From Evil Sect Leader to Doctor

In Xu Chunliang’s view, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Western medicine should at least be on equal footing. However, now Western medicine has long surpassed TCM, and the latter’s space for survival is being increasingly squeezed.

This phenomenon isn’t just confined to Changxing; it’s pretty much the same across the country. Even in the various levels of traditional Chinese medicine hospitals, the proportion of Western medicine is larger.

Zhao Feiyang said, "If you’re serious about changing the current situation, you can expand Huichun Hall." Zhao Feiyang thought it was telling that even Xu Chunliang himself chose to work in Changxing instead of taking over Huichun Hall, which reflected reality.

Xu Chunliang said, "I don’t think integrating TCM into the Health and Wellness Department is appropriate. TCM is just temporarily in a slump, but that doesn’t mean it’s failing."

Zhao Feiyang said, "You mean..."

Xu Chunliang said, "The matter with Zhou Yisheng shows that outsourcing TCM clinics is not advisable. TCM requires a high level of comprehensive skills from doctors. I suggest that instead of weakening TCM, policies should favor it."

Zhao Feiyang laughed and said, "If you can convince Mr. Xu to come over as a consultant, I’ll hand the TCM department over to you."

Xu Chunliang said, "My grandfather is about to retire, but Zheng Peian is his true disciple. If it’s entrusted to him, my grandfather naturally becomes the consultant behind the scenes."

Zhao Feiyang couldn’t help but detect the selfish motives of this young man. He wanted to take this opportunity to push Zhu Mingyuan out and let Zheng Peian take charge of the TCM department.

Although the TCM department seems insignificant, Zheng Peian is an associate chief physician, while Zhu Mingyuan is a chief physician and also the vice president of the Dongzhou TCM Association and a permanent director. The latter has far more accolades.

Zhao Feiyang hesitated and said, "Director Zhu’s work has always been quite diligent."

Xu Chunliang said, "To do good work, being diligent isn’t enough. I’m not just favoring my own people. Zhu Mingyuan’s skills aren’t as good as Zheng Peian’s, and he places too much importance on money. During Zhou Yisheng’s contract period, he did not hesitate to aid and abet."

Zhao Feiyang nodded, "Alright, let’s do it your way."

Zhu Mingyuan quickly received his share of the profits. Once the money was in hand, he was reluctant to let it go. Xu Chunliang was ruthless, wanting to take thirty percent from him.

What infuriated Zhu Mingyuan more than handing out money was that after Zhou Yisheng withdrew, the TCM treatment center and massage therapy were re-merged into the TCM department, and the hospital hadn’t explicitly stated that he would continue as director. According to what he knew, the future director position was likely to go to Zheng Peian.

Zhu Mingyuan’s best friend was Zhao Yongsheng from the neurology department; he would go to Zhao Yongsheng first to discuss matters whenever something happened.

Zhao Yongsheng said, "Old Zhu, not to criticize you, but you shouldn’t have gotten so close to Zhou Yisheng from the start. Businessmen like him are only motivated by profit and can’t be trusted at all."

Zhu Mingyuan said, "I’ve always worked honestly. I did as the hospital arranged, but I don’t understand. I was initially tasked with overseeing the quality of the TCM treatment center, and now that the hospital has reclaimed management, I’m sidelined."

Zhao Yongsheng had also heard about Zheng Peian potentially replacing him, and with a sigh, he said, "A new king brings new ministers. Now that Zhao Feiyang is in charge, it’s normal for him to want to use his own people."

Zhu Mingyuan said, "Isn’t it just because Xu Chunliang helped him speak up? Zheng Peian is Old Xu’s disciple from Huichun Hall, but he’s just an associate chief physician, and he left for several years to do business. Everyone is well aware of his true skill level: how can Dean Zhao hand the TCM department to someone like him?"

After listening to him vent, Zhao Yongsheng consoled, "Nowadays, becoming a section chief doesn’t depend on skill. If I were the dean, I’d make you the vice dean."

Zhu Mingyuan looked at Zhao Yongsheng with an unusual expression; it seemed like he was implying that his skill level was inadequate.

Realizing his slip of the tongue, Zhao Yongsheng quickly added, "Skill is never more important than connections."

Zhu Mingyuan said, "Aren’t you good friends with Pei Lin? Why don’t you talk to her? If she speaks up, Dean Zhao will probably listen."

Zhao Yongsheng had long suspected that Zhu Mingyuan would try to leverage this connection. He did have a good relationship with Pei Lin and had helped her a lot in the past, but times had changed. In the past, Pei Lin had sought his help with pharmaceutical sales, but now she had transformed into the dean’s wife, and Zhao Yongsheng had distanced himself to avoid any misunderstanding.

Zhu Mingyuan said, "Yongsheng, you have to help me out. It’s okay to send some gifts. To be honest with you, I don’t actually want to be the director, but I can’t bear to lose my dignity. As a chief physician, how could I be managed by an associate chief physician? If it really comes to that, I might as well resign."

Knowing that what he said was just words of anger, Zhao Yongsheng thought that if Zhu Mingyuan actually resigned, he would only be able to work at pharmacies and clinics. Although the income might not differ significantly, it wouldn’t grant him any social standing.

