Chapter 60: Suspension? Han Wen’s Mother Is Stunned!

“As a doctor, a patient comes in and you just ignore them?”
“What kind of doctor are you? I see your badge says ‘Chief Physician’. Is this how you act as a chief physician?”

Yin Tiejun clutched his abdomen, beads of sweat the size of peas sliding down his forehead and neck. His anger flared as well, his trembling finger pointed at Feng Ling as he cursed her furiously.

Feng Ling had never met Yin Tiejun before, nor did she know he was the Municipal Secretary-General. At his words, her eyebrows shot up, and she let out a cold snort. “Do I need you to teach me how to be a chief physician?”

“There are clear regulations at this hospital—winter shift ends at five in the evening.”
“It’s already 5:03. Why shouldn’t I clock out?”
“Even if you complain to the hospital director, I’m in the right!”

She glared at Yin Tiejun, then cast a disdainful glance at Yang Dong. “Yang, it was the best decision my daughter Wenwen ever made not to choose you.”

“Just look at you—what capabilities do you have?”
“Heh. If you really had any ability, you’d just call the director and have him assign a doctor for your elder, wouldn’t you?”
“Let’s be honest—you have no power. No power, so just swallow your pride!”

“If it were Yaodong bringing his family for treatment, everything would already be arranged—a private ward, and doctors lining up to see the patient.”
“That’s what you call ability!”
“But you? You think you could do that?”
“You think you deserve it?”

“A toad lusting after swan meat—my daughter Wenwen is the swan, and you think you deserve her?”

Feng Ling’s voice dripped with sarcasm, her face brimming with arrogance and satisfaction. In her eyes, someone as insignificant as Yang Dong, who had to register properly for a consultation, clearly had no influence at all. If he had any, a single call would have solved everything—there’d be no need for this whole ordeal.

Now Yang Dong was arguing with her?
Heh. Embarrassed? It was certainly not her, but Yang Dong.

Yang Dong stared at Feng Ling, his eyes unreadable. He truly didn’t know how to tell her…
The patient before you is Yin Tiejun, Secretary-General of the Municipal Government.
What greater authority could there be than his? In the entire city government, perhaps only a handful.

“Yang Dong, I understand now—when a person is rotten at heart, everything they see is filth,” Yin Tiejun gasped, his face ashen as he looked at Yang Dong, unable to help but sigh.

He couldn’t have imagined that Feng Ling, the mother of Yang Dong’s ex-girlfriend and a chief physician at the municipal hospital, would say such things.

At this moment, his heart ached for Yang Dong. Over the past few years, Yang Dong had made no progress in the municipal office beyond becoming a regular clerk—who knew how much scorn he’d endured from the Han family? Who could say how many times Han Wen had humiliated him, trampled his dignity as a man?

Then Lin Yaodong had stolen Han Wen away—when they hadn’t even broken up yet. That was cheating during the relationship. Such shame and humiliation would have been unimaginable for Yang Dong.

Yin Tiejun suddenly regretted not having insisted on promoting Yang Dong last year. But perhaps it was for the best. Had Yang Dong become a deputy division head, he might never have seen the true colors of Han Wen’s family. If he’d married her, and his career faltered, she might have done worse than cheat—she could have betrayed him completely.

A good wife can support her husband, but a bad woman can destroy him. Even the greatest ambitions could be dragged into the gutter because of her.

“Heart problems? Then go to cardiology. What are you doing here? What a fool!”

Feng Ling sneered at Yin Tiejun’s words, clearly understanding the mockery but showing no sign of concern.

“Comrade Yang Dong, you’re here for a consultation?”

A loud voice called from the stairwell at the end of the corridor in the Digestive Department on the second floor. Yang Dong and Hou Donglai both turned to look. The director of Lingyun City People’s Hospital, Xu Zhongmu, hurried over with the head of General Affairs accompanying him.

Feng Ling was startled to see the director himself. Why would he come here? Was it because of Yang Dong?
Impossible… right?
A sudden sense of unease gripped her, though she couldn’t say why.

Xu Zhongmu recognized Yang Dong at once. The registration desk had mentioned someone from the Municipal Discipline Inspection Commission was seeking treatment, and he’d immediately thought of Yang Dong and Hou Shuangquan, both of whom were from the commission and currently hospitalized. The hospital had been dealing with the commission frequently these days—so he’d come to see who it was.

Upon seeing Yang Dong, he relaxed and even smiled.
So it’s just Yang Dong—not some major figure.

