Chapter 551: Shelf and Dignity

The next day, after Fang Ziye also woke up, while eating noodles in the canteen, he still chatted with Gu Yi about these trivial matters, treating it as a joke.

After hearing this, Senior Brother Gu very seriously put down his chopsticks and analyzed: "Ziye, I saw a saying online before: every side that each person sees can be called worldly experience."

"You and Professor Liu, Master and them have seen too many high-difficulty surgeries in Zhongnan Hospital, so you've come to find them ordinary."

"I don't know how you feel, but when I went to a farmhouse restaurant before, seeing some children able to catch birds with bare hands, I found it quite shocking."

Some time ago, in order to maintain the rules inside the sanatorium, Gu Yi even called Fang Ziye 'Professor Fang' a few times.

But Fang Ziye brushed past him, not even giving Gu Yi the time of day; from then on, Gu Yi changed his address again and went back to calling him Ziye.

Fang Ziye personally believes that no matter how specialized the sanatorium gets, no matter how many rules, it cannot sever the master-disciple bond between people; with master-disciple and fellow disciple relationships, they just remain there.

Some seniors, their teachers have passed away many years ago, yet the fellow disciples still maintain contact; how much more so now when Deng Yong is in the prime of life.

"Putting it that way isn't quite right; our department did seize quite a bit of the initiative after all."

"However, this also once again made me feel the charm of innovation."

"Thinking back again on the step-by-step process of our medical development, I also increasingly respect those old seniors from before." Fang Ziye's reflections were somewhat different from Gu Yi's.

Last century, or even the century before last!

Eastern Han's foundation was too poor, but under those conditions, many old seniors still gritted their teeth and persisted, and in all aspects, progressed steadily, enabling Eastern Han's medicine to have its current foundation — truly not easy.

Gu Yi then said: "Ziye, I feel your current realm has already reached a certain height, barely qualifying as a true scholar's realm."

"Scholars grow more humble the more they learn; the more excellent, the more cautious, knowing to be humble at all times — this might be the real reason for their erudition."

"Anyway, my current mindset is: if I were as capable as you, Ziye, my nostrils would point to the sky when I walk."

Gu Yi sighed with emotion.

He's also quite tall, about 1.8 meters, similar to Fang Ziye; his build is thinner than before but still counts as slightly chubby, muscles firm, face ordinary, but he looks exceptionally cheerful.

When he was doing his doctorate, he often liked to joke around; he was the more outgoing type among the senior brothers.

Now he has instead become increasingly cautious, mature, and steady.

"Senior Brother, actually I had your current mindset before too, but after truly reaching this step, I discovered my previous thoughts were rather childish."

"Looking up at the sky, looking down at the ground, looking at people when facing people." Fang Ziye said.

"We ultimately can only see the people or things within our sight!"

Gu Yi finally laughed: "Ziye, you're pitiful; you're so young yet you'll lose the relatively low-level joys; that's actually not good."

"Next time, want Senior Brother to take you to experience the worldly atmosphere?" Gu Yi blinked.

Hearing this, Fang Ziye shook his head like a rattle-drum.

Enshi is a place where the foot-washing industry is quite developed; during last year's mid-year Hubei Province academic conference and young physician competition, two 'seniors' were detained because of this matter and lost their eligibility to compete.

Fang Ziye hasn't become thirsty to that extent yet; of course he must keep himself clean.

"Senior Brother, you should also go to those places less." Fang Ziye replied.

"Look at you, becoming vulgar, aren't you?"

"I know a proper place; the massage technique is excellent, very relaxing afterward; heard there's even an Old Chinese Doctor Chen's disciple's disciple working inside, just rarely encountered."

"Our professors here all go there often!" Gu Yi laughed.

Only then did Fang Ziye realize he had overthought it, but Gu Yi's wording was so ambiguous and veiled that it truly made it impossible for Fang Ziye not to think crooked.

At eight forty-three, after the two finished breakfast, they headed slowly toward the surgical work area.

Gu Yi bought a cigarette on the way and forcibly stuffed one into Fang Ziye's hand.

Originally thought Fang Ziye wouldn't take it, but unexpectedly, Fang Ziye took it, lit it, took two puffs, and started choking and coughing.

