Chapter 705

Xiong Hanzhong, hearing Fang Ziye's words, also felt quite helpless; he knew in his heart that Fang Ziye was merely a clinical doctor, so when facing this kind of situation he was certainly not as professional and smooth as him.

He hurriedly took over the topic: "Sir, let's listen to Professor Fang finish speaking first. I told you before, our hospital is this big, and the professors attending clinic here are famous throughout the province."

"The hospital isn't going anywhere, and the person isn't going anywhere either."

Fang Ziye continued to explain in a low voice: "I'm sorry. Under normal circumstances, if a patient brings their own examination results, my personal habit is to reflect them in the medical record in chronological order."

"Look here, I wrote down November 2nd, 2023, the MRI and X-ray examination film reading reports, no local hospital examination results."

The young man then said: "Your meaning is that my mom didn't bring them for you to look at?"

"The medical record was written by you. If you deliberately didn't write it or made an omission, who do we go to for reason?"

"My mom usually organizes her examination results very well. The films are all arranged in order."

To show he wasn't being unreasonable, the young man took out his bag: "Director Xiong, and all you leaders, you look for yourselves."

"Whether what I said is fact."

"This is Zhongnan Hospital's medical record book, taken from this compartment. This is Peking Union Medical College Hospital's medical record book. This is our county hospital's medical record book, and also the prefecture-level city hospital's medical record book."

"Films! These."

"Blood test results, in this compartment."

The young man finished presenting evidence, then said: "This doctor, my father is a very rigorous person. He has always done things in an orderly manner. You cannot frame him."

"It's also impossible to fabricate something out of nothing."

As the young man spoke, he categorized and organized the patient's examination results and examination data onto the tabletop one by one.

This also allowed Fang Ziye to clearly see all the examination results one by one, including the medical record books arranged in sequence by region.

After the other party took out the county hospital and prefecture-level city hospital's diagnosis and treatment medical record books, Fang Ziye remembered this patient.

However, what Fang Ziye remembered was that at that time the two of them only brought last year's prefecture-level city hospital films, and this year's August MRI results were not carried on them.

The old man pondered for a while, facing Fang Ziye, his gaze burning as he replied: "My wife only has the problem of bad legs and feet. I myself have a heart that's not so good. We've always organized them separately!"

"Would not fail to bring examination results."

For this kind of thing that has already happened, if there is no video data or photo record, there's no way to clarify it.

Fang Ziye also cannot be so cautious as to photograph every patient once.

However, Fang Ziye also wasn't in a rush. He again took advantage of the interval while the young man and old man were speaking to glance at the diagnosis and treatment records in the county hospital and prefecture-level city hospital, and the 2023 examination data.

After reading, Fang Ziye was even more certain that at that time, the man's mother did not have an osteosarcoma diagnosis.

And at that time, it was less than a year from now.

If she had been diagnosed with osteosarcoma in August, it would prove this osteosarcoma type belongs to the kind with relatively fast invasiveness.

If delayed, there is a real possibility of developing into the metastatic stage.

Last November there wasn't, this August there was, and they even said surrounding lymph nodes had metastasis. Then this progression speed is somewhat exaggerated.

Even if from last December "growth," that's still less than nine months, and the tumor has reached the surrounding lymph nodes?

"Who knows if he made a mistake, not even looking at this year's examination results, just saying my mom has no problem."

"Still thinking of prescribing some painkillers and detumescence medicine and letting her go back..." the young man continued.

Seeing Fang Ziye not reply, Xiong Hanzhong continued to soothe: "What you say has some reason. However, the associate professors who can attend outpatient clinic at our hospital are all very professional."

"Let's be patient, analyze the course of this matter, and then you carefully think about what your complaint demand is. Okay?"

"Let's all calm down first."

"Although it's possible, I'm saying possible, that Professor Fang had some oversights and errors in the diagnosis and treatment process, but after all, you also went to Peking Union Medical College Hospital for follow-up consultation."

"After all, the occurrence and development of tumors are not caused by us doctors and external forces — right?"

