(Thanks to the book friend 20190117150738637, the handsome uncle, for the encouraging monthly ticket.)
Wang Chao, in his indecision, did not take any action in the end. This left Liu Banxia and his partner a bit disappointed, as they genuinely wished he could take a solid step forward.
"Don't look at me like that; I'm really scared," Wang Chao said.
"There's no need to force it; just let it be. But I think if you really put your mind to it, you should seize the chance now to avoid regretting it later," Liu Banxia responded.
Wang Chao nodded. "Anyway, they're just on a blind date, not getting married."
No one knew whether he was explaining this to Liu Banxia or comforting himself.
A few minutes later, Wang Chao's mother, Zheng Yali, came in.
"Hello, Auntie," Liu Banxia and Qiaoqiao quickly got up to greet her.
"Have you been waiting long? I had to take a call and handle a small matter. Wang Chao, have you ordered the dishes yet?" Zheng Yali asked with a smile.
"I've placed the order. I'll go tell them to serve the food now," Wang Chao nodded.
"Auntie Zheng, I'm really sorry for troubling you with my affairs, especially when you're so busy with work," Liu Banxia said.
"No worries. I've wanted to treat you to a meal for a while now. I heard from Wang Chao that you've taken good care of him at the hospital. The community outreach program you organized, and the new team you established, are both excellent," Zheng Yali said with a smile.
"However, Wang Chao might have to work a lot more in the future. When I step down as chief resident, he'll have to become one too. He'll be on call 24/7, so I'm afraid he won't have much time to spend at home with you," Liu Banxia said.
"Well… Actually, I knew that being a doctor would be tiring. I didn't want him to stay in the hospital at first, but he insisted. Anyway, he's still young. Let's see how he handles it in a few years," Zheng Yali sighed.
"He mentioned your situation to me. I guess that's why I pay more attention to news from your end than I usually would."
"However, this is just a competition for a deputy director position in your emergency center, and the decision will primarily be made by your hospital. What you lack right now are qualifications. If you had started working two or three years earlier, this wouldn't be an issue."
"Auntie Zheng, I've talked it over with Wang Chao. Actually, in the beginning, I didn't really care much about this deputy director position," Liu Banxia said.
"If Wang Chao hadn't treated me like a brother and helped me analyze the situation, I would have been completely unaware of all the implications. Now that things have developed to this point, I'm a bit lost on what to do."
"What should you do? In my opinion, just carry on with your work as usual," Zheng Yali responded with a smile.
"I won't say much more, but stay true to your original intentions. Think about why you chose to endure the hardship and fatigue of being an emergency center doctor. With your wife's income and your current reputation, you could easily choose a more relaxed job."
"Having worked for so many years, I do have some insights. Everyone wants to progress, as it's a reflection of their personal value and work ability. Those who don't want to progress often don't perform very well in their jobs."
"That's because such people are often content with the status quo, approaching work one day at a time. With such a mentality, their work attitude changes, and the efficiency and quality of their work naturally decline."
"It's not wrong to want to progress, but while aiming for progress, you must also do your current job well. Only by performing your duties well can you take on more responsibilities."
"Your medical skills are excellent, and you've been doing a great job as chief resident. Moreover, you're now helping Vice Director Zhou with training and some management tasks in the emergency center."
"Do all of these things well; that's what you should be doing now. As for the rest, I personally don't think it's particularly important."
"The fact that they're making an exception to let you compete is already a form of recognition and support. Don't burden yourself too much, and don't let such minor things affect your normal performance at work."
"Thank you, Auntie Zheng. It's embarrassing to admit, but I have been a bit distracted at work lately," Liu Banxia said, looking slightly sheepish.
"It's the same for everyone, especially since this is an exceptional opportunity for you," Zheng Yali responded, nodding with a smile.
"But, in my opinion, even if you aren't selected for this deputy director position, it won't be a significant loss for you personally. You could always pursue a path through the hospital administration, which offers even greater room for advancement."
"I haven't had much contact with Vice Director Zhou. From what Wang Chao has told me, he doesn't seem particularly concerned about this matter. Old Chen, on the other hand, is very interested."
Liu Banxia frowned slightly; her words clearly had a deeper meaning, but he didn't dare respond.
"I can see you've thought it through quite clearly. Just stick to your principles and do your best. 'If you get it, it's your fortune; if you lose it, it's your fate.' You're still very young; it's only a matter of time before you shine brightly," Zheng Yali added.
"Thank you, Auntie Zheng. I understand," Liu Banxia said sincerely.
At this moment, Wang Chao returned, leading a server in. Liu Banxia couldn't help but marvel at the timing; only someone with a certain finesse could manage that.
