Outside, a long, anxious queue had already formed. When the nurses standing by the entrance saw Doctor Lu arrive, their eyes lit up. They hurried to carry the triage desk out in front of him.
The attending physicians from the various departments also arrived right on time. Seeing the long line and the way the nurses hovered around Doctor Lu, Ma Jianshan’s eyes twitched, but he walked past without saying a word.
"Enjoy the limelight while it lasts—it’s only for today!"
"Bah! Just a bunch of shallow women who only care about a pretty face!"
After thanking the nurses, Doctor Lu sat behind the triage desk and looked out at the people in the courtyard. If he could successfully finish this day of consultations, his reputation in this county would be solidified.
...
"It’s your turn to report."
In the conference room of the Health Department office building, Director Zheng looked toward Zhao Jinliang, the director of the Qingyun Street Community Hospital.
*Swish!*
As soon as he spoke, the directors of the other six community hospitals all cast mocking glances at Zhao Jinliang. The Traditional Chinese Medicine Department at Qingyun Street Community Hospital had been under construction for three months, gone through three doctors, and seen only five patients. They had become the industry joke. Asking him to report was nothing short of public humiliation.
Zhao Jinliang stood up slowly with a smile, walked to the podium, pulled a USB drive from his pocket, and plugged it into the computer.
*Oh?*
Bringing a USB drive?
The others exchanged amused glances. "Poor students have the fanciest stationery," they thought. The situation at Qingyun Street Community Hospital could be summed up in three sentences, yet he was making such a fuss!
Director Zheng frowned. Today’s meeting was intended to criticize Qingyun Street Community Hospital and Zhao Jinliang specifically. Why all this unnecessary pageantry?
"Ahem, respected Director Zheng, respected directors," Zhao Jinliang began with a light cough. "I am Zhao Jinliang of Qingyun Street Community Hospital. Currently, the development of our Traditional Chinese Medicine Department is in full swing!"
*What?*
The room fell into stunned silence. Everyone stared at him in disbelief. *Old Zhao, when did you learn to lie through your teeth with such a straight face?* "In full swing"? Could he really look at his department and use that phrase?
"Next, please look at the big screen."
Zhao Jinliang opened the PowerPoint, his tone suddenly brimming with passion. "Since its inception, our Traditional Chinese Medicine Department has been responding to the government's call to serve the community and provide high-quality medical services."
"In this context, we have launched our 'Traditional Chinese Medicine Specialty Triage' service."
As he spoke, a photo of the triage desk at the entrance appeared on the screen. It was clearly labeled: "Traditional Chinese Medicine Specialty Triage."
The audience was bewildered by Zhao Jinliang's grand, empty rhetoric. But seeing the photo, they laughed. A lonely, empty triage desk—what use was that without patients?
"We have also moved our TCM services out of the department and into the community," Zhao Jinliang continued triumphantly. "These two initiatives have been met with enthusiastic welcome and unanimous praise from the residents of Qingyun!"
"Please, look at the following photos."
Under Zhao’s control, the screen began to display images: several photos of long queues, people eagerly awaiting treatment, and Doctor Lu checking pulses and writing prescriptions. The final photo showed a long line still snaking through the darkness of night, with "7:30 PM" marked in the top corner.
*Whoosh!*
Feng Yigu, the director of Qingshui Street Community Hospital, stood up abruptly and stared at Zhao. "Old Zhao, you clearly hired actors for this!"
"Exactly! They’re actors, right?" the other directors echoed.
Director Zheng also frowned. He knew the situation at Qingyun Street Community Hospital well, and this was not how one covered up problems!
"They are absolutely not actors," Zhao Jinliang said with a confident smile. "Everything you see here is real."
"I don't believe it!" Feng Yigu declared flatly.
"Neither do we!" the others joined in.
"Whether you believe it or not, it is the reality of our hospital. Just because your hospitals can't achieve this doesn't mean it doesn't exist at ours."
Ignoring his bluster, the others turned to Director Zheng. Whether they believed it didn't matter; the only thing that mattered was whether the Director did.
"This 'TCM Specialty Triage'—when did you start this?" Director Zheng asked, frowning.
"Uh..." Zhao Jinliang felt a bead of sweat, but his brain raced. He steeled himself and said, "We had been planning this since the department was established. However, the previous doctors lacked the necessary skills. This time, we recruited a talented Ming Physician. After a three-day evaluation, we implemented it formally yesterday."
"Yesterday?" Feng Yigu chuckled, standing up again to taunt him. "How is it that I heard yesterday your hospital was planning to cancel the TCM department and merge with the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital?"
"Planning to merge in the morning, and suddenly starting triage in the afternoon? It looks to me like you hired actors specifically for today’s meeting. Old Zhao, are you gunning for the Deputy Director position at the Health Department?"
Zhao Jinliang’s face turned icy, his sharp, angry gaze fixed on Feng Yigu. He had been pushing to reach a 50-million-yuan revenue target and build up the TCM department specifically for that Deputy Director seat. With the current leadership rotations across the county, a position had opened up. It should have been impossible for a community hospital director to land it, but rumors suggested the county leadership wanted someone with frontline experience.