Gu Yi clicked his tongue in wonder: "How come you decided to take it today?"

"The lower limb shortening deformity surgery on the 24th, and the unilateral total bone defect patient on the 26th, are exceptionally brain-taxing."

"Heard people say smoking can increase inspiration; that saying is a lie too; I still can't learn it."

"Senior Brother, you'd better not give me any next time." Fang Ziye took another puff, still feeling extremely uncomfortable, so he extinguished the cigarette.

Seeing Fang Ziye like this, Gu Yi couldn't bear it, feeling a bit of heartache: "Ziye, if the pressure is too great, or you're unsure, you can call off the surgery, delay or even cancel it."

After Fang Ziye threw the cigarette butt into the ashtray, he turned back: "I naturally know, but the difficulty isn't that great either."

"There are differences between doing surgery and doing surgery; if it's just to complete the surgery, the difficulty isn't great, but to complete it comparatively well, with high quality, you always have to burn some brain cells."

After Fang Ziye finished speaking, he let out two long breaths, easing the discomfort from smoking.

In this sanatorium, all are difficult and complex cases; not a single one is easy to handle; Fang Ziye had several moments where he just wanted to lie down directly, lie even straighter.

At forty-six minutes past, after the two put on their white coats, they entered the office together.

Gu Yi immediately went to sit in front of the computer and started his office tasks; Fang Ziye saw Professor Gong Jiahe and others also at computers, carefully reviewing preoperative and postoperative patient examination results, so he didn't dare idle either.

However, just as Fang Ziye sat down, an old man with crutches under both armpits came limping slowly in from the office area doorway.

Quite a few people saw him, but no one refused.

The office area isn't a restricted zone; patients aren't forbidden from coming in to look; the doctors can't see the patients' key information anyway, and these patients aren't professionals — it would be strange if they could spot anything amiss.

"Excuse me, which one is Doctor Fang Ziye?" He didn't recognize Fang Ziye, but should know of him, so he asked Neurosurgery's Tang Xin.

Tang Xin didn't recognize the patient either, and thought he was looking for Fang Ziye, so he patiently pointed toward the Trauma Surgery office area: "Over there, the youngest, most handsome one."

Hearing the patient's words, Gong Jiahe and the others all turned around, thinking it was their group's patient who had gotten out of bed!

The patients in the group right now are all unsuitable for walking this far.

The hemipelvic reconstruction one can at most walk around the courtyard; the nonunion one just needs to walk around the room; the functional reconstruction one had surgery only yesterday — if he dares get out of bed and leave the room today, Gong Jiahe would have to go argue with the bed-management nurse.

The remaining two patients: one has a limp lower limb, the other's lower limb shortening is equivalent to not having one.

Looking back, he didn't recognize the visitor either.

"You are?" Gong Jiahe hesitated a moment, then asked.

The old man completely ignored Gong Jiahe, instead limping on his crutches toward Fang Ziye.

Fang Ziye likewise narrowed his eyes, looking at the other party thoughtfully.

"Professor Fang, you really are a great professor—it's nearly impossible to see you!"

"If all the doctors in the world were like you, us patients would have it far too easy." The old man wasn't tall, about 1.6 meters.

His hair was half-white, his body looked very sturdy, his hands were strong, and his pace with a cane was still not slow.

At the same time, his tone and voice were very sharp.

Fang Ziye put down the mouse, examined the other party carefully again, then said: "Sir, if I remember correctly? This is our first meeting? Your words just now were a bit too cutting."

The old man put down his cane and sat down, snorting coldly: "It is our first meeting, mainly because Professor Fang's threshold is set too high, really impossible to cross?"

"To see you, I nearly lost half my life. I certainly dare not see you again!" The old man was still sarcastic.

His bearing showed at a glance he was no ordinary person; his voice was cold, his speech decisive, his articulation clear.

He did not play the old-timer card, as if he were a superior.

If the first time was a joke, continuing to say this was purely that he had an opinion of Fang Ziye and was personally attacking Fang Ziye.

Fang Ziye was no fool; he vaguely guessed who the other party was, and asked: "Old man, did I offend you? Or did I do your surgery poorly? Or did I see you at the outpatient clinic and treat you badly?"