Hearing this, the young man's breathing became deep, and he truly pondered what kind of result he actually wanted.

Wanting Fang Ziye to resign should be impossible. Wanting compensation is also hard!

At most it's an apology, receiving punishment, or after a lawsuit the hospital symbolically gives some money.

Fang Ziye took advantage of this gap to finish reading the August films he hadn't seen before.

Then, he glanced again at the examination result reports he had transcribed during his own outpatient visit, and in his heart he also roughly had an understanding of the patient's condition.

"This uncle, let's re-sort things out properly, okay?" Fang Ziye said.

The old man was very angry, probably because his relationship with his wife was very good, therefore he was full of anger toward Fang Ziye.

Such an omission by Fang Ziye could very likely ruin her for a lifetime.

"First, after you arrived at our hospital, your chief complaint was right knee joint pain for more than a year, worsening with walking and position changes!"

"You brought local hospital examinations, so I didn't order imaging examinations for you, only did a simple blood test, and also performed a physical examination."

"These are all reflected in the medical record, right? This is also fact." Fang Ziye, based on the medical record presentation, sorted through the visit process.

The old man still didn't speak.

The young man then very classically asked further: "Why didn't you examine?"

It was very obvious that the local hospital imaging examination data Fang Ziye provided could not serve as the basis for him not conducting an MRI examination again.

At this time, the patient and family are 'impossible' to be short of money.

Fang Ziye also didn't argue with the other party, continuing: "Based on my physical examination results, and blood test results, these objective evidences all do not support the patient having any specific signs."

"The patient also said she had no trauma, and after the pain persisted, no trauma, and it was already confirmed there was joint cartilage degeneration. This is the pathological characteristic of osteoarthritis."

"Then, for the present, it's nothing more than the difference between mild and mild-moderate, basically won't change the nature."

"From my perspective at the time of consultation, the diagnosis given to the patient had no problem."

The young man was about to continue speaking, but Fang Ziye, who had already taken over the rhythm, still didn't give him a chance, actively suppressing the other's voice.

"Don't rush, listen to me slowly analyze and explain."

Fang Ziye's momentum began to radiate outward. He raised his right hand: "One, you might think I'm defending myself for the error of not reading this year's August MRI results."

"Right now I also can't give substantive evidence. I say I didn't see it, but you say you saw it."

"Then right now, even assuming I looked at it, but I didn't reflect it in the medical record, I still haven't misdiagnosed."

"Your mother's current situation is nothing more than osteoarthritis combined with specific chronic osteomyelitis."

"Not the osteosarcoma you speak of! ~"

"If at that time, I had looked at this MRI, then my diagnosis would not have been simple cartilage degeneration."

"Two, the diagnosis of specific chronic osteomyelitis relies on blood tests for autoimmunity and imaging results; at that time we did not conduct such in-depth examination, and the number of such cases is also extremely small."

"The patient's course of disease is not enough yet, and guidelines do not support continuing in-depth examination at this current time node..."

The youth laughed upon hearing this: "Heh, you're still pretending now, still continuing to fabricate?"

"Peking Union Medical College Hospital already said it's osteosarcoma, and the puncture biopsy results have come out too! ~"

"Puncture biopsy results are the gold standard for diagnosis, this doesn't need me to teach you, right?"

"Isn't it?"

"This professor, you're also such a grown person, could it be you've forgotten the four words 'dare to act, dare to take responsibility' in the back of your mind?"

"How did you get this associate professor title?"

"Even if your family has connections, you can go to other departments, why come to the hospital to harm us ordinary common people?" The youth had also read quite a few books.

Even though very angry, his scolding didn't use dirty words, but the scolding was also considerably unpleasant to hear.

Fang Ziye said very calmly: "Yes, the gold standard for diagnosing osteosarcoma and diagnosing specific chronic osteomyelitis are both biopsy sections."

"But biopsy results need eight to ten workdays before results can come out. Didn't you also say so?"

"This is only rapid result reporting, not the final pathology report."