To have his veiled, competitive maneuvers stripped bare and made public was infuriating. The other directors looked at Zhao with newfound suspicion.
Director Zheng looked at Zhao and asked, "Is the triage service happening today, too?"
"Yes," Zhao replied immediately.
"Let’s go take a look together. Seeing is believing," Zheng said, rising from his seat.
"Yes! Let's go see. We’ll take a look, or rather, we’ll learn from them! Haha!" Feng Yigu was the second to stand, laughing. The others followed suit.
"No problem," Zhao Jinliang managed to keep his smile, though his heart was hammering. He didn’t know what was happening at the hospital right now, and he couldn't ask without looking suspicious. He had no choice but to follow the group out of the building and onto a shuttle bus.
Feng Yigu took a seat right next to him, wearing a wide grin. Zhao cursed him under his breath and prayed: *Lu Yi, you have to come through! Even if there aren't more people than yesterday, don't let the numbers drop too much!*
The county was small, and after passing a few traffic lights, the bus reached the intersection near Qingyun Street Community Hospital.
Zhao Jinliang’s face grew strained, and his heart pounded.
Feng Yigu watched him, a smirk playing on his lips. "What’s wrong? Getting cold feet?"
Zhao gave him a cold look and was about to retort when the bus suddenly screeched to a halt after turning the corner.
"What’s going on?" Director Zheng, who had been checking his phone, frowned and asked. The other directors also looked toward the front.
"Director, the road ahead is blocked. It's full of people!" the driver said, his forehead beaded with sweat.
*Hmm?*
Zheng leaned out from his seat, looked out the window, and froze. Both sides of the street were packed with cars. A sea of people blocked the road, and at the front of that sea was a long line stretching all the way into the hospital courtyard.
The other directors were stunned. Zhao Jinliang felt his entire body tremble, but his eyes shone with an unprecedented, excited light. *There are even more people than yesterday!*
"Director Zhao, what is going on here?" Director Zheng asked, turning to look at him in confusion. The others, especially Feng Yigu, followed his gaze.
Zhao Jinliang coughed lightly, forced himself to remain calm, and made his voice sound as casual as possible. "It seems our triage service is quite popular."
Director Zheng and the six other directors were speechless. Were all these people here for the TCM triage?
"Let’s go down and see," Director Zheng said, rising immediately. Feng Yigu followed close behind, and the others hurried to catch up, desperate to verify if this was real or fake.
Only Zhao Jinliang walked leisurely at the back.
When the group reached the hospital entrance, they were shocked by the scene in the courtyard—even Zhao Jinliang was stunned. Yesterday, there had been one line. Today, the line zig-zagged through the courtyard in S-curves. It looked like a train station during the Spring Festival rush!
Director Zheng hurried to push through the crowd toward the lobby entrance. Once there, he saw a remarkably handsome young man sitting at the triage desk, calmly checking a patient's pulse. He then wrote a prescription, and the patient took it, heading happily into the hospital to collect the medicine. Then, the next patient stepped up.
Everything was smooth and natural. No one was complaining, no one was pushing, and it wasn't chaotic. The patients, the doctor, and the people in line formed a remarkably harmonious scene.
But, wasn't this doctor too young? Could he really make so many people willingly wait in line?
"The Director is here! The directors of all the other community hospitals are here!" The attending physicians on the second floor, who had been idle all morning, stood by their windows and saw them.
"Did this Lu Yi alarm the Director?" someone asked in the group chat. No one answered; everyone was staring in utter disbelief.
"Director Zhao, isn't your hospital's TCM doctor a bit... too young? I don't believe he could make so many people wait in line," Feng Yigu said, suppressing his shock while pointing at the young Lu Yi. He had wanted to say that he didn't look like a doctor at all, but rather a movie star. He scanned his surroundings quickly and added, "Such a young doctor with so many people—it’s not reasonable. They must be actors, right?"
"If you can find even one actor, you can strip me of my title as director!" Zhao Jinliang’s bottled-up frustration finally exploded.
The others looked at him in shock. He was betting his career on it?
"Then how do you explain how a young man like this could have such good medical skills? He doesn't look like a master physician!" Feng Yigu pressed.
"Who says young people can't have good skills? Who says a handsome face means poor technique? I was a very good doctor when I was his age!" Zhao retorted. "If you want to know if his skills are good, you can ask Vice Director Wu from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital."
*What does Wu Shengli have to do with this?* Director Zheng and the others looked at him suspiciously.
"His skills are better than Vice Director Wu’s. If you don't believe me, you can ask all the medical staff in our hospital!" Zhao declared.
*Better than Vice Director Wu?* The directors looked at Zhao in disbelief. *Is he talking nonsense?*
"Are you kidding me?" Feng Yigu sneered, shaking off his shock. "Wu Shengli has decades of experience! How could this young man compare?"
The others laughed, including Director Zheng, who also felt Zhao was exaggerating.
Just then, a commotion rippled through the crowd. A stunning woman, carrying herself with an elegant, poetic grace and a faint, sweet fragrance, walked toward them, escorted by a man with a flat-top haircut.
