastrous for the hospital’s reputation if the media got hold of it.

Yu Hong introduced Gu Jihuan: “Doctor Gu, this is Lu Shinian, President Lu of Ludi Group.”

Then she turned to Lu Shinian: “President Lu, this is…”

“Gu Jihuan, Doctor Gu. We know each other,” Lu Yuqiong interjected, smiling as she walked over to stand beside Gu Jihuan. “Oh, Shinian, I haven’t told you yet—I’ve invited Jihuan to be my date for the family banquet this weekend.”

Gu Jihuan looked up and met those deep, dark eyes. So this was Lu Shinian.

The extravagant lifestyle, the Longhua Tianyu residence, the casual way Lu Yuqiong had resolved the media crisis—it all made sense now.

For a moment, Gu Jihuan was surprised, but she quickly suppressed her reaction.

Right now, the patient waiting for her in the operating room was all that mattered. Everything else was irrelevant.

“President Lu,” Gu Jihuan nodded curtly. “I have a patient waiting. I must go.”

Her eyes remained calm and serene, as if she felt no surprise or any other emotion.

Lu Shinian’s throat bobbed slightly. He finally nodded and murmured, “Alright.”

She brushed past him, and he instinctively turned to watch her go.

The green surgical gown hung loosely on her slender frame, making her seem even more delicate. Yet her every step was composed and steady, radiating a calmness beyond her years. The automatic doors slowly closed, completely obscuring Gu Jihuan’s retreating figure.

“There was an accident today,” Yu Hong explained. “The surgeon scheduled for the procedure was in a car crash. Fortunately, Doctor Gu was here to sign the contract and stepped in at the last minute. This heart transplant was originally planned as a demonstration surgery for the hospital, with many medical staff coming to observe. Doctor Gu agreed to continue with the demonstration despite the circumstances. No wonder they say she’s the top cardiothoracic surgeon in Jiang City—young and accomplished…”

Lu Shinian barely registered the rest of Yu Hong’s words.

His mind was consumed by those tranquil eyes, which remained utterly still even when they met his.

Didn’t she say she liked me? Why is she acting so calm? And… she’s even Lu Yuqiong’s date…

Lu Shinian couldn’t help but recall the steakhouse, where those eyes had gazed at her with brimming laughter, thick, delicate lashes fluttering gently. The warmth and fervor radiating from Gu Jihuan’s radiant features lingered in her mind like a blooming, thorny red rose.

“Shinian, what’s wrong?” Lu Yuqiong interrupted her reverie. “Last time you asked me to help her, I thought you two were close. Turns out you barely know each other?”

“Mm,” Lu Shinian nodded noncommittally. Turning to Yu Hong, she said, “Call a management meeting.”

Yu Hong glanced at her watch. “The meeting starts promptly at 10:30. The conference room in the administrative building is ready.”

Lu Shinian followed Yu Hong’s lead. The elevator numbers flashed downward as Yu Hong typed a reply on her phone, leaving the car in silence.

Suddenly, Lu Shinian spoke up. “Sister Yuqiong, does Grandma know you’re bringing Gu Jihuan to the family banquet?”

“I don’t know,” Lu Yuqiong said, blinking. She leaned closer to Lu Shinian’s ear and whispered, “Don’t worry, I’ll handle Grandma.”

Her eyes sparkled with mischievous amusement, but she left one thought unsaid:

Don’t worry, I’ll scout ahead for you. I’ll go through hell and high water to support you and your little girlfriend.

The elevator doors opened just then, and Lu Shinian stepped out first. “Let’s go. The meeting’s about to start.”

After a moment’s thought, he turned to Yu Hong. “Sister Hong, how long does a heart transplant surgery usually take?”

In the operating room:

“The donor heart will arrive in twenty minutes,” the circulating nurse announced after hanging up the phone, nodding to Gu Jihuan.

“Good,” Gu Jihuan replied, lowering her gaze. “Prepare for the chest incision.”

Once a heart has been removed from the donor for four hours, its cells begin to lose viability. Heart transplants require both teams to start simultaneously, racing against death’s clock.

Through the one-way glass window in the adjacent room, medical staff from Qingnan Hospital crowded together, craning their necks to watch.

A short female doctor, jostled off balance, protested, “Hey, hey, hey! There’s a live, high-definition feed on the monitor! Why are you all squeezing so much?”

This surgery was a live demonstration at Qingnan Hospital, announced to all medical staff yesterday. Anyone available was welcome to observe.

After Gu Jihuan took over as the lead surgeon, she agreed to keep the surgery open for public viewing. As a result, a considerable crowd had gathered around the operating room.

The petite female doctor who had spoken earlier was a cardiothoracic surgeon at Qingnan Hospital, her name tag reading “Li Mingyue.”

She was now intently focused on the real-time, high-definition video feed displayed on the screen.

Chest incision, pericardial suspension, cannulation of the aorta and venae cavae, establishment of cardiopulmonary bypass, right atrial incision, left atrial incision…

Gu Jihuan’s movements flowed like water, revealing a lack of coordination with her assistants. Yet her technique remained clean, precise, and flawless throughout the procedure, without a single mishap.

Suddenly remembering something, Li Mingyue pulled a small notebook from her pocket and began meticulously jotting down notes.

A sudden bump from behind nearly knocked the notebook from her hand, leaving a squiggly, worm-like mark of black ink across the page.

“What are you all staring at?” Li Mingyue’s voice was sharp with anger as she turned, hands on her hips, to glare at the medical staff behind her.

“Doctor Li, I’m so sorry!” A young man behind her apologized repeatedly, yet he still stood on tiptoe, craning his neck to peer inside.

“What good is ‘sorry’? Are you going to rewrite my notes for me?” Li Mingyue’s head throbbed with frustration.

She stared at the ink stain on the page, her anger rising.

After frowning in thought for a long moment, she suppressed her irritation several times. Finally, unable to contain herself, she tore the page from the notebook, folded it into a small square, and tucked it into her pocket.

Then, meticulously, she tore away the jagged edges of the remaining paper, smoothing the gap until it was clean. Only then did she exhale in relief.

For a perfectionist with obsessive-compulsive tendencies, such a flaw in her notebook was utterly intolerable.

The male doctor seemed to finally realize the gravity of his actions, shrinking back in fear as a cold draft seemed to sweep down his spine.

The last person to provoke Li Mingyue’s wrath had grass growing three meters high on their grave… She was the most volatile powder keg in all of Qingnan Hospital, and no one dared to cross her.

“Doctor Li, it’s not my fault! The person behind me was pushing me forward,” he explained hastily, forcing a smile. “I heard the new Doctor Gu is a great beauty, so I was just curious to take a look…”

“A great beauty?” Li Mingyue muttered, frowning slightly as she glanced up through the window.

The medical staff were all wearing surgical gowns, their backs looking identical. She squinted but couldn’t distinguish any differences.

Even if they turned around, it would be impossible to tell them apart. Everyone was masked and capped, leaving only their eyes visible.

Li Mingyue really wanted to give the person behind her a good whack. What’s there to see? There’s no beauty here!

But… when it came to beauty… Li Mingyue couldn’t help but let out a soft snort.

In the medical field, “beautiful” wasn’t a compliment. This profession relied on skill, not on frivolous connections or nepotism.

She had experienced firsthand how beauty could be used to seize resources…

Li Mingyue snapped her notebook shut, tucked it into her white coat pocket, and fixed her gaze on the screen with a critical, scrutinizing expression.