The Enhanced Doctor

(Thanks to my friend 'Pants Full of Moon Tickets' for the encouragement)

The whole morning just fluttered by. The most dangerous case involved the companion who loved to eat fresh daylilies. Of course, he had also become a hotly debated case among the interns under Liu Banxia.

Liu Banxia didn't think much of it, but he still praised their enthusiasm. Discussing cases, even if it was just chatting, could help reinforce their learning.

While they were having lunch, Qiaoqiao and Wang Xiaoyan slipped in from outside, carrying boxes.

"What did you get?" Liu Banxia asked.

"Roast duck," Qiaoqiao said with a grin.

"Wow... thank you, Qiaoqiao."

Qing Kewa, who was happily eating Sautéed Pork Slices, suddenly became even happier.

"Tsk, I thought you bought it for me," Liu Banxia said helplessly.

"Are you a starving ghost reincarnated or something? There are two roast ducks here; are you trying to hog them all? If it weren't for the fact that you help my family by delivering things, I wouldn't have even bothered buying one for you," Qiaoqiao said.

"Haha, two of them, huh? I just need a couple of pieces," Liu Banxia said with a broad smile.

And sure enough, the roast duck Qiaoqiao brought tasted excellent. Of course, Liu Banxia had no idea what the roast duck from Quanjude Peking Roast Duck tasted like. Anyway, it tasted really good wrapped in thin pancakes with shredded scallions.

"Actually, it's best when carved tableside right after roasting. But since Qing Kewa didn't have any time to rest, and I happened to be passing by that area today, I just bought two," Qiaoqiao said seriously.

"Did you guys eat already? You treated us to roast duck, so let me treat you to a meal," Liu Banxia proposed casually.

"A little bit... I guess," Qiaoqiao hesitated slightly.

"Dr. Liu, I'm fine. I've been eating too much lately. I'll just have some fruit later," Wang Xiaoyan said, waving her hand.

She felt a little helpless. Did Qiaoqiao really call taking such a big detour 'on the way'? We ate a whole duck there on the spot, and she can still eat more?

She realized that her dear friend Qiaoqiao was utterly captivated by Liu Banxia. But as for those two? One refused to admit her feelings, and the other was just a complete blockhead.

Liu Banxia, unaware of what Wang Xiaoyan was thinking, casually got another serving of food from the cafeteria window.

Actually, Qiaoqiao regretted her words as soon as she said them. How can I eat all this? I don't have a rubber stomach like Liu Banxia, who can cram in however much he eats.

"Why aren't you eating?" Liu Banxia asked, stuffing another piece of duck meat into his mouth.

"I said just a little... How am I supposed to eat when you've piled so much on my plate? It's fine, I'll just take the leftovers home for Tang Dou," Qiaoqiao said, finding a perfect excuse.

"No, you can't do that. Be careful not to just feed Tang Dou anything. An occasional bite or two is fine, but constantly feeding it food with too much oil and salt can severely damage its kidneys," Liu Banxia warned.

"Just scoop some onto my plate; leave enough for yourself. I can make an effort to eat a bit more; it's better than letting it go to waste."

"Qiaoqiao, just give it to Dr. Liu. He can eat a lot," Qing Kewa chimed in from the side, affirming this.

"I told my dad to bring me some caviar. We'll eat it together! And I'll stew beef for you guys. I've been wanting to stew a lot for so long."

"You mean you've been wanting to stew it for a long time, not that you want to stew a lot of it," Liu Banxia said, passing his plate to Qiaoqiao and casually correcting Qing Kewa's Chinese.

Qiaoqiao paid no attention to what the two of them were saying; she just diligently transferred the food from her plate to Liu Banxia's. Good, no food wasted, she thought with satisfaction.

When Liu Banxia realized what was happening, he felt rather helpless. All that remained on Qiaoqiao's plate were a few Sautéed Pork Slices. There's barely enough rice for two mouthfuls, and she'd better not take too much in one bite, he mused.

Actually, their little group was always the noisiest in the cafeteria during mealtimes. Now, with the addition of Qiaoqiao and Wang Xiaoyan, it became even livelier.

Even if the interns weren't familiar with the two women, it didn't hinder their interaction. Today's roast duck tasted great, and the meal they had at Jinbao last time was also delicious.

Liu Banxia's appetite once again amazed everyone. However, he did feel a little overstuffed this time.

"Alright, you should get going with this car, or I'll be on pins and needles," Liu Banxia said to Qiaoqiao once they reached the parking lot.

"What's there to worry about? It's just a car. We're off," Qiaoqiao replied and passed the keys to Wang Xiaoyan.

"Dr. Liu, come visit us more often when you have time. Tang Dou really misses you," Wang Xiaoyan said with a smile.

"Why would Tang Dou miss me?" Liu Banxia asked curiously.

"It just does. It misses you when it's rolling around, misses you when it's out for a walk. We're leaving now!" Wang Xiaoyan said, then started the car and drove off.

Watching the car drive away, Liu Banxia was somewhat bewildered. He felt that the two young women were behaving a bit oddly today, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what was so strange.