"You're so quick to pin such a big hat on me, isn't it a bit too early for that?" Fang Ziye counter-questioned preemptively.

At this moment, Fang Ziye discovered that the old man sitting opposite, his complexion changed slightly at this moment, his gaze began to become flickering and uncertain.

Several times he was hesitant, wanting to speak but stopping.

"Not? Professor Fang, glib tongue cannot change the final result, ah?"

"I checked online, at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, the probability of rapid result reporting being consistent with the final pathology section results is above ninety-nine point nine percent."

The youth said: "If we're wrong we admit it, take the beating and stand at attention, why struggle so much over specific time?"

"Me coming to find you now and me coming to find you a week later, can it change the factual truth?"

"If you put it that way, this matter I will definitely pursue to the end."

Fang Ziye replied: "This mister, calm down a bit. What you speak of is data seen online, I am a clinical doctor, and moreover an orthopedics doctor."

"The ninety-nine point several percent you speak of, that's online hearsay; I work in the hospital, the exceptions I see are far more than you know."

"If rapid puncture result reporting can serve as the final diagnostic basis, then paraffin sections wouldn't be needed to further delay time! ~"

"I understand you don't trust my diagnosis, feel I'm delaying time, to deal with the current situation first, that's your thought."

"But the key is, you right now have no definite reason and evidence?"

"This preliminary diagnosis certificate only serves as diagnostic reference, the ※ characters behind it you recognize, right? It does not serve as any legal basis!"

"If what you brought is the final diagnosis certificate, and Peking Union Medical College Hospital gives a final diagnosis, then I'd still have something to say."

Fang Ziye spoke to here, then turned to Director Xiong Hanzhong of Medical Affairs Department and said: "Director Xiong, can you help me contact Peking Union Medical College Hospital's Bone Disease Department?"

"To avoid misunderstanding at the end?"

The youth hearing this, was instantly stunned, angrily immediately opened his mobile phone camera: "You son of a bitch, right in front of us you start pulling strings, wanting to pass off fake as real?"

"You really don't treat common people's lives as lives, do you?" The youth stood up, began roaring in anger.

"Don't think just because your family connections are strong, you can change the final result! ~"

"My mom's life is also a life, even if Peking Union Medical College Hospital can cover for you, there are other hospitals! ~"

"Let's see how sky-high your connections can reach." The youth was somewhat broken down.

Fang Ziye heard finished, continued calmly: "Big Brother, you've truly misunderstood, I don't have such strong connections, even less such sky-high ability."

"But I personally still feel, tumor diagnosis needs extreme caution."

"Even if I wanted to do those things you speak of, I also couldn't say them out in front of you, right?"

"I have nothing better to do than look for trouble?"

"You running here today to question me, isn't specifically to nail the label of my misdiagnosis, right?"

"If we have problems we speak problems."

"Your mother's situation is not osteosarcoma, you still feel I spoke wrong, you'd rather believe your mother has cancer, than be willing to hope for a moment she doesn't have cancer?"

"What on earth did you come for?" Fang Ziye entered his own rhythm.

"But?"

"But this is impossible! ~ Peking Union Medical College Hospital clearly said so."

"Examination results?" The youth was stabbed by Fang Ziye's words into some confusion and unease.

Fang Ziye also couldn't be bothered to be verbose with the other party: "You want to convict me, or seek a factual truth?! ~"

"I have no grievance or enmity with you, who would want you to admit guilt?"

"Me?"

The youth truly began at a loss: "But you're this certain, my mom doesn't have osteosarcoma?"

"You go back and wait for results yourself! ~"

"I can't even be bothered to help you contact them..."

"If later, Peking Union Medical College Hospital confirms it's osteosarcoma, you coming to find me again isn't late either." Fang Ziye said.

"But there's one premise I must say clearly, I haven't looked at this film."

"But your father said he really did hand it over."

"This matter isn't very long from now, the words we spoke between us, I am one person facing patient families hundreds of people might forget, but he faced only me alone."

"Possible AD, please pay attention."

