"Have you thought it through?"
Seeing Liu Banxia lost in thought, Qiu Huaili asked with a grin.
Liu Banxia gave an honest nod. "I haven’t seen much, Brother Qiu. If I really work hard, what are my chances?"
Qiu Huaili shook his head. "It’s complicated. It involves many factors, including the power struggle inside your hospital. Many people will bring their might to bear."
"Never mind well-established hospitals like yours; even in my company, there are cliques. It’s inevitable wherever there are people and power."
"There are too many variables in your situation, so no one can predict the outcome, but that doesn’t mean you don’t stand a chance to secure the vice-director position."
"Your disadvantage is your youth and lack of experience. If you were a bit older with a higher professional title, you wouldn’t have as many issues."
"But your advantage also stems from that. You’ve proven yourself to be extremely competent. You’ve gained a certain level of influence not only for your medical skills but also publicly."
"Your mentor, Zhou Shuwen, actually wields more influence in this situation than your Chief Director. Even though he’s only just been nominated as a deputy Chief Director this year, he holds a lot of sway."
"Now you’re a graduate student at Binhai Medical College. Although not entirely from their inner circle, if you consider it from Zhou Shuwen’s perspective, you can also be seen as someone trained by Binhai Medical College."
"Many people can’t figure you out. They can’t predict your future achievements in medicine, so they’re choosing to be cautious."
"Your strengths and weaknesses are clear. The key now is you. You’re in no position to back down, so try your best. Whether you succeed or not, at least you won’t have any regrets."
"Life is like that; it’s almost impossible to stay uninvolved when faced with such complex matters. They can be overwhelming sometimes."
"In the past, you lacked experience. If you had had this mindset earlier and started maneuvering, things wouldn’t be as they are now."
"But that’s okay. You’re no worse than others, and your potential is immense. Regardless of your future, I’ll always want to be on good terms with you."
"Of course, if it involves my own interests, then careful consideration is necessary. The final decision isn’t yours to make; it’s in their hands."
"Brother Qiu, I won’t say much more. I really understand now." Liu Banxia nodded emphatically.
Both Zheng Yali and Qiu Huaili are wise people. To him, a novice in the professional world, they possessed profound knowledge and insight.
Zheng Yali hadn’t been as direct with him, perhaps due to the nature of their relationship, so he had to figure things out on his own. Qiu Huaili was different; he treated Liu Banxia like a true younger brother, explaining things very clearly.
A small hospital, a newly established vice-director position at the emergency center—not even a major title—yet it involved so many issues.
Just thinking about it gave Liu Banxia a headache. After all, he might face many more such things in the future, and these matters wouldn’t be easy to handle.
There are some things you can’t avoid even if you don’t want to get involved. That’s the situation now; how could things possibly go according to his own will?
He once had many ideals about his job, but he never imagined he’d have to play these kinds of games.
"Alright, let’s go in. If you need my cooperation with anything, just ask," said Qiu Huaili.
Liu Banxia shook his head with a smile. "Your occasional guidance is more than enough. Otherwise, I’d just be fumbling around, completely unable to see these intricacies."
"Actually, it’s not that complicated. I think you can follow Zhou Shuwen’s path. Improve your medical skills as much as possible. As long as your skills are good enough, people will have to think twice before causing trouble," Qiu Huaili said with a smile.
"It’s like some veteran factory workers; sensible people usually don’t mess with them. Even if they seem a bit lazy, they’ve managed to stay on either because they have connections or possess high-level skills."
"Just keep working hard. Although accumulating experience in medicine is somewhat related to age, you’re extraordinary. Mastering so many surgical procedures at such a young age and being highly regarded by Zhou Shuwen—you’ll definitely be fine."
"But, as your older brother, I have to remind you. You can follow Zhou Shuwen’s path, but you also need to be adaptable. I heard Old Qiao mention that Zhou Shuwen is knowledgeable and insightful, but he lacks a bit of practical flexibility."
"If that’s the case, his position as deputy Chief Director might be his ceiling. They can’t let him steer such a large hospital because he’s too principled, maintaining a strict separation between public and private affairs, and doesn’t know how to strike a balance."
"This so-called balance means smoothing things over. Don’t underestimate this skill. As long as you can smooth things over effectively, you can get your department in order and improve its performance."
"Many young employees at our company think they’re superior due to their high education and technical skills, and they look down on the old-timers who sit in the office all day, sipping tea and chatting idly."
"But after a year, see if they can actually secure those positions. Those who can are truly capable; those who can’t are merely trailblazers who clear the path for others."
