In the eting room of the Sanbo Hospital administrative building.
Song Zimo sat on one side of the long table, opposite Dean Xia Changjiang and several hospital leaders.
"Song Zimo," Dean Xia pushed a docunt toward him, "you’ll be in charge of the Ergency Departnt restructuring."
Song Zimo glanced at the words on the cover of the docunt: "Sanbo Hospital Ergency Departnt Construction Plan."
"The original ergency departnt was too scattered," Dean Xia continued, "the chest pain center was in the cardiology departnt, the trauma ergency center was in orthopedics and other surgical departnts, and the stroke center was in neurology, each handling its own thing, without coordination. When a patient cos in, they go through triage, then consultation, then transfer between departnts, and by the ti this cycle is completed, the golden hour has passed."
He paused.
"Professor Yang has ntioned to several tis that the ergency departnt should be the first gateway for life-saving. If the gateway is blocked, no matter how skilled the treatnt follows, it’s useless."
Song Zimo nodded, Yang Ping indeed had said this, not just once.
"So we decided to integrate resources and establish a comprehensive ergency departnt." Dean Xia looked at him, "The chest pain center, trauma center, stroke center, and so on will all be placed under the ergency departnt. The ergency departnt doctors must be able to handle various critical conditions, perform surgeries independently, and have their own operating room and ICU."
He closed the docunt.
"You’re the most suitable person for this director position!"
Song Zimo did not imdiately respond.
He recalled the last conversation he had with Yang Ping, when Yang Ping asked him, "Do you know what’s missing in the ergency departnt?"
He said he didn’t know.
Yang Ping said, "Doctors who can save lives are missing. Not the ones who just fill out test forms and wait for consultations. They should be the kind who can see the problem at a glance and handle it on the spot. The kind who can surge forward and save critically ill patients when they co in."
Yang Ping looked at him.
"You’ve been with for years, able to perform in cardiac surgery, follow in neurosurgery, not leaving out the basics of general surgery, and orthopedics is your forte. You’re skilled in interventional surgery too, you’re very suited to establishing the comprehensive ergency departnt."
Now sitting here, facing the dean’s appointnt, what ca to his mind was another matter.
It happened more than twenty years ago.
In the sumr when he was five, his mother picked him up from school on her bicycle. The sun was bright that day, and she placed a small straw hat on his head. He sat on the back seat, holding his mother’s waist, listening to her hum a song.
What happened afterward was unclear. He only rembered a loud noise, the world spinning, then finding himself lying by the roadside, covered in blood.
His mother was right next to him. He crawled over, holding her head. Blood flowed from her ears, onto his hands, his legs, over every part of him. He didn’t know what to do, only knew how to cry and call for his mother.
When the ambulance arrived, his mother no longer breathed.
Later, he studied dicine.
Later, he followed Yang Ping.
He studied cardiac surgery, studied neurosurgery... pushing himself to the extre, making sure every surgery was perfect, docunting every case, filling dozens of notebooks over the years, afraid that when soone needed saving, he wouldn’t be able to do anything.
He never forgot that afternoon.
His mother’s blood was warm, sticky, flowing through his fingers.
If his mother had t trouble five minutes later, If there had been soone on the road to save her, If the ergency system back then had been like now...
There is no "if."
He lifted his head, looking at Dean Xia.
"I’ll do it!" he said.
Dean Xia nodded, as if he had known the answer all along.
"Your deputy is already chosen," he said. "Xiong Shihai, original ergency departnt director, a veteran at Sanbo Hospital, working here for over a decade, has seen all types of situations. You manage internally, he manages externally, you will form the team."
Song Zimo hesitated for a mont.
Xiong Shihai.
The "muscle man" of Sanbo Hospital, a legendary figure in the ergency departnt. Stubborn, towering at 1.9 ters, weighing over 300 pounds, strong, his muscles solid like a giant.
Having such a person as director, now making him a deputy, will he comply?
Dean Xia seed to see through his thoughts.
"Rest assured," he said, "I’ve talked with him. He said if anyone else were appointed as director, he wouldn’t comply. But you are Professor Yang’s top disciple, from the institute, he willingly respects."
---
In the ergency departnt office, Xiong Shihai was devouring a bun.
His eating style was bold, with one bite, half of the bun was gone, his cheeks bulging high. Upon seeing Song Zimo enter, he paused for a mont, then quickly swallowed the food in his mouth and stood up.
"Director Song."
Song Zimo watched him standing there like a wall, eyes bright, looking directly at people, not shying or dodging.
"Director Xiong," Song Zimo extended his hand, "going forward, let’s work together."
Xiong Shihai grasped his hand. The grip was astonishingly strong but stable, without implying force.
"Director Song," he said, "I am straightforward, I speak plainly."
"Speak!"
"I’ve worked in ergency for fifteen years. Seen countless deaths, saved countless lives. I believe I’m competent, whoever cos as director, I wouldn’t respect."
He looked at Song Zimo.
"But you’re different."
Song Zimo didn’t speak.
Xiong Shihai released his hand.
"I’ve heard about your surgeries. Cardiac bridges, neurosurgery tumors, ergency bleeding control via endoscopy, interventional stenting... Each of them is enough for others to study for years. You’re Professor Yang’s top disciple, from the institute, with heavenly skills."
He took a step back, standing upright.
"Director Song, from now on I’ll listen to you. You command, I’ll advance into battle."
Song Zimo looked at him.
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