Zhao Yongsheng said, "Old Zhu, it’s not that I’m unwilling to help, but Pei Lin is quite pragmatic. Now she’s no longer on the same level as us."

Though saying this, Zhao Yongsheng, considering their old friendship, still approached Pei Lin. Her response was straightforward: she wouldn’t meddle in Changxing’s affairs.

Pei Lin had learned her lesson; the incident with Zhou Yisheng scared her quite a bit. She intended to keep a low profile for a while and seize the opportunity to plan her wedding with Zhao Feiyang.

Since she yielded to Zhao Feiyang’s wishes to step back from Changxing, Zhao Feiyang willingly handed his salary card to her and even proposed holding a wedding as compensation.

This weekend, Zhao Feiyang is going to take her to meet his parents at home. Pei Lin begins to reflect on her past actions; she used to push herself too hard, and pushed Zhao Feiyang too hard as well. Ultimately, it was because she lacked security; she cared too much about this marriage, worried about losing Zhao Feiyang, and even once fell into the trap of proving her own capability.

Because of the new life in her womb, Pei Lin feels that life has become much better, willingly becoming the woman behind Zhao Feiyang seems nice.

Pei Lin recently enjoys visiting maternity and baby stores; when she selects baby products alone, her face beams with a happy smile. When she looks up, she sees a man outside wearing a black coat looking at her through the window.

Pei Lin’s expression is startled and fearful; she blinks and immediately lowers her head. When she raises her head again, the figure of the man has already disappeared, and Pei Lin breathes a sigh of relief, hoping she saw wrong.

She looks around and hurriedly goes to the cashier to pay.

Leaving the maternity store, she quickly walks towards the elevator, presses the button to open the door, and rushes in; as the elevator doors are about to close, the man in the trench coat steps in quickly, and the two of them briefly make eye contact.

The man shows a meaningful smile: "Long time no see." He presses the button for the first floor.

Pei Lin nods; her destination is the B2 underground parking garage, fortunately, their destinations are not the same.

When the elevator reaches the first floor, the man holds down the door open button and says to her, "Let’s have a cup of coffee together."

Pei Lin says, "I’m sorry, I’m in a hurry..."

The man persistently presses the door open button: "It won’t take much of your time."

Someone comes in, and Pei Lin hesitates for a moment, finally choosing to leave; she doesn’t want to be stared at in this narrow space.

The two arrive at a Starbucks on the first floor, and the man invites her to sit by the window, but Pei Lin chooses a relatively secluded spot in the corner against the wall. She doesn’t want to be seen by others.

The man orders two cups of coffee and a plate of snacks and returns to Pei Lin’s side. Pei Lin sees those familiar items, and memories, not pleasant ones, flash in her mind.

Pei Lin asks, "Director Yang, when did you come to Dongzhou?"

The man is Yang Mufeng, formerly the deputy director of the cardiology department at Hai Zhou Second People’s Hospital, also a technical backbone and a leader in his field.

Yang Mufeng takes a sip of coffee and says, "I resigned!"

Pei Lin purses her lips, for some reason, she feels an ominous premonition: "Oh, with your talents you must have moved on to something better."

Yang Mufeng says, "I got divorced!"

Pei Lin’s face turns pale, she lowers her head and drinks the coffee, completely forgetting that she had quit coffee since becoming pregnant. As the bitter-sweet liquid fills her mouth, she realizes and wants to spit it out; after thinking about it, she swallows it, but she doesn’t drink any more, and softly says, "I am getting married."

Yang Mufeng says, "I know."

Pei Lin hopes he will say something like best wishes to you, but Yang Mufeng does not.

He looks at Pei Lin with some sadness, "You broke your promise, you didn’t wait for me."

Pei Lin says, "There was never any so-called promise between us; you had a family, back then it was your choice for your family. We no longer have any ties."

Yang Mufeng says, "Some things don’t disappear just because you say they don’t. I can never forget the pain you endured for me..."

"Shut up!" Pei Lin’s face reddens with anger, she shakes her head, "Yang Mufeng, you owe me nothing, and I owe you nothing. I hope this is the last time we meet, and we don’t disturb each other’s lives."

Yang Mufeng says, "What a mutual non-owing relationship? For you, I sacrificed my family, I was despised by my wife, children, relatives, friends, I lost my promising career, and now you tell me not to disturb you? Pei Lin, how can you be so heartless?"

Pei Lin grips the coffee cup tightly, otherwise her hands would tremble with anger. She reminds herself not to get angry and tries to speak calmly, "Yang Mufeng, Director Yang, no matter how you feel, I now have a husband, and we also have our own child, I hope..."

"Hope for what? Hope I don’t disrupt your life? Hope I help you keep your secret forever? Why? Why do I have nothing, while you can live freely? In your heart, I don’t even have a tiny place?"

Pei Lin says, "Yang Mufeng, could you please be a man? I ask myself and see no wrongs I’ve done to you."

Yang Mufeng curses viciously, "Yes, at the time you knew full well that I was a married man and you still came to seduce me! Did you think because you got pregnant I would let you go? Does Zhao Feiyang know his wife is a woman who is available for everyone?"