"You come up and treat me like this? Isn't that a bit impolite?"

The old man put down his cane: "Who dares be impolite to you? Professor Fang Da, you come when you want, leave when you want, ignore patients, disregard others' lives."

"A good doctor." The old man's voice lowered a bit.

"After all, he's a professor, read books, his airs are as high as his learning." Feeling unsatisfied, he added a few more sentences.

Hearing this, Professor Zheng Dahai of Neurosurgery spoke up, asking: "Old brother, speak nicely; between you and Doctor Fang earlier, was there some misunderstanding?"

Zheng Dahai then looked at Fang Ziye.

Fang Ziye shook his head: "Professor Zheng, at Zhongnan Hospital I am the Chief Resident; I don't do outpatient clinics, I don't do scheduled cases; except for emergency patients, other patients are not within my responsibility to admit."

"This old sir and I are meeting for the first time, but I don't know if he ate garlic, so his words are very pungent!"

The old man planted his cane on the ground: "Professor Fang, what are you putting on airs for here? I still came, didn't I? You still have to properly treat me, don't you?"

"How big can your airs be? I really want to see."

Hearing this, Fang Ziye laughed and looked at Gong Jiahe. Gong Jiahe shook his head, confirming this was not from the Trauma Group.

He then looked at Professor Fang Zhikuan; Professor Fang Zhikuan also shook his head, confirming this was not from the Trauma Surgery Group.

However, hearing this, Professor Ye Fusheng of Hand Surgery could no longer sit still, hurried forward to explain: "Sir, what are you doing here?"

"Our group is your attending doctor; Doctor Fang is from the Trauma Group; we are from the Hand Surgery Functional Reconstruction Group."

"Did you come here to discuss a treatment plan with us?"

"I will come to your courtyard later; we'll talk privately. Personal medical conditions are privacy."

Hearing this, the old man looked at Fang Ziye; Fang Ziye's expression was cold, his gaze confused; he then looked at Ye Fusheng.

He asked: "Professor Ye, you mean that after I entered here, it's not him doing my surgery, but you others doing my surgery?"

"In principle, yes!" Ye Fusheng nodded.

Fang Ziye could also do hand surgery, provided Fang Ziye was willing to accept patient referrals from his group, or Fang Ziye admitted patients from the group chat.

"Then what the hell are we doing? I want him to do my surgery; I already said before, what are you here for?"

"Hurry up and arrange it for me! ~" The old man struck the ground with his cane again; obviously, he was very embarrassed!

Fang Ziye said in a gentler voice: "Professor Ye, since this is a patient under your group's care, please let him return to your office area; I have to make rounds shortly; everyone has work to do."

Ye Fusheng glanced at Fang Ziye, then looked at Gong Jiahe, his gaze pleading: "Professor Gong?"

Gong Jiahe directly pretended not to see, still explaining politely: "Professor Ye, between our different groups, there is cooperation, but patient admission is each group's freedom."

"If there are disease types from our Trauma Surgery, we will fully assist in diagnosis and treatment."

Gong Jiahe understood.

This patient was neither Fang Ziye's outpatient patient nor a patient Fang Ziye had contacted; the two had never met; the old man felt ignored by Fang Ziye, so he was throwing a tantrum here!

Could Gong Jiahe indulge him? This is the Military Region Yangyuan, not a noble sanatorium, much less an Imperial Physician's Hall; you come here and boss whoever you want, do you think being old makes you a sir?

Well, sorry, this place doesn't serve like that; perhaps other sanatoriums do.

The old man said directly: "Professor Ye, I don't care; I made it clear when I came—I only want him to do my surgery; anyone else doing it, I disagree."

"He doesn't want to do it for me; I insist he does it for me."

Fang Ziye didn't want to deal with him, smiled casually, then turned to look at his group's computer.

He didn't know if it was his own airs being too big, or the other party's official authority being too great, thinking he had something in hand and could be invincible under heaven, not treating people as people.

Not all old people are kind, nor are all old people reasonable; on the contrary, some old men and women just like to insist on dead logic.

Perhaps their lifelong work status determined their current character, but Fang Ziye still had his own things to do.

Professor Du Donglin stepped forward a few steps and said: "Old man, keep your voice down; you talk to Doctor Fang like this, yet still want him to do your surgery—how is that arranged?"