"Our Medical Affairs Department is right here, and the Complaint Management Office is also here. There's someone on duty twenty-four hours a day."

"I'm also at Zhongnan Hospital, I can't run away." Fang Ziye said.

Already convinced the other party hadn't come to frame him, Fang Ziye no longer tried every means to prove he hadn't reviewed this year's MRI results at the time.

Seeing Fang Ziye so certain, Director Xiong Hanzhong blinked, then still chose to trust Fang Ziye: "Right, you can write down our office phone number."

"If there's any problem, you can call anytime. The on-duty staff here will answer twenty-four hours a day! ~"

As luck would have it, the young man's mobile phone rang at this moment.

The young man picked it up, saw who it was, and hurriedly chose to answer.

"Hello, may I ask if you're a family member of Liang Tengxiang? I'm a doctor from the Bone Disease Department at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, and also Liang Tengxiang's attending physician." A young voice came from the phone.

The voice was tender; he shouldn't be very old.

Although the young man didn't use speakerphone, everyone was sitting very close, so the voice could still accurately reach everyone's ears.

"Yes, it's me! ~ I'm her son." The young man hurriedly replied.

"It's like this. Liang Tengxiang's pathological section report is out. It's not osteosarcoma. I've already verified by phone."

"So, you don't need to do surgery anymore. You can handle discharge procedures tomorrow."

"Congratulations. This was just a misunderstanding." The voice on the phone was still polite.

After hearing this, the young man's gaze swept over Fang Ziye several times.

"Really, really?"

"It was really a mistake?" The young man's tone was disordered.

"Yes. Our department's beds are very tight. If your mother's condition were a tumor, we wouldn't have called you; we'd just schedule surgery."

"But because you might need to handle discharge tomorrow, I notified you in advance after the surgery."

"Professor Chi also had me explain to you. Your mother's imaging examination results looked very much like signs of osteosarcoma."

"The final pathological result is a rare autoimmune-related inflammation that spread to the lymph nodes."

"From our doctors' angle, naturally we need a confirmed diagnosis to rest assured, so we arranged this puncture biopsy for you..."

"No osteosarcoma. Actually we're also happy for you. You can rest assured now." This graduate student was very good with words.

Hearing this, the young man froze in place, not knowing what to say.

After the other side explained once more, he said: "Remember to prepare. Tomorrow you can handle discharge procedures and go home."

"Because there's nothing special, and no need to continue hospitalization."

After the phone was hung up, Fang Ziye also sorted out the sequence of events. He gathered the medical records in front of him and stacked them neatly: "Hmm, I've said everything I needed to say."

"Look, do you have any other questions?"

"If there are no problems, could you trouble yourself to withdraw the complaint?" Fang Ziye squeezed out a smile.

"Professor Fang, then what about my mother's current situation?"

"What should we do? Does she need further treatment?" The young man hurriedly asked.

Speaking of which, the old man only now seemed to recall something. He spoke in a low voice: "Last time we went to the outpatient clinic, it seems we left this year's examination results at your home."

"Later we remembered, and put them in when we went to Peking Union Medical College Hospital."

Fang Ziye shook his head: "This is the Medical Affairs Department, the Complaint Management Office. It's not a place for seeing patients."

"Look at what's written on the wall: 'Do not casually discuss patient conditions. Strictly prohibited to leak patient privacy.'"

"Besides, your purpose in finding me today wasn't to see a doctor, was it?"

"Even if you'd come a few hours later, I might not have been complained against." Fang Ziye's face looked completely harmless.

"Professor Fang, sorry! ~"

"Sorry. I misunderstood you. But I still want to know, what exactly should we do about my mother's situation?"

"She still feels pain." The young man apologized very directly.

Fang Ziye continued shaking his head: "Your mother is currently an inpatient at Peking Union Medical College Hospital. You bypass the near to seek the far to consult me. That's unreasonable."

"I won't tell you either! ~"

"The problem is solved now. I hope you can withdraw the complaint."

"Of course, this is just my unilateral hope... As patients, you still enjoy the right to complain."