Instantly, everyone’s eyes were drawn to her. The Director and the hospital heads were struck dumb. *Why is the county’s wealthiest woman, Qin Yi, here? And she’s holding... a commemorative banner?*
***
Qin Yi, the wealthiest woman in the county, had come too?
The doctors on the second floor were stunned. Qin Yi was the chairwoman of Yixin Pharmaceuticals and one of the county’s top three taxpayers. She frequently supported the county government, particularly the Health Department and the community hospitals, through countless donations of money, medicine, and equipment.
Seeing her, Director Zheng immediately put on his best smile and hurried to greet her. "Chairwoman Qin, what brings you here?"
Zhao, Feng, and the others followed, their faces plastered with the kind of smiles usually reserved for television commercials.
"Director Zheng is here, and you are here too, Director Zhao? Why are you all here today?" Qin Yi asked with a spring-like smile.
"Haha, we were having a meeting at the department and heard that the TCM department here was thriving, so we came to take a look," Director Zheng said. "And you?"
"I’m here to thank Doctor Lu," Qin Yi said, raising the banner and pointing toward Lu Yi, who was still busy with a patient.
*To thank Lu Yi?*
Director Zheng froze. Zhao Jinliang was dumbfounded. Feng Yigu, who had been questioning Lu Yi’s skills, stood paralyzed. The wealthiest woman in the county had come in person to present a banner to Lu Yi?
*Wait—thank him for what?*
Under the suspicious gaze of the Director and the seven hospital heads, Qin Yi walked toward Lu Yi with a smile. The patients nearby moved aside, their eyes following her.
Lu Yi had just finished with a patient and looked up to see Qin Yi and Zhang Liang approaching. He had already noticed the directors and Qin Yi, and had overheard their conversation.
"Doctor Lu, I came specifically to thank you for what happened last night."
Qin Yi bowed slightly with genuine sincerity and, under the gaze of everyone present, unfolded what she was holding.
It was a red banner with gold trim. Two lines of large characters were written on it:
"A Miraculous Hand Brings Rejuvenation; Bian Que Reborn!"
In the top left, a small inscription read: "Presented to: Doctor Lu, TCM Department, Qingyun Street Community Hospital, Qingshan County."
In the bottom right: "Respectfully presented by Qin Yi."
*Boom!*
As the banner was revealed, the waiting patients stood frozen. The wealthiest woman in their county had given a banner to this young doctor?
Director Zheng and the seven directors were stunned silent. The doctors on the second floor looked like monkeys witnessing their kin being slaughtered—they were absolutely shocked.
*Why? How could this happen?* Had Lu Yi treated the wealthiest woman? And successfully cured her? They couldn't even get a chance to treat such powerful people, let alone receive a banner from them!
Lu Yi was also taken aback. He hadn't expected Qin Yi to show up in person to present him with his first-ever banner.
"Please accept this. It’s a token of my gratitude!" Qin Yi leaned in, and a delicate, refreshing perfume drifted into Lu Yi’s nose. She whispered, "After taking your medicine, Tiantian has been much better. She went for a thirty-minute run today; not only was she not tired, but she felt even more energetic. Thank you!"
Lu Yi nodded and stood up to accept the banner with quiet confidence. "You're welcome."
"It is I who should be thanking you."
Seeing that Lu Yi had accepted the banner, Qin Yi took her leave, and Zhang Liang offered a respectful gesture before following her out.
Only after Qin Yi had left the courtyard did the silence break into a roar of excitement! All eyes were fixed on the banner in Lu Yi’s hands, then back to the doctor himself.
The expressions of the patients in line shifted from shock to delight! If even the wealthiest woman in the county endorsed his skills, then this doctor was extraordinary. Coming to see him was the right choice! The fatigue from waiting two hours vanished instantly. For a doctor who had cured the richest woman, they would wait not just two hours, but all day!
"Excellent, truly excellent!" Director Zheng said, watching Qin Yi go. He looked at Lu Yi with surprise, then turned to a stunned Zhao Jinliang. "Director Zhao, it seems your hospital has truly recruited a formidable doctor for the people!"
Zhao Jinliang snapped back to reality. He hadn't expected Lu Yi to give him such a massive surprise—having a connection to the county's wealthiest woman! Hearing the Director’s praise, his years of watching the evening news paid off, and his political instinct kicked in. He replied humbly, "It’s all thanks to your leadership!"
"When we started building the TCM department, you said that any doctor we hired had to be worthy of the people's trust, that a life entrusted to us is heavier than Mount Tai! That’s why I spent three months vetting candidates. I would rather have had no patients and no revenue for three months than let a quack harm the people. Thank goodness, my efforts were rewarded—I found Doctor Lu."
*What a load of rubbish!* Feng Yigu and the other directors cursed silently. *The department was a failure for those three months! What "listening to the leader"—how can he say that with a straight face while we're standing right here!*
Director Zheng nodded in satisfaction. As he was about to return to his car, his thoughts drifted to the upcoming leadership rotations and the Deputy County Magistrate position he had been coveting for so long.