The Enhanced Doctor

Liu Banxia's sleep was sweet and deep, though in his perception, it felt like he had just closed his eyes and then opened them again.

He blinked and looked around, briefly disoriented, before he slowly remembered that he was in Jinshui District Hospital. Turning his head, he saw Liang Xiaolin staring at him with wide-open eyes.

"Eh? What's up?" Liu Banxia hurriedly asked.

Liang Xiaolin's face was grim, and she pointed at her shoulder.

Rubbing his eyes, Liu Banxia saw, to his embarrassment, a puddle of drool on it.

"How can you sleep so much? You've been asleep for over two hours. Hurry up, change your clothes, and let's go eat. Director Zhou said we're leaving tomorrow morning," Liang Xiaolin informed him.

"Director Zhou was here too?" Liu Banxia was startled.

Liang Xiaolin didn't reply but went off on her own to change clothes, giving Liu Banxia a disgusted glance before she left.

The slightly late dinner prepared by Xu Chengjun was quite good: beef stewed with potatoes, egg soup, and rice.

Liu Banxia's appetite was thoroughly whetted. He grabbed a food tray, spread rice over it, and then topped it with the beef and potato stew. Liu Banxia's signature beef and potato over rice was ready.

"Are you feeding a pig?" Liang Xiaolin looked at his tray, exasperated.

There were quite a few people eating in the dining hall, but none of them had packed their trays as full as Liu Banxia, who was happily heading back to his table.

"Well, I'm hungry, aren't I? It's just easier this way," Liu Banxia said, not caring in the least.

Liang Xiaolin glanced at her own tray, then at Liu Banxia's. His serving looked to be more than three times the size of hers.

Liu Banxia was truly starving. He'd put in a lot of hard work that day, all of which was physically demanding. The on-site first aid and then treating the firefighter back at the district hospital had taken a significant toll on him.

He practically inhaled his food, leaving Liang Xiaolin, who sat opposite him, dumbfounded.

"Why aren't you eating? The stew is quite delicious. I'm going to get another scoop soon," Liu Banxia said, shoveling another mouthful.

"I prefer to eat slowly," Liang Xiaolin remarked.

"Well, how was I? I did pretty well today, didn't I? Even Director Xie praised me," Liu Banxia beamed.

"How did you come up with that treatment idea?" Liang Xiaolin asked curiously.

"Well, we had to use abdominal pedicled skin flaps anyway. Taking them off and putting them in place is pretty much the same concept. The only thing is, there must be a lot of technical details in the procedure. I regret not observing Director Xie's operation more closely," Liu Banxia said, somewhat ruefully.

"If you're interested, you're more than welcome to come visit us at our city hospital in the future."

Just as Liu Banxia finished speaking, Xie Chunli's voice rang out from behind him.

"Ah, Director Xie, Director Zhou, Chief Director Xu." Liu Banxia turned around, saw the people behind him, and quickly stood up.

"So, how about sharing a table with our two heroes of the day?" Xu Chengjun asked with a smile.

This remark made Liu Banxia feel rather embarrassed. "Actually, I just did my duty. Please don't praise me like that; I hardly deserve it. Director Xie and Director Zhou, who rushed all the way here, are the real heroes."

"Already learned how to flatter, huh? Go get me a bowl of soup," Zhou Shuwen suddenly interjected.

"Right away!" Liu Banxia agreed and scampered off to fetch the soup.

"Director Zhou, don't you think you're being a bit harsh on this youngster?" Xie Chunli asked with a laugh.

"You have no idea. He's truly a handful," Zhou Shuwen responded with a helpless sigh.

Liang Xiaolin wanted to laugh, but it wasn't an appropriate occasion. Zhou Shuwen wasn't an affected person, so his current helpless expression was undoubtedly genuine.