"Thank you."

Fang Ziye didn't 'linger in battle'; he quickly severed the entanglement between the two sides.

When the young couple and the old man still wanted to say something, Director Xiong Hanzhong and Director Hu Liangpei of the Security Office took the initiative to stand up, politely blocked them, and then had someone politely escort the family of three out of the Complaint Management Office.

As the young man went out, he still insisted: "I still have business with Professor Fang. Let me in. I want to apologize to him."

The older brother on duty at the Complaint Reception Office then conveniently pulled the door shut, right hand touching his chin, tone polite but slightly sharp: "Brother, calm down. Learn to put yourself in others' shoes."

"I know you're worried about your mother's physical condition, but in the current situation, positions differ."

"We can understand the harm a misdiagnosis by Professor Fang might bring your mother. You also have to understand that your mother's condition currently doesn't have such an urgent status."

"Moreover, your mother is now hospitalized at Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Our hospital's professors' permission to diagnose and treat is broader. Even if they said something, it would only be a suggestion, not binding."

"Furthermore, from a human nature angle, even a clay figure has a bit of temper!"

"You came here to complain without rhyme or reason. Now it seems you even complained wrongly. Professor Fang definitely feels upset inside..."

The old man's son immediately said: "I can apologize to Professor Fang."

"But this matter..."

The older brother continued: "An apology is an apology, but it requires mutual willingness. It's not that once you apologize, everything that happened never happened."

"You calm down too. Everything still waits until your mother's diagnosis is confirmed at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, and she's finally discharged."

"After that, if you still want to consult Professor Fang about your mother's condition, then please properly go to the outpatient clinic and register..."

"We are the Complaint Reception Office, not a place for organizing consultations, and certainly not a place for seeing outpatients."

"Please..." The older brother saw the three off with polite courtesy.

The young man did not continue with idle chatter.

After all, before the old man's son received the call just now, no one could confirm the truth of the "misdiagnosis."

……

In the office, Director Xiong Hanzhong packed up all the materials and documents, stood up, and said politely, "Professor Fang, thank you for your hard work."

"Regarding today's matter, before you arrived, we had already been doing our best to mediate; in the end, it really couldn't be handled with discretion, so that's why we called you and asked you to hurry over."

As the Director of the Medical Affairs Department, Xiong Hanzhong was nominally the "leader" of clinical professors and chief physicians, but Xiong Hanzhong knew very well: this isn't a prefecture-level city hospital, this is Zhongnan Hospital.

In a top-tier comprehensive Grade-A hospital like Zhongnan Hospital, the people in the Medical Affairs Department are nothing; the key to the hospital's existence is fundamentally not administration.

Generally speaking, ordinary professors, associate professors, and deputy chief physicians don't dare show the slightest temper in front of Xiong Hanzhong; even if the other party has some connections, Xiong Hanzhong can still pin them down tight.

But if it's someone like Professor Deng Yong, a well-known professor with a certain status in the province, Xiong Hanzhong feels he may not necessarily be able to act willfully and shake the other's position.

And Fang Ziye is no ordinary clinical doctor.

If it really came down to choosing between Xiong Hanzhong and a higher-level leader, the one who stays in the end would inevitably be Fang Ziye, not him, Xiong Hanzhong.

"Thank you for your trouble, Director Xiong; sorry to have caused you trouble."

Fang Ziye lightly cupped his hands: "But when this patient came to the outpatient clinic, he definitely did not bring this year's imaging examination results."

"Otherwise, according to my consultation habits, I would have recorded it; furthermore, they wouldn't have had to run around so much."

Upon hearing this, Xiong Hanzhong immediately replied: "Professor Fang, what I'm discussing with you is the issue of patient reception and attitude; I've never doubted your professional ability."

"Today you just glanced at the MRI a few times and were able to negate Peking Union Medical College Hospital's preliminary diagnosis of osteosarcoma!"

"Such ability doesn't allow an outsider like me to question it, does it?"

"Our Medical Affairs Department has always been wholeheartedly serving clinical doctors like you, Professor Fang."

