The Enhanced Doctor

(Thanks to my good friend Serene Bloom Diary for the encouragement with their monthly tickets.)

For Manager Qu and the others, although they knew they were going to a restaurant for dinner, they hadn't expected it to be Prosperity Restaurant. This was a renowned establishment in Binhai City. With nearly twenty people, the meal wouldn't be cheap.

They knew Wang Xiaoyan ran a yoga studio upstairs, but now they worried the cost of this meal would burden the two young women.

"Your reserved room is still the 205 Auspicious Hall. Wenwen, check for me which other large rooms are available and take these big brothers and little brothers up. I'll order the food in a bit," Qiaoqiao said upon entering the lobby.

"Qiaoqiao, there are only four of us. Why do we need such a large room?" Liu Banxia quickly asked.

"Nonsense. Isn't President Qiu coming too? Would it be right to squeeze him into a small room? I haven't ordered too many dishes for you all, eight should be enough. Any more and you wouldn't be able to finish it all," Qiaoqiao said casually.

"Dr. Liu, just relax. Otherwise, she'll get really stressed," Wang Xiaoyan said with a beaming smile.

Liu Banxia opened his mouth, but in the end, could only nod helplessly.

He knew Qiaoqiao well. Once she decided on something, not even nine bulls, much less adding eight horses to the team, could make her change her mind.

"Is this Qiaoqiao's family's restaurant?" Manager Qu asked, somewhat bewildered.

Liu Banxia nodded. "Why else do you think she insisted on dragging you all here? If you all don't eat this meal, she'll worry herself to death."

"Don't listen to his nonsense. It's just a casual meal for us all to enjoy together. Do any of you have dietary restrictions? If so, tell me, and I'll inform the kitchen," Qiaoqiao said.

"By the way, is there anything President Qiu can't eat? I need to adjust the menu quickly. I haven't prepared any spicy dishes. Can he eat beef, mutton, and seafood?"

Liu Banxia nodded. "He can eat those. Just no spicy food and no alcohol. I'll head upstairs to wait then. Brother Qiu will probably bring Lawyer Gao with him. You know Director Jiang. When they arrive, let me know, and I'll come down to greet them."

"Oh, honestly, don't worry about it! Can't I handle something this simple?" Qiaoqiao said impatiently.

"Brother Qu, you all go to the private room first. I'll come and toast you after I've attended to my guests," Liu Banxia said.

"Dr. Liu, please don't be so formal. We know you're hosting people today, so we wouldn't dare disturb you. Please attend to your matters first," Manager Qu said.

He was very impressed. He had thought Zhou Yang's family was quite something, but Qiaoqiao's was even more formidable. Compared to Zhou Yang and Qiaoqiao, he, as the manager, was merely at the bottom of the food chain.

Upon entering the Auspicious Hall, he found himself alone in the vast room, making it feel rather empty. But there was nothing to be done; Qiaoqiao's arrangements were impeccable, always prioritizing propriety. Such a large room might seem wasteful, but the invited guests would undoubtedly be pleased.

What surprised Liu Banxia was that Qiu Huaili, Lawyer Gao, and Director Jiang all arrived together.

"How did the three of you end up coming together?" Liu Banxia asked curiously.

"I wasn't too far from Director Jiang's place, so I picked him up on the way. It saves you the anxious wait. We're all friends here, so no need for formalities," Qiu Huaili said.

"Please, make yourselves comfortable later. I have to work tonight, so I can't drink," Liu Banxia said.

"Juice will be fine. President Qiu can't drink alcohol either, and I'm worried that drinking too much might affect my work tomorrow," Jiang Tao added with a smile.

For Lawyer Gao, who remained, this wasn't an issue. What they ate or drank today wasn't important; the main thing was to strengthen their connections.

"Back when Old Qiao was in Binhai City, we often came here to Prosperity Restaurant for meals. Now that Old Qiao has gone off to enjoy his freedom, we don't come nearly as often," Qiu Huaili remarked after they were seated.

"Brother Qiu, what does Qiaoqiao's family do? Is it just food and entertainment businesses?" Liu Banxia asked curiously.

"Hasn't she told you? This is all small change for them. Their main business is lumber," Qiu Huaili said with a laugh.

"But Qiaoqiao and Old Qiao don't see eye to eye. I remember Old Qiao used to complain that father and daughter were always fighting. Eventually, Old Qiao got worn out and fled to the Northeast for some peace and quiet."

Liu Banxia clicked his tongue. Given Qiaoqiao's fiery temper, that was entirely plausible.

"What have you been busy with today?" Qiu Huaili asked.

"I performed a surgery in Jinshui District in the morning, then took it easy in the afternoon. Considered it a rest, I suppose," Liu Banxia said.

"Ah, you just have to tough it out. Once this year is over, things will definitely get much easier," Jiang Tao said with a laugh.

"Director Jiang, I wanted to ask about my brother's development prospects at the Second Hospital. Every time I ask him, he's never straightforward with me," Qiu Huaili asked.

"He's someone our Chief Director has high hopes for; how could his future be anything but bright? Why else would he be in the news? As long as he doesn't make any major mistakes, he'll become a pillar of our Second Hospital," Jiang Tao declared.