Xie Chunli and Xu Chengjun exchanged glances. Even though Zhou Shuwen's casual remark was light, it revealed his affirmation and appreciation of Liu Banxia. Otherwise, why would someone with Zhou Shuwen's famously cold disposition show such concern?

Liu Banxia returned, not only bringing Zhou Shuwen a bowl of soup but also helping himself to another large spoonful of beef stewed with potatoes.

"Wow, Dr. Liu certainly gave himself more beef," Xu Chengjun teased.

"Chief Director Xu, that's not fair! The cafeteria lady told me to eat more meat so my hair will grow back faster," Liu Banxia said plaintively.

"You did quite well with the surgery at the scene and the one you conducted after returning. Shi Lei is currently performing the surgery you couldn't do today," Zhou Shuwen said.

Liu Banxia looked surprised. "My senior is here too? Which surgery didn't I do?"

Zhou Shuwen glared at him. "The one you diagnosed with colon tumors. Don't you know you need to be responsible for your patients all the way through? Is it acceptable to abandon them halfway?"

"Well... I'm just part-time. Am I still supposed to handle that?" Liu Banxia asked tentatively.

Zhou Shuwen couldn't even be bothered to respond.

Xu Chengjun and Xie Chunli found the exchange quite amusing and could now understand Zhou Shuwen's exasperation.

This kid seemed terrified of Director Zhou's authority, but he was actually very cheeky. Even casually calling his superior 'My senior' just rolled off his tongue. Dealing with him every day would probably give anyone a headache.

"Director, if Dr. Shi is also here, who's on duty in the emergency department?" Liu Banxia asked after a few bites of food.

"Wei Yuan is keeping an eye on things. When you get back tomorrow, set aside some time to properly collate the case file for that arterial aneurysm. Don't you dare try to get away with a sloppy job; I'll deal with you if you do," Zhou Shuwen warned.

"I won't, I definitely won't! This is a chance to make a name for myself. I can't mess it up," Liu Banxia hastily assured him.

"Director Zhou, what kind of case is it?" Xu Chengjun asked curiously.

Zhou Shuwen briefly described the patient's condition to him.

After listening, Xie Chunli looked at Liu Banxia in surprise, then turned to Zhou Shuwen. "Director Zhou, I realize your ambitions are quite grand."

Liu Banxia, who was busy wolfing down his food, instantly perked up his ears. Sounds like important intel!

"Our foundation in emergency care is too weak, so we must work harder," Zhou Shuwen said.

"We've already been left so far behind by everyone else. We must catch up in the shortest time possible. Time is short, the tasks are heavy, and we even have this handful here to deal with. It won't be easy."

"HAHAHA, being a handful isn't all bad. At least he's full of ideas. If you don't want him, you can send him over to our City Hospital," Xie Chunli joked.

Of course, I'm the 'handful' they're talking about, Liu Banxia thought. But I still don't quite get what they were saying before. It feels like something major is going to happen at our Second Affiliated Hospital, but I can't put my finger on it.

"It's great to be young. Liu has strong professional skills, is in good health, and has a hearty appetite—that's really good. It's just this hairstyle. He needs to get it fixed when he gets back. He's quite a handsome young man, after all," Xu Chengjun remarked with a sigh.

PFFT!

This time, Liang Xiaolin couldn't help laughing.

Because the leaders had arrived, she had moved to sit next to Liu Banxia. Xu Chengjun had taken the seat directly opposite Liu Banxia. She completely understood Chief Director Xu's sentiment regarding Liu Banxia's awful haircut, which she herself had been trying hard not to laugh at.

"Director Zhou, does this count as a work-related injury? Can I get reimbursed for a haircut?" Liu Banxia jokingly asked.

Zhou Shuwen chuckled too. "Sure, we'll reimburse it, no matter the cost. Just make sure to prepare your resignation letter as well."

"No reimbursement then, no reimbursement! Actually, I was thinking of getting a new hairstyle anyway," Liu Banxia hastily backpedaled.