The Enhanced Doctor

(Thanks to my friend LonelyCold671112 for the encouragement with monthly tickets)

The afternoon was relatively idle, but of course, this idleness didn't mean there were no patients. There were still many general trauma patients, and these were handed over to Liang Xiaolin and the others. This was proper training for their patient management skills. Wound debridement might seem like a minor task, but from a broader perspective, it was a fundamental skill that needed to be solid.

"Alright, you guys go get lunch. Qi and I will keep an eye on things here," Wei Yuan, who had just arrived for his shift, said.

"Brother Wei, the next few days are going to be tough. We had two surgical patients today, and the emergency department is stretched thin. We'll still need three doctors on duty," Liu Banxia said.

"Alright, you make the arrangements. Are there any patients upstairs who need special attention?" Wei Yuan asked with a smile.

"Just one young patient with mesenteric bleeding. Their surgery was this afternoon," Liu Banxia said.

This completed the temporary handover. The emergency department really didn't have many patients at the moment; otherwise, the handover itself would have taken a long time. That's why it's often said you have a set time to start work but no set time to leave. The hours were unpredictable and depended entirely on the current situation.

Liu Banxia led the group to the cafeteria, walking with a cheerful bounce in his step. Their group was always this joyful during meals. It had to be said that Liu Banxia himself was sometimes unconventional, so it was normal for the people he guided to be like him.

However, as soon as they entered the cafeteria, Liu Banxia frowned, subtly using his body to shield Liang Xiaolin's line of sight.

"Actually, eating in the cafeteria every day is just so-so. Why don't we order some good food? My treat," Liu Banxia suggested.

"Great, great! Hanging out with Teacher Liu means good food!" Xu Yino said excitedly.

"I'm starving. Let's just grab a bite here. If you want something special, you can have your 'lovely' Teacher Liu order it for lunch tomorrow," Liang Xiaolin said with a laugh.

Liu Banxia sighed internally. This is fate.

As soon as he entered, he spotted Chen Xuehai at a nearby table, having lunch with a very beautiful woman. Beside them was a child about three or four years old. Even with just a glance, it was evident that Chen Xuehai was very attentive and caring towards the child, wiping the child's mouth while feeding it meat.

Liu Banxia thought, How could I let Liang Xiaolin see this? That Chen Xuehai is such a scumbag, actually playing the 'unspoken rules' game. I just hope Liang Xiaolin hasn't noticed. Otherwise, the upcoming scene will be extremely awkward, and it might even make it impossible for her to work smoothly at the hospital in the future.

With these thoughts in mind, he did his best to obstruct her view while getting food and walking to their table.

"Hey, why are you being so obstructive?" Liang Xiaolin complained once they were seated.

"It's not my fault. There are just too many people eating right now; everyone's handover times coincided," Liu Banxia said perfunctorily.

"Huh? This beef and potato stew today tastes really good! Haha, and it's my favorite beef brisket and tendon stew! Looks like Manager Zhou really splurged. That's rare."

"Teacher Liu, I actually think the cafeteria here is much better than our school canteen," Liu Yiqing said.

"That's because you all work hard here, so everything tastes delicious. The school canteen has subsidies, but this place has to cover its own profits and losses. Think about it, how much does a meal at the school canteen cost? And how much does it cost here?" Liu Banxia said with a laugh. "I haven't done any freelance surgeries recently, so I haven't earned any extra cash. Next time I do, I'll treat you all to individually ordered dishes. The food is excellent, and she," Liu Banxia nudged his chin towards Liang Xiaolin, "especially loves the braised prawns here."

"Dr. Liang, are you in General Surgery or Cardiothoracic Surgery then?" Xu Yino asked curiously.

"Cardiothoracic Surgery. For now, I'm considered to be rotating through General Surgery. Once we move to the new office building and the cardiothoracic surgeons are in place, I'll transfer back," Liang Xiaolin explained.

"That's great! Dr. Liang, you're really skilled. You're so good at both chest tube insertions and endotracheal intubations," Xu Yino said with admiration.

"Actually, as long as you remember the key steps of the procedure, it's not that complicated," Liang Xiaolin said, feeling a bit embarrassed. Seeing Liu Banxia's smirking expression, she couldn't help but glare at him.

"Why are you glaring at me? It just shows I'm a good teacher," Liu Banxia replied with a grin.

Liang Xiaolin was thoroughly exasperated. She didn't idolize Liu Banxia like Qing Kewa, Xu Yino, and the rest of their group did. She had, after all, witnessed Liu Banxia's growth, plus there were some... unspoken things between them.

As they ate and chatted, Liu Banxia thought, My tactic was quite successful. We'll finish eating soon, and then we can leave this troublesome place.

But in this world, there's a saying about a magical figure named Cao Cao: speak of him, and he appears. There's also another potent saying: what you fear most is what comes to pass.

Their meal went smoothly. But, as fate would have it, when they went to return their trays, they ran right into Chen Xuehai and his companions.