"I’m quite confident about you; you won’t have problems with money. As long as you also manage your personal conduct well, your future is limitless."
Liu Banxia chuckled. "I’m quite confident about that. Right now, all my attention is on Qiaoqiao. Our hospital, though, is truly a minefield. You said that, so you must have heard some things before."
"That’s just common sense; no need to hear stories. Especially in the future, if you get promoted to a position where you can decide other people’s fates, people will proactively seek you out, whether you want them to or not," Qiu Huaili said with a laugh.
Liu Banxia nodded. That was indeed the case.
But he really did have faith in himself on this matter. He had a wife and a child on the way; why would he bother with all that nonsense?
Even if their little one was just conceived, he was already a father-to-be. Working so hard every day, the most important thing was to rush home to be with his wife after work.
"Alright, let’s head in too. You’ve pretty much got it figured out. Just keep striving and stay true to yourself. As long as you don’t look back with regret in the years to come, that’s all that matters," Qiu Huaili continued.
"Whether or not you’ll win the position isn’t that important right now, in my opinion. After all, you’re still quite vulnerable, and your fate is still in others’ hands."
Although this was a bit awkward to hear, it was indeed the current reality.
Today’s conversations with Zheng Yali and Qiu Huaili had given him a sense of clarity.
Anyway, he just needed to continue on his current path without overthinking and burdening himself.
He returned to his original mindset: focus on doing his job well, and let the rest be what it may. He wasn’t in a rush to get promoted; even if he wasn’t selected, he still wanted to stay in the emergency center.
With his mind clear, a relaxed smile spread across his face.
This was true happiness. Otherwise, constantly worrying about this issue made it hard for him to rest easy.
When they walked into the room, they saw Wang Jingxian and Qiaoqiao sitting on the couch, eating fruit and snacks, while Tang Dou and Tiggie were on the floor guarding Doudou.
The little girl was clearly enjoying the two big dogs’ protection, crawling around tirelessly.
"Finished talking? We’ll make dinner a bit later; Banxia doesn’t have anything else on tonight anyway," Wang Jingxian said.
"Sister-in-law, you’ll have to teach Qiaoqiao properly. We’re both novices; we don’t know anything," Liu Banxia said.
"There’s not much to teach, just be careful. Morning sickness is the hardest part; I used to throw up everything I ate. If you’re craving anything, just tell me, and I’ll make it," Wang Jingxian replied.
"Sister Jingxian is so nice, much better than this heartless man here," Qiaoqiao said, glancing at Liu Banxia.
"I’m pregnant, so naturally, I’m worried sick, but he’s over the moon—he barely slept last night! It’s like I’m the only one going through the wringer, while he just gets to enjoy it."
What could Liu Banxia say? He could only offer an apologetic smile.
Qiaoqiao wasn’t wrong; he was indeed overjoyed. He was genuinely ecstatic, so much so that he’d even hidden in the bathroom yesterday to celebrate quietly for a bit.
Of course, there was no need to tell Qiaoqiao about that. If he did, the little minx might actually get angry.
"If we have a boy, he can marry Doudou when they grow up. And if it’s a girl, that’s great too; she’ll have Doudou as an older sister to look out for her," Liu Banxia said.
"That sounds good. They can grow up together, go to school together, and keep each other company," Wang Jingxian commented with a smile.
"Otherwise, I’d worry about Doudou getting bullied at school. Children don’t understand all those social nuances; tempers can flare up easily."
"They dare? Whoever bullies my daughter, I’ll go bully their parents!" Qiu Huaili interjected.
Wang Jingxian rolled her eyes. "As if you’d need to step in. Wouldn’t Ming Yuan handle it?"
"Haha, that’s true! Qiaoqiao, see how great that is? We can just let Ming Yuan look after both kids, and we won’t have to worry about a thing," Liu Banxia said with a chuckle.
"Hehe, that’s true. It’ll save us a lot of trouble in the future. And no need for extra tutoring classes either! With Doudou blazing the trail, our kid will have it easy," Qiaoqiao agreed, chuckling.
This left Qiu Huaili and Wang Jingxian speechless. This couple really knew how to scheme.
But it was indeed a good idea. Doudou was often lonely. Otherwise, why would she be so fond of Tang Dou and Tiggie? The little girl simply lacked playmates.
As for the talk of a childhood engagement, no one really took it to heart. Even if Qiaoqiao did have a boy, it would all depend on their destiny.
A forced union is never sweet.