Chapter 308: A Simple Task

"Shut up!" Dean Zou heard the Muniu Waike Zhuren speaking more and more outrageously, and without time to explain, he slapped him directly across the face.

Director Xu froze; he clutched his face, looking at the Dean in utter bewilderment.

"Xiao Zhao is a talent, a talent cultivated by our hospital who is destined for a broader stage in the future. How are you talking?" Dean Zou reprimanded sternly.

A talent? Since when could Zhao Zhe be associated with the word "talent"?

Director Xu was a bit dazed; it wasn't just from the slap, but mainly because the word "talent" had struck his heart heavily.

Zhao Zhe also didn't understand what was happening before his eyes; he watched blankly until he heard Ji Xiang's voice.

"Zhao Ge, the application form." Ji Xiang reached out his hand.

Zhao Zhe hurriedly handed the deeply creased application form into Ji Xiang's hands.

"Director Xu, thank you for your hard work." Ji Xiang walked over, looking down at Director Xu with a smile, and handed over the A4 paper with both hands.

He was very courteous and polite, but Director Xu read a faint indifference from Ji Xiang.

Perhaps this young man appeared quite well-bred, but it wasn't directed at him; he might be just as courteous to a chicken or a dog.

Director Xu took a deep breath and instantly saw the truth of the matter—this young man was Zhao Zhe's backer, or perhaps one of his backers.

"Sign it!" Dean Zou wished he could skin Director Xu alive, but he couldn't act out for the moment, so he could only grit his teeth and whisper a reminder.

Director Xu didn't dare say another word. He was suspicious in his heart, but he picked up a pen as fast as he could and signed his name in the first column.

"Xiao Zhao, let's go, I'll take you to sign the other papers." Dean Zou was exceptionally gentle, leaving Director Xu stunned.

"In the future, remember to come home often. Central Hospital is your home no matter what; don't ever forget that."

"When there's an opportunity, I'll come to the Provincial Hospital to find you, and we brothers will have a couple of drinks. Tell me, all these years, we haven't had the time or opportunity to get close."

Watching the three of them leave, Director Xu looked at the corner of the hallway for a long time without recovering his senses.

Having been slapped "for no reason" because of the most useless old Attending Physician in the Clinical department, Director Xu felt no grievance, only trepidation.

Coupled with the words Dean Zou had said, it made Director Xu think even more.

He had no heart for anything else. After weighing things for a while, he snuck off to the office building and waited at the door of Dean Zou's office.

Dean Zou hadn't returned, so Director Xu just stood obediently at the door waiting, not daring to move a muscle.

A full hour passed before Dean Zou finally returned.

"Dean," Director Xu said in a low voice.

"Hmph!" Dean Zou shot Director Xu a glare, finding him an eyesore. He bumped into Director Xu with his shoulder and opened the fingerprint lock.

Director Xu couldn't make heads or tails of it. He especially couldn't understand why Zhao Zhe, who was always honest and dull—the type who couldn't let out a fart even if you hit him with three sticks—could be called a talent by Dean Zou.

Following Dean Zou into the office sheepishly, Director Xu placed his hands obediently on the sides of his legs, standing in a standard posture with his head slightly lowered, assuming the stance of someone about to be scolded.

Dean Zou didn't berate Director Xu, but instead leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed, wondering what he was thinking.

After a long time, Dean Zou said softly, "The procedures are all finished."

"Dean, Zhao Yisheng, he..."

"A call came from the city, and it was very simple: if it isn't finished today... sigh."

Director Xu was startled.

"You damn fool, you can't accomplish anything and only ruin things!" Dean Zou finally cursed. Hearing the scolding, Director Xu felt his heart settle.

"Dean, you're right." Director Xu bent his waist, his face full of ingratiating smiles. "Whose connections did Zhao Zhe use? I've been keeping an eye on him for so many years; his brain has some issues, so there shouldn't be anyone speaking up for him."

"Your brain is the one with issues." Dean Zou looked at Director Xu as if he were an idiot. "Let me ask you, can you go to the Second Affiliated Hospital?"

"The Provincial Hospital? It's too hard if you want to go. All these years, only Director Wang of the Neurosurgery Department at our Yuanliao First Hospital went to the Provincial Hospital, and that was only to the Affiliated Hospital No. 4."

"And you damn well know how hard it is to go to the Second Affiliated Hospital?!"

Director Xu was speechless.

"The person has already finished the procedures over there and just came back to sign a paper and go through the motions. You, you damn fool, were blocking him from the start. Do you really think you, a sewer-cleaner, can reach the heavens?"

"..."

"You're just a local grassroots doctor. You don't know what kind of noble person they met in the Provincial Hospital. Let me tell you, there are some people you can't afford to provoke; don't be blind." Dean Zou said, "You pulled every string to get a Provincial Famous Doctor title, and you really think you're a famous figure in the province? Nonsense."

"Yes, yes, yes."

"I really don't know what to say about you." Dean Zou opened his eyes and glared at Director Xu. "Go ask Zhao Yisheng if there's anything else he needs help with. If they are dissatisfied over there and make things uncomfortable for me, I'll definitely make sure you die before I do."

Director Xu broke out in a cold sweat.

He knew his old leader too well; he was blunt and unreserved when talking to his own people, so when he was cursing just now, he knew there was no real trouble.

Although he was suspicious, he couldn't ask any further. Director Xu patted his chest and promised that even if he had to kowtow all the way, he would send Zhao Zhe off comfortably.

Leaving the Dean's office, Director Xu felt helpless; if he had known today would come, why act as he did in the beginning?

"Xiao Ji, what is going on?" Zhao Zhe asked Ji Xiang while holding the procedures and files.

"It's very simple. We are just going through the normal transfer procedures."

Ji Xiang's matter-of-fact reply left Zhao Zhe speechless.

He had already lost all hope, yet he hadn't expected Xiao Ji to bring the Dean over directly. Dean Zou was usually very overbearing, but in front of Xiao Ji, he became harmless and full of spring breezes, taking him to finish the procedures.

If there wasn't a problem here, Zhao Zhe would eat his own head.

"Xiao Ji, really... really... thank you for your hard work." Zhao Zhe didn't know how to thank Ji Xiang, and in the end, he just dryly said the words "thank you for your hard work."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhao Zhe regretted them; only superiors and subordinates spoke of "hard work."

If Xiao Ji misunderstood, he would be done for. Zhao Zhe hurriedly forced a smile, wanting to explain.

But the sudden reversal today had caused Zhao Zhe's brain to crash, and it still hadn't recovered; his mind was a blank slate, and he, who was usually a chatterbox, had become reticent today.

"It's nothing, I just made a phone call while I was at it." Ji Xiang smiled. "Zhao Ge, if there are any problems with the housing or anything, let me know in advance. I'm rotating to the Orthopedics Department these next few days, so I might be a bit busy."

Zhao Zhe simply shut his mouth and didn't say another word.

Judging by the tone of Doctor Ji Xiang, if he were to make a request, even a house in the Provincial Hospital could be resolved.

No, absolutely not, that would be ungrateful and shameless!

"If there's nothing else, I'll head back," Ji Xiang said with a smile, not minding at all, "Zhao Ge, hurry up with this side of things; there's a surgery in 3 days."

"Mm-hmm, alright, don't you worry, I'll definitely be there in 3 days."

(End of this chapter)