“Director Xu, hello!” Yang Dong greeted him politely.

“You’re not in your ward—what are you doing here? Stomach troubles?” Xu Zhongmu asked in some confusion, then glanced at the middle-aged man Yang Dong was supporting, though his back was turned.

Yet, the man’s back seemed oddly familiar…

“And this is…?” Xu Zhongmu asked, gesturing at the man.

Yang Dong was about to reply when Yin Tiejun turned, his expression icy as he fixed Xu Zhongmu with a glare. “Director Xu, you run a hospital with truly ‘admirable’ ethics!”

Xu Zhongmu’s eyes widened in disbelief. Wasn’t this Secretary-General Yin Tiejun from City Hall?
But… Yin Tiejun had been under double investigation for more than ten days.
How was he out now—and at his hospital?

“Ah? Secretary-General Yin, you…”

Xu Zhongmu felt his mind reel, everything slowing to a crawl in his confusion.

“Medical treatment!” Yin Tiejun barked. “I came in with stomach pain and registered for a consultation. And what did your Digestive Department’s Chief Physician, Dr. Feng, say? She told me she was off duty and to wait for the next shift or register again.”

“Heh. Truly excellent, Director Xu. Only now do I realize the exquisite ethical standards of your hospital.”
“Perhaps I should mention it to the mayor—your hospital’s work style deserves recognition, perhaps even vigorous promotion. Don’t you think?”
“All the hospitals in every district and county should learn from yours, shouldn’t they?”

Xu Zhongmu shivered, a chill running down his spine.

“Feng Ling, what’s going on?” he demanded, rounding on Feng Ling, his face thunderous with rage.

Feng Ling—Han Wen’s mother and a chief physician—was stunned speechless. She opened her mouth, but no words came. Did she have any justification? In front of ordinary people, perhaps. But in front of leadership, none. Especially since the person she’d mocked was Secretary-General Yin Tiejun himself.

The moment she heard the director call out Yin Tiejun’s identity, she wanted nothing more than for the ground to swallow her up.

“Director Xu, Secretary-General Yin came to seek treatment for stomach pain, yet Dr. Feng here gave us the cold shoulder—she even deliberately shut down her computer and cleared all registration data.”
“I don’t know how Director Xu manages the hospital, but I do know a doctor is supposed to be an angel in white, dedicated to saving lives.”
“But Dr. Feng’s conduct—if I may speak plainly—was a bit too much.”

Yang Dong spoke with a complicated expression, sighing three times, but each word drove Feng Ling paler, until she could only point at Yang Dong, speechless.

How merciless—this young man!
Those three sentences nailed her to the pillar of shame, nearly costing her her career.

Sure enough, the moment Xu Zhongmu heard this, he turned without hesitation to the head of General Affairs. “General Affairs, what’s the procedure?”

The General Affairs chief was terrified—Secretary-General Yin came for treatment and was humiliated, even delayed in care? Just look at Yin Tiejun now, drenched in cold sweat, ashen-faced, clearly in agony.

“The hospital’s regulations call for immediate suspension!” he replied sternly, glaring at Feng Ling before turning to the director.

Despite previously cordial relations with Feng Ling—they’d gone out for drinks, shared meals—when it came to trouble with leadership, all that counted for nothing. They were merely drinking buddies, nothing more.

“Old Zhang, you…” Feng Ling’s whole body trembled, her face draining of color. She hadn’t expected her ‘friend’ in General Affairs to treat her like this.

The head of General Affairs wasn’t really a department chief; it was just a title. Even Xu Zhongmu, the hospital director, was only at the deputy division level, which wasn’t high compared to equivalent party or government ranks. Unless the director held a concurrent position as deputy director of the Health Bureau, it didn’t amount to much.

(Back in 2008, there was no Health Commission yet; some provinces and cities called it the Health and Family Planning Commission, or Health Bureau, etc.)

“Then she’s suspended!” Xu Zhongmu said flatly, endorsing the decision.

That single sentence snuffed out Feng Ling’s last hope. The world spun before her eyes, and she nearly fainted.

“Secretary-General Yin, I’ll personally arrange your treatment and admission!” Xu Zhongmu, ever adept at reading the room, immediately stepped up to support Yin Tiejun, calling for all the doctors from the Digestive Department to accompany them to the VIP ward.

Yin Tiejun, supported by the hospital director and trailed by more than a dozen white-coated doctors, looked for all the world as if he were leading an inspection.

Yang Dong watched from behind, unable to suppress a sigh.