"You've offended everyone, and still want others to painstakingly do your surgery and treatment? Isn't that forcing the issue?"

The old man asked: "Then what if I insist on forcing the issue?"

His tone was firm, his gaze staring down Du Donglin.

Du Donglin said: "Medicine has no such thing as forcing."

"Then you mean the sanatorium will refuse to see me?" The old man had also prepared some materials!

"The sanatorium is not a hospital in nature; current medical management regulations do not apply; there is no such thing as refusing treatment." Du Donglin's temper also flared up; you tm who are you?

"I've put it so plainly; you insist on butting heads; then go ahead and butt heads?"

"Simply absurd; your sanatorium is essentially a medical place; the duty of medicine is to cure diseases and save people."

"What is this situation now? Planning to kick me out?" The old man smiled disdainfully, surveying everyone.

Seeing no one pay attention to him, the old man looked at Fang Ziye and said: "Professor Fang, don't get too happy too soon; I said, what I want to do, you have to do; you can't run away."

"Even if..."

At this moment, people from the Security Office came in.

He walked over at a fast pace.

After seeing the old man first, he asked, "What's going on? The sanatorium is a place for quiet recuperation; how did a quarrel start?"

Du Donglin explained the general situation, while Fang Ziye simply did not step forward at all.

Gong Jiahe also explained a few sentences.

The older person from the Safety Division glanced at Fang Ziye, then said to the old man, "Elderly, you're being a bit unreasonable."

"As the proverb goes, a grievance has a head, a debt has a master. You've never even met Doctor Fang; what are you doing here scolding him?"

"If he really wronged you, saying a few words would be understandable on personal grounds, but he..."

"He fails the white coat he wears. Is there such a way to be a doctor?" the old man said.

"We patients traveled thousands of miles to seek treatment, and he? He didn't say a word, just ran off directly."

"I was polite before, polite to the point of being subservient, but him? He ran off with his tail between his legs, completely ignoring what his patients think?"

"Where did the words 'benevolent heart of a healer' go?"

"No upbringing!" The old man cursed with satisfaction, directly adding this line.

Hearing this, Fang Ziye could no longer stay silent, turned his head, and stood up: "Elderly, did you give birth to me and raise me?"

The old man didn't speak. "You have no virtue!"

"One, you lack the grace of giving birth to me; two, you lack the grace of raising me; three, you lack the grace of teaching me; four, you have not formed a doctor-patient relationship with me."

"Are you the Emperor or what?"

"The power and honorary titles the country gave you, are they for you to act wildly here? To make trouble without reason?"

"I'd like to boldly ask, what did you do, Old Master?" Fang Ziye asked.

"Stinky soldier, so what? You want to hit me?" The old man wasn't afraid of Fang Ziye blowing up, even lifting his chin.

Fang Ziye laughed instead: "So, Old Master, you've been a soldier this long, which leader taught you to insult people like this? To abuse power for private gain like this?"

"To bully the weak with power and status? I'm all ears to worship and learn!"

Hearing this, the old man directly moved to grab his cane and hit someone.

"Young man, watch your words! My old leaders are not for you to comment on!!!" The old man was truly enraged.

However, his legs were inconvenient, and he couldn't reach the range to hit Fang Ziye.

Several people from the Safety Division seized him.

"Oh, right, according to your understanding, what the army taught you is to bully ordinary people like me who are unarmed?"

"The bullets issued to you are for killing ordinary bald-headed commoners like us. Right?"

"Then come on?" Fang Ziye went all in completely.

Others can scold him for lacking morality, but scolding him for lacking upbringing is unacceptable!

Fang Ziye originally didn't wrong the other party; to tell the truth, the other party's registration fee, not a single grain of rice entered Fang Ziye's pocket, so why should I provide "medical" services for you?

Just based on the medical ethics in your mouth?

The old man stopped moving, his gaze pressing on Fang Ziye: "Sharp-tongued! Depraved virtue, wearing a white coat, your hands probably have an unknown amount of blood on them."

Fang Ziye said: "My hands have been stained with blood, but those people recovered. I hope the blood on your hands, Old Master, hasn't affected anyone's life."

