Chapter 125: Let Me Handle It
“Can’t I?” Wei Feng smirked.
“Reporter Wei, doctors are getting unethical nowadays, and this hospital is charging such an unreasonably high price for simple treatment. Poor people like us can’t take it anymore.” Despite his attempt to look like a farmer, the exposed tattoo on the yellow-toothed, inked man’s body clearly stated otherwise.
“Let’s go somewhere quiet for me to record your story.” Wei Feng smiled and added, “After all, I’ve to listen to both sides to ensure that my report is unbiased and fair.”
Zheng Ren stared coldly at Reporter Wei, who was declaring black to be white.
As a doctor, curing disease and saving lives were his fields of expertise, not debates or wars of words.
As Wei Feng pocketed his notepad and left, Zheng Ren felt an encroaching darkness stretch out and threaten to engulf his future.
The use of tea as a urine sample was many years ago, and most people did not have the faintest idea what had happened at the time, but its repercussions had ripples to this day.
A few years ago, a woman’s anus had been sutured during episiotomy repair after childbirth. The incident had been reported by a large newspaper and its effects had been catastrophic. Even though it was confirmed to be fake news, the reporter did not apologize for his mistake and worse, the medical staff involved had been the ones to bear the consequences in the end.
This had induced panic in the nationwide medical field, especially the emergency and pediatrics departments, and many large hospitals had thus stopped their pediatrics departments from operating at night.
The troublemakers responsible for distorting the truth would never assume all this to be their doing. Perhaps a few of them did, but who among them cared, anyway?
Just like today, once it was determined that the doctors were guilty of dereliction of duty for performing surgery on a patient who did not need it and charged a high price afterward…
Zheng Ren desperately wanted to drag them by their collars and let them have a good look at the pools of dark red blood splattered all over the stretcher trolley in the resuscitation room and the operating table in the interventional radiology suite.
Surgery was ‘not required’?
The woman would have died in ten to twenty minutes if she had been left unattended.
However, who gave a damn about the truth?
The family merely wanted their medical expenses waived and a high compensation from the hospital.
The reporter only cared about fame and promotions.
The people willing to treat disease under radiation and risk their lives to save another were merely an insignificant speck of dust in their eyes.
Watching Wei Feng slowly vanish into the distance, Zheng Ren’s pupils contracted and everything turned to black and white.
Reporter Wei had clearly expressed his views in front of him.
It was difficult to sell news of doctors successfully treating illnesses and saving lives in today’s world, but indiscriminately performing surgery with sky-high medical charges? That was breaking news.
What would the man choose? Zheng Ren could guess even if he were to count off his fingers.
“Ding!” The elevator rang, and at the same time, a dozen burly brutes emerged from the fire escape.
Huh? They looked familiar, and Zheng Ren… seemed to recognize the leader of the group…
He was Little Six, the one with whom he had had supper at a food skewer stall last time.
Behind the crowd stood a listless figure: Su Yun.
“What do you want?” His path was blocked by a group of beefy ruffians, Reporter Wei lost his earlier sense of superiority and instantly became nervous.
“What, is this your house?” asked Little Six as he gazed at the man contemptuously.
“…” Little Six’s aggression alongside the dozen brutes in black suits behind him had an absolutely overwhelming aura that left Reporter Wei speechless.
The many men who looked out of place among the patient’s family members quickly backed off in terror as soon as they saw Little Six. They looked as if they wanted the earth to open up and swallow them whole.
Reporter Wei gave them a hateful glare and left the scene in a hurry.
“Brother Zheng, are you alright?” Little Six asked out of concern, approaching Zheng Ren.
“I am now,” replied Zheng Ren with a bitter smile.
In order to not make matters worse, Little Six summoned the yellow-toothed, tattooed man to the fire escape and asked about the situation.
Soon, the professional troublemakers had disappeared without a trace, leaving only a few family members who had been blinded by greed.
“Brother Zheng, this is a difficult issue to deal with,” said Little Six, embarrassed.
“Let us talk in my office.” Zheng Ren preferred not to discuss this matter in front of the troublemakers.
Little Six put a few men on guard duty in the obstetrics department to prevent the patient’s family members from harming medical staff. Then, he followed Zheng Ren to the office in the emergency department.
Su Yun trailed behind them with his head lowered and his footsteps light, as if he was sleepwalking.
“Brother Zheng, honestly, this is troublesome,” said Little Six as soon as he entered the office and closed the door.
“How troublesome?” Zheng Ren was also aware of the magnitude of their situation, and he wanted to hear Little Six’s judgement.
“The troublemakers alone don’t pose any threat,” Little Six said, “However, I hadn’t expected them to have connections with the newspapers or even invite a reporter to the scene.”
Zheng Ren sighed heavily.
“Had this happened a few years ago, you’d not need to pay them much mind. Just shoot them a glare, give them a red packet, and everything would be settled, but now…” Little Six looked helpless.
Zheng Ren recalled the slogan—crime prevention is everyone’s responsibility!—that Little Six had shown him the day he had accepted Bu Li’s invitation for dinner.
However, calling the police would be pointless in this case.
After noticing Zheng Ren’s dejected, sunken expression, Little Six immediately added, “I’ll visit the newspaper office tomorrow and see if I can find anyone to talk this over with.”
Zheng Ren thought about it and smiled.
Little Six was taken by surprise. What happened to Doctor Zheng? Had he lost his mind due to tremendous stress?
“I used to hate socializing. How dull it is to share nonsense with a bunch of boring people and pretend to be best friends for life…” Zheng Ren continued to smile and said, “Let me handle it this time.”
Little Six lowered his gaze in response. He had intended to propose an option to Zheng Ren.
There was an easier method to settle this issue—seeking help from either Miss Bu or Elder San, both of whom had high social statuses. The medical staff was in the right this time, but even in an unreasonable situation, they still held the power to turn the tides.
“In that case, we have no choice but to wait. I’ll make a phone call as soon as the sun rises.” Zheng Ren stretched himself lazily.
Even though it was already past five o’clock in the morning, the winter sky was still as dark as coal outside the window.
Like a black hole, consuming all light.
Before taking his leave, Little Six repeatedly advised Zheng Ren to call him without hesitation in case of trouble.
Zheng Ren returned to the on-call room after seeing Little Six out. Laying on the bed with his hands underneath his head, he stared at the inky darkness outside, waiting for dawn to come.
That was all he could do right now.
Fortunately, it was just a small local newspaper instead of a large firm. Not everything was lost yet.
“I left Imperial Capital because of this.” Su Yun brushed his black bangs aside. “We’ll always meet this type of people in the medical field. Hey, I think you’re doomed this time, so let us establish a pet medical center together.”
Zheng Ren ignored Su Yun, who was just blathering.
“How did you find him?” asked Zheng Ren absent-mindedly.
“Xie Yiren has his phone number. She gave it to me a few days ago and told me to call it if trouble arose,” Su Yun said lazily, “I didn’t expect a blockhead like you to also have good social connections.”
“This isn’t actually a problematic issue. I think Chief Physician Pan can easily settle it.”
“You can’t always trouble an old comrade either.”