Xiong Hanzhong gave a deliberate reminder.

This is the survival rule of a top-tier Grade-A hospital.

Little doctors like master's and doctoral students are nothing; the Medical Affairs Department can't be bothered to manage them — there's the Graduate School and the Residency Training Office specifically to handle them.

This hospital's physicians, attending physicians, and deputy chief physicians just follow orders and that's it; how much of a temper can they have?

Going further up, one has to be trembling with caution.

Zhongnan Hospital transferring a few administrators off to godforsaken places happens often; it's a normal work transfer.

If a top-tier doctor like Fang Ziye were really driven away, Xiong Hanzhong being transferred from Medical Affairs Department Director to Morgue "Principal Investigator" would also be a normal work transfer.

"Director Xiong, then what about this complaint?"

"Our Medical Affairs Office won't quibble over every penny, right? Because if we really insist on playing word games deeply, there are still loopholes to be found." Fang Ziye could afford to ignore these details.

But he also didn't want to bring trouble on himself.

Simple articular cartilage damage and idiopathic osteomyelitis — the diagnoses are worlds apart in direction.

"Professor Fang over-worries; if everyone dead-set on such word games and refuses to let go, then our administrative departments might as well not work."

"The ones who deal with words more are still us."

"Right?" Xiong Hanzhong could also speak; he was also stating facts.

The documents the Medical Affairs Department manages are as numerous as cow hairs; for instance, if one day a professor's surgical authorization gets a dot wrong, wouldn't you lose your job if it's really nitpicked?

After a few more pleasantries, Fang Ziye then bid farewell and left.

After Fang Ziye left, Security Office Director Hu Liangpei also touched his cheek, his back slightly cold with sweat, and said: "Director Xiong, it's still you who has more experience handling things in this aspect."

"From the first moment you learned the involved doctor was Professor Fang, you started a comprehensive investigation and handled it meticulously."

"If it were me, I'd probably be prejudiced by three parts first; meeting again later, there's no telling how awkward it'd be."

Hu Liangpei heads the Security Office; in other words, he has to be a bit rigid.

To guarantee the hospital's normal order, his innate temper simply cannot be too meticulous and soft.

Xiong Hanzhong glanced at the deputy director beside him; the other hurriedly shrank back and lowered his head, and he said: "Director Hu, our work natures are different."

"My position can only be trembling with caution, seeking no merit but seeking no fault."

"As the saying goes, 'Under a great reputation there is no empty scholar'; for Professor Fang to have fought his way to his current reputation at such a young age, it's definitely not just fame-seeking."

Xiong Hanzhong continued: "Now having interacted, Professor Fang, relying merely on these examination materials, dared to determine in front of so many of us that Peking Union Medical College Hospital's preliminary biopsy result was wrong."

"This kind of ability and courage? Could it come from human relations?"

"It's just a pity we can no longer press Professor Fang for the reasons behind his determination."

……

At the Zhongnan Hospital entrance, the young man's face was full of hesitation, as if carefully savoring what Fang Ziye had just said.

"Xiao Xian, did Professor Fang just say my dad might have some ad?"

"What is this ad?" the young man asked.

The one called Xiao Xian was the young man's wife, gentle and refined; at this moment she glanced at the young man: "We're not doctors either, let's not think so much; this weekend taking Dad to the hospital for a meticulous re-examination is the right thing."

Meng Xian then looked at the old man and said: "Dad, don't overthink it either. Du Yong and I checked before; the final paraffin section result is the most authoritative."

"Mom's condition isn't a tumor; this is a good thing, and something we should all be happy about."

Du Xingguo's face was full of self-reproach at this moment: "Xiao Xian, I really forgot."

"Your mom and I have gone in and out of hospitals plenty of times; just that one time I forgot to bring the examination results; I thought we had them all."

"Now it's good, it's turned into this mess."

"This Professor Fang's technique looks even better; in that kind of situation, he could still assert with certainty that Peking Union Medical College Hospital misdiagnosed."