"For no reason, you come up and scold me, insult me, say I have no upbringing."

"Where did I offend you?"

"Where is your upbringing?"

"Who taught you to scold people like this, to insult people like this?"

"Fang Ziye!!!" The old man gritted his teeth.

Gong Jiahe also pulled Fang Ziye.

Fang Ziye ignored Gong Jiahe's pull, just continued: "No need means no harm!"

"The reason those people dare to control the registration system is because you people with a bit of power want to highlight your difference, feel you are a cut above."

"So you can enjoy better medical resources; as for whether others can get an appointment or cure their illness, in your view, it's completely not worth mentioning, as long as you're cured."

"In your eyes, ordinary patients' suffering isn't worth mentioning, so you abuse power for private gain, and stir up right and wrong there."

"Blowing up? Because I made it clear?"

"Want to make this public, let the masses judge?"

"Whose hands are stained with patients' blood? Who, wearing bright and beautiful clothes, actually has a dark heart?"

"Who exactly abuses power for private gain, treats people as playthings, has depraved morality, and low character?"

"I left? Why can't I leave? My work, my experience, current social policy, all support everyone's freedom to choose their occupation!"

"Why can't I, Fang Ziye? Why? What did I do wrong?"

"How did my parents and teachers offend you? You insist on dragging them in when scolding me?"

"You didn't give birth to me or raise me, you insult my parents and teachers, who do you think you are?"

"Yes, you may have contributed to the country, and given much for our country and people."

"But let me ask you again, did the country and people do anything to wrong you?"

"After you were injured, didn't they spend money to treat you, give you a salary, let you eat your fill? Didn't they give you honor?"

"Otherwise what? Make everyone kneel at your feet, you kick one over today because you're unhappy, kill me tomorrow because you're unhappy?"

"If anyone wronged you, go find them, not come to me to vent!"

"I didn't wrong you."

"Never, so you shouldn't scold me." Fang Ziye's words were also a bit heart-piercing.

However, Fang Ziye's scolding logic was clear, truly pinning the other party at the moral high ground, and without offending anyone related to him.

Who taught him? Definitely no one taught him, right?

Hearing this, the old man's eyeballs nearly popped out, but his culture did not support him being able to trade barbs with Fang Ziye.

Fang Ziye's pop-pop-pop was a laser gun, while the other side's was still a semi-automatic rifle, possibly not even counting as that, belonging to the state of temporarily making a bow and arrow to trade barbs with Fang Ziye!

"Professor Fang, say a few sentences less." Gong Jiahe said.

Only then did Fang Ziye sit down, and then calmly said: "If you feel I have wronged you, there is the Medical Affairs Office, there is the Health Department to file a complaint."

"If you continue to delay my work here, then that is you wronging those patients we are in charge of, hope you have some self-respect."

"I have to work, please don't disturb my work."

"Even more so, don't insult my parents and family."

Fang Ziye faced the computer.

What he could do was only gain the upper hand in words, and still could not hit anyone.

Calling the police probably wouldn't be of much use either.

The old man's family members had pretty much arrived by this moment, it was a daughter of his, after hearing about the matter here, she first gave Fang Ziye a glare with both eyes, and then began apologizing to everyone.

"Sorry, embarrassed, my dad just now made me go get him breakfast, I said to have the caregiver go get it, he wouldn't agree."

"Sorry ah, disturbed your work." His own father causing a scene here, even if he won, it would still be undignified.

What's more, looking at the current state, it seems his own father lost, that would be even more undignified.

"Professor Fang, sorry, my dad is old, please forgive him a bit." The woman said, and helped her father up.

Truth be told, if they could have picked out any fault of Fang Ziye's, how could the situation be like this now? Still coming here to seek treatment, Fang Ziye would have long been running connections everywhere to save himself or begging people.

However, there was none.

……

A farce, thus ended.

Not a few people all looked toward Fang Ziye's direction a few times, and then were curious about the things Fang Ziye was saying.

However, that kind of thing, at one listen it was very stimulating and taboo, so after chatting slightly for a while, they didn't pursue it deeply!

If this kind of thing were exposed, it would arouse very great public anger, might be very hard to suppress.

Being able to keep doors closed and cold-handle it, this is the best state.