Liu Banxia's heart lurched. If a major conflict breaks out, I'll have to find a way to carry Liang Xiaolin away, he thought.

"Oh, Sister-in-law and Haoyu came for lunch too!" Liang Xiaolin exclaimed in surprise, then scooped the little boy into her arms.

"Linlin, I didn't even see you! Is work busy?" Chen Xuehai's wife asked.

Liu Banxia sighed internally. Is Liang Xiaolin deliberately walking into the tiger's den, knowing the tiger is there? Is this really okay?

"Haoyu, did you eat your fill?" Liang Xiaolin gently patted the little boy's tummy.

"Auntie, Haoyu is full! The chicken leg was yummy! Auntie, you eat some! Haoyu loves it!" the little boy replied cheerfully.

Liu Banxia blinked. Something seems off. Why would the child call Liang Xiaolin 'Paternal Aunt'? Even if they knew each other, shouldn't her cover within the Chen family be just a generic 'auntie' figure? What's going on here?

"Linlin, you haven't been home in so long. Our dad was asking about you at dinner yesterday. Let me know when you're coming back, and I'll make your favorite steamed fish," Chen Xuehai's wife continued.

"Sister-in-law, I couldn't help it; I've just finished a very busy period. I'll see if I can get a day off in the next few days. You have to get back to the company, right? You should take Haoyu and go," Liang Xiaolin said.

"Are these all your colleagues?" Chen Xuehai's wife asked, not in a hurry to leave.

"Hello, my name is Liu Banxia. I'm also a doctor in the emergency department," Liu Banxia said quickly.

"Oh, you're Liu Banxia?" Chen Xuehai's wife also seemed surprised.

"Do you know me?" Liu Banxia was even more curious.

Chen Xuehai's wife smiled and nodded. "I've heard your name a few times at home. I have to go back to work; I have some things to deal with this afternoon. Goodbye, everyone."

"Why did Sister-in-law bring Haoyu over?" Liang Xiaolin asked curiously after the mother and son left.

"I haven't been home for a few days either. Haoyu missed me, so she brought him to see me during lunch. I have another surgery this afternoon, so I'll head back now," Chen Xuehai replied.

On the way back to the emergency department, Liu Banxia carefully recalled that memorable scene, thinking, My previous understanding was definitely way off.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Liang Xiaolin pulled Liu Banxia aside and asked, exasperated, seeing his gaze constantly darting towards her.

"So, um... are you related to Dr. Chen through one of your aunts or uncles?" Liu Banxia asked.

Liang Xiaolin rolled her eyes. "He's my biological brother! What 'aunts or uncles' nonsense!"

"No way! Then why is your surname Liang?" Liu Banxia pressed.

"I took my mother's surname. Can't I? Keep it a secret for me, okay? Well... I guess I can't hide it for much longer. Let's just hide it for as long as we can, one day at a time," Liang Xiaolin said, her initial feistiness giving way to helplessness.

Liu Banxia was speechless. So that was the case. Who would have thought there'd be such a dramatic twist?

"Tsk, tsk. A genuine princess, huh? If it were me, I'd definitely be showing off and letting everyone know," Liu Banxia teased.

"That's you. Am I like you? I learned everything myself; it's not like I got here through family connections," Liang Xiaolin retorted, rolling her eyes.

"Actually, it's no big deal. Don't get too hung up on it; you'll only make things harder for yourself. Let people say what they want. Anyway, you're the 'Intubation Whiz' now," Liu Banxia said seriously.

Liang Xiaolin was truly at a loss for words, but then again, she felt Liu Banxia had a point. Why am I so hung up on this? Everyone will find out sooner or later anyway.

Liu Banxia felt like a bona fide gossip monger who had just gotten a huge scoop. It just showed how well Liang Xiaolin had hidden her background. No wonder she always had so much high-level inside information before. But it seemed this secret was kept really tight; he'd never heard anyone else mention it.

"Keep this under wraps for me for now. Don't you go blabbing your big mouth off," Liang Xiaolin instructed fiercely.

"Don't worry. My lips are sealed, even if you beat me to death," Liu Banxia nodded.

Liang Xiaolin felt a wave of helplessness. This guy is truly untrustworthy.

The two of them whispering conspiratorially in the corner for a while made interns like Xu Yino very curious. Even if they didn't know Liang Xiaolin's exact identity, she was clearly a special case. While everyone else was very respectful towards Teacher Liu, Dr. Liang, despite also being an intern, treated him rather ordinarily. Plus, the fact that she could start her internship here so much earlier than others also indicated something.

"Hmm... considering Dr. Liang is our 'Intubation Whiz.' From now on, you can all take turns performing intubations, with Dr. Liang supervising," Liu Banxia said with a straight face after they returned. "Dr. Liang can decide the order. That'll save me some trouble. Otherwise, it's just too tiring, having to worry about so many things all day long."

Liang Xiaolin fumed internally. Is this guy retaliating against me? I can barely manage the intubations myself! How did I suddenly become an 'expert' who can supervise others?