When he returned to the emergency department, Liu Banxia saw Qi Wentai sitting off to the side and frowned.

No matter how he racked his brain, he never imagined that Qi Wentai would become such a persistent problem in the emergency department. Now, regardless of his own reservations, he had to deal with this issue.

"Qi Wentai, come to my office with me. We need to talk," Liu Banxia said.

Qi Wentai froze for a moment, then nodded and followed him into his office.

The onlookers were worried. They all knew Liu Banxia had a bit of a temper. What if they start fighting in the office? they wondered.

"Sister Wang, keep an ear out. If things sound like they're getting out of hand, you're probably the only one who can calm Liu Banxia down," Wang Huan whispered to Wang Ying.

Wang Ying nodded. "Actually, Qi isn't that bad. He's probably just disheartened from being constantly compared to Liu Banxia, and now he's lost his motivation."

This was only her speculation, of course. Only Qi Wentai himself knew the real reason.

Liu Banxia led Qi Wentai into his office and poured himself a glass of water first. He knew today's conversation would be a tough battle, much harder than performing surgery.

"Qi Wentai, let's have a proper talk today. Let's discuss our past and our future," Liu Banxia began.

Qi Wentai glanced at him but remained silent.

"We've had our conflicts in the past, but I believe that since I became chief resident of the Emergency Department, I haven't deliberately given you a hard time, have I? If you feel I have, you can tell me now," Liu Banxia continued.

Qi Wentai said nothing. Liu Banxia was right; he hadn't intentionally made things difficult for him.

"What I don't understand is why someone who considers himself the most outstanding among the resident doctors keeps making mistakes that even rookies wouldn't easily make," Liu Banxia said, taking a sip of water.

"I don't want to have to discipline you, but you keep practically begging for it. Tell me, what am I supposed to do? Give me some advice. How exactly should I manage you?"

"What did I do? How did I make a mistake?" Qi Wentai retorted, unconvinced.

"Let's talk about the child from yesterday. Search your conscience and tell me, was it right for you to have a brand-new intern nurse draw blood from that child?" Liu Banxia pressed.

Qi Wentai remained silent. He could argue that it was technically permissible. But if he were honest with himself, he knew it truly wasn't the right thing to do. He had his own pride; his silence was an admission of his own negligence.

"And then there's today's patient. You diagnosed pneumonia based solely on auscultation and a routine blood test. But you completely ignored the patient's abdominal pain and low blood pressure," Liu Banxia continued.

"You're a doctor, and a very capable one at that. Judge for yourself: would you say your handling of this patient today amounts to a misdiagnosis? We don't even need to consider the final diagnosis of colchicine poisoning. Based purely on the initial presentation—unexplained abdominal pain—would ordering a urinalysis have been unreasonable?"

"Furthermore, given the patient's obese build, is a seemingly normal blood pressure truly normal for him? Perhaps he was a good athlete before, but his student lifestyle has likely taken a toll on his body."

"Many eyes are on the emergency department right now, just waiting to see when a mistake will be made and by whom. I don't care if it's me; everyone knows we've never seen eye to eye. But can you afford such a mistake?"

"Because if you're the one who messes up, I can report to the hospital administration that you're deliberately causing trouble. After all, given how carelessly you're working now, that's the only conclusion one could draw."

"What I can do, and have done, is treat you impartially. Since I became chief resident, I have never gone out of my way to find fault with you. But if you don't do your job properly, you are actively looking for trouble with me."

"You can be sloppy in your work, but you cannot be sloppy with the patients who come to the emergency department. You can take these words to heart or pretend I never said them. It's your own future; if you don't take responsibility for it, who else can you blame?"

"I can also offer you an alternative. Given our past history, you might feel uncomfortable working with me, or rather, under my supervision. If so, you can choose to transfer to the General Surgery Department. I can arrange that."

"Don't see any patients this afternoon. Take the afternoon to think it over. Decide whether you want to stay in the emergency department and work diligently, or transfer to General Surgery. Let me know your decision by tomorrow."

After finishing, Liu Banxia stepped outside. Seeing many pairs of eyes staring in their direction, he gave everyone a friendly wave.

"How come you two didn't argue?" Liang Xiaolin came over.

Liu Banxia rolled his eyes. "I'm a leader now. I must persuade people with virtue."

Liang Xiaolin didn't buy it. Him, persuade with virtue? With that temper of his? I don't believe it for a second, she thought. Still, it's strange. Qi Wentai just walked out, and his expression was actually very calm.

"So, what did you really say to him?" Liang Xiaolin couldn't help but ask.

"I gave him two paths. One is to stay in the Emergency Department and do his job properly. The other is for me to get him transferred out," Liu Banxia said.

"I'm very reasonable. If he does his job well, I absolutely won't give him a hard time. But if he refuses to straighten up, then he can't blame me for being harsh."

"With my level of magnanimity, wouldn't you say it's practically repaying grievance with virtue? If our roles were reversed and he was in my position, I bet he'd make my life a living hell."

Liang Xiaolin shot him a sharp glance. Why can he never speak seriously?