Li Bingxue favored Liu Zihao not only because Liu Zihao was Gou Shunquan's nephew, but also because Liu Zihao's father, Liu Jinya, was a high-ranking executive at Ba Wang Group.
Upon hearing that Liu Jinya was on the brink of death, Li Bingxue felt as though the sky was falling. After hastily hanging up the phone, she rushed back to her office to beg Chen Xiao:
"Chen... Chen Xiao, Brother Hao's dad is dying. He desperately needs the Sheng Sheng Zao Hua Needle to prolong his life. Please, put aside your grudges..."
Chen Xiao, with a look of disgust, interrupted Li Bingxue's plea:
"What does it matter to me if his dad is dying? Why should I put aside my grudges?"
Just then, the office landline suddenly rang. Niu Kunpeng, who answered it, was initially stunned, then said to Chen Xiao with a fawning expression:
"Dr. Chen, Deputy Director Zhou wants you to go to her office immediately."
Chen Xiao, already disgusted by Li Bingxue, stood up without a word and bolted out the door.
At a sunlit desk, Zhou Wannong, clad in a white coat, was frowning as she examined a diagnostic report. Her ponytail was tied high, revealing a fair neck, delicate and sexy collarbones, and skin as smooth as frost and snow.
Seeing Zhou Wannong again after a day, Chen Xiao, catching the faint scent of peaches in the air, was both amazed and grateful. He said politely:
"Deputy Director Zhou, thank you. If you hadn't secretly helped me, I probably wouldn't have been able to return to the Central Hospital in this lifetime."
Zhou Wannong's attention was entirely focused on the diagnostic report before her. Without looking up, her tone was as cold as ever:
"You actually lent out my car without permission. I don't see any sincerity in your thanks, humph!"
Chen Xiao became anxious and blurted out:
"Hui Xian is my childhood friend. Her sister's condition last night was critical. If she hadn't been admitted for emergency treatment promptly, it would have been a case of two lives lost..."
With a chuckle, Zhou Wannong icily interrupted Chen Xiao:
"Hui Xian? You call her by her given name so easily, but why is it so difficult for you to call me by mine?"
As she spoke, she suddenly looked up and met Chen Xiao's gaze, her features exquisite, cold, and captivating.
"Uh..."
Chen Xiao was speechless, suddenly at a loss, and inexplicably felt a blush creep up his neck and his heart race.
Forcing herself to shift her gaze from Chen Xiao's handsome and chiseled face, Zhou Wannong continued coldly:
"Actually, the one who helped you wasn't me, but this difficult patient."
Saying this, she stood up and handed Chen Xiao an anonymous diagnostic report from her desk.
Chen Xiao, full of suspicion, took it and flipped through it, a hint of surprise in his eyes:
"This patient's symptoms are almost identical to those of old Mr. Song Kaichao. He's likely been poisoned by a similar potent toxin."
Zhou Wannong nodded slightly, her beautiful eyes betraying her helplessness:
"I tried injecting him with Qing Kai Ling according to your treatment method for Song Kaichao, but it had no effect. So, I wanted to trouble you to make a house call."
Chen Xiao was already displeased with Gou Shunquan's arrangement for him to lead the team in the competition. After all, the three intern doctors, Li Bingxue, Yang Longjian, and Du Shaobin, had always been close with Liu Zihao. Du Shaobin, in particular, had bullied him alongside Liu Zihao more than once. Thus, he agreed without hesitation:
"Of course, no problem!"
At that very moment, the three of them suddenly appeared in Zhou Wannong's office.
Li Bingxue seemed to have forgotten her plea for Chen Xiao to save Liu Jinya. She dutifully relayed Gou Shunquan's arrangement for Chen Xiao to lead the team to Zhou Wannong.
Zhou Wannong's pretty face grew colder, her mind racing:
"Gou Shunquan is truly insidious and malicious. To make such an arrangement for Chen Xiao right after he was specially appointed as a clinical resident physician, he clearly intends to humiliate Chen Xiao in front of the other dozen departments. However, no matter how clever he is, he wouldn't have anticipated that Chen Xiao's medical skills are divine, and he fears no clinical challenge."
Imagining Chen Xiao's astonishing performance during his rounds, Zhou Wannong couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. Eagerly, she said:
"Dr. Chen, Director Lin and his entourage are already gathered in the emergency hall. The competition is about to begin, let's hurry."
As she spoke, she personally led the way out.
Compared to other clinical departments such as orthopedics, ophthalmology, pediatrics, and dermatology, the patients in the emergency department have the most complex and comprehensive conditions, making it ideal for various assessments. Therefore, the Central Hospital's annual intern doctor clinical skills competition is always held in the emergency department.
At this moment, in the bustling emergency hall, led by the old Director Lin Huichun and eight deputy directors, over fifty intern doctors from more than a dozen departments throughout the hospital had already arrived.
From afar, seeing the peerlessly elegant Zhou Wannong leading Chen Xiao and three others, a deputy director in his forties beside Lin Huichun couldn't help but show a greedy expression. With an eager look, he quickly stepped forward:
"Wannong, I never expected you to have the time to lead the team personally. With your participation, this competition will surely be spectacular!"
As he spoke, he even attempted to take advantage of Zhou Wannong in front of everyone.
Subconsciously taking half a step back to create distance, Zhou Wannong said coldly:
"Deputy Director Du, you misunderstand. Our emergency department's team leader this time is Dr. Chen Xiao."