"Director Jiang, please don't praise me so much. The food is almost all here. Let's eat and chat," Liu Banxia quickly interjected.

Everyone likes to hear good things about themselves, but too much praise can be overwhelming. Liu Banxia was well aware of his own capabilities. A pillar of the hospital? He genuinely didn't dare to imagine it.

"You know, sometimes you shouldn't be too modest. Your path is pretty much paved for you now. You're a shoo-in for Binhai City's Ten Outstanding Young People award this year. Once you have the necessary academic qualifications, you'll take on management responsibilities too," Jiang Tao remarked.

"As long as you don't act impulsively and constantly create conflict in the hospital, everything will go smoothly. You went and embarrassed Vice Director Wang again the other day, didn't you? You can be such a handful sometimes."

"Heh heh, I just can't stand the way some people do things. Even for the person Brother Qiu brought, I didn't let them jump the queue," Liu Banxia said with a grin.

"By the way, Brother Qiu, how is Old He's son doing? You need to tell Old He to provide proper guidance. These days, psychological illnesses can be more devastating than physical ones."

"Isn't that the truth? We still haven't told the boy the whole story. He knows he's sick and that it can't be cured, and that's really making him distraught," Qiu Huaili said, taking a sip of his juice.

"He's still young now. When he gets to high school, university, and wants to start a family, this will become a very difficult issue. As the old saying goes, you can have anything but illness."

"But Banxia, listen to your elder brother's advice. Sometimes, you really need to rein in your temper in your work and life. If things are more or less okay, just let them slide. Making relationships too tense isn't good for getting work done."

Liu Banxia nodded. "Sigh... I know about this too. It's just that I can't stand seeing people abuse their power to bully others. Perhaps it's because I was bullied before, and it left a psychological scar."

"Are you still dwelling on Old Qin's matter? Stop thinking about it. Focusing on hospital affairs is much more productive," Jiang Tao said with a laugh.

"Director Jiang, it's not me dwelling on him; he's the one keeping tabs on me. He even went to Jinshui District to dig into my background. Tell me, isn't that going too far?" Liu Banxia said helplessly.

"Really? If that's true, then it is indeed going a bit too far," Jiang Tao frowned.

"I was shocked to hear it myself. Let's not talk about these vexing issues. The food today is excellent; everyone should eat well and not let it go to waste," Liu Banxia said.

"Just ignore people like that, and it'll be fine. As long as we act with integrity, our future is bright. It doesn't matter who tries to cause trouble," Qiu Huaili said.

"Little Gao is here too. If you ever need anything in his domain, just call him directly. When it comes to treating patients and saving lives, he's no match for you, but for legal matters, he's definitely your go-to guy."

"Absolutely. Brother Gao handled those troublemakers from last time perfectly," Liu Banxia chimed in.

"They were in the wrong legally and ethically, so what grounds did they have to make a fuss? No matter who took that case, it was an open-and-shut deal," Lawyer Gao said with a smile.

"However, the current trend shows a rather high proportion of medical disputes being settled through reconciliation. Perhaps that's why more people are inclined to cause a scene."

"It's mainly because there are always individual variations in medical processes," Jiang Tao added.

"These things are unavoidable. After all, we often treat patients without their family members present. Actually, even if the family is present, many don't understand the medical procedures or their outcomes."

"We just hope it doesn't get to the point where we're too scared to save people. I know quite a few people who left the profession due to medical disputes and went into cosmetic surgery at beauty clinics. The money's easier, and it's not as risky."

As the conversation flowed, the atmosphere at the dinner table became quite lively, even with only four people.

None of them were strangers; Liu Banxia was the common link.

That's how things often are in life; this is what social connections are all about. It just so happened that Liu Banxia had orchestrated today's gathering.

Jiang Tao knew Liu Banxia and Qiu Huaili had a good relationship, but he hadn't realized it was this solid. Many of the things said today weren't mere pleasantries; it was quite extraordinary.

One couldn't say money is useless. When wealth reaches a certain level, its power is something one must acknowledge.

It wasn't clear exactly how much the Qiu Family was worth, but a conservative estimate would be over a billion, and they maintained a very low profile in Binhai City.

To put it bluntly, if Liu Banxia had possessed this connection with Qiu Huaili when he first joined the Second Hospital, Qin Hai wouldn't have dared to bully him so casually, even if he had ten times the nerve.

At the Second Hospital, Chief Director Chen's faction was Liu Banxia's backing. In society, Qiu Huaili could also be called his patron. Leveraging all these resources would be like giving Liu Banxia wings on a tiger.

This would have been unthinkable three or four months ago. Back then, Jiang Tao barely had any impression of Liu Banxia. Unremarkable people are easily forgotten. It's just that no one expected Liu Banxia to make his mark in such a fashion.

But none of that mattered now. Liu Banxia currently possessed excellent resources, and he himself was worthy of these people investing in him. Those surgeries he performs are truly brilliant. His future prospects are genuinely enviable.

A department director of a small department like mine? That's just a stepping stone for him, at most. Given his current trajectory, his rise will be even more meteoric than Zhou Shuwen's.