Chapter 1265: with translation of chapter title

Zhu Liangchen drove to 912, searched for half an hour, finally found a parking spot, and parked the car in it.

Next time I come, I'll just take a taxi. Thinking of this, Zhu Liangchen suddenly froze for a moment, then spat several times.

Do you still think it's not embarrassing enough?

Just thinking of Zheng Ren pointing and gesturing in front of him made Zhu Liangchen's mood darken; he was very unhappy.

But then thinking that Zheng Lao Ban didn't even know what was going on, the patient suddenly had a massive bleed… Forget it, losing a bit of face isn't a big deal; better to just be honest.

A chestful of lofty ambitions had been ground by life and reality into a pile of cold ashes.

Zhu Liangchen couldn't possibly not know the gap between himself and Zheng Ren, yet he just wouldn't accept it. A competitive spirit is something everyone has, but one must also choose whom to compete with.

How about Zhou Chun Yong? The guy who dared to chase the department head around the hospital with a cleaver—even if he wasn't happy, he still ended up submitting. But with Zheng Lao Ban here, it's not something that can be settled just by being unwilling.

He was wandering in thought while carrying the film upstairs.

Today the atmosphere in 912 seemed off—there were a few more guards, and the patients were all quiet. Upon entering the Inpatient Department, Zhu Liangchen noticed this.

Perhaps he was overthinking it; he didn't take this small matter to heart, but continued upstairs to the Intervention Department.

As soon as he reached the doorway, Zhu Liangchen froze.

The hallway was packed with dozens of people, each standing upright, no whispering, no walking about, those in crisp suits standing against the wall.

They weren't security personnel; Zhu Liangchen first concluded that. Looking at their big stature but equally big bellies, could such people be guards?

Could it be some big shot seeing a doctor in 912? No, definitely not. If there were, they wouldn't be in the front Inpatient Department but in the rear building.

Most of those in Western suits were blond‑haired, blue‑eyed foreigners; Zhu Liangchen froze for a moment, wondering what was going on.

He tiptoed inside and saw the Intervention Department doctors comforting patients in the hallways and wards, chatting, basically just telling people not to gather around.

Usually the doctors' office doors are open most of the time, but they were closed; Zhu Liangchen cautiously approached to see what was up.

Doctor Shen Boshi came up, smiling and speaking softly: "Director Zhu, how do you have free time?"

"I'm looking for Director Kong to view a film." Zhu Liangchen, also affected by the environment, lowered his voice: "Inside is…"

Saying that, he looked at Shen Boshi inquiringly.

"Doctor Mehari from Sweden has come to consult with Zheng Lao Ban and perform the second-stage surgery. He's not just reading films—Director Yuan brought people along." Shen Boshi said: "Your timing is off. How about you wait a moment?"

Zhu Liangchen was speechless.

Do I also have to wait here like everyone else? These people are probably Mehari's entourage… Wait, who is it?

"Doctor Mehari? The Swedish cardiac specialist?" Zhu Liangchen asked.

"Yes." Shen Boshi said: "A few years ago, Fuwai Hospital invited him to give a lecture."

"……" Zhu Liangchen stared in shock for a long while, unable to speak.

This is a leading figure in cardiac disease treatment, holding a weighty position in the Nobel medical and biological reviews.

A few years ago, Fuwai Hospital invited someone to give an academic talk, reportedly at great expense.

Zhu Liangchen also attended that lecture, after all, cardiac and hepatic interventions share some common ground; learning from others can only help.

But I never expected that the old man on the pedestal would actually come down to earth—and, damn it, come to have Zheng Lao Ban do the surgery…

Zhu Liangchen immediately felt a chill.

Kneel down; if you stubbornly resist at this moment and keep opposing Zheng Lao Ban, you might end up with nowhere to bury your corpse.

If it were just a small-town doctor or minor department head, that would be fine. But Di Du's hepatobiliary department, ranked among the top three nationally for liver disease treatment—if they hold an academic conference and don't invite you, what face is left?

These are trivial matters; after all, having Zheng Lao Ban means an extra layer of safety and fewer medical accidents.

He took a deep breath, suddenly thought of a question, grabbed Shen Boshi who was about to go elsewhere, and asked: "Is Doctor Mehari here to do liver surgery?"

"It's heart surgery." Shen Boshi reacted a moment later, then understood what Zhu Liangchen meant: "They say last year all three coronary vessels were blocked, Zheng Lao Ban went to Sweden, happened to be there during the rescue, and just went ahead and did the surgery."

"By the way, damn it……" Zhu Liangchen's heart surged like ten thousand horses.

"But because the old man's clotting mechanism is impaired, he needs regular surgery to replace stents, so he rushed over." Shen Boshi chuckled: "When I was just greeting Doctor Mehari, I heard Yun Ge'er say that, but I don't know if it's really true."

Zhu Liangchen released Shen Boshi and stood at the doctors' office doorway.

Doctor Mehari, a global authority in cardiology, came to have Zheng Lao Ban do the surgery? He didn't notice that in his thoughts about Zheng Ren, his address had shifted from Zheng Ren to Zheng Lao Ban.

If it were liver surgery, Zhu Liangchen could accept it. But it's heart surgery—what on earth is going on? Has Zheng Lao Ban's interventional medicine become that advanced?

Suddenly he realized he was standing at the office doorway; if Director Yuan came out and saw him at a glance, what would he say?

Forget it, better to stand toward the back.

Carrying the film, he walked to the end of the line, seeing a few familiar faces along the way. Of course, it was only that he knew them; they didn't know him.

Seeing those who had been arrogant during lectures now standing honestly against the wall, Zhu Liangchen felt more balanced inside. Even though he was at the back, what did it matter?

How does that old saying go?

Is it "Fifty steps laugh at a hundred steps"?

It's just that this spot is near the restroom, which is indeed a bit inconvenient.

Zhu Liangchen also had no better option; he just hoped the discussion inside wouldn't take too long.

He stood silently against the wall, waiting. Inwardly he lamented, why bother again? These past days Zhou Chun Yong has been thriving, and he still wants to ride on Zheng Lao Ban's momentum to organize some academic conference.

When he heard the news, Zhu Liangchen didn't care either. He thought it was an activity by the Longwind Micro-creation organization to promote supplies—such things happen all the time, so he didn't take it seriously.

Just because the conference title has the word "international" doesn't make it truly international—who would have thought it was actually organized by the high‑level experts and scholars who came with Doctor Mehari?

MD, all of this should have belonged to me.

Zhu Liangchen suddenly realized this, and his heart felt as if pricked by needles.

It was all supposed to be mine—damn, it's like being possessed by a ghost. He stood dejected at the very end of the line, lost and dispirited.