"Yet now he's been offended."

Du Yong patted his own head and said: "Dad, this is also my fault; this Professor Fang was recommended to me by a friend, and strongly recommended at that."

"That's why I booked his appointment for you the first moment it became available — as soon as the slot appeared at Zhongnan Hospital, my friend told me right away."

"Last month, that weekend, I shouldn't have gone on a business trip — I should have come with you."

"Later, when I heard you say Professor Fang was so young, I suggested you take Mom to Peking Union Medical College Hospital for another look..."

"If it weren't for that, Mom wouldn't have gone into the operating room and gone through all that."

Meng Xian watched his phone, checking the ride-hailing car's distance, and pondered for a while before saying: "Du Yong, the key to this matter might still lie with Mom's attending physician."

"We may not understand Professor Fang Ziye's weight in the medical community, but as a bone tumor specialist, he certainly wouldn't be unclear."

"He even mentioned repeatedly in front of Dad that Professor Fang Ziye could have misdiagnosed, and that the frozen section biopsy result is a more authoritative examination than Professor Fang Ziye."

"Isn't that just guiding us to come file a complaint?"

Hearing this, Du Yong shook his head: "That shouldn't be the case — Mom's attending physician is just a resident physician, still only a graduate student at Peking Union Medical College Hospital."

"A newborn calf fears no tiger — we don't need to make such a fuss."

"It's also meaningless."

"If Professor Fang's diagnosis and advice for Mom hadn't differed so outrageously from Peking Union Medical College Hospital's diagnosis, I wouldn't have come here to complain about him."

"A misdiagnosis can affect a person for a lifetime."

"The rest, no need to dwell on."

"But fair is fair — this Professor Fang is truly confident."

"That's Peking Union Medical College Hospital's diagnosis, and he just flatly denied it without any hesitation..."

—

That day, 22:47.

In a residential community just five hundred meters in a straight line from Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Tu Lang stood by the window, swallowing saliva as he answered the phone, voice tightening: "Teacher Tao."

"Tu Lang, do you want to commit career suicide too?"

"Do you think you're more capable than your uncle?" Tao Qiang's tone turned piercing.

"Teacher Tao, I don't." Tu Lang immediately lowered his head and explained in a low voice.

Tao Qiang said: "You just haven't on the surface — what you've done and said in secret, you know in your heart!"

Tu Lang fell silent for a moment, then took a deep breath: "Teacher Tao, I'm just telling the truth — we are doctors of modern medicine, everything is based on facts, everything is based on evidence."

"Just because Associate Professor Fang Ziye is from Zhongnan Hospital, does that mean we can choose not to believe our own hospital pathology department's frozen section biopsy result?"

"The frozen section biopsy result returned is osteosarcoma — the patient and their family kept pressing me for details, and even explained to me that he had been seen at Zhongnan Hospital."

"I could only explain it as a possible misdiagnosis."

"Anyone can misdiagnose!"

"Any case inconsistent with our hospital pathology department's biopsy result is very likely the other party's misdiagnosis — even if the other party is a professor from Jishuitan Hospital, it's the same."

Tao Qiang then pressed further: "Then what about Du Xingguo going to Zhongnan Hospital to file a whistleblowing report?"

Tu Lang shook his head: "I don't know."

"I've never guided the patient or their family to file any report — I can confront the patient's family face to face."

"If I said that, I accept whatever disposition the university's Graduate School imposes!"

Tao Qiang's voice instantly softened: "Tu Lang, I know you've been holding a grudge over your uncle's resignation — you also feel that since your uncle left, you've been subjected to what you think is targeting in our ward."

"But you'd better think clearly — whether what you think is 'targeting' actually is targeting, and what the previous attention you received was due to."

"I have a close personal friendship with your uncle, so I'm still willing to look after you, willing to teach you — I hope you don't go astray."

"Climbing the ladder by attaching to the powerful is just human nature."

"But our Peking Union Medical College Hospital hasn't declined to the point of kicking someone when they're down, or imposing collective punishment."

"If you work hard enough, your professional skills are sufficient, your research accumulation is sufficient — what belongs to you won't be lacking by a single bit."

"But the current you still wants to be like before, enjoying preferential treatment even when you hold no advantage anywhere — then I can only tell you, you're missing an Uncle Tu Lianshan to vouch for you."

"No one has an obligation to show you favoritism when you hold no advantage whatsoever."

"Neither do I!"

"Tu Lang, you're an adult now, and you're a very outstanding graduate student at Huazhong University of Science and Technology — I hope you can think this through clearly."

Over the phone, Tu Lang said seriously, word by word: "Uncle Tao, I didn't."

"I'm just telling the truth."

"Although I can't rule out that because of my uncle, I have some opinions and thoughts about Professor Fang Ziye to some extent, every word I said to the patient is based on real evidence."

"Given that Professor Fang Ziye's diagnostic opinion is inconsistent with our hospital's professors and our hospital pathology department's preliminary biopsy result, he could have misdiagnosed."

"Even if he is Professor Fang Ziye."

"Even if he is an academician senior in orthopedics, the possibility of misdiagnosis cannot be ruled out."

"My teacher Chi Jianhua once said — in this world, as long as one is a doctor, one will misdiagnose. The difference is only whether the misdiagnosis rate is one in a thousand or one in a hundred — there is no difference between zero and non-zero..."

Tu Lang, surnamed Tu, is a Professional Master's Student in the Bone Tumor Specialty at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, mentored by Professor Chi Jianhua, and is also the biological nephew of former Deputy Director Tu Lianshan, Attending Physician of Spine Surgery at Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

But Tu Lianshan resigned taking responsibility because of Fang Ziye, and has since moved on to another post.

"Best if there isn't any — I hope there isn't either."

"Tu Lang, people must look forward."

"We're all adults — so we must be responsible for every action we take, every word we speak." Tao Qiang's voice also relaxed.

He called Tu Lang not to pursue accountability — on the contrary, he greatly admired Tu Lang's courage.

Seeking truth from facts, and not being discouraged just because of Fang Ziye's existence, Fang Ziye's fame, Fang Ziye's achievements.

If this kid can, because of his uncle's matter, burst with potential and transcend the simple 'seed of hatred', then his future is promising too.

"But as long as you sit straight and walk straight, there's nothing to fear — the Peking Union Medical College Hospital platform can give you the backbone to stand tall."

"As long as you're outstanding enough, our hospital, our department, can give you a sufficient platform — even if the other party is Professor Fang, it's the same." Tao Qiang encouraged.

Tu Lang fell silent for a long time upon hearing this, then asked in a low voice, "Teacher Tao, I heard from the people on duty in the department."

"That Professor Fang, after being complained about, reviewed the examination results and still firmly insisted that 'osteosarcoma' was the misdiagnosis?" Tu Lang's voice began to tremble with coldness.

Young and vigorous as he may be.

Yet Fang Ziye's actions were like the mighty Five Finger Mountain; even just hearing of them left him unable to catch his breath.

He could not imagine where Fang Ziye found the courage at that time, nor did he know just how formidable his strength must be if he had possessed such conviction all along.

And yet such a person had become a 'potential' succubus in his heart; how could he ever walk out from under the oppression of this great mountain.

"Yes."

"Based on what the family member said, when you called him, Professor Fang Ziye had already determined it was a non-osteosarcoma diagnosis."

"Tu Lang, put aside your personal prejudice; this Professor Fang Ziye is not someone your bias can measure up to."

"You are a graduate student of our Bone Tumor Department; you should know, the things he did this year paralyzed our entire tumor research system for several whole months!" Tao Qiang reminded him again.

"I know, Teacher Tao."

"I'm not trying to compare myself with Professor Fang, but I must also persist in seeking truth from facts."

"Under the conditions at the time, I could only explain to the patient that Professor Fang Ziye might also have misdiagnosed it as a speculation." Tu Lang said.

"Hmm... alright..." Tao Qiang hung up the phone.

(Chapter End)