This kind of matter, difficult to thoroughly taboo.

However, after Fang Ziye finished ward rounds, the old man and his daughter who now thoroughly understood the situation, came to the office area again.

Beside them, also standing were Hand Surgery's Professor Du Donglin, Neurosurgery's Professor Zheng Dahai, and also Logistics Support Department's Director Liang.

The Logistics Support Department here, besides being responsible for logistics, is also responsible for contact and operating the tent.

After all the medical resources provided here are not many, and there isn't too much need for procurement either.

"Professor Fang, sorry ah, it's this old grandpa, his heart was too rushed for a moment, after all long suffering from illness torment, also wants to recover soon."

"So before, accidentally went down the wrong path."

"And then, Professor Fang you at his time limit for surgery, directly left, so the old grandpa's mood was bad, this led to today's misunderstanding." Director Liang said smiling.

The patient's daughter also said: "Professor Fang, you must not be angry ah, I'll apologize to you on behalf of my father!"

"He might be slightly senile, so ah, the words said before, were too excessive, me and my older brother, including my mother, all severely criticized him."

"Apologize ah, dad?" The woman tugged the old man's sleeve.

The old man head down, voice very light: "Sorry, Professor Fang! I shouldn't have scolded you, even more shouldn't have said you have no upbringing."

Fang Ziye then continued staring at the computer screen.

The other party wasn't their group's patient, after reading a complete examination result, said: "No matter, I also won't be how!"

"Your apologies I accept, but I must explain a few sentences, my previous words, had no meaning of targeting anyone, only targeting the things encountered on me."

"I'll say one more sentence now, I don't want to be a puppet played with by others, can that be wrong?"

People still in the office area now all roughly understand some of the matters on Fang Ziye.

Therefore ah, everyone tacitly didn't bring up this matter again.

The patient's daughter then said: "Professor Fang, this isn't, before there were petty people making trouble right? You put yourself in my shoes ah."

"If we don't go do it, then forever no way to accept treatment, have other people go."

"What solution could we have?"

The patient's daughter had read quite a few books, therefore logic clear: "Of course, these things are all past, we on Professor Fang your technique, character certainly all sufficiently believe."

"So my father designated by name for you to do surgery, from the moment he entered the sanatorium, this was the statement."

"Just thinking enter first, then transfer to you, trust your technique, besides you, any other people, he all doesn't trust."

"Just they are not good at expressing. My father he……"

Fang Ziye hearing this said: "You don't need to explain this much."

"Now misunderstanding resolved, if old grandpa needs my sincere apology."

"I can apologize, old grandpa, sorry, I don't know how to respect the elderly, also don't know how to handle my own emotions."

"Offended you. Please forgive."

"As for the rest, let's not talk anymore, doctor and patient relationship should be comparatively pure, if stained with emotion, should proactively avoid."

Fang Ziye fist-saluted, then turned away.

Hearing this, Zheng Dahai and Du Donglin's faces immediately changed greatly.

Then hurriedly pulled the old man and his daughter, and also Director Liang out of the diagnosis area scope.

"Professor Zheng, Professor Du, what happened to you guys?"

"Wasn't it agreed to transfer?" The patient's daughter asked.

"Ruined ruined!"

"Professor Fang has already expressed stance, you guys and him had conflict before, this conflict saying big not big, saying small not small, but at that time, indeed conflict occurred."

"Now, he can't take you on as patients anymore; otherwise, if anything goes wrong during the surgery, would you say Professor Fang deliberately took the opportunity to retaliate, or that it was simply an accident?"

"Based on this, in the medical field, generally for surgeries on one's own relatives, and also for surgeries on patients with whom one has had a grievance, the surgeon needs to recuse themselves!!!"

"This?" The patient and his daughter were both stunned upon hearing this.

"Our trust isn't enough?" the patient's daughter asked further.

"How do you trust? How do others trust?"

"What I mean is, if any single point isn't done well, would your first reaction be that Professor Fang deliberately left something behind for you, didn't finish it?"

"Surgery is not a game; doubt means stop!" Zheng Dahai said.

"But we apologized, didn't we?" the patient's daughter asked.

"But at the time, did Doctor Fang take it to heart?" Zheng Dahai's voice was also calm.

(Chapter End)