Wang Chao must have figured that if he (Wang Chao) stayed, Liu Banxia would feel awkward discussing his own affairs. He knew his mother well and timed his return perfectly.
Although there were only four of them, Wang Chao had ordered a generous amount of food. However, the dishes were predominantly light, a characteristic of teahouse dining.
"Haha, thank you. You know I have a big appetite," Liu Banxia said with a laugh.
"Well, you took such good care of me in the Emergency Center; I had to show my appreciation," Wang Chao replied.
"Banxia, I'll be frank with you. Wang Chao has a somewhat gentle disposition, and he can be a bit lazy at times. He needs someone to push him along," Zheng Yali said.
"Auntie, don't worry. Our Emergency Center is so busy now that even if he wanted to slack off, he couldn't. Once the project team is established, and after that when he becomes chief resident, he'll find it hard to get any extra sleep," Liu Banxia replied.
"However, I don't think Wang Chao is lazy. In my opinion, he's just a bit indifferent. Wang Chao, don't think I'm badmouthing you; I'm just speaking frankly."
"In our Emergency Center, although you haven't mastered many surgical procedures yet, the ones you do know are very solid, very much in Shi Lei's style."
"But, just as Auntie said, you need someone to push you more before you'll consider learning other surgical procedures. Do you have some reservations?"
Liu Banxia spoke cryptically, but Zheng Yali understood. Could it be related to his family's background?
"Actually, it's nothing much. I just feel that if the Emergency Center gives me too much special treatment, or if I'm allocated too many resources, others might talk," Wang Chao said.
"Silly boy, do you really think your father and I have that much influence? The hospital system is different from ours," Zheng Yali said.
"Besides, even if I'm not familiar with your hospital's operations, I know one thing for sure: if you weren't capable of performing surgery, no one would dare let you operate."
"We don't steal or rob, so you don't need to worry about us like that. Some things do require discretion to avoid giving people fodder for gossip, but other things are just part of your normal work and don't need such overthinking."
Her son's answer confirmed her earlier suspicion. Influenced from a young age by his environment and her constant admonitions, her precious son had become overly cautious in his actions, lacking boldness.
She herself hadn't realized this at all, but Liu Banxia, an outsider, had seen it clearly.
This meal today was truly worthwhile. Otherwise, if her son continued to work so timidly, his future achievements would be very limited.
"Exactly! You should look at me. I've been surrounded by controversy, but do you see me caring? As long as we haven't made any mistakes, it's even okay to argue with a patient's family," Liu Banxia joked.
"Auntie, you might not know this, but there was a time when a patient died unexpectedly. If it weren't for Wang Chao's persistence, that patient's son might have also ended up in danger at some point."
"It was a kidney disease called polycystic kidney disease. It often doesn't show symptoms, but when it does flare up, it can be life-threatening."
"And it was his insistence on performing an autopsy on the patient that finally led us to the true cause of death. I'm not just saying this to praise him in front of you; this really happened. Even I hesitated at the time."
"After all, in our line of work at the hospital, sometimes it truly is 'the less trouble, the better.' Getting involved can easily lead to problems for yourself."
"Something like that happened? Why didn't you tell us at home?" Zheng Yali asked, suddenly anxious.
This was the first time Liu Banxia had seen such a distinct emotional shift on her face since they met.
"It wasn't a big deal, just a minor situation at the time. It was actually Banxia who noticed something wasn't right after the patient passed away, and that's when I thought we should find out the real cause of death," Wang Chao said sheepishly.
"Mom, these things are quite normal. As doctors, we all experience such situations to some extent. Anyway, I didn't think it was a big deal, and I'm perfectly fine now, aren't I?"
"You've been like this since you were little. In the hospital, don't just focus on work; you've lost so much weight," Zheng Yali said.
Wang Chao glanced at Liu Banxia and Qiaoqiao, feeling a bit embarrassed. There was nothing he could do; his mother was treating him like a child again.
While chatting, everyone ate quite quickly; they were all busy people, after all.
Liu Banxia didn't stand on ceremony. Since Wang Chao had intentionally ordered extra food, it shouldn't go to waste. His hearty appetite indeed impressed Zheng Yali, giving her a firsthand look at how much he could eat.
"President Liu, you and Qiaoqiao can head home first. I'll just take a cab back to the hospital," Wang Chao said after they finished dinner and had seen Zheng Yali off.
"Alright. We'll talk more tomorrow," Liu Banxia replied.
Wang Chao nodded, hailed a taxi, and got in.
Liu Banxia was very thoughtful. Although he hadn't spent much time with Zheng Yali, and their conversation hadn't been overly explicit, she had revealed a great deal of information from which he had benefited immensely.
He realized that in many matters